Hot melting assembly, 3D printer and control method of 3D printer

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of 3D printers, discloses a hot melting assembly, a 3D printer and a control method of the 3D printer, and aims to improve the printing speed and printing quality of the 3D printer. The hot melting assembly comprises a spray head piece, a runner body and a throat pipe piece which are connected in sequence, and at least a hot melting runner is arranged in the runner body and used for heating hot melting consumables. Wherein the length dimension of the hot melting runner is 40 to 200mm. The heated contact area of the hot melting consumable is increased through the lengthened hot melting runner, the heated melting speed of the hot melting consumable in unit length can be increased, the quality of printed and stacked preset parts can be improved, and a good printing effect is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of 3D printers, and in particular to a hot melt component, a 3D printer and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printers (Three-Dimensional Printer, hereinafter referred to as 3D printers) use thermoplastic materials (i.e. consumables) such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styreneplastic), PC (Polycarbonate) or nylon to heat and melt the consumables with filamentary structures in the hot melt component of the 3D printer. The nozzle of the hot melt component moves along the cross-sectional profile and filling trajectory of the part, and extrudes the molten consumables under the action of external force to print the parts of the 3D model layer by layer.

[0003] In the related art, the length of the hot melt component is one to two centimeters. In order to increase the printing speed of the 3D printer, the related scheme arranges a heat conductor in the hot melt flow channel of the hot melt component, and connects the heat conductor to the side wall of the hot melt flow channel for heat conduction, so as to quickly heat the inside of the hot melt consumable near the center line through the heat conductor, thereby increasing the melting speed of the consumable to achieve the purpose of fast printing.

[0004] However, since the hot melt flow channel of the hot melt assembly has a small cross-sectional area, if the heat conductor is built into the hot melt flow channel, the conduction area of ​​the hot melt flow channel will be further reduced, thereby increasing the flow resistance of the hot melt consumables in the hot melt flow channel. This will cause the hot melt flow channel or nozzle to be blocked, which will in turn reduce the printing speed and printing efficiency, and reduce the printing quality of the parts. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a hot melt component, a 3D printer and a control method thereof, aiming to improve the printing speed and printing quality of the 3D printer.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] In the first aspect, some embodiments of the present application provide a hot melt assembly, including a nozzle, a flow channel body and a throat pipe connected in sequence, at least the flow channel body is provided with a hot melt flow channel for heating hot melt consumables, wherein the length of the hot melt flow channel is 40-200 mm.

[0008] Beneficial effects: The hot melt component of the present application can be applied to industries such as 3D printing, spinning industry, thermal spraying, etc. that require the use of melted hot melt consumables to process parts and other products.

[0009] Taking the hot melt assembly for 3D printing as an example, in the process of hot melt consumables passing through the throat and the flow channel body in turn and being ejected by the nozzle to print the preset parts, the flow channel body heats the hot melt consumables so that the hot melt consumables can be heated and melted in the hot melt flow channel and maintain a flowing state, so that they can flow out smoothly from the nozzle of the nozzle to print and accumulate the preset parts.

[0010] Based on this, in the embodiment of the present application, since the hot melt flow channel has a larger length dimension, the hot melt consumables can be heated with a larger contact area during the process of flowing through the hot melt flow channel. Since the amount of heat required to be absorbed by the unit length of hot melt consumables to be converted into a molten state is certain, by increasing the heated contact area, the heating and melting speed of the unit length of hot melt consumables can be increased, thereby allowing the hot melt consumables to pass through the hot melt flow channel in a shorter time and be fully heated and melted. In this way, the discharge speed at the nozzle part per unit time can be increased to significantly increase the printing and stacking speed of the preset parts per unit time, that is, significantly increase the printing speed of the 3D printer. In addition, while ensuring that the higher hot melt consumables have a higher discharge speed, the lengthened hot melt flow channel can also make the hot melt consumables fully melted in the hot melt flow channel, so that the hot melt consumables flowing out of the nozzle part have a better molten state effect, which is conducive to improving the quality of the preset parts of the print stacking and having a better printing effect.

[0011] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a 3D printer, comprising the hot melt assembly in the first aspect.

[0012] Since the 3D printer includes the hot melt component in the first aspect, the 3D printer has all the beneficial effects of the hot melt component, which will not be described in detail here.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control method for a 3D printer, the control method comprising:

[0014] Along the length direction of the hot melt flow channel, the hot melt flow channel is divided into at least a first temperature control flow channel and a second temperature control flow channel.

[0015] When the temperature of the first temperature control channel is lower than the first preset temperature T1, the temperature control module controls the first heating element to start until the heating temperature of the first temperature control channel is higher than or equal to the second preset temperature T2, and the second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the first preset temperature T1.

[0016] When the temperature of the second temperature control channel is lower than the third preset temperature T3, the temperature control module controls the second heating element to start until the heating temperature of the second temperature control channel is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is higher than or equal to the third preset temperature T3.

[0017] Beneficial effects: The first temperature-controlled flow channel (i.e., the first flow channel tube) is independently temperature-controlled and heated by the first heating element, and the second temperature-controlled flow channel (i.e., the second flow channel tube) is independently temperature-controlled and heated by the second heating element, so that both the first temperature-controlled flow channel and the second temperature-controlled flow channel can be stably maintained within an appropriate set temperature range. In this way, through appropriate zone temperature control settings, the hot-melt consumables in the hot-melt flow channel can be quickly melted while avoiding the denaturation of the hot-melt consumables caused by excessively high local temperatures in the hot-melt flow channel. It can also avoid the situation where the hot-melt consumables are difficult to melt due to excessively low local temperatures in the hot-melt flow channel, thereby increasing flow resistance and reducing flow. The hot-melt consumables can quickly flow through the first flow temperature-controlled flow channel and the second temperature-controlled flow channel and flow out from the nozzle after being fully melted, thereby quickly printing and stacking the preset parts, and the hot-melt consumables in a fluid state after being fully melted can improve the printing effect and printing quality of the preset parts.

[0018] Furthermore, since the control method of the 3D printer is a control-side solution corresponding to the 3D printer in the second aspect, the control method of the 3D printer has all the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned 3D printer, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a first hot melt assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the hot melt assembly shown;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another cross-sectional view of the hot melt assembly shown;

[0023] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a second hot melt assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of the hot melt assembly shown;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of control connection of a hot melt assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 7A cross-sectional view of a third hot melt assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A front view of the hot melt assembly shown;

[0028] Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of a fourth hot melt assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A front view of the hot melt assembly shown;

[0030] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a nozzle component provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.12 A cross-sectional view of a hot melt assembly at a throat fitting provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] 100. Hot melt assembly;

[0034] 10. Nozzle component; 11. Nozzle port; 12. Nozzle head; 13. Nozzle body; 14. Nozzle flow channel;

[0035] 20. runner body; 21. hot melt runner; 211. first temperature control runner; 212. second temperature control runner; 213. third temperature control runner; 22. first runner tube; 23. second runner tube; 24. regulating tube section; 251. first detection blind hole; 252. second detection blind hole; 253. third detection blind hole;

[0036] 30. throat fitting; 31. first connecting piece; 32. second connecting piece; 33. throat; 34. feeding channel;

[0037] 41. a first heating element; 42. a second heating element; 43. a third heating element;

[0038] 50. heat conducting member; 51. heat conducting through hole; 52. heating hole; 53. first temperature detection hole; 54. second temperature detection hole;

[0039] 61. First temperature sensor; 62. Second temperature sensor; 63. Temperature control module; 64. Third temperature sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0041] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does 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 cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0042] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0043] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0045] The present application embodiment provides a hot melt component, a 3D printer and a control method thereof. Figures 1 to 12 The hot melt assembly, 3D printer and control method thereof of the embodiments of the present application are specifically described.

