Powder feeding device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a powder feeding device, which includes a powder inlet container, a flexible powder guiding member, a blocking member, and a powder outlet assembly. The powder inlet container is provided with a powder inlet cavity, and the flexible powder guiding member is connected to the lower end of the powder inlet cavity. The flexible powder guiding member is provided with a flexible powder guiding channel, and the flexible powder guiding channel communicates with the powder inlet cavity. The blocking member is arranged outside the flexible powder guiding member, and the blocking member can squeeze the flexible powder guiding member to cut off the flexible powder guiding channel. The powder outlet assembly is connected to the lower end of the flexible powder guiding member, and the powder outlet assembly is provided with a powder outlet cavity communicating with the flexible powder guiding channel. The powder outlet assembly is further provided with a discharge port that can be opened or closed, and the discharge port communicates with the powder outlet cavity to supply powder through the discharge port. The powder feeding device provided by the present invention effectively solves the problems of low powder output speed and easy powder jamming and powder leakage in the quantitative powder feeding device in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and particularly to a powder feeding device. Background Art

[0002] 3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing. 3D printing is a technology that constructs an object by layer-by-layer printing based on a digital model file and using metal powder or non-metal powder. With the continuous maturity of 3D printing technology and the continuous improvement of the stability of the equipment used in 3D printing technology, the application scope of 3D printing technology is constantly expanding. In the 3D printing industry, with the continuous increase in the volume of the printed object, a larger printing format, a faster scanning speed, and a higher printing accuracy have become aspects that need to be continuously improved in 3D printing technology.

[0003] Among them, the expansion of the printing format has put higher requirements on the powder feeding method of 3D printing equipment. The existing powder feeding method is to use a servo motor to drive the powder feeding gear to rotate, and use the grooves of the powder feeding gear to achieve quantitative powder supply. However, the powder feeding method using the powder feeding gear has a low powder output speed and is prone to powder jamming and powder leakage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a powder feeding device to solve the problems of low powder output speed and easy powder jamming and powder leakage in the quantitative powder feeding device in the prior art.

