Amphibious recreational bicycle composite device and additive manufacturing method

Abstract

The application provides a kind of amphibious play bicycle composite device and additive manufacturing method, the application includes main frame, wheel, sprocket, connecting rod, suspension air bag, the main frame is hollow structure, inside is topological optimization structure;The wheel outside is "G" type;The suspension air bag is connected with the main frame by connecting rod, complete the suspension air bag is packed up and unfolded;The bicycle is all manufactured by 3D printing, wherein the main frame and the suspension air bag are made of graphene reinforced polymer polyether ether ketone, the wheel, sprocket, connecting rod are made of rare earth element reinforced aluminum alloy.The application is light in weight, high in strength, has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, excellent mechanical properties, good self-lubricating property, chemical corrosion resistance, flame retardant, etc., suitable for underwater riding environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and more particularly to a composite device and additive manufacturing method for an amphibious recreational bicycle. Background Technology

[0002] Driven by the dual requirements of energy conservation, emission reduction, and healthy living, bicycles, as a low-carbon and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, are gaining increasing popularity. Simultaneously, as people's living standards continue to improve, their demands for recreational activities are also rising, leading to the widespread popularity of water bicycles. Currently, a number of recreational water bicycles have been put into commercial use, but amphibious bicycles that combine land and water mobility are relatively rare.

[0003] The existing two types of bicycles, CN201410161125.2 and CN201510641186.3, have complex structures, are time-consuming and labor-intensive to process and manufacture, and are difficult to switch between land and water modes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a composite device and additive manufacturing method for an amphibious recreational bicycle. This invention utilizes popular 3D printing technology, primarily using high-performance polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and aluminum alloy, to manufacture an amphibious recreational bicycle capable of both land and water mobility and rapid switching between the two modes. A composite device model of the amphibious bicycle is designed using 3D modeling software, including: a main frame, wheels, sprockets, and suspension airbags. After converting the model into an STL file, data processing is performed using professional 3D printing software, converting it into data commands recognizable by additive manufacturing equipment. Aluminum alloy powder is doped with rare earth elements to create a mixed powder. Using arc additive manufacturing, aluminum alloy wheels, sprockets, and other components are sequentially printed on a substrate according to software input commands. Then, using fused deposition modeling (FDM), filaments made primarily of PEEK and doped with graphene are used to print the main frame and suspension airbags of the amphibious bicycle according to software input commands. After 3D printing, the surfaces of each component are simply treated and then assembled together to create the main body of the amphibious bicycle.

[0005] The technical means employed in this invention are as follows:

[0006] A composite device for an amphibious recreational bicycle, comprising a main frame, wheels, sprockets, connecting rods, and suspension air bags. The main frame is a hollow structure with an interior of a topologically optimized structure. The outer part of the wheels is in a "work" shape. The suspension air bags are connected to the main frame through connecting rods to complete the retraction and deployment of the suspension air bags. The entire bicycle is manufactured by 3D printing. The main frame and the suspension air bags are made mainly of graphene-reinforced polyether ether ketone polymer, and the wheels, sprockets, and connecting rods are made mainly of rare-earth element-reinforced aluminum alloy.

[0007] Further, there is a certain gap between the outer circumferential surfaces of adjacent "work"-shaped wheels, and the gap is 2 - 5 cm.

[0008] The present invention also provides an additive manufacturing method for the composite device of an amphibious recreational bicycle, comprising the following steps: [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0009] Step 1: Use three-dimensional modeling software to draw a three-dimensional model of an amphibious bicycle with a topologically optimized structure, and store the three-dimensional model in the STL file format. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0010] Step 2: Use additive manufacturing professional software to process the STL file, automatically generate supports for the bicycle model and then slice it, and output program code recognizable by the additive manufacturing equipment. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0011] Step 3: Use the ball milling method to prepare a mixed powder of aluminum alloy powder doped with rare-earth elements, make it into a wire and add it to the wire feeding mechanism of an arc additive manufacturing device. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0012] Step 4: Use polyether ether ketone as the main body and dope high-purity graphene to prepare a composite wire. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0013] Step 5: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment, and the arc additive manufacturing device starts to work, and sequentially print an aluminum alloy bicycle frame with a topologically optimized structure on the substrate. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0014] Step 6: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment, and the fused deposition modeling device starts to work, and use the polyether ether ketone / graphene composite wire to print the air bags and wheels on the substrate. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0015] Step 7: After performing a simple surface finishing treatment on the surfaces of the printed components, assemble them together. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0016] Further, the topologically optimized structure in Step A includes a porous microstructure or a lattice structure. [[ID= / / ]] [[ID= / / ]]

