Powder stirring delivery mechanism and additive manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a powder stirring and conveying mechanism and an additive manufacturing device. The powder stirring and conveying mechanism comprises a stirring cavity, a stirrer which is at least partially located in the stirring cavity and can be driven to rotate in a forward direction and a reverse direction, the stirrer comprising a main shaft and a plurality of stirring blades fixed on the main shaft, a powder supply plate which is rotatably arranged in the stirring cavity and comprises a main body capable of supporting powder and a plurality of mounting arms extending from the main body, the plurality of mounting arms being rotatably arranged on the main shaft, and the stirrer is configured to contact the powder supply plate from one side of the powder supply plate and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the forward direction in the stirring cavity when rotating in the forward direction, and contact the powder supply plate from the other side of the powder supply plate and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the reverse direction in the stirring cavity when rotating in the reverse direction. The application can facilitate daily maintenance of the mechanism by arranging the stirrer and the powder supply plate in a split manner, and the stirrer can be designed to have a larger swing range as required.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of additive manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a powder mixing and conveying mechanism for supplying powder material to the forming platform of additive manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Additive manufacturing technology is a manufacturing method that is completely opposite to the traditional material removal processing method. It directly manufactures a three-dimensional physical solid model that is completely consistent with the corresponding mathematical model by adding materials, based on three-dimensional CAD model data, and usually by adopting a layer-by-layer manufacturing method.

[0003] In additive manufacturing technology that uses powder as a building material, three-dimensional objects are created by continuously supplying powdered materials to a forming platform and fusing the powder particles layer by layer.

[0004] A patent document with publication number CN104837607A discloses a powder feeding mechanism for a 3D printer. The mechanism includes a carrier arm that moves through a powder chamber and a support platform for carrying a pile of powdered building materials. The support platform moves with the carrier arm, and the carrier arm moves to a position in the lateral orientation where the support platform is located at a powder delivery position flush with the material bed.

[0005] Patent document CN112041152A discloses an apparatus for supplying material to an additive manufacturing platform, comprising a rotatable conveyor module including blades and a plurality of dispensing elements. In use, the rotatable conveyor module is controllable to rotate the blades to a supply position, enabling material to be supplied from the blades to the additive manufacturing platform. The blades and the plurality of dispensing elements are arranged such that during rotation: the blades provide a dose of material from a material supply module for supplying to the additive manufacturing platform, and at least one of the plurality of dispensing elements dispenses material within the material supply module, such that the blades supply a substantially uniform dose of material to the additive manufacturing platform along the length of the blades.

[0006] The two powder feeding mechanism schemes listed above are typical schemes, and technical solutions for supplying powder to the molding platform will continue to be developed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to provide a powder mixing and conveying mechanism and additive manufacturing equipment, with the aim of reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0008] A first aspect of this application provides a powder mixing and conveying mechanism for supplying powder to a forming platform of an additive manufacturing apparatus. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism includes: a housing; a mixing chamber located within the housing and for holding the powder, the mixing chamber having a discharge port located at the upper part of the housing, the discharge port having a first edge portion configured to dock with the forming platform; a stirrer located at least partially within the mixing chamber and capable of being driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions, the stirrer including a main shaft and a plurality of stirring blades fixed to the main shaft; and a powder supply plate configured to transfer the powder to a powder supply plate. The powder in the mixing chamber is transported to the discharge port. The powder supply plate is rotatably disposed in the mixing chamber and includes a main body capable of supporting the powder and at least one mounting arm extending from the main body. The at least one mounting arm is rotatably disposed on the main shaft. The agitator is configured to contact the powder supply plate from one side and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the mixing chamber in the forward direction when rotating in the forward direction, and to contact the powder supply plate from the other side and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the mixing chamber in the reverse direction when rotating in the reverse direction.

[0009] According to the above scheme, by separating the agitator from the powder supply plate, it is not only convenient for the daily maintenance of the mechanism, but also the agitator can be designed with a larger swing range as needed; and since the powder supply plate in this case is not directly connected to the drive source, the power consumption is lower throughout the operation.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the plurality of stirring blades are configured to contact the powder supply plate during the forward and reverse rotation.

