Tool heads, 3D printers and 3D printing systems

Abstract

This application provides a tool head, a 3D printer, and a 3D printing system, relating to the technical field of 3D printing. The tool head is used in a 3D printer and includes a mounting base, an air supply assembly, a hot end assembly, and an illumination assembly. The air supply assembly, hot end assembly, and illumination assembly are all mounted on the mounting base. The air supply assembly has an air duct with its outlet facing the nozzle of the hot end assembly. The illumination assembly is disposed within the air duct, and at least a portion of the light emitted by the illumination assembly illuminates the nozzle through the air outlet. Thus, the tool head can not only utilize the air duct to supply air to the nozzle but also reuse the air duct space as mounting space for the illumination assembly, which helps to reduce the size of the tool head and thus reduce the space it occupies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of 3D printing, specifically to a tool head, a 3D printer, and a 3D printing system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most 3D printers use a tool head to extrude filament onto a printing platform. By moving the tool head and / or the printing platform, the extrusion position of the filament is changed, allowing it to form a corresponding 3D structure on the printing platform. However, if the tool head is too large, it will affect the effective printing space of the 3D printer. Therefore, how to rationally arrange the tool head structure to reduce its size is a problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application discloses a tool head, a 3D printer, and a 3D printing system, which aims to rationally arrange the tool head structure to reduce the size of the tool head.

[0004] This application provides a tool head for a 3D printer. The tool head includes a mounting base, an air supply assembly, a hot end assembly, and an illumination assembly. The air supply assembly, the hot end assembly, and the illumination assembly are all mounted on the mounting base. The air supply assembly has an air duct with an air outlet facing the nozzle of the hot end assembly. The illumination assembly is disposed in the air duct, and at least a portion of the light emitted by the illumination assembly illuminates the nozzle through the air outlet.

[0005] This application discloses a 3D printer, which includes: a frame, a housing, a camera, and the aforementioned tool head; the frame is disposed inside the housing, a mounting base is connected to the frame, the camera is disposed on the frame, and the field of view of the camera on the nozzle at least partially overlaps with the illumination range of the illumination assembly on the nozzle.

[0006] This application also discloses a 3D printing system, which includes the above-described 3D printer and a feeding device, wherein the feeding device is connected to the 3D printer and is used to feed consumables to the 3D printer.

[0007] The tool head provided in this application, by placing the lighting component in the air duct of the air supply component, and the air duct having an air outlet facing the nozzle of the hot end component, and at least part of the light emitted by the lighting component can illuminate the nozzle after passing through the air outlet, allows the tool head to not only supply air to the nozzle using the air duct, but also reuse the air duct space as the installation space for the lighting component. This helps to reduce the size of the tool head and reduce the space occupied by the tool head. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a front view of the tool head disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Left view of the middle tool head; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the tool head; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A bottom view of the tool head; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A top view of the middle section of the tool head; Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional structural diagrams of the central air supply unit and the lighting unit; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of a 3D printer disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the 3D printing system disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be particularly noted that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the application. Similarly, the following embodiments are only some, not all, embodiments of the present application, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0011] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0012] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0013] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is the front view of the tool head disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The left view of the middle tool head. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of the tool head.

[0014] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustration, the tool head 100 disclosed in this application embodiment is used in a 3D printer and includes: a mounting base 110, a hot end assembly 120, an air supply assembly 130, and an illumination assembly 140. The mounting base 110 is used to connect to the frame of the 3D printer, and the hot end assembly 120, the air supply assembly 130, and the illumination assembly 140 are all mounted on the mounting base 110. The hot end assembly 120 is used to heat and extrude filament to print a corresponding 3D structure. The air supply assembly 130 is used to supply air to a portion of the filament extruded by the hot end assembly 120 to improve the cooling rate of the filament. The illumination assembly 140 is used to illuminate the end of the filament extruded by the hot end assembly 120, and the imaging module in the 3D printer can capture images or videos of the filament extrusion position of the hot end assembly 120 to identify the extrusion state of the filament, promptly detect abnormal states such as head wrapping, or adjust the printer's printing parameters in a timely manner based on the filament extrusion state. In this embodiment, the lighting component 140 is disposed within the air supply channel of the air supply component 130, which helps to reduce the volume of the tool head 100 and thus reduce the space occupied by the tool head 100.

