Material guide mechanism and 3D printer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a material guide mechanism and a 3D printer. The material guide mechanism is used to communicate with the main material pipe in the 3D printer to guide material lines from different material trays to the main material pipe. The material guide mechanism includes: a shell, the shell defines a plurality of feed ports, a plurality of feed channels, a discharge port and a discharge channel. Each of the plurality of feed channels is respectively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of feed ports to receive a corresponding material line wound on a corresponding material tray, the discharge channel is connected to the discharge port, the discharge port is used to engage with the main material pipe, and the plurality of feed channels are all connected to the discharge port via the discharge channel. The shell is formed to have a shell curvature relative to a plane defined by the center of the discharge port and the center of each of any two feed ports in the plurality of feed ports, so that the corresponding combined channel formed by each of the plurality of feed channels and the discharge channel adapts to the curvature of the corresponding material line when it is released from the corresponding material tray.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a material guiding mechanism and a 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a technology that uses digital model files as a foundation and uses adhesive materials to construct objects through layer-by-layer printing. 3D printing is typically achieved using a 3D printer. A 3D printer, also known as a three-dimensional printer or stereo printer, is a type of rapid prototyping equipment. A typical 3D printing technology is fused deposition modeling (FDM). The working principle of one type of FDM is as follows: under computer control, a hot melt nozzle moves in a horizontal plane according to the cross-sectional profile information of the product part. Thermoplastic linear material is fed to the hot melt nozzle by a feeding mechanism. The molten material is extruded from the nozzle and deposited on the printing platform, where it rapidly cools to form a thin sheet profile. After one layer of cross-section is formed, the printing platform moves a certain distance in the vertical direction before the next layer is clad, and this cycle continues, ultimately forming a three-dimensional product part.

[0003] The approaches described in this section are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or employed. Unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any approach described in this section is prior art simply by virtue of its inclusion in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise indicated, the issues raised in this section should not be considered as having been recognized in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a material guide mechanism is provided for communicating with a main material pipe in a 3D printer to guide material lines from different material trays to the main material pipe. The material guide mechanism includes: a shell, the shell defining a plurality of feed ports, a plurality of feed channels, a discharge port, and a discharge channel, wherein each of the plurality of feed channels is respectively communicated with a corresponding one of the plurality of feed ports to receive a corresponding material line wound on a corresponding material tray, the discharge channel is communicated with the discharge port, the discharge port is used to engage with the main material pipe, and the plurality of feed channels are all connected to the discharge port via the discharge channel, and wherein the shell is formed to have a shell curvature relative to a plane defined by the center of the discharge port and the center of each of any two feed ports in the plurality of feed ports, so that the corresponding combined channel formed by each of the plurality of feed channels and the discharge channel adapts to the curvature of the corresponding material line when it is released from the corresponding material tray.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a 3D printer is provided, comprising the material guiding mechanism described above.

[0006] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be given in part in the description that follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description that follows, or will be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a material guiding mechanism, a material tray, and a sub-material guiding pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0010] Figure 2 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the material guiding mechanism;

[0011] Figure 3 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a material guide mechanism;

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a material guiding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 5 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 4 A top view of the material guiding mechanism;

[0014] Figure 6 The material guide mechanism according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of section BB' in FIG; and

[0015] Figure 7 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 4 A top view of a cross section of a material guide mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0017] During the 3D printing process, there may be a demand for multiple printing materials. For example, when printing the same object, different types of printing materials may be required to print different parts of the object. Usually, different types of linear printing materials (or called material lines) are wound in different material trays, and the material lines need to be extracted from different material trays to perform printing operations. The applicant found that the material lines to be printed drawn from different material trays usually have a certain degree of bending. This is due to the plastic deformation of the material lines wound into the material trays. After entering the 3D printer, the bent material lines will contact with the various components of the 3D printer and generate greater friction. Excessive friction will hinder the movement of the material lines in the components, affect the accuracy of the material supply to the print head, and reduce the printing quality.

[0018] Based on this, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a material guiding mechanism, which forms a shell of the material guiding mechanism to have a shell curvature relative to the plane defined by the center of the discharge port and the centers of any two of the multiple feed ports, so that the corresponding combined channels formed by the multiple feed channels and discharge channels of the material guiding mechanism can adapt to the curvature of the material lines released from the corresponding material trays, thereby reducing the friction of the material lines from the multiple material trays on the material guiding mechanism and improving the printing quality.