[0005] The present invention provides a powder feeding device, which includes a powder inlet container, a flexible powder guiding member, a blocking member, and a powder outlet assembly. The powder inlet container is provided with a powder inlet cavity, and the flexible powder guiding member is connected to the lower end of the powder inlet cavity. The flexible powder guiding member is provided with a flexible powder guiding channel, and the flexible powder guiding channel communicates with the powder inlet cavity. The blocking member is arranged outside the flexible powder guiding member, and the blocking member can squeeze the flexible powder guiding member to block the flexible powder guiding channel. The powder outlet assembly is connected to the lower end of the flexible powder guiding member, and the powder outlet assembly is provided with a powder outlet cavity communicating with the flexible powder guiding channel. The powder outlet assembly is further provided with a discharge port that can be opened or closed, and the discharge port communicates with the powder outlet cavity to supply powder through the discharge port.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, the blocking member includes a pneumatic cavity. The pneumatic cavity can extend towards the flexible powder guiding member or contract away from the flexible powder guiding member. When the pneumatic cavity extends towards the flexible powder guiding member, the pneumatic cavity can block the flexible powder guiding channel. When the pneumatic cavity contracts away from the flexible powder guiding member, the flexible powder guiding channel can be communicated. In this embodiment, the on-off of the flexible powder guiding member can be realized by the expansion and contraction of the pneumatic cavity. When the pneumatic cavity is in the inflated state, the pneumatic cavity is in the extended state. At this time, the flexible powder guiding member is squeezed, resulting in the blocking of the flexible powder guiding channel, and the powder no longer enters the powder outlet cavity from the powder inlet cavity. When the gas in the pneumatic cavity is pumped out, the pneumatic cavity is in the contracted state. At this time, the flexible powder guiding channel is opened, and the powder will enter the powder outlet cavity from the powder inlet cavity. As can be seen from the above, the contraction and extension of the pneumatic cavity are controlled by pumping and inflating, and the speed of pumping and inflating is very fast. Therefore, the process of contraction and extension of the pneumatic cavity is very rapid, that is, the use of the pneumatic cavity as the blocking member will have a very fast response speed. The pneumatic cavity can timely block or communicate the flexible powder guiding channel, which to a certain extent reduces the system error caused by the untimely opening and closing of the flexible powder guiding channel during the quantitative powder supply of the powder supply device.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, two opposite side walls of the powder inlet container extend downward to form extension parts, and the pneumatic cavity is arranged on the inner wall of the extension parts. At this time, the extension parts belong to a part of the powder inlet container, and the inner walls of the extension parts and the powder inlet cavity are integrally designed. Moreover, the extension parts include two plate-like structures arranged opposite to each other. At this time, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity are respectively arranged on the two plate-like structures of the extension parts. When the pneumatic cavity is in the inflated state, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity extend towards the opposite directions to squeeze the flexible powder guiding member so that the flexible powder guiding channel is blocked. When the pneumatic cavity is in the air extraction state, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity contract towards the opposite directions to communicate the flexible powder guiding channel. With such a setting, the installation difficulty of the pneumatic cavity will be greatly reduced, and the installation and fixation of the pneumatic cavity can be realized only by installing the pneumatic cavity inside the extension parts. Moreover, the blocking effect of the pneumatic cavity will be more excellent.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the powder discharging assembly includes a sealing plate and a powder discharging hopper. The sealing plate is connected to the lower end of the powder feeding container, and the powder discharging hopper is rotatably connected to one side of the sealing plate. A powder discharging cavity is arranged in the powder discharging hopper, and a discharging port is arranged on the side of the powder discharging hopper facing the sealing plate. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in the plane of the sealing plate is defined as the width direction of the powder discharging hopper; the discharging port extends along the width direction of the powder discharging hopper and is uniformly arranged in the width direction of the powder discharging hopper. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the discharging port are realized by the rotational connection between the sealing plate and the powder discharging hopper. When the powder discharging hopper rotates to abut against the sealing plate, the discharging port is closed; when the powder discharging hopper rotates away from the sealing plate, the discharging port is opened. With such a setting, when the discharging port is opened, the bottom of the powder discharging hopper will be lifted by a certain height. At this time, the powder is more likely to freely fall under the action of gravity, greatly improving the powder discharging speed of the powder discharging assembly. Moreover, the rotation angle of the powder discharging hopper relative to the sealing plate should not be too large, generally not exceeding 30 degrees. A smaller rotation angle can keep the flow state of the powder stable when the powder flows out of the discharging port. That is, the powder will not be completely poured out from the discharging port. Also, because the discharging ports are uniformly arranged in the width direction of the powder discharging hopper, the powder will also flow out of the discharging ports evenly, that is, the powder can be kept uniform in the width direction of the discharging port when flowing out of the discharging port.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the powder discharging hopper includes a first side plate, a second side plate and a third side plate. The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged opposite to each other, and the third side plate is connected to the sides of the first side plate and the second side plate away from the sealing plate. The first side plate, the second side plate and the third side plate enclose the powder discharging cavity. The powder discharging cavity has a first opening facing the flexible powder guiding member and a second opening facing the sealing plate. The second opening forms the discharging port, and the powder discharging cavity communicates with the flexible powder guiding channel through the first opening. The powder discharging hopper further includes a connecting plate connecting the first side plate and the second side plate, and the connecting plate is arranged between the first opening and the second opening. Both the first side plate and the second side plate are in a fan shape or a triangular shape, and the third side plate is set as an arc-shaped plate or an inclined flat plate. When the powder discharging hopper abuts against the sealing plate, one side edge of the third side plate abuts against the sealing plate. With such a setting, the flow of the powder in the powder discharging cavity is smoother, and the time for the powder to enter the powder discharging cavity from the flexible powder guiding channel and leave the powder discharging cavity from the discharging port is greatly shortened, improving the powder discharging speed of the powder discharging device. Moreover, the part of the flexible powder guiding member connected to the powder discharging assembly can be installed on the inner walls of the first side plate, the second side plate, the connecting plate and the third side plate, effectively enhancing the installation firmness of the flexible powder guiding member.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, a first sealing gasket is fixedly provided at the position where the third side plate is in close contact with the sealing plate. A sealing groove is correspondingly provided on the sealing plate, and a second sealing gasket is provided in the sealing groove. When the powder discharging hopper rotates to abut against the sealing plate, the second sealing gasket is in close fit with the second sealing gasket; when the powder discharging hopper rotates away from the sealing plate, the second sealing gasket is separated from the second sealing gasket. With this arrangement, the sealing performance between the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate is effectively enhanced, and when the discharge port is closed, powder leakage from the discharge port is avoided.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder is provided between the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate. The cylinder is connected to the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate to control the rotation of the powder discharging hopper through the cylinder. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the discharge port are realized by controlling the rotation of the powder discharging hopper through the cylinder. When the cylinder is inflated, the powder discharging hopper rotates to a position away from the sealing plate, and at this time, the discharge port is opened. When the cylinder is deflated, the powder discharging hopper rotates to a position abutting against the sealing plate, and at this time, the discharge port is closed. By using the cylinder to control the rotation of the powder discharging hopper, the rotation speed of the powder discharging hopper can be made faster. Moreover, the maximum distance that the cylinder can extend and retract is fixed, so the rotation angle of the powder discharging hopper each time is also fixed, which is beneficial to improving the powder discharging stability of the powder discharging hopper.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the powder supply device further includes an electrical component, and the electrical component includes an air compressor, a three-way valve, a positive and negative pressure converter, and a controller. The three-way valve is provided with a main channel, a first channel, and a second channel. The main channel is connected to the air compressor, and the first channel is respectively connected to the blocking member and the cylinder. One end of the positive and negative pressure converter is connected to the second channel, and the other end is respectively connected to the blocking member and the cylinder. The controller is electrically connected to the three-way valve to control the main channel of the three-way valve to be connected to only the first channel or only the second channel.

