Material selection device for 3D printer, 3D printer and 3D printing system

Abstract

A material selection device for a 3D printer, a 3D printer and a 3D printing system. The material selection device comprises a feeding assembly, a discharging assembly, a material guiding housing and a driver device. The feeding assembly defines an outlet and a plurality of feeding ports for receiving corresponding material lines, which can be delivered to the outlet. The discharging assembly defines a plurality of inlets and a plurality of discharging ports for supplying corresponding material lines to a plurality of tool heads. The material guiding housing is located between the feeding assembly and the discharging assembly, and has a first opening facing the outlet and a second opening facing the inlets. The driver device is in driving connection with the material guiding housing to drive the material guiding housing to switch among a plurality of positions. When the material guiding housing is located at a corresponding position among the plurality of positions, the second opening is aligned with a corresponding inlet among the plurality of inlets. In this way, the appropriate material line can be delivered to the corresponding tool head by switching the position of the material guiding housing, and the material lines can be stably provided to the plurality of tool heads.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a material selection device for a 3D printer, a 3D printer and a 3D printing system. BACKGROUND

[0002] A 3D printer, also known as a three-dimensional printer, is a machine capable of rapid prototyping and is widely used in manufacturing models and parts. Existing 3D printers usually have a tool head that can heat the material line and construct a three-dimensional object in a layer-by-layer printing manner.

[0003] Currently, in order to achieve printing of multiple colors or multiple materials, some 3D printers are provided with multiple tool heads, each of which receives a corresponding material line. When it is necessary to change the printing color or the printing material, the multiple tool heads are driven to move, and different tool heads are switched by changing the positions of the multiple tool heads. However, since the tool heads can move, it is difficult to stably provide the material lines to the multiple tool heads. SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure provides a material selection device for a 3D printer, a 3D printer and a 3D printing system to stably provide material lines to multiple tool heads.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a material selection device for a 3D printer is provided, comprising: a feeding assembly, a discharging assembly, a material guiding housing and a driver device. The feeding assembly defines a plurality of feeding ports, a plurality of feeding channels, a communication channel and an outlet, the plurality of feeding ports are used to receive corresponding material lines, the plurality of feeding channels respectively communicate with corresponding feeding ports in the plurality of feeding ports and communicate with the outlet through the communication channel. The discharging assembly defines at least two inlets, at least two discharging channels and at least two discharging ports, the at least two inlets respectively communicate with corresponding discharging ports in the at least two discharging ports through corresponding discharging channels in the at least two discharging channels, and the at least two discharging ports are respectively used to supply corresponding material lines to at least two tool heads of the 3D printer. The material guiding housing is located between the feeding assembly and the discharging assembly, the material guiding housing defines a material guiding channel extending along a first direction and a first opening and a second opening respectively located at both ends of the material guiding channel, the first opening faces the outlet, and the second opening faces the at least two inlets. The driver device is in transmission connection with the material guiding housing to drive the material guiding housing to switch between at least two positions along a second direction, wherein the at least two positions correspond one-to-one to the at least two inlets, and when the material guiding housing is located at a corresponding position in the at least two positions, the second opening is aligned with a corresponding inlet in the at least two inlets, wherein the first direction intersects the second direction.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a 3D printer comprising a frame, a printing platform arranged on the frame, at least two tool heads, and the material selection device according to the foregoing aspect.

[0007] According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a 3D printing system comprising a 3D printer comprising at least two tool heads, and a material supply device, the material supply device comprising the material selection device according to the foregoing aspect, and a feeding mechanism for supplying respective material lines to the plurality of material inlets of the material feeding assembly of the material selection device.

[0008] The material selection device for a 3D printer according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can deliver suitable material lines to respective tool heads by switching the position of the material guiding housing, and can stably provide material lines to respective tool heads during the switching of material lines.

