Powder supply system and method, control device, readable storage medium and 3D printer

Abstract

The invention discloses a powder supply system and method, a control device, a readable storage medium and a 3D printer, and is applied to the technical field of additive manufacturing, the powder supply system comprises a powder spreading device, a groove and a trigger device, the powder spreading device is provided with an impact part which reciprocates along with the powder spreading device, and a double-blade turning plate which can rotate by being attached to the inner wall of the groove is arranged in the groove; a rotating shaft of the double-blade turning plate extends below the printing plane along the groove, a first blocking piece and a second blocking piece which are staggered in the axial direction and the radial direction penetrate through the rotating shaft in the rotating direction of the rotating shaft, and the triggering device comprises a hit piece, a first triggering piece and a second triggering piece, the first trigger piece and the second trigger piece are respectively aligned with the first stop piece and the second stop piece and are arranged in tandem on the motion path of the impact part; the impact piece is also connected with an elastic piece; the powder supply mechanism can be prevented from being blocked due to powder shortage, the working stability is high, the design cost is greatly reduced, and large-scale application and popularization are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and in particular to a powder supply system, a powder supply method, a control device and a 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] Additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping technology, is a method of manufacturing objects by stacking materials layer by layer. As a subdivision of additive manufacturing technology, the selective laser sintering process has developed rapidly in recent years. The selective laser sintering process is a process of cyclically laying powder layers on the printing platform, and forming patterns by laser sintering the powder layers and stacking them layer by layer to form a three-dimensional entity. In the prior art, before spreading the powder, it is necessary to first use a powder supply device to send the powder to the starting position of the powder spreader, and then spread it through a roller or a scraper. The powder supply device generally adopts a structure such as the one published in the publication number "CN218701341U". This structure realizes quantitative powder supply by rotating a specific angle like a reamer and then the powder naturally falls to the designed position with the help of gravity. This structure has high requirements for powder fluidity and cleanliness. Once impurities are mixed into the powder, the powder supply device will be stuck. Long-term blocking will lead to untimely powder supply, resulting in powder shortage and damage in the sintering process; and the existing powder feeding structure is driven by a motor, and the stability of the electronic control system for long-term operation needs to be improved, and the cost needs to be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a powder supply system, a powder supply method, a control device and a 3D printer, which can prevent the powder supply mechanism from being stuck due to lack of powder and the powder supply system has high working stability, greatly reduces the design cost, and is conducive to large-scale promotion and application.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application proposes a powder supply system, which is applied to a 3D printer, comprising:

[0005] A powder spreader, wherein the powder spreader is provided with an impact part that reciprocates with the powder spreader;

[0006] A groove, wherein a double-leaf flap is provided in the groove and can rotate along the inner wall thereof, wherein a rotating shaft of the double-leaf flap is extended and arranged below the printing plane along the groove, wherein a first stopper and a second stopper are passed through the rotating shaft along its own rotation direction, and wherein the first stopper and the second stopper are staggered in the axial direction and radial direction of the rotating shaft;

[0007] A trigger device, the trigger device comprising a striking member and a first trigger member and a second trigger member connected to the striking member, the first trigger member and the second trigger member are respectively aligned with the first blocking member and the second blocking member and are arranged one after the other on the movement path of the striking part, the striking member is further connected with an elastic member, the striking member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to move when the striking member is hit by the striking part, and the elastic member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to reset after being displaced;

[0008] The double leaf flap is configured as follows:

[0009] When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap, after the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap is rotated by a first angle and maintained, so as to scrape the existing powder in the groove onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and flush with the printing plane;

[0010] When the powder spreader moves away from the double-leaf flap, the first trigger member is reset and moves the first stop member, so that the double-leaf flap continues to rotate in the original direction by a second angle and returns to a powder receiving state, wherein the powder receiving state is that the blades of the double-leaf flap form an angle with the printing plane.

