3D printing platform leveling mechanism and leveling method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, in particular to a 3D printing platform leveling mechanism and a leveling method thereof.The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism comprises a supporting assembly and a leveling assembly, and the supporting assembly comprises a supporting seat and lead screws arranged at all corners of the supporting seat; the working platform can move along the vertical direction above the supporting seat; the protection assembly comprises a sleeve arranged in the working platform, an internal thread matched with the thread on the outer wall of the lead screw is arranged in the sleeve, and first movable channels are formed in the corners of the end face of the working platform in a penetrating mode; the outer wall of the working platform is provided with connecting channels communicating with the first movable channels. According to the leveling mechanism, in the height adjusting process, excessive descending of the working platform can be prevented without induction equipment, it is guaranteed that the threaded structure of the lead screw and the threaded structure of the sleeve are not damaged, and therefore the lifting stability of the working platform is guaranteed, and the problems existing in the prior art are effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, in particular to a 3D printing platform leveling mechanism and a leveling method thereof. Background Art

[0002] 3D printing (3DP), also known as additive manufacturing technologies (AM), is a technology that manufactures physical parts by adding materials layer by layer based on 3D CAD data. The historical development of 3D printing technology is a process of continuous progress and expansion.

[0003] In recent years, with the open source code of fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, personal design and assembly of 3D printers have become popular. But this also brings problems, especially in the adjustment of the workbench. The traditional method usually involves installing adjustment springs and nuts between the printing platform and the support seat, and using tools such as wrenches and pliers to adjust the nut position and spring tension to ensure the flatness of the printing platform. However, removing the print after printing is completed may apply tension or pressure to the workbench, causing the spring to deform. In addition, the vibration of the 3D printer during the printing process may cause the nut to loosen, or human operating errors, which may seriously affect the flatness of the workbench, especially when the spring is deformed and fails, resulting in the inability to level the workbench. Moreover, this method requires the use of multiple tools during the leveling process, which is cumbersome and time-consuming.

[0004] Therefore, finding a more efficient and convenient method to adjust the flatness of the worktable to improve the accuracy and quality of printed parts has become a technical challenge that urgently needs to be solved.

[0005] To this end, we propose a 3D printing platform leveling mechanism and a leveling method thereof to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, a 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention is proposed.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a 3D printing platform leveling mechanism, comprising: a support assembly, comprising a support seat and a lead screw arranged at each corner of the support seat; and a working platform that can be displaced in a vertical direction above the support seat; and a protection assembly, comprising a sleeve arranged in the working platform, and the sleeve is provided with an internal thread that is compatible with the outer wall thread of the lead screw.

[0008] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism described in the present invention, wherein: first movable channels are opened through the end face corners of the working platform, and the outer wall of the working platform is respectively provided with connecting channels connected to each of the first movable channels; a knob is welded on the outer wall of the lead screw, and a fixing block is installed on the outer wall of the support seat by bolts.

[0009] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, the sleeve is movably arranged in the first movable channel, and a limiting groove is provided on the outer wall of the sleeve, and a plurality of positioning grooves are provided in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the limiting groove.

[0010] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, it also includes a trigger component, including a movable block slidably arranged in the connecting channel, and a slider movably arranged in the movable block, and a positioning block movably matched with the positioning groove is arranged at one end of the slider.

[0011] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, a second movable channel is provided in the movable block, and a V-shaped groove connected to the second movable channel is provided through the outer wall of the movable block.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, the outer wall of the positioning block is provided with a connecting column, and the outer wall of the connecting column extends into the V-shaped groove and is movably connected thereto.

[0013] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, one end of the movable block is provided with an abutment end, and a first elastic member is provided outside the movable block.

[0014] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, it also includes a fine-tuning component, including a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein the top plate can be fine-tuned in angle above the bottom plate, and a horizontal plate for fixing the angle of the top plate is also provided between the top plate and the bottom plate.

[0015] As a preferred solution of the 3D printing platform leveling mechanism of the present invention, wherein: a slide groove is provided in both the top plate and the bottom plate, and a connecting block is slidably provided in the slide groove, and a second elastic member is provided between the connecting block and the slide groove; A connecting rod is hinged between the top plate and the bottom plate, the two connecting rods are in a cross shape, and a connecting rod channel is penetrated through the outer wall of the connecting rod; A guide block is movably arranged in the transverse plate, and one end of the guide block is connected to an insertion rod, insertion columns are arranged on both sides of the outer wall of the guide block, and both ends of the insertion columns respectively extend to the two connecting rod channels and are movably connected thereto, and a third elastic member is arranged between the end face of the guide block and the inner cavity of the transverse plate.