[0009] These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to same or similar components throughout the several views. These drawings are not necessarily to scale, and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated for the sake of clarity. It should be understood that these drawings are only schematic and are intended to conceptually illustrate certain embodiments of the application. As such, the figures can not reflect the precise arrangement of parts employed in the application.

[0011] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a material selection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 2 An exploded schematic diagram of a material selection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a material feeding assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a first cover body in a material feeding assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a material discharging assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 6 An exploded schematic diagram of a material discharging assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0017] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of a material guiding housing according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0019] In some cases, 3D printers have multiple tool heads, each configured to receive a specific type of filament, with the filament on each tool head being of a different color or material. Furthermore, the 3D printer has a drive mechanism that can move all tool heads between printing and idle positions.

[0020] Taking a 3D printer with a first tool head and a second tool head as an example, the working principle of this 3D printer is as follows: In the initial state, the first tool head is in the idle position, and the second tool head is in the printing position. The second tool head heats the loaded filament and constructs a three-dimensional object by printing layer by layer. When it is necessary to switch to different printing materials to print different parts of the three-dimensional object, the drive mechanism drives the first and second tool heads to move, so that the first tool head moves from the idle position to the printing position, and the second tool head moves from the printing position to the idle position. The first tool head heats the loaded filament and constructs a three-dimensional object by printing layer by layer. Because the tool heads can move, the filament loaded on the tool heads is unstable, that is, it is difficult to stably supply filament to multiple tool heads.

[0021] In addition, this 3D printer also suffers from a limited selection of printing materials. For example, the 3D printer has two tool heads, each of which can only accept one type of filament. Without changing the filament on the tool head to another type or color during the printing process, only two types of printing materials can be selected when printing three-dimensional objects using this 3D printer.

[0022] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this disclosure provide a material selection device for a 3D printer, a 3D printer, and a 3D printing system. The embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the terminology used in the implementation section of this disclosure is only for explaining specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0023] This embodiment provides a 3D printer, including a frame, a printing platform mounted on the frame, at least two tool heads, and a filament selection device. The frame provides support and mounting for the printing platform, etc. The printing platform defines a printing area. The tool heads are movable above the printing platform and are configured to move relative to the printing platform. The tool heads are loaded with filament and can be heated, causing the filament to melt and deposit layer by layer on the printing area defined by the printing platform, thereby printing a three-dimensional object.

[0024] This 3D printer has at least two tool heads, each loaded with a different material or color of filament. This allows the 3D printer to select at least two different filaments for printing, enabling multi-color or multi-material printing.

[0025] The 3D printer also includes a feed selector for the 3D printer (hereinafter referred to as the feed selector), which is used to stably supply the appropriate feed line to multiple tool heads.

[0026] This embodiment also provides a material selection device for a 3D printer. The structure of the material selection device will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the material selection device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 An exploded view of a material selection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. (Reference) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the material selection device 100 includes a feeding assembly 110, a discharging assembly 120, a guide housing 130, and a drive device 140.

[0028] The feeding assembly 110 defines multiple feed inlets, multiple feed channels, a connecting channel, and an outlet. The multiple feed inlets are used to receive corresponding feed lines, and the multiple feed channels are respectively connected to corresponding feed inlets among the multiple feed inlets and connected to the outlet through the connecting channel. In this embodiment, the number of outlets can be set to one.

[0029] It should be understood that the number of feed inlets is not limited to [number]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The number of feed ports shown is 4, but it can also be 2, 3, 5 or more. Each feed port can receive the corresponding feed line, and the type and color of the feed lines received by multiple feed ports can be different. When there are 4 feed ports, the type and color of the feed lines received by each feed port can be different or partially different.

[0030] The number of feeding channels is the same as the number of feeding ports. One end of each feeding channel is connected to a corresponding feeding port among the multiple feeding ports, and the other end is connected to one end of a connecting channel. The other end of the connecting channel is connected to the outlet. In this way, one feeding port among the multiple feeding ports, the corresponding feeding channel among the multiple feeding channels, the connecting channel, and the outlet are sequentially connected to form a feeding path, so that the material received at the feeding port can be transported to the outlet along the feeding path.