[0015] Mounting base 110 is used to connect to the frame of the 3D printer and can move on the frame driven by a motor or other drive structure to move the hot end assembly 120 and change the extrusion position of the filament. Mounting base 110 also has a top surface 111, a bottom surface 112, and a side surface 113. The top surface 111 and the bottom surface 112 are arranged opposite to each other in the extrusion direction Z of the nozzle 121, and the side surface 113 is connected to both the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 112. The aforementioned extrusion direction Z refers to the direction in which the filament is extruded from the nozzle 121 and can be perpendicular to the surface of the printing platform that supports the filament.

[0016] The hot-end assembly 120 is mounted on the mounting base 110 and located on the side 113 of the mounting base 110. The hot-end assembly 120 includes a nozzle 121. The nozzle 121 includes an extrusion portion 1211 with an extrusion orifice 1201 for extruding filament into the printing platform. The extrusion portion 1211 can protrude from the bottom surface 112. In this way, by setting the extrusion portion 1211 to protrude from the bottom surface 112, interference between the mounting base 110 and the printed 3D structure can be avoided during printing.

[0017] The illumination assembly 140 can illuminate the extrusion section 1211, and the light intensity illuminating the extrusion section 1211 is greater than the light intensity illuminating other locations. For example, the portion of the nozzle 121 above the extrusion section 1211 is the connecting portion 1212, while the portion below the extrusion section 1211 is the printing area 1213. The light intensity illuminating the extrusion section 1211 from the illumination assembly 140 is greater than the light intensity of the connecting portion 1212 and the printing area 1213. This helps to reduce the effects of overexposure of the captured image caused by excessive brightness in the connecting portion 1212 and the printing area 1213.

[0018] It should be noted that the side of nozzle 121 away from extrusion part 1211 in the extrusion direction Z is above extrusion part 1211, while the side of extrusion part 1211 away from connecting part 1212 in the extrusion direction Z is below extrusion part 1211. Connecting part 1212 can be any part of nozzle 121 other than extrusion part 1211, and can be used to connect the structure in hot end assembly 120 used for conveying consumables. In some embodiments of this application, hot end assembly 120 further includes a heating section, a throat, and heat dissipation fins connected in sequence. The heating section is used to heat and melt the consumables. Nozzle 121 is connected to the heating section, and the consumables conveyed to hot end assembly 120 are heated and melted by the heating section and then extruded through the extrusion port 1201 of nozzle 121 onto the printing platform. In this embodiment, connecting part 1212 is the part where nozzle 121 connects to the heating section. Printing area 1213 can be a portion between extrusion port 1201 and printing platform, and the extruded consumables can form a corresponding 3D structure in printing area 1213.

[0019] In some embodiments, the tool head 100 may further include a feeding assembly. The feeding assembly is mounted on the mounting base 110 and may include structures such as a motor and extrusion rollers. The feeding assembly can pull the consumable from the top surface 111 into the hot end assembly 120, so that the consumable can be extruded into the printing area 1213 after being heated by the hot end assembly 120, so as to print the corresponding 3D structure.

[0020] All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0021] An air supply assembly 130 is mounted on a mounting base 110 and located on the bottom surface 112 of the mounting base 110. The air supply assembly 130 supplies air to the nozzle 121 to increase the cooling rate of the filament extruded from the nozzle 121. The air supply assembly 130 may be disposed around the nozzle 121, protruding from at least a portion of the bottom surface 112, to facilitate air supply to the nozzle 121. Simultaneously, the extrusion section 1211 protrudes in the extrusion direction Z from the side of the air supply assembly 130 facing away from the bottom surface 112 to avoid interference between the air supply assembly 130 and the 3D structure formed by the filament during printing.

[0022] The air supply assembly 130 has an air duct 1301 and an air outlet 1302 facing the nozzle 121. The air duct 1301 can also be connected to a structure such as a fan, guiding the airflow generated by the fan to the air outlet 1302. This allows the airflow to be guided by the air duct 1301 towards the nozzle 121, increasing the cooling rate of the filament extruded from the nozzle 121 and facilitating rapid filament forming. In this embodiment, the lighting assembly 140 is located within the air duct 1301, and at least part of the light emitted by the lighting assembly 140 can illuminate the nozzle 121 through the air outlet 1302. Thus, the light illuminating the nozzle 121 from the lighting assembly 140 provides supplemental lighting for the nozzle 121, enabling the imaging module to capture a clearer image or video of the nozzle 121. This allows for identification of the filament extrusion status, timely detection of abnormal conditions such as nozzle tip wrapping, and timely adjustment of the printer's printing parameters based on the filament extrusion status.