[0046] In a first aspect, the present application embodiment provides a hot melt assembly, referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The 3D schematic diagram of a hot melt assembly 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The hot melt assembly 100 includes a nozzle component 10, a flow channel body 20 and a throat component 30 connected in sequence. Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the hot melt assembly 100 is shown. At least a hot melt flow channel 21 is provided in the flow channel body 20 for heating the hot melt consumables. The hot melt assembly 100 of the present application can be applied to industries such as 3D printing, spinning, thermal spraying, etc. that require the processing of parts and other products through melted hot melt consumables. For example, the nozzle 10 is provided with a nozzle 11 connected to the hot melt flow channel 21, so that the hot melt consumables heated and melted by the hot melt flow channel 21 can flow to a preset position through the nozzle 11, thereby processing and forming parts and other products.

[0047] In the related art, the length of the hot melt channel is one to two centimeters. In order to increase the printing speed, the related solution sets a heat conductor in the hot melt channel and connects the heat conductor to the side wall of the hot melt channel for heat conduction, so that the built-in heat conductor contacts and quickly heats the inside of the hot melt consumable near the center line, thereby increasing the melting speed of the hot melt consumable to achieve the purpose of fast printing.

[0048] However, since the hot melt flow channel itself has a small cross-sectional area, further setting a heat conductor in the hot melt flow channel will further reduce the conduction area of ​​the hot melt flow channel, thereby increasing the flow resistance of the hot melt consumables in the built-in flow channel. This will cause the hot melt flow channel or nozzle to be blocked, which will in turn reduce the printing speed and printing efficiency, and reduce the printing quality of parts.

[0049] Based on this, refer to Figure 2, set the length L of the hot melt flow channel 21 to be greater than or equal to 40 mm. The length of the hot melt flow channel 21 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0050] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, if the length dimension of the hot melt flow channel 21 is less than 40 mm, the hot melt consumables flowing through the hot melt flow channel 21 cannot be fully melted, thereby affecting the printing speed of the hot melt assembly 100. If the length dimension of the hot melt flow channel 21 is greater than 200 mm, this longer hot melt flow channel 21 will greatly increase the processing difficulty of the flow channel body 20. Based on this, the length dimension of the hot melt flow channel 21 can be 40-200 mm. Exemplarily, the length dimension of the hot melt flow channel 21 can be 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 120 mm, 130 mm or 140 mm, etc.

[0051] Taking the hot melt assembly 100 for 3D printing as an example, in the process where the hot melt consumables sequentially pass through the throat pipe 30 and the flow channel body 20 and are ejected by the nozzle 10 to print the preset parts, the flow channel body 20 heats the hot melt consumables so that the hot melt consumables can be heated and melted in the hot melt flow channel 21 and maintain a fluid state, so that the hot melt consumables can smoothly flow out from the nozzle 11 of the nozzle 10 to print and accumulate the preset parts.

[0052] Based on this, in the embodiment of the present application, since the hot melt flow channel 21 has a larger length dimension, the hot melt consumables can be heated with a larger contact area during the process of flowing through the hot melt flow channel 21. Since the amount of heat required to be absorbed by the hot melt consumables per unit length to be converted into a molten state is certain, by increasing the heated contact area, the heating and melting speed of the hot melt consumables per unit length can be increased, thereby allowing the hot melt consumables to pass through the hot melt flow channel 21 in a shorter time and be fully heated and melted. In this way, the discharge speed at the nozzle part 10 per unit time can be increased to significantly increase the printing and stacking speed of the preset parts per unit time, that is, significantly increase the printing speed of the 3D printer. In addition, while ensuring that the higher hot melt consumables have a higher discharge speed, the lengthened hot melt flow channel 21 can also make the hot melt consumables fully melted in the hot melt flow channel 21, so that the hot melt consumables flowing out of the nozzle part 10 have a better molten state effect, which is conducive to improving the quality of the preset parts that are printed and stacked and having a better printing effect.

[0053] In some embodiments, the length of the hot melt channel 21 is set to 100-140 mm. For example, the length of the hot melt channel 21 can also be 100 mm, 105 mm, 115 mm, 125 mm, 135 mm or 140 mm. In this way, the hot melt channel 21 with a length of 100-140 mm can fully melt the hot melt consumables flowing through to ensure the high-speed printing effect of the hot melt assembly 100, while also simplifying the processing and manufacturing difficulty of the channel body 20, and has good economic benefits.

[0054] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the flow channel body 20 provided with the hot melt flow channel 21 may be a curved or bent structure, or may be extended in a straight line direction, and this is not limited. Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel body 20 and the hot melt flow channel 21 are extended along a first direction (ie, direction Y). For example, the first direction may be a straight line direction.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, since the flow channel body 20 has a relatively large length dimension. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another cross-sectional view of the hot melt assembly 100 is shown. The flow channel body 20 includes a first flow channel tube 22 and a second flow channel tube 23, the first flow channel tube 22 is connected to the throat member 30, the second flow channel tube 23 is connected to the nozzle member 10, and the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 are connected. The hot melt assembly 100 also includes a first heating element 41 and a second heating element 42, the first heating element 41 is used to heat the first flow channel tube 22, and the second heating element 42 is used to heat the second flow channel tube 23.

[0056] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the flow channel body 20 is extended along the Y direction, and the end of the flow channel body 20 close to the nozzle part 10 is the lower end, and the end of the flow channel body 20 close to the throat pipe part 30 is the upper end. The first flow channel tube 22 is arranged near the upper end and the upper and lower ends are connected to the throat pipe part 30 and the second flow channel tube 23, and the second flow channel tube 23 is arranged near the lower end and the upper and lower ends are connected to the first flow channel tube 22 and the nozzle part 10. Correspondingly, the first heating element 41 is arranged near the upper end of the flow channel body 20, and is used to heat the first temperature control flow channel 211 inside the first flow channel tube 22. The second heating element 42 is arranged near the lower end of the flow channel body 20, and is used to heat the second temperature control flow channel 212 inside the second flow channel tube 23.

[0057] like Figure 3As shown, in the process where the hot-melt consumable passes through the throat fitting 30, the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 in sequence and is ejected from the nozzle 11 of the nozzle fitting 10 to print the preset parts, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 are arranged so that the hot-melt consumable can be fully heated and melted by passing through the inner walls of the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 in sequence from top to bottom in the hot-melt flow channel 21, and the fluid hot-melt consumable can flow out smoothly and quickly from the nozzle 11 to print the stacked preset parts.

[0058] In this process, the flow channel body 20 including the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 performs multi-stage zone heating through the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 during the process of heating the hot melt consumables flowing through the inside. Therefore, the first flow channel tube 22 near the throat pipe 30 can be independently temperature controlled by the first heating element 41, and the second flow channel tube 23 near the nozzle 11 can be independently temperature controlled by the second heating element 42, so that the first temperature-controlled flow channel 211 and the second temperature-controlled flow channel 212 inside can be stably maintained within a suitable set temperature range. Through appropriate zone temperature control settings, the hot melt consumables in the hot melt flow channel 21 can be quickly melted while avoiding the denaturation of the hot melt consumables caused by excessively high local temperatures in the hot melt flow channel 21. It can also avoid the situation where the hot melt consumables are difficult to melt due to excessively low local temperatures in the hot melt flow channel 21, thereby increasing flow resistance and reducing flow. The hot-melt consumable can flow quickly through the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 in sequence and flow out from the nozzle 11 of the nozzle component 10 after being fully melted, so as to quickly print and accumulate the preset parts. The hot-melt consumable in a fluid state after being fully melted can improve the printing effect and printing quality of the preset parts.

[0059] When installing the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 can be directly connected to the flow channel body 20. The flow channel body 20, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 can also be contacted and connected through other heat conducting components.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, the hot melt assembly 100 further includes a heat conductive member 50, the heat conductive member 50 is provided with a heat conductive through hole 51 along the Y direction, and the flow channel body 20 is inserted into the heat conductive through hole 51 along the first direction (i.e., the Y direction) and is in contact with the heat conductive member 50. In particular, along the Y direction, the heat conductive member 50 is provided with a heating hole 52, and the first heating member 41 is inserted and installed at one end of the heating hole 52 close to the first flow channel tube 22, and the second heating member 42 is inserted and installed at one end of the heating hole 52 close to the second flow channel tube 23.