[0031] The discharge assembly 120 defines at least two inlets 123, at least two discharge channels, and at least two discharge outlets. The at least two inlets 123 are connected to corresponding discharge outlets through corresponding discharge channels in the at least two discharge channels. The at least two discharge outlets are used to supply corresponding material lines to at least two tool heads of the 3D printer. In other words, multiple inlets 123, discharge channels, and discharge outlets are provided, and they correspond one-to-one. Each inlet 123 is connected to a corresponding discharge outlet through a corresponding discharge channel in the multiple discharge channels to form a discharge path. Thus, after the material line enters the inlet 123 of the discharge assembly 120, it can be conveyed along the discharge path to the discharge outlet, and then to the tool head corresponding to the discharge outlet. For example, in... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example shown, the ejector assembly 120 may have two inlets 123. Accordingly, the 3D printer has two tool heads, each corresponding to one of the two ejector ports.

[0032] The guide housing 130 is located between the feeding assembly 110 and the discharging assembly 120. The guide housing 130 defines a guide channel extending in a first direction and a first opening and a second opening located at opposite ends of the guide channel. The first opening faces the outlet, and the second opening faces at least two inlets 123. The first opening communicates with the second opening through the guide channel to form a guide path. Schematic, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first direction can be represented by X, and at this time the first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the central axis of the first opening or the extension direction of the central axis of the second opening.

[0033] The drive unit 140 is driven to the guide housing 130 to drive the guide housing 130 to switch between at least two positions along a second direction, wherein the at least two positions correspond one-to-one with at least two inlets 123. When the guide housing 130 is in the corresponding position of the at least two positions, the second opening is aligned with the corresponding inlet 123 of the at least two inlets 123, wherein the first direction intersects the second direction.

[0034] The second direction can, for example, be perpendicular to the first direction. Illustratively, the second direction is... Figure 1 andFigure 2 The direction can be represented by Y. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the second direction may have an angle with the first direction.

[0035] by Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment provides an example where, when the discharge assembly 120 defines two inlets 123, the drive device 140 can correspondingly drive the guide housing 130 to move along the second direction between two positions. For ease of description, these two positions are referred to as the first position and the second position. In this case, an exemplary working principle of the material selection device 100 of this embodiment is as follows:

[0036] In the initial state, the material selection device 100 has the guide housing 130 in the first position, with the second opening on the guide housing 130 aligned and connected to one of the two inlets 123. At this time, the A material line received by one of the feed inlets is sequentially conveyed along the feed path and the guide path to the inlet 123 aligned with the second opening, and then conveyed along the discharge path corresponding to the inlet 123 to the corresponding discharge port, and then transferred to the tool head corresponding to the discharge port for printing.

[0037] When it is necessary to switch between different feed lines for printing, feed line A can be sequentially ejected from the discharge assembly 120, the guide housing 130, and the feed assembly 110. The driver device 140 drives the guide housing 130 to move in the second direction to the second position, where the second opening on the guide housing 130 is aligned and connected with the other inlet 123 of the two inlets 123. At this time, feed line B received by the other inlet can be sequentially conveyed along the feed path and the guide path to the other inlet 123 aligned with the second opening, and then conveyed along the discharge path corresponding to the inlet 123 to the corresponding discharge port, and then transferred to the tool head corresponding to the discharge port.

[0038] In some embodiments, the discharge assembly 120 may be defined with three inlets 123, three discharge channels, and three discharge outlets. In this case, the drive device 140 can correspondingly drive the guide housing 130 to switch between the three positions along the second direction. When the guide housing 130 moves to any of the three positions, the second opening can be aligned with the corresponding inlet 123 among the three inlets 123.

[0039] Of course, in other embodiments of this disclosure, the discharge component 120 may also have four or more inlets 123, which will not be listed here.