[0011] According to the above scheme, several stirring blades contact the powder supply plate, which can stably drive the rotation of the powder supply plate, thereby improving the stability of the powder supply plate in supplying powder.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the plurality of mounting arms are rotatably connected to the spindle via at least one bearing.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, there are multiple mounting arms, and an opening is formed between two adjacent mounting arms.

[0014] According to the above scheme, excess powder on the powder supply plate can fall back into the mixing chamber through these openings, preventing the powder from scattering everywhere.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the stirring chamber has an inlet located at the lower part of the housing, and the plurality of stirring blades are configured to disperse powder fed into the stirring chamber from the inlet to both sides of the inlet.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the stirrer rotates at a single rotation angle of 540° in both the forward and reverse directions.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the discharge port has a second edge portion opposite to the first edge portion; the rotation of the powder supply plate within the mixing chamber includes rotation between a first position and a second position; in the first position, the powder supply plate is close to the first edge portion; in the second position, the powder supply plate is close to the second edge portion.

[0018] According to the above scheme, when the powder supply plate rotates between the first and second positions, it can pass through the entire interior of the mixing chamber, thereby eliminating the "dead zone" in the mixing chamber and effectively improving the utilization rate of the mixing chamber.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the rotation of the powder supply plate within the mixing chamber includes rotation between a first position and an origin position; the first edge portion is provided with a mechanical limiting mechanism, the mechanical limiting mechanism including a pair of stops; in the origin position, the powder supply plate contacts the pair of stops.

[0020] According to the above solution, the use of a mechanical limit mechanism can help the powder supply board identify the origin position, avoid accidents such as machine collisions, and the mechanical limit is stable and reliable with extremely low maintenance costs.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the stirring chamber includes an arcuate inner wall surface connecting the first edge portion and the second edge portion, and the body contacts or approaches the arcuate inner wall surface when rotating.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the powder mixing and conveying mechanism further includes: a powder collection chamber located in the housing and arranged side by side with the mixing chamber, the powder collection chamber being connected to the second edge portion.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the powder stirring and conveying mechanism further includes a heating module for heating the powder in the stirring chamber.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the powder mixing and conveying mechanism further includes: a rotary drive device disposed on the housing and located outside the mixing chamber, the rotary drive device including a motor, the motor being drively connected to the main shaft to provide the stirrer with power to rotate in both forward and reverse directions.

[0025] A second aspect of this application provides an additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a powder mixing and conveying mechanism as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof; a forming platform that is vertically movable relative to the discharge port; and a powder spreading mechanism for spreading powder provided by the powder supply plate onto the forming platform, the powder spreading mechanism including a powder spreading tool located above the forming platform and capable of moving laterally along the forming platform.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments of the second aspect, the powder spreading tool includes a powder spreading roller that can be driven to rotate, the powder spreading roller extending longitudinally.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments of the second aspect, the number of the powder mixing and conveying mechanisms is one pair and they are respectively arranged on both sides of the molding platform.

[0028] Other advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an additive manufacturing apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is an overall schematic diagram of a powder mixing and conveying mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stirring chamber provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a stirrer provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a powder supply plate provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Powder supply plate and Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the agitator after it has been combined;

[0035] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the powder supply plate in a first position according to one embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 8 A side view of a powder supply plate in a first position according to one embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the powder supply plate in a second position according to one embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 10 A side view of a powder supply plate in a second position according to one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 11 A side view of the powder supply plate at the origin position according to one embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application in a first state during operation; wherein the powder supply plate is in a second position;

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application in a second state during operation; wherein the powder supply plate is in the middle position.

[0042] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application in a third state during operation; wherein, the stirring blades rotate to the left side of the powder supply plate and contact the powder supply plate;

[0043] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the agitator and powder supply plate of this application in the fourth state during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is in the middle position two, and the powder spreading roller is located on the right side of the agitator chamber;

[0044] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the agitator and powder supply plate of this application in the fifth state during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is in the middle position two, and the powder spreading roller has moved to the left side of the agitator chamber;

[0045] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the sixth state of the agitator and powder supply plate of this application during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is in the first position, and the powder spreading roller is located on the left side of the agitator chamber;

[0046] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the seventh state of the agitator and powder supply plate of this application during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is in the first position, and the powder spreading roller has moved to the right side of the agitator chamber;

[0047] Figure 19This is a schematic diagram of the eighth state of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is at the origin position;

