Consumables buffer device and printing system

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology and provides a consumable buffering device and a printing system. The device includes: a fixed base; a rotating mechanism movably mounted on the fixed base; a buffering mechanism connected to the rotating mechanism, the buffering mechanism being rotatable around the axis of the rotating mechanism by a preset angle to form a buffering space for consumables; a detection device disposed on the fixed base for detecting the rotation angle of the buffering mechanism; and a control device electrically connected to the detection device for starting or pausing the consumable transmission based on the rotation angle detected by the detection device. By rotating the buffering mechanism by a certain angle to form the consumable buffering space, the consumables can be buffered for a certain length. When the buffered consumables are used up, consumables can be fed to the buffering mechanism again under the control of the control device for buffering, thereby realizing the adjustment of the feeding speed, achieving continuous and uninterrupted feeding, and improving feeding accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of 3D printing technology, and particularly relates to a consumable buffer device and a printing system. Background Technology

[0002] A 3D printer, also known as a three-dimensional printer (3DP), is a type of additive manufacturing technology, or rapid prototyping technology. It uses a digital model file as a basis and employs special waxes, powdered metals, or plastics—materials that can be bonded—to create three-dimensional objects by printing layers of this bonding material. For example, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) involves heating and melting materials such as resin, then extruding them evenly into fine filaments through a nozzle. Simultaneously, the nozzle is controlled by a CNC system, moving along a specific path according to pre-planned thin-layer data to fill the filaments. As the filaments cool, they bond together to form thin cross-sections, ultimately stacking to create a three-dimensional solid.

[0003] Currently, when switching between various filaments in 3D printing, 3D printers typically need to transfer filaments to the 3D printing unit via an ejector device for printing operations. However, due to the different filament usage speeds of the 3D printing unit and the different filament transfer speeds of the ejector device, if the ejector device's transfer speed is too fast, excess filaments will accumulate between the ejector device and the 3D printing unit. Alternatively, if the ejector device extrudes filaments too slowly, it will be unable to supply filaments to the 3D printing unit in a timely manner, making it difficult to control the feeding accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a consumables buffer device and a printing system, which aim to solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] This invention is implemented as follows: a consumables buffer device, comprising:

[0006] Fixed base;

[0007] A rotating mechanism that is movably mounted on the fixed base;

[0008] A buffer mechanism connected to the rotating mechanism is capable of rotating around the axis of the rotating mechanism by a preset angle to form a buffer space for buffering consumables.

[0009] A detection device mounted on the fixed base for detecting the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism;

[0010] A control device electrically connected to the detection device, used to start or stop the transmission of consumables based on the rotation angle detected by the detection device.

[0011] In one embodiment, the caching mechanism includes:

[0012] The buffer structure body is connected to the rotating mechanism, and the free end of the buffer structure body is provided with a consumable transmission pipe for the transmission of consumables.

[0013] In one embodiment, the consumable transport conduit includes:

[0014] The outer pipe is set at the free end of the cache structure body;

[0015] An inner pipe is embedded inside the outer pipe for transporting the consumables, and a movable gap is provided between the outer pipe and the inner pipe to allow the outer pipe to rotate relative to the inner pipe.

[0016] In one embodiment, the device includes:

[0017] A first pipe joint structure is provided between the outer pipe and the discharge pipe, the first pipe joint structure having a first through hole, and the discharge pipe being embedded in the first through hole.

[0018] In one embodiment, the device further includes:

[0019] A second pipe joint structure is provided on the base, and a second through hole is provided in the second pipe joint structure. The feed pipe passes through the second through hole and communicates with the inner pipe.

[0020] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0021] A reset mechanism, mounted on the fixed base, that holds the buffer mechanism in its initial position when no external force is applied.

[0022] In one embodiment, the reset mechanism includes

[0023] The reset mechanism body; and

[0024] The fixed rod and the force-applying rod are disposed at both ends of the reset mechanism body, and the free end of the force-applying rod is connected to the buffer mechanism.

[0025] In one embodiment, the rotating mechanism includes:

[0026] A rotating shaft is movably mounted on the fixed base, one end of which is connected to the buffer mechanism, and the other end of which is connected to the detection device.