[0040] In summary, this embodiment designs the material selection device 100, including a guide housing 130. The guide housing 130 can switch positions by movement to connect the outlet of the feeding assembly 110 with different inlets 123 on the discharging assembly 120, thereby supplying suitable wire to multiple tool heads. Furthermore, when switching to different wires for printing, the wire can be first withdrawn, and after the guide housing 130 changes position, other wires can be input. In this way, during the wire switching process, the wire does not move with the tool head or the guide housing 130, ensuring a stable supply of wire to multiple tool heads.

[0041] It should also be noted that when the feeding assembly 110 has more than three feeding ports, without replacing the material line on the tool head with another type or color of material line during the printing process, the material selection device 100 of this embodiment can select a suitable material line from the three or more material lines of the feeding assembly 110 to supply the corresponding tool head, thus providing a wide selection of material lines.

[0042] Indicatively, the specific implementation of the aforementioned driver device 140 includes, but is not limited to, the following possibilities.

[0043] In one example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive device 140 may include a drive motor 141, a lead screw 142, and a lead screw nut 143. The drive motor 141 is connected to the lead screw 142, the axis of the lead screw 142 extends along a second direction, and the lead screw nut 143 is fitted onto the lead screw 142 and fixedly connected to the guide housing 130. In this example, the principle of the drive device 140 driving the guide housing 130 is as follows: the drive motor 141 operates to drive the lead screw 142 to rotate, and the lead screw nut 143, which is connected to the lead screw 142, moves along the axis of the lead screw 142 (i.e., the second direction), thereby driving the guide housing 130 to move.

[0044] In one example, the lead screw 142 and lead screw nut 143 can also be replaced by a gear and rack mechanism consisting of a gear and a rack. The rack extends along the second direction and is connected to the guide housing 130. The gear and rack are engaged in a transmission relationship, and the extension direction of the gear axis is perpendicular to the second direction. The drive motor 141 is engaged in a transmission relationship with the gear. In this example, the principle of the drive device 140 driving the guide housing 130 is as follows: the drive motor 141 operates to drive the gear to rotate, and then the rack drives the guide housing 130 to move along the second direction.

[0045] In one example, the drive unit 140 may also include an electrically telescopic rod that is fixedly connected to the guide housing 130 and is capable of extending and retracting in a second direction to drive the guide housing 130 to move in the second direction.

[0046] In an embodiment where the drive unit 140 includes a drive motor 141, a lead screw 142, and a lead screw nut 143, the lead screw 142 and the lead screw nut 143 together form a lead screw nut mechanism, which has a self-locking function. This allows the guide housing 130 to remain stationary in at least two positions, enabling stable and continuous feeding of material to the designated tool head.

[0047] In embodiments where the drive unit 140 includes a drive motor 141, a lead screw 142, and a lead screw nut 143, the lead screw nut 143 is fixedly connected to the guide housing 130 in various ways. For example, the lead screw nut 143 can be connected to the guide housing 130 by welding, bonding, or snap-fitting.

[0048] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a first connecting member 131 may protrude from the guide housing 130, and a second connecting member 1431 may protrude from the lead screw nut 143. The first connecting member 131 and the second connecting member 1431 are screwed together by fasteners. In this way, the guide housing 130 and the lead screw nut 143 can be detachably connected, facilitating assembly and disassembly. In the example, the fastener can be a screw 160. The first connecting member 131 may have a connecting hole, and the second connecting member 1431 may have a through hole. The center line of the connecting hole and the center line of the through hole are collinear. The screw 160 passes through the through hole and engages with the threaded connection of the connecting hole. For example... Figure 2 As shown, multiple first connectors 131 and second connectors 1431 can be provided, with each of the multiple first connectors 131 corresponding to one of the multiple second connectors 1431. In this way, the number of connection points between the lead screw nut 143 and the guide housing 130 increases, which helps to improve the connection reliability between the two.

