A top powder structure for 3D printer motor driving

Abstract

The application discloses a top powder structure for 3D printer motor driving, comprising: a movable plate assembly and a driving device, the driving device comprising a reversible driving motor, a transmission shaft assembly driven by the driving motor to rotate and a crank slider assembly connecting the transmission shaft assembly and the movable plate assembly, the transmission shaft assembly can drive the movable plate assembly to move up and down through the crank slider assembly when rotating, and the driving motor can be controlled by a program to rotate at an angle at a time; by adopting the structure, the range of different rotation angles can be changed to change the lowest position and the highest position of the movable plate assembly, the needs of different customers and different use scenarios can be met, and the powder storage capacity can be changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printer technology, and more particularly to a toner-top structure for motor drive in 3D printers. Background Technology

[0002] Powder printers use powder sintering technology. Since powder is needed as a support for the model, a large amount of powder is consumed to complete a single print. Therefore, powder supply has become a major challenge. Because each toner scraping must ensure that the printing area is completely covered by powder, the amount of powder falling during toner addition must be greater than the entire moving area of ​​the scraper. After each toner scraping, some residual powder is scraped into the recycling bin, causing a large amount of powder loss. Therefore, the use of a top-powder mechanism can store the remaining powder after each scraping and reuse it. This not only reduces the cost of powder loss but also increases the machine's independent working time.

[0003] The applicant has proposed a powder scraping device for a 3D printer in Chinese Utility Model Patent Publication No. CN211758463U. The patent discloses that a powder storage area is set between the recycling bin and the printing area. The powder scraping platform is also equipped with a powder ejection mechanism that can eject the powder in the powder storage area. The powder ejection mechanism includes a movable base plate and a cylinder that can drive the movable base plate to move up and down, so that the powder ejection mechanism can store the remaining powder after each powder scraping, thereby increasing the machine's working time.

[0004] However, during use, it was found that because the powder-topping mechanism is driven by a cylinder, it can only move repeatedly from the lowest and highest positions each time it works. When it is necessary to accurately change the powder-topping height to change the powder storage amount, even if a solenoid valve is installed to control the air intake, the extension length of the cylinder will slowly change after working for a period of time, resulting in a change in the powder-topping height. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a toner-topping structure for a 3D printer motor drive, which can adjust the lifting height of the toner to change the toner storage amount.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is to provide a top powder structure for motor drive of 3D printer, including: a movable plate assembly and a drive device. The drive device includes a forward and reverse drive motor, a transmission shaft assembly driven by the drive motor, and a crank-slider assembly connecting the transmission shaft assembly and the movable plate assembly. When the transmission shaft assembly rotates, it can drive the movable plate assembly to move up and down through the crank-slider assembly. The angle of rotation of the drive motor can be controlled by a program.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the movable plate assembly includes an upper push plate and a sealing plate connected to the lower surface of the upper push plate, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the sealing plate protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the upper push plate.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the crank-slider assembly includes a rotating member fixed on the drive shaft assembly, a rotating seat fixed on the lower surface of the movable plate assembly, and a connecting rod with its two ends respectively hinged to the rotating member and the rotating seat.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drive device is provided with a housing, and the housing is connected to an upper fixing plate. The upper fixing plate is provided with a transmission mating hole through which the connecting rod can pass.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, a guide shaft is connected to the lower surface of the movable plate assembly, and a limiting post is provided at the lower end of the guide shaft located below the upper fixed plate. The upper fixed plate is also provided with a guide shaft mating hole with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the limiting post and a diameter larger than the diameter of the guide shaft.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the outer casing is provided with a bearing seat that matches the drive shaft assembly, and the drive shaft assembly is fitted with a bushing located between the rotating part and the bearing seat.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, a powder storage tank is provided on the upper surface of the upper fixing plate.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the two ends of the connecting rod are respectively provided with bearings that cooperate with the rotating component and the rotating seat, and each bearing is provided with a bearing dust cover.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a transition connecting plate is provided on the lower surface of the sealing plate.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0016] 1. The range of rotation angles can be changed to alter the lowest and highest positions of the movable plate assembly, meeting the needs of different customers and usage scenarios, and changing the powder storage capacity.

[0017] 2. The powder can be prevented from being thrown up instantly by adjusting the rotation speed of the motor, which would cause the powder to splash and affect the performance of the equipment.