[0013] When the controller controls the main channel of the three-way valve to be connected to the first channel, the air compressor controls the blocking member to extend towards the flexible powder guiding member to block the flexible powder guiding channel, and the air compressor controls the cylinder to push the powder discharging hopper to rotate to a position away from the sealing plate to open the discharge port. When the controller controls the main channel of the three-way valve to be connected to the second channel, the positive and negative pressure converter converts the positive pressure of the air compressor into negative pressure, the air compressor controls the blocking member to contract away from the flexible powder guiding member to connect the flexible powder guiding channel, and the air compressor controls the cylinder to pull the powder discharging hopper to rotate to a position close to the sealing plate to close the discharge port.

[0014] With this arrangement, the cylinder and the blocking member of the powder supply device can be electrically controlled, and the extension and retraction of the cylinder and the extension and retraction of the blocking member can be synchronized, greatly improving the working efficiency of the powder supply device. It can be understood that the three-way valve can be connected to the air compressor, the cylinder, the blocking member, and the positive and negative pressure converter through flexible pipes.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, an elastic member is further provided between the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate. The two ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate, so that the powder discharging hopper is closely attached to the sealing plate. The elastic member can make the powder discharging hopper and the sealing plate fit more closely, avoiding powder leakage from the discharge port when the discharge port is closed.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the powder supply device further includes a powder supply base and a powder spreading platform. The side wall at one end of the powder supply base is fixedly connected to the sealing plate. The powder supply base is provided with a cavity that penetrates up and down. The powder discharging hopper is arranged above the cavity, and the powder spreading platform is arranged below the cavity. The width of the discharge port is greater than the width of the powder spreading platform. The powder supply base can provide a good supporting effect on the sealing plate. And, with such a setting, the powder can flow out from the discharge port, pass through the cavity of the powder supply base, and be evenly accumulated on the powder spreading platform. Since the width of the discharge port is greater than the width of the powder spreading platform, the powder on the powder spreading platform is uniformly distributed in the width direction, which is beneficial to the subsequent uniform spreading of the powder by the powder spreading device.

[0017] The powder supply device provided by the present invention effectively solves the problems of low powder discharging speed and easy powder jamming and leakage in the quantitative powder supply device in the prior art.

[0018] The powder supply device of the present application includes a powder inlet container, a flexible powder guiding member, a blocking member, and a powder discharging assembly. Since the blocking member can block or connect the flexible powder guiding channel, a quantitative powder storage space is formed between the blocking member and the powder discharging assembly, so as to perform quantitative powder supply through this powder storage space. The structure of this powder supply device is simple, and the powder flows in the powder supply device by gravity and finally flows out of the powder discharging cavity through the discharge port. The flow process of the powder in the powder supply device is very smooth, and it is difficult to have the phenomena of powder jamming and leakage. Moreover, the powder discharging speed of the powder supply device is also greatly increased. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of the part shown at A;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the powder discharging hopper according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention in the state where the discharge port is open;

[0023] Figure 5 is a full cross-sectional view of the powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention in the state where the discharge port is closed.

[0024] Reference numerals: 1, powder inlet container; 11, powder inlet chamber; 12, extension part; 2, flexible powder guiding member; 21, flexible powder guiding channel; 3, blocking member; 31, pneumatic chamber; 4, powder outlet assembly; 41, powder outlet chamber; 42, discharge port; 43, sealing plate; 431, sealing groove; 432, second sealing gasket; 44, powder outlet hopper; 441, first side plate; 442, second side plate; 443, connecting plate; 444, third side plate; 445, first sealing gasket; 45, cylinder; 46, elastic member; 5, electrical assembly; 51, air compressor; 52, three-way valve; 53, positive and negative pressure converter; 54, controller; 6, powder supply base; 61, cavity; 7, powder spreading platform. Detailed implementation manners