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a feeding assembly 110 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first cover 111 in a feeding assembly 110 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. (See reference...) Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the above-mentioned feeding assembly 110 can be designed to include a first cover 111 and a second cover 112 stacked on top of each other. The first cover 111 has a first connecting groove and a plurality of first feeding grooves on one side of the second cover 112. The second cover 112 has a second connecting groove 1124 and a plurality of second feeding grooves 1123 on one side of the first cover 111. The first connecting groove and the second connecting groove 1124 together define a connecting channel. The plurality of first feeding grooves and the corresponding second feeding grooves 1123 in the plurality of second feeding grooves 1123 together define the corresponding feeding channel in the plurality of feeding channels.

[0050] The first cover 111 includes a first plate 1111 and a first enclosure 1112 connected together. The first enclosure 1112 is connected to the circumferential edge of the first plate 1111 and extends protruding away from the second cover 112. A first connecting groove and a plurality of first feed grooves are recessed on the surface of the first plate 1111 that abuts against the second cover 112. Similarly, the second cover 112 includes a second plate 1121 and a second enclosure 1122 connected together. The second enclosure 1122 is connected to the circumferential edge of the second plate 1121 and extends protruding away from the first cover 111. A second connecting groove 1124 and a plurality of second feed grooves 1123 are recessed on the surface of the second plate 1121 that abuts against the first cover 111. Furthermore, the feed inlet and outlet 113 can also be defined by the first cover 111 and the second cover 112 together.

[0051] In contrast to the feeding assembly 110, where the feeding channel and connecting channel are formed on a block structure, in this embodiment, both the feeding channel and connecting channel are enclosed by a first cover 111 and a second cover 112. If the feed line gets stuck in the feeding channel or the connecting channel, the first cover 111 and the second cover 112 can be separated, thus easily solving the problem of feed line jamming.

[0052] The first cover 111 and the second cover 112 can be connected in a detachable manner. For example, the first cover 111 and the second cover 112 can be screwed together using fasteners such as screws 160 or bolts. Both the first cover 111 and the second cover 112 can be manufactured as a single piece using injection molding or other integral molding methods. This not only eliminates the assembly process of the first plate 1111 and the first enclosure 1112, as well as the assembly process of the second plate 1121 and the second enclosure 1122, but also improves the structural strength of the first cover 111 and the second cover 112 without increasing costs.

[0053] To further enhance the strength of the first cover 111 and the second cover 112, multiple reinforcing ribs 114 can be provided on both the first cover 111 and the second cover 112. For the first cover 111, the reinforcing ribs 114 can be positioned within the space enclosed by the first plate 1111 and the first enclosure wall 1112. The reinforcing ribs 114 are connected to the enclosure wall and the side of the first plate 1111 facing away from the second cover 112, thus supporting the first plate 1111 and the first enclosure wall 1112. Similarly, for the second cover 112, the reinforcing ribs 114 can be positioned within the space enclosed by the second plate 1121 and the second enclosure wall 1122. The reinforcing ribs 114 are connected to the enclosure wall and the side of the second plate 1121 facing away from the first cover 111, thus supporting the second plate 1121 and the second enclosure wall 1122.

[0054] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the discharge assembly 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 An exploded view of a discharge assembly 120 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. (See reference...) Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the above-mentioned discharge assembly 120 can be designed to include a third cover 121 and a fourth cover 122 stacked on top of each other. The third cover 121 has at least two first discharge slots formed on one side of the fourth cover 122, and the fourth cover 122 has at least two second discharge slots 1223 formed on one side of the third cover 121. The at least two first discharge slots and the corresponding second discharge slots 1223 in the at least two second discharge slots 1223 together define the corresponding discharge channels in the at least two discharge channels.