[0027] The present invention also provides a printing system, comprising:

[0028] As described above, a consumable buffer device;

[0029] A dispensing device disposed at the inlet end of the consumables buffer device for transferring consumables to the consumables buffer device; and

[0030] A 3D printing device is a device that is set at the discharge end of the consumable buffer device and is used to perform 3D printing operations on the consumables transmitted by the consumable buffer device.

[0031] In one embodiment, the discharging device includes: a consumable material tray and a first extrusion structure for transferring consumables on the consumable material tray to the consumable material buffer device;

[0032] The 3D printing apparatus includes: a second extrusion structure disposed at the free end of the discharge pipe of the consumable buffer device, and a 3D printing head for performing 3D printing operations on the consumable extruded by the second extrusion structure.

[0033] This application provides a consumable buffer device and a printing system. The consumable buffer device includes: a fixed base; a rotating mechanism movably mounted on the fixed base; a buffer mechanism connected to the rotating mechanism, the buffer mechanism being rotatable around the axis of the rotating mechanism by a preset angle to form a buffer space for buffering consumables; a detection device disposed on the fixed base for detecting the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism; and a control device electrically connected to the detection device for starting or pausing the consumable transmission based on the rotation angle detected by the detection device. In this application embodiment, the rotating mechanism drives the buffer mechanism to rotate by a certain angle to form a consumable buffer space, allowing consumables to be buffered for a certain length. After the buffered consumables are used up, consumables can be fed to the buffer mechanism again under the control of the control device for buffering, thereby realizing the adjustment of the feeding speed and simultaneously achieving continuous and uninterrupted feeding, improving feeding accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a consumable buffer device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a consumable buffer device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a consumable buffer device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a cache device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of a caching mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a reset mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where a consumable caching device provided in this application is not caching consumables;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario where a consumable caching device according to an embodiment of this application performs consumable caching;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal and external pipelines when the consumable caching device provided in this application embodiment is not performing consumable caching;

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the internal and external pipelines in a consumable caching device provided in this application embodiment when caching consumables;

[0044] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a printing system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Among them, 100 is a consumable buffer device; 200 is a discharge device; 300 is a printing device; 201 is a consumable tray; 202 is a first extrusion structure; 301 is a second extrusion structure; 302 is a 3D printing head; 1 is a base; 2 is a rotating mechanism; 3 is a buffer mechanism; 4 is a detection device; 5 is a control device; 6 is a reset mechanism; 7 is a feeding pipe; 8 is a discharge pipe; 21 is a rotating shaft; 31 is the buffer structure body; 311 is a rotating component; 312 is a buffer component; 32 is a consumable transmission pipe; 321 is an outer pipe; 322 is an inner pipe; 33 is a first pipe joint structure; 34 is a second pipe joint structure; 61 is the reset mechanism body; 62 is a fixing rod; and 63 is a force-applying rod. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal," "radial," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and 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 of the invention. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0048] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0049] Example 1

[0050] See Figure 1-4 This application provides a consumable buffering device, including: a fixed base 1; a rotating mechanism 2 movably mounted on the fixed base 1; a buffering mechanism 3 connected to the rotating mechanism 2, the buffering mechanism 3 rotating around the axis of the rotating mechanism 2 by a preset angle to form a buffering space for buffering consumables; a detection device 4 disposed on the fixed base 1 for detecting the rotation angle of the buffering mechanism 3; and a control device 5 electrically connected to the detection device 4 for starting or pausing the consumable transmission based on the rotation angle detected by the detection device 4. In this application embodiment, by rotating the buffering mechanism by a certain angle to form a consumable buffering space, consumables can be buffered for a certain length. After the buffered consumables are used up, consumables can be fed back to the buffering mechanism for buffering under the control of the control device, thereby realizing the adjustment of the feeding speed and simultaneously achieving continuous and uninterrupted feeding, improving feeding accuracy.

[0051] The preset rotation angle can be a specific angle value, such as 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, etc. It can be set according to the actual situation, and this application does not limit it here.

[0052] The control device 5 can be a controller such as an MCU or CPU. The controller can be installed on a PCB circuit board and electrically connected to the detection device 4 through a circuit. It can receive the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism 3 sent by the detection device 4 and then control the delivery of consumables according to the rotation angle.