[0017] Furthermore, the composition and mass percentage content of the aluminum alloy powder in step 3 are as follows: Si: 9-11%, Mg: 0.3-0.7%, Fe: 0.1-0.5%, Cu: 0.05-0.3%, Zn: 0.01-0.05%, Mn: 0.01-0.05%, and the remainder is Al.

[0018] Furthermore, the rare earth elements in step 3, including Gd, Y, La, Ce, and Er, are mainly added in the form of oxides, and the mass fraction of rare earth elements in the aluminum alloy mixed powder is 0.01-0.5%.

[0019] Furthermore, the composite filament in step 4 is mainly composed of polyetheretherketone, with doped graphene purity ≥ 98 wt%, sheet thickness of 0.5-4 nm, and diameter of 0.5-3 μm.

[0020] Furthermore, in step 5, the arc additive manufacturing apparatus uses argon gas with a purity of 99.99% as a protective gas, with a gas flow rate of 5-25 L / min, a welding rate of 150-400 mm / min, a wire feeding rate of 0.5-3 m / min, and preheats the substrate at a temperature range of 40-100℃.

[0021] Furthermore, the parameters of the fused deposition modeling apparatus in step 6 are as follows: melting temperature is 350-450℃, layer thickness is 0.05-0.3mm, printing speed is 40-80mm / s, and printing platform preheating temperature is 30-60℃.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] 1. Lightweight and high strength: The density of aluminum alloy is approximately 2.7 g / cm³. 3 It is 1 / 3 the weight of steel, and the density of polyetheretherketone is approximately 1.32 g / cm³. 3 It is 1 / 6 the weight of steel. Both materials have good corrosion and wear resistance, tensile and compressive strength, and their toughness and impact resistance are further improved after doping with rare earth elements and graphene, respectively. Topology optimization can further reduce the weight of bicycles while improving mechanical properties;

[0024] 2. Simple transformation between water and land modes: The deployment and retraction of the levitation airbags are easy to operate;

[0025] 3. Easy to process and corrosion resistant: High-performance polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance special engineering plastic with many significant advantages compared with other special engineering plastics. It has high temperature resistance, excellent mechanical properties, good self-lubrication, chemical corrosion resistance, flame retardancy, etc., making it suitable for underwater riding environments. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the bicycle in its land-walking state according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the bicycle in water travel mode according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bicycle frame topology optimization structure of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Main frame; 2. Connecting rod; 3. Sprocket; 4. Suspension airbag; 5. Wheel; 6. Outer layer of frame; 7. Internal topology optimization structure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0034] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0035] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0036] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation besides the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, a device described as "above" or "above" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0038] like Figures 1-3As shown, this invention provides a composite device for an amphibious recreational bicycle, including a main frame, wheels, sprockets, connecting rods, and a suspension airbag. The main frame has a hollow structure with an optimized internal topology. The wheels are externally H-shaped. The suspension airbag is connected to the main frame via the connecting rods, enabling its deployment and retraction. The entire bicycle is manufactured using 3D printing. The main frame and suspension airbag are primarily made of graphene-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK), while the wheels, sprockets, and connecting rods are primarily made of rare-earth element-reinforced aluminum alloy. The main frame is the central component of the composite device, bearing the rider's weight. It mainly consists of the frame and may also include a seat, handlebars, and a frame beam. The sprocket 3 drives the chain 5, allowing the amphibious recreational bicycle to move forward on both land and water. The sprocket is similar to that of a traditional bicycle and can be rear-wheel drive. A bearing is located on the central shaft of the sprocket, and the outer ring of the bearing remains stationary. The aforementioned levitation airbag 4 can be retracted and deployed by rotating the connecting rod 2, allowing for free switching between land-based and water-based walking modes. Specifically, the connecting rod is hinged and has at least two states: in the first state, the connecting rod is raised and the airbag does not touch the ground; in the second state, the connecting rod is lowered and the airbag is in a low position. Switching between these two states can be done manually or automatically.

