Multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of 3D printing ink supply. An ink return cavity, an ink return buffer cavity, an ink inlet buffer cavity, an ink inlet cavity, nozzle containing cavities and a pump containing cavity are formed in a heating base, and a plurality of nozzle bodies are placed in the nozzle containing cavities correspondingly; the pump circulation component is placed in the pump containing cavity, the nozzle bodies and the pump circulation component can be integrated in the heating base, the structure is compact, the size is smaller, it is ensured that media are printed in the multiple nozzle bodies at equal temperature, equal pressure difference and equal flow, communication channels between the cavities are all formed in the heating base, no pipeline needs to be additionally arranged, and the cost is reduced. And when the whole heating base is heated, heat can be transferred into all the cavities, it is guaranteed that the whole device operates at the unified temperature, pressure fluctuation of the meniscus can be reduced through the arrangement of the buffering cavity, it is guaranteed that the ink supply flow is more stable, and the ink supply effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing ink supply, and in particular to a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, most MJP 3D printers use a single nozzle to print models. When printing models with larger formats, the nozzle or printing platform needs to be moved to compensate for the printing width of the nozzle, so that the printer must maintain high-frequency mechanical reciprocating motion, which increases the repeated positioning error and has the disadvantages of low printing efficiency and poor printing effect. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system and a control method thereof, so as to alleviate the technical problems of low printing efficiency and poor printing effect of traditional single-nozzle printers in the prior art.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system, comprising: a heating base, a nozzle body and a pump circulation component;

[0005] The heating base is configured to be heated as a whole, and an ink return chamber, an ink return buffer chamber, an ink inlet buffer chamber, an ink inlet chamber, a nozzle accommodating chamber and a pump accommodating chamber are formed in the heating base;

[0006] The nozzle body is provided in plurality corresponding to the nozzle accommodating chamber, the plurality of nozzle bodies are arranged one by one in the nozzle accommodating chamber, and the pump circulation component is arranged in the pump accommodating chamber;

[0007] The ink return chamber is communicated with the ink return buffer chamber, the ink return buffer chamber is communicated with the inlet of the pump circulation component, the outlet of the pump circulation component is communicated with the ink inlet buffer chamber, the ink inlet buffer chamber is communicated with the ink inlet chamber, the ink inlet chamber is communicated with the inlet of the nozzle body, and the outlet of the nozzle body is communicated with the ink return chamber;

[0008] The connecting passage between the ink return chamber and the ink return buffer chamber, the connecting passage between the ink return buffer chamber and the pump circulation component, the connecting passage between the pump circulation component and the ink inlet buffer chamber, and the connecting passage between the ink inlet buffer chamber and the ink inlet chamber are all opened in the heating base.

[0009] In an alternative embodiment,

[0010] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes an ink path distributor;

[0011] The ink distributor is higher than the heating base;

[0012] The ink path distributor is connected to the ink inlet chamber, the ink return chamber and the plurality of nozzle bodies respectively, and is configured to distribute the liquid in the ink inlet chamber to each of the nozzle bodies, and to collect and transport the liquid that has not been sprayed in each of the nozzle bodies to the ink return chamber.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment,

[0014] The ink distributor is provided with an ink inlet main pipe, an ink outlet main pipe, a plurality of ink inlet branch pipes and a plurality of ink outlet branch pipes;

[0015] The ink inlet cavity is connected to the ink inlet main pipe, the ink inlet main pipe is connected to a plurality of ink inlet branch pipes, and the plurality of ink inlet branch pipes are respectively connected to a plurality of inlets of the nozzle main bodies;

[0016] The outlets of the plurality of nozzle bodies are respectively connected to the plurality of ink outlet branch pipes, the plurality of ink outlet branch pipes are all connected to the ink outlet main pipe, and the ink outlet main pipe is connected to the ink return cavity.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment,

[0018] The length and diameter of the plurality of ink inlet branch tubes are the same, and the length and diameter of the plurality of ink outlet branch tubes are the same.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment,

[0020] The pump circulation component includes an ink pump component, an ink pump one-way valve and an ink pump joint;