[0055] The third enclosure 121 includes a connected third plate 1211 and a third wall 1212. The third wall 1212 is connected to the circumferential edge of the third plate 1211 and extends protruding away from the fourth enclosure 122. A first discharge chute is recessed on the surface of the third plate 1211 that abuts against the fourth enclosure 122. Similarly, the fourth enclosure 122 includes a connected fourth plate 1221 and a fourth wall 1222. The fourth wall 1222 is connected to the circumferential edge of the fourth plate 1221 and extends protruding away from the third enclosure 121. A second discharge chute 1223 is recessed on the surface of the fourth plate 1221 that abuts against the third enclosure 121. Furthermore, the inlet 123 and the outlet can also be defined jointly by the third enclosure 121 and the fourth enclosure 122.

[0056] Thus, compared to the discharge channel being formed on the block-shaped discharge assembly 120, in this embodiment, the discharge channel is jointly enclosed by the third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122. If the material line gets stuck in the discharge channel, the third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122 can be separated, thereby easily solving the problem of material line jamming.

[0057] The third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122 can be connected in a detachable manner, for example, by screwing them together with fasteners such as screws 160 or bolts. Alternatively, the third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122 can be manufactured as a single piece using injection molding or other integral molding methods. This not only eliminates the assembly processes for the third plate 1211 and the third enclosure 1212, as well as the assembly processes for the fourth plate 1221 and the fourth enclosure 1222, but also improves the structural strength of the third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122 without increasing costs.

[0058] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 andFigure 6 The discharge assembly 120 has an end face, and at least two inlets 123 are formed on the end face. The end of the guide housing 130 with a second opening abuts against the end face. A first stop 124 and a second stop 125 are protruding from the end face. One end of the guide housing 130 is located between the first stop 124 and the second stop 125, so that the first stop 124 and the second stop 125 limit the displacement of the guide housing 130 in the second direction.

[0059] When the discharge assembly 120 includes a third cover 121 and a fourth cover 122, the first stop 124 and the second stop 125 can be specifically formed on the third cover 121 or on the fourth cover 122 (e.g.) Figure 6 (as shown); Of course, the first stop 124 and the second stop 125 can also be formed on the third cover 121 and the fourth cover 122. The first stop 124 and the second stop 125 are not limited to strip structures, but can also be block structures. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0060] This embodiment forms a first stop 124 and a second stop 125 on the end face of the discharge assembly 120 that abuts against the guide housing 130. The first stop 124 and the second stop 125 can limit the displacement of the guide housing 130 in the second direction, so as to ensure that the guide housing 130 can switch between at least two positions without disengaging.

[0061] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the material selection device 100 may further include a mounting plate 150, on which the feeding assembly 110, the discharging assembly 120, the guide housing 130, and the driver device 140 are all fixedly connected. In this embodiment, the mounting plate 150 is designed to provide mounting and support for the feeding assembly 110, the discharging assembly 120, and the driver device 140.

[0062] The feeding assembly 110, discharging assembly 120, and drive unit 140 can all be detachably connected to the mounting plate 150. For example, the mounting plate 150 is provided with a fixing post 151, the fixing post 151 has a threaded hole at its center, and a flange 115 protrudes from the outer surface of the first enclosure 1112 in the first cover 111. The flange 115 has an opening, and a screw 160 passes through the opening and engages with the threaded hole, so that the first cover 111 of the feeding assembly 110 is screwed to the fixing post 151. Multiple fixing posts 151 can be formed on the mounting plate 150, and flanges 115 also protrude from the outer surfaces of the drive motor 141 and the discharging assembly 120, and the flanges 115 are threadedly connected to the fixing posts 151.

[0063] Of course, in some embodiments, the feeding assembly 110, the discharging assembly 120, the guide housing 130, and the driver device 140 may also be glued or snapped onto the mounting plate 150.

