A lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform

Abstract

The application discloses a lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform, and relates to the technical field of 3D printing forming, which comprises a platform main body and a ball screw structure, the ball screw structure comprises a screw rod and a nut, a guide rod is arranged on a longitudinal beam, a thread eliminator is arranged on the screw rod between the nut and the longitudinal beam, the thread eliminator comprises an upper mounting block and a lower mounting block, the upper mounting block is fixedly connected with the nut, the lower mounting block is fixedly connected with the longitudinal beam, a pin shaft is arranged in each mounting cavity, and a synchronous belt is connected to the pin shaft on the same side; a falling-prevention half-tooth screw threadedly connected with the lower mounting block is arranged on the upper mounting block. The application solves the influence of the swing of the ball screw nut on the quality of a printing product. The swing of the nut is isolated by the thread eliminator, so that the swing cannot be transmitted to the longitudinal beam, the printing platform moves up and down stably, the outer surface of the printing product is free of visible lines, and the printing quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printing equipment technology, specifically to a lifting device for a 3D printer forming platform. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printing technology is a relatively new processing technology that has emerged in recent decades. It utilizes powdered non-metallic materials such as metals or plastics, layering them onto a lifting platform at a certain thickness, and then constructing objects through sintering or curing. The lifting platform is a crucial element, its quality directly affecting the precision of the printed parts. Currently, ball screws are commonly used to lift the printing platform due to their advantages of low friction loss and high transmission efficiency. For example, many FDM 3D printers on the market use ball screws to lift the printing platform in their Z-axis configuration. This approach offers advantages such as a fixed XY frame height, high printing precision in the X and Y directions, and easier placement of cables and consumable tubing. However, it is difficult to ensure that the ball screw nut flange face is perpendicular to the ball screw shaft. Because of the high rigidity of the ball screw itself, the nut may oscillate around the platform during linear movement (i.e., the platform moves up and down).

[0003] Currently, there are generally two installation methods for ball screws: 1. A rigid connection between the ball screw nut and the longitudinal beam of the lifting platform, directly fixed together with screws; 2. A flexible connection between the ball screw nut and the longitudinal beam: a spring is added between the nut and the longitudinal beam. The conventional setup is that the nut is placed on the upper part of the longitudinal beam, and the spring can be designed separately on the upper part of the ball screw nut, between the nut and the longitudinal beam, or on the lower part of the longitudinal beam, or all three positions. The screw passes through the inner hole of the spring. At the spring-added positions, each screw should be used in conjunction with the spring.

[0004] When the ball screw nut is directly fixed to the longitudinal beam with screws, the oscillation of the ball screw nut is directly transmitted to the longitudinal beam, which in turn transmits it to the printing platform. The oscillation of the printing platform is then reflected on the printed product, resulting in a regular spiral pattern on the outer surface of the printed product that matches the ball screw lead. Although the oscillation amplitude of the ball screw nut is very small and imperceptible to the naked eye, it is visually noticeable on the printed product, especially when the printed product is relatively high and the platform descends to the bottom of the ball screw stroke. At this point, there is a magnification effect, and the spiral pattern becomes very obvious on the upper outer surface of the printed product, resulting in very poor print quality. When the ball screw nut and longitudinal beam are connected by screws and springs, ensuring that the pressure on multiple springs is equal and of appropriate magnitude makes installation and adjustment complex and difficult. After a long period of adjustment, the oscillation of the ball screw nut can be mitigated by compressing or extending the springs, improving print quality to some extent. However, this does not completely eliminate the impact of the ball screw nut oscillation on print quality, and the print quality remains poor. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lifting device for a 3D printer forming platform to solve the problem mentioned in the background art, which causes the ball screw nut to swing and affect the forming quality of the printed product.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a lifting device for a 3D printer molding platform, comprising a platform body with both ends respectively mounted on longitudinal beams, a ball screw structure on each longitudinal beam, the ball screw structure comprising a screw and a nut threaded onto the screw, and guide rods respectively passing through the front and rear sides of the screw on the longitudinal beams, characterized in that: a thread eliminator is provided on the screw between the nut and the longitudinal beam, the thread eliminator comprising an upper mounting block and a lower mounting block with mounting cavities respectively inside, the upper mounting block being fixedly connected to the nut, the lower mounting block being fixedly connected to the longitudinal beams, and a gap being provided between the upper mounting block and the lower mounting block, and pins respectively provided on both sides of the screw in each mounting cavity, with a synchronous belt connected to the pins on the same side;

[0009] Anti-fall half-thread screws are respectively installed on the outer side of each pin on the upper mounting block. The lower end of the anti-fall half-thread screw extends into the lower mounting block and is threaded to it, while there is a gap between its upper end and the upper mounting block.

[0010] Preferably, the upper mounting block and the nut, and the lower mounting block and the longitudinal beam are respectively fixedly connected by screws.

[0011] Preferably, both ends of the pin are respectively inserted into the upper mounting block, and fixing holes corresponding to the pin are respectively opened on both sides of the front of the upper mounting block, and threaded holes are respectively opened on both sides of its back. A set screw is threaded into the threaded hole. The installation method of the lower mounting block and the pin is the same as that of the upper mounting block and the pin.