[0021] The ink pump one-way valve and the ink pump joint are both arranged in the pump accommodating chamber, and the bottom of the ink pump component extends into the pump accommodating chamber;

[0022] The ink return buffer chamber is communicated with the inlet end of the ink pump one-way valve, the outlet end of the ink pump one-way valve is communicated with the ink pump component, and the ink pump component is communicated with the ink inlet chamber through the ink pump joint.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment,

[0024] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a filtering device;

[0025] A filter placement cavity is formed in the heating base, the filter device is arranged in the filter placement cavity, and the filter device is arranged between the ink pump joint and the ink inlet buffer cavity.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment,

[0027] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a first air box and a second air box;

[0028] The first air box is connected to the ink inlet cavity through a first air path, a first switching valve is provided on the first air path, and the first air box is connected to a first negative pressure pump so that the first air box provides negative pressure for the ink inlet cavity;

[0029] The second air box is connected to the ink return chamber through a second air path, a second switching valve is provided on the second air path, and the second air box is connected to a second negative pressure pump so that the second air box provides negative pressure for the ink return chamber;

[0030] The first switching valve and the second switching valve are communicated with two ends of a third air circuit respectively, and the third air circuit is connected to a positive pressure pump so that the third air circuit provides positive pressure to the ink inlet chamber and the ink return chamber respectively.

[0031] In an alternative embodiment,

[0032] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a base end cover;

[0033] The base end cover is disposed on the heating base, and the base end cover has a plurality of notches, and the notches are used to connect the nozzle body with the ink distributor;

[0034] The base end cover is provided with an ink inlet air path joint, and the first air path is connected with the ink inlet cavity through the ink inlet air path joint;

[0035] An ink return air path connector is provided on the end cover of the base, and the second air path is connected to the ink return cavity through the ink return air path connector.

[0036] In the second aspect, based on the control method of the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system,

[0037] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a printing state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box to the ink return chamber is greater than the negative pressure value provided by the first air box to the ink inlet chamber;

[0038] The first switching valve switches to a state where the first air path is connected to the ink inlet chamber, and the second switching valve switches to a state where the second air path is connected to the ink return chamber, so that the pressure difference generated by the first air box and the second air box causes the liquid to circulate among the ink return chamber, the pump circulation component, the filter device, the ink inlet chamber, and the nozzle body;

[0039] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in the power-on protection state, the temperature of the ink return chamber, the ink inlet chamber and the nozzle body is detected. When the detected liquid temperature is greater than or equal to the temperature that ensures the fluid is in a liquid state, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system switches to the printing state;

[0040] When the detected liquid temperature is lower than the temperature for ensuring the fluid is in liquid state, the heating base is heated;

[0041] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a dormant state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box to the ink return chamber is equal to the negative pressure value provided by the first air box to the ink inlet chamber, so that the nozzle body does not drip ink;

[0042] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in the ink pressing state, the first switching valve is switched to the state where the third air path is connected to the ink inlet chamber, and the second switching valve is switched to the state where the third air path is connected to the ink return chamber, so as to provide positive pressure to the ink inlet chamber and the ink return chamber through the positive pressure pump and the third air path to pressurize the ink on the nozzle body.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment,

[0044] The first gas box and the second gas box are connected through a fourth gas path, and a balancing valve is provided on the fourth gas path;

[0045] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a power-off state, the balancing valve is opened, the first switching valve is switched to a state where the first air path is connected to the ink inlet chamber, and the second switching valve is switched to a state where the second air path is connected to the ink return chamber.