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "installed on" another component, it can be directly installed on the other component or there may also be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "arranged on" another component, it can be directly arranged on the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. When a component is considered to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly fixed to the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which this invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0028] As Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the powder supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where the discharge port 42 is open, Figure 5Full cross-sectional view of the powder supply device in the closed state of the discharge port 42 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The powder supply device provided by the present invention includes a powder inlet container 1, a flexible powder guiding member 2, a blocking member 3, and a powder outlet assembly 4. The powder inlet container 1 is provided with a powder inlet chamber 11, and the flexible powder guiding member 2 is connected to the lower end of the powder inlet chamber 11. The flexible powder guiding member 2 is provided with a flexible powder guiding channel 21, and the flexible powder guiding channel 21 communicates with the powder inlet chamber 11. The blocking member 3 is arranged outside the flexible powder guiding member 2, and the blocking member 3 can squeeze the flexible powder guiding member 2 to block the flexible powder guiding channel 21. The powder outlet assembly 4 is connected to the lower end of the flexible powder guiding member 2, and the powder outlet assembly 4 is provided with a powder outlet chamber 41 communicating with the flexible powder guiding channel 21. The powder outlet assembly 4 is further provided with a discharge port 42 that can be opened or closed, and the discharge port 42 communicates with the powder outlet chamber 41 to supply powder through the discharge port 42.

[0029] For the powder supply device of the present application, the powder is placed in the powder inlet chamber 11 of the powder inlet container 1. Due to the action of gravity, the powder enters the powder outlet chamber 41 of the powder outlet assembly 4 through the flexible powder guiding channel 21 of the flexible powder guiding member 2, and finally falls out from the discharge port 42 to supply powder.

[0030] Since the blocking member 3 is arranged outside the flexible powder guiding member 2, the blocking member 3 can control the on-off of the flexible powder guiding channel 21, and the discharge port 42 of the powder outlet assembly 4 is also openable and closable. Therefore, a quantitative powder storage space is formed between the blocking member 3 and the discharge port 42 (that is, the space in the flexible powder guiding channel 21 between the blocking member 3 and the powder outlet assembly 4 plus the entire space in the powder outlet chamber 41). When the discharge port 42 is closed and the flexible powder guiding channel 21 is communicated, powder can be added to the quantitative powder storage space through the powder inlet chamber 11. When the powder fills the quantitative powder storage space, the blocking member 3 acts to block the flexible powder guiding channel 21. At this time, the discharge port 42 is opened to supply powder; when the powder in the quantitative powder storage space is exhausted, the discharge port 42 is closed again and the flexible powder guiding channel 21 is communicated, and powder is added to the quantitative powder storage space through the powder inlet chamber 11. Repeating this way, quantitative powder supply of the powder supply device can be realized. It should be noted that due to the action of gravity, the powder in the powder inlet chamber 11 will continuously fall into the flexible powder guiding channel 21. As long as the height of the powder accumulated in the flexible powder guiding channel 21 exceeds the height where the blocking member 3 is located, the powder fills the quantitative powder storage space. If the time for the powder to fill the quantitative powder storage space is predicted to be t, then by controlling the time for the powder to fall from the powder inlet chamber 11 to the flexible powder guiding channel 21 each time to be greater than t, it can be determined that "the powder fills the quantitative powder storage space", and then the next operation can be carried out, that is, "the blocking member 3 acts to block the flexible powder guiding channel 21, and at this time the discharge port 42 is opened to supply powder". However, this is not limited thereto, and "the powder fills the quantitative powder storage space" can also be judged by other means.

[0031] The powder flows in the powder supply device by gravity and finally flows out of the powder outlet cavity 41 through the discharge port 42. Therefore, the flow process of the powder in the powder supply device is very smooth, and it is difficult to have the phenomena of powder jamming and powder leakage. Moreover, the powder discharge speed of the powder supply device is also greatly increased. In summary, the powder supply device provided by the present invention effectively solves the problems of low powder discharge speed and easy powder jamming and leakage in the quantitative powder supply device in the prior art.

[0032] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the blocking member 3 includes a pneumatic cavity 31. The pneumatic cavity 31 can extend towards the flexible powder guiding member 2 or contract away from the flexible powder guiding member 2. When the pneumatic cavity 31 extends towards the flexible powder guiding member 2, the pneumatic cavity 31 can block the flexible powder guiding channel 21. When the pneumatic cavity 31 contracts away from the flexible powder guiding member 2, the flexible powder guiding channel 21 can be communicated. In this embodiment, the on-off of the flexible powder guiding member 2 can be realized by the expansion and contraction of the pneumatic cavity 31. When the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the inflated state, the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the extended state. At this time, the flexible powder guiding member 2 is squeezed, resulting in the blocking of the flexible powder guiding channel 21, and the powder no longer enters the powder outlet cavity 41 from the powder inlet cavity 11. When the gas in the pneumatic cavity 31 is evacuated, the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the contracted state. At this time, the flexible powder guiding channel 21 is opened, and the powder will enter the powder outlet cavity 41 from the powder inlet cavity 11. As can be seen from the above, the contraction and extension of the pneumatic cavity 31 are controlled by air extraction and inflation, and the speeds of air extraction and inflation can be controlled very quickly. Therefore, the contraction and extension process of the pneumatic cavity 31 is very rapid. That is to say, the blocking member 3 using the pneumatic cavity 31 will have a very fast response speed. The pneumatic cavity 31 can timely block or communicate the flexible powder guiding channel 21, which reduces the system error caused by the untimely opening and closing of the flexible powder guiding channel 21 to a certain extent during the quantitative powder supply of the powder supply device.

