Bin body transition device of selective laser melting equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a bin body transition device of selective laser melting equipment. The bin body transition device comprises a support and a box body which is arranged above the support, used for sealing and protecting an inert gas working environment and connected with a forming device. The driving assembly is arranged at the bottom of the box body to drive the turnover mechanism to reciprocate; the turnover mechanism is arranged on the driving assembly, and the turnover mechanism is connected with the exchange bin in a clamped mode, so that the exchange bin can be driven to move in the box body in a reciprocating mode; by additionally arranging the sealing box body capable of automatically inflating and deflating, the exchange bin is taken out of or pushed into the forming device through the sealing box body, so that the gas environment inside and outside the forming device is consistent, the whole process is not contacted with the outside, the inert gas loss is reduced, and the printing fluency and the printing efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal powder laser melting and forming technology, and in particular to a chamber transition device for a laser selective melting equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Laser selective melting (SLM) equipment primarily uses a laser beam focused onto a forming plane, controlled by a scanning galvanometer to move at a specific speed and path. This rapidly melts and solidifies the metal powder in the scanned area, forming a solid object. Through layer-by-layer accumulation, complex three-dimensional structures are ultimately processed. Typically, large-scale SLM forming equipment consists of several core components: a working chamber, an optical system, a powder spreading system, a gas circulation and purification system, a computer control system, and other auxiliary devices. It enables rapid prototyping and direct manufacturing of large components in small batches, with personalized, high-performance, and lightweight designs. Currently, during the printing process, the machine needs to be stopped for substrate insertion or removal of the printed parts. This process disrupts the inert environment within the forming module, requiring refilling and refilling of inert gas. This wastes inert gas, severely impacting printing smoothness, and prolongs the overall printing time, reducing work efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a facility or equipment to solve the problem of inert gas waste caused by the disruption of the inert gas environment during substrate introduction and part removal in the printing process, as well as the refilling and defilling of the gas; thereby improving printing smoothness and increasing work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a chamber transition device for a laser selective melting equipment, which solves the problem of inert gas waste caused by the disruption of the inert gas environment and the refilling and defilling of gas during the substrate introduction and part removal process in the printing process; thereby improving printing smoothness and increasing work efficiency.

[0005] The present invention provides a chamber transition device for a laser selective melting apparatus, comprising a support frame.

[0006] The housing, located above the support frame, is used to seal and protect the inert gas working environment and to connect the forming device;

[0007] The drive component, located at the bottom of the housing, drives the reciprocating motion of the tilting mechanism;

[0008] A flipping mechanism is provided on the drive assembly. The flipping mechanism engages with the exchange chamber, allowing the exchange chamber to be driven to reciprocate within the chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, the box body includes a door I and a door II arranged opposite to each other. A connecting frame is provided on the outer side of the door II, and two slide rails II are provided opposite to each other on the inner side of the connecting frame. The door II can be driven by a cylinder to move along the slide rails II to close the box body and is connected to the forming device through the connecting frame. The door I includes a door frame, and protrusions are provided on both sides of the door frame. Two slide rails I are provided opposite to each other on the inner side of the protrusions. A sealing groove is provided around the end opening of the door frame, and an inflatable sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove. The door I can be driven by a cylinder to move along the slide rails I and cooperate with the inflatable sealing ring to seal the box body.

[0010] Furthermore, the housing also includes a bottom plate and side plates disposed on the long ends of both sides of the bottom plate. Two L-shaped guide strips are disposed opposite each other on the long ends of both sides of the bottom plate. A limiting member is disposed on the side plate away from the bottom plate to laterally constrain the exchange compartment. The exchange compartment can slide within the L-shaped limiting guide strips by being constrained by the limiting member.

[0011] Furthermore, the L-shaped guide strip base plate and side plate are uniformly provided with a plurality of rolling bearings along the sliding direction, and the limiting member is uniformly provided with a plurality of rolling bearings along the sliding direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the driving component includes a drive motor and a moving end. A drive wheel and a driven wheel connected by a chain are provided on the base plate between the two L-shaped guide bars. The drive wheel can be driven to rotate by the drive motor. The moving end includes a slider and a guide rail. The guide rail is mounted on both sides of the drive wheel along the length direction. A flipping mechanism is mounted on the upper part of the slider. The flipping mechanism slides back and forth on the guide rail with the slider.

[0013] Furthermore, the flipping mechanism includes a base and an L-shaped flipping platform. The base has a concave snap-fit ​​part at its bottom, which snaps into one link of the chain. One end of the bottom of the L-shaped flipping platform is hinged to one end of the base. The base can be driven by the chain and constrained by the slider to move along the guide rail.

[0014] Furthermore, the flipping mechanism also includes a zero-point locator. The front end of the zero-point locator is provided with a groove, and an air bladder is provided in the groove. The zero-point locator is inflated by the air bladder in the groove and expands to connect with the pin of the exchange chamber.

[0015] Furthermore, the L-shaped tilting table has several bolt holes on its side wall and a handle at its end. The zero-point locator is connected to the L-shaped tilting table through the bolt holes and rotates around the hinge end with the L-shaped tilting table.

[0016] Furthermore, the enclosure also includes a top plate, which is equipped with an exhaust vent and an oxygen detection device to control and detect the inert environment inside the enclosure.

[0017] Furthermore, the door frame is provided with several bolt holes around the opening of the box, and the door frame is fixedly connected to the box by bolts; the bottom plate is provided with limit cylinders on both sides of the guide rail, and the limit cylinders can extend limit rods to restrict the reciprocating sliding of the exchange compartment.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention: This invention provides a chamber transition device for a laser selective melting equipment. By adding a sealed box that can be independently filled and released, the exchange chamber is removed or pushed into the forming device through this sealed box, ensuring a consistent gas environment inside and outside the forming device. The entire process avoids contact with the outside world, reducing the loss of inert gas and improving printing smoothness and efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is the left view of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a right view of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view (AA) of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the flipping mechanism of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the closed structure of the flipping mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the opening structure of the flipping mechanism of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown: This embodiment of a laser selective melting equipment includes a chamber transition device, comprising a support 1. Lockable casters are provided below the support 1 to facilitate pushing it to a suitable installation position for connection with the forming device. The lockable casters help stabilize the equipment and prevent relative slippage during operation.

[0028] The housing 2 is located above the support 1 to seal and protect the inert gas working environment and to connect the forming device. The housing 2 is sealed and connected to the forming device by the door I 203 and the door II 204. The top of the housing 2 is provided with an air inlet 201 and an air outlet 202, which can be filled with inert gas that is the same as the gas inside the forming device to ensure that the inert gas environment inside the forming device does not change when the exchange chamber is removed from the forming device.

[0029] The drive component 5 is located at the bottom of the housing 2 and drives the reciprocating motion of the flipping mechanism 4; the selected drive motor 506 is a servo motor.

[0030] A flipping mechanism 4, mounted on the drive assembly 5, engages with the exchange chamber, allowing the exchange chamber to reciprocate within the housing 2. During use, the chamber door I203 is opened. Since the flipping mechanism 4 is in a closed state at this time, the zero-point positioning device 401 may interfere with the exchange chamber. The handle 404 on the flipping mechanism 4 must be used to flip the mechanism, eliminating the interference from the zero-point positioning device 401 and allowing the exchange chamber to smoothly enter the device. Then, the flipping mechanism 4 is reset, allowing the zero-point positioning device 401 to engage the exchange chamber pins and reciprocate with the flipping mechanism 4.

[0031] In this embodiment, the box body includes a door I 203 and a door II 204 arranged opposite to each other. A connecting frame 2041 is provided on the outer side of door II 204, and two slide rails II 2042 are arranged opposite to each other on the inner side of the connecting frame 2041. Door II 204 can be driven by a cylinder 3 to move along the slide rails II 2042 to close the box body 2 and is connected to the forming device through the connecting frame 2041. Door I 203 includes a door frame 2033, with protrusions on both sides of the door frame 2033, and opposite to each other on the inner side of the protrusions. Two sliding rails I 2032; the door frame 2033 is provided with a sealing groove 2031 around the end opening of the box body, and an inflatable sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove; the door I 203 can be driven by the cylinder 3 to move along the sliding rail I 2032 and cooperate with the inflatable sealing ring to seal the box body 2; the inflatable sealing ring is connected to an independent inflation device and is not connected to the present invention. When the door I 203 is closed, the inflatable sealing ring is inflated; when the door I 203 is opened or closed, the inflatable sealing ring is deflated to facilitate the opening of the door I 203. The inflatable sealing ring can reduce the sliding resistance during the opening and closing process compared with ordinary sealing rings, reduce the wear of the sealing ring and extend its service life; the cylinder 3 is provided with a piston rod, which is located on the outside of the door I 203 and the door II 204, and the piston rod is fixedly connected to the door I 203 and the door II 204 by bolts. The slide rail I 2032 is provided with a number of sliders, which are connected to the storage door I 203 by an L-shaped connector. The sliders and the storage door I are fixedly connected on both sides of the L-shaped connector by bolts. The slide rail II is provided with a number of sliders, which are connected to the storage door II 204 by an L-shaped connector. The sliders and the storage door II 204 are fixedly connected on both sides of the L-shaped connector by bolts.

[0032] In this embodiment, the housing 2 further includes a bottom plate and side plates disposed on the long ends of both sides of the bottom plate. Two L-shaped guide strips 205 are disposed opposite each other on the long edges of both sides of the bottom plate. A limiting member 206 is disposed on the side plate away from the bottom plate to laterally constrain the exchange chamber 7. The exchange chamber 7 can be constrained by the limiting member 206 to slide within the L-shaped limiting guide strip 205. The limiting member 206 is a strip-shaped structure disposed along the length direction of the housing. The limiting member 206 is fixed to the top of the side plate by bolts and cooperates with the L-shaped guide strip 205 to form a double limiting and auxiliary guidance in the width direction. Compared with the setting of a single L-shaped guide strip 205, it can avoid the problem of uneven weight of the exchange chamber during long-term use, which can cause uneven side wear and failure to dock with the forming device, thus improving the stability of the equipment.

[0033] In this embodiment, the L-shaped guide bar 205 has a plurality of rolling bearings evenly arranged on its base plate and side plate along the sliding direction, and the limiting member 206 has a plurality of rolling bearings evenly arranged along the sliding direction; the rolling bearings reduce friction, making the reciprocating motion of the exchange chamber within the device smoother and reducing possible jamming; ensuring smooth operation and improving efficiency.

[0034] In this embodiment, the driving component 5 includes a driving motor 506 and a moving end. A driving wheel 504 and a driven wheel 503 connected by a chain 501 are provided on the base plate between the two L-shaped guide bars 205. The driving wheel 504 can be driven to rotate by the driving motor 506. The moving end includes a slider 505 and a guide rail 502. The guide rail 502 is mounted on both sides of the driving wheel 504 along its length. A flipping mechanism 4 is mounted on the upper part of the slider 505. The flipping mechanism 4 slides back and forth on the guide rail 502 along with the slider 505. Preferably, the driving motor 506 is a servo motor, utilizing the characteristics of the servo motor to achieve the reciprocating motion of the flipping mechanism 4, which will not be elaborated further here. The driving wheel 504 and the driven wheel 503 are gears, horizontally mounted on the base plate via gear shafts and bearings. The slider 505 is connected to the flipping mechanism base 403 by bolts.

[0035] In this embodiment, the flipping mechanism 4 includes a base 403 and an L-shaped flipping platform 402. A locking part 4031 is provided below the base 403. The locking part 4031 is conformally shaped to one link of the chain 501, i.e., similar in appearance, and is locked together via a link shaft. One end of the bottom of the L-shaped flipping platform 402 is hinged to one end of the base 403. The base 403 can be driven by the chain 501 and constrained by a slide 505 to move along the guide rail 502. The L-shaped flipping platform 402 can rotate around the hinged end to avoid interference when the exchange chamber is introduced from the outside, ensuring smooth entry of the exchange chamber. The drive motor 506 rotates, driving the drive wheel 504 to rotate. At this time, the chain 501 also moves with the drive wheel 504, causing the base 403 to slide along the direction of the chain 501.

[0036] In this embodiment, the flipping mechanism 4 further includes a zero-point locator 401. The front end of the zero-point locator 401 is provided with a groove, and an air bladder is provided in the groove. The zero-point locator 401 is inflated by the air bladder in the groove and connected to the exchange chamber pin. The expansion connection method can flexibly connect the exchange chamber, avoiding the damage to the inert gas environment caused by frequent manual opening of the device and the gas waste caused by multiple fillings. At the same time, it also improves the automation level of the device.

[0037] In this embodiment, the L-shaped tilting table 402 has several bolt holes at the bottom and a handle 404 at the end. The zero-point locator 401 is connected to the L-shaped tilting table 402 as a whole through the bolt holes. The L-shaped tilting table has several bolt holes at the bottom and is fixed to the base with bolts to avoid jamming caused by the sliding obstruction when pushing the exchange chamber 7.

[0038] In this embodiment, the box 2 also includes a top plate, which is provided with an exhaust hole 202, an inflation hole 201 and an oxygen detection device to control and detect the inert environment inside the chamber, ensuring that the gas environment inside the device is consistent with the gas environment inside the forming device, and reducing gas flow.

[0039] In this embodiment, the door frame 2041 is provided with several bolt holes along the circumference of the box opening, and the door frame 2041 is fixedly connected to the box 2 by bolts; the bottom plate is provided with limiting cylinders 6 on both sides of the guide rail 502, and the limiting cylinders 6 can extend limiting rods to restrict the reciprocating sliding of the exchange chamber 7. The limiting cylinders 6 can serve as a protective device to prevent the exchange chamber from moving excessively within the device when the drive component is out of control, ensuring that the exchange chamber does not enter the forming device prematurely and affect the forming of the workpiece.

[0040] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chamber transition device for a laser selective melting equipment, characterized in that: Including a support frame; The housing, located above the support frame, is used to seal and protect the inert gas working environment and to connect the forming device; The drive component, located at the bottom of the housing, drives the reciprocating motion of the tilting mechanism; A flipping mechanism is provided on the drive assembly. The flipping mechanism engages with the exchange chamber, allowing the exchange chamber to be driven to reciprocate within the chamber.

2. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container includes two doors, I and II, arranged opposite to each other. A connecting frame is provided on the outer side of door II, and two slide rails II are provided opposite to each other on the inner side of the connecting frame. Door II can be driven by a cylinder to move along the slide rails II to close the container and is connected to the forming device through the connecting frame. Door I includes a door frame with protrusions on both sides of the door frame and two slide rails I are provided opposite to each other on the inner side of the protrusions. A sealing groove is provided around the opening at the end of the door frame, and an inflatable sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove. Door I can be driven by a cylinder to move along the slide rails I and cooperate with the inflatable sealing ring to seal the container.

3. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The enclosure also includes a bottom plate and side plates located at the long ends of both sides of the bottom plate. Two L-shaped guide strips are provided at the opposite edges of the long ends of both sides of the bottom plate. Limiting members are provided at the ends of the side plates away from the bottom plate to laterally constrain the exchange compartment. The exchange compartment can slide within the L-shaped limiting guide strips by being constrained by the limiting members.

4. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The L-shaped guide strip base plate and side plate are uniformly provided with a plurality of rolling bearings along the sliding direction, and the limiting member is uniformly provided with a plurality of rolling bearings along the sliding direction.

5. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a moving end. A drive wheel and a driven wheel connected by a chain are provided on the base plate between the two L-shaped guide bars. The drive wheel can be driven to rotate by the drive motor. The moving end includes a slider and a guide rail. The guide rail is mounted on both sides of the drive wheel along the length direction. A flipping mechanism is mounted on the upper part of the slider. The flipping mechanism slides back and forth on the guide rail with the slider.

6. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism includes a base and an L-shaped flipping platform. The base has a concave snap-fit ​​part at its bottom, which snaps into a link of the chain. One end of the bottom of the L-shaped flipping platform is hinged to one end of the base. The base can be driven by the chain and constrained by the slider to move along the guide rail.

7. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism also includes a zero-point locator. The front end of the zero-point locator has a groove, and an air bladder is provided in the groove. The zero-point locator expands and connects with the exchange chamber pin by inflating the air bladder in the groove.

8. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The L-shaped tilting table has several bolt holes on its side wall and a handle at its end. The zero-point locator is connected to the L-shaped tilting table through the bolt holes and rotates around the hinge end with the L-shaped tilting table.

9. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The enclosure also includes a top plate, which is equipped with an exhaust vent and an oxygen detection device to control and detect the inert environment inside the enclosure.

10. The chamber transition device of a laser selective melting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The door frame is provided with several bolt holes around the opening of the box, and the door frame is fixedly connected to the box by bolts; the bottom plate is provided with limit cylinders on both sides of the guide rail, and the limit cylinders can extend limit rods to restrict the reciprocating sliding of the exchange compartment.

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