[0053] The detection device 4 can be an angle sensor, which can detect the rotation angle of the rotating mechanism 2 and send the detected rotation angle information to the control device 5. When the buffer mechanism 3 rotates to the preset position, it is in the state of buffering consumables. When the buffer mechanism 3 returns to the initial position, the buffered consumables have been exhausted. When the control device 5 determines that the buffered consumables have been exhausted, it can send a consumables transmission command to the discharging device 200 to transmit consumables to the buffer mechanism 3. At this time, the buffer mechanism 3 can rotate to the preset position again. Then, the control device 5 can send a command to the discharging device 200 to stop the delivery of consumables, thereby achieving precise control of the consumables supply accuracy.

[0054] See Figure 1-2 In this embodiment, the rotating mechanism 2 includes: a rotating shaft 21 movably mounted on the fixed base 1, one end of the rotating shaft 21 being connected to the buffer mechanism 3; and the other end of the rotating shaft 21 being connected to the detection device 4. Specifically, when buffering consumables, the dispensing device 202 applies a force to the consumables when transferring them to the consumable buffer device 100. This force drives the buffer mechanism 3 to rotate, forming a buffer space for buffering consumables. The detection device 4, connected to the other end of the rotating shaft 21, can detect the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 21 to obtain the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism 3.

[0055] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 6 In this embodiment of the application, the device further includes a reset mechanism 6 disposed on the fixed base 1, which holds the buffer mechanism 3 in its initial position when no external force is applied. Specifically, when consumable buffering is required, the buffer mechanism 3 rotates clockwise by a preset angle around the rotating shaft 21. At this time, a buffer space can be formed between the buffer mechanism 3 and the fixed base 1 to buffer the consumable. When the print head is working, the buffered consumable is gradually conveyed to the print head for printing, and the buffer mechanism will return to its initial position under the action of the reset mechanism 6, and then perform the next round of consumable buffering.

[0056] See Figure 6In this embodiment, the reset mechanism 6 includes: a reset mechanism body 61; and a fixing rod 62 and a force-applying rod 63 disposed at both ends of the reset mechanism body 61, the free end of the force-applying rod 63 being connected to the buffer mechanism 3. The reset mechanism body 61 includes an elastic element, such as a spring, which can be sleeved on the rotating shaft 21, and the fixing rod 61 is connected to the fixing seat 1. When the buffer mechanism 3 rotates, the force-applying rod 63 applies a force to the elastic coil, causing it to undergo elastic deformation. When the buffer consumable filament is exhausted, the elastic element returns to its original state, and then the force-applying rod 63 applies a force to the buffer mechanism 3 to drive the buffer mechanism 3 back to its initial position.

[0057] The reset mechanism 6 can be a torsion spring. After the consumable wire in the buffer is used up, the buffer mechanism 3 will be pulled to the initial position under the action of the elastic deformation of the torsion spring.

[0058] See Figure 1-3 as well as Figure 5 In this embodiment, the buffer mechanism 3 includes a buffer structure body 31 connected to the rotating mechanism 2. The free end of the buffer structure body 31 is provided with a consumable transmission pipe 32 for transmitting the consumable. The consumable can pass through the consumable transmission pipe 32 into the discharge pipe 8 and be transported to the print head for printing. When consumable buffering is required, the buffer mechanism 3 can rotate clockwise by a certain angle. At this time, a buffer space is formed at the end of the buffer mechanism 3 near the feed pipe 7, and the consumable filament can be buffered in the buffer space to achieve buffering of the consumable filament.

[0059] See Figure 3 , Figures 9-10 In this embodiment, the consumable transport conduit 32 includes: an outer conduit 321 disposed at the free end of the buffer structure body 31; and an inner conduit 322 embedded inside the outer conduit 321 for transporting the consumables. A movable gap is provided between the outer conduit 321 and the inner conduit 322, allowing the outer conduit 321 to rotate relative to the inner conduit 322. It is understood that when the buffer mechanism 3 rotates, the inner conduit 322 remains in its original state, i.e., it is stationary and does not rotate. However, because of the movable gap between the outer conduit 321 and the inner conduit 322, the outer conduit 321 can rotate relative to the inner conduit 322, thereby causing a portion of the inner conduit 322 to detach from the outer conduit 321, forming a buffer space. The consumable filaments detached from the outer conduit 321 can then be buffered.

