Water cooling device for metal three-dimensional printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to metal three -dimensional printer technical field especially relates to a water cooling device for metal three -dimensional printer, including printing cabin, heat dissipation block and cooling device, the heat dissipation block inside is provided with cooling channel, the cooling device installs one side outer wall at printing cabin, the cooling device includes liquid storage tank, heat dissipation row and water pump, the liquid storage tank is filled with water cooling liquid, the liquid storage tank, heat dissipation row, water pump and the inside communication of cooling channel, the utility model discloses the cooling channel is set up in the heat dissipation block inside, and the water cooling liquid in cooling channel can accelerate the cooling rate of heat dissipation block, guarantees the solid state of metal wire material when on the upper portion of throat pipe, avoids the blockage of material conveying channel, the cooling device sets up in the outside of printing cabin, not only can accelerate the cooling rate of water cooling liquid, and does not appear the trouble under the normal temperature environment outside the cabin, effectively improves the printer work efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of metal 3D printer technology, and in particular to a water-cooling device for metal 3D printers. Background Technology

[0002] Metal 3D printers are a technology that uses digital model files as a basis to construct three-dimensional objects by stacking metal materials layer by layer. They represent the development direction of high-end and precision manufacturing. Although there are various technologies, their core idea is "layered manufacturing, layer by layer".

[0003] FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is a mainstream technology in 3D printers. Its principle is to heat and melt metal wires, extrude them through the print head, and build up the shape layer by layer.

[0004] The throat is a key component of FDM technology. Its function is to establish a clear "thermal barrier" inside the printhead. The upper part of the throat is connected to the heat dissipation device to ensure that the metal wire is in a solid state and avoids clogging the feed channel. The lower part of the throat is connected to the heating device to ensure that the metal wire is in a molten state before entering the nozzle. Therefore, the heat dissipation device directly affects the printer's working efficiency and print quality.

[0005] Current heat dissipation devices mainly rely on heat sinks for cooling, but this method is too inefficient and cannot guarantee that the metal wires are in a solid state when they are in the upper part of the throat. Alternatively, fans can be used to blow air onto the heat sinks. While this method can speed up the cooling of the heat sinks to some extent, the cooling fans need to be installed on the heat sinks. In the high-temperature environment inside the printing chamber, the cooling fans are prone to failure, and printing needs to be stopped during maintenance, which greatly affects printing efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to improve the heat dissipation efficiency by changing the internal structure of the heat sink and setting a water cooling mechanism to quickly cool the heat sink.

[0007] The technical solution of this utility model is: A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer includes a printing chamber, a heat sink, a hose, and a cooling device. The hose is inserted into the heat sink, and a cooling channel is provided inside the heat sink. The cooling channel is arranged outside the hose. The cooling device is installed on one outer wall of the printing chamber. The cooling device includes a liquid storage tank, a heat sink, and a water pump. The liquid storage tank contains coolant, which is cooled by the heat sink and then enters the cooling channel.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that a water pump is connected to the outer wall of the printing chamber, and the water pump is connected to a power supply and a switch controller via wires.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that an installation pipe, an installation plate and a material conveying pipe are connected sequentially from top to bottom on the inner wall of the top of the printing chamber, and the bottom of the material conveying pipe is connected to the top of the heat sink.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that a cooling fan is installed on one side of the heat sink, the heat sink includes a plurality of first heat sinks and two second heat sinks, the plurality of second heat sinks are installed side by side between the two first heat sinks, and the first heat sinks and the second heat sinks are internally connected.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that the cooling channel is in a spiral structure surrounding the outside of the throat pipe, and the end of the cooling channel near the conveying pipe has a liquid inlet and the opposite end has a liquid outlet.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that the outlet of the cooling channel is connected to an outlet pipe, and the outlet pipe is connected to the inlet of the water pump; the inlet of the cooling channel is connected to an inlet pipe, and the inlet pipe is connected to a storage tank.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that a heating block is connected to the bottom of the heat sink, the throat is inserted inside the heating block, and a nozzle is connected to the throat below the heating block.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that one end of the heat dissipation radiator is connected to a first connecting pipe, and the first connecting pipe is connected to the outlet of the water pump.

[0015] The present invention is further configured such that a second connecting pipe is connected to the end of the heat dissipation vent away from the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe is connected to the liquid storage tank.

[0016] The present invention is further provided that both the inlet and outlet of the liquid inlet pipe are provided with connectors, and both connectors are provided with tight clamps at the connection points between the two connectors and the liquid outlet pipe and the liquid inlet pipe.

[0017] In summary, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: a cooling channel is opened inside the heat sink, and the coolant in the cooling channel can accelerate the cooling rate of the heat sink, ensuring that the metal wire is in a solid state when it is in the upper part of the throat, thus avoiding blockage of the material conveying channel; the cooling device is set outside the printing chamber, which not only accelerates the cooling rate of the coolant, but also makes it less prone to failure in the ambient temperature environment outside the chamber. Even if a failure occurs, the heat sink component can be repaired or replaced without stopping the printing operation, effectively improving the working efficiency of the printer. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the water cooling device; Figure 2This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the heat sink and the heating element. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the heat sink; Figure 4 This is a rear-view magnified structural diagram of the heat sink; Figure 5 This is a rear view structural diagram of the printing chamber; Figure 6 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the heat sink structure; Figure 7 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the heat sink.