[0046] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided by the present invention, by arranging an ink return chamber, an ink return buffer chamber, an ink feed buffer chamber, an ink feed chamber, a nozzle accommodating chamber and a pump accommodating chamber in a heating base, a plurality of nozzle bodies are respectively placed in the plurality of nozzle accommodating chambers, and a pump circulation component is placed in the pump accommodating chamber, so that the nozzle bodies and the pump circulation component can be integrated in the heating base, and the structure is compact and the volume is smaller, ensuring that the medium is printed at the same temperature, pressure difference and flow rate in the plurality of nozzle bodies, and because the connecting channels between the chambers are all opened in the heating base, there is no need to set up additional pipelines, which further reduces the volume, and when the heating base is heated as a whole, the heat can be transferred to each chamber to ensure that the whole device operates at a uniform temperature, and the setting of the buffer chamber can reduce the meniscus pressure fluctuation, ensure that the ink supply flow rate is more stable, and the ink supply effect is better, alleviating the technical problems of low printing efficiency and poor printing effect of traditional single-nozzle printers in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0048] Figure 1 An exploded view of the overall structure of a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the principle of a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Icons: 11-first air box; 12-second air box; 21-first air circuit; 22-second air circuit; 23-third air circuit; 24-fourth air circuit; 31-first negative pressure pump; 32-second negative pressure pump; 33-positive pressure pump; 41-first switching valve; 42-second switching valve; 43-balancing valve; 51-first pressure relief pipeline; 52-second pressure relief pipeline; 61-first air pressure sensor; 62-second air pressure sensor; 63-third air pressure sensor; 71-first temperature sensor; 81-first liquid level switch; 82-second liquid level switch; 100-heating base; 110-ink return chamber; 120-ink return buffer chamber; 13 0-ink inlet buffer chamber; 140-ink inlet chamber; 150-nozzle accommodating chamber; 160-pump accommodating chamber; 170-filter placement chamber; 180-ink return main ink path; 190-ink inlet main ink path; 200-nozzle body; 300-pump circulation component; 310-ink pump component; 320-ink pump one-way valve; 330-ink pump connector; 400-ink path distributor; 410-ink inlet main pipe; 420-ink outlet main pipe; 430-ink inlet branch pipe; 440-ink outlet branch pipe; 500-filter device; 600-base end cover; 601-ink inlet air path connector; 602-ink return air path connector; 610-sealing pad; 700-ink inlet pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] The terms “first”, “second” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0055] The specific implementation of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described here is only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and is not used to limit the present invention.

[0056] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the arrow in the figure indicates the direction of liquid flow. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided in this embodiment includes: a heating base 100, a nozzle body 200 and a pump circulation component 300; the heating base 100 is configured to be heated as a whole and to conduct heat to ensure the temperature consistency of the overall system, and an ink return chamber 110, an ink return buffer chamber 120, an ink inlet buffer chamber 130, an ink inlet chamber 140, a nozzle accommodating chamber 150 and a pump accommodating chamber 160 are formed in the heating base 100, and an ink inlet tube 700 is installed on the heating base 100, and external liquid enters the ink return chamber 110 through the ink inlet tube 700 There are multiple nozzle bodies 200 corresponding to the nozzle accommodating chamber 150, and the multiple nozzle bodies 200 are arranged one by one in the nozzle accommodating chamber 150. The temperature of the nozzle body 200 is provided by the heating base 100 through heat conduction. In addition, the number of nozzle bodies 200 is set to three, and the three nozzle bodies are arranged in an alternating manner. Multiple nozzle bodies can also be arranged according to actual conditions. The pump circulation component 300 is arranged in the pump accommodating chamber 160, and the ink return chamber 110, the ink return buffer chamber 120, the ink inlet buffer chamber 130, the ink inlet chamber 140, the nozzle accommodating chamber 150 and the pump accommodating chamber 160 are all formed by the depression of the top surface of the heating base 100.

[0057] The external ink enters into the ink return chamber 110, the liquid in the ink return chamber 110 can enter into the ink return buffer chamber 120 through the connecting channel, the liquid in the ink return buffer chamber 120 can enter into the ink inlet buffer chamber 130 through the pump circulation component 300, the liquid in the ink inlet buffer chamber 130 can enter into the ink inlet chamber 140 through the connecting channel, the liquid in the ink inlet chamber 140 can flow into each nozzle body 200, the liquid in each nozzle body 200 that is not sprayed can flow back into the ink return chamber 110, the setting of the buffer chamber can stabilize the liquid pressure fluctuation, thereby ensuring the stability of the ink supply flow rate.

