An easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear necks

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing and post-processing technology, specifically to an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck. The structure includes a main support column, a force-applying block, limiting reinforcing ribs, a lower expanding truncated cone, an upper contracting truncated cone, a shearing groove, thin protective wings, and a narrow slot. This results in a compact structure with strong resistance to lateral impacts, utilizing anisotropic bending resistance and possessing low-load post-processing non-destructive fracture and peeling capabilities. The invention decouples the anti-scratching lateral impact from the blade and manual disassembly during post-processing in two orthogonal spatial dimensions through the limiting reinforcing ribs. The force-applying block provides rigid bending moment input, and the shearing groove provides a brittle fracture zone. The combination of these two elements enables a one-click breakage operation experience during post-processing, achieving a balance between axial and lateral stiffness during the printing stage and allowing for one-click non-destructive removal without damaging the model surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing and post-processing technology, specifically to an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional 3D printing support structures, such as tree-like, linear, mesh, or lattice supports, typically place the support in direct contact with the model surface to provide sufficient load-bearing stiffness during the printing stage. To facilitate removal during post-processing, existing technologies often reduce pull-out forces by minimizing the contact interface area, such as using needle-like contacts or tapered conical tips.

[0003] However, the aforementioned existing technologies have the following irreconcilable technical problems in practical engineering applications:

[0004] Isotropic mechanical characteristics leading to mid-printing anti-collision failure: Traditional needle-shaped or conical contact ends are axisymmetric structures, exhibiting isotropic stiffness in all horizontal directions. During 3D printing, high-frequency lateral impact forces are generated by powder-spreading scrapers, demolding pull, or lateral friction from the print head. Because traditional, delicate contact parts cannot withstand such lateral shear loads, they are prone to premature bending instability or fracture, causing support detachment mid-printing and resulting in overall printing failure.

[0005] Microcracks and scars on the substrate surface caused by vertical tensile stress: Post-processing removal mainly relies on vertical tearing or pulling along the axial direction. Since tensile stress easily spreads on the model substrate surface, forced tearing often stretches and breaks part of the substrate material on the model surface, leaving obvious pits, burrs, or pits (i.e., "tear scars"), which greatly damages the surface quality of the workpiece, and the subsequent manual grinding and repair work is extremely tedious. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the technical problems of existing technologies, such as anti-collision failure during printing and damage to the substrate surface during dismantling, this invention provides an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck. The technical solution is as follows:

[0007] A removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck includes a main support column, a force-applying block, a limiting reinforcing rib, and a narrow waist. The main support column is cylindrical, and the force-applying block is a polygonal prism structure protruding radially outward from the main support column and is located on one side of the outer wall end of the main support column. The limiting reinforcing rib connects the outer wall of the main support column with the bottom surface of the force-applying block. The narrow waist is located at the axial end of the main support column and includes a lower expanding truncated cone, an upper contracting truncated cone, and a shear groove. The lower expanding truncated cone is fused to the end face of the main support column, and the cross-section gradually shrinks. The upper contracting truncated cone is connected to the lower expanding truncated cone, and the other end is connected to the body of the model to be printed. The shear groove is a groove formed at the junction of the contracting end of the upper contracting truncated cone and the contracting end of the lower expanding truncated cone.

[0008] Furthermore, the limiting reinforcing rib is a triangular thin plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the shearing groove is annular in the radial section of the supporting main column and V-shaped in the axial section of the supporting main column.

[0010] Furthermore, the narrow waist includes thin protective wings, which are disposed on the sides of the upper tapered truncated cone and the lower tapered truncated cone.

[0011] Furthermore, the thin protective wing is a cylindrical structure coaxial with the supporting main column.

[0012] Furthermore, the support structure includes a narrow groove, which is disposed on one side of the outer wall end of the main support column.

[0013] Furthermore, the narrow groove is a straight strip groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the method for removing the support structure from the body of the model to be printed includes: applying a lateral thrust perpendicular to the plane of the limiting reinforcing rib to the force-applying block; and inserting and twisting a tool, including a flathead screwdriver and a metal sheet, into the narrow slot.

