3D printing device and method with externally controlled switch

Abstract

The application provides a 3D printing device with switch outside control and a method. The device comprises a material extrusion part, which includes a material cavity for accommodating molten material and an extrusion outlet, the extrusion outlet includes a plurality of channels in communication with the material cavity, which is used for extruding the molten material to the current printing layer; a plurality of sheet switches are arranged outside the material cavity and correspond to the plurality of channels one by one, and are respectively connected with a plurality of transmission members; when each sheet switch in the plurality of sheet switches is deformed under the control of voltage and / or temperature, each sheet switch controls the movement of its corresponding transmission member to control the on-off of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch. The device sets the sheet switch controlled by voltage and / or temperature outside the material cavity, thereby avoiding the influence of temperature and / or voltage generated in the sheet switch control process on the molten material in the material cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of 3D printing, specifically to a 3D printing device and method with an external control switch. Background Technology

[0002] Material extrusion-based 3D printing technologies, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), are commonly used 3D printing technologies. They typically require heating the material to a molten (or semi-fluid) state and then extruding the molten material from the extrusion port of the 3D printing device onto the forming stage, so that the material is deposited layer by layer on the forming stage and solidified together to form a 3D printed part.

[0003] In traditional material extrusion-based 3D printing technology, the extrusion nozzle of the 3D printing device is usually of a fixed diameter. Such printing devices cannot balance printing accuracy and printing efficiency. Therefore, an improved 3D printing device has gradually emerged, which has an extrusion nozzle with multiple channels, and the size of the extrusion nozzle can be adjusted by controlling the opening and closing of these multiple channels to balance printing efficiency and printing accuracy.

[0004] However, there is still room for further improvement in this 3D printing device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a 3D printing apparatus and method. The various aspects involved in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0006] In a first aspect, a 3D printing apparatus is provided, comprising: a material extrusion section including a material cavity and an extrusion port, the material cavity being used to contain molten material, the extrusion port including a plurality of channels communicating with the material cavity, the plurality of channels being used to extrude the molten material to a current printing layer, and the material extruded from adjacent channels in the plurality of channels fusing together in the current printing layer; a plurality of sheet switches corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of channels, the plurality of sheet switches being disposed outside the material cavity and respectively connected to a plurality of transmission components; wherein, when each of the plurality of sheet switches deforms under the control of voltage and / or temperature, each sheet switch controls the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch to control the on / off state of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch.

[0007] Secondly, a 3D printing apparatus is provided, comprising: a material extrusion section including a material cavity and an extrusion port, the material cavity being used to contain molten material, the extrusion port including a plurality of channels communicating with the material cavity, the plurality of channels being used to extrude the molten material to the current printing layer; a plurality of sheet switches, each corresponding to one of the plurality of channels, the plurality of sheet switches being disposed outside the material cavity and respectively connected to a plurality of transmission components; wherein, when each of the plurality of sheet switches deforms under the control of voltage and / or temperature, each sheet switch controls the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch to control the on / off state of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch.

[0008] Thirdly, a 3D printing method is provided, comprising: conveying molten material in a material cavity to an extrusion port to print a current printing layer using multiple channels in the extrusion port, wherein the material extruded from adjacent channels in the multiple channels is fused together in the current printing layer; controlling the movement of a transmission component corresponding to each of the multiple sheet switches by utilizing the deformation generated by each sheet switch under the control of voltage and / or temperature, so as to control the opening and closing of the channels corresponding to each sheet switch, wherein the multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to the multiple transmission components.

[0009] Fourthly, a 3D printing method is provided, comprising: conveying molten material in a material cavity to an extrusion port to print the current printing layer using multiple channels in the extrusion port; controlling the movement of a transmission component corresponding to each of the multiple sheet switches by utilizing the deformation generated by each sheet switch under the control of voltage and / or temperature, so as to control the opening and closing of the channels corresponding to each sheet switch, wherein the multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to the multiple transmission components. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 3D printing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0011] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the 3D printing device in a printing state.

[0012] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an installation structure for a sheet switch in a 3D printing device.

[0013] Figure 4 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of another mounting structure for a sheet switch in a 3D printing device.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a top view of the 3D printing apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a top view of another 3D printing apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another 3D printing apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the printing layer structure in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 9 The 3D printing apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is used for... Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure during printing of the printing layer.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the switch assembly in the 3D printing device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a 3D printing method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating another 3D printing method provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. It should be understood that the same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings to represent the same or similar components.