[0058] The connecting passage between the ink return chamber 110 and the ink return buffer chamber 120, the connecting passage between the ink return buffer chamber 120 and the pump circulation component 300, the connecting passage between the pump circulation component 300 and the ink inlet buffer chamber 130, and the connecting passage between the ink inlet buffer chamber 130 and the ink inlet chamber 140 are all opened in the heating base 100, so that the liquid only flows in the heating base 100, and the heating base 100 can be heated as a whole, thereby ensuring the temperature stability of the liquid in the heating base 100.

[0059] In addition, the number of the ink return chamber 110, the ink return buffer chamber 120, the ink inlet chamber 140, the ink inlet buffer chamber 130 and the pump circulation component 300 depends on the type of ink and the model of the nozzle body 200. For example, the ink return chamber 110, the ink inlet chamber 140 and the pump circulation component 300 are each provided with two groups, one group is used for spraying structural ink, and the other group is used for spraying supporting ink. Adaptive adjustments can be made according to actual conditions.

[0060] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided in the present embodiment provides an ink return chamber 110, an ink return buffer chamber 120, an ink inlet buffer chamber 130, an ink inlet chamber 140, a nozzle accommodating chamber 150 and a pump accommodating chamber 160 in a heating base 100, and a plurality of nozzle bodies 200 are respectively placed in the plurality of nozzle accommodating chambers 150, and a pump circulation component 300 is placed in the pump accommodating chamber 160, so that the nozzle bodies 200 and the pump circulation component 300 can be integrated in the heating base 100, which has a compact structure and a smaller volume, ensuring that the medium is circulated in the plurality of nozzles. Printing is performed at an equal temperature, equal pressure difference and equal flow rate in the main body 200, and since the connecting channels between the chambers are opened in the heating base 100, there is no need to set up additional pipes, which further reduces the volume. When the heating base 100 is heated as a whole, the heat can be transferred to each chamber to ensure that the entire device operates at a uniform temperature. The setting of the buffer chamber can reduce the pressure fluctuation of the meniscus, ensure that the ink supply flow rate is more stable, and the ink supply effect is better, which alleviates the technical problems of low printing efficiency and poor printing effect of traditional single-nozzle printers in the prior art.

[0061] On the basis of the above embodiments, in an optional implementation manner, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided in this embodiment also includes an ink path distributor 400; the ink path distributor 400 is respectively connected to the ink inlet chamber 140, the ink return chamber 110 and a plurality of nozzle bodies 200, and the ink path distributor 400 is configured to be able to distribute the liquid in the ink inlet chamber 140 to each nozzle body 200, and to be able to collect and transport the liquid that has not been sprayed in each nozzle body 200 to the ink return chamber 110.

[0062] Specifically, the ink path distributor 400 is provided with an ink inlet main pipe 410, an ink outlet main pipe 420, multiple ink inlet branch pipes 430 and multiple ink outlet branch pipes 440. The liquid flowing out of the ink inlet chamber 140 enters the ink inlet main pipe 410. Since the ink inlet main pipe 410 is connected with the multiple ink inlet branch pipes 430, the liquid in the ink inlet main pipe 410 enters into the multiple nozzle bodies 200 through the multiple ink inlet branch pipes 430; the liquid that is not sprayed out of the nozzle body 200 enters into the ink outlet main pipe 420 through the respectively connected ink outlet branch pipes 440, and enters into the ink return chamber 110 through the ink outlet main pipe 420.

[0063] The heating base 100 is provided with an ink return main ink path 180 and an ink inlet main ink path 190. The ink inlet cavity 140 is connected with the ink inlet main ink path 190. The liquid in the ink inlet cavity 140 enters the ink inlet main pipe 410 through the ink inlet main ink path 190. The ink return main ink path 180 is connected with the ink return cavity 110. The liquid in the ink outlet main pipe 420 enters the ink return cavity 110 through the ink return main ink path 180. In this embodiment, due to space limitations, the ink inlet cavity 140 is designed as two small ink inlet cavities 140a and 140b. The ink inlet cavity 140 is arranged on both sides of the ink inlet buffer cavity 130, and the ink inlet main ink path 190 is arranged between the ink inlet cavities 140a and 140b. In addition, the length and diameter dimensions of the multiple ink inlet branch tubes 430 are the same, and the length and diameter dimensions of the multiple ink outlet branch tubes 440 are the same, ensuring that the multiple ink inlet branch tubes 430 and the multiple ink outlet branch tubes 440 are set to be equal in length and diameter, ensuring that the liquid enters the nozzle body 200 in equal parts.