[0019] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] First reference Figures 1 to 3 . Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing a material guiding mechanism 100, a material tray 200, and a sub-material guiding pipe 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the material guiding mechanism 100; and Figure 3 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 sectional view of the material guiding mechanism 100.

[0021] refer to Figure 1 The material guide mechanism 100 is connected to a sub-material guide pipe 300, which is used to transport material lines from the material tray 200 to the material guide mechanism 100. The material guide mechanism 100 is used to communicate with the main material pipe (not shown) in the 3D printer to guide material lines from different material trays to the main material pipe. The main material pipe can be connected to the print head.

[0022] Here, for clarity, Figure 1The material line is not shown in the figure, but only the sub-material guide pipe 300 for conveying the material line is shown. In addition, only one material tray 200 and a corresponding sub-material guide pipe 300 are shown. It should be understood that in use, there are multiple material trays and multiple sub-material guide pipes. The multiple sub-material guide pipes respectively convey the material line from the corresponding material tray to the material guide mechanism 100. The material guide mechanism 100 guides the material line to the main material pipe to meet different printing requirements.

[0023] Continue to refer Figures 1 to 3 The material guiding mechanism 100 includes housings 110 - 1 and 110 - 2 , which define a plurality of feed ports 120 - 1 , 120 - 2 , 120 - 3 , and 120 - 4 , a discharge port 130 , a plurality of feed channels 140 - 1 , 140 - 2 , 140 - 3 , and 140 - 4 , and a discharge channel 150 .

[0024] Each of the multiple feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 is respectively connected to a corresponding one of the multiple feed ports 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4 to receive a corresponding material line wound on a corresponding material tray (for example, the material tray 200), and the discharge channel 150 is connected to the discharge port 130, which is used to engage with the main feed pipe (not shown in the figure), and the multiple feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 are all connected to the discharge port 130 via the discharge channel 150.

[0025] The housings 110-1 and 110-2 are shaped to have a curvature relative to a plane defined by the center of the discharge port 130 and the centers of any two of the multiple feed ports 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4. This allows the combined channels formed by each of the multiple feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 and the discharge channel 150 to adapt to the curvature of the corresponding material line as it is released from the corresponding material tray. This reduces the friction of the material lines from the multiple material trays on the material guide mechanism 100, improving print quality. Furthermore, it reduces the amount of material dust generated by friction, thereby reducing or preventing the dust from clogging 3D printer components.

[0026] It should be understood that the center of the discharge port 130 can be the geometric center of the planar shape of the discharge port 130. In one example, the planar shape of the discharge port 130 is circular, and the center of the discharge port 130 can be the center of the circle. Similarly, the center of the feed port (e.g., feed port 120-1) can be the geometric center of the planar shape of the feed port (e.g., feed port 120-1). Other definitions of "center" are also possible, such as the center of mass. Any two of the multiple feed ports 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4 can be, for example, feed ports 120-1 and 120-2, or feed ports 120-1 and 120-3, or feed ports 120-2 and 120-4, which will not be repeated here.

[0027] from Figure 1 and Figure 3 The above shell curvature can be clearly seen in the figure. Figure 3 The cross-sectional views shown are in the direction of cross section. Figure 2 The direction of the cross section AA' is shown from Figure 3 As can be seen in the figure, the discharge channel 150 has a curvature that is substantially the same as the curvature of the shell. Furthermore, each of the multiple feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 also has a curvature that is substantially the same as the curvature of the shell. The corresponding combined channel (i.e., the internal cavity) formed by each feed channel and discharge channel adapts to the curvature of the corresponding wire when it is released from the corresponding tray. It should be understood that the curvature of the wire when it is released from the tray may not be a fixed value, but may fall within a range of values. As mentioned above, due to being wound into the tray, the wire undergoes plastic deformation and bends. After being released from the corresponding tray, the wire will also have a certain curvature due to its own elasticity. Therefore, as used herein, the phrase "the combined channel adapts to the curvature of the wire" may mean that the curvature of the combined channel is within the range of possible curvatures of the wire after being released from the tray.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the curvature of the housing can be no less than 60% of the minimum curvature of the wires wound on different trays after being released from each tray, and no more than 140% of the maximum curvature of the wires wound on different trays after being released from each tray. After multiple tests, the applicant has found that by setting the housing curvature within the above range, the friction of the wires from multiple trays on the material guide mechanism 100 can be significantly reduced, which is advantageous.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the shell curvature may be the statistical average of the curvatures of wires wound around different trays after being released from each tray. Therefore, when the curvatures of wires wound around different trays after being released differ or vary significantly, by setting the shell curvature to the statistical average of the curvatures of wires wound around different trays after being released from each tray, the combined channel can better adapt to the different curvatures of wires released from the corresponding trays, thereby minimizing the friction of wires from multiple trays on the material guide mechanism 100, further improving printing quality and reducing wire dust generated by friction.