[0061] Based on this, by setting the heat conductive through hole 51 and the heating hole 52 in the heat conductive member 50, the installation and positioning of the flow channel body 20, the first heating member 41 and the second heating member 42 are facilitated, so that the first heating member 41 and the second heating member 42 can heat the two ends of the heat conductive member 50 respectively, thereby covering or basically covering the entire length of the flow channel body 20, and then the multiple flow channel tubes of the flow channel body 20 are heated separately by the heated heat conductive member 50, which is beneficial to improve the uniformity of heating of multiple partitions in the flow channel body 20.

[0062] Among them, the setting of the heating hole 52 facilitates the plug-in assembly of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, and fully absorbs the heat radiated or transferred by the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 through the relatively closed plug-in space, which is beneficial to improving the heating efficiency.

[0063] The heat-conducting through hole 51 facilitates the installation of the flow channel body 20 and enables the heat-conducting member 50 to fully cover and heat the flow channel body 20, thereby improving the uniform heating effect of the flow channel body 20 and achieving better heating efficiency.

[0064] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the flow channel body 20 and the heat conducting member 50 are split structures. In the process of assembling the flow channel body 20 and the heat conducting member 50, the flow channel body 20 located in the heat conducting through hole 51 can be partially or completely in contact with the heat conducting member 50. For example, the contact area between the two can be increased by a tube expansion process, a threaded connection process or a soldering process, or the flow channel body 20 can be a split structure arranged radially, and the inner wall of the heat conducting through hole 51 and the outer wall of the flow channel body 20 can be fitted and installed by an interference fit. By increasing the effective contact area between the flow channel body 20 and the heat conducting member 50, the two can exchange heat quickly.

[0065] Or, if Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel body 20 and the heat conducting member 50 can be an integrated structure. It can be considered that the hot melt flow channel 21 and the heating hole 52 are directly opened along the Y direction at the heat conducting member 50.

[0066] The heat-conducting through hole 51 and the hot melt channel 21 may be coaxial channels arranged along the Y direction. The axis of the heating hole 52 may be arranged parallel to the axis of the heat-conducting through hole 51 .

[0067] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4The cross-sectional view of the second hot melt assembly 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application. The flow channel body 20 further includes an adjusting pipe section 24, which is connected between the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23, and is used to connect the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23. For example, a third temperature-controlled flow channel 213 is provided in the adjusting pipe section 24, so as to connect the first temperature-controlled flow channel 211 in the first flow channel tube 22 and the second temperature-controlled flow channel 212 in the second flow channel tube 23 through the third temperature-controlled flow channel 213.

[0068] Among them, by adjusting the setting of the pipe section 24, it is convenient to flexibly adjust the length of the flow channel body 20. For example, the first flow channel tube 22 of a preset size at the upper end of the flow channel body 20 is heated and temperature controlled by the first heating element 41, and the second flow channel tube 23 of a preset size at the lower end of the flow channel body 20 is heated and temperature controlled by the second heating element 42. By adjusting the length of the adjusting pipe section 24, the overall length of the flow channel body 20 can be changed. Thereby, the hot melt flow channel 21 of different lengths can be flexibly replaced and assembled to adapt to high-speed printing of hot melt consumables with different temperature properties.

[0069] Exemplarily, a third heating element may be provided at the regulating pipe section 24 to independently control the temperature range at the regulating pipe section 24 .

[0070] Or, if Figure 4 As shown, the regulating pipe section 24 can be arranged between two heat-conducting members 50 of the split structure. The regulating pipe section 24 can be completely exposed, or covered by a heat-conducting member 50 of a smaller thickness. The residual heat of the two heat-conducting members 50 close to each other can keep the regulating pipe section 24 in a suitable temperature range.

[0071] Exemplarily, since the flow channel body 20 is inside the heat-conducting member 50, and the heat-conducting member 50 and the flow channel body 20 are both made of materials with high thermal conductivity such as metal. That is, through the heating of the first heating member 41 and the second heating member 42, the overall temperature difference of the heat-conducting member 50 is small. Therefore, the regulating pipe section 24 located between the two heat-conducting members 50 will also maintain a relatively high suitable temperature, and drive the internal third temperature-controlled flow channel 213 to have a relatively high suitable temperature. In this way, this example solution does not need to set a heating element for heating the corresponding regulating pipe section 24, which is conducive to streamlining the structure while ensuring that the hot melt assembly 100 meets the requirements of high-speed printing, and has high stability and good economic benefits.

[0072] It should be noted that the flow channel body 20 may be an integrated structure. Figure 4As shown, the flow channel body 20 including the first flow channel tube 22, the regulating tube section 24 and the second flow channel tube 23 is an integrated structure. The first flow channel tube 22, the regulating tube section 24 and the second flow channel tube 23 are only used to distinguish the temperature control range of the heating element. For example, the first flow channel tube 22 controls the heating temperature through the first heating element 41, and the second flow channel tube 23 controls the heating temperature through the second heating element 42.

[0073] The integrated structure of the flow channel body 20 can reduce the number of components in the hot melt assembly 100 , and while improving the air tightness of the hot melt flow channel 21 , it is also beneficial to reduce the assembly operation process of the hot melt assembly 100 .

[0074] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the heat conducting member 50 is configured as a split structure corresponding to at least the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23. For example, the two heat conducting members 50 are spaced apart along the Y direction, one of the heat conducting members 50 is at least disposed on the outside of the first flow channel tube 22, and the other heat conducting member 50 is disposed on the outside of the second heat conducting member 50, so that the residual heat of the two heat conducting members 50 can be positioned to adjust the pipe section 24 in the middle to be in a suitable temperature range.

[0075] Among them, along the Y direction, the two heat conducting members 50 are arranged to be detachably connected, so as to facilitate the flexible assembly of the hot melt assembly 100.

[0076] For example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a hot melt assembly 100 is shown. Two heat conducting members 50 are provided with heating holes 52 along the Y direction, and the two heating holes 52 are spaced apart along the Y direction. Among them, a first heating member 41 is inserted and installed in a heating hole 52 near the upper end, and a second heating member 42 is inserted and installed in a heating hole 52 near the lower end, so as to facilitate the insertion and installation of the first heating member 41 and the second heating member 42.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the flow channel body 20 may also be configured as a split structure, such as at least two of the first flow channel tube 22, the adjustment tube section 24 and the second flow channel tube 23 adjacently arranged along the Y direction are detachably connected.

[0078] For example, each section of the flow channel body 20 of the split structure is detachably connected by threaded connection or plug-in connection. For example, the second flow channel pipe 23 is detachably connected to the adjustment pipe section 24, so that the flow channel body 20 and the hot melt flow channel 21 of the three-section structure or the two-section structure can be selected according to actual needs, and the structure is simple and easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0079] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle component 10 are split structures, and the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle component 10 are detachably connected.

[0080] By setting each part of the flow channel body 20 as a split structure, and the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle part 10 are also independent parts of the split structure, each independent part can be processed and manufactured separately during the production process, and the structure is simple and easy to produce. Subsequently, multiple parts can be assembled by threaded connection or plug-in card connection to form a continuous heating printing channel including at least the first temperature control flow channel 211, the third temperature control flow channel 213, the second temperature control flow channel 212 and the nozzle 11.

[0081] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the hot melt assembly 100 also includes a first temperature sensor 61 and a second temperature sensor 62. The first temperature sensor 61 is used to detect the first flow channel tube 22 (such as Figure 4 The second temperature sensor 62 is used to detect the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23. Figure 6 , Figure 6 The hot melt assembly 100 further includes a temperature control module 63 , which is electrically connected to at least the first heating element 41 , the second heating element 42 , the first temperature sensor 61 , and the second temperature sensor 62 .

[0082] Through the configuration of the first temperature sensor 61 and the second temperature sensor 62, the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 can be detected in real time. In conjunction with the temperature control module 63 electrically connected to the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, the heating power of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 can be flexibly adjusted, thereby flexibly adjusting and accurately controlling the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23.