[0018] 3. The purely mechanical rotating structure only requires normal installation and can be used immediately, unlike structures such as cylinders which require multiple adjustments.

[0019] 4. Each hinged part of the present invention uses a covered bearing as a rotary transmission, which reduces the friction of each transmission mechanism, ensures low-friction transmission, and also prevents powder from directly entering the bearing, which would cause a decline in equipment performance, improve the service life of the equipment, and reduce maintenance frequency and cost.

[0020] 5. During the process of the movable plate assembly carrying powder up and down, the sealing plate can reduce the area where powder leaks into the drive shaft assembly, thereby reducing the impact of powder on equipment performance and improving the service life of the equipment. In addition, because the outer surface of the sealing plate will continuously rub against other mechanisms during long-term operation, it will wear out significantly. However, the sealing plate and the upper push plate are detachably connected, so only the sealing plate needs to be replaced during maintenance, making maintenance simple and convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the movable plate assembly of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the structure of the movable plate assembly of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of section B in the middle;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the upper fixing plate of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly. Furthermore, descriptions involving "preferred," "second-best," etc., in this invention are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "preferred" or "second-best" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0031] Reference Figure 1-8This invention proposes a toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive, comprising: a movable plate assembly 1 and a drive device 2. The drive device 2 includes a reversible drive motor 23, a transmission shaft assembly 22 driven by the drive motor 23, and a crank-slider assembly 21 connecting the transmission shaft assembly 22 and the movable plate assembly 1. When the transmission shaft assembly 22 rotates, it can drive the movable plate assembly 1 to move up and down through the crank-slider assembly 21. The angle of rotation of the drive motor 23 can be controlled by a program. The drive motor 23 has the function of reversing forward and reverse rotation and has high-precision angle transmission, and can rotate back and forth within different angles, thereby lifting and lowering within different lifting height ranges. For example, when a higher lifting height range is required, the transmission shaft assembly 22 can drive its connection with the crank-slider assembly 21 to rotate back and forth in the upper semicircular area of ​​the transmission shaft assembly 22. When a lower lifting height range is required, it can rotate back and forth in the lower semicircular area of ​​the transmission shaft assembly 22.

[0032] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive motor 23 is a servo motor, or it can be a stepper motor combined with other common mechanical devices to achieve high-precision repetitive motion.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 5-7 The movable plate assembly 1 includes an upper push plate 11 and a sealing plate 12 connected to the lower surface of the upper push plate 11. The outer peripheral surface of the sealing plate 12 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the upper push plate 11. During the process of the movable plate assembly 1 carrying powder up and down, the sealing plate 12 can reduce the area where powder leaks into the drive shaft assembly 22, thereby reducing the impact of powder on equipment performance and improving the service life of the equipment. In addition, since the outer peripheral surface of the sealing plate 12 will continuously rub against other mechanisms such as the upper fixed plate 31 during long-term operation, the wear is relatively large. Since the sealing plate 12 and the upper push plate 11 are detachably connected, only the sealing plate 12 needs to be replaced during maintenance, making maintenance simple and convenient.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 The crank-slider assembly 21 includes a rotating component 211 fixed on the transmission shaft assembly 22, a rotating seat 213 fixed on the lower surface of the movable plate assembly 1, and a connecting rod 212 with its two ends hinged to the rotating component 211 and the rotating seat 213 respectively.

[0035] Reference Figure 1-4 and Figure 8 The drive unit 2 is provided with a housing 3, and the housing 3 is connected to an upper fixing plate 31. The upper fixing plate 31 is provided with a transmission mating hole 311 through which the connecting rod 212 can pass. The upper fixing plate 31 also further prevents powder from falling onto the transmission shaft assembly 22 and causing damage to the equipment.