[0039] Furthermore, there is a certain gap between the outer circumference of adjacent "I"-shaped wheels, with a gap of 2-5cm, which does not affect the forward movement on land and can also enable forward movement in water.

[0040] Furthermore, when riding underwater, the bottom third of the wheels is underwater.

[0041] The present invention also provides an additive manufacturing method for a composite device of an amphibious recreational bicycle, comprising the following steps:

[0042] Step 1: Use 3D modeling software to create a 3D model of the amphibious bicycle with a topology optimization structure, and save the 3D model as an STL file.

[0043] Step 2: Use professional additive manufacturing software such as Magics to process the STL file, automatically generate supports for the bicycle model, slice it, and output program code that can be recognized by additive manufacturing equipment.

[0044] Step 3: Prepare a mixed powder of aluminum alloy powder doped with rare earth elements using ball milling. The resulting filament is then fed into the wire feeding mechanism of the arc additive manufacturing device. Specifically, the ball milling process involves mixing aluminum alloy powder and rare earth elements in a specific ratio, then vacuum-sealing the mixture in a milling jar filled with inert argon gas. The ball-to-powder mass ratio is 1:1-4:1, and the rotation speed is set to 150-400 rpm. To avoid overheating, an alternating cycle of "20 minutes forward rotation, 10 minutes of cooling, and 20 minutes reverse rotation" is used, with a total duration of 3-10 hours.

[0045] Step 4: Prepare composite filaments by doping high-purity graphene with polyetheretherketone as the main component;

[0046] Step 5: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment. The arc additive manufacturing device starts working and sequentially prints an aluminum alloy bicycle frame with a topology optimization structure on the substrate.

[0047] Step 6: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment. The fused deposition modeling unit starts working and uses polyetheretherketone / graphene composite filaments to print airbags and wheels on the substrate.

[0048] Step 7: After performing a simple finishing process on the surfaces of the printed parts, assemble them together.

[0049] Furthermore, the topology optimization structure in step 1 includes a porous microstructure or a lattice structure.

[0050] Furthermore, taking scandium doping (Sc) as an example, the composition and mass percentage content of the aluminum alloy powder in step 3 are as follows: Si: 9-11%, Mg: 0.3-0.7%, Fe: 0.1-0.5%, Cu: 0.05-0.3%, Zn: 0.01-0.05%, Mn: 0.01-0.05%, rare earth elements (Sc): 0.01-0.5%, and the remainder is Al.

[0051] Furthermore, the rare earth elements in step 3, including but not limited to Gd, Y, La, Ce, and Er, are mainly added in the form of oxides, such as Gd2O3, Y2O3, La2O3, and CeO2. The mass fraction of rare earth elements in the aluminum alloy mixed powder is 0.01-0.5%.

[0052] Furthermore, in step 4, the composite filament is mainly composed of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and a reinforced composite filament with a graphene content of 0.5-5 wt% is prepared. The purity of the doped graphene is ≥98 wt%, the sheet thickness is 0.5-4 nm, and the diameter is 0.5-3 μm. The dried PEEK and graphene are mixed evenly in a high-speed mixer according to a certain mass ratio, and then the filament is extruded on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder.

[0053] Upload the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment and preheat the substrate on the molding platform to 40-100℃;

[0054] Furthermore, in step 5, the arc additive manufacturing apparatus uses argon gas with a purity of 99.99% as a protective gas, with a gas flow rate of 5-25 L / min, a welding rate of 150-400 mm / min, a wire feeding rate of 0.5-3 m / min, and preheats the substrate to a temperature range of 40-100℃. The connecting rod 2, sprocket 3, and wheel 5 are then processed by the arc additive manufacturing apparatus.