[0011] The powder supply system according to the first aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: a groove is provided on the movement path of the powder spreader, and a double-leaf flap is provided in the groove and can rotate along the inner wall of the groove, so as to provide a temporary storage place for the powder raw material, and the double-leaf flap is rotated by a specific angle to deliver the powder in the groove to be flush with the printing plane at a specific time, so as to provide powder conditions for the powder spreader, and the movement control of the double-leaf flap is linked with the movement of the powder spreader, by providing an impact part on the powder spreader that moves with the powder spreader, and providing a first stopper and a second stopper that are staggered in the radial direction and the axial direction on the rotating shaft of the double-leaf flap, and a first stopper and a second stopper that are staggered in the radial direction and the axial direction, and a first stopper and a second stopper that are staggered in the radial direction and the axial direction are provided on the rotating shaft of the double-leaf flap. The second stopper cooperates with the trigger device. When the powder spreader moves to the vicinity of the groove or moves away from the vicinity of the groove, the powder spreader drives the impact part to contact the impacted part on the trigger device, so that the first trigger part and the second trigger part collide with the corresponding first stopper or second stopper, thereby driving the first stopper or the second stopper to rotate to drive the double-leaf flap to rotate a specific angle, so that the powder spreader continuously drives the double-leaf flap to switch between the powder receiving state and the powder spreading state during the reciprocating process. The whole system adopts a purely mechanical design, with higher stability and lower production cost than electric drive. In addition, the powder feeding mechanism is not easily stuck by the flap scraping method, and the powder feeding stability is better.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the powder supply system is provided with one on each side of the printing plane, the double-leaf flaps on both sides rotate in opposite directions, and a feeding port is provided above the groove side of one side, and the feeding port is used to feed powder into the area between one side of the double-leaf flap and the groove;

[0013] Correspondingly, the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port is configured as follows:

[0014] The groove on one side of the feeding port receives the powder falling from the feeding port;

[0015] When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port, after the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap is rotated to a first angle and maintained, and the powder contained between the groove and the double-leaf flap is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and is flush with the printing plane;

[0016] When the powder spreader moves away from the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port, the powder spreader scrapes away the powder on the surface of the double-leaf flap to complete the first powder spreading, and at the same time, the first trigger member is reset and the first stop member is moved, so that the double-leaf flap continues to rotate in the original direction by a second angle and returns to a vertical state to prepare for the next powder receiving;

[0017] The double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port is configured as follows:

[0018] When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port, the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, and the groove on the opposite side of the feeding port receives excess powder scraped by the powder spreader, and then the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap rotates and maintains a third angle, so that the powder in the groove is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and is flush with the printing plane;

[0019] When the powder spreader leaves the double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port, the first trigger member is reset and moves the first stopper to make the double-leaf flap continue to rotate along the original direction by a fourth angle and return to the powder receiving state.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present application, when the double-leaf flap is in a horizontal state, the corresponding first stopper is in a vertical state, and the first trigger member and the second trigger member are an eccentric wheel and a stop rod, respectively; guide surfaces parallel to each other are provided at both ends of the first stopper, and the guide surfaces are used to guide the displacement of the eccentric wheel when contacting the eccentric wheel, and the powder supply systems on both sides are symmetrically arranged relative to the printing plane.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present application, the striking member includes a linear bearing and a sliding rod sleeved on the linear bearing, a bracket is provided on the end of the sliding rod away from the linear bearing, the bracket has two separate support arms, and the ends of the two support arms are provided with waist-shaped holes, the first trigger member and the second trigger member are respectively and movably adjustable on the two support arms, the first block member and the second block member are provided between the first trigger member and the second trigger member, and a striking member is also provided on the bracket, the striking member is arranged to align with the impact part, and the striking member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to move during the collision with the impact part, one end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the bracket, and the other end is fixed on the travel path of the bracket, and the elastic member is used to reset the first trigger member and the second trigger member.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present application, the elastic member is a tension spring, one end of the tension spring is connected to the linear bearing, and the other end of the tension spring is connected to the bracket.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present application, the elastic member is a compression spring, one end of which is connected to the bracket, and the other end of which is connected to any component in front of the travel direction of the bracket, and the component is the device housing or frame of the 3D printer.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application proposes a powder supply method, which is applied to the powder supply system described in any one of the first aspects, wherein the powder supply system further comprises:

[0025] A position sensor, wherein the position sensor is arranged on the movement path of the powder spreader;

[0026] A feeding port is provided on the upper side of the groove, the feeding port is communicated with a feeding bin, the feeding bin is provided with a material level sensor, the feeding port is used to feed powder to one side of the double-leaf flap in the groove, and a movable door that can block or open the feeding port is provided below the feeding port, and the movable door is driven by a driving device;

[0027] The powder supply method comprises:

[0028] Receiving the position information of the powder spreader sent by the position sensor and the material level information of the material level sensor;

[0029] When the position information and the material level information meet the powder feeding condition, the movable door is controlled to be closed after being opened for a first time period;

[0030] Otherwise, a material shortage warning or a powder spreader movement timeout warning will be issued.