[0016] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, a leveling method of the present invention is proposed.

[0017] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a leveling method, comprising: Rotate the knob used to level the work platform; the movement of the knob can drive the screw to rotate, and the movement of the screw will cause the work platform to move vertically through cooperation with the sleeve. If the sleeve rotates too much, the trigger assembly will unlock the sleeve, allowing the sleeve and the screw to rotate synchronously.

[0018] Beneficial effects of the present invention: During the height adjustment process, the leveling mechanism provided by the present invention can prevent the excessive descent of the working platform without the need for sensing equipment, ensuring that the threaded structure of the lead screw and the sleeve is not damaged, thereby ensuring the lifting and lowering stability of the working platform and effectively solving the problems existing in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. Among them: Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the support base structure in the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the working platform structure in the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structural combination of the working platform, protection component and trigger component in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the trigger component structure in the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fine-tuning component in the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 100, support assembly; 101, support seat; 101a, fixed block; 102, lead screw; 102a, knob; 200, working platform; 200a, first movable channel; 200b, connecting channel; 300, protection assembly; 301, sleeve; 301a, limit groove; 301a-1, positioning groove; 400, trigger assembly; 401, movable block; 401a, abutment end; 401b, second movable channel; 401b-1, V-shaped groove; 402, slider; 402a, positioning block; 402a-1, connecting column; 403, first elastic member; 500, fine-tuning assembly; 501, top plate; 501a, slide groove; 501a-1, connecting block; 501b, second elastic member; 502, bottom plate; 502a, connecting rod; 502a-1, connecting rod channel; 503, cross plate; 503a, plug rod; 503b, guide block; 503c, plug column; 503d, third elastic member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The term "in one embodiment" that appears in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it refer to a separate or selective embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0029] Example 1, reference Figures 1 to 5 , which is the first embodiment of the present invention, provides a protective measure to prevent the lead screw 102 from excessively rotating and causing damage to the sleeve 301 or its own structure.

[0030] Specifically, the support assembly 100 includes a support base 101 and a lead screw 102 arranged at each corner of the support base 101; and a working platform 200 that can be displaced in a vertical direction above the support base 101; and a protection assembly 300, including a sleeve 301 arranged in the working platform 200, and the sleeve 301 is provided with an internal thread that is compatible with the outer wall thread of the lead screw 102.

[0031] If the working platform 200 needs to be controlled, the rotation of the lead screw 102 can be controlled. The lead screw 102 in the rotating state will be threadedly matched with the sleeve 301, and the sleeve 301 will cause the working platform 200 to move in the vertical direction.

[0032] Preferably, the first movable channels 200a are provided through the corners of the end surface of the working platform 200, and the outer wall of the working platform 200 is provided with connecting channels 200b connected with each first movable channel 200a; the outer wall of the lead screw 102 is welded with a knob 102a. The first movable channel 200a has a circular cross section, which can support the sleeve 301 to rotate in the first movable channel 200a. During the leveling operation, the sleeve 301 cannot rotate under normal circumstances.

[0033] The sleeve 301 is movably arranged in the first movable channel 200a, and a limiting groove 301a is provided on the outer wall of the sleeve 301. A plurality of positioning grooves 301a-1 are arranged in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the limiting groove 301a. In order to ensure that the sleeve 301 does not rotate in the first movable channel 200a under normal circumstances, the positioning groove 301a-1 will be engaged with the positioning block 402a.

[0034] The trigger assembly 400 is also included, including a movable block 401 slidably disposed in the connecting channel 200b, and a slider 402 is movably disposed in the movable block 401, and a positioning block 402a that can movably cooperate with the positioning groove 301a-1 is disposed at one end of the slider 402. The positioning block 402a is initially in contact with the positioning groove 301a-1, and the slider 402 and the positioning block 402a are designed as an integrated unit.

[0035] The movable block 401 has a second movable channel 401b in it, and a V-shaped groove 401b-1 connected to the second movable channel 401b is formed through the outer wall of the movable block 401. The slider 402 provides power support for the positioning block 402a during its movement.

[0036] The outer wall of the positioning block 402a is provided with a connecting column 402a-1, and the outer wall of the connecting column 402a-1 extends into the V-shaped groove 401b-1 and is movably connected thereto. When the connecting column 402a-1 is displaced in the V-shaped groove 401b-1, the positioning block 402a moves. Under normal circumstances, the connecting column 402a-1 will be located in the middle of the V-shaped groove 401b-1.