[0036] Reference Figure 2The lower surface of the movable plate assembly 1 is connected to a guide shaft 4. The lower end of the guide shaft 4 is provided with a limiting post 41 located below the upper fixed plate 31. The upper fixed plate 31 is also provided with a guide shaft mating hole 312 with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the limiting post 41 and a diameter larger than the diameter of the guide shaft 4. With this structure, the limiting post 41 can limit the maximum height of the movable plate assembly 1, preventing the movable plate assembly 1 from being too high and scratching the scraper, which would directly lead to the scrapping of the printer.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 The outer casing 3 is provided with a bearing seat 5 that cooperates with the drive shaft assembly 22. The drive shaft assembly 22 is fitted with a bushing 6 located between the rotating part 211 and the bearing seat 5. This prevents the rotating part 211 on the drive shaft assembly 22 from vibrating and shifting during operation, which would cause it to directly contact the end face of the bearing seat 5 and cause wear. The bearing seat 5 can provide support for the drive shaft assembly 22 and prevent the drive shaft assembly 22 from breaking during long-term operation.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 8 The upper surface of the upper fixed plate 31 is provided with a powder storage tank 313. During the operation of this invention, when the movable plate assembly 1 is at its lowest position, the upper surface of the upper fixed plate 31 is roughly flush with the upper surface of the movable plate assembly 1. The upper fixed plate 31 will inevitably be covered with powder. The powder storage tank 313 can collect most of the falling powder into the powder storage tank 313, and it will not easily fall onto the drive shaft assembly 22 during operation.

[0039] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the powder storage tank 313 is connected end to end and is arranged around the outer periphery of the movable plate assembly 1.

[0040] Reference Figure 2 The connecting rod 212 has bearings at both ends that cooperate with the rotating part 211 and the rotating seat 213, and each bearing is equipped with a bearing dust cover. The connecting rod 212 has bearings at both ends that are rotatably connected to the rotating part 211 and the rotating seat 213, and each bearing is equipped with a bearing dust cover. Not only do bearings use bearings at the rotating connection points of the connecting rod 212, but each rotating part of the present invention uses a covered bearing as a rotary transmission to reduce the friction of each transmission mechanism. Furthermore, since the working environment is filled with a large amount of powder, the bearings are all equipped with bearing dust covers to prevent powder from entering the bearings, which would reduce the efficiency of the rotary transmission, increase the friction, and cause damage to the parts.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As can be seen, a transition connecting plate 13 is provided on the lower surface of the sealing plate 12.

[0042] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive, comprising: The movable plate assembly (1) and the driving device (2) are characterized in that the driving device (2) includes a forward and reverse reversible drive motor (23), a transmission shaft assembly (22) driven by the drive motor (23) to rotate, and a crank-slider assembly (21) connecting the transmission shaft assembly (22) and the movable plate assembly (1). When the transmission shaft assembly (22) rotates, it can drive the movable plate assembly (1) to move up and down through the crank-slider assembly (21). The angle of rotation of the drive motor (23) can be controlled by a program. When a higher lifting height range is required, the drive shaft assembly (22) drives the connection between itself and the crank slider assembly (21) to rotate back and forth in the upper semicircular area of ​​the drive shaft assembly (22). When a lower lifting height range is required, it rotates back and forth in the lower semicircular area of ​​the drive shaft assembly (22).

2. The toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable plate assembly (1) includes an upper push plate (11) and a sealing plate (12) connected to the lower surface of the upper push plate (11), the outer peripheral surface of the sealing plate (12) protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the upper push plate (11).

3. The toner ejector structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crank-slider assembly (21) includes a rotating component (211) fixed on the transmission shaft assembly (22), a rotating seat (213) fixed on the lower surface of the movable plate assembly (1), and a connecting rod (212) with its two ends hinged to the rotating component (211) and the rotating seat (213) respectively.

4. The toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive device (2) is provided with a housing (3), and the housing (3) is connected to an upper fixing plate (31). The upper fixing plate (31) is provided with a transmission mating hole (311) through which the connecting rod (212) can pass.

5. The toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower surface of the movable plate assembly (1) is connected to a guide shaft (4). The lower end of the guide shaft (4) is provided with a limiting post (41) located below the upper fixed plate (31). The upper fixed plate (31) is also provided with a guide shaft mating hole (312) with a diameter smaller than that of the limiting post (41) and a diameter larger than that of the guide shaft (4).

6. The toner-generating structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer casing (3) is provided with a bearing seat (5) that cooperates with the drive shaft assembly (22), and the drive shaft assembly (22) is fitted with a bushing (6) located between the rotating part (211) and the bearing seat (5).

7. The toner-top structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 4, characterized in that, The upper surface of the upper fixing plate (31) is provided with a powder storage tank (313).

8. The toner ejector structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting rod (212) is provided with bearings at both ends that cooperate with the rotating part (211) and the rotating seat (213), and each bearing is provided with a bearing dust cover.

9. The toner-generating structure for a 3D printer motor drive according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lower surface of the sealing plate (12) is provided with a transition connecting plate (13).

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