3D printer feeding device, light-curing printing extruder and 3D printer

Abstract

The present invention provides a feeding device of a 3D printer, a light-curing printing extruder and a 3D printer. The feeding device of the 3D printer includes a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, and the mechanical screw feeding module includes, in sequence, a motor, a coupling, a screw, a screw nut, a screw nut seat, a syringe piston end fixing device for fixing the syringe piston and a syringe fixing device for fixing the syringe body. The coupling connects the motor and the screw, one end of the screw is connected to the coupling, and the screw nut is placed on the thread of the screw and fixed on the screw nut seat. The syringe piston end fixing device is connected to the screw nut seat, and a gap is provided between the syringe fixing device and the syringe piston end fixing device. The syringe fixing device is connected to the air pump device feeding module via a feeding pipe. The present invention can solve the problem of adjustable driving force when mixing multiple materials, and is suitable for 3D printers that require ultraviolet cross-linking materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a feeding device of a 3D printer, a light-curing printing extruder head and a 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] Currently, 3D printing technology has been widely used in the field of biomanufacturing, especially in the preparation of various biomimetic tissue scaffolds, including multi-layer skin, blood vessels, bone defects, neural tissue, tracheal tissue, cardiac tissue, and cartilage structures. Compared with other bioprocessing technologies, 3D printing technology is powerful and has a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, it has great potential and research value. It is an emerging technology for manufacturing three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds based on living cells and biomaterials. Due to the extreme complexity of tissue and organ structures and the sensitivity of living cells, for example, the gradient ordered structure of multiple materials and cells at multiple scales in human tissue, including gradients of different cell types, cell density gradients, extracellular matrix chemical gradients, tissue mechanical gradients, and porosity gradients, there is an increasing demand for multi-channel, multi-material controllable gradient printers and their corresponding uniform mixing devices.

[0003] When mixing multiple materials, a stable and uniform driving force needs to be provided when the materials in multiple channels enter the mixing tube. Due to the requirement for controlling the concentration gradient, the driving force for each channel needs to be provided separately, and the form of the driving force can be changed according to the number of channels and the fluidity of the printed materials, which is conducive to the smooth mixing of the printed materials in the mixing device. In the prior art, multi-channel multi-material controllable gradient printers mostly use air pumps or screw movements as the driving force for each channel. However, when using an air pump as the driving force, due to the different fluidity of the materials in the pipeline, the control range of the air pressure is limited. When facing materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity, it will cause problems such as unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow, and blockage. When using a linear stepper motor to drive the screw movement as the driving force, although the screw movement is uniform and stable, and the thrust is large, it can avoid the problem of blockage caused by air pump extrusion, but at the same time it needs to meet the characteristics of single-channel individual control. When the number of channels is large, the mechanical screw device has a complex structure and a large volume, which is not conducive to installation and use.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the problems in the prior art that, when a 3D printer uses an air pump as the driving force, it may cause unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow, clogging, etc. when facing materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity. When a linear stepper motor is used to drive the screw movement as the driving force, when the number of channels is large, the mechanical screw device has a complex structure and a large volume, which is not conducive to installation and use. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a 3D printer feeding device, a light-curing printing extruder head and a 3D printer to solve the above problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a feeding device of a 3D printer, which includes a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, wherein the mechanical screw feeding module includes a motor, a coupling, a screw, a screw nut, a screw nut seat, a syringe piston end fixing device for fixing the syringe piston, and a syringe fixing device for fixing the syringe body, the coupling connects the motor and the screw, one end of the screw is connected to the coupling, the screw nut is placed on the thread of the screw, the screw nut is fixed on the screw nut seat, the syringe piston end fixing device is connected to the screw nut seat, a gap is provided between the syringe fixing device and the syringe piston end fixing device, and the syringe fixing device is connected to the air pump device feeding module through a feeding pipe.

[0007] In one implementation, the two ends of the screw rod are a screw rod fixing seat and a screw rod supporting seat respectively.

[0008] In one implementation, the mechanical screw feeding module further includes two heightening blocks, one of which is arranged at the bottom of the screw fixing seat, and the other of which is arranged at the bottom of the screw supporting seat.

[0009] In one implementation, the mechanical screw feeding module also includes a bottom guide rail and a slider, the slider is fixedly connected to the lower end of the screw nut seat, the slider is arranged on the bottom guide rail, the bottom guide rail is arranged in the same direction as the screw, and the two ends of the guide rail are respectively connected to the two raising blocks.