[0031] The powder supply method according to the second aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: since the powder supply method relies on the powder supply system of the first aspect, it has the same beneficial effects as the first aspect embodiment. By setting a controllable feeding system on the upper side of one of the grooves and combining with corresponding sensors to decide whether to feed powder, the fed powder flows in the grooves on both sides of the printing plane. Compared with the traditional method that requires independent powder feeding systems to be set up on both sides of the printing plane, this solution sets a powder feeding system on one side, combined with the powder supply and powder spreading mechanism of the first aspect, and the entire system structure is simpler. Since the powder is always flowing in the two grooves, there is no powder overflow. Compared with the existing working mode that needs to recover the overflow powder, this solution has a higher utilization rate of the original powder and obvious economic benefits.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present application proposes a control device, including a processor and a memory;

[0033] The memory is used to store programs;

[0034] The processor is used to execute the program to implement the powder supply method as claimed in claim 8.

[0035] The control device according to the third aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: since the powder supply device according to the third aspect of the present application is used to implement the powder supply method according to the second aspect, it has the same beneficial effects as the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, the present application proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions are used to execute the powder supply method as described in the second aspect.

[0037] The computer-readable storage medium according to the fourth aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: since the computer-readable storage medium according to the fourth aspect of the present application is used to implement the powder supply method of the second aspect, it has the same beneficial effects as the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, the present application proposes a 3D printer, which includes the powder supply system described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect.

[0039] The 3D printer according to the fifth aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: by arranging a groove on the movement path of the powder spreader, and arranging a double-leaf flap in the groove that can rotate along the inner wall of the groove, a temporary storage place is provided for the powder raw material, and the double-leaf flap is rotated by a specific angle to deliver the powder in the groove to be flush with the printing plane at a specific time, thereby providing powder conditions for the powder spreader, and the movement control of the double-leaf flap is linked with the movement of the powder spreader, by arranging an impact part on the powder spreader that moves with the powder spreader, and arranging a first stopper and a second stopper that are staggered radially and axially on the rotating shaft of the double-leaf flap, and a trigger device that cooperates with the first stopper and the second stopper, when the powder spreader moves to When near or moving away from the groove, the powder spreader drives the impact part to contact the impact piece on the trigger device, so that the first trigger part and the second trigger part collide with the corresponding first stopper or second stopper, thereby driving the first stopper or the second stopper to rotate to drive the double-leaf flap to rotate a specific angle, so that the powder spreader continuously drives the double-leaf flap to switch between the powder receiving state and the powder spreading state during the reciprocating process. The entire system adopts a purely mechanical design, with higher stability and lower production cost than electric drive. The powder feeding mechanism is not easily stuck by the flap scraping method, and the powder feeding stability is better. Since the 3D printer has the structure of the first aspect embodiment, it has the same beneficial effects as the first aspect embodiment.

[0040] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the powder supply system when the powder spreader is located in the middle in some embodiments of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2 For some embodiments of this application Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of part A;

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the powder supply system when the powder spreader is located at the right limit position in some embodiments of the present application;

[0045] Figure 4 For some embodiments of this application Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of part B;

[0046] Figures 5 and 6 This is an example of a method for spreading powder in cooperation with a powder spreader and a double-leaf flap in some embodiments of the present application;

[0047] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a powder supply method according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 A topological diagram of a control device according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0049] The figures are as follows:

[0050] Powder spreader 100; impact part 110; rotating shaft 200; first stopper 210; guide surface 211; second stopper 220; linear bearing 300; sliding rod 310; bracket 320; support arm 321; impact piece 322; first trigger piece 323; second trigger piece 324; elastic piece 325; waist-shaped hole 326; groove 410; double-leaf flap 420; 3D printer 500; printing plane 510; feeding port 600; movable door 700; control device 800; memory 810; processor 820. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientation, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0053] In the description of this application, if there is a description of first or second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0054] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0055] Reference Figures 1 to 6In the first aspect, the present application proposes a powder supply system, which is applied to a 3D printer 500, which can be a 3D printer 500 that needs to spread powder, such as SLS (selective laser sintering) or SLM (selective laser melting), but is not limited to this. The powder supply system includes: a powder spreader 100, a groove 410, and a trigger device. A double-leaf flap 420 is provided in the groove 410 and rotates along the inner wall of the groove 410. The two blades of the double-leaf flap 420 are parallel to each other. Specifically, it can be a long plate with a rotating shaft 200 arranged along the plane of its own length. The rotating shaft 200 divides the long plate into two blades that are parallel to each other and opposite to each other. The rotating shaft 200 is arranged in the groove 410 along the length direction of the groove 410. The rotating shaft 200 of the double-leaf flap 420 extends along the groove 410 below the printing plane 510, and the rotating shaft 200 passes through the first stopper 210 along its own rotation direction. and the second stopper 220, the first stopper 210 and the second stopper 220 are staggered in the axial and radial directions of the rotating shaft 200; the trigger device includes a striking piece 322 and a first triggering piece 323 and a second triggering piece 324 connected to the striking piece 322, the first triggering piece 323 and the second triggering piece 324 are respectively aligned with the first stopper 210 and the second stopper 220 and are arranged one after the other on the movement path of the impact part 110, specifically, the first stopper 210 and the second stopper 220 are surrounded by the first triggering piece 323 and the second triggering piece 324 on the left and right, and the striking piece 322 is also connected to an elastic piece 325, the striking piece 322 is used to drive the first triggering piece 323 and the second triggering piece 324 to move during the collision of the impacted part 110, and the elastic piece 325 is used to drive the first triggering piece 323 and the second triggering piece 324 to reset after displacement; the double-leaf flap 420 is configured as:

[0056] When the powder spreader 100 moves toward the double-leaf flap 420, the first trigger member 323 passes over the first stopper 210 without interference. It should be noted that no interference does not mean that the first trigger member 323 and the second stopper 220 have no contact, but that the first trigger member 323 will not move the first stopper 210 to make it move. The second trigger member 324 moves toward the second stopper 220 and resists the second stopper 220, so that the double-leaf flap 420 rotates to a first angle and maintains it, so as to deliver the existing powder in the groove 410 to the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap 420 and make it flush with the printing plane 510. The existing powder in the groove 410 can be delivered to the groove 410 in advance through some externally arranged powder feeding structures. The present application does not specifically limit the source of the powder, and technicians in this field can reasonably design it according to their own experience and knowledge.

[0057] When the powder spreader 100 moves away from the double-leaf flap 420, the distance here means that the powder spreader 100 leaves the groove 410, the first trigger member 323 resets and moves the first stopper 210. It should be noted that when the second trigger member 324 moves the second stopper 220 to rotate, the first stopper 210 will also rotate synchronously by a certain angle. At this time, the first trigger member 323 will no longer be in a non-interference state with the first stopper 210 before it is reset. When the first stopper 210 rotates, the double-leaf flap 420 continues to rotate the second angle along the original direction. And returns to the powder receiving state, the powder receiving state is that the plane of the double-leaf flap 420 is at an angle to the printing plane 510, and the first stopper 210 returns to a state of non-interference with the first trigger member 323. It should be noted that, in some embodiments, this non-interference state can be achieved by adjusting the angle of the first stopper 210 on the rotating shaft 200: when the double-leaf flap 420 is vertical in the groove 410, the first stopper 210 is in a horizontal state, and correspondingly, the first trigger member 323 can be set against or adjacent to the lower edge of the first stopper 210.

[0058] Therefore, by arranging a groove 410 on the movement path of the powder spreader 100, and arranging a double-leaf flap 420 in the groove 410 that can rotate along the inner wall of the groove 410, a temporary storage place is provided for the powder raw material, and the double-leaf flap 420 is rotated by a specific angle to deliver the powder in the groove 410 to be flush with the printing plane 510 at a specific time, thereby providing powder supply conditions for the powder spreader 100, and the movement control of the double-leaf flap 420 is linked with the movement of the powder spreader 100, by arranging an impact part 110 on the powder spreader 100 that moves with the powder spreader 100, and arranging a first stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions on the rotating shaft 200 of the double-leaf flap 420, and a first stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions, and a first stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions are provided. 0 cooperates with the trigger device. When the powder spreader 100 moves to the vicinity of the groove 410 or moves away from the vicinity of the groove 410, the powder spreader 100 and the elastic member 325 respectively drive the impact part 110 to contact or disengage with the impact member 322 on the trigger device, so that the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324 collide with the corresponding first block 210 or the second block 220, and then the first block 210 or the second block 220 is driven to rotate to drive the double-leaf flap 420 to rotate a specific angle, so that the powder spreader 100 continuously drives the double-leaf flap 420 to switch between the powder receiving state and the powder spreading state during the reciprocating process. The whole system adopts a purely mechanical design, and the stability is higher than that of the electric drive. In addition, the flap scraping method is not easy to jam the powder feeding mechanism, and the powder supply stability is better.