[0083] Exemplarily, when controlling the heating temperature at multiple locations in the flow channel body 20 (such as the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23), corresponding parameters can be collected under different test conditions such as ambient temperature, type of hot melt consumables and flow rate of hot melt consumables. In this way, the heating power required at the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 under the above different conditions is calculated through multiple parameters, and recorded and stored. This allows for flexible control of the heating power of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 under different flow rates, ambient temperatures, and material types, so that the hot melt flow channel 21 as a whole maintains an appropriate and stable heating temperature for heating and melting the hot melt consumables that flow rapidly through.

[0084] Wherein, the temperature control module 63 can be configured as:

[0085] When the temperature of the first flow tube 22 is lower than the first preset temperature T1, the temperature control module 63 controls the first heating element 41 to start until the heating temperature of the first flow tube 22 is higher than or equal to the second preset temperature T2, and the second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the first preset temperature T1.

[0086] When the temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 is lower than the third preset temperature T3, the temperature control module 63 controls the second heating element 42 to start until the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4. The fourth preset temperature T4 is higher than or equal to the third preset temperature T3, and the second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4.

[0087] The temperature control module 63 can flexibly control the heating power of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 according to the heating temperature, such as turning on or off the corresponding first heating element 41 or the second heating element 42, or adjusting the heating power of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, so that the hot melt flow channel 21 as a whole maintains a suitable and stable heating temperature, and the fluid hot melt consumables can be stably and quickly flowed out from the nozzle 11.

[0088] It is understandable that the second preset temperature T2 may be equal to the first preset temperature T1 , and the third preset temperature T3 may be equal to the fourth preset temperature T4 , so as to precisely control the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 .

[0089] Alternatively, the second preset temperature T2 may be set higher than the first preset temperature T1, and the fourth preset temperature T4 may be set higher than the third preset temperature T3. The temperature gradient between the two may be flexibly selected between 0-5°C, such as 0.5°C, 1°C, 1.5°C, 2°C, 2.5°C, 3°C, 3.5°C, 4°C, 4.5°C or 5°C. For example, the second preset temperature T2 is about 2°C higher than the first preset temperature T1, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is about 2°C higher than the third preset temperature T3. In this way, while avoiding frequent startup of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 can be stably maintained within an appropriate temperature range.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present application, the second preset temperature T2 is set higher than the fourth preset temperature T4, for example, the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 is set higher than the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 .

[0091] Since the first flow channel tube 22 has a higher heating temperature, when the hot melt consumable flows into the first flow channel tube 22 through the throat pipe 30, the hot melt consumable in the first temperature-controlled flow channel 211 can be fully preheated by the higher heating temperature, so that the temperature of the hot melt consumable rises rapidly. After the hot melt consumable flows into the second temperature-controlled flow channel 212 of the second flow channel tube 23, the hot melt consumable can be further heated until it melts, which is beneficial to increase the melting speed of the hot melt consumable and thus increase the printing speed.

[0092] Based on this, the first heating element 41 can be set to have a greater heating power than the second heating element 42, so that the temperature control module 63 can directly control the start time of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 to make the second preset temperature T2 higher than the fourth preset temperature T4. There is no need to frequently adjust the heating power of the heating element, and the structure is simple and stable.

[0093] In some embodiments, the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 is set to be higher than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable, and the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 is set to be lower than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable.

[0094] For example, while setting the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 to be higher than the heating temperature at the second flow channel tube 23, the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 is higher than the thermal denaturation temperature, and the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 is lower than the thermal denaturation temperature.

[0095] By setting a higher heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22, the hot melt consumables in the first temperature-controlled flow channel 211 can be quickly preheated. Since the hot melt consumables in the hot melt flow channel 21 have a faster flow speed (high-speed printing), even if the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 is higher than the thermal denaturation temperature, the hot melt consumables flowing through will flow to the second flow channel tube 23 before being heated to the thermal denaturation temperature. In this way, the heating temperature higher than the thermal denaturation temperature can further increase the heating speed of the hot melt consumables, but will not cause the hot melt consumables to be thermally denatured. At the second flow channel tube 23, the heating temperature slightly exceeding the thermal denaturation temperature allows the hot melt consumables to fully melt and maintain a stable molten state.

[0096] Alternatively, the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 may be equal to the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23, that is, the second preset temperature T2 is equal to the fourth preset temperature T4, so as to simplify the control logic.

[0097] In some embodiments, the temperature control module 63 is further configured to:

[0098] When the temperature control module 63 controls the first heating element 41 to start and heat the first flow channel tube 22 , the greater the difference between the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 and the second preset temperature T2 , the greater the heating power of the first heating element 41 .

[0099] When the temperature control module 63 controls the second heating element 42 to start and heat the second flow channel tube 23 , the greater the difference between the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 and the fourth preset temperature T4 , the greater the heating power of the second heating element 42 .

[0100] That is, the difference between the actual temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 (i.e., the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 61) and the second preset temperature T2 is proportional to the heating power of the first heating element 41. The larger the difference, the greater the heating power of the first heating element 41, and the smaller the difference, the smaller the heating power of the first heating element 41. While quickly heating the first flow channel tube 22, it is convenient to accurately control the real-time temperature of the first flow channel tube 22.

[0101] Correspondingly, the difference between the actual temperature of the second flow tube 23 (i.e., the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 62) and the fourth preset temperature T4 is proportional to the heating power of the second heating element 42. The larger the difference, the greater the heating power of the second heating element 42, and the smaller the difference, the smaller the heating power of the second heating element 42. While quickly heating the second flow tube 23, it is convenient to accurately control the real-time temperature of the second flow tube 23.

[0102] Among them, in the above scheme, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 have minimum heating power, which is used to balance the heat lost during the rapid hot melting and outflow of the hot-melt consumables.

[0103] It should be noted that the first temperature sensor is disposed at the first flow channel tube 22 to detect the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22 and the first temperature control flow channel 211. The second temperature sensor is disposed at the second flow channel tube 23 to heat the second flow channel tube 23 and the second temperature control flow channel 212.

[0104] For example, Figure 5 As shown, along the thermal conductive via 51 (such as Figure 4 In the radial direction of the heat conducting member 50 (as shown in FIG. 1 ), the heat conducting member 50 is provided with a first temperature detection hole 53 and a second temperature detection hole 54 connected to the heat conducting through hole 51. Along the Y direction, the first temperature detection hole 53 is located at one end of the heat conducting member 50 close to the first flow channel pipe 22 (throat pipe member 30), and the second temperature detection hole 54 is located at one end of the heat conducting member 50 close to the second flow channel pipe 23 (or nozzle member 10).

[0105] In this way, the first temperature sensor 61 can be installed in the first temperature detection hole 53 so that the first temperature sensor 61 can be close to or in contact with the first flow channel tube 22 to accurately detect the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22. Correspondingly, the second temperature sensor 62 can be installed in the second temperature detection hole 54 so that the second temperature sensor 62 can be close to or in contact with the second flow channel tube 23 to accurately detect the heating temperature at the first flow channel tube 22.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, a separate pipeline component can also be used to make the interior a hot melt flow channel 21, so that the corresponding first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 can be heated and controlled respectively by heating the flow channel body 20.

[0107] Take the detachable connection between the first flow channel tube 22, the adjustment tube section 24 and the second flow channel tube 23 as an example. Along the Y direction, by replacing the adjustment tube sections 24 with different height sizes, the hot melt flow channel 21 with different length sizes can be flexibly replaced and assembled in the heat conductive member 50 to adapt to the high-speed printing of hot melt consumables with different temperature properties.

[0108] For example, Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a third hot melt assembly 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 for Figure 7 A front view of the hot melt assembly 100 is shown. The flow channel body 20 includes a first flow channel tube 22, an adjusting pipe section 24 and a second flow channel tube 23 which are sequentially connected along the Y direction. The first flow channel tube 22 is connected between the throat pipe 30 and the adjusting pipe section 24, and the second flow channel tube 23 is connected between the adjusting pipe section 24 and the nozzle 10.