[0064] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a feed housing 130 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. (See reference) Figure 7 As shown, the feed guide housing 130 is configured such that its cross-section gradually decreases from the first opening to the second opening along a first direction. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the feed guide housing 130 refers to the cross-section perpendicular to the first direction, thus the opening area of ​​the first opening is larger than that of the second opening. This design, on the one hand, ensures that the second opening can only be aligned with one of the multiple inlets 123, provided that the first opening can be aligned with the outlet 113, thereby ensuring a stable supply of feed line to the designated tool head. On the other hand, since the opening area of ​​the second opening is smaller than that of the first opening, the movement space of the feed line at the second opening is smaller, reducing the probability of the feed line winding at the second opening.

[0065] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the feeding assembly 110 and the discharging assembly 120 are located on the same side of the mounting plate 150. A plurality of first support plates 132 are connected to the side of the guide housing 130 facing the mounting plate 150. These first support plates 132 are spaced apart along a first direction and abut against the side. It is worth noting that in the technical solution where the cross-section of the guide housing 130 gradually decreases from the first opening to the second opening along the first direction, in order to ensure that all the first support plates 132 can abut against the side of the mounting plate 150, the first support plate 132 closest to the first opening is positioned along the thickness direction of the mounting plate 150 (within...). Figure 2 The dimension of the first support plate 132 (shown as Z) is smaller than the dimension of the first support plate 132 near the second opening along the Z direction. It can be seen that by setting multiple first support plates 132, the structural strength of the guide housing 130 can be enhanced, and the guide housing 130 can be raised to help ensure that the first opening can be aligned with the outlet 113 and the second opening can be aligned with the inlet 123.

[0066] To further enhance the structural strength of the feed guide housing 130, such as Figure 7As shown, at least one second support plate 133 can be connected to the side of the material guide housing 130 facing the mounting plate 150. The second support plate 133 extends along the first direction, and the side of the second support plate 133 away from the material guide housing 130 is parallel to the side surface. In an embodiment where the material guide housing 130 is simultaneously connected to the first support plate 132 and the second support plate 133, the second support plate 133 can also be connected to the first support plate 132, thus the second support plate 133 can also serve to support the first support plate 132.

[0067] This disclosure also provides a 3D printing system, including a 3D printer, a feeding device, and a feeding mechanism. The 3D printer includes at least two tool heads, the feeding device includes the material selection device of any of the foregoing embodiments, and the feeding mechanism supplies corresponding filament to multiple feed ports of the feeding component of the material selection device. The type and color of the filament supplied by the feeding mechanism may be different or partially different.

[0068] This 3D printing system can deliver the appropriate filament to the corresponding tool head by switching the position of the material guide housing, and can stably supply filament to the corresponding tool head during the filament switching process, with a wide selection of filaments.

[0069] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used only for ease of description and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0070] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0071] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0072] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0073] This specification provides many different implementations or examples that can be used to implement this disclosure. It should be understood that these different implementations or examples are entirely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various variations or substitutions based on the disclosure of this specification, and these should all be covered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

[0074] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0075] 100 - Material selection device;

[0076] 110 - Feeding assembly; 111 - First cover; 1111 - First plate; 1112 - First enclosure; 112 - Second cover; 1121 - Second plate; 1122 - Second enclosure; 1123 - Second feed chute; 1124 - Second connecting chute; 113 - Outlet; 114 - Reinforcing rib; 115 - Flange;

[0077] 120 - Discharge assembly; 121 - Third cover; 1211 - Third plate; 1212 - Third enclosure; 122 - Fourth cover; 1221 - Fourth plate; 1222 - Fourth enclosure; 1223 - Second discharge chute; 123 - Inlet; 124 - First stop; 125 - Second stop;

[0078] 130 - Material guide housing; 131 - First connecting piece; 132 - First support plate; 133 - Second support plate;

[0079] 140 - Driver unit; 141 - Drive motor; 142 - Lead screw; 143 - Lead screw nut; 1431 - Second connecting piece;

[0080] 150 - Mounting plate; 151 - Fixing post;

[0081] 160-Screw.