[0010] In one implementation, the motor is a linear stepping motor, and the lead screw is a lead screw with a cross-sectional diameter of 8 mm and a lead of 1 mm.

[0011] In one implementation, the air pump device feeding module includes at least one external air pump device with multiple outlets and an air supply duct connected to the external air pump device, as well as an adapter for connecting a feed pipe for printing materials and the air supply duct, and the syringe fixing device is connected to the air supply duct through the feed pipe.

[0012] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a light-curing printing extruder head for a 3D printer, which is connected to the feeding device of the 3D printer described in any one of the above items. The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer includes a housing, an ultraviolet lamp bead mounting groove arranged on the housing, an extrusion head outlet arranged on the ultraviolet lamp bead mounting groove, a detachable mounting plate arranged on both sides of the extrusion head outlet, and a conduit inlet and outlet arranged at intervals from the extrusion head outlet.

[0013] In one implementation, the light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer also includes an internal controller and a heat preservation device connected to the outlet of the extruder head, the internal controller is connected to the heat preservation device, and the internal controller is used to control the heat preservation device to keep warm and control the light emission of the ultraviolet lamp beads.

[0014] In one implementation, the layout of the UV lamp bead installation slots includes any one of annular installation, linear installation, or four-corner installation.

[0015] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides a biological 3D printer, which includes the feeding device of any one of the above-mentioned 3D printers and / or the light-curing printing extrusion head of any one of the above-mentioned 3D printers.

[0016] Beneficial effects: The feeding device of the 3D printer provided by the present invention integrates the mechanical screw and the air pump pressure into one by simultaneously setting a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, and provides two driving forces at the same time, thereby increasing the types of printable materials and avoiding the problems of unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow, and blockage that may occur when printing materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity. At the same time, the individual controllability of multiple channels is increased, and the extrusion rate and air pressure in each different channel can be adjusted separately, so that the printed materials can be smoothly and evenly mixed in proportion in the subsequent mixing device, which can solve the problem of adjustable driving force when mixing multiple materials. It is suitable for 3D printers that require UV cross-linking materials, and improves the diversity of products. At the same time, the light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer provided by the present invention satisfies the fixation of the light-curing UV lamp and the extrusion tube, and the detachable mounting plates arranged on both sides of the outlet of the extruder head facilitate the observation, replacement and maintenance of the inside of the extruder head. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device of the 3D printer provided by the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device of the 3D printer provided by the present invention from another angle;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a right side view of the feeding device of the 3D printer provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 The figure is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer provided by the present invention.

[0021] Among them, in the figure: 100, feeding device of 3D printer; 111, motor; 112, motor fixing bracket; 12, coupling; 131, screw; 132, screw nut; 133, screw nut seat; 141, syringe piston end fixing device; 142, syringe fixing device; 151, screw fixing seat; 152, screw support seat; 153, raising block; 161, bottom guide rail; 162, slider; 17, bottom plate; 200, light-curing printing extruder of 3D printer; 21, housing; 22, UV lamp bead mounting slot; 23, extruder head outlet; 24, catheter inlet and outlet; 25, slide rail threaded hole; 26, removable plate threaded hole.

[0022] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0024] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, unless expressly stated otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", "said", "above", and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the specification of the present invention refers to the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements, units, modules, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, units, modules, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we refer to an element as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. In addition, "connected" or "coupled" as used herein may include wireless connections or wireless couplings. The term "and / or" used herein includes all or any unit and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which this invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the prior art and, unless specifically defined as such, will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0026] First embodiment

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 , Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device 100 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention. Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device 100 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention from another angle. Figure 3 It is a right side view of the feeding device 100 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention.

[0028] The present invention provides a feeding device 100 for a 3D printer, which includes a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, wherein the mechanical screw feeding module sequentially includes a motor 111, a coupling 12, a screw 131, a screw nut 132, a screw nut seat 133, a syringe piston end fixing device 141 for fixing the syringe piston, and a syringe fixing device 142 for fixing the syringe body, wherein the coupling 12 connects the motor 111 and the screw 131, and the two ends of the screw 131 are screw fixing devices. The fixed seat 151 and the screw support seat 152, one end of the screw 131 is connected to the coupling 12, the screw nut 132 is placed on the thread of the screw 131, the screw nut 132 is fixed on the screw nut seat 133, the syringe piston end fixing device 141 is connected to the screw nut seat 133, a gap is provided between the syringe fixing device 142 and the syringe piston end fixing device 141, the syringe fixing device 142 is connected to the feeding module of the air pump device through a feeding pipe.