[0109] Continue to refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 A first heating element 41 is provided on the outer side of the first flow channel tube 22 to heat the first temperature control flow channel 211. A second heating element 42 is provided on the outer side of the second flow channel tube 23 to heat the second temperature control flow channel 212. A third heating element 43 is provided on the outer side of the regulating flow channel 24 to heat the third temperature control flow channel 213.

[0110] In this way, the first flow channel tube 22 , the second flow channel tube 23 and the regulating flow channel 24 are directly heated by the first heating element 41 , the second heating element 42 and the third heating element 43 , which is beneficial to improve the heating efficiency and simplify the structure of the hot melt assembly 100 .

[0111] For example, along the Y direction from the throat pipe 30 to the nozzle 10, the heating temperatures of the first flow channel 22, the regulating flow channel 24 and the second flow channel 23 can be set equal or approximately equal. Alternatively, the heating temperatures of the first flow channel 22, the regulating flow channel 24 and the second flow channel 23 are sequentially reduced.

[0112] The flow channel body 20 can be configured as a split structure. Since the hot melt flow channel 21 has a relatively large length, the flow channel body 20 can be configured as a detachably connected split structure to facilitate the processing and molding of the hot melt flow channel 21 in the flow channel body 20.

[0113] For example, the second flow channel tube 23 and the adjusting pipe section 24 are detachably connected, so that the overall length of the hot melt flow channel 21 can be flexibly adjusted by replacing the second flow channel tube 23 with different lengths.

[0114] Alternatively, the first flow channel tube 22 and the adjusting pipe section 24 may be detachably connected to flexibly adjust the overall length of the hot melt flow channel 21 by replacing the first flow channel tube 22 of different lengths.

[0115] The first flow channel tube 22 and the adjusting tube section 24 can also be detachably connected, and the second flow channel tube 23 and the adjusting tube section 24 can be detachably connected. In this way, the lengths of the first flow channel tube 22, the adjusting tube section 24, and the second flow channel tube 23 can be flexibly adjusted as needed, thereby adjusting the overall length of the hot melt flow channel 21, which is not limited thereto.

[0116] Based on this, by further dividing the hot melt channel 21 into a first temperature-controlled channel 211, a third temperature-controlled channel 213 and a second channel 212, and controlling the first heating element 41, the third heating element 43 and the second heating element 42 to heat the adapted first channel tube 22, the adjusting tube section 24 and the second channel tube 23 respectively, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of local excessively high or low temperatures in the first temperature-controlled channel 211, the third temperature-controlled channel 213 and the second channel 212, which is beneficial for making the hot melt channel 21 as a whole in a suitable temperature range, thereby quickly and effectively melting the hot melt consumables.

[0117] In some other embodiments, the flow channel body 20 may also include a fourth flow channel tube, a fifth flow channel tube or a sixth flow channel tube, and a fourth flow channel tube, a fifth flow channel tube or a sixth flow channel tube is provided between the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23. The fourth heating element, the fifth heating element or the sixth heating element are used to heat the corresponding temperature control flow channel to further accurately control the appropriate temperature range of the hot melt flow channel 21.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, the flow channel body 20 can be a round tube structure or a square tube structure, as long as it is easy to process and assemble, and there is no limitation on this.

[0119] For example, each section of the flow channel pipe may have a male connector and a female connector of uniform specifications, which facilitates uniform processing and connection assembly. Correspondingly, the male connector or the female connector of the detachable nozzle component 10 has the same specifications as each section of the flow channel pipe, which facilitates the flexible installation of the nozzle component 10.

[0120] In some other embodiments, the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle component 10 may be provided as an integrated structure, thereby reducing the number of parts in the hot melt assembly 100 .

[0121] Alternatively, when the second flow channel tube 23 in the flow channel body 20 is a detachable component, the second flow channel tube 23 and the nozzle member 10 may be provided as an integrated structure. In this case, the length of the hot melt flow channel 21 may be adjusted by disassembling and assembling other flow channel tubes between the second flow channel tube 23 and the first flow channel tube 22.

[0122] The first heating element 41 , the second heating element 42 and the third heating element 43 may be at least one of heating components such as a heating ring, a heating rod, a heating sheet or a heating wire.

[0123] by Figure 7 and Figure 8 Taking the flow channel body 20 as an example, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 may be heating rings sleeved on the outside of the flow channel body 20 so that the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 are heated evenly.

[0124] Alternatively, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 may also be heating wires, which are spirally wound around the circumference of the corresponding flow channel tube, so that the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 are heated evenly. Alternatively, the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 may also be sheet structures, which are bent and fitted around the circumference of the corresponding flow channel tube, so that the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 are heated evenly. Both can directly heat the flow channel body 20, which is not limited to this.

[0125] In addition, when a heating hole 52 is formed on the heat conducting member 50 , a heating member having a heating rod structure may be inserted and installed in the heating hole 52 , so as to heat the flow channel body 20 through the heat conducting member 50 .

[0126] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The first flow channel tube 22 is provided with a first detection blind hole 251 for inserting and installing the first temperature sensor 61 (refer to Figure 6 ), so as to detect the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 and the first temperature control flow channel 211. The second flow channel tube 23 is provided with a second detection blind hole 252, which is used to plug and install the second temperature sensor 62, so as to detect the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 and the second temperature control flow channel 212. The regulating pipe section 24 is also provided with a third detection blind hole 253, and the third detection blind hole 253 is used to plug and install the third temperature sensor 64, so as to detect the heating temperature of the regulating pipe section 24 and the third temperature control flow channel 213.

[0127] By setting the first detection blind hole 251, the second detection blind hole 252 and the third detection blind hole 253, the detection ends of the corresponding first temperature sensor 61, the second temperature sensor 62 and the third temperature sensor 64 can be closer to the inner wall of the hot melt channel 21, thereby improving the accuracy of temperature detection.

[0128] Exemplarily, along the Y direction, the first detection blind hole 251 is arranged at one end of the first flow channel tube 22 close to the nozzle part 10, the second detection blind hole 252 is arranged at one end of the second flow channel tube 23 close to the nozzle part 10, and the third detection blind hole 253 is arranged at one end of the filling and adjusting pipe section 24 close to the nozzle part 10.

[0129] The first detection blind hole 251, the second detection blind hole 252 and the third detection blind hole 253 are blind hole structures opened along the radial direction of the flow channel body 20, which are convenient for plugging and installing the temperature sensor while avoiding the pressure release of the hot melt flow channel 21. The first heating element 41, the second heating element 42 and the third heating element 43 are distributed at intervals along the Y direction and avoid the first detection blind hole 251, the second detection blind hole 252 and the third detection blind hole 253.

[0130] So refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The temperature control module 63 is electrically connected to the third temperature sensor 64 and the third heating element 43, and is used to collect the heating temperature at the third temperature control channel 213 and adjust the heating power of the third heating element 43. The heating temperature in the third temperature control channel 213 can be flexibly and accurately controlled through the setting of the temperature control module 63.

[0131] Based on this, the temperature control module 63 can also be configured as:

[0132] When the temperature of the regulating pipe section 24 is lower than the fifth preset temperature T5, the temperature control module 63 controls the third heating element 43 to start (or increase the heating power) until the heating temperature of the regulating pipe section 24 is higher than or equal to the sixth preset temperature T6. The sixth preset temperature T6 is higher than or equal to the fifth preset temperature T5.

[0133] For specific solutions, refer to the temperature control solutions at the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23. The greater the temperature difference, the greater the heating power of the third heating element 43.

[0134] In the process of heating the flow channel body 20, the heating temperatures of the first flow channel tube 22, the regulating tube section 24, and the second flow channel tube 23 may also be set to decrease in sequence. For example, the sixth preset temperature T6 is higher than the second preset temperature T2, and the sixth preset temperature T6 is lower than the fourth preset temperature T4, so that the hot-melt consumable can be fully heated by the higher heating temperature in the process of sequentially flowing through the first flow channel tube 22 and the regulating tube section 24, and maintain a stable molten state in the second flow channel tube 23 to avoid thermal denaturation, which is conducive to further improving the melting speed of the hot-melt consumable.