[0033] However, it is not limited to this. The blocking member 3 can also be an elastic blocking mechanism. The specific form includes but is not limited to that a metal spring controls a metal sheet to squeeze the flexible powder guiding member 2 to block the flexible powder guiding channel 21. When the flexible powder guiding channel 21 needs to be opened, only the metal sheet and the metal spring need to be retracted to the original position and fixed.

[0034] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, two opposite side walls of the powder feeding container 1 extend downward to form extension parts 12, and the pneumatic cavities 31 are arranged on the inner walls of the extension parts 12. At this time, the extension parts 12 belong to a part of the powder feeding container 1, the inner walls of the extension parts 12 and the powder feeding cavity 11 are integrally designed, and the extension parts 12 include two plate-like structures arranged opposite to each other. At this time, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity 31 are respectively arranged on the two plate-like structures of the extension part 12. When the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the inflated state, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity 31 extend towards the opposite directions to squeeze the flexible powder guiding member 2 so that the flexible powder guiding channel 21 is blocked. When the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the air extraction state, the two parts of the pneumatic cavity 31 contract towards the opposite directions to communicate the flexible powder guiding channel 21. With such an arrangement, the installation difficulty of the pneumatic cavity 31 will be greatly reduced, and the installation and fixation of the pneumatic cavity 31 can be achieved only by installing the pneumatic cavity 31 inside the extension part 12. Moreover, the blocking effect of the pneumatic cavity 31 will be more excellent.

[0035] However, not limited thereto, the side walls of the powder feeding container 1 can also all extend downward to form a fully enclosed structure, and the pneumatic cavity 31 is installed on the inner wall of the fully enclosed structure. At this time, the pneumatic cavity 31 is a ring structure. When the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the inflated state, the pneumatic cavity 31 extends from all around towards the middle to squeeze the flexible powder guiding member 2 located at the middle position so that the flexible powder guiding channel 21 is blocked. When the pneumatic cavity 31 is in the air extraction state, the pneumatic cavity 31 contracts towards all around to communicate the flexible powder guiding channel 21.

[0036] In an embodiment, as Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the flour discharging assembly 4 includes a sealing plate 43 and a flour discharging hopper 44. The sealing plate 43 is connected to the lower end of the powder inlet container 1, and the flour discharging hopper 44 is rotatably connected to one side of the sealing plate 43. A flour discharging cavity 41 is arranged in the flour discharging hopper 44, and a discharging port 42 is arranged on the side of the flour discharging hopper 44 facing the sealing plate 43. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in the plane where the sealing plate 43 is located is defined as the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44; the discharging port 42 extends along the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44 and the discharging ports 42 are evenly arranged in the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44. It should be noted that "the discharging ports 42 are evenly arranged in the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44" means that: along the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44, the distance between the upper and lower sides of the discharging port 42 remains unchanged. For example, in one embodiment, the discharging port 42 is arranged as a rectangular opening. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the discharging port 42 are realized by the rotational connection between the sealing plate 43 and the flour discharging hopper 44. When the flour discharging hopper 44 rotates to abut against the sealing plate 43, the discharging port 42 is closed; when the flour discharging hopper 44 rotates away from the sealing plate 43, the discharging port 42 is opened. With such a setting, while the discharging port 4 is opened, the bottom of the flour discharging hopper 44 will be lifted by a certain height. At this time, the powder is more likely to freely fall under the action of gravity, greatly improving the flour discharging speed of the flour discharging assembly 4. And, the rotation angle of the flour discharging hopper 44 relative to the sealing plate 43 should not be too large, generally not exceeding 30 degrees. A smaller rotation angle can keep the flow state of the powder stable when the powder flows out of the discharging port 42. That is, the powder will not be completely poured out from the discharging port 42. Also, because the discharging ports 42 are evenly arranged in the width direction of the flour discharging hopper 44, therefore, the powder will also flow out evenly from the discharging ports 42, that is, the powder can be kept uniform in the width direction of the discharging port 42 when flowing out of the discharging port 42. In this embodiment, the sealing plate 43 and the side wall of the powder inlet container 1 are integrally designed, effectively improving the firmness of the assembly of the sealing plate 43.