[0059] Reference Figures 1 to 6, further, the powder supply system may be provided with one on each side of the printing plane 510, the double-leaf flaps 420 on both sides rotate in opposite directions, a feeding port 600 is provided above the groove 410 on one side, and the feeding port 600 may not be provided on the other side, and the feeding port 600 is used to feed powder into the area between one side of the double-leaf flap 420 and the groove 410;

[0060] Correspondingly, the double-leaf flap 420 on one side of the feeding port 600 is configured as follows:

[0061] The groove 410 on one side of the feeding port 600 receives the powder falling from the feeding port 600;

[0062] When the powder spreader 100 moves toward the double-leaf flap 420 on one side of the feeding port 600, after the first trigger member 323 passes over the first stopper 210 without interference, the second trigger member 324 moves toward the second stopper 220 and abuts against the second stopper 220, so that the double-leaf flap 420 rotates to the first angle and maintains it, and the powder contained between the groove 410 and the double-leaf flap 420 is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap 420 and is flush with the printing plane 510;

[0063] When the powder spreader 100 moves away from the double-leaf flap 420 on one side of the feeding port 600, the powder spreader 100 scrapes away the powder on the surface of the double-leaf flap 420 to complete the first powder spreading, and at the same time, the first trigger 323 is reset and the first stopper 210 is moved, so that the double-leaf flap 420 continues to rotate along the original direction by a second angle and returns to a vertical state to prepare for the next powder receiving;

[0064] The double-leaf flap 420 on the opposite side of the feeding port 600 is configured as follows:

[0065] When the powder spreader 100 moves toward the double-leaf flap 420 on the opposite side of the feeding port 600, the first trigger member 323 passes over the first stopper 210 without interference, and the groove 410 on the opposite side of the feeding port 600 receives the excess powder scraped from the powder spreader 100, and then the second trigger member 324 moves toward the second stopper 220 and abuts against the second stopper 220, so that the double-leaf flap 420 rotates and maintains the third angle, so that the powder in the groove 410 is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap 420 and is flush with the printing plane 510;

[0066] When the powder spreader 100 leaves the double-leaf flap 420 on the opposite side of the feeding port 600, the first trigger member 323 is reset and moves the first stopper 210, so that the double-leaf flap 420 continues to rotate along the original direction by a fourth angle and returns to the powder receiving state.

[0067] It should be noted that, for this type of powder supply system, when the machine is turned on for the first time and there is no powder in the grooves 410 on both sides, the initial state of the powder spreader 100 needs to be on the printing plane 510, and the powder spreader 100 needs to move toward the groove 410 with the feeding port 600 on the side. When spreading powder for the first time, the powder fed from the feeding port 600 into the space between the groove 410 and the double-leaf flap 420 will first be scraped from the side of the double-leaf flap 420 in the groove 410 away from the printing plane 510 to the side close to the printing plane 510. When the powder is delivered to be flush with the printing plane 510, the amount of powder will be very small, not enough to complete a powder spreading operation. Therefore, the double-leaf flap 420 on this side is equivalent to an idle rotation. This process is subsequently repeated, and a portion of the powder on the side of the double-leaf flap 420 close to the printing plane 510 in the groove 410 will be transported by the feeding port 600 and the flipping of the double-leaf flap 420, as well as the excess powder scraped by the powder spreader 100 on the opposite side of the double flap, until the amount of powder is sufficient to support the spreading of a printing plane 510, and a quantitative cycle is subsequently performed in this process.

[0068] Through the above-mentioned feeding port 600 structure, in conjunction with the powder supply system on both sides of the printing plane 510, the powder added into the groove 410 below the feeding port 600 can continuously flow between the grooves 410 on both sides, and the powder in the groove 410 on one side of the feeding port 600 comes from the active feeding of the feeding port 600 when the powder spreader 100 moves toward it each time and the excess powder scraped from the groove 410 on the other side when the powder spreader 100 moves toward it, and the powder in the groove 410 on the opposite side of the feeding port 600 comes from the excess powder scraped from the opposite direction by the powder spreader 100. This powder supply and powder spreading method can avoid the generation of overflowing powder. Compared with the existing powder supply system which still needs to scrape the excess powder into the overflowing powder trough for collection, the present application directly solves the generation of overflowing powder, and the powder utilization rate is better. In addition, the structure of the powder supply system is simpler and purely mechanical. The rotational power of the double-leaf flap 420 comes from the reset part in the powder spreader 100 and the trigger device, which directly saves the setting of the motor and has lower production costs.