[0135] Alternatively, in the process of heating the flow channel body 20, the first flow channel tube 22, the regulating tube section 24, and the second flow channel tube 23 may be set to have the same or approximately the same heating temperature. For example, the second preset temperature T2 is equal to the fourth preset temperature T4 and the sixth preset temperature T6, so as to control the first flow channel tube 22, the regulating tube section 24, and the second flow channel tube 23 to have the same maximum heating temperature, thereby quickly melting the hot melt consumables.

[0136] In some embodiments, Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of a fourth hot melt assembly 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application, Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A front view of the hot melt assembly 100 is shown. The flow channel body 20 of the tubular structure may also include a first flow channel tube 22 and a second flow channel tube 23 connected in sequence along the Y direction. The first heating element 41 is arranged around the first flow channel tube 22 to heat the first temperature-controlled flow channel 211. The second heating element 42 is arranged around the second flow channel tube 23 to heat the second temperature-controlled flow channel 212.

[0137] Thus, by disposing the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42, the heating temperatures of the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 are controlled respectively, which is beneficial to improving the melting speed and melting degree of the heat. In addition, the structure is simple, which is beneficial to simplifying the number of parts of the hot melt assembly 100.

[0138] Continue to refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The first flow channel tube 22 is provided with a first detection blind hole 251 for inserting and installing the first temperature sensor 61 (refer to Figure 6 ), so as to detect the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube 22 and the first temperature control flow channel 211. The second flow channel tube 23 is provided with a second detection blind hole 252, which is used to plug and install the second temperature sensor 62, so as to detect the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube 23 and the second temperature control flow channel 212.

[0139] By providing the first detection blind hole 251 and the second detection blind hole 252 , the detection ends of the corresponding first temperature sensor 61 and the second temperature sensor 62 can be closer to the inner wall of the hot melt channel 21 , thereby improving the accuracy of temperature detection.

[0140] In the above embodiment, the first flow channel tube 22 and the second flow channel tube 23 can be detachably connected by means of threaded connection or clamping, so that the overall length of the hot melt flow channel 21 can be flexibly adjusted by replacing the first flow channel tube 22 or the second flow channel tube 23 of different lengths.

[0141] In some embodiments, Fig.11 As shown, Fig.111 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle component 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The nozzle component 10 includes a nozzle head 12 and a nozzle body 13. The nozzle body 13 is provided with a hot melt flow channel 21 (i.e., a second temperature control flow channel 212, such as Figure 3 The nozzle head 12 is detachably connected to the nozzle body 13, and the nozzle head 12 is provided with a nozzle outlet 11 connected to the nozzle flow channel 14.

[0142] The nozzle body 13 and the flow channel body 20 may be an integrated structure or a separate structure.

[0143] For example, a through hole can be opened in a tubular structure along the Y direction to form a hot melt flow channel 21 (or a second temperature control flow channel 212) and a nozzle flow channel 14 connected in sequence, that is, an integrated structure of a flow channel body 20 (or a second flow channel tube 23) and a nozzle body 13, and then the nozzle head 12 can be installed at the lower end of the nozzle body 13 through a threaded structure.

[0144] Alternatively, the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle body 13 may be provided with a split structure, such as the second flow channel pipe 23 and the nozzle body 13 are detachably connected. In this case, a threaded structure adapted to the nozzle body 13 may be provided at the second flow channel pipe 23, or an internal threaded structure may be provided at the lower end of the heat conducting through hole 51 of the heat conducting member 50 for connecting the nozzle body 13, which is not limited thereto. The split structural components facilitate the processing and setting of each component in the flow channel body 20 and the nozzle member 10.

[0145] In some embodiments, the hardness of the shower head 12 is set to be greater than the hardness of the shower head body 13 . And / or, the thermal conductivity of the shower head body 13 is set to be higher than the thermal conductivity of the shower head 12 .

[0146] Since the nozzle head 12 with the nozzle 11 will be in continuous contact with the printing material such as hot melt consumables during the process of printing parts, the nozzle head 12 with higher hardness can effectively resist wear and extend the service life. In addition, high-hardness materials usually also have higher heat resistance, so that the high-hardness nozzle head 12 is not easy to deform in a high-temperature and high-intensity printing environment, so as to maintain a stable size and shape, thereby ensuring printing accuracy. In this way, the nozzle head 12 with stronger wear resistance and heat resistance has a lower replacement frequency, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

[0147] By setting the nozzle body 13 to have a higher thermal conductivity, the heat from the flow channel body 20 or the heat conductor 50 in contact with the nozzle body 13 can be quickly transferred to the nozzle body 13, so that the hot melt consumables in the nozzle flow channel 14 can be stably maintained in a molten state, which is beneficial to improving the printing effect and quality of parts.

[0148] Exemplarily, the nozzle body 13 can be configured to be a high thermal conductivity component such as metal copper, and the nozzle head 12 can be configured to be a high hardness component such as steel or titanium alloy, so that the nozzle component 10 has both good thermal conductivity and high hardness characteristics.

[0149] In some embodiments, Fig.12 As shown, Fig.12 The cross-sectional view of a hot melt assembly 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application at the throat pipe 30. The throat pipe 30 includes a first connector 31, a second connector 32 and a throat pipe 33. The first connector 31 is connected to the second connector 32 through the throat pipe 33 and is provided with a feed channel 34. The second connector 32 is used to connect the first flow channel tube 22 so that the feed channel 34 is connected to the first temperature control flow channel 211. The thermal conductivity of the throat pipe 33 is lower than the thermal conductivity of the first flow channel tube 22 (or the flow channel body).

[0150] In this way, the second connector 32 is used to stably connect the flow channel body 20 and the throat 33, so that the first temperature control flow channel 211 is connected and conducted with the feeding flow channel 34. At this time, the first connector 31 is used to connect the feeding mechanism of the host device, so that the feeding mechanism can transport the hot melt consumables to the hot melt flow channel 21 through the feeding flow channel 34 to quickly heat the hot melt. Among them, the structure of the throat 33 with a low thermal conductivity can prevent the heat transfer from the hot melt flow channel 21 to the upstream (such as the feeding mechanism), avoid heat loss, and avoid the hot melt consumables from being deformed or melted by heat before entering the hot melt flow channel 21, resulting in poor feeding.

[0151] The first connecting member 31 and the second connecting member 32 are connected to other components by a detachable connection method, such as a threaded connection or a clamping connection, so as to facilitate the disassembly, assembly and replacement of components such as the throat pipe 30.

[0152] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a 3D printer, comprising the hot melt assembly 100 in the first aspect.

[0153] Exemplarily, the 3D printer includes a device body, a feeding mechanism and a displacement mechanism, wherein the displacement mechanism is mounted on the device body and connected to the hot melt assembly 100, such as the hot melt assembly 100 is detachably connected to the displacement mechanism through the second connecting member 32, so as to adjust the spatial position of the nozzle 11 through the displacement mechanism. The output port of the feeding mechanism is connected to the second connecting member 32 and is connected to the feeding channel 34, so as to smoothly and continuously provide hot melt consumables into the hot melt channel 21.

[0154] Since the 3D printer includes the hot melt assembly 100 in the first aspect, the 3D printer has all the beneficial effects of the hot melt assembly 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0155] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a 3D printer, the control method comprising:

[0156] Along the length direction of the hot melt flow channel, the hot melt flow channel is divided into at least a first temperature control flow channel and a second temperature control flow channel.

[0157] When the temperature of the first temperature-controlled flow channel is lower than the first preset temperature T1, the temperature control module controls the first heating element to start until the heating temperature of the first temperature-controlled flow channel is higher than or equal to the second preset temperature T2, and the second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the first preset temperature T1;

[0158] When the temperature of the second temperature control channel is lower than the third preset temperature T3, the temperature control module controls the second heating element to start until the heating temperature of the second temperature control channel is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is higher than or equal to the third preset temperature T3.