[0023] In material extrusion-based 3D printing technologies (such as FDM), 3D printing equipment can adapt to a wide variety of printing materials, and the size range of the printed parts can also be very wide, thus it is widely used in the 3D printing field. This type of 3D printing equipment requires extruding molten material through its extrusion port (or discharge port) onto a forming stage, where the molten material is deposited layer by layer and solidified to form the 3D printed part. Therefore, this type of 3D printing equipment typically requires layer-by-layer printing of the 3D printed part.

[0024] Generally, printing each layer using a 3D printer is equivalent to filling the infill area of ​​each layer. Since traditional 3D printers typically have extrusion nozzles with a fixed diameter, when printing one layer out of multiple layers, the infill area of ​​that layer usually needs to be divided into several closely spaced passes (each pass's size matches the nozzle's diameter), and the printer must be controlled to fill these passes sequentially in a certain order. In other words, printing one layer typically requires multiple passes to completely fill the infill area of ​​that layer.

[0025] If the extrusion nozzle of a 3D printer has a small diameter, it extrudes less material per unit time. When printing a single layer, more filling passes are needed, resulting in relatively high printing accuracy but relatively low printing efficiency. Conversely, if the extrusion nozzle has a large diameter, it extrudes more material per unit time, requiring fewer filling passes when printing the same layer. This results in relatively high printing efficiency but relatively low printing accuracy. Therefore, traditional 3D printers cannot simultaneously achieve both printing accuracy and printing efficiency.

[0026] To meet the industrial demand for high-efficiency and high-precision printing, one feasible approach is to modify the extrusion nozzle of the 3D printing device to be a variable-width nozzle. This type of 3D printing device has a one-dimensional stripe feature, meaning that the width of the nozzle in one dimension is much greater than its width in another dimension, and the nozzle can change its width in that one-dimensional direction as the contour of the infill area of ​​the current printed layer changes, thus forming a variable-width nozzle.

[0027] For example, the implementation described in PCT / CN2020 / 120405 involves a 3D printing device whose extrusion orifice is divided into multiple channels. The 3D printing device can control the opening and closing of these channels via its control unit to dynamically change the number of channels capable of extruding molten material, thereby altering the width of the extrusion orifice. See PCT / CN2020 / 120405 for details.

[0028] For solutions with multiple channels, the control section can be configured as a switching assembly, which can then be used to control the on / off state of the multiple channels. This switching assembly can be, for example, multiple sheet switches, and the on / off state of the multiple channels can be controlled by the deformation of these sheet switches under temperature and / or voltage conditions.

[0029] However, for 3D printing technology based on material extrusion, the molten material needs to reach a certain temperature before being extruded. This temperature, or the heating method used in the related technology, can interfere with the temperature and / or voltage controlling the deformation of the aforementioned sheet switch, resulting in poor temperature control accuracy or poor on / off control accuracy, increasing the difficulty of controlling the 3D printing device.

[0030] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a 3D printing apparatus. The following describes the apparatus in conjunction with... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The 3D printing apparatus 2 in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail. It should be understood that the 3D printing apparatus mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to an apparatus used for 3D printing. The 3D printing apparatus can refer to the entire 3D printing system or a part of the 3D printing system. For example, the 3D printing apparatus can refer to a 3D print head.

[0031] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The 3D printing device 2 may include a material extrusion section 3 and a sheet switch 4.

[0032] The material extrusion section 3 includes a material cavity 31 and an extrusion port 32. A material inlet 33 may be provided in the material cavity 31. The material cavity 31 receives and contains molten material through the material inlet 33. The extrusion port 32 may be a variable-width extrusion port, which may include multiple channels 35, or be divided into multiple channels 35 (each channel may be a square or round hole). These multiple channels 35 communicate with the material cavity 31 and are used to extrude the molten material to the current printing layer.

[0033] In this embodiment, the current printing layer refers to a printing layer that is being printed during the process of printing a 3D printed part, and it can be located on the forming stage ( Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). This application does not specifically limit the current printed layer. For example, the current printed layer can be the single connected region described above. Alternatively, the current printed layer can also be a complex-shaped printed layer as described later.

[0034] Multiple sheet switches 4 may be present, and these multiple sheet switches 4 may be disposed outside the material cavity 31. The sheet switches 4 may deform under the control of temperature and / or voltage. For example, the sheet switches 4 may include one or more of the following: piezoelectric bicrystalline wafers, bimetallic sheets, thermally expanding metal resistors, and shape memory alloys.