[0019] Figure label: 1. Printing chamber; 11. Mounting pipe; 12. Mounting plate; 13. Material conveying pipe; 2. Heat sink; 21. Cooling channel; 22. Liquid outlet pipe; 23. Liquid inlet pipe; 3. Heating block; 4. throat; 41. nozzle; 5. Liquid storage tank; 51. Water cooling liquid; 6. Heat sink; 61. Cooling fan; 62. First connecting pipe; 63. Second connecting pipe; 64. First heat sink; 65. Second heat sink; 7. Water pump. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0021] The following will refer to the appendix. Figure 1-7 The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0022] This embodiment provides a water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer, including a printing chamber 1, a heat sink 2, and a cooling device; the top inner wall of the printing chamber 1 is connected from top to bottom by a mounting pipe 11, a mounting plate 12, and a feed pipe 13 by welding or bolts; the mounting pipe 11 is equipped with the printer's working mechanism, such as a feeding device and a wire straightening device; the mounting plate 12 is used to install a sealing chamber, an isolation chamber, etc. inside the printing chamber 1 when needed; the feed pipe 13 is used to transport the straightened or de-oxidized metal wire into the throat pipe 4, and the bottom of the feed pipe 13 is fixedly connected to the top of the heat sink 2 by welding or bolts.

[0023] The heat sink 2 has a cooling channel 21 inside, and the cooling channel 21 has a spiral structure, with the spiral direction from the end near the feed pipe 13 to the end away from the feed pipe 13. The cooling channel 21 can increase the contact area between the coolant 51 and the heat sink 2, thereby accelerating the heat dissipation efficiency. The cooling channel 21 has an inlet at one end near the feed pipe 13 and an outlet at the other end. Both the inlet and outlet are located on one side of the outer wall of the heat sink 2, and the inner walls of the inlet and outlet are connected by connectors by welding or integral molding. The connectors can be made of aluminum or plastic. The connector of the outlet is tightly fitted with the outlet pipe 22, and the connector of the inlet is tightly fitted with the inlet pipe 23. In order to prevent water leakage at the fitting points from affecting the quality of the printed product, tight clamps are provided at the fitting points.

[0024] The end of the outlet pipe 22 furthest from the cooling channel 21 is tightly connected to the water inlet of the water pump 7 via bolts or clamps, and the end of the inlet pipe 23 furthest from the cooling channel 21 is tightly connected to the liquid storage tank 5 via bolts or clamps. Since the heat sink 2 and heating block 3 need to move up and down during printing, and considering the temperature of the coolant 51, the outlet pipe 22 and inlet pipe 23 are made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) hoses or silicone hoses, which have high-temperature and corrosion-resistant properties.

[0025] The cooling device includes a liquid storage tank 5, a heat dissipation vent 6, and a water pump 7. The cooling device is mounted on one side of the outer wall of the printing chamber 1 by bolts or screws.

[0026] The storage tank 5 contains coolant 51, which is made of deionized water or distilled water and contains preservatives to prevent corrosion of the heat sink 2 and to protect the water pump 7.

[0027] A cooling fan 61 is mounted on one side of the heat sink 6 using bolts or screws. The airflow from the side furthest from the heat sink 6 is directed toward the heat sink 6. Both the water pump 7 and the cooling fan 61 are connected to a power supply and a switch controller via wires.

[0028] The inner wall of the heat sink 6 is connected by welding or bolts to two symmetrically arranged first heat sinks 64. The two first heat sinks 64 are perpendicular to the outer wall of the printing chamber 1, and multiple second heat sinks 65 are connected between the two first heat sinks 64 by welding or clamping. The multiple second heat sinks 65 are all perpendicular to the first heat sinks 64, and the first heat sinks 64 and the second heat sinks 65 are internally connected.

[0029] The first heat pipe 64 and the second heat pipe 65 can increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the coolant 51, and the first heat pipe 64 and the second heat pipe 65 can accelerate the cooling speed of the coolant 51 under the action of the cooling fan 61, thereby accelerating the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat sink 2.

[0030] One end of the heat sink 6 is connected to a first connecting pipe 62 via a connecting device. The end of the first connecting pipe 62 away from the heat sink 6 is tightly connected to the outlet of the water pump 7 via bolts or clamps. The end of the heat sink 6 away from the first connecting pipe 62 is connected to a second connecting pipe 63 via a connecting device. The end of the second connecting pipe 63 away from the heat sink 6 is tightly connected to the liquid storage tank 5 via bolts or clamps. Both connecting devices are made of aluminum or plastic and are tightly fitted to the first connecting pipe 62 and the second connecting pipe 63, respectively.