[0064] The pump circulation component 300 specifically includes an ink pump component 310, an ink pump one-way valve 320 and an ink pump connector 330; the ink pump one-way valve 320 and the ink pump connector 330 are both arranged in the pump accommodating chamber 160, the bottom of the ink pump component 310 extends into the pump accommodating chamber 160, and the top of the ink pump component 310 extends out of the pump accommodating chamber 160; the liquid in the ink return buffer chamber 120 enters the ink pump component 310 through the ink pump one-way valve 320, and the liquid in the ink pump component 310 flows to the ink inlet chamber 140 through the ink pump connector 330.

[0065] In an optional embodiment, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a filtering device 500; a filtering placement cavity 170 is formed in the heating base 100, and the filtering device 500 is arranged in the filtering placement cavity 170, and the filtering device 500 is arranged between the ink pump connector 330 and the ink inlet buffer cavity 130, and the liquid flowing out of the ink pump connector 330 enters the ink inlet buffer cavity 130 after passing through the filtering device 500.

[0066] In an optional embodiment, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a first air box 11 and a second air box 12; the first air box 11 is connected to the ink inlet chamber 140 through a first air path 21, and a first switching valve 41 is provided on the first air path 21. The first air box 11 is connected to a first negative pressure pump 31 so that the first air box 11 provides negative pressure for the ink inlet chamber 140.

[0067] The second air box 12 is connected to the ink return chamber 110 through the second air path 22 . A second switching valve 42 is provided on the second air path 22 . The second air box 12 is connected to a second negative pressure pump 32 so that the second air box 12 provides negative pressure for the ink return chamber 110 .

[0068] The first switching valve 41 and the second switching valve 42 are respectively connected to the two ends of the third air circuit 23. The first switching valve 41 is used to control the ink inlet chamber 140 to be connected to the first air circuit 21 or the third air circuit 23. The second switching valve 42 is used to control the ink return chamber 110 to be connected to the second air circuit 22 or the third air circuit 23.

[0069] The third air path 23 is connected to a positive pressure pump 33 , which generates positive pressure so that the third air path 23 provides positive pressure to the ink inlet cavity 140 and the ink return cavity 110 .

[0070] In addition, a first temperature sensor 71, a first liquid level switch 81 and a first air pressure sensor 61 are provided on the ink inlet chamber 140, and a second liquid level switch 82 and a second air pressure sensor 62 are provided on the ink return chamber 110. The first liquid level switch 81 and the second liquid level switch 82 extend through the heating base 100 into the ink inlet chamber 140 and the ink return chamber 110 respectively. The installation method of the temperature sensor, the liquid level switch and the air pressure sensor is well known in the art and will not be repeated here.

[0071] In addition, the first gas box 11 is connected to a first pressure relief pipeline 51 on which a pressure relief valve is provided, and the second gas box 12 is connected to a second pressure relief pipeline 52 on which a pressure relief valve is provided.

[0072] In an optional embodiment, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a base end cover 600; the base end cover 600 is covered on the heating base 100, and a sealing gasket 610 is provided between the base end cover 600 and the heating base 100, and the base end cover 600 has a plurality of notches, and the notches are used to connect the nozzle body 200 with the ink path distributor 400.

[0073] An ink inlet air path connector 601 is provided on the base end cover 600 , and the first air path 21 is connected to the ink inlet chamber 140 via the ink inlet air path connector 601 . An ink return air path connector 602 is provided on the base end cover 600 , and the second air path 22 is connected to the ink return chamber 110 via the ink return air path connector 602 .