[0037] In one embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, Figure 3Schematic structural diagram of the powder discharging hopper 44 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The powder discharging hopper 44 includes a first side plate 441, a second side plate 442, and a third side plate 444. The first side plate 441 and the second side plate 442 are arranged oppositely, and the third side plate 444 is connected to the sides of the first side plate 441 and the second side plate 442 away from the sealing plate 43. The first side plate 441, the second side plate 442, and the third side plate 444 enclose a powder discharging cavity 41. The powder discharging cavity 41 has a first opening facing the flexible powder guiding member 2 and a second opening facing the sealing plate 43. The second opening forms a discharging port 42, and the powder discharging cavity 41 communicates with the flexible powder guiding channel 21 through the first opening. The powder discharging hopper 44 further includes a connecting plate 443 connecting the first side plate 441 and the second side plate 442, and the connecting plate 443 is arranged between the first opening and the second opening. Both the first side plate 441 and the second side plate 442 are in a fan shape or a triangular shape, and the third side plate 444 is arranged as an arc-shaped plate or an inclined flat plate. When the powder discharging hopper 44 abuts against the sealing plate 43, one side edge of the third side plate 444 abuts against the sealing plate 43. With such a setting, the flow of the powder in the powder discharging cavity 41 is smoother, and the time for the powder to enter the powder discharging cavity 41 from the flexible powder guiding channel 21 and leave the powder discharging cavity 41 from the discharging port 42 is greatly shortened, improving the powder discharging speed of the powder discharging device. Moreover, the part where the flexible powder guiding member 2 is connected to the powder discharging assembly 4 can be installed on the inner walls of the first side plate 441, the second side plate 442, the connecting plate 443, and the third side plate 444, effectively enhancing the installation firmness of the flexible powder guiding member 2.

[0038] However, not limited thereto, the powder discharging hopper 44 may also be in other shapes such as a cuboid shape and a semi-cylindrical shape.

[0039] In one embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of the position A shown. A first sealing gasket 445 is fixedly provided at the position where the third side plate 444 abuts closely against the sealing plate 43. A sealing groove 431 is correspondingly provided on the sealing plate 43, and a second sealing gasket 432 is provided in the sealing groove 431. When the powder discharging hopper 44 rotates to abut against the sealing plate 43, the second sealing gasket 432 fits closely with the second sealing gasket 432; when the powder discharging hopper 44 rotates away from the sealing plate 43, the second sealing gasket 432 separates from the second sealing gasket 432. With such a setting, the sealing performance between the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43 is effectively enhanced, avoiding the powder leaking from the discharging port 42 when the discharging port 42 is closed. The first sealing gasket 445 and the second sealing gasket 432 can be either made of a metal material or a rubber material. The surfaces of the first sealing gasket 445 and the second sealing gasket 432 made of a metal material are smoother and flatter, with stronger sealing performance, while the first sealing gasket 445 and the second sealing gasket 432 made of a rubber material can fit more closely together, making the sealing performance between the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43 better.

[0040] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, a cylinder 45 is provided between the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43. The cylinder 45 is connected to the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43 to control the rotation of the powder discharging hopper 44 through the cylinder 45. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the discharge port 42 are realized by controlling the rotation of the powder discharging hopper 44 through the cylinder 45. When the cylinder 45 is inflated, the powder discharging hopper 44 rotates to a position away from the sealing plate 43. At this time, the discharge port 42 is opened. When the cylinder 45 is evacuated, the powder discharging hopper 44 rotates to a position close to the sealing plate 43. At this time, the discharge port 42 is closed. By using the cylinder 45 to control the rotation of the powder discharging hopper 44, the rotation speed of the powder discharging hopper 44 can be made faster. Moreover, the maximum distance that the cylinder 45 can extend and retract is fixed. Therefore, the rotation angle of the powder discharging hopper 44 each time is also fixed, which is beneficial to improving the powder discharging stability of the powder discharging hopper 44.

[0041] However, it is not limited thereto. A compression spring can also be used to control the rotation of the powder discharging hopper 44 relative to the sealing plate 43.

[0042] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, the powder supply device further includes an electrical component 5. The electrical component 5 includes an air compressor 51, a three-way valve 52, a positive and negative pressure converter 53, and a controller 54. The three-way valve 52 is provided with a main channel, a first channel, and a second channel. The main channel communicates with the air compressor 51, and the first channel communicates with the blocking member 3 and the cylinder 45 respectively. One end of the positive and negative pressure converter 53 communicates with the second channel, and the other end communicates with the blocking member 3 and the cylinder 45 respectively. The controller 54 is electrically connected to the three-way valve 52 to control the main channel of the three-way valve 52 to communicate with only the first channel or only the second channel.