[0035] The plurality of sheet switches 4 can be connected to a plurality of transmission components 41 respectively, so as to control the on / off state of the plurality of channels 35 through the transmission components 41. The transmission component 41 can be a blocking block, which can be disposed above the channel 35 and can move up and down according to the deformation of the sheet switches 4. One end of the transmission component 41 is fixedly connected to the sheet switch 4, and the other end can abut or move away from the channel 35. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the shape and material of the transmission component 41. For example, the transmission component 41 can be a square or cylindrical blocking block, and its material can be metal, ceramic or other materials that can withstand high temperature and have sufficient strength.

[0036] See details Figure 1 and Figure 2 Each of the multiple sheet switches 4 corresponds one-to-one with a multiple channel 35 and a multiple transmission component 41. That is, the number of the multiple sheet switches 4 is the same as the number of the multiple channels 35 and the number of the multiple transmission components 41, and each sheet switch 4 has a corresponding transmission component 41 and channel 35.

[0037] When each of the multiple sheet switches 4 deforms under the control of voltage and / or temperature, the deformation of each sheet switch can control the movement of the corresponding transmission component 41 (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 The up-and-down movement of the transmission component 41 allows the transmission component 41 to move away from or abut against the corresponding channel 35, thereby achieving on / off control of the corresponding channel 35.

[0038] The control of the opening and closing of each of the multiple sheet switches 4 over its corresponding channel 35 can be understood as follows: each sheet switch 4 can control whether or not the corresponding channel 35 can extrude molten material. That is, when closed, the sheet switch 4 and the corresponding transmission component 41 can form a blocking component for the corresponding channel 35. By individually controlling each of the multiple channels 35, the multiple channels 35 can be formed into extrusion ports 32 of different types.

[0039] When none of the multiple sheet switches 4 control the opening and closing of the corresponding multiple channels 35, that is, when the sheet switches 4 and the transmission component 41 do not block the molten material from being extruded from some of the channels, the extrusion port 32 can be a single extrusion port with a fixed width.

[0040] When multiple sheet switches 4 control the opening and closing of their corresponding channels 35, that is, when the sheet switches 4 and the transmission component 41 block the molten material from being squeezed out from some of the channels 35, the extrusion port 32 can have two forms.

[0041] Format 1: After on / off control, there is still only one extrusion port 32, and the blocked channels among the original multiple channels 35 are located on both sides. At this time, the width of the extrusion port 32 can be continuously adjusted, and the current printing layer (i.e., a single connected region) formed as a single partition can be printed in one go using the extrusion port 32.

[0042] Form 2: After on / off control, the extrusion port 32 becomes multiple sub-extrusion ports 34, and the width of each sub-extrusion port 34 is continuously adjustable. Therefore, using these multiple sub-extrusion ports allows for the simultaneous printing of complex-shaped current printing layers.

[0043] by Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, multiple sheet switches 4 (such as Figure 1 The A, B, C, D, E and F shown correspond one-to-one with the six channels 35 from left to right. Each sheet switch 4 and each transmission element 41 can individually control the corresponding channel 35.

[0044] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, the sheet switches A, D, and F can be controlled to deform upwards, causing the transmission component 41 to move away from the channel, while controlling the other sheet switches to abut against the channel 35, thereby allowing multiple channels 35 to be formed as follows: Figure 1 The three sub-extrusion ports 34 are shown. Accordingly, the filling area in the current printed layer in the current printing state can include three mutually separate partitions.

[0045] exist Figure 2 In the middle, it can control the opening of sheet switches C, D, and F, while controlling the closing of several other sheet switches, thereby allowing multiple channels 35 to be formed as follows: Figure 2 The two sub-extrusion ports 34 are shown. The filled area in the current printed layer during this printing state can include two separate partitions. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be the printing state of the printing device 2 at different printing positions along the printing direction when printing the current printing layer.

[0046] This embodiment of the application places multiple sheet switches outside the material cavity and connects each sheet switch to a corresponding transmission component. When each sheet switch deforms, it drives the corresponding transmission component to control the opening and closing of the corresponding channel. This method isolates the sheet switches and the material cavity from each other, thus avoiding temperature and / or voltage interference between temperature control and the opening and closing control of multiple channels. This ensures both temperature control accuracy and opening / closing control accuracy, reducing the control complexity of the 3D printing device.

[0047] This application does not specifically limit the method of fixing the sheet switch 4 outside the material cavity 31. As one implementation method, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the sheet switch 4 can be fixed to the outside of the material cavity 31 in a cantilevered manner. Specifically, one end is fixed, and the other end is connected to the transmission component 41. The other end can deform under the control of temperature and / or voltage to drive the transmission component 41 to move up and down to abut against or move away from the channel 35.