[0048] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the ninth state of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application during operation; wherein the powder supply plate is in the middle position three;

[0049] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application in the tenth state during operation; wherein, the stirring blades rotate to the right side of the powder supply plate and contact the powder supply plate;

[0050] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the eleventh state of the stirrer and powder supply plate of this application during operation; wherein, the powder supply plate is in the first position;

[0051] Among them: 100, additive manufacturing equipment; 1, feeding pipe; 2, forming platform; 3, powder mixing and conveying mechanism; 4, powder spreading mechanism; 41, powder spreading roller; 31, shell; 32, mixing chamber; 33, powder collection chamber; 34, agitator; 35, powder supply plate; 36, rotary drive device; 321, discharge port; 3211, first edge; 3212, second edge; 3213, arc-shaped inner wall; 322, feed port; 351, main body; 352, mounting arm; 353, opening; 38, mechanical limit mechanism; 381, stop block. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions of this application will now be clearly described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application.

[0054] It should be noted that the directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "horizontal," and "vertical" described in the embodiments of this application are used to describe the angles shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should be understood that when one element is mentioned as connecting to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to it through an intermediate element.

[0055] The powder mixing and conveying mechanism and additive manufacturing equipment proposed in this application embodiment can be applied to additive manufacturing processes. The powder material used in additive manufacturing can include at least one of polymer, metal powder or ceramic powder.

[0056] The terms “a” and “an” used in the following description are intended to mean at least one specific element. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and the term “including” means including but not limited to. The term “based on” means at least partially based on.

[0057] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an additive manufacturing apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. The additive manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a pair of vertically extending feeding pipes 1, a forming platform 2, a pair of powder mixing and conveying mechanisms 3, and a powder spreading mechanism 4. The forming platform 2 is located between the pair of powder mixing and conveying mechanisms 3, and the three are arranged in a transverse direction (in this example, "transverse" means left-right). The powder spreading mechanism 4 can translate laterally between the forming platform 2 and the pair of powder mixing and conveying mechanisms 3.

[0058] Each feeding pipe 1 is connected to the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3 at the top and to the powder supply bin (not shown in the figure) at the bottom. In order to continuously deliver the powder in the powder supply bin to the pair of powder mixing and conveying mechanisms 3, a mechanical transfer is also set between the two, typically a conveyor belt or screw conveyor; in this example, a screw conveyor is preferred for screw feeding to achieve uniform delivery of powder to the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3.

[0059] The forming platform 2 is commonly used to support printing jobs. Its material and structure need to be selected according to the specific printing model and usage scenario. The forming platform 2 is usually a metal platform, but it can also be a ceramic platform, glass platform, plastic platform, etc. Each time a layer of powder is laid on the forming platform 2, a printing job is performed. Afterward, the forming platform 2 will descend a certain height and wait for the next powder-laying job. In some embodiments, the forming platform is set slightly lower than the powder output position of the powder mixing and conveying mechanism. In these embodiments, the forming platform does not descend at the beginning of the printing job. Instead, it descends only after multiple powder-laying actions to fill the height difference between the forming platform and the powder output position, making the powder layer on the forming platform level with the powder output position.

[0060] The powder spreading mechanism 4 can evenly spread powder from the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3 onto the forming platform 2. In this example, one function of the powder spreading mechanism 4 is to push excess powder from the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3 back into the mixing chamber of the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3; another function of the powder spreading mechanism 4 is to evenly spread an appropriate amount of powder from the powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3 onto the forming platform. The powder spreading mechanism 4 includes at least one powder spreading tool; in this example, the powder spreading tool includes a powder spreading roller 41 that can be driven to rotate, and this powder spreading roller 41 extends longitudinally. The roller surface of the powder spreading roller 41 is usually made of a highly elastic, wear-resistant material, such as rubber or polyurethane; by means of the rotational movement of the powder spreading roller 41, the powder can be spread and dispersed. In addition, the rotational speed and direction of the powder spreading roller can be set to be adjustable to adapt to the dispersion requirements of different powder materials. In this example, the powder spreading roller 41 can reciprocate laterally between a pair of powder mixing and conveying mechanisms 3 and the forming platform 2. In some embodiments, the powder spreading roller 41 can be replaced by a scraper.

