A 3D printer gas circulation device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas circulation device for a 3D printer in the field of additive manufacturing. It solves the problems of high temperature of the 3D printer nozzle and filtration of toxic gases in the chassis. The technical solution is as follows: The box body is set as a cubic hexahedron structure; the moving frame is fixed inside the box body; the nozzle is installed on the moving frame; the upper end of the vortex tube is threadedly connected to the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle; the Venturi tube is fixed on the box body; the filter is installed outside the box body; the compressor is installed outside the box body. The present invention uses compressed air to cool the nozzle and the box body environment. The cold gas fully wraps the nozzle, with sufficient cooling and good heat dissipation effect, overcoming the defect of insufficient local heat dissipation by the fan; the present invention uses compressed air to suck the toxic gases, and only one compressor needs to be configured as the power source, avoiding the need to install a vacuum pump for suction again. Its structure is simple, economical and practical.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas circulation device for a 3D printer in the field of additive manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] 3D printing is a rapid prototyping technology in the field of additive manufacturing. It uses powdered metals, plastics, or other bondable materials to build products by layer-by-layer printing. 3D printing is highly efficient and cost-effective, and has been widely used in construction, automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. Currently, the most widely used 3D printing technology is fused deposition modeling, which transports thermoplastic polymer materials to a high-temperature printing module, melts the materials, and continuously extrudes them. The product is constructed by layer-by-layer stacking under precise positioning. However, while the raw materials are melting, the high temperature also conducts directly into the nozzle cavity. If the cavity temperature is too high, the material will soften and deform, affecting the accuracy of the printed product. It will also cause insufficient heat dissipation of the model material under the nozzle. When the next layer of material covers and stacks on the previous layer before the previous layer has completely solidified, the product model will be severely deformed, and even the nozzle of the 3D printer will be blocked, resulting in malfunctions.

[0003] Currently, most of the heat dissipation of the nozzle during 3D printing uses fans. The heat dissipation effect of the fans themselves is poor, and the wind direction is perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle, which easily causes the nozzle to vibrate, interfering with the material ejection angle and seriously affecting the printing accuracy. During 3D printing, the harmful gases generated by the high-temperature molten materials cannot be exhausted from the chassis, which will also pollute the environment.

[0004] Based on the above technical background, the present invention specifically provides a gas circulation device for a 3D printer to achieve the functions of cooling the printer nozzle and filtering harmful gases in the 3D printer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a gas circulation device for a 3D printer to solve the problems of high temperature of the 3D printer nozzle and filtering of toxic gases in the chassis.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A gas circulation device for a 3D printer is composed of a box body, a moving frame, a nozzle, a vortex tube, a Venturi tube, a filter, a compressor, an intake pipe, an exhaust pipe and a hot gas pipe; characterized in that: the box body is set as a cubic hexahedron structure; the moving frame is fixed inside the box body; the nozzle is installed on the moving frame, an outer conical surface is provided on the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle, and a male thread is provided above the outer conical surface; an internal thread is provided at the upper end of the vortex tube, a spiral line is provided in the inner cavity of the vortex tube, an air inlet is provided at the lower part of the vortex tube, the air inlet is tangent to the spiral line in the inner cavity of the vortex tube, a cold air outlet is provided at the lower end of the vortex tube, a hot air outlet is provided at the upper part of the vortex tube, and an inner conical surface is provided in the upper part of the inner cavity of the vortex tube; the upper end of the vortex tube is threadedly connected to the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle, and rotating the vortex tube can adjust the axial relative position between the vortex tube and the nozzle; the Venturi tube is fixed on the box body, the inlet of the Venturi tube is set as a tapered reduced diameter section, the rear end of the tapered reduced diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube is set as a throat tube, an inclined suction port is provided on the throat tube to communicate with the outside of the Venturi tube, and the rear end of the throat tube of the Venturi tube is set as a tapered flared section; the filter is installed outside the box body, and the filter filters the harmful gases generated by the 3D printer; the compressor is installed outside the box body; one end of the intake pipe is connected to the outlet of the compressor, and the other end of the intake pipe is connected to the air inlet of the vortex tube; one end of the hot gas pipe is connected to the hot air outlet of the vortex tube, and the other end of the hot gas pipe is connected to the tapered reduced diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube; one end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the outlet of the Venturi tube, and the other end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the inlet of the filter.

[0007] The taper of the outer conical surface provided on the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle is the same as the taper of the inner conical surface provided in the upper part of the inner cavity of the vortex tube, and the two cooperate with each other to form a sealing conical surface.