Claims

1. A filament feeding device for a 3D printer, comprising: The feeding assembly defines multiple feed ports, multiple feed channels, a connecting channel, and an outlet. The multiple feed ports are used to receive corresponding feed lines. The multiple feed channels are respectively connected to corresponding feed ports among the multiple feed ports and connected to the outlet through the connecting channel. The discharge assembly defines at least two inlets, at least two discharge channels, and at least two discharge outlets. The at least two inlets are respectively connected to the corresponding discharge outlets of the at least two discharge channels. The at least two discharge outlets are respectively used to supply corresponding material lines to at least two tool heads of the 3D printer. A material guide housing is located between the feeding assembly and the discharging assembly. The material guide housing defines a material guide channel extending in a first direction and a first opening and a second opening located at both ends of the material guide channel. The first opening faces the outlet, and the second opening faces the at least two inlets. A drive device is driven to the guide housing to drive the guide housing to switch between at least two positions along a second direction, wherein the at least two positions correspond one-to-one with the at least two inlets, and when the guide housing is located at the corresponding position of the at least two positions, the second opening is aligned with the corresponding inlet of the at least two inlets, wherein the first direction intersects the second direction.

2. The material selection device according to claim 1, wherein, The drive device includes a drive motor, a lead screw, and a lead screw nut. The drive motor is connected to the lead screw in a transmission manner. The axis of the lead screw extends along the second direction. The lead screw nut is fitted onto the lead screw and is fixedly connected to the guide housing.

3. The material selection device according to claim 2, wherein, A first connecting member protrudes from the feed guide housing, and a second connecting member protrudes from the lead screw nut. The first connecting member and the second connecting member are connected by fasteners.

4. The material selection device according to claim 1, wherein, The feeding assembly includes a first cover and a second cover stacked on top of each other. The first cover has a first connecting groove and a plurality of first feeding grooves on one side connected to the second cover. The second cover has a second connecting groove and a plurality of second feeding grooves on one side connected to the first cover. The first connecting groove and the second connecting groove together define the connecting channel. The plurality of first feeding grooves and corresponding second feeding grooves in the plurality of second feeding grooves together define a corresponding feeding channel in the plurality of feeding channels.

5. The material selection device according to claim 4, wherein, Both the first cover and the second cover are provided with multiple reinforcing ribs.

6. The material selection device according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge assembly includes a third cover and a fourth cover stacked on top of each other. The third cover has at least two first discharge slots on one side connected to the fourth cover, and the fourth cover has at least two second discharge slots on one side connected to the third cover. The at least two first discharge slots and the corresponding second discharge slots in the at least two second discharge slots together define the corresponding discharge channels in the at least two discharge channels.

7. The material selection device according to claim 6, wherein, The discharge assembly has an end face, the at least two inlets are formed on the end face, and the end of the guide housing with the second opening abuts against the end face; A first stop and a second stop are provided protruding on the end face. One end of the material guide housing is located between the first stop and the second stop, so that the displacement of the material guide housing along the second direction is restricted by the first stop and the second stop.

8. The material selection device according to claim 1, wherein, The feed housing is configured such that its cross-section gradually decreases from the first opening to the second opening along the first direction.

9. The material selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 further includes a mounting plate, wherein the feeding assembly, the discharging assembly and the driving device are all fixedly connected to the mounting plate.

10. The material selection device according to claim 9, wherein, The feeding assembly and the discharging assembly are located on the same side of the mounting plate. A plurality of first support plates are connected to the side of the guide housing facing the mounting plate. These first support plates are spaced apart along the first direction and abut against the side. At least one second support plate is connected to the side of the material guide housing facing the mounting plate. The second support plate extends along the first direction, and the side of the second support plate away from the material guide housing is parallel to the side.

11. A 3D printer, comprising: frame; The printing platform is located on the rack; At least two tool heads; as well as The material selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A 3D printing system, comprising: A 3D printer, including at least two tool heads; as well as The feeding device includes a material selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and a feeding mechanism for supplying corresponding material lines to the plurality of inlets of the feeding assembly of the material selection device.

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