[0012] Preferably, the diameters of the threaded hole, the pin, and the fixing hole are arranged in descending order.

[0013] Preferably, a notch is provided on the back of the upper mounting block and the lower mounting block, and the notch communicates with the mounting cavity.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom end of the upper mounting block is fitted onto the top end of the lower mounting block, with a gap between them.

[0015] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a lifting device for a 3D printer forming platform, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The lifting device of the 3D printer forming platform uses a thread eliminater installed on the nut and the longitudinal beam to effectively isolate the swinging motion generated by the nut of the ball screw structure when it moves up and down, and prevent it from being transmitted to the longitudinal beam and the main body of the printing platform, so as to eliminate obvious spiral lines on the outer surface of the printed product, thereby improving the printing quality.

[0018] 2. The lifting device of the 3D printer forming platform uses a thread eliminator divided into an upper mounting block and a lower mounting block, and uses a synchronous belt installed in its mounting cavity for force transmission. Under the action of the printing platform's own weight, the synchronous belt is always in a taut state, so as to achieve precise control of the up and down movement of the printing platform. Moreover, when the nut swings on the screw, the slight deformation of the synchronous belt changes the angle between the flange face of the nut and the printing platform surface, thereby isolating the swaying action of the nut on the ball screw structure and improving the printing quality.

[0019] 3. In this invention, the upper and lower mounting blocks of the thread eliminater have a gap and partially overlap within a height range. This does not affect the relative movement or rotation of the upper and lower mounting blocks in the X / Y axis direction, and also prevents large relative rotation of the upper and lower mounting blocks in the Z axis direction, allowing them to quickly return to their initial positions so as not to affect the entire printing process.

[0020] 4. In this invention, anti-fall half-thread screws are provided on the upper and lower mounting blocks to prevent the printing platform from falling off when the synchronous belt breaks due to aging or other reasons after long-term use. Attached Figure Description

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

[0022] Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the thread ejector.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure in direction A;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the B-direction structure.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Platform body; 2. Guide rod; 3. Screw; 4. Nut; 5. Thread eliminator; 50. Mounting cavity; 51. Upper mounting block; 52. Lower mounting block; 53. Pin; 54. Synchronous belt; 6. Longitudinal beam; 7. Screw; 8. Anti-fall half-thread screw; 9. Fixing hole; 10. Set screw; 11. Notch. Detailed Implementation

[0026] 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. 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.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-6 As shown, a lifting device for a 3D printer forming platform includes a platform body 1 with both ends respectively mounted on longitudinal beams 6. Each longitudinal beam 6 is provided with a ball screw structure, which includes a screw 3 and a nut 4 threaded onto the screw 3. Guide rods 2 are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the screw 3 on the longitudinal beam 6. The platform body 1 drives the longitudinal beams 6 and the platform body 1 to move up and down through the screw and nut structure.

[0028] A thread eliminator 5 is installed on the screw 3 between the nut 4 and the longitudinal beam 6. The thread eliminator 5 includes an upper mounting block 51 and a lower mounting block 52, each with an internal mounting cavity 50. The upper mounting block 51 is fixedly connected to the nut 4, and the lower mounting block 52 is fixedly connected to the longitudinal beam 6. The upper mounting block 51 and the nut 4, and the lower mounting block 52 and the longitudinal beam 6 are respectively fixedly connected by screws 7.

[0029] To avoid affecting the relative movement between the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52, a gap is provided between them. Pins 53 are located on both sides of the screw 3 within each mounting cavity 50, and a synchronous belt 54 is connected to the pins 53 on the same side. When the nut 4 swings slightly, the synchronous belt 54 undergoes a slight deformation, causing the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 of the thread eliminator 5 to rotate relative to each other in the X / Y axis direction. This changes the angle between the flange face of the nut 4 and the platform surface of the printing platform body 1, thus isolating the nut from swinging and eliminating the spiral patterns on the outer surface of the printed product, thereby improving the forming quality of the printing platform.

[0030] Anti-fall semi-threaded screws 8 are respectively installed on the outer side of each pin 53 on the upper mounting block 51. The lower end of the anti-fall semi-threaded screw 8 extends into the lower mounting block 52 and is threadedly connected thereto. There is a gap between its upper end and the upper mounting block 51. The bottom end of the upper mounting block 51 is fitted onto the top end of the lower mounting block 52.

[0031] When the timing belt 8 ages or breaks, the anti-fall semi-threaded screw 8 prevents the upper mounting block 52 and the longitudinal beam 6 from falling. Furthermore, the anti-fall semi-threaded screw 8 is threadless within the height range of the upper mounting block 51 of the thread eliminator 5, and a gap is left between them. This structure does not affect the relative movement or rotation of the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52. When the platform body 1 moves up and down, the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 of the thread eliminator 5 rotate relative to each other in the Z-axis direction. The upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52, which are fitted together, overlap within the height range, preventing excessive relative rotation in the Z-axis direction. Under the influence of the printing platform's gravity, the rotation of the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 in the Z-axis direction will quickly return to their initial position, thus not affecting the entire printing process.