[0030] According to some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 may include an arc segment extending along an arc line, and the at least one feed channel is connected to the discharge channel 150 via the arc segment. Figure 2 As shown, feed channels 140-1 and 140-4 include arcuate segments extending along an arc line. Through their respective arcuate segments, feed channels 140-1 and 140-4 are respectively connected to discharge channel 150. Thus, while ensuring that the material lines from different material trays can be guided to discharge channel 150 and then to the main feed pipe, the arcuate segments can further reduce the friction between the material lines entering the material guide mechanism 100 from the corresponding feed channels and the channel inner wall, thereby further improving printing quality and reducing material line powder generated by friction.

[0031] According to some embodiments, continue with reference to Figure 2 The multiple feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, and the discharge channel 150 can each include linear segments extending along a straight line, with the axis of each feed channel segment forming an obtuse angle with the axis of the discharge channel segment. In practice, the obtuse angle can be as close to 180 degrees as possible. This further reduces friction between the feed line and the inner wall of the channel, thereby further improving print quality and reducing friction-generated feed line dust.

[0032] According to some embodiments, continue with reference to Figure 2 The axes of the straight segments of the plurality of feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, and 140-4 may be located in the same plane. Figure 2 In the example, the line connecting the centers of the plurality of feed ports 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-4 is an arc. In other examples, the line connecting the centers of the plurality of feed ports can be a straight line or other two-dimensional graph.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the axes of the linear segments of the plurality of feed channels 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4 may not be coplanar. For example, assuming there are 3 feed ports, the 3 feed ports may be arranged in a "pin" shape; if there are 4 feed ports, the 4 feed ports may be arranged in a 2×2 grid distribution.

[0034] The following will further describe the material guiding mechanism according to the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with Figures 4 to 7 the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 4 FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a material guiding mechanism 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 FIG. 10 shows a top view of the material guiding mechanism 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 4 of; Figure 6 FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the material guiding mechanism 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure along the Figure 5 middle cross-section B-B'; and Figure 7 FIG. 12 shows a top view of a cross-section of the material guiding mechanism 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 4 of.

[0036] Figures 4 to 7 The material guiding mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 25 includes housings 410-1, 410-2, and also includes a feed port 420, a discharge port 430, a feed channel 440, and a discharge channel 450. Here, the housings 410-1, 410-2, and the feed port 420, the discharge port 430, the feed channel 440, and the discharge channel 450 are respectively similar to the housings, the feed port, the discharge port, the feed channel, and the discharge channel of the material guiding mechanism 100 described above with respect to Figures 1 to 3 and will not be described herein again.

[0037] According to some embodiments, the material guiding mechanism 400 may further include at least one sensor (such as the sensor 480-1), and the sensor 480-1 is disposed on the wall of the housing 410-1 for detecting the position of the head of the material line in the material guiding mechanism 400.