[0043] When the controller 54 controls the main channel of the three-way valve 52 to communicate with the first channel, the air compressor 51 controls the blocking member 3 to extend towards the flexible powder guiding member 2 to block the flexible powder guiding channel 21, and the air compressor 51 controls the cylinder 45 to push the powder discharging hopper 44 to rotate to a position away from the sealing plate 43 to open the discharge port 42. When the controller 54 controls the main channel of the three-way valve 52 to communicate with the second channel, the positive and negative pressure converter 53 converts the positive pressure of the air compressor 51 into negative pressure. The air compressor 51 controls the blocking member 3 to contract away from the flexible powder guiding member 2 to communicate the flexible powder guiding channel 21, and the air compressor 51 controls the cylinder 45 to pull the powder discharging hopper 44 to rotate to a position close to the sealing plate 43 to close the discharge port 42.

[0044] With such a setting, the air cylinder 45 and the blocking member 3 of the powder supply device can be electrically controlled, and the expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 45 and the blocking member 3 can be synchronized, greatly improving the working efficiency of the powder supply device. It can be understood that the three-way valve 52 can be connected to the air compressor 51, the air cylinder 45, the blocking member 3, and the positive and negative pressure converter 53 through flexible pipes.

[0045] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 shown, an elastic member 46 is further provided between the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43. The two ends of the elastic member 46 are respectively connected to the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43 to make the powder discharging hopper 44 closely fit the sealing plate 43. The elastic member 46 can make the powder discharging hopper 44 and the sealing plate 43 fit more closely, avoiding the powder leaking from the discharge port 42 when the discharge port 42 is closed.

[0046] The elastic member 46 can be a tension spring or an elastic rope, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the powder supply device further includes a powder supply base 6 and a powder spreading platform 7. One side wall of one end of the powder supply base 6 is fixedly connected to the sealing plate 43. The powder supply base 6 is provided with a cavity 61 that penetrates up and down. The powder discharging hopper 44 is arranged above the cavity 61, and the powder spreading platform 7 is arranged below the cavity 61. The width of the discharge port 42 is greater than the width of the powder spreading platform 7. The powder supply base 6 can provide a good supporting effect on the sealing plate 43. And, with such a setting, the powder can flow out from the discharge port 42 and be evenly accumulated on the powder spreading platform 7 through the cavity 61 of the powder supply base 6. Since the width of the discharge port 42 is greater than the width of the powder spreading platform 7, the powder on the powder spreading platform 7 is evenly distributed in the width direction, which is beneficial to the subsequent uniform spreading of the powder by the powder spreading device.

[0048] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0049] Those of ordinary skill in the art of this technology should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used as a limitation to the present invention. As long as appropriate changes and variations are made to the above embodiments within the scope of the essential spirit of the present invention, they fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder supply device, characterized in that, Comprising: A powder inlet container (1) provided with a powder inlet cavity (11); A flexible powder guiding member (2) connected to the lower end of the powder inlet cavity (11), the flexible powder guiding member (2) being provided with a flexible powder guiding channel (21), and the flexible powder guiding channel (21) communicating with the powder inlet cavity (11); A blocking member (3) disposed outside the flexible powder guiding member (2), and the blocking member (3) being capable of squeezing the flexible powder guiding member (2) to block the flexible powder guiding channel (21); and A powder outlet assembly (4) connected to the lower end of the flexible powder guiding member (2), the powder outlet assembly (4) being provided with a powder outlet cavity (41) communicating with the flexible powder guiding channel (21); the powder outlet assembly (4) is further provided with a discharge port (42) that can be opened or closed, and the discharge port (42) communicates with the powder outlet cavity (41) for powder supply through the discharge port (42); The blocking member (3) includes a pneumatic cavity (31); the pneumatic cavity (31) can extend towards the flexible powder guiding member (2) or contract away from the flexible powder guiding member (2), and when the pneumatic cavity (31) extends towards the flexible powder guiding member (2), the pneumatic cavity (31) can block the flexible powder guiding channel (21); when the pneumatic cavity (31) contracts away from the flexible powder guiding member (2), the flexible powder guiding channel (21) can communicate; The powder outlet assembly (4) includes a sealing plate (43) and a powder outlet hopper (44), the sealing plate (43) is connected to the lower end of the powder inlet container (1), and the powder outlet hopper (44) is rotatably connected to one side of the sealing plate ((43)); the powder outlet cavity (41) is disposed in the powder outlet hopper (44), and the discharge port (42) is disposed on the side of the powder outlet hopper (44) facing the sealing plate (43), and when the powder outlet hopper (44) rotates to abut against the sealing plate (43), the discharge port (42) is closed; when the powder outlet hopper (44) rotates away from the sealing plate (43), the discharge port (42) is opened; A cylinder (45) is provided between the powder outlet hopper (44) and the sealing plate (43), and the cylinder (45) connects the powder outlet hopper (44) and the sealing plate (43) to control the rotation of the powder outlet hopper (44) through the cylinder (45); The powder supply device further includes an electrical component (5), and the electrical component (5) includes: An air compressor (51); A three-way valve (52) provided with a main channel, a first channel, and a second channel, the main channel communicating with the air compressor (51), and the first channel communicating with the blocking member (3) and the cylinder (45) respectively; A positive and negative pressure converter (53) with one end communicating with the second channel and the other end communicating with the blocking member (3) and the cylinder (45) respectively; and A controller (54) electrically connected to the three-way valve (52) to control the main channel of the three-way valve (52) to communicate only with the first channel or only with the second channel; When the main channel of the three-way valve (52) is only connected to the first channel, the air compressor (51) controls the blocking member (3) to extend towards the flexible powder guiding member (2) to block the flexible powder guiding channel (21), and the air compressor (51) controls the cylinder (45) to push the powder discharging hopper (44) to rotate to a position away from the sealing plate (43) to open the discharging port (42); When the main channel of the three-way valve (52) is only connected to the second channel, the positive-negative pressure converter (53) converts the positive pressure of the air compressor (51) into negative pressure, the air compressor (51) controls the blocking member (3) to contract away from the flexible powder guiding member (2) to connect the flexible powder guiding channel (21), and the air compressor (51) controls the cylinder (45) to pull the powder discharging hopper (44) to rotate to a position close to the sealing plate (43) to close the discharging port (42).