[0060] Specifically, see Figures 7-10 ,Should Figure 7 This diagram shows the structure of the cache mechanism in its initial position. Figure 8This diagram shows the structure of the buffer mechanism when it is rotated at a certain angle. Figure 9 This illustrates the engagement state between the inner and outer pipes when the buffer mechanism is in its initial position. Figure 10 The diagram shows the engagement state between the inner and outer pipes when the buffer mechanism rotates at a certain angle. It can be seen that when the consumable filament is not buffered, the initial position of the end of the outer pipe 321 furthest from the feed pipe 7 is A. At this time, the inner pipe 322 is embedded in the outer pipe 321. When the outer pipe 321 rotates to a preset position, the end of the outer pipe 321 furthest from the feed pipe 7 rotates to position B, with a rotation angle of L. At this time, since the inner pipe 322 is stationary and remains in its original position, a portion of the inner pipe 322 will detach from the outer pipe 321, forming a buffer space. The consumable filament in the inner pipe 321 within this portion of the outer pipe 321 can then be buffered as a buffer consumable.

[0061] The cache structure body 31 can be a fan-shaped structure, the outer pipe 321 is an arc-shaped pipe, and it is understood that the inner pipe 322 is also an arc-shaped pipe, and its curvature is the same as that of the outer pipe 321.

[0062] Among them, see Figure 5 The main body 31 of the buffer structure also includes a rotating component 311 and a buffer component 312 connected to the rotating component 311. The rotating component 311 is connected to the rotating shaft 21. The buffer component 312 is provided with a mounting part (not shown in the figure) that matches the rotating component 311. During installation, the end of the rotating component 311 away from the rotating shaft 21 is placed on the mounting part and detachably connected by bolts, fixing rods, etc., which facilitates the replacement and maintenance of the buffer component 312.

[0063] See Figures 1-3 In this embodiment, the device further includes a first pipe joint structure 33 disposed between the outer pipe 321 and the discharge pipe 8. The first pipe joint structure 33 has a first through hole (not shown in the figure), and the discharge pipe 8 is embedded in the first through hole to transfer the consumable material in the inner pipe 322 to the discharge pipe 8. Specifically, the first pipe joint structure 33 is embedded at one end of the outer pipe 321, and the discharge pipe 8 is embedded in the first through hole of the first pipe joint structure 33, thereby connecting the discharge pipe 8 to the outer pipe 321. At this time, the consumable filament in the inner pipe 322 can be transferred to the discharge pipe 8, and then transferred to the print head for printing operation.

[0064] See Figures 1-3In this embodiment, the device further includes a second pipe connector structure 34 disposed on the base 1. The second pipe connector structure 34 has a second through hole (not shown in the figure). The feed pipe 7 passes through the second through hole and communicates with the inner pipe 322 to transmit the consumable material to the discharge pipe 8 through the inner pipe 322. Specifically, the base 1 has a mounting hole, and the second pipe structure 34 can be embedded in the mounting hole. The feed pipe 7 can pass through the second through hole and communicate with the inner pipe 322 to transmit the consumable filament into the inner pipe 322.

[0065] As one implementation method, the inner pipe 322 and the feed pipe 7 can be an integral structure.

[0066] In this embodiment of the application, when consumable caching is required, consumables can be transmitted to the caching mechanism. The caching mechanism rotates at a certain angle to form a consumable caching space, so that consumables can be cached for a certain length. When the cached consumables are used up, the control device can control the discharging device to start and transmit consumables to the caching mechanism again for caching. This process is repeated to achieve continuous and uninterrupted material supply, and the material supply speed can be adjusted to improve the material supply accuracy.

[0067] Example 2

[0068] See Figure 11 This application provides a printing system, including: a consumable buffer device 100 as described in Embodiment 1; a discharge device 200 disposed at the feed end of the consumable buffer device 100 for transferring consumables to the consumable buffer device; and a 3D printing device 300 disposed at the discharge end of the consumable buffer device 100 for performing a 3D printing operation on the consumables transferred by the consumable buffer device. The discharge device 200 includes: a consumable tray 201 and a first extrusion structure 202 for transferring consumables from the consumable tray 201 to the consumable buffer device 100; the 3D printing device includes: a second extrusion structure 301 disposed at the free end of the discharge pipe 8 of the consumable buffer device 100 for extruding consumables from the discharge pipe 8, and a 3D print head 302 for performing a 3D printing operation on the consumables extruded by the second extrusion structure 301. Since the extrusion speeds of the first extrusion structure 202 and the second extrusion structure 301 for the filament are inconsistent, in order to avoid problems such as untimely filament supply or poor feeding accuracy caused by excessive filament supply, a filament buffer device 100 can be set between the discharge device 200 and the 3D printing device 300 to buffer the filament, thereby adjusting the feeding speed and simultaneously achieving continuous and uninterrupted feeding, thus improving feeding accuracy.