[0048] For example, when the sheet switch 4 is a piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer, the direction of the electric field of the upper and lower piezoelectric wafers can be controlled, so that the piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer bends downwards to close the channel 35 (e.g. Figure 3 (a) shows); while under a reverse electric field, when the piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer is bent upwards, the channel 35 is opened (as shown in the diagram). Figure 3 (b) shown).

[0049] Similarly, when the sheet switch 4 is a bimetallic strip, the active layer can be positioned below, and by controlling it to bend the passive layer downwards at a lower temperature and upwards at a higher temperature.

[0050] Alternatively, when the sheet switch 4 is a metal resistor or shape memory alloy that expands with heat, it can also be configured in the above manner. The difference is that this type of sheet switch 4 only requires one layer to control the on / off state of the channel 35, thereby simplifying the structure of the sheet switch 4.

[0051] Shape memory alloys, also known as memory alloys, are materials that can be flat at one given temperature and bent downwards at another. Therefore, controlling their given temperature allows the shape memory alloy sheet to drive a transmission component up and down. In the embodiments of this application, the temperature of the shape memory alloy can be controlled in different ways. For example, it can be energized to control the temperature using resistance heating, or it can be controlled using radiant heating.

[0052] A thermally expanding metal resistor can also be called a high thermal expansion coefficient metal resistance element. At room temperature, a thermally expanding metal resistor is in a flat state. However, when an electric current is applied to heat the thermally expanded metal resistor, its thermal expansion increases its length, causing the metal resistor to bend downwards. Therefore, controlling its temperature can cause the thermally expanded metal resistor to drive a transmission component to move up and down.

[0053] As another implementation method, such as Figure 4As shown, the sheet switch 4 can be fixed to the outside of the material cavity 31 with both ends fixed. For example, both ends of the sheet switch 4 can be fixed to the bracket 36 outside the material cavity 31. The transmission member 41 can be located at any position between its two ends. The sheet switch 4 can deform under the control of temperature and / or voltage to drive the transmission member 41 to move up and down to abut or move away from the channel 35.

[0054] For example, when the sheet switch 4 is a piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer or a bimetallic strip, the direction of the electric field of the upper and lower piezoelectric wafers or the temperature of the bimetallic strip can be controlled, so that when the piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer or bimetallic strip bends downward, the channel 35 is closed (e.g. Figure 4 (a) shows); while when the piezoelectric bicrystalline wafer or bimetallic sheet is bent upwards or straightened, the channel 35 is opened (e.g. Figure 4 (b) shown).

[0055] Alternatively, the sheet switch 4 can also be made of a thermally expanding metal resistor or shape memory alloy, and its fixing method is the same as above. The difference is that this type of sheet switch 4 can require only one layer.

[0056] It should be understood that Figure 3 and Figure 4 This example uses only one sheet switch; the setup for other sheet switches is the same as shown in the diagram.

[0057] This application does not specifically limit the arrangement of the multiple channels 35. For example, the multiple channels 35 can be arranged closely so that the material extruded from adjacent channels merges (or connects) together in the current printed layer. Or, in other words, the arrangement of the multiple channels 35 allows the material extruded from adjacent channels to merge on the forming table. Specifically, the extrusion port 32 can be divided into multiple channels 35, for example, into an array of channels with at least one row of channels 35, with the channels separated by channel walls (or partitions). This arrangement of the multiple channels 35 allows the molten material extruded from each channel to be coated on the forming table, and because the material extruded from adjacent channels is very close to each other, it can flow by its own weight to form a connected printed layer (or coating). Of course, in some embodiments, auxiliary means (such as mechanical rolling) can also be used to ensure the fusion effect of the material extruded from the multiple channels 35.

[0058] This application does not specifically limit the channel array described above, as long as the material extruded from adjacent channels 35 in the channel array can fuse together in the current printing layer. In some embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, a channel array can refer to a plurality of channels 35 arranged in a row and closely adjacent to each other. In other embodiments, a channel array can refer to a plurality of channels 35 arranged in multiple rows and closely adjacent to each other. Further, as... Figure 6 As shown, the multiple channels 35 arranged in multiple rows can be arranged in an alternating and closely spaced manner to make effective use of the accommodating space.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the 3D printing apparatus 2 may further include a feeding system 5. The feeding system 5 is connected to the material cavity 31 via the material inlet 33, and is used to heat the molten material and transport the molten material into the material cavity 31. This feeding system 5 can be, for example, a continuously variable flow feeding device; however, this embodiment does not specifically limit the form of the feeding system 5. For example, the feeding system 5 can be a screw-type feeding system, a pneumatic feeding system, or a piston-type feeding system.

