Patent ID: 7543919

Claim:
A liquid transport apparatus comprising: a flow passage unit which has a liquid flow passage; and a transport force-applying mechanism which applies a transport force to a liquid contained in the liquid flow passage, wherein: the flow passage unit includes a plurality of stacked plates which are formed with a plurality of flow passage-forming holes respectively for constructing at least a part of the liquid flow passage; mainstream areas and branch areas are formed in the plurality of flow passage-forming holes respectively, the mainstream areas being substantially overlapped with each other as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the plates, and the branch areas being disposed outwardly as compared with the mainstream areas as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the plates; and the branch areas are provided so that adjacent branch areas, which are adjacent to each other in a stacking direction of the plates, are partially overlapped with each other as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the plates, and the branch areas are formed in a spiral form.