[0029] The feeding device 100 of the 3D printer provided in this embodiment provides two driving forces at the same time by simultaneously setting a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, thereby increasing the types of printable materials and avoiding problems such as unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow, and blockage that may occur when printing materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity. When it is necessary to proportionally control the extruded printing material, the program of the motor 111 and the air pump device feeding module can be micro-controlled separately by a computer, and multiple channels in the multi-outlet multi-air pump of the multiple screws 131 or the multi-outlet multi-air pump of the air pump device feeding module can be used to achieve multi-channel and multi-material extrusion; at the same time, the light-curing printing extruder head 200 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention satisfies the fixation of the light-curing UV lamp and the extrusion tube, and the detachable mounting plates arranged on both sides of the extruder head outlet facilitate the observation, replacement and maintenance of the inside of the extruder head.

[0030] Specifically, the motor 111 in this embodiment is a linear stepper motor, which is partially connected to the coupling 12. The program controls the linear stepper motor to rotate the screw 131, thereby driving the syringe piston forward to extrude the printing material. Preferably, the coupling 12 has a diameter of 5 mm. The mechanical screw feed module also includes a motor mount 112 disposed at the end of the motor 111 away from the coupling 12. The motor mount 112 is used to secure the motor 111 in a designated position.

[0031] In this embodiment, the screw rod 131 is a 0801 type screw rod with a cross-sectional diameter of 8 mm and a lead of 1 mm. The lead of the screw rod 131 is 1 mm so that the stepping distance is reduced as much as possible, making the movement of the screw rod 131 more uniform and stable, which is conducive to the program to achieve micro-control and meet the fine-tuning driving force required for multi-scale and multi-level concentration gradient mixing of different materials and cells.

[0032] The screw nut 132 is provided in conjunction with the screw 131, and the screw nut seat 133 is used to accommodate and secure the screw nut 132. The syringe piston end fixture 141 is used to secure the syringe piston end, and the syringe fixture 142 is used to secure the syringe body. A gap is provided between the syringe piston end fixture 141 and the syringe fixture 142, and they work together to secure the syringe. The screw nut seat 133 moves with the screw 131, driving the piston (not shown) forward, providing extrusion force for the printing material within the piston syringe, ensuring smooth and uniform extrusion of the printing material and its subsequent mixing in the mixing device.

[0033] Furthermore, the mechanical screw feed module also includes a screw fixing seat 151 and a screw support seat 152, respectively disposed at both ends of the screw 131. The screw support seat 152 and the screw fixing seat 151 are equipped with high-rigidity, low-friction angular contact bearings (not shown) at the fixed ends that are rigidly matched with the screw 131, achieving high-precision fixed bearings.

[0034] In this embodiment, the mechanical screw feed module further includes two heightening blocks 153, one of which is disposed at the bottom of the screw fixing base 151, and the other of which is disposed at the bottom of the screw support base 152. The 3D printer feed device 100 further includes an integral base plate 17, to which the syringe fixing device 142, the heightening blocks 153, the guide rails, and the motor fixing bracket 112 are all fixedly mounted, to ensure the stability of the mechanical screw feed module during use.

[0035] The mechanical screw 131 feeding module 10 also includes a bottom guide rail 161 and a slider 162. The slider 162 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the screw nut seat 133. The slider 162 is arranged on the bottom guide rail 161. The bottom guide rail 161 is arranged in the same direction as the screw 131. The two ends of the guide rail are respectively connected to the two raising blocks 153. The bottom guide rail 161 and the slider 162 work with the motor 111 using program control to ensure the stability of the screw nut seat 133 during movement. Specifically, when the operating frequency of the bottom guide rail 161 is the same as that of the motor 111, the slider 162 moves simultaneously with the screw nut seat 133, thereby improving the stability of the screw nut seat 133 and preventing the screw nut seat 133 from tilting and shaking left and right during movement, thereby causing problems such as unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow and blockage caused by unstable piston advancement. In this embodiment, the model of the guide rail is MGN9C, and the model of the slider 162 is HGW15.