[0015] Beneficial effects

[0016] This invention utilizes a single-sided thin-plate-shaped limiting reinforcing rib. When the print head or scraper collides with this rib in the inward direction, the structure is in a high-rigidity locked state, effectively resisting lateral instability and ensuring excellent stability during the printing process. It also provides extremely high cross-sectional bending stiffness in the direction parallel to the plane of the reinforcing rib. Furthermore, the invention incorporates thin-plate protective wings at the narrow waist to transmit impact forces from all directions to the supporting main column, achieving all-directional impact protection. In the post-processing stage, the force of the removal device is amplified and the combined bending and shear stress is concentrated through a V-shaped shear groove, greatly reducing the difficulty of removal. Moreover, the cracks generated during removal are precisely confined within the circumferential secant line at the bottom of the groove, resulting in a clean fracture surface that does not damage the substrate surface of the model to be printed. This structure does not contain any moving or external assembly parts and is formed in one step with the model using the same print head or laser beam. Its CAD geometric logic is simple, and the mesh calculation overhead of the slicing software during solid Boolean operations is extremely low. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a front view of an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a side view of an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck;

[0020] Figure 4 Rear view of an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck;

[0021] Figure 5 This is an axial sectional view of an easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a radial cross-sectional view of the narrow waist of the structure of the present invention.

[0023] The meanings of the labels in the attached figures are as follows: 1-supporting main column, 2-force-applying block, 3-limiting reinforcing rib, 4-lower expanding truncated cone, 5-upper contracting truncated cone, 6-shear groove, 7-thin protective wing, 8-narrow slot. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, the easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck of the present invention includes a main support column 1, a force-applying block 2, a limiting reinforcing rib 3, a lower gradually expanding truncated cone 4, an upper gradually contracting truncated cone 5, a shear groove 6, a thin protective wing 7, and a narrow groove 8. The main support column 1 is a vertically extending main cylinder used to anchor itself on a printing platform or support base, providing stable axial load-bearing capacity. The force-applying block 2 is integrally set on one side of the outer wall end of the main support column 1, and has an overall outward radially protruding polygonal prism structure, serving as the input force-bearing end for receiving horizontal prying torque during post-processing. The limiting reinforcing rib 3 is an ultra-thin triangular plate, with one right-angled side tangentially connected to the outer wall of the main support column 1, and the other right-angled side rigidly connected to the bottom surface of the force-applying block 2. The force-applying block 2 and the main support column 1 are rigidly locked together by a triangular stable rigid frame structure, providing in-plane bending inertia resistance in a specific direction. The lower tapered truncated cone 4 is integrally set at the axial end of the supporting main column 1, with its large end fused to the end face of the supporting main column 1, and the cross section gradually shrinks upward; the upper tapered truncated cone 5 is set on the lower tapered truncated cone 4, with its large end extending vertically and transitioning into a flat contact end face, which is connected to the body of the model to be printed; the shearing groove 6 is an extremely weak circumference formed at the point where the tapered ends of the upper tapered truncated cone 5 and the lower tapered truncated cone 4 meet, and the groove has a V-shaped cross section in the axial direction, thereby generating a strong stress concentration effect at the sharp bottom of the groove, forming a preset shear fracture line; the thin protective wing 7 is set on the side of the upper tapered truncated cone 5 and the lower tapered truncated cone 4, hugging the two cones, and is used to transmit the impact force from all directions to the supporting main column 1; the narrow groove 8 is set on the side of the outer wall of the supporting main column 1 close to the upper tapered truncated cone 5, and is used to remove it with tools during post-processing.

[0026] During assembly or modeling, the supporting main column 1 is first established on the printing base surface. Then, force-applying blocks 2 are stretched out on the upper part of its outer wall. Between the two, a limiting reinforcing rib 3 with a thickness of 0.3mm to 0.4mm is generated using the "rib" feature, and a narrow slot 8 is cut out on the outer wall on the other side. Then, on the axial end face of the supporting main column 1, a frustum section is drawn and formed by lofting or revolving cutting to create a lower expanding frustum 4, an upper tapering frustum 5, and a shearing groove 6 at the intersection. Thin protective wings 7 are stretched out on the left and right sides to hug the narrow waist. Finally, the flat connecting surface at the top of the upper tapering frustum 5 is coplanarly attached to the bottom surface of the model to be printed. The support path is generated in one go in the slicing software and the whole printing is performed.

[0027] The complete workflow of the device of the present invention throughout the entire printing-post-processing lifecycle is divided into the following three stages:

[0028] 1) First stage: Printing and high-rigidity in-plane locking stage:

[0029] During the layer-by-layer stacking process of 3D printing, the scraper or print head moves frequently. If the lateral scraping direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the limiting reinforcing rib 3, the impact force is offset by the high in-plane bending rigidity of the limiting reinforcing rib 3. Furthermore, the thin protective wing 7 can directly help the slender waist to withstand the force when the scraper hits from all directions, and transmit the impact force to the supporting main column 1. This ensures that the shearing groove 6 does not produce elastic deformation and micro-cracks during the forming process, and the supporting main column 1 is rigidly locked.