[0061] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 The powder mixing and conveying mechanism 3 includes a housing 31, a mixing chamber 32, a powder collection chamber 33, a stirrer 34, and a powder supply plate 35. The mixing chamber 32 and the powder collection chamber 33 are both located within the housing 31 and arranged side-by-side laterally, both capable of holding powder. The stirrer 34 is at least partially located within the mixing chamber 32 and can be driven by a rotary drive 36 to rotate in both forward and reverse directions. In this example, the rotary drive 36 is mounted on the outer wall of the housing 31 and may include a motor. The powder supply plate 35 is rotatably disposed within the mixing chamber 32.

[0062] The mixing chamber 32 has a discharge port 321 located on the upper part of the shell 31. The discharge port 321 has opposing first edge portions 3211 and second edge portions 3212, and an arc-shaped inner wall surface 3213 connecting the first edge portions 3211 and the second edge portions 3212. Both the first edge portions 3211 and the second edge portions 3212 extend in the longitudinal direction. The first edge portion 3211 can dock with the molding platform 2, and the powder collection chamber 33 docks with the second edge portion 3212.

[0063] The mixing chamber 32 has a feed inlet 322 located at the lower part of the housing 31. The upper part of the feeding pipe 1 is connected to the feed inlet 322, and the powder material can enter the mixing chamber 32 through the feed inlet 322. A heating module (not shown in the figure) is also provided at the lower part of the housing 31. The heating module covers the outer wall of the mixing chamber 32 to heat the powder in the mixing chamber 32. The heating module can keep the powder material in the mixing chamber 32 within a certain temperature.

[0064] See Figure 4The agitator 34 includes a longitudinally extending main shaft 341 and a plurality of agitator blades 342 fixed on the main shaft 341. The motor of the rotary drive device 36 is connected to the main shaft 341 to provide power for the main shaft 341 to rotate in both forward and reverse directions, and can simultaneously drive the plurality of agitator blades 342 to rotate in both directions. The agitator blades 342 are helical or flat helical in shape, configured to disperse powder fed into the mixing chamber 34 from the inlet 322 to both sides of the inlet 322, ensuring uniform distribution of the powder within the mixing chamber 32. Furthermore, the plurality of agitator blades 342 can also drive the powder supply plate 35 to rotate within a certain time period. In this example, the agitator 34 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions under the drive of the rotary drive device 36.

[0065] See Figure 5 The powder supply plate 35 includes a main body 351 capable of supporting powder and a plurality of mounting arms 352 extending from the main body 351. An opening 353 is formed between two adjacent mounting arms 352. These openings 353 allow powder falling from the main body 351 to return to the mixing chamber 32, and also help to reduce the weight of the powder supply plate 35, thereby reducing the load on the agitator 34. The powder supply plate 35 is configured to transport powder in the mixing chamber 32 to the first edge 3211 of the discharge port 321.

[0066] See Figure 6 Several mounting arms 352 are rotatably mounted on the main shaft 341; in this example, several mounting arms 352 are rotatably connected to the main shaft 341 via several bearings 354. The main body 351 contacts or approaches the arc-shaped inner wall surface 3213 when rotating.

[0067] like Figure 7-10 As shown, the rotation of the powder supply plate 35 within the stirring chamber 32 includes rotation between the second position, the first position, and the origin position; as Figure 7 and 8 As shown, the powder supply plate 35 is in the first position at this time, and the powder supply plate 35 is close to the first edge 3211; as Figure 9 and 10 As shown, the powder supply plate 35 is in the second position at this time, and the powder supply plate 35 is close to the second edge 3212. By means of the rotation of the powder supply plate 35 between the first position and the second position, the powder in the mixing chamber 32 can be continuously transported to the discharge port 321 for the powder spreading roller 41 to transfer to the forming platform 2.

[0068] During the operation of the stirrer 34, when rotating forward, the stirrer 34 can contact the powder supply plate 35 from one side and push the powder supply plate 35 to rotate forward within the stirring chamber 32, and when rotating in reverse, it can contact the powder supply plate 35 from the other side and push the powder supply plate 35 to rotate in reverse within the stirring chamber 32. In this example, several stirring blades 342 on the stirrer 34 will directly contact the powder supply plate 35 for a period of time during the forward and reverse rotation processes, thereby driving the rotation of the powder supply plate 35.