2. The powder supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two opposite side walls of the powder feeding container (1) extend downward to form extension parts (12), and the pneumatic cavity (31) is arranged on the inner wall of the extension parts (12).

3. The powder supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction on the plane where the sealing plate (43) is located is defined as the width direction of the powder discharging hopper (44); the discharging port (42) extends along the width direction of the powder discharging hopper (44) and the discharging port (42) is uniformly arranged in the width direction of the powder discharging hopper (44).

4. The powder supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The powder discharging hopper (44) includes a first side plate (441), a second side plate (442) and a third side plate (444), the first side plate (441) and the second side plate (442) are arranged opposite to each other, the third side plate (444) is connected to the sides of the first side plate (441) and the second side plate (442) away from the sealing plate (43), the first side plate (441), the second side plate (442) and the third side plate (444) enclose the powder discharging cavity (41), the powder discharging cavity (�1) has a first opening facing the flexible powder guiding member (2) and a second opening facing the sealing plate (43), the second opening constitutes the discharging port (42), and the powder discharging cavity (41) is connected to the flexible powder guiding channel (21) through the first opening; the powder discharging hopper (44) further includes a connecting plate (443) connecting the first side plate (441) and the second side plate (442), and the connecting plate (443) is arranged between the first opening and the second opening; Both the first side plate (441) and the second side plate (442) are in a fan shape or in a triangular shape, the third side plate (444) is arranged as an arc-shaped plate or an inclined flat plate, and when the powder discharging hopper (44) abuts against the sealing plate (43), one side of the third side plate (444) abuts against the sealing plate (43).

5. The powder supply device according to claim 4, characterized in that A first sealing gasket (445) is fixedly arranged at the position of the third side plate (444) facing the sealing plate (43), a sealing groove (431) is correspondingly arranged on the sealing plate (43), and a second sealing gasket (432) is arranged in the sealing groove (431); When the powder discharging hopper (44) rotates to lean against the sealing plate (43), the second sealing gasket (432) fits closely with the second sealing gasket (432); when the powder discharging hopper (44) rotates away from the sealing plate (43), the second sealing gasket (432) separates from the second sealing gasket (432).

6. The powder supply device according to claim 3, wherein An elastic member (46) is further provided between the powder discharging hopper (44) and the sealing plate (43), and two ends of the elastic member (46) are respectively connected to the powder discharging hopper (44) and the sealing plate (43) so that the powder discharging hopper (44) fits closely with the sealing plate (43).

7. The powder supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The powder supply device further includes a powder supply base (6) and a powder spreading platform (7). One side wall of one end of the powder supply base (6) is fixedly connected to the sealing plate (43); the powder supply base (6) is provided with a cavity (61) that penetrates up and down. The powder discharging hopper (44) is arranged above the cavity (61), the powder spreading platform (7) is arranged below the cavity (61), and the width of the material discharging port (42) is greater than or equal to the width of the powder spreading platform (7).

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