[0069] Specifically, the filament extruded by the first extrusion mechanism 202 enters the buffer mechanism 3 of the filament buffering device 100 through the feed pipe 7. When filament buffering is required, the buffer mechanism 3 rotates by a preset angle to form a buffer space, thereby buffering the filament. When the buffered filament is exhausted, the buffer mechanism 3 returns to its initial position under the reset action of the reset mechanism 6. At this time, the detection device 4 detects the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism 3 and sends it to the control device 5. The control device 5 can control the first extrusion mechanism 202 to work again to feed filament to the filament buffering device 100. The filament buffering device 100 then performs the filament buffering operation again, repeating the above steps until the 3D printing operation is completed. This allows for the adjustment of the feeding speed, enabling continuous and uninterrupted feeding and improving feeding accuracy.

[0070] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A consumables buffer device, characterized in that, The device includes: Fixed base; A rotating mechanism that is movably mounted on the fixed base; A buffer mechanism connected to the rotating mechanism includes a buffer structure body and a consumable transmission pipe disposed at the free end of the buffer structure body. The buffer mechanism can rotate around the axis of the rotating mechanism by a preset angle to form a buffer space for consumable buffering through the consumable transmission pipe. A detection device, mounted on the fixed base and connected to the rotating mechanism, for detecting the rotation angle of the buffer mechanism; A control device electrically connected to the detection device, used to start or stop the consumable delivery based on the rotation angle detected by the detection device; and A reset mechanism is provided on the fixed base. The force-applying end of the reset mechanism is connected to the buffer mechanism. It is used to drive the buffer mechanism to reset from a preset position to the initial position when the consumables in the buffer space are exhausted. When the control device detects that the buffer mechanism has been reset to the initial position, it sends a consumable transmission command to the dispensing device. When the control device detects that the buffer mechanism has rotated to the preset position, it sends a command to the dispensing device to pause the consumable transmission.

2. The consumable buffer device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The consumables transmission pipeline includes: The outer pipe is set at the free end of the cache structure body; An inner pipe is embedded inside the outer pipe for transporting the consumables, and a movable gap is provided between the outer pipe and the inner pipe to allow the outer pipe to rotate relative to the inner pipe.

3. The consumable buffer device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The device includes: A first pipe joint structure is provided between the external pipe and the discharge pipe, and the first pipe joint structure is provided with a first through hole, in which the discharge pipe is embedded.

4. The consumable buffer device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The device further includes: The second pipe joint structure is provided on the fixed base. The second pipe joint structure is provided with a second through hole. The feed pipe passes through the second through hole and communicates with the inner pipe.

5. The consumable buffer device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reset mechanism includes The reset mechanism body; and The fixed rod and the force-applying rod are disposed at both ends of the reset mechanism body, and the free end of the force-applying rod is connected to the buffer mechanism.

6. The consumable buffer device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism includes: A rotating shaft is movably mounted on the fixed base, one end of which is connected to the buffer mechanism, and the other end of which is connected to the detection device.

7. A printing system, characterized in that, The system includes: The consumable buffer device as described in any one of claims 1-6; A dispensing device disposed at the inlet end of the consumables buffer device for transferring consumables to the consumables buffer device; and A 3D printing device is a device that is set at the discharge end of the consumable buffer device and is used to perform 3D printing operations on the consumables transmitted by the consumable buffer device.

8. The printing system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The discharge device includes: a consumable material tray and a first extrusion structure for transferring consumables on the consumable material tray to the consumable material buffer device; The 3D printing apparatus includes: a second extrusion structure disposed at the free end of the discharge pipe of the consumable buffer device, and a 3D printing head for performing 3D printing operations on the consumable extruded by the second extrusion structure.

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