[0159] In this way, the first temperature-controlled flow channel (i.e., the first flow channel tube) is independently temperature-controlled and heated by the first heating element, and the second temperature-controlled flow channel (i.e., the second flow channel tube) is independently temperature-controlled and heated by the second heating element, so that both the first temperature-controlled flow channel and the second temperature-controlled flow channel can be stably maintained within an appropriate set temperature range. In this way, through appropriate zone temperature control settings, the hot-melt consumables in the hot-melt flow channel can be quickly melted while avoiding the denaturation of the hot-melt consumables caused by excessive local temperature in the hot-melt flow channel. It can also avoid the situation where the hot-melt consumables are difficult to melt due to excessive local temperature in the hot-melt flow channel, thereby increasing flow resistance and reducing flow. The hot-melt consumables can quickly flow through the first flow temperature-controlled flow channel and the second temperature-controlled flow channel and flow out from the nozzle after being fully melted, thereby quickly printing and stacking the preset parts, and the hot-melt consumables in a fluid state after being fully melted can improve the printing effect and printing quality of the preset parts.

[0160] In the embodiment of the present application, the temperature detection of the first temperature control channel and the second temperature control channel can be performed by the corresponding first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. The start control of the first heating element and the second heating element can be automatically controlled and adjusted by the temperature control module.

[0161] The temperature control module can flexibly control the heating power of the first heating element and the second heating element according to the heating temperature, such as turning on or off the corresponding first heating element or the second heating element, or adjusting the heating power of the first heating element and the second heating element, so that the hot melt flow channel as a whole maintains a suitable and stable heating temperature, and the fluid hot melt consumables can flow out of the nozzle stably and quickly.

[0162] In addition, the temperature acquisition of the first temperature-controlled flow channel and the second temperature-controlled flow channel can be comprehensively judged based on preset test conditions, through the start-up heating time, shutdown time and flow rate of the hot-melt consumables of the first heating element and the second heating element under preset power and corresponding environment, and there is no limitation on this.

[0163] Wherein, along the length direction of the hot melt flow channel, since the second temperature control flow channel is located on the side of the first temperature control flow channel close to the nozzle component. In this way, the control method also includes:

[0164] The second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4.

[0165] By setting the second preset temperature T2 higher than the fourth preset temperature T4, so that the first temperature-controlled flow channel has a higher heating temperature, when the hot-melt consumable flows into the first temperature-controlled flow channel through the throat, the hot-melt consumable in the first temperature-controlled flow channel can be fully preheated by the higher heating temperature, so that the temperature of the hot-melt consumable increases rapidly. After the hot-melt consumable flows into the second temperature-controlled flow channel, the hot-melt consumable can be continuously heated until it melts, which is beneficial to increase the melting speed of the hot-melt consumable and thus increase the printing speed.

[0166] Further, the second preset temperature T2 is set to be higher than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is set to be lower than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable.

[0167] In this way, by setting a higher heating temperature at the first temperature-controlled flow channel, the hot-melt consumables in the first temperature-controlled flow channel can be quickly preheated. Since the hot-melt consumables in the hot-melt flow channel have a faster flow speed (high-speed printing), even if the heating temperature at the first temperature-controlled flow channel is higher than the thermal denaturation temperature, the hot-melt consumables flowing through will flow to the second temperature-controlled flow channel before being heated to the thermal denaturation temperature. In this way, a heating temperature higher than the thermal denaturation temperature can further increase the heating speed of the hot-melt consumables, but will not cause the hot-melt consumables to denature due to heat. At the second temperature-controlled flow channel, the heating temperature that does not exceed the thermal denaturation temperature allows the hot-melt consumables to fully melt and maintain a stable molten state, which is beneficial to improving printing speed and printing quality.

[0168] In actual application, Figure 4 and Figure 5 Taking the hot melt assembly 100 shown as an example, a 3D printer needs to configure a variety of printing parameters during the printing process.

[0169] Printing parameters can be the material (hot melt material) advancement speed, printing speed, extrusion flow rate, etc. For example, the extrusion flow rate Q and the length dimension L of the hot melt flow channel meet the following conditions: Q = (-0.003796L 2+1.05074L)A. Among them, A is the structural coefficient of the hot melt flow channel, which is related to the cross-sectional area and shape of the hot melt flow channel. For a 2mm circular flow channel structure, A=1, and the length of the hot melt flow channel can be 40-200mm, generally 70-150mm. When the length of the hot melt flow channel is within 100-140mm, the maximum extrusion flow rate of the hot melt consumables can reach 70mm 3 / s, which is higher than ordinary printers (usually 10-30mm 3 / s) is twice or even more of the maximum extrusion flow rate, which is conducive to quickly increasing the printing speed of the 3D printer and maintaining a stable output state.

[0170] Among them, the workflow of the 3D printer is:

[0171] S1: When starting work, the heating temperature threshold (ie, the second preset temperature T2) and (the fourth preset temperature T4) are set according to the melting temperature of different hot-melt consumables.

[0172] At the first flow channel, the second preset temperature T2 is greater than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable. At the second flow channel, the fourth preset temperature T4 is equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable.

[0173] The above values ​​of T2 and T4 may be inconsistent.

[0174] Alternatively, the values ​​of T2 and T4 may be set to be consistent, that is, the second preset temperature T2 and the fourth preset temperature T4 are equal and are both the thermal denaturation temperatures of the hot-melt consumable.

[0175] For example, if the suitable printing temperature of a PLA-1 filament is 200-220, then set T2=240, T4=220, that is, 220℃ is the thermal denaturation temperature of the PLA-1 filament.

[0176] When the temperature of hot-melt consumables is higher than the maximum suitable printing temperature, they will denature and affect printing, so the heating temperature of the prior art is controlled within the suitable printing temperature of the consumables. However, this solution sets T2 to 240, which is higher than the maximum suitable printing temperature of the hot-melt consumables. However, since it only targets the first heating element and the first temperature-controlled flow channel, that is, the upper half of the hot-melt flow channel, and the hot-melt consumables are continuously pushed in, the hot-melt consumables will quickly pass through the upper half of the hot-melt flow channel to the lower half after entering the hot-melt flow channel. The heating time is limited, and the hot-melt consumables can only absorb a limited amount of heat. Therefore, it will only accelerate the hot-melt consumables to absorb heat and melt, and will not cause the hot-melt consumables to denature.

[0177] S2: After printing preparation and printing starts, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor send the detected temperature A1 at the first flow channel and the detected temperature A2 at the second flow channel to the temperature control module in real time.

[0178] S3: The temperature control module compares the received A1 data with T2 in real time, and compares the received A2 data with T4 in real time.

[0179] S4: When the detected temperature is close to the set temperature (i.e., T2 and T4), the controller gradually controls to reduce the heating power of the heat source until the detected temperature is higher than or equal to the set temperature and stops heating. Ensure that the temperature at the first temperature-controlled flow channel is maintained at T2, and the temperature at the second temperature-controlled flow channel is maintained at T4. Until the printing is completed.

[0180] Extrusion process of hot melt consumables:

[0181] S1: The hard hot-melt consumables enter the feeding channel of the throat fittings under the action of external force.

[0182] S2: The hot-melt consumable passes through the feeding channel at the throat fitting and directly reaches the first temperature-controlled channel. Since the hot-melt consumable with a lower temperature passes through quickly, a large amount of heat at the first temperature-controlled channel will be taken away, resulting in a decrease in the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor at the first temperature-controlled channel. At this time, the control module controls the first heating element to start heating to provide more heat to the first temperature-controlled channel, ensuring that the first temperature-controlled channel does not lose temperature (the temperature is too low).

[0183] S3: The hot melt consumable continues to move down to the second temperature control channel. At this time, the hot melt consumable has risen to a certain temperature, and the heat taken away in the rear section (i.e., the second temperature control channel) is relatively small. The second temperature sensor at the second temperature control channel detects a small drop in temperature, so the control module only needs to make the second heating element provide a small amount of heat.