[0036] The air pump device feed module (not shown) includes at least one external air pump device with multiple outlets, an air supply conduit connected to the external air pump device, and an adapter for connecting a feed tube for printing materials to the air supply conduit. The syringe fixture 142 is connected to the air supply conduit via the feed tube. The provision of at least one external air pump device with multiple outlets provides the possibility of multiple channels for independent control of air pressure, allowing various types of printing materials to be selected based on their desired concentrations and proportions, and then enter the subsequent mixing device for proportional mixing. The provision of the adapter for connecting and securing the feed tube and the air supply conduit provides sufficient airtightness, preventing air leakage and facilitating the smooth provision of air pressure.

[0037] It should be noted that the feed device 100 for a 3D printer, which integrates a mechanical screw 131 and air pump pressure, can be selected and assembled according to the printer's needs. When using both the mechanical screw feed module and the air pump feed module, one end of the feed tube is fixed to the syringe fixture 142, and the other end is connected to the air pump feed module. When printing fluid colloids, the air pump feed module must also be placed vertically.

[0038] Second embodiment

[0039] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 3D printer provided by the present invention.

[0040] This embodiment provides a photocuring extruder head 200 for a 3D printer. The photocuring extruder head 200 is connected to the feeder 100 of the 3D printer provided herein. The photocuring extruder head 200 for the 3D printer includes a housing 21, a UV lamp mounting slot 22 disposed on the housing 21, an extruder outlet 23 disposed above the UV lamp mounting slot 22, removable mounting plates (not shown) disposed on either side of the extruder outlet, and a conduit inlet and outlet 24 spaced apart from the extruder outlet 23. The UV lamp mounting slot 22 is used to mount a UV lamp (not shown), enabling rapid UV cross-linking and curing of printed materials during extrusion printing.

[0041] Specifically, the ultraviolet lamp includes any one of a nine-point flat type and a single-point lamp bead type. In the present embodiment, the ultraviolet lamp is a single-point lamp bead type. When a single-point lamp bead type ultraviolet lamp is used, the ultraviolet lamp is small in size and is convenient for the distribution of the installation position to provide uniform ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet lamp beads can be selected from different powers and bands. In order to ensure the biological activity of cells and tissues in the printed materials, the present invention preferably uses ultraviolet lamp beads with a power of 3-5w and a band of 400-405nm. It can also be selected according to the requirements of different printing materials. When installing, the ultraviolet lamp beads also need to be fixed on a heat sink (not shown) to reduce their heat generation, so as to ensure that the ultraviolet lamp beads continue to work and extend their service life.

[0042] The UV lamp bead mounting slots 22 may be arranged in a circular pattern, a linear pattern, or a four-corner pattern. In this embodiment, the UV lamp bead mounting slots 22 are arranged in a circular pattern, which facilitates uniform distribution of the UV lamp beads, provides stable UV light, and facilitates rapid UV cross-linking and curing of the printed material during extrusion printing.

[0043] The 3D printer's photocuring extruder head 200 also includes an internal controller (not shown) and a heat preservation device (not shown) connected to the extruder head outlet. The internal controller is connected to the heat preservation device and is used to control the heat preservation device's temperature and the emission of UV lamps. The internal controller includes a control circuit and a control chip that control the UV lamps' emission. The heat preservation device is used to maintain the temperature and extrude materials at a desired temperature. During operation, a computer uploads a control program via USB to control the control circuit and chip, achieving automated operation of the 3D printer's photocuring extruder head 200.

[0044] Furthermore, the 3D printer's stereolithography extruder head 200 includes threaded holes 26 for securing the removable mounting plate, located on either side of the extruder head outlet 23, as well as threaded holes 25 for securing the removable mounting plate to the movable rail. The removable mounting plate can also be a removable transparent plate, which allows for viewing the interior of the housing 21, facilitates program uploads to the chip via USB, and facilitates timely replacement of the material tube. In other embodiments, the housing 21 and the removable mounting plate can be connected using other connection methods, such as a snap-fit ​​fastener, as needed.

[0045] The 3D printer feeding device 100 and the 3D printer light-curing printing extruder 200 provided by the present invention can be used for gradient uniform mixing feeding of a multi-channel multi-material printer. It is suitable for being assembled in a biological 3D printer where the printing material needs to be UV cross-linked, and printing fluid colloidal materials such as gelatin, GelMA-based, Pluronic, polyethylene glycol, etc.