[0069] Continue as Figure 2 and 3 As shown, a mechanical limiting mechanism 38 is provided on the first edge portion 3211 of the discharge port 321. The mechanical limiting mechanism 38 includes a pair of stops 381.

[0070] like Figure 11 As shown, the powder supply plate 35 is currently in the origin position, contacting a pair of stops 381. This mechanical limiting method prevents the powder supply plate 35 from crossing the first edge 3211 of the discharge port 321 and colliding with the powder spreading roller 41, thus avoiding accidents. Furthermore, the mechanical limiting is stable, reliable, and has extremely low maintenance costs. On the other hand, by setting the origin position for the mechanical limit, in some embodiments, the change in the electrical signal caused by the motor stalling when the powder supply plate 35 contacts the mechanical limiting mechanism 38 can be used to identify whether the powder supply plate 35 has reached the origin position. In other preferred embodiments, a proximity switch sensor can be installed at the origin position to identify whether the powder supply plate 35 has reached the origin position. During operation, the powder mixing and conveying mechanism uses the agitator 34 shaft to evenly distribute the powder overflowing from the bottom inlet 322 to both sides, that is, to distribute it evenly along the longitudinal length of the mixing chamber 32. The agitator 34 reciprocates, ensuring uniform heating of the powder. Simultaneously, the agitator 34 rotates back and forth, and the powder supply plate 35, subjected to the thrust from the contact points of the agitator 34's blades 342 and its own gravity, also oscillates accordingly. The working process of the agitator 34 and the powder supply plate 35 is described below:

[0071] like Figure 12 As shown, the powder supply plate 35 is in the second working position, close to the second edge 3212 of the discharge port 321. After the agitator 34 is driven to rotate counterclockwise (i.e., in the opposite direction, the same below) by a certain angle, the agitator blades 342 of the agitator 34 leave the powder supply plate 35; the powder supply plate 35 is no longer supported by the agitator blades 342, but only by its own weight and the resistance of the powder at the bottom, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the powder supply plate 35 moves to the middle position by itself.

[0072] Subsequently, the stirring blades 342 of the stirrer 34 continue to rotate counterclockwise until they move to the left side of the powder supply plate 35 and contact the powder supply plate 35; as Figure 14 As shown, the stirring blade 342 will continuously rotate counterclockwise and provide a thrust to the powder supply plate 35, causing the powder supply plate 35 to drive the powder P at the bottom of the stirring chamber 32 to move as shown. Figure 15 At the second intermediate position shown, the stirrer 34 stops rotating, and the powder supply plate 35, supported by the stirring blades 342, will stop; as shown... Figure 16 As shown, at this time, the driving powder spreading roller 41 moves laterally from right to left, so that the portion of powder P1 on the powder supply plate 35 that extends beyond the plane of the discharge port 321 will be removed from the powder supply plate 35 and sent back to the mixing chamber 32; as Figure 17 As shown, after the powder spreading roller 41 removes powder P1, the stirring blade 342 will continue to rotate counterclockwise and push the powder supply plate 35 and the powder P2 on it to the first position, as shown. Figure 18 As shown, in this first position, the agitator 34 stops rotating, the powder supply plate 35, supported by the agitator blades 342, stops, and the powder spreading roller 41 moves laterally from left to right, transferring the powder P2 from the powder supply plate 35 onto the forming platform 2. Figure 19 As shown, when the powder spreading roller 41 leaves the mixing chamber 32, the agitator 34 continues to rotate counterclockwise, pushing the powder supply plate 35 so that the powder supply plate 35 contacts a pair of stops 381 of the mechanical limiting mechanism, that is, the powder supply plate 35 is located at the origin position. In other embodiments, the above-mentioned step of locating the powder supply plate 35 at the origin position may be performed once after a certain number of powder conveying operations, or it may be performed only during the power-on self-test.