[0008] The working principle of the present invention is: The compressor pumps high-pressure gas into the air inlet of the vortex tube. The high-pressure gas is separated into hot gas and cold gas under the action of the spiral line in the inner cavity of the vortex tube. The hot gas discharges from the hot air outlet of the vortex tube along the inner wall of the vortex tube, and the cold gas is formed in the center of the hot gas and discharges from the cold air outlet along the outer wall of the nozzle; the cold gas realizes the cooling effect on the nozzle and the internal space of the box body; the hot gas enters the Venturi tube from the hot gas pipe, and a vacuum area is formed at the throat position of the Venturi tube. The cold gas in the box body and the toxic gas discharged from the nozzle enter the Venturi tube from the inclined suction port on the throat tube and mix with the hot gas. The temperature of the hot gas drops and the volume decreases, and the vacuum degree at the throat position is further reduced, realizing the effect of a small amount of hot gas sucking a large amount of cold gas and toxic gas; the toxic gas discharges from the outlet of the Venturi tube and enters the filter, and the toxic substances in the toxic gas are purified by the filter and then discharged into the environment, realizing harmless treatment.

[0009] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The present invention utilizes compressed air to cool the nozzle and the box environment. The cold gas fully wraps the nozzle, providing sufficient cooling and good heat dissipation effect, overcoming the defect of insufficient local heat dissipation by the fan; (2) The cold gas generated by the present invention cools the nozzle, and its flow direction is parallel to the axis of the nozzle, without generating lateral vibration, and the printing accuracy is high, overcoming the defect of lateral vibration caused by the cooling air flow of the fan being perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle; (3) The refrigerating capacity of the vortex tube of the present invention can be adjusted by adjusting the relative position between the inner conical surface of the vortex tube and the outer conical surface of the nozzle, which is beneficial to accurately control the refrigerating capacity and ensure the printing accuracy; (4) The present invention uses compressed air to suck toxic gases, and only one compressor needs to be configured as the power source, avoiding the need to install a vacuum pump again for suction. Its structure is simple and economical and practical; (5) The cold gas discharged from the cold gas outlet of the vortex tube of the present invention is discharged into the box body in the form of a vortex. The nozzle outlet is at the center of the cold gas vortex, and the flow rate is extremely low, having no wind impact on the spraying material and ensuring the printing accuracy; (6) In the gas circulation channel formed by the present invention, there are no moving components, the structure is simple, and the service life is reliable. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas circulation device of a 3D printer according to the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A section.

[0012] In the figure: 1 - box body, 2 - moving frame, 3 - nozzle, 4 - vortex tube, 5 - Venturi tube, 6 - filter, 7 - compressor, 8 - intake pipe, 9 - exhaust pipe, 10 - hot gas pipe, 31 - outer conical surface, 41 - intake port, 42 - hot gas outlet, 43 - cold gas outlet, 44 - inner conical surface. Detailed Embodiments

[0013] Such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, a gas circulation device of a 3D printer according to the present invention is composed of a box body 1, a moving frame 2, a nozzle 3, a vortex tube 4, a Venturi tube 5, a filter 6, a compressor 7, an intake pipe 8, an exhaust pipe 9 and a hot gas pipe 10; its characteristics are: the box body 1 is set as a cubic hexahedron structure; the moving frame 2 is fixed inside the box body 1; the nozzle 3 is installed on the moving frame 2, an outer conical surface 31 is arranged on the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle 3, and a male thread is arranged above the outer conical surface 31; an internal thread is arranged at the upper end of the vortex tube 4, a spiral line is arranged inside the cavity of the vortex tube 4, an air inlet 41 is arranged at the lower part of the vortex tube 4, the air inlet 41 is tangent to the spiral line inside the cavity of the vortex tube 4, a cold air outlet 43 is arranged at the lower end of the vortex tube 4, a hot air outlet 42 is arranged at the upper part of the vortex tube 4, and an inner conical surface 44 is arranged at the upper part of the cavity of the vortex tube 4; the taper of the outer conical surface 31 is the same as that of the inner conical surface 44, and the two can cooperate to form a sealed conical surface. The upper end of the vortex tube 4 is threadedly connected to the upper part of the outer circle of the nozzle 3, and rotating the vortex tube 4 can adjust the axial relative position between the vortex tube 4 and the nozzle 3; the Venturi tube 5 is fixed on the box body 1, the inlet of the Venturi tube 5 is set as a tapered reduced diameter section, the rear end of the tapered reduced diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube 5 is a throat tube, and an inclined suction port is arranged on the throat tube to communicate with the outside of the Venturi tube 5, and the rear end of the throat tube of the Venturi tube 5 is a tapered expansion section; the filter 6 is installed outside the box body 1, and the filter 6 filters the harmful gases generated by the 3D printer; the compressor 7 is installed outside the box body 1; one end of the intake pipe 8 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 7, and the other end of the intake pipe 8 is connected to the air inlet 41 of the vortex tube 4; one end of the hot gas pipe 10 is connected to the hot air outlet 42 of the vortex tube 4, and the other end of the hot gas pipe 10 is connected to the tapered reduced diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube 5; one end of the exhaust pipe 9 is connected to the outlet of the Venturi tube 5, and the other end of the exhaust pipe 9 is connected to the inlet of the filter 6.