[0060] When the feeding system 5 is a pneumatic feeding system, such as Figure 7 As shown, a pneumatic conveying system 5 typically requires a pneumatic conveying line 51 and a material storage tank 52 connected to the pneumatic conveying line 51. The material storage tank 52 is used to store heated molten material, and the pneumatic conveying line 51 is used to deliver pressurized gas (e.g., high-pressure gas) into the material storage tank 52 to apply extrusion pressure to the molten material, facilitating the extrusion of highly viscous molten material from the extrusion port 32. The pressurized gas can be provided, for example, by a gas source device.

[0061] In view of this, the material cavity 31 also contains pressure generated by the aforementioned pressurized gas. This pressure affects the control of the sheet switch 4 through the aforementioned transmission member 41. For example, when the sheet switch 4 is located outside the material cavity 31, when the deformation of the sheet switch 4 drives the transmission member 41 to move downward to close the corresponding channel 35, the aforementioned pressure will create upward resistance for the transmission member 41. This requires the sheet switch 4 to have a large pressure to achieve the closing, thus causing some difficulty in controlling the opening and closing of the channel.

[0062] To solve the above problems, such as Figure 7 As shown, the 3D printing apparatus 2 in this embodiment further includes a control chamber 6. Multiple sheet switches 4 are located within the control chamber 6, and the pneumatic delivery pipeline 51 can be configured to communicate with the gas in the control chamber 6. Through this configuration, the pressurized gas described above can also be delivered to the control chamber 6, thereby creating a gas pressure within the control chamber 6. This gas pressure is the same as the gas pressure in the material container 31; that is, the gas pressure delivered to the material container 31 via the pneumatic feeding system 5 is balanced with the gas pressure within the control chamber 6.

[0063] In this embodiment, a sheet switch 4 that controls the on / off state of multiple channels 35 is placed within a control chamber 6, and this control chamber 6 is configured to be in gas communication with the pneumatic conveying pipeline 51 in the pneumatic feeding system 5. This allows the sheet switch 4 and the molten material to be in the same pneumatic pressure environment. In this way, the multiple sheet switches 4 in the control chamber 6 can be controlled by the pneumatic pressure provided by the pneumatic feeding system, thereby reducing the pressure required for the switch assembly itself and simplifying the control process.

[0064] It should be noted that the above description uses the pneumatic feeding system 5 of the 3D printing device 2 as an example, but the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. As long as a pneumatic conveying pipeline 51 can be used to form a pressure balance between the material storage tank 52 and the control chamber 6, it is acceptable. For example, the 3D printing device 2 can still use other feeding methods such as screws. Then, a pneumatic conveying pipeline 51 can be introduced to connect the material storage tank 52 on the feeding route and the control chamber 6 where the switching components are located, thereby forming a pressure balance between the two and reducing the difficulty and power consumption of the on / off control of the switching components in the control chamber 6.

[0065] As mentioned earlier, the current printing layer can be a complex-shaped printing layer. For ease of understanding, the following will illustrate this with... Figure 8 This will be explained in detail.

[0066] 3D printed parts can generally have multiple printing layers. For some structurally complex 3D printed parts (e.g., those with hollow structures), they often have several printing layers with complex shapes. For example... Figure 7 The image shown is one of multiple printed layers. This printed layer 20 has multiple cutout areas a, thus making it a printed layer with a complex shape.

[0067] Of course, complex-shaped printed layers include more than just... Figure 8 The printed layer shown can also be in other forms. As long as the filled area of ​​the printed layer is discontinuous or has isolation spaces in the filled area, the printed layer can be considered a printed layer with a complex shape.

[0068] For example, the complex-shaped printed layer can be a filling region with multiple connected areas. Alternatively, the filling region of the complex-shaped printed layer can be a region with a multi-channel separation structure, that is, under one movement trajectory of the printing device (e.g., the movement trajectory can be a straight line), the filling region can have multiple partitions (partitions can also be called filling channels), and these multiple partitions can be separated (or isolated) from each other.