[0073] After the powder supply plate 35 returns to its original position, the stirrer 34 will rotate clockwise (i.e., in the forward direction). At this time, the powder supply plate 35, under the influence of gravity, will also rotate clockwise until... Figure 20 The third intermediate position (which may be the same as or different from the first intermediate position, depending on the gravity acting on the powder supply plate 35 and the powder resistance at the bottom of the mixing chamber) stops moving due to the powder obstruction at the bottom of the mixing chamber. The powder supply plate 35 will then remain at this third intermediate position. At this time, the stirrer 34 continues to rotate clockwise until it rotates to the right side of the powder supply plate 35, as shown. Figure 21 As shown; at this time, the stirring blades 342 of the stirrer 34 contact the powder supply plate 35; thereafter, the stirrer 34 continues to rotate clockwise and pushes the powder supply plate 35 to move clockwise until the powder supply plate 35 returns to the position shown. Figure 22 The second position shown.

[0074] In this way, the powder supply plate 35 completes one powder conveying process. During this process, the powder supply plate 35 rotates 180° counterclockwise and 180° clockwise, while the agitator 34 rotates 540° counterclockwise and 540° clockwise. During the rotation of the powder supply plate 35, the rotational power comes from its own gravity in some stages and from the pushing force of the agitator blades 342 in others, and its rotation process is stable.

[0075] This solution uses a single transmission mechanism to complete the powder mixing and powder feeding processes, reducing equipment manufacturing costs, maintenance costs, and customer production costs. Furthermore, it uses mechanical limiters to identify the direction of the powder supply plate 35, preventing accidents such as collisions. The mechanical limiters are stable and reliable, with extremely low maintenance costs.

[0076] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims, specification, and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A powder mixing and conveying mechanism for supplying powder to the forming platform of an additive manufacturing equipment, characterized in that, The powder mixing and conveying mechanism includes: case; A mixing chamber located within the housing and capable of holding powder, the mixing chamber having a discharge port located at the upper part of the housing, the discharge port having a first edge portion, the first edge portion being configured to dock with the molding platform; A stirrer, which is at least partially located within the stirring chamber and can be driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions, the stirrer comprising a main shaft and a plurality of stirring blades fixed to the main shaft; A powder supply plate is configured to transport powder from the mixing chamber to the discharge port. The powder supply plate is rotatably disposed within the mixing chamber and includes a body capable of supporting the powder and at least one mounting arm extending from the body. The at least one mounting arm is rotatably disposed on the main shaft. The agitator is configured to contact the powder supply plate from one side and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the mixing chamber in the forward direction during forward rotation, and to contact the powder supply plate from the other side and push the powder supply plate to rotate in the reverse direction during reverse rotation.

2. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple mounting arms, and an opening is formed between two adjacent mounting arms.

3. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stirring chamber has a feed inlet located at the lower part of the housing, and the plurality of stirring blades are configured to disperse powder fed into the stirring chamber from the feed inlet to both sides of the feed inlet.

4. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge port has a second edge portion, which is opposite to the first edge portion; the rotation of the powder supply plate within the mixing chamber includes rotation between a first position and a second position; In the first position, the powder supply plate is close to the first edge; in the second position, the powder supply plate is close to the second edge.

5. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rotation of the powder supply plate within the mixing chamber includes rotation between a first position and an origin position; the first edge is provided with a mechanical limiting mechanism, which includes a pair of stops; in the origin position, the powder supply plate contacts the pair of stops.

6. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The stirring chamber includes an arc-shaped inner wall surface connecting the first edge portion and the second edge portion, and the main body contacts or approaches the arc-shaped inner wall surface when rotating.

7. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: A powder collection chamber is located in the housing and is arranged side by side with the stirring chamber, and the powder collection chamber is connected to the second edge portion.

8. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A heating module is used to heat the powder inside the stirring chamber.

9. The powder mixing and conveying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A rotary drive device, which is mounted on the housing and located outside the stirring chamber, includes a motor that is drivenly connected to the main shaft to provide power to the stirrer for rotation in both forward and reverse directions.

10. An additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, include: The powder mixing and conveying mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-9 above; A forming platform that can be raised and lowered relative to the discharge port; as well as A powder spreading mechanism for spreading powder supplied by the powder supply plate into the molding platform, the powder spreading mechanism including a powder spreading tool located above the molding platform and capable of moving laterally along the molding platform.

11. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, The powder spreading tool includes a powder spreading roller that can be driven to rotate, the powder spreading roller extending longitudinally.

12. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, The powder mixing and conveying mechanism is a pair and is respectively located on both sides of the molding platform.

Images