[0032] Both ends of the pin 53 are inserted into the upper mounting block 51. The upper mounting block 51 has fixing holes 9 on both sides of its front side corresponding to the pin 53, and threaded holes on both sides of its back side. A set screw 10 is threaded into each of these threaded holes. The lower mounting block 52 and the pin 53 are installed in the same way as the upper mounting block 51 and the pin 53. The pin 53 is installed on the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 through the fixing holes 9 and the set screw 10. The set screw 10 is used to press the pin 53 against the thread eliminator 5, allowing the pin 53 to move within the thread eliminator 5. The set screw 10 is then removed, and the pin 53 is ejected through the fixing holes 9.

[0033] To prevent the pin 53 from coming out of the fixing hole 9, and at the same time to facilitate the removal of the pin 53 from the threaded hole, the diameters of the threaded hole, the pin 53, and the fixing hole 9 can be set to decrease sequentially.

[0034] Furthermore, notches 11 are provided on the back of the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52. The notches 11 communicate with the mounting cavity 50, and the notches 11 facilitate their installation and replacement.

[0035] Working principle: During operation, the printing platform body 1 moves up and down thanks to the ball screw and nut structure. In this process, the screw 3 rotates, causing the nut 4 to move up and down, which in turn moves the longitudinal beam 6 up and down, and consequently, the platform body 1. However, during this movement, the nut 4 will experience slight swaying. With the help of the thread eliminator 5, the weight of the printing platform and the printed product is entirely transferred to the ball screw structure. The upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 are connected by a synchronous belt 54. Under the weight of the platform body 1, the synchronous belt 54 remains taut, thus allowing for precise control of the vertical displacement of the platform body 1.

[0036] When the nut 4 swings slightly, the synchronous belt 54 will undergo a slight deformation under the action of the guide rod 2, which will cause relative rotation between the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 in the X / Y axis direction. This will change the angle between the flange face of the nut 4 and the platform surface of the printing platform body 1, so that the thread eliminater 5 not only isolates the X / Y swing of the nut, but also eliminates the spiral pattern on the outer surface of the printed product, thereby improving the forming quality of the printing platform. This invention utilizes the gap between the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52, as well as the gap between the anti-falling half-thread screw 8 and the upper mounting block 51, to allow the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 to rotate relative to each other in the Z-axis direction, thereby eliminating the wobbling of the nut 4 and thus eliminating the spiral pattern on the outer surface of the printed product. The overlapping installation method of the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 can prevent the relative rotation between them in the Z-axis direction from being too large. Under the action of the printing platform's own gravity, the rotation of the upper mounting block 51 and the lower mounting block 52 in the Z-axis direction will quickly return to the initial position, thus not affecting the entire printing process.

[0037] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0038] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform, comprising a platform body (1) provided on longitudinal beams (6) at two ends respectively, a ball screw structure is provided on each longitudinal beam (6) respectively, the ball screw structure comprises a screw rod (3) and a nut (4) threaded on the screw rod (3), and a guide rod (2) is provided on the longitudinal beam (6) at the front and rear sides of the screw rod (3) respectively, characterized in that: Threaded eliminator (5) is arranged between nut (4) and longitudinal beam (6) on screw rod (3), threaded eliminator (5) includes upper mounting block (51) and lower mounting block (52) which are respectively provided with installation cavity (50), upper mounting block (51) is fixedly connected with nut (4), lower mounting block (52) is fixedly connected with longitudinal beam (6), bottom end of upper mounting block (51) is sleeved on top end of lower mounting block (52), and gap is left between the two, pin shaft (53) is arranged in each installation cavity (50) and located on both sides of screw rod (3), synchronous belt (54) is connected on pin shaft (53) on the same side. Anti-falling half tooth screw (8) is arranged on the outer side of upper mounting block (51) and located on each pin shaft (53), lower end of anti-falling half tooth screw (8) extends into lower mounting block (52) and is screw-connected with lower mounting block (52), and gap is left between upper end of anti-falling half tooth screw (8) and upper mounting block (51).

2. The lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: Upper mounting block (51) and nut (4) are fixedly connected through screw (7), and lower mounting block (52) and longitudinal beam (6) are fixedly connected through screw (7).

3. The lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of pin shaft (53) are inserted into upper mounting block (51), and fixing hole (9) corresponding to pin shaft (53) is formed on both sides of front surface of upper mounting block (51), threaded hole is formed on both sides of back surface of upper mounting block (51), and jack screw (10) is screw-connected in threaded hole, and mounting mode of lower mounting block (52) and pin shaft (53) is same as mounting mode of upper mounting block (51) and pin shaft (53).

4. The lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform according to claim 3, characterized in that: Diameter of threaded hole, pin shaft (53) and fixing hole (9) is gradually reduced.

5. The lifting device of a 3D printer forming platform according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: Notch (11) is formed on back surface of upper mounting block (51) and lower mounting block (52), and notch (11) is communicated with installation cavity (50).

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