[0069] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2, further, when the double-leaf flap 420 is horizontal, its corresponding first stopper 210 is in a vertical state, and the corresponding second stopper 220 has a certain angle with the first stopper 210 and is not horizontal, and the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324 are an eccentric wheel and a gear lever respectively; mutually parallel guide surfaces 211 are provided at both ends of the first stopper 210, and the guide surfaces 211 are used to guide the displacement of the eccentric wheel when contacting the eccentric wheel, and a powder supply system on both sides is symmetrically arranged relative to the printing plane 510; it should be noted that this structural design is to cooperate with the double-leaf flap 420 to switch between the powder receiving state and the powder spreading state when the powder spreader 100 moves toward the double-leaf flap 420, which is a more preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can also make reasonable changes according to actual design needs. By setting it as a left-right horizontally symmetrical structure, it can be ensured that the movement of the double-leaf flap 420 in the left and right grooves 410 is mirrored, the movement is more standardized, and the amount of powder scraped each time when the powder is scraped to be flush with the printing plane 510 remains consistent.

[0070] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 It can be understood that the impact member 322 includes a linear bearing 300 and a slide bar 310 sleeved on the linear bearing 300. The base of the linear bearing 300 can be fixed on the frame of the 3D printer 500 or the module housing of the powder spreader 100. As long as it is an installation position independent of the scraper or roller in the powder spreader 100, a bracket 320 is provided on the end of the slide bar 310 away from the linear bearing 300. The bracket 320 has two arms 321 extending in a horizontal direction and separated along the length direction of the rotating shaft 200. The ends of the two arms 321 are both provided with waist-shaped holes 326. The first trigger member 323 and The second trigger member 324 is movably and adjustably arranged on the two supporting arms 321, the first stop member 210 and the second stop member 220 are arranged between the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324, and the bracket 320 is also provided with a striking member 322, which is aligned with the impact part 110. The striking member 322 is used to drive the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324 to move during the collision of the impacted part 110. One end of the elastic member 325 is fixedly connected to the bracket 320, and the other end is fixed on the travel path of the bracket 320. The elastic member 325 is used to reset the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324. By providing a movable first trigger member 323, a second trigger member 324 and an elastic member 325, the conditions for the cyclic flipping movement of the double-leaf flap 420 are formed, so that the powder spreading action of the 3D printer 500 and the powder scraping and powder receiving actions of the double-leaf flap 420 are linked, and the power source of the entire system's action comes from the impact part 110 on the powder spreader 100, which saves the motors of the two powder supply mechanisms that originally needed to be independently controlled, has lower production and design costs, and is more suitable for large-scale promotion.

[0071] Furthermore, the elastic member 325 is a tension spring, one end of which is connected to the linear bearing 300, and the other end of which is connected to the bracket 320. By setting the tension spring, when the powder spreader 100 moves a certain distance toward the double-leaf flap 420, the tension spring begins to be stretched. After the powder spreader 100 begins to scrape away the powder on the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap 420, the impact member 322 loses the support of the impact part 110 on the powder spreader 100, and the tension spring loses its tension and begins to pull back the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324. In the process of pulling back, the first trigger member 323 will hit the lower end of the first stopper 210 which is no longer in a horizontal state and cause it to rotate, driving the double-leaf flap 420 to return to a vertical powder receiving state again. The double-leaf flap 420 can be reset without the aid of an electric drive, and the structure is simpler and the cost is lower.

[0072] Furthermore, the elastic member 325 is a compression spring, one end of which is connected to the bracket 320, and the other end of which is connected to any component in front of the bracket 320 in the direction of travel, which component is the device housing or frame of the 3D printer 500. By setting the compression spring, when the powder spreader 100 travels a certain distance toward the double-leaf flap 420, the compression spring begins to be compressed, and after the powder spreader 100 begins to scrape away the powder on the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap 420, the impacted member 322 loses the support of the impact part 110 on the powder spreader 100, and the compression spring loses pressure and begins to rebound the first trigger member 323 and the second trigger member 324. During the rebound process, the first trigger member 323 will hit the lower end of the first stopper 210 which is no longer in the horizontal state and cause it to rotate and drive the double-leaf flap 420 to return to the vertical powder receiving state again. By setting the compression spring, the double-leaf flap 420 can be reset without the help of electric drive, and the structure is simpler and the cost is lower.

[0073] Reference Figures 5 to 7 In the second aspect, the present application proposes a powder supply method, which is applied to the powder supply system of any one of the first aspects, and the powder supply system also includes: a position sensor, a feeding port 600, and a controller. The position sensor is arranged on the movement path of the powder spreader 100; the feeding port 600 is arranged above one side of one of the grooves 410, and the feeding port 600 is connected to a feeding bin, and a material level sensor is arranged in the feeding bin. The feeding port 600 is used to put powder into the area formed between one side of the corresponding double-leaf flap 420 and the groove 410. A movable door 700 that can block or open the feeding port 600 is arranged between the feeding port 600 and the groove 410 and the double-leaf flap 420, and the movable door 700 is driven by a driving device; the controller is in communication with the driving device and the material level sensor; the powder supply method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0074] Step S100: receiving the position information of the powder spreader 100 from the position sensor and the material level information from the material level sensor;

[0075] Step S200: When the position information and the material level information meet the powder feeding conditions, the movable door 700 is controlled to open for a first time and then close;

[0076] Step S300: Otherwise, a material shortage warning or a powder spreader 100 movement timeout warning is issued.