[0037] One end of the movable block 401 is provided with a resistance end 401a, and a first elastic member 403 is provided outside the movable block 401. The first elastic member 403 is a tension spring. The outer wall of the support seat 101 is fixed with a fixed block 101a by bolts, and the fixed block 101a is used to resist and contact the resistance end 401a on the movable block 401.

[0038] The first elastic member 403 is used for resetting the movable block 401 after displacement. That is, when the movable block 401 is displaced by resistance, the first elastic member 403 will be stretched, and when the movable block 401 is out of contact with the fixed block 101a, the movable block 401 will be reset under the action of the first elastic member 403.

[0039] In summary, if the working platform 200 needs to be controlled, the rotation of the lead screw 102 can be controlled. The lead screw 102 in the rotating state will be threadedly matched with the sleeve 301, and the sleeve 301 will cause the working platform 200 to move vertically.

[0040] It should be noted that the knob 102 a provided in this embodiment facilitates the staff to control the rotational movement of the lead screw 102 .

[0041] When the working platform 200 rises or falls to a certain critical point, in order to avoid excessive displacement of the sleeve 301 and excessive rotation of the lead screw 102, taking the falling of the sleeve 301 as an example, when the sleeve 301 drives the working platform 200 to fall to a certain height, the abutment end 401a on the movable block 401 will contact the fixed block 101a, so that the movable block 401 moves upward, and once the movable block 401 moves upward, the V-shaped groove 401b-1 will cooperate with the connecting column 402a-1 to make the positioning block 402a disengage from the positioning groove 301a-1. At this time, if the lead screw 102 continues to rotate, the sleeve 301 will also rotate synchronously, thereby ensuring that the lifting and lowering of the sleeve 301 and the rotation of the lead screw 102 do not conflict with each other. After the movable block 401 is displaced, if it needs to be reset, it is only necessary to relatively lift the movable block 401.

[0042] Example 2, reference Figures 1 to 6 , which is the second embodiment of the present invention, is different from the previous embodiment in that a fine-tuning component 500 is provided.

[0043] Specifically, it also includes a fine-tuning component 500, including a top plate 501 and a bottom plate 502, wherein the top plate 501 can be fine-tuned in angle above the bottom plate 502, and a horizontal plate 503 for fixing the angle of the top plate 501 is also provided between the top plate 501 and the bottom plate 502.

[0044] A slide groove 501a is provided in both the top plate 501 and the bottom plate 502, and a connecting block 501a-1 is slidably provided in the slide groove 501a, and a second elastic member 501b is provided between the connecting block 501a-1 and the slide groove 501a; A connecting rod 502a is hinged between the top plate 501 and the bottom plate 502. The two connecting rods 502a are in a cross shape, and a connecting rod channel 502a-1 is formed through the outer wall of the connecting rod 502a. A guide block 503b is movably provided inside the horizontal plate 503, and one end of the guide block 503b is connected to the insertion rod 503a, and insertion columns 503c are provided on both sides of the outer wall of the guide block 503b, and both ends of the insertion columns 503c extend to the two connecting rod channels 502a-1 respectively and are movably connected thereto, and a third elastic member 503d is provided between the end face of the guide block 503b and the inner cavity of the horizontal plate 503.

[0045] In summary, if the overall mechanism is not placed flat and needs to be fine-tuned in angle, the fine-tuning assembly 500 can be used to achieve the overall balance of the mechanism. It should be noted that the top plate 501 in the fine-tuning assembly 500 is hinged to the support seat 101. The control plug rod 503a is displaced to push the guide block 503b to move together. The plug column 503c on the guide block 503b will cooperate with the connecting rod channel 502a-1 to change the cross shape of the two connecting rods 502a, thereby achieving the adjustment of the angle of the support seat 101.

[0046] Example 3, reference Figures 1 to 5 , which is the third embodiment of the present invention. Different from the previous embodiment, this embodiment provides a leveling method.

[0047] Specifically, rotate the knob 102a for leveling the work platform 200; the movement of the knob 102a can drive the screw 102 to rotate, and the movement of the screw 102 will cause the work platform 200 to move vertically through cooperation with the sleeve 301. If the sleeve 301 rotates excessively, the trigger assembly 400 will unlock the sleeve 301, so that the sleeve 301 and the screw 102 rotate synchronously.

[0048] The standard parts used in this embodiment can be purchased directly from the market, and the non-standard structural components recorded in the specification and the drawings can also be directly processed according to the existing technical common sense. At the same time, the connection method of each component adopts the mature conventional means in the prior art, and the machinery, parts and equipment all adopt the conventional models in the prior art, so no specific description will be given here.