[0069] In some embodiments, the number of partitions in the filled area can vary within a single movement trajectory of the printing device. For example, in a portion of the printing trajectory, the partitions may be separate from each other, while in another portion, some or all of the partitions may form a single partition. It should be understood that whether it is a single partition formed by multiple partitions or each partition within multiple partitions, a single partition can refer to a simply connected region, and the width of the outline of a single partition can be along the printing direction (e.g., ...). Figure 8 The printing direction (y) shown is dynamically changing.

[0070] The structurally complex 3D printed parts described in this application embodiment can refer to 3D printed parts that include the aforementioned complex-shaped printed layers. Furthermore, a structurally complex 3D printed part may include one or more complex-shaped printed layers.

[0071] Using the 3D printing apparatus specified in PCT / CN2020 / 120405 Figure 8 When printing the shown printing layers, the 3D printing device needs to follow the direction shown. Figure 8 The molten material extruded from the extruder needs to reciprocate six times in the printing direction (y) to completely fill the filling area of ​​the printed layer. If the 3D printed part includes multiple complex-shaped printed layers, the printing efficiency is still relatively low when using the 3D printing apparatus in PCT / CN2020 / 120405, and needs to be further improved.

[0072] In view of this, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the on / off control of the multiple sheet switches 4 on the corresponding multiple channels 35 in this embodiment can also cause the multiple channels 35 to form multiple sub-extrusion ports 34 with continuously adjustable widths. For example, the deformation of some of the sheet switches 4 can control the extrusion of molten material and the formation of a sub-extrusion port 34 between adjacent channels. Adjacent sub-extrusion ports 34 can be separated by channels 35 that cannot extrude molten material. Whether each of the multiple channels 35 forming the extrusion port 32 can extrude molten material can be dynamically changed according to the control of each corresponding sheet switch.

[0073] In the aforementioned on / off control, the multiple channels 35 forming the extrusion port 32 can be controlled to extrude molten material from some of the channels 35, thereby forming multiple sub-extrusion ports 34 with continuously adjustable widths. The number of sub-extrusion ports and the width of the sub-extrusion ports 34 can be varied by controlling multiple sheet switches 4, so that the molten material can be filled and printed into the complex-shaped current printing layer in one go through the multiple sub-extrusion ports 34, thereby ensuring printing accuracy while further improving printing efficiency.

[0074] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the one-time completion of printing the current printing layer can mean that when the 3D printing device is filling and printing along the printing direction, it only needs to move in a single direction to complete the filling of the current printing layer's filling area. For example, controlling the printing device 2 to move once in a straight line can complete the filling and printing of the complex-shaped current printing layer described above in one go.

[0075] As discussed earlier, if the current printed layer has a complex shape, it should include multiple partitions, and the width of the outline of each partition can vary along the printing direction. When printing this current printed layer, the multiple sub-extrusion ports 34 described above can be used to print multiple partitions of the current printed layer simultaneously. During the printing process, the width of each sub-extrusion port 34 can vary with the outline of the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port, thereby filling the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port with molten material in one go.

[0076] Therefore, when the current printing layer is a complex-shaped printing layer as described above, the 3D printing device of this application embodiment can complete the printing of the current printing layer in one go, and the efficiency improvement effect is particularly obvious.

[0077] As mentioned earlier, the number of partitions within the infill area corresponding to a complex-shaped current print layer can vary. For example, as... Figure 8 As shown, the current printed layer 20 includes multiple partitions, including a first partition 11 and a second partition 12. In the partially filled area (dashed area 10), the first partition 11 and the second partition 12 have mutually isolated regions; in the partially filled area (area 10' below the dashed area 10), the first partition 11 and the second partition 12 have interconnected regions. The dashed area 10 and area 10' can be closely arranged along the printing direction y. Specifically, in area 10, the first partition 11 and the second partition 12 are mutually isolated, that is, the first partition 11 and the second partition 12 form a total of 2 partitions; in area 10', the first partition 11 and the second partition 12 are merged into one partition 13.

[0078] Corresponding to this, such as Figure 9 As shown, the multiple sub-extrusion ports 34 in the 3D printing apparatus 2 of this application embodiment may include a first sub-extrusion port 341 and a second sub-extrusion port 342. When printing region 10 using the 3D printing apparatus 2, the on / off control of each of the multiple sheet switches 4 causes the first sub-extrusion port 341 and the second sub-extrusion port 342 to be used to print the mutually isolated first partition 11 and second partition 12, respectively. When printing region 10', the on / off control of each of the multiple sheet switches 4 causes the first sub-extrusion port 341 and the second sub-extrusion port 342 to be merged into a single sub-extrusion port 343, and the merged sub-extrusion port 343 can be used to print the partition 13 formed by the merger of the first partition 11 and the second partition 12.