[0074] In an optional embodiment, when the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a printing state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box 12 to the ink return chamber 110 is greater than the negative pressure value provided by the first air box 11 to the ink inlet chamber 140; the first switching valve 41 switches to a state in which the first air path 21 is connected to the ink inlet chamber 140, and the second switching valve 42 switches to a state in which the second air path 22 is connected to the ink return chamber 110, so that the pressure difference generated by the first air box 11 and the second air box 12 causes the liquid to circulate between the ink return chamber 110, the pump circulation component 300, the filter device 500, the ink inlet chamber 140 and the nozzle body 200.

[0075] The liquid in the ink inlet chamber 140 during circulation enters the ink return chamber 110 through circulation, triggering the second liquid level switch 82 , thereby triggering the ink pump component 310 to work and open the one-way valve to pass through the filter device 500 .

[0076] The first gas box 11 and the second gas box 12 are designed to eliminate air pressure fluctuations and remove bubbles in the fluid and ensure the temperature stability of the fluid through high-speed flow. When the upper limit value set by the second liquid level switch 82 is triggered, the air pressure difference is adjusted to zero and the software reports an error protection.

[0077] Figure 2 It is an ink path diagram, and the arrow indicates the ink path direction. As shown in the figure, the ink path process is: ink return chamber 110 - ink return buffer chamber 120 - ink pump one-way valve 320 - ink pump component 310 - ink pump joint 330 - filter device 500 - ink inlet buffer chamber 130 - ink inlet chamber 140 - ink inlet main ink path 190 - ink path distributor 400 - equally divided into multiple nozzle bodies - ink path distributor 400 - ink return main ink path 180 - ink return chamber 110.

[0078] By circulating the nozzle body 200, using the air pressure difference between the ink inlet chamber 140 and the ink return chamber 110, the absolute value of the negative pressure of the ink return chamber 110 is greater than the absolute value of the negative pressure of the ink inlet chamber 140, and the ink is sucked from the ink inlet chamber 140 into the ink inlet end of the nozzle body 200 through siphoning, and then the ink is discharged from the ink outlet end of the nozzle body into the ink return chamber 110, and then the ink pump component 310 transports the ink in the ink return chamber 110 to the ink inlet chamber 140, so that the liquid levels of the ink return chamber 110 and the ink inlet chamber 140 are balanced. The entire ink circuit cycle is in continuous operation, which can take away the sediment near the nozzle of the nozzle body 200 and improve the nozzle blockage phenomenon. Through the design of the ink path distributor, the height of the ink inlet and outlet of the nozzle body 200 can be increased. The ink inlet chamber 140 adopts the siphon principle to supply ink to the nozzle. The positions of the ink inlet and outlet of the nozzle body 200 are higher than the liquid levels of the ink inlet chamber 140 and the ink return chamber 110. When the nozzle body is replaced, there will be no liquid leakage.

[0079] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in the power-on protection state, the temperature of the ink return chamber 110, the ink inlet chamber 140 and the nozzle body 200 is detected. When the detected liquid temperature is greater than or equal to the temperature that ensures that the fluid is in liquid state, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system switches to the printing state, and the first negative pressure pump 31 and the second negative pressure pump 32 start working. The air pressure difference increases slowly and circulates slowly.

[0080] When the detected liquid temperature is lower than the temperature required to ensure that the fluid is in liquid state, the heating base 100 needs to be heated. Specifically, the heating time required for the ink chamber fluid and the nozzle is dynamically determined based on the solid-liquid heating curve of the fluid, the heating and heat transfer design of the ink chamber and nozzle, and related empirical parameters. Generally, the set temperature Ta is reached first, and the temperature is maintained for a certain period of time to ensure that the fluid is in liquid state.

[0081] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a dormant state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box 12 to the ink return chamber 110 is equal to the negative pressure value provided by the first air box 11 to the ink inlet chamber 140, and the liquid does not circulate, so that the nozzle body 200 does not drip ink.

[0082] When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in the ink pressing state, the first switching valve 41 switches to the third air circuit 23 and the ink inlet chamber 140 are connected, and the second switching valve 42 switches to the third air circuit 23 and the ink return chamber 110 are connected. Positive pressure is provided to the ink inlet chamber 140 and the ink return chamber 110 through the positive pressure pump 33 and the third air circuit 23. The working speed of the positive pressure pump 33 is adjusted according to the value of the third air pressure sensor 63 on the third air circuit 23 to ensure a certain pressure, so as to press ink on the nozzle body 200.