[0046] Third embodiment

[0047] The present invention also provides a 3D bioprinter, comprising a feed device 100 for any 3D printer provided herein and / or a photocuring extruder head 200 for any 3D printer provided herein, wherein the feed device 100 is connected to the photocuring extruder head 200 for the 3D printer. The 3D bioprinter provided by the present invention is applicable to the current field of 3D printers, which has great potential and research value. It can, to a certain extent, solve the existing problem of multi-material mixed printing with gradient-controlled concentrations, thereby increasing product diversity.

[0048] In general, the feeding device 100 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention integrates the mechanical screw feeding module and the air pump device feeding module into one, thereby integrating and improving two driving forces, increasing the types of printable materials, and selectively avoiding problems such as unstable extrusion volume, hanging flow, and blockage caused by materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity; by providing an air pump device feeding module including at least one external air pump device with multiple outlets, wherein the multiple-outlet external air pump device is combined with the screw 131 to increase the individual controllability of multiple channels, and by separately adjusting the extrusion rate and air pressure in each different channel, the printed materials can be smoothly and evenly mixed in proportion in the subsequent mixing device, which helps to solve the problem of difficult gradient controllable mixed printing of multiple material concentrations and improves product diversity; the light-curing printing extruder head 200 of the 3D printer provided by the present invention can simultaneously meet the fixation of the light-curing UV lamp and the extrusion tube, which is conducive to rapid UV cross-linking and curing of the printed material during extrusion printing, and the detachable mounting plates provided on both sides of the extruder outlet facilitate observation, replacement and maintenance of the interior of the extruder head.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding device for a 3D printer, characterized in that: It includes a mechanical screw feeding module and an air pump device feeding module, the mechanical screw feeding module includes a motor, a coupling, a screw, a screw nut, a screw nut seat, a syringe piston end fixing device for fixing the syringe piston and a syringe fixing device for fixing the syringe body in sequence, the coupling connects the motor and the screw, one end of the screw is connected to the coupling, the screw nut is placed on the thread of the screw, the screw nut is fixed on the screw nut seat, the syringe piston end fixing device is connected to the screw nut seat, a gap is provided between the syringe fixing device and the syringe piston end fixing device, and the syringe fixing device is connected to the air pump device feeding module through a feeding pipe; wherein, the air pump device feeding module includes at least one external air pump device with multiple outlets and an air supply duct connected to the external air pump device, and an adapter for connecting a feed pipe of printing material and the air supply duct, and the syringe fixing device is connected to the air supply duct through the feeding pipe.

2. The feeding device of the 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the screw rod are respectively a screw rod fixing seat and a screw rod supporting seat.

3. The feeding device of the 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mechanical screw feeding module also includes two heightening blocks, one of which is arranged at the bottom of the screw fixing seat, and the other is arranged at the bottom of the screw supporting seat.

4. The feeding device of the 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mechanical screw feeding module also includes a bottom guide rail and a slider, the slider is fixedly connected to the lower end of the screw nut seat, the slider is arranged on the bottom guide rail, the bottom guide rail is arranged in the same direction as the screw, and the two ends of the guide rail are respectively connected to the two raising blocks.

5. The feeding device of the 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor is a linear stepping motor, and the lead screw is a lead screw with a cross-sectional diameter of 8 mm and a lead of 1 mm.

6. A light-curing printing extruder head for a 3D printer, characterized in that: The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer is connected to the feeding device of the 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer includes a housing, an ultraviolet lamp bead mounting groove arranged on the housing, an extrusion head outlet arranged on the ultraviolet lamp bead mounting groove, a detachable mounting plate arranged on both sides of the extrusion head outlet, and a conduit inlet and outlet arranged at intervals from the extrusion head outlet.

7. The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer further includes an internal controller and a heat preservation device connected to the outlet of the extruder head, wherein the internal controller is connected to the heat preservation device and is used to control the heat preservation device to keep the temperature and control the light emission of the ultraviolet lamp beads.

8. The light-curing printing extruder head of the 3D printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The layout of the ultraviolet lamp bead installation groove includes any one of annular installation, linear installation or four-corner installation.

9. A biological 3D printer, characterized in that: The invention comprises a feeding device of a 3D printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and / or a light-curing printing extrusion head of a 3D printer according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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