[0055] Furthermore, the parameters of the fused deposition modeling apparatus in step 6 are as follows: melting temperature is 350-450℃, layer thickness is 0.05-0.3mm, printing speed is 40-80mm / s, and printing platform preheating temperature is 30-60℃.

[0056] After each part is processed, it is cut off from the substrate, roughly polished and then assembled together. An epoxy resin coating is added to the surface to enhance corrosion resistance.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a composite device for an amphibious recreational bicycle, characterized in that, It includes a main frame, wheels, sprockets, connecting rods, and suspension airbags. The main frame is a hollow structure with an internal topology-optimized structure. The outer part of the wheels is in an "I" shape. The suspension airbags are connected to the main frame through connecting rods to complete the retraction and deployment of the suspension airbags. The bicycle is entirely manufactured by 3D printing. Among them, the main frame and the suspension airbags are made of graphene-reinforced polymer polyether ether ketone as the main body, and the wheels, sprockets, and connecting rods are made of rare-earth element-reinforced aluminum alloy. The components and mass percentage content of the aluminum alloy are as follows: Si: 9 - 11%, Mg: 0.3 - 0.7%, Fe: 0.1 - 0.5%, Cu: 0.05 - 0.3%, Zn: 0.01 - 0.05%, Mn: 0.01 - 0.05%, and the rest is Al; The purity of graphene is ≥98 wt%, the sheet thickness is 0.5 - 4 nm, and the diameter is 0.5 - 3 μm; There is a certain gap between the outer circumferential surfaces of adjacent "I"-shaped wheels, and the gap is 2 - 5 cm; The additive manufacturing method includes the following steps: Step 1: Use three-dimensional modeling software to draw a three-dimensional model of the amphibious bicycle with a topology-optimized structure, and store the three-dimensional model in the STL file format; Step 2: Use additive manufacturing professional software to process the STL file, automatically generate supports for the bicycle model and then slice it, and output the program code recognizable by the additive manufacturing equipment; Step 3: Use the ball milling method to prepare a mixed powder of aluminum alloy powder doped with rare-earth elements, make it into a wire and add it to the wire feeding mechanism of the arc additive manufacturing device; Step 4: Use polyether ether ketone as the main body and dope high-purity graphene to prepare a composite wire; Step 5: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment, and the arc additive manufacturing device starts to work, and sequentially print the aluminum alloy bicycle frame with a topology-optimized structure on the substrate; Step 6: Transfer the program code to the additive manufacturing equipment, and the fused deposition modeling device starts to work, and use the polyether ether ketone / graphene composite wire to print the airbags and wheels on the substrate; Step 7: After performing a simple finishing treatment on the surfaces of the printed components, assemble them together; The topology-optimized structure in Step 1 includes a porous microstructure or a lattice structure; The rare-earth elements in Step 3 include Gd, Y, La, Ce, Er, and are mainly added in the form of oxides. The mass fraction of the rare-earth elements in the aluminum alloy mixed powder is 0.01 - 0.5%; The composite wire in Step 4 has polyether ether ketone as the main body, and the doped graphene has a purity of ≥98 wt%, a sheet thickness of 0.5 - 4 nm, and a diameter of 0.5 - 3 μm; For the arc additive manufacturing device in Step 5, argon with a purity of 99.99% is used as the shielding gas, the gas flow rate is 5 - 25 L / min, the welding rate is 150 - 400 mm / min, the wire feeding rate is 0.5 - 3 m / min, and the substrate is preheated, and the temperature range is 40 - 100 °C; The parameters of the fused deposition modeling apparatus in step 6 are as follows: melting temperature is 350-450 ℃, layer thickness is 0.05-0.3 mm, printing speed is 40-80 mm / s, and printing platform preheating temperature is 30-60 ℃.

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