[0083] Optionally, a fourth air circuit 24 is also provided, through which the first air box 11 and the second air box 12 are connected, and a balancing valve 43 is provided on the fourth air circuit 24; when the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a power-off state, the balancing valve 43 is opened, the first switching valve 41 is switched to a state in which the first air circuit 21 is connected to the ink inlet chamber 140, and the second switching valve 42 is switched to a state in which the second air circuit 22 is connected to the ink return chamber 110, so that the pressure difference is zero to stop the circulation, and the nozzle body 200 also maintains an appropriate negative pressure so that ink will not drip, thereby preventing waste of materials.

[0084] The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system provided in this embodiment has multiple nozzle bodies 200 integrated in the heating base 100, which does not need to heat each nozzle body 200 separately, shortens the flow channel length, and further reduces the occupied space. The nozzle body 200 does not leak when disassembled, has low cost, reduces the size of the whole machine, and is easy to maintain. In addition, the overall system is integrated and integrated, with a more compact structure, and can be applied to a variety of 3D printing equipment.

[0085] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system, characterized in that: include: A heating base (100), a nozzle body (200) and a pump circulation component (300); The heating base (100) is configured to be heated as a whole, and an ink return chamber (110), an ink return buffer chamber (120), an ink inlet buffer chamber (130), an ink inlet chamber (140), a nozzle accommodating chamber (150) and a pump accommodating chamber (160) are formed in the heating base (100); A plurality of the nozzle bodies (200) are provided corresponding to the nozzle accommodating chamber (150), the plurality of nozzle bodies (200) are arranged one by one in the nozzle accommodating chamber (150), and the pump circulation component (300) is arranged in the pump accommodating chamber (160); The ink return chamber (110) is communicated with the ink return buffer chamber (120), the ink return buffer chamber (120) is communicated with the inlet of the pump circulation component (300), the outlet of the pump circulation component (300) is communicated with the ink inlet buffer chamber (130), the ink inlet buffer chamber (130) is communicated with the ink inlet chamber (140), the ink inlet chamber (140) is communicated with the inlet of the nozzle body (200), and the outlet of the nozzle body (200) is communicated with the ink return chamber (110); The connecting passage between the ink return chamber (110) and the ink return buffer chamber (120), the connecting passage between the ink return buffer chamber (120) and the pump circulation component (300), the connecting passage between the pump circulation component (300) and the ink inlet buffer chamber (130), and the connecting passage between the ink inlet buffer chamber (130) and the ink inlet chamber (140) are all opened in the heating base (100).

2. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes an ink path distributor (400); The ink path distributor (400) is higher than the heating base (100); The ink path distributor (400) is respectively connected to the ink inlet chamber (140), the ink return chamber (110) and the plurality of nozzle bodies (200). The ink path distributor (400) is configured to distribute the liquid in the ink inlet chamber (140) to each of the nozzle bodies (200), and to collect and transport the liquid that has not been sprayed in each of the nozzle bodies (200) to the ink return chamber (110).

3. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ink distributor (400) is provided with an ink inlet main pipe (410), an ink outlet main pipe (420), a plurality of ink inlet branch pipes (430) and a plurality of ink outlet branch pipes (440); The ink inlet cavity (140) is in communication with the ink inlet main pipe (410), the ink inlet main pipe (410) is in communication with a plurality of ink inlet branch pipes (430), and the plurality of ink inlet branch pipes (430) are respectively in communication with a plurality of inlets of the nozzle main bodies (200); The outlets of the plurality of nozzle bodies (200) are respectively connected to the plurality of ink outlet branch pipes (440), the plurality of ink outlet branch pipes (440) are all connected to the ink outlet main pipe (420), and the ink outlet main pipe (420) is connected to the ink return chamber (110).

4. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length dimensions and diameter dimensions of the plurality of ink inlet branch pipes (430) are the same, and the length dimensions and diameter dimensions of the plurality of ink outlet branch pipes (440) are the same.

5. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pump circulation component (300) comprises an ink pump component (310), an ink pump one-way valve (320) and an ink pump joint (330); The ink pump one-way valve (320) and the ink pump connector (330) are both arranged in the pump accommodating chamber (160), and the bottom of the ink pump component (310) extends into the pump accommodating chamber (160); The ink return buffer chamber (120) is connected to the inlet end of the ink pump one-way valve (320), the outlet end of the ink pump one-way valve (320) is connected to the ink pump component (310), and the ink pump component (310) is connected to the ink inlet chamber (140) through the ink pump joint (330).

6. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a filtering device (500); A filter placement cavity (170) is formed in the heating base (100), the filter device (500) is arranged in the filter placement cavity (170), and the filter device (500) is arranged between the ink pump connector (330) and the ink inlet buffer cavity (130).

7. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a first air box (11) and a second air box (12); The first air box (11) is connected to the ink inlet chamber (140) through a first air path (21), a first switching valve (41) is provided on the first air path (21), and the first air box (11) is connected to a first negative pressure pump (31) so that the first air box (11) provides negative pressure for the ink inlet chamber (140); The second air box (12) is connected to the ink return chamber (110) via a second air path (22); a second switching valve (42) is provided on the second air path (22); the second air box (12) is connected to a second negative pressure pump (32) so that the second air box (12) provides negative pressure for the ink return chamber (110); The first switching valve (41) and the second switching valve (42) are respectively connected to the two ends of the third air circuit (23), and the third air circuit (23) is connected to a positive pressure pump (33) so that the third air circuit (23) provides positive pressure to the ink inlet chamber (140) and the ink return chamber (110) respectively.

8. The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system also includes a base end cover (600); The base end cover (600) is disposed on the heating base (100), and the base end cover (600) has a plurality of notches, and the notches are used to connect the nozzle body (200) with the ink path distributor (400); The base end cover (600) is provided with an ink inlet air path connector (601), and the first air path (21) is connected to the ink inlet cavity (140) through the ink inlet air path connector (601); An ink return air path connector (602) is provided on the base end cover (600), and the second air path (22) is connected to the ink return chamber (110) via the ink return air path connector (602).

9. A control method for a multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a printing state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box (12) to the ink return chamber (110) is greater than the negative pressure value provided by the first air box (11) to the ink inlet chamber (140); The first switching valve (41) switches to a state where the first air path (21) is connected to the ink inlet chamber (140), and the second switching valve (42) switches to a state where the second air path (22) is connected to the ink return chamber (110), so that the pressure difference generated by the first air box (11) and the second air box (12) causes the liquid to circulate among the ink return chamber (110), the pump circulation component (300), the filter device (500), the ink inlet chamber (140) and the nozzle body (200); When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a power-on protection state, the temperature of the ink return chamber (110), the ink inlet chamber (140) and the nozzle body (200) is detected, and when the detected liquid temperature is greater than or equal to the temperature that ensures that the fluid is in a liquid state, the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system switches to a printing state; When the detected liquid temperature is lower than the temperature for ensuring that the fluid is in a liquid state, heating the heating base (100); When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a dormant state, the negative pressure value provided by the second air box (12) to the ink return chamber (110) is equal to the negative pressure value provided by the first air box (11) to the ink inlet chamber (140), so that the nozzle body (200) does not drip ink; When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in an ink pressing state, the first switching valve (41) switches to a state where the third air path (23) is connected to the ink inlet chamber (140), and the second switching valve (42) switches to a state where the third air path (23) is connected to the ink return chamber (110), so that positive pressure is provided to the ink inlet chamber (140) and the ink return chamber (110) through the positive pressure pump (33) and the third air path (23), thereby pressing ink on the nozzle body (200).

10. The control method of the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first gas box (11) and the second gas box (12) are connected via a fourth gas path (24), and a balancing valve (43) is provided on the fourth gas path (24); When the multi-nozzle 3D printing circulating ink supply system is in a power-off state, the balancing valve (43) is opened, the first switching valve (41) is switched to a state where the first air path (21) is connected to the ink inlet chamber (140), and the second switching valve (42) is switched to a state where the second air path (22) is connected to the ink return chamber (110).

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