[0077] In some embodiments, the driving device can be a motor, a cylinder, etc. but is not limited thereto. By setting a movable door 700 that can control the closing or opening of the feeding port 600, in conjunction with the movement position information of the powder spreader 100 and the material level information in the feeding bin, the timing of feeding powder into the groove 410 can be controlled, and only simple control is required to ensure timely powder feeding and alarm reminders in the powder shortage state. In conjunction with the powder supply system of the first aspect, the powder feeding is fully automated, and there will be no motor abnormalities due to highly repeated actions of tens of thousands of times, and the stability is higher.

[0078] Reference Figure 8 In a third aspect, the present application proposes a control device 800, comprising: a memory 810 and a processor 820, the memory 810 is used to store programs, and the processor 820 is used to execute programs to implement the powder supply method as in the second aspect; the processor 820 and the memory 810 can be connected via a bus or other means.

[0079] The non-transient software program and instructions required to implement the powder supply method of the above embodiment are stored in the memory 810. When executed by the processor 820, the controller executes the powder supply method of the above embodiment, for example, executing the above described Figure 7 The method steps S100 to S300 in the above device embodiment are merely illustrative, and the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0080] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor 820 or a controller, for example, by a processor 820 in the above-mentioned control device 800 embodiment, so that the above-mentioned processor 820 can execute the powder supply method in the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, execute the above-mentioned Figure 7 Method steps S100 to S300 in.

[0081] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps and systems in the disclosed method above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware and appropriate combinations thereof. Some physical components or all physical components can be implemented as software executed by processor 820, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor or a microprocessor, or implemented as hardware, or implemented as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, and the computer-readable medium can include a computer storage medium (or a non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or a temporary medium). As known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data). Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, it is well known to those skilled in the art that communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and may include any information delivery media.

[0082] In a fifth aspect, the present application further proposes a 3D printer 500, which has the powder supply system described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, by arranging a groove 410 on the movement path of the powder spreader 100, and arranging a double-leaf flap 420 in the groove 410 that can rotate along the inner wall of the groove 410, thereby providing a temporary accommodation place for the powder raw material, and rotating the double-leaf flap 420 by a specific angle to deliver the powder in the groove 410 to be flush with the printing plane 510 at a specific time, thereby providing powder conditions for the powder spreader 100, and the movement control of the double-leaf flap 420 is linked with the movement of the powder spreader 100, by arranging an impact part 110 on the powder spreader 100 that moves with the powder spreader 100, and arranging a first stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions on the rotating shaft 200 of the double-leaf flap 420, and a first stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions, and a stopper 210 and a second stopper 220 that are staggered in both radial and axial directions are provided on the rotating shaft 200 of the double-leaf flap 420. The second stopper 220 cooperates with the trigger device. When the powder spreader 100 moves to the vicinity of the groove 410 or moves away from the vicinity of the groove 410, the powder spreader 100 drives the impact part 110 to contact the impact piece 322 on the trigger device, so that the first trigger piece 323 and the second trigger piece 324 collide with the corresponding first stopper 210 or the second stopper 220, thereby driving the first stopper 210 or the second stopper 220 to rotate to drive the double-leaf flap 420 to rotate a specific angle, so that the powder spreader 100 continuously drives the double-leaf flap 420 to switch between the powder receiving state and the powder spreading state during the reciprocating process. The entire system adopts a purely mechanical design, and the stability is higher than that of the electric drive. The powder feeding mechanism is not easily stuck by the flap scraping method, and the powder supply stability is better; the 3D printer 500 has the structure of the first aspect embodiment, so it also has the beneficial effects of the first aspect embodiment.

[0083] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present application.