[0079] By controlling the different deformations of each of the multiple sheet switches 4 for different filling areas of the current printed layer, the 3D printing device can further achieve the ability to print more complex current printed layers in one go (e.g., for...). Figure 8 The current printing layer shown only requires the printing device 2 to move along the printing direction y once to complete the printing, thus effectively improving the printing efficiency of 3D printed parts containing such printing layers.

[0080] It is understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to controlling the opening and closing of each channel 35 by the deformation of multiple sheet switches 4, but can also be controlled by other forms of switch components. For example, other forms of switch components may include one or more of the following switches: motor-controlled switches, pneumatic-controlled switches, and hydraulic-controlled switches.

[0081] The switch controlled by the motor can be the motor shaft or a transmission component driven by the motor shaft. Since the motor shaft can move linearly when the motor is energized, controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the motor is sufficient to control the motor shaft or transmission component to contact or move away from the channel 35. This method is particularly suitable for controlling the on / off state of an extrusion port 32 that includes multiple channels 35, especially when the diameter of the channels 35 is large and the number of channels is small.

[0082] A pneumatic or hydraulically controlled switch can be a pneumatic or hydraulically controlled piston, or a transmission component driven by the piston. For example... Figure 10 As shown, other forms of switching assemblies include one possible implementation of pneumatically or hydraulically controlled switches. It should be understood that... Figure 10 The example shown is only of other forms of switch assembly 4' including a pneumatic or hydraulically controlled switch. Other pneumatic or hydraulically controlled switches are set up in the same or similar ways as shown in the figure.

[0083] See Figure 10 Other forms of the switching assembly 4' may include a chamber 42 and a piston 43. The chamber 42 is located above the material container 31 and may have a first interface 421 and a second interface 422 for external connection, for example, it can be connected to a pneumatic or hydraulic device. The piston 43 is located in the chamber 42. When the first interface is the inlet and the second interface is the outlet, the piston 43 can move upwards; when the first interface is the outlet and the second interface is the inlet, the piston can move downwards to control the opening and closing of the channel 35. It is understood that the pressure at the inlet is greater than the pressure at the outlet. In some embodiments, a transmission member 44 may also be provided below the piston 43. When the piston 43 moves up and down, it can drive the transmission member 44 to move up and down together to achieve on / off control. Of course, the transmission member 44 can be part of the piston 43, that is, the transmission member 44 and the piston 43 are integrally formed. This application does not limit the presence or absence of the transmission member 44, as long as the up and down movement of the piston 43 can achieve the on / off control of the switching assembly 4'.

[0084] In some embodiments, the plurality of channels mentioned above and the plurality of switches corresponding to each of the plurality of channels can be replaced by a plurality of printheads, which can be arranged closely together to achieve the functions mentioned above.

[0085] The above text combined Figures 1-10 This document describes in detail embodiments of the 3D printing apparatus of this application. The following is in conjunction with… Figure 11 and Figure 12 This document describes embodiments of the method described in this application. It should be understood that this method can be performed by the 3D printing apparatus mentioned above; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be found above.

[0086] See Figure 11 The 3D printing method provided in this application embodiment may include steps S1110-S1120.

[0087] In step S1110, the molten material in the material cavity is conveyed to the extrusion port to print the current printing layer using multiple channels in the extrusion port, wherein the material extruded from adjacent channels in the multiple channels merges together in the current printing layer.

[0088] In step S1120, the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each of the multiple sheet switches is controlled by the deformation generated by each sheet switch under the control of voltage and / or temperature, so as to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch. The multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to multiple transmission components.

[0089] Optionally, multiple sheet switches are located within the control chamber. Figure 11The method further includes: using a pneumatic conveying pipeline to deliver pressurized gas to the control chamber and the material storage tank, wherein the plurality of plate switches are located in the control chamber, and the material storage tank is connected to the material cavity of the material extrusion section.

[0090] Optionally, multiple channels are arranged in an alternating pattern.

[0091] Optionally, the multiple chip switches include one or more of the following: piezoelectric bicrystalline wafers, bimetallic strips, thermally expanding metal resistors, and shape memory alloys.

[0092] See Figure 12 Another 3D printing method provided in this application embodiment may include steps S1210-S1220.

[0093] In step S1210, the molten material in the material cavity is conveyed to the extrusion port so as to print the current printing layer using the multiple channels in the extrusion port.