[0014] The working principle of the present invention is: the compressor 7 pumps high-pressure gas into the air inlet 41 of the vortex tube 4, and the high-pressure gas is separated into hot gas and cold gas under the action of the spiral line inside the cavity of the vortex tube 4. The hot gas is discharged from the hot air outlet 42 of the vortex tube 4 along the inner wall of the vortex tube 4, and the cold gas is formed in the center of the hot gas and is discharged from the cold air outlet 43 along the outer wall of the nozzle 3; the cold gas realizes the cooling effect on the nozzle 3 and the internal space of the box body 1; the hot gas enters the Venturi tube 5 from the hot gas pipe 10, and a vacuum area is formed at the throat position of the Venturi tube 5. The cold gas inside the box body 1 and the toxic gas discharged from the nozzle 3 enter the Venturi tube 5 from the inclined suction port on the throat tube and are mixed with the hot gas. The temperature of the hot gas drops and the volume decreases, and the vacuum degree at the throat position is further reduced, realizing the effect of sucking a large amount of cold gas and toxic gas with a small amount of hot gas; the toxic gas is discharged from the outlet of the Venturi tube 5 and enters the filter 6, and the toxic substances in the toxic gas are purified by the filter 6 and then discharged into the environment, realizing harmless treatment.

Claims

1. A gas circulation device for a 3D printer, characterized in that, It is composed of a box body (1), a moving frame (2), a spray head (3), a vortex tube (4), a Venturi tube (5), a filter (6), a compressor (7), an air inlet pipe (8), an exhaust pipe (9) and a hot air pipe (10). The box body (1) is set as a cubic hexahedron structure. The moving frame (2) is fixed inside the box body (1). The spray head (3) is installed on the moving frame (2). An outer conical surface (31) is provided on the upper part of the outer circle of the spray head (3). A male thread is provided above the outer conical surface (31). An internal thread is provided at the upper end of the vortex tube (4). A spiral line is provided in the inner cavity of the vortex tube (4). An air inlet (41) is provided on one side of the lower part of the vortex tube (4). The air inlet (41) is tangent to the spiral line in the inner cavity of the vortex tube (4). A cold air outlet (43) is provided at the lower end of the vortex tube (4). A hot air outlet (42) is provided at the upper part of the vortex tube (4). An inner conical surface (44) is provided in the upper part of the inner cavity of the vortex tube (4). The upper end of the vortex tube (4) is threadedly connected to the upper part of the outer circle of the spray head (3). Rotating the vortex tube (4) can adjust the axial relative position between the vortex tube (4) and the spray head (3);The Venturi tube (5) is fixed on the box body (1). The inlet of the Venturi tube (5) is set as a conical reduced-diameter section. The rear end of the conical reduced-diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube (5) is set as a throat tube. An inclined suction port is arranged on the throat tube to communicate with the outside of the Venturi tube (5). The rear end of the throat tube of the Venturi tube (5) is set as a conical flared section. The filter (6) is installed outside the box body (1). The filter (6) filters the harmful gases generated by the 3D printer. The compressor (7) is installed outside the box body (1). The intake pipe (8) includes an arc section and a horizontal section. One end of its arc section is connected to the outlet of the compressor (7). The other end of the arc section enters the box body (1) and is connected to the horizontal section. Its horizontal section is connected to the intake port (41) of the vortex tube (4). One end of the hot gas pipe (10) is connected to the hot gas outlet (42) of the vortex tube (4). The other end of the hot gas pipe (10) is connected to the conical reduced-diameter section at the inlet of the Venturi tube (5). One end of the exhaust pipe (9) is connected to the outlet of the Venturi tube (5). The other end of the exhaust pipe (9) is connected to the inlet of the filter (6). The compressor (7) pumps high-pressure gas into the intake port (41) of the vortex tube (4). The high-pressure gas is separated into hot gas and cold gas under the action of the inner cavity spiral of the vortex tube (4). The hot gas is discharged from the hot gas outlet (42) of the vortex tube (4) along the inner wall of the vortex tube (4). The cold gas is formed in the center of the hot gas and is discharged from the cold gas outlet (43) along the outer wall of the nozzle (3). The cold gas realizes the cooling effect on the nozzle (3) and the internal space of the box body (1). The hot gas enters the Venturi tube (5) from the hot gas pipe (10). A vacuum area is formed at the throat position of the Venturi tube (5). The cold gas in the box body (1) and the toxic gas discharged from the nozzle (3) enter the Venturi tube (5) from the inclined suction port on the throat tube and are mixed with the hot gas. The temperature of the hot gas drops and the volume decreases. The vacuum degree at the throat position is further reduced, realizing the effect of a small amount of hot gas sucking a large amount of cold gas and toxic gas. The toxic gas is discharged from the outlet of the Venturi tube (5) and enters the filter (6). The toxic substances in the toxic gas are purified by the filter (6) and then discharged into the environment, realizing harmless treatment.

2. The gas circulation device for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, the taper of the outer conical surface (31) provided on the upper part of the outer circumference of the nozzle (3) is the same as the taper of the inner conical surface (44) provided on the upper part of the inner cavity of the vortex tube (4), and the two cooperate with each other to form a sealed conical surface.

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