[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0050] Importantly, it should be noted that the construction and arrangement of the present application shown in a number of different exemplary embodiments are only exemplary. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, it should be readily understood by those who refer to this disclosure that many modifications are possible (e.g., the size, scale, structure, shape and proportion of various elements, and parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, changes in orientation, etc.) without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in the application. For example, an element shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of the element may be inverted or otherwise changed, and the nature or number or position of the discrete element may be altered or changed. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or reordered according to an alternative embodiment. In the claims, any "device plus function" clause is intended to cover the structure described herein that performs the function, and is not only structurally equivalent but also equivalent structure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to a specific embodiment, but extends to numerous modifications still falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0051] Additionally, in order to provide a concise description of exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual embodiment may not be described (ie, those features that are not relevant to the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention or those features that are not relevant to implementing the invention).

[0052] It will be appreciated that in the development of any actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort may be complex and time-consuming, but will be a routine task of design, fabrication, and production for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure without undue experimentation.

[0053] 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 preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, which should all be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printing platform leveling mechanism, characterized in that: include: A support assembly (100) comprises a support base (101) and a lead screw (102) arranged at each corner of the support base (101); and, a working platform (200) capable of being displaced in a vertical direction above the support seat (101); and The protection component (300) comprises a sleeve (301) arranged in the working platform (200), and the sleeve (301) is provided with an internal thread matched with the external wall thread of the lead screw (102).

2. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: First movable channels (200a) are provided through the corners of the end faces of the working platform (200), and connecting channels (200b) communicating with the first movable channels (200a) are provided on the outer walls of the working platform (200); a knob (102a) is welded to the outer wall of the lead screw (102), and a fixing block (101a) is mounted on the outer wall of the support seat (101) via bolts.

3. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sleeve (301) is movably arranged in the first movable channel (200a), and a limiting groove (301a) is provided on the outer wall of the sleeve (301), and a plurality of positioning grooves (301a-1) are provided in a circumferential array on the outer wall of the limiting groove (301a).

4. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a trigger assembly (400), including a movable block (401) slidably arranged in the connecting channel (200b), a slider (402) movably arranged in the movable block (401), and a positioning block (402a) movably matched with the positioning groove (301a-1) is arranged at one end of the slider (402).

5. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: A second movable channel (401b) is provided in the movable block (401), and a V-shaped groove (401b-1) connected to the second movable channel (401b) is provided through the outer wall of the movable block (401).

6. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer wall of the positioning block (402a) is provided with a connecting column (402a-1), and the outer wall of the connecting column (402a-1) extends into the V-shaped groove (401b-1) and is movably connected thereto.

7. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: One end of the movable block (401) is provided with a resistance end (401a), and a first elastic member (403) is provided outside the movable block (401).

8. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fine-tuning component (500), including a top plate (501) and a bottom plate (502), wherein the top plate (501) can be fine-tuned in angle above the bottom plate (502), and a transverse plate (503) for fixing the angle of the top plate (501) is provided between the top plate (501) and the bottom plate (502).

9. The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: A slide groove (501a) is provided in both the top plate (501) and the bottom plate (502), and a connecting block (501a-1) is slidably provided in the slide groove (501a), and a second elastic member (501b) is provided between the connecting block (501a-1) and the slide groove (501a); A connecting rod (502a) is hinged between the top plate (501) and the bottom plate (502), the two connecting rods (502a) are in a cross shape, and a connecting rod channel (502a-1) is penetrated through the outer wall of the connecting rod (502a); A guide block (503b) is movably arranged in the transverse plate (503), and one end of the guide block (503b) is connected to an insertion rod (503a), and insertion columns (503c) are arranged on both sides of the outer wall of the guide block (503b), and the two ends of the insertion columns (503c) respectively extend to the two connecting rod channels (502a-1) and are movably connected thereto, and a third elastic member (503d) is arranged between the end surface of the guide block (503b) and the inner cavity of the transverse plate (503).

10. A leveling method, characterized in that: The 3D printing platform leveling mechanism comprises: The knob (102a) for leveling the working platform (200) is rotated; the movement of the knob (102a) can drive the lead screw (102) to rotate, and the movement of the lead screw (102) will cause the working platform (200) to move in a vertical direction through cooperation with the sleeve (301); if the sleeve (301) rotates excessively, the trigger assembly (400) will unlock the sleeve (301), so that the sleeve (301) and the lead screw (102) rotate synchronously.

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