[0031] The liquid storage tank 5, the heat dissipation 6, the water pump 7 and the cooling channel 21 are internally connected by the connection of the liquid inlet pipe 23, the liquid outlet pipe 22, the first connecting pipe 62 and the second connecting pipe 63, so that the coolant 51 can circulate in the cooling channel 21, the heat dissipation 6 and the liquid storage tank 5 under the drive of the water pump 7.

[0032] The bottom of the heat sink 2 is connected to the heating block 3 by bolts or screws. The heating block 3 is connected to the throat 4 by threads or clips. The bottom of the throat 4 is fixedly connected to the nozzle 41 by welding or integral molding. The lower part of the throat 4 is located inside the heating block 3, and the upper part is located inside the heat sink 2. The metal wire is conveyed from top to bottom inside the throat 4.

[0033] During the printing process, the metal filament located at the lower part of the throat tube 4 is rapidly heated to a molten state under the action of the heating block 3, and then ejected from the nozzle 41. At the same time, the metal filament located at the upper part of the throat tube 4 must remain in a solid state to ensure smooth material feeding and avoid clogging the material feeding channel.

[0034] Please see Figure 1-7 During printing, coolant 51 is filled in the liquid storage tank 5, the water pump 7 and the cooling fan 61 are turned on, the heating block 3 heats the metal wire at the bottom of the throat tube 4, so that the metal wire reaches a molten state, and then it is sprayed out from the nozzle 41 for deposition and stacking. At the same time, the upper part of the throat tube 4 is rapidly cooled by the action of the heat dissipation block 2, so that the metal wire at the top of the throat tube 4 remains in a solid state.

[0035] The coolant 51 located in the storage tank 5 enters the cooling channel 21 through the inlet pipe 23. It flows in the cooling channel 21 and quickly absorbs the temperature of the heat sink 2. Then it flows out from the outlet and enters the water pump 7 through the outlet pipe 22. It is then sent into the heat sink 6 by the water pump 7. It then flows into the first heat sink 64 and the second heat sink 65 in the heat sink 6 respectively. Under the action of the cooling fan 61, it is quickly cooled down and then enters the storage tank 5. Under the action of the water pump 7, it continues to circulate.

[0036] As described above, this utility model provides a cooling channel 21 inside the heat sink 2. The coolant 51 in the cooling channel 21 can accelerate the cooling rate of the heat sink 2, ensuring that the metal wire is in a solid state when it is in the upper part of the throat, thus avoiding blockage of the material conveying channel.

[0037] The cooling device is located outside the printing chamber 1, which can not only accelerate the cooling rate of the coolant 51, but also prevent malfunctions in the ambient temperature environment outside the chamber. Even if a malfunction occurs, the heat dissipation components can be repaired or replaced without stopping the printing operation, effectively improving the printer's working efficiency.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0040] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0042] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer, characterized in that, The device includes a printing chamber (1), a heat sink (2), a throat (4), and a cooling device. The throat (4) is installed inside the heat sink (2). A cooling channel (21) is provided inside the heat sink (2). The cooling channel (21) is arranged outside the throat (4). The cooling device is installed on one side of the outer wall of the printing chamber (1). The cooling device includes a liquid storage tank (5) and a heat sink (6). The liquid storage tank (5) contains coolant (51). The coolant (51) flows through the heat sink (6) to cool down and then enters the cooling channel (21).

2. The water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the printing chamber (1) is connected to a water pump (7). The inlet of the water pump (7) is connected to the cooling channel (21) through a pipe, and the outlet of the water pump (7) is connected to the liquid storage tank (5) through a pipe.

3. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing chamber (1) has an installation pipe (11), an installation plate (12) and a material conveying pipe (13) connected from top to bottom on the inner wall of the top. The bottom of the material conveying pipe (13) is connected to the top of the heat sink (2).

4. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, A cooling fan (61) is installed on one side of the heat sink (6). The heat sink (6) includes a plurality of first heat sinks (64) and two second heat sinks (65). The plurality of second heat sinks (65) are installed side by side between the two first heat sinks (64). The first heat sinks (64) and the second heat sinks (65) are internally connected.

5. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling channel (21) is spirally arranged around the outside of the throat (4). The cooling channel (21) has an inlet at one end near the feed pipe (13) and an outlet at the other end.

6. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outlet of the cooling channel (21) is connected to an outlet pipe (22), which is connected to the inlet of the water pump (7); the inlet of the cooling channel (21) is connected to an inlet pipe (23), which is connected to the storage tank (5).

7. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the heat sink (2) is connected to the heating block (3), the throat (4) is inserted inside the heating block (3), and the throat (4) is connected to the nozzle (41) below the heating block.

8. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the heat sink (6) is connected to a first connecting pipe (62), which is connected to the outlet of the water pump (7).

9. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The end of the heat sink (6) away from the first connecting pipe (62) is connected to a second connecting pipe (63), and the second connecting pipe (63) is connected to the liquid storage tank (5).

10. A water-cooling device for a metal 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inlet and outlet of the liquid inlet pipe (23) are both equipped with connectors, and tight clamps are provided at the connection points between the two connectors and the outlet pipe (22) and the inlet pipe (23).

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