[0038] According to some embodiments, a plurality of feed channels 420 and a plurality of discharge channels 450 form an internal cavity of the housings 410-1 and 410-2, and at least one hole 460-1, 460-2, 460-3, 460-4, 460-5 communicating with the internal cavity is provided in the walls of the housings 410-1 and 410-2. Furthermore, the material guiding mechanism 400 may further include at least one triggering member 470-1, 470-2, 470-3, 470-4, 470-5, which are respectively disposed in the holes 460-1, 460-2, 460-3, 460-4, 460-5, each of which is movably inserted into the internal cavity along the axis of a corresponding hole. One end of each trigger member 470-1, 470-2, 470-3, 470-4, 470-5 inserted into the internal cavity is formed to have an end surface at an angle to the feeding direction, so that when the material line moves along the feeding direction ( Figure 6 When the material head of the wire is directly pressed against the end surface of the end (in the direction indicated by the arrow in the middle) and is guided to the position of the trigger, the trigger moves to a predetermined position in the corresponding hole (for example, 8 mm upward). Each sensor is arranged to cooperate with a corresponding trigger so that when the corresponding trigger moves to the predetermined position, the sensor is triggered. Figure 6 As can be seen from the cross-sectional view, sensor 480-1 is arranged to cooperate with trigger member 470-1. When trigger member 470-1 moves to the predetermined position (e.g., upward movement of 8 mm), sensor 480-1 is triggered. This allows for efficient detection of the position of the material head of the material line in the material guide mechanism 400.

[0039] It should be understood that although the Figures 4 to 7 4 feed ports 420 and 4 feed channels 440 are shown in the figure, but the material guiding mechanism 400 may also include 1, 2, 3, 5 or more feed ports 420; accordingly, the material guiding mechanism 400 may also include 1, 2, 3, 5 or more feed channels 440.

[0040] It should also be understood that although Figures 4 to 7 Five trigger members (470-1, 470-2, 470-3, 470-4, 470-5) and five holes (460-1, 460-2, 460-3, 460-4, 460-5) are shown, but the material guiding mechanism 400 may also include 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or more trigger members; accordingly, the material guiding mechanism 400 may also include 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or more holes for arranging corresponding trigger members; accordingly, the material guiding mechanism 400 may also include 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or more sensors.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the at least one sensor 480 - 1 may be at least one Hall sensor, and the at least one triggering member may be at least one magnet.

[0042] Because the material line does not directly contact the Hall effect sensor, but rather the magnet is moved, the magnet triggers the Hall effect sensor. As a result, when the material line rubs against the internal cavity and generates powder, the powder does not adhere to or accumulate on the Hall effect sensor, thus having no adverse effect on the Hall effect sensor's detection. This improves the accuracy and reliability of detecting the position of the material head of the printing material line in the material guide mechanism.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the at least one sensor 480-1 may be at least one travel switch. Accordingly, the at least one triggering member may be at least one pin, cylinder, or other shaped triggering member. This combination has a relatively simple structure and facilitates maintenance of the material guide mechanism 400.

[0044] According to some embodiments, at least one sensor 480-1 is a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors may be respectively arranged at positions on the wall of the housing corresponding to the plurality of feed channels and discharge channels. Thus, if it is necessary to switch material lines from a plurality of different material trays, when the sensor arranged at the discharge channel and the sensor arranged at one feed channel detect that the material line has retreated from the discharge channel to one feed channel, the corresponding control mechanism can be used to control the material lines in the other feed channels to enter the discharge channel, thereby completing the switching of material lines from the plurality of different material trays at the material guide mechanism 400.

[0045] In the case of using a Hall sensor and a magnet as a trigger, when multiple magnets are arranged in the material guiding mechanism 400 and the relative positions of the multiple magnets are relatively close, if a magnet (for example Figure 7 If magnet 470-2 in the sensor moves under the push of the material line, for example, due to the interaction between the magnetic field generated by magnet 470-2 and the magnetic field generated by magnet 470-1, magnet 470-1 may also move under the action of the magnetic field force, even though there is no material line passing by to push magnet 470-1. This may lead to erroneous detection results.

[0046] Therefore, in some embodiments, the material guiding mechanism 400 may further include at least one stopper (not shown in the figure), each of which may be arranged in a corresponding hole (e.g. Figure 6 The hole 460-1 in the inner cavity is provided at one end thereof away from the inner cavity, for providing a corresponding magnet (e.g. Figure 6 The magnet 470-1 in the embodiment of the present invention applies a force to prevent the corresponding magnet (e.g. Figure 6 The force exerted by the stopper can be set to prevent the magnet 470-1 from moving upward due to the magnetic field generated by the magnet 470-2. The force exerted by the stopper can be set to prevent the magnet 470-1 from moving upward due to the force of the stopper, thereby preventing the Hall sensor 480-1 from being triggered and generating an erroneous detection result. The force exerted by the stopper can be set to prevent the magnet from moving in an undesirable manner, while allowing the magnet to move under the force of the material line.