[0094] In step S1220, the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each of the multiple sheet switches is controlled by the deformation generated by each sheet switch under the control of voltage and / or temperature, so as to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch. The multiple sheet switches are arranged outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to the multiple transmission components.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0096] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, or indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0097] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0098] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0099] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A 3D printing device, characterized in that, The device includes: The material extrusion section includes a material cavity and an extrusion port. The material cavity is used to contain molten material, and the extrusion port includes a plurality of channels communicating with the material cavity. The plurality of channels are used to extrude the molten material to the current printing layer, and the materials extruded from adjacent channels in the plurality of channels are fused together in the current printing layer. Multiple sheet switches are provided, each corresponding to one of the multiple channels. The multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are connected to multiple transmission components respectively. When each of the plurality of sheet switches deforms under the control of voltage and / or temperature, each sheet switch controls the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch, so as to form a plurality of sub-extrusion ports with continuously adjustable width. The plurality of sub-extrusion ports are used to print multiple partitions in the current printing layer simultaneously. During the printing process of the multiple partitions using the plurality of sub-extrusion ports, the width of each sub-extrusion port changes with the outline of the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port, thereby filling the molten material into the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port in one go.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device further includes: A control chamber, in which the plurality of sheet switches are located; A material storage tank, connected to the material cavity of the material extrusion section; and The pneumatic conveying pipeline is connected to both the material storage tank and the control chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple channels are arranged in an alternating pattern.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of chip switches include one or more of the following: piezoelectric bicrystalline wafers, bimetallic strips, thermally expanding metal resistors, and shape memory alloys.

5. A 3D printing apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes: The material extrusion section includes a material cavity and an extrusion port. The material cavity is used to contain molten material, and the extrusion port includes a plurality of channels communicating with the material cavity. The plurality of channels are used to extrude the molten material to the current printing layer. Multiple sheet switches are provided, each corresponding to one of the multiple channels. The multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are connected to multiple transmission components respectively. When each of the plurality of sheet switches deforms under the control of voltage and / or temperature, each sheet switch controls the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch, so as to form a plurality of sub-extrusion ports with continuously adjustable width. The plurality of sub-extrusion ports are used to print multiple partitions in the current printing layer simultaneously. During the printing process of the multiple partitions using the plurality of sub-extrusion ports, the width of each sub-extrusion port changes with the outline of the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port, thereby filling the molten material into the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port in one go.

6. A 3D printing method, characterized in that, The method includes: The molten material in the material cavity is conveyed to the extrusion port to print the current printing layer using multiple channels in the extrusion port, wherein the material extruded from adjacent channels in the multiple channels is fused together in the current printing layer. By utilizing the deformation generated by each of the multiple sheet switches under the control of voltage and / or temperature, the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch is controlled to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch, thereby forming multiple sub-extrusion ports with continuously adjustable widths. The multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to multiple transmission components. The plurality of sub-extrusion ports are used to print multiple partitions in the current printing layer simultaneously. During the printing process of the multiple partitions using the plurality of sub-extrusion ports, the width of each sub-extrusion port changes with the outline of the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port, thereby filling the molten material into the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port in one go.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of sheet switches are located within a control chamber, and the method further includes: Pressurized gas is delivered to the control chamber and the material storage tank via a pneumatic delivery pipeline. The plurality of plate switches are located in the control chamber, and the material storage tank is connected to the material cavity of the material extrusion section.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The multiple channels are arranged in an alternating pattern.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The plurality of chip switches include one or more of the following: piezoelectric bicrystalline wafers, bimetallic strips, thermally expanding metal resistors, and shape memory alloys.

10. A 3D printing method, characterized in that, The method includes: The molten material in the material cavity is conveyed to the extrusion port so that the current printing layer can be printed using the multiple channels in the extrusion port; By utilizing the deformation generated by each of the multiple sheet switches under the control of voltage and / or temperature, the movement of the transmission component corresponding to each sheet switch is controlled to control the opening and closing of the channel corresponding to each sheet switch, thereby forming multiple sub-extrusion ports with continuously adjustable widths. The multiple sheet switches are disposed outside the material cavity and are respectively connected to multiple transmission components. The plurality of sub-extrusion ports are used to print multiple partitions in the current printing layer simultaneously. During the printing process of the multiple partitions using the plurality of sub-extrusion ports, the width of each sub-extrusion port changes with the outline of the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port, thereby filling the molten material into the partition corresponding to each sub-extrusion port in one go.

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