[0023] In the extrusion direction Z of nozzle 121, since the extrusion section 1211 protrudes from the air supply assembly 130 in the extrusion direction Z, the height of the air outlet 1302 on the air supply assembly 130 in the extrusion direction Z is lower than the height of the extrusion port 1201. To allow the airflow to better direct the consumables extruded from nozzle 121, the air outlet 1302 can be tilted towards the extrusion section 1211, with the airflow directed towards nozzle 121. For example, the axial direction M of the air outlet 1302 can intersect the extrusion direction Z at an angle, and the intersection point D can be located at or below the extrusion port 1201. Thus, the airflow from the air outlet 1302 can be directed towards the area below the extrusion port 1201 to dissipate heat from the consumables extruded from the extrusion port 1201.

[0024] To guide the airflow towards the extrusion port 1201 and further guide the light towards the extrusion section 1211 of the nozzle 121, the inner wall of the air duct 1301 includes at least a guide surface 1303 connected to the air outlet 1302. The guide surface 1303 intersects the extrusion direction Z at an angle, allowing at least a portion of the emitted light from the lighting assembly 140 to be reflected by the guide surface 1303 and illuminate the area where the extrusion section 1211 is located, thereby facilitating image recognition of the extrusion section 1211 by the 3D printer. Furthermore, the angled intersection of the guide surface 1303 with the extrusion direction Z directs the airflow from the air outlet 1302 towards the nozzle 121, thus cooling the filament extruded through the nozzle 121.

[0025] To better guide airflow and light, the guide surface 1303 may include a first surface 1303a and a second surface 1303b. The first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b are positioned opposite each other and spaced apart, with the height of the first surface 1303a in the extrusion direction Z being lower than the height of the second surface 1303b. Simultaneously, the angle formed by the intersection of the first surface 1303a and the extrusion direction Z is a first angle α, and the angle formed by the intersection of the second surface 1303b and the extrusion direction Z is a second angle β. The angle value of the first angle α is smaller than the angle value of the second angle β, allowing the slope of the first surface 1303a relative to the extrusion direction Z to be less than the slope of the second surface 1303b.

[0026] Both the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b can guide airflow and light. Since the first included angle α is smaller than the second included angle β, the tilt direction of the first surface 1303a is more inclined towards the extrusion direction Z than the tilt direction of the second surface 1303b. This allows the first surface 1303a to guide the airflow downwards from the extrusion port 1201, i.e., towards the printing area 1213. Similarly, the light reflected by the first surface 1303a is more easily transmitted towards the printing area 1213, causing the irradiation position of the light reflected by the first surface 1303a to be offset from the extrusion section 1211.

[0027] Since the second included angle β is greater than the first included angle α, the tilt direction of the second surface 1303b is more perpendicular to the extrusion direction Z than the tilt direction of the first surface 1303a. This allows the second surface 1303b to guide light towards the end where the extrusion port 1201 is located, i.e., the extrusion section 1211. Simultaneously, to avoid affecting the opening size of the air outlet 1302, the portion of the second surface 1303b near the air outlet 1302 can be made curved or inclined, extending this portion away from the first surface 1303a. This prevents the opening of the air outlet 1302 from becoming smaller due to the larger second included angle β.

[0028] To prevent the light intensity at other locations such as the printing area 1213 from exceeding the light intensity at the extrusion section 1211, thus avoiding overexposure of images or videos captured by the imaging module at the extrusion section 1211, the light reflectivity of the first surface 1303a can be lower than that of the second surface 1303b, thereby reducing the amount of light reflected from the first surface 1303a to the printing area 1213. In some embodiments, the reflection of light by both the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b can be diffuse reflection, thereby improving the uniformity of light illumination reflected by the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b, and thus avoiding overexposure at other locations such as the extrusion section 1211 and the printing area 1213.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first surface 1303a can be a matte black surface to reduce reflectivity by absorbing light in black and to generate diffuse reflection by using matte finish. The second surface 1303b can be a matte white surface to increase reflectivity by reflecting light in white and to generate diffuse reflection by using matte finish. Of course, in addition to matte black and matte white surfaces, the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b can also be designed in other ways, as long as they can meet the light reflection requirements of the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b. These are not listed in detail in this embodiment.