[0184] S3: The filament melted by the second temperature-controlled flow channel is extruded from the nozzle.

[0185] The longer the heating time of a unit length of hot-melt consumables is, the higher the melting degree is. The hot-melt runner can greatly increase the heat contact area of ​​the hot-melt consumables, thus facilitating the melting of the consumables, especially the core part of the consumables that is not easy to melt, so that the consumables can be fully melted.

[0186] By setting the T2 temperature to a high value and the T4 temperature to a low value within the allowable melting temperature range of the filament, the cold filament can be melted quickly while the temperature of the filament at the nozzle will not be too high, making it difficult to print.

[0187] In relevant experiments, PLA-2 filaments were used for testing. According to the melting temperature range of PLA-2 filaments (210°C-230°C), T2 and T4 were set to 230±5°C.

[0188] In this test, the lengths of multiple hot melt channels were 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, 80mm and 100mm respectively, the outlet diameter at the nozzle was 0.4mm, the advancement speed of the hot melt consumables was 25mm / s, and the measured maximum flow data were: 43mm³ / s, 50mm³ / s, 55mm³ / s, 60mm³ / s and 67mm³ / s respectively.

[0189] That is, in the hot melt assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application, within a certain range, the larger the length dimension of the hot melt flow channel, that is, the larger the flow rate of the hot melt consumable after melting, so as to flexibly adjust the specification parameters of the hot melt assembly according to actual needs to adapt to different printing requirements. It should be emphasized that the suitable heating temperature of the hot melt consumable flowing out of the nozzle is the first temperature B1 and the second temperature B2, and the second temperature B2 is higher than the first temperature B1. For example, the melting temperature range of PLA-2 consumables is 210°C (ie, the first temperature B1)-230°C (ie, the second temperature B2). Among them, the second temperature B2 is the thermal denaturation temperature. When the heating temperature exceeds the thermal denaturation temperature, the hot melt consumable may be thermally denatured, thereby reducing the printing quality or failing to print. When the heating temperature does not exceed the thermal deformation temperature, the hot melt consumable will not thermally denature.

[0190] In this way, by configuring the temperature control module such that the third preset temperature T3 is higher than or equal to the first temperature B1, and the first preset temperature T1 is higher than or equal to the second temperature B2, the first temperature control flow channel can be heated more rapidly to heat the hot-melt consumable with a lower temperature, which is beneficial to improving the heat absorption and melting speed of the hot-melt consumable.

[0191] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0192] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A hot melt assembly, comprising a nozzle component (10), a flow channel body (20) and a throat (33) component (30) connected in sequence, wherein at least the flow channel body (20) is provided with a hot melt flow channel (21) for heating a hot melt consumable material; It is characterized in that The length of the hot melt flow channel (21) is 40-200 mm.

2. The hot melt assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the hot melt flow channel (21) is 100-140 mm.

3. The hot melt assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow channel body (20) comprises a first flow channel tube (22) and a second flow channel tube (23), the first flow channel tube (22) being connected to the throat tube (33) component (30), the second flow channel tube (23) being connected to the nozzle component (10), and the first flow channel tube (22) and the second flow channel tube (23) being connected; The hot melt assembly further comprises a first heating element (41) and a second heating element (42), wherein the first heating element (41) is used to heat the first flow channel tube (22), and the second heating element (42) is used to heat the second flow channel tube (23).

4. The hot melt assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flow channel body (20) further comprises an adjusting pipe section (24), wherein the adjusting pipe section (24) is connected between the first flow channel pipe (22) and the second flow channel pipe (23) and is used to connect the first flow channel pipe (22) and the second flow channel pipe.

5. The hot melt assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flow channel body (20) is an integrated structure; or, The flow channel body (20) is a split structure, wherein: The first flow channel pipe (22) is detachably connected to the regulating pipe section (24); and / or, The second flow channel pipe (23) is detachably connected to the regulating pipe section (24).

6. The hot melt assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first heating element (41) and the second heating element (42) are at least one of a heating ring, a heating rod, a heating sheet or a heating wire.

7. The hot melt assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The hot melt assembly also includes: A first temperature sensor (61) for detecting the heating temperature of the first flow channel tube (22); a second temperature sensor (62), used for detecting the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube (23); and A temperature control module (63), the temperature control module (63) being electrically connected to at least the first heating element (41), the second heating element (42), the first temperature sensor (61), and the second temperature sensor (62).

8. The hot melt assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The heating temperature of the first flow channel tube (22) is higher than or equal to the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube (23).

9. The hot melt assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The heating temperature of the first flow channel tube (22) is higher than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable material, and the heating temperature of the second flow channel tube (23) is lower than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable material.

10. The hot melt assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: The hot melt assembly also includes: A heat conducting member (50), the heat conducting member (50) being provided with a heat conducting through hole (51) along a first direction, the flow channel body (20) being inserted into the heat conducting through hole (51) along the first direction and being in contact and connected with the heat conducting member (50); Wherein, along the first direction, the heat conducting member (50) is provided with a heating hole (52), and the first heating member (41) is plugged and installed at one end of the heating hole (52) close to the first flow channel tube (22), and the second heating member (42) is plugged and installed at one end of the heating hole (52) close to the second flow channel tube (23).

11. The hot melt assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: Along the radial direction of the heat-conducting through hole (51), the heat-conducting component (50) is provided with a first temperature detection hole (53) and a second temperature detection hole (54) which are in communication with the heat-conducting through hole (51); Along the first direction, the first temperature detection hole (53) is located at one end of the heat conducting member (50) close to the first flow channel tube (22), and the second temperature detection hole (54) is located at one end of the heat conducting member (50) close to the second flow channel tube (23).

12. The hot melt assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: Along the first direction, the heat conducting member (50) is configured as a split structure corresponding to at least the first flow channel tube (22) and the second flow channel tube (23).

13. The hot melt assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The flow channel body (20) and the heat conducting element (50) are of a split structure; or, The flow channel body (20) and the heat conducting component (50) are an integrated structure.

14. The hot melt assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The nozzle component (10) comprises: A nozzle body (13), wherein the nozzle body (13) is provided with a nozzle flow channel (14) in communication with the hot melt flow channel (21); and A nozzle head (12), the nozzle head (12) being detachably connected to the nozzle body (13), and the nozzle head (12) being provided with a nozzle (11) connected to the nozzle flow channel (14); Wherein, the hardness of the nozzle head (12) is greater than the hardness of the nozzle body (13); and / or, The thermal conductivity of the nozzle body (13) is higher than the thermal conductivity of the nozzle head (12).

15. The hot melt assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The flow channel body (20) and the nozzle body (13) are an integrated structure; or, The flow channel body (20) and the nozzle body (13) are of a split structure, and the flow channel body (20) and the nozzle body (13) are detachably connected.

16. A 3D printer, characterized in that: A hot melt assembly comprising any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A control method for a 3D printer, characterized in that: The control method comprises: Along the length direction of the hot melt flow channel, the hot melt flow channel is divided into at least a first temperature control flow channel and a second temperature control flow channel; When the temperature of the first temperature-controlled flow channel is lower than the first preset temperature T1, the temperature control module controls the first heating element to start until the heating temperature of the first temperature-controlled flow channel is higher than or equal to the second preset temperature T2, and the second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the first preset temperature T1; When the temperature of the second temperature control channel is lower than the third preset temperature T3, the temperature control module controls the second heating element to start until the heating temperature of the second temperature control channel is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is higher than or equal to the third preset temperature T3.

18. The control method of the 3D printer according to claim 17, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the hot melt flow channel, the second temperature control flow channel is located on a side of the first temperature control flow channel close to the nozzle component; The control method comprises: The second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the fourth preset temperature T4.

19. The control method of the 3D printer according to claim 18, characterized in that: The second preset temperature T2 is higher than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable, and the fourth preset temperature T4 is lower than or equal to the thermal denaturation temperature of the hot-melt consumable.

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