Claims

1. A powder supply system, applied to a 3D printer, characterized in that: include: A powder spreader, wherein the powder spreader is provided with an impact part that reciprocates with the powder spreader; A groove, wherein a double-leaf flap is provided in the groove and can rotate along the inner wall thereof, wherein a rotating shaft of the double-leaf flap is extended and arranged below the printing plane along the groove, wherein a first stopper and a second stopper are passed through the rotating shaft along its own rotation direction, and wherein the first stopper and the second stopper are staggered in the axial direction and radial direction of the rotating shaft; A trigger device, the trigger device comprising a striking member and a first trigger member and a second trigger member connected to the striking member, the first trigger member and the second trigger member are respectively aligned with the first blocking member and the second blocking member and are arranged one after the other on the movement path of the striking part, the striking member is further connected with an elastic member, the striking member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to move when the striking member is hit by the striking part, and the elastic member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to reset after displacement; The double leaf flap is configured as follows: When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap, after the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap is rotated by a first angle and maintained, so as to scrape the existing powder in the groove onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and flush with the printing plane; When the powder spreader moves away from the double-leaf flap, the first trigger member is reset and moves the first stop member, so that the double-leaf flap continues to rotate in the original direction by a second angle and returns to a powder receiving state, wherein the powder receiving state is that the blades of the double-leaf flap form an angle with the printing plane.

2. The powder supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder supply system is provided on both sides of the printing plane, and the rotation directions of the double-leaf flaps on both sides are opposite when triggered. A feeding port is provided above the groove side on one side, and the feeding port is used to feed powder into the area between one side of the double-leaf flap and the groove; Correspondingly, the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port is configured as follows: The groove on one side of the feeding port receives the powder falling from the feeding port; When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port, after the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap is rotated to a first angle and maintained, and the powder contained between the groove and the double-leaf flap is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and is flush with the printing plane; When the powder spreader moves away from the double-leaf flap on one side of the feeding port, the powder spreader scrapes away the powder on the surface of the double-leaf flap to complete the first powder spreading, and at the same time, the first trigger member is reset and the first stop member is moved, so that the double-leaf flap continues to rotate in the original direction by a second angle and returns to a vertical state to prepare for the next powder receiving; The double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port is configured as follows: When the powder spreader moves toward the double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port, the first trigger member passes over the first stopper without interference, and the groove on the opposite side of the feeding port receives excess powder scraped by the powder spreader, and then the second trigger member moves toward the second stopper and abuts against the second stopper, so that the double-leaf flap rotates and maintains a third angle, so that the powder in the groove is scraped onto the surface of one of the leaves of the double-leaf flap and is flush with the printing plane; When the powder spreader leaves the double-leaf flap on the opposite side of the feeding port, the first trigger member is reset and moves the first stopper to make the double-leaf flap continue to rotate along the original direction by a fourth angle and return to the powder receiving state.

3. The powder supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the double-leaf flap is in a horizontal state, the corresponding first stopper is in a vertical state, and the first trigger member and the second trigger member are an eccentric wheel and a stop rod respectively; guide surfaces parallel to each other are provided at both ends of the first stopper, and the guide surfaces are used to guide the first stopper to deflect when contacting the eccentric wheel, and the powder supply systems on both sides are symmetrically arranged relative to the printing plane.

4. The powder supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger device also includes a linear bearing seat and a sliding rod sleeved on the linear bearing seat, a bracket is provided on the end of the sliding rod away from the linear bearing seat, the bracket has two separate support arms, and the ends of the two support arms are provided with waist-shaped holes, the first trigger member and the second trigger member are respectively movably and adjustably arranged on the two waist-shaped holes, the first stop member and the second stop member are arranged between the first trigger member and the second trigger member, the impact member is arranged on the bracket, and the impact member is aligned with the impact part, the impact member is used to drive the first trigger member and the second trigger member to move during the collision with the impact part, one end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the bracket, and the other end is fixed on the travel path of the bracket, and the elastic member is used to reset the first trigger member and the second trigger member.

5. The powder supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic member is a tension spring.

6. The powder supply system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic member is a compression spring.

7. A powder supply method, applied to the powder supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The powder supply system also includes: A position sensor, wherein the position sensor is arranged on the movement path of the powder spreader; A feeding port is provided on the upper side of the groove, the feeding port is communicated with a feeding bin, the feeding bin is provided with a material level sensor, the feeding port is used to feed powder to one side of the double-leaf flap in the groove, and a movable door that can block or open the feeding port is provided below the feeding port, and the movable door is driven by a driving device; The powder supply method comprises: Receiving the position information of the powder spreader sent by the position sensor and the material level information of the material level sensor; When the position information and the material level information meet the powder feeding condition, the movable door is controlled to be closed after being opened for a first time period; Otherwise, a material shortage warning or a powder spreader movement timeout warning will be issued.

8. A control device, characterized in that: including a processor and a memory; The memory is used to store programs; The processor is used to execute the program to implement the powder supply method as claimed in claim 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Computer executable instructions are stored, and the computer executable instructions are used to execute the powder supply method according to claim 7.

10. A 3D printer, characterized in that: The invention comprises a powder supply system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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