[0030] To reduce light loss during propagation within the air duct 1301, the lighting component 140 can be positioned close to the air outlet 1302 within the air duct 1301. For example, the lighting component 140 can be located on the side of the first surface 1303a away from the nozzle 121, i.e., the first surface 1303a is located between the nozzle 121 and the lighting component 140, and the optical axis X of the lighting component 140 can face the first surface 1303a and be perpendicular to the extrusion direction Z. Specifically, the portion of the light emitted by the lighting component 140 along the optical axis X, after reflection by the first surface 1303a, can be positioned offset from the nozzle 121, preventing the light emitted by the lighting component 140 along the optical axis X from directly hitting the nozzle 121. This avoids excessive light at the nozzle 121, which could cause the imaging module to capture unclear images of the nozzle 121. Simultaneously, a portion of the light emitted by the lighting component 140, after reflection by the second surface 1303b, can illuminate the nozzle 121, i.e., the extrusion section 1211.

[0031] The lighting assembly 140 may include a circuit board 141 and a light-emitting element 142. The circuit board 141 may be disposed on the inner wall of the air duct 1301 and may face the first surface 1303a. The light-emitting element 142 is disposed on the circuit board 141 and located on the side of the circuit board 141 facing the first surface 1303a, and the orthographic projection of the light-emitting element 142 in the optical axis direction X may be located within the first surface 1303a. Thus, the light emitted by the light-emitting element 142 along the optical axis direction X will not directly exit through the air outlet 1302, but will be reflected by the first surface 1303a and the second surface 1303b before exiting, thereby preventing the light from directly shining through the air outlet 1302 onto the nozzle 121 or other locations, thus avoiding problems such as overexposure of the captured image. The light emitted by the light-emitting element 142 along the optical axis X can be directly reflected to the extrusion section 1211 by the second surface 1303b, or it can be reflected to the second surface 1303b by the first surface 1303a, and finally reflected to the extrusion section 1211 by the second surface 1303b.

[0032] In some embodiments, besides being positioned on the side of the first surface 1303a away from the nozzle 121, the placement of the lighting component 140 can also be adjusted according to design requirements, as long as at least a portion of the light emitted by the lighting component 140 can reach the nozzle 121 through the air outlet 1302. Similarly, depending on the actual placement of the lighting component 140, its optical axis direction X can also intersect the extrusion direction Z at an angle, rather than being perpendicular to the extrusion direction Z.

[0033] The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0034] Please see Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Top view of the tool head. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Top view of the middle part of the tool head. Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the central air supply unit and the lighting unit.

[0035] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in order to expand the blowing range of the airflow and the illumination range of the light, the width of the air outlet 1302 in the width direction Y can be greater than the width of the nozzle 121, and the width direction Y can be perpendicular to the extrusion direction Z and the optical axis direction X, respectively. This not only allows the airflow sent through the air outlet 1302 to cover the nozzle 121 in the width direction Y, but also allows the light emitted through the air outlet 1302 to cover the nozzle 121 in the width direction Y.

[0036] To provide better lighting and cooling effects, there can be two air outlets 1302, located on opposite sides of the nozzle 121, allowing the air supply assembly 130 to deliver air from both sides of the nozzle 121. Simultaneously, the lighting assembly 140 can have two light-emitting elements 142, with their optical axes (X) coinciding and intersecting (e.g., perpendicularly) the extrusion direction (Z). Furthermore, the light emitted by the two light-emitting elements 142 can be emitted through the two air outlets 1302, illuminating opposite sides of the nozzle 121 respectively, ensuring sufficient light in all directions and guaranteeing that the imaging module can capture high-quality images.

[0037] In some embodiments, the two air outlets 1302 can be symmetrically arranged about the Z-direction of extrusion, and the two light-emitting elements 142 can also be symmetrically arranged about the Z-direction of extrusion. The specific arrangement of a single air outlet 1302 and its corresponding light-emitting element 142 is the same as or similar to that in the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here. Of course, depending on the design requirements, the two air outlets 1302 can also be asymmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the nozzle 121, and the two light-emitting elements 142 can also be asymmetrically arranged, as long as at least part of the light emitted by the two light-emitting elements 142 can be irradiated to opposite sides of the nozzle 121 through the two air outlets 1302 respectively.

[0038] With the above configuration, the air supply assembly 130 can supply air from the opposite sides of the nozzle 121 to the area below the extrusion port 1201 to further improve the cooling rate of the consumables. The lighting assembly 140 can also provide light from the opposite sides of the extrusion section 1211 to expand the