[0047] In some embodiments, each stopper may be a spring that applies elastic force to the magnet 470 - 1 , thereby preventing the corresponding magnet 470 - 1 from moving toward the predetermined position.

[0048] In some embodiments, each stopper may be a magnet that magnetically repels the corresponding magnet 470 - 1 , and the magnetically repulsive magnet may exert a repulsive magnetic force, thereby preventing the corresponding magnet 470 - 1 from moving toward the predetermined position.

[0049] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a 3D printer is further provided. The 3D printer includes the material guiding mechanism 100 or 400 described above.

[0050] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships or dimensions based on the orientations or positional relationships or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings, and these terms are used only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0052] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0054] This specification provides many different embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the present application. It should be understood that these different embodiments or examples are purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application in any way. Those skilled in the art can conceive of various changes or replacements based on the disclosure of the specification of the present application, all of which should be encompassed within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A material guide mechanism, configured to communicate with a main material pipe in a 3D printer to guide material lines from different material trays adjacent to the material guide mechanism to the main material pipe, the material guide mechanism comprising: The housing defines a plurality of feed ports, a plurality of feed channels, a discharge port, and a discharge channel. wherein each of the plurality of feed channels is respectively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of feed ports to receive a corresponding material line wound on a corresponding material tray, the discharge channel is connected to the discharge port, the discharge port is used to engage with the main feed pipe, and the plurality of feed channels are connected to the discharge port via the discharge channel, and wherein the shell is formed to have a shell curvature relative to a plane defined by the center of the discharge port and the centers of any two of the plurality of feed ports, so that a corresponding combined channel formed by each of the plurality of feed channels and the discharge channel adapts to the curvature of the corresponding material line when it is released from the corresponding feed tray in a radial plane of the feed tray; The curvature of the shell is not higher than 140% of the maximum curvature of the material wires wound on the different material trays after being released from the respective material trays.

2. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The curvature of the shell is not less than 60% of the minimum curvature of the material wires wound around the different material trays after being released from the respective material trays.

3. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein: The value of the shell curvature is a statistical average of the curvatures of the material wires wound around the different material trays after being released from the respective material trays.

4. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: At least one feed channel among the plurality of feed channels includes an arc segment extending along an arc line, and the at least one feed channel is connected to the discharge channel through the arc segment.

5. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of feed channels and the discharge channel each include straight line segments extending in a straight line, and an angle between an axis of the straight line segment of each feed channel and an axis of the straight line segment of the discharge channel is an obtuse angle.

6. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: The axes of the straight segments of the plurality of feed channels are located in the same plane or are not coplanar.

7. The material guiding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged on the wall of the shell and is used to detect the position of the material head of the material line in the material guiding mechanism.

8. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of feed channels and discharge channels form an internal cavity of the shell, and at least one hole communicating with the internal cavity is provided in the wall of the shell, and The material guiding mechanism further includes at least one triggering member, which is respectively arranged in the at least one hole, and each triggering member is movably inserted into the internal cavity along the axial direction of a corresponding hole in the at least one hole, wherein one end of each triggering member inserted into the internal cavity is formed to have an end surface at an angle to the feeding direction, so that when the material line is guided to the position of the triggering member along the feeding direction in the internal cavity, the material head of the material line directly squeezes the end surface of the end, thereby pushing the triggering member to move to a predetermined position in the corresponding hole, and Each sensor is arranged to cooperate with a corresponding trigger member of the at least one trigger member, so that when the corresponding trigger member moves to the predetermined position, the sensor is triggered.

9. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The at least one sensor is at least one Hall sensor, and the at least one triggering element is at least one magnet.

10. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The at least one sensor is at least one travel switch.

11. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The at least one sensor is a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors are respectively disposed at positions on the wall of the housing corresponding to the plurality of feed channels and the discharge channels.

12. The material guiding mechanism according to claim 9 further includes at least one stop member, each stop member being arranged at one end of a corresponding hole in the at least one hole away from the internal cavity, and being used to apply a force to a corresponding magnet in the at least one magnet to prevent the corresponding magnet from moving toward the predetermined position.

13. A 3D printer comprising: The material guiding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images