[0030] 2) Second stage: Post-processing torque introduction and lateral deflection release stage:

[0031] After printing, remove it using the following two methods:

[0032] The operator uses his fingers or a screwdriver to apply a lateral thrust perpendicular to the plane of the limiting reinforcing rib 3 to the force-applying block 2. Since the limiting reinforcing rib 3 has a very small thickness in this direction, it undergoes out-of-plane instability and flexural deformation, the rigid constraint is released, and the thrust is amplified several times by the lever arm of the force-applying block 2.

[0033] Alternatively, the operator can use a tool such as a flathead screwdriver or a metal strip to insert into the narrow groove 8 and twist it. The tool acts as a wedge, instantly converting the rotational force into an upward vertical pulling force.

[0034] 3) Third stage: Stress concentration fracture and overall model separation stage:

[0035] The amplified bending and shear forces are transmitted to shear groove 6, and the stress concentration factor at the sharp corner of the groove bottom reaches its maximum value instantly. Microcracks rapidly initiate and propagate on the circumference of the annular groove bottom, causing the support structure to be instantly flattened and cut off along the circular cross-section of the groove bottom. The entire support structure automatically peels off, and the workpiece is completely decoupled from the support structure without any damage.

[0036] The device of this invention does not simply stack anti-collision components and easily detachable parts, but achieves mechanical self-balancing through the following two dimensions of rigid-flexible adaptive synergy:

[0037] 1) Collision between impact protection and easy disassembly: The limiting reinforcing rib 3 has extremely strong bending section anisotropy (rigid in-plane, flexible out-of-plane). This invention cleverly utilizes this characteristic to decouple the anti-scratch blade lateral impact (requiring rigidity) from the post-processing manual disassembly (requiring flexibility) in two orthogonal spatial dimensions. The two not only do not conflict mechanically, but also achieve a perfect division of labor in terms of direction.

[0038] 2) Synergy between stress transmission and interfacial brittle fracture: The force-applying lever 2 provides a rigid bending moment input, while the shear groove 6 provides a brittle fracture zone with minimal elastic deformation. At the moment of levering, the rigid lever ensures efficient energy transfer, while the brittle V-groove ensures instantaneous energy release. The combination of the two achieves an excellent post-leverage handling experience of breaking the metal with a single lever.

[0039] 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 the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and a double-cone shear neck, characterized in that: Includes main support column (1), force application block (2), limiting reinforcement rib (3), and narrow waist; The main support column (1) is a cylinder, and the force-applying block (2) is a polygonal prism structure that protrudes radially outward from the main support column (1) and is located on one side of the outer wall end of the main support column (1). The limiting reinforcing rib (3) connects the outer wall of the main support column (1) with the bottom surface of the force-applying block (2). The narrow waist is located at the axial end of the main support column (1) and includes a lower gradually expanding cone (4), an upper gradually contracting cone (5) and a shearing groove (6). The lower gradually expanding cone (4) is fused with the end face of the main support column (1) and the cross section gradually shrinks. The upper gradually contracting cone (5) is connected to the lower gradually expanding cone (4), and the other end is connected to the body of the model to be printed. The shearing groove (6) is a groove formed at the junction of the contracting end of the upper gradually contracting cone (5) and the contracting end of the lower gradually expanding cone (4).

2. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting reinforcing rib (3) is a triangular thin plate.

3. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The shearing groove (6) is annular in the radial section of the supporting column (1) and V-shaped in the axial section of the supporting column (1).

4. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The narrow waist includes a thin protective wing (7), which is disposed on the side of the upper tapered truncated cone (5) and the lower tapered truncated cone (4).

5. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The thin protective wing (7) is a cylindrical structure coaxial with the supporting main column (1).

6. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The support structure includes a narrow groove (8), which is disposed on one side of the outer wall end of the main support column (1).

7. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The narrow groove (8) is a straight strip groove.

8. The easily removable support structure based on anti-collision reinforcing ribs and double-cone shear neck as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The method for removing the support structure from the body of the model to be printed includes: applying a lateral thrust perpendicular to the plane of the limiting reinforcing rib (3) to the force-applying block (2); inserting a tool including a flathead screwdriver and a metal sheet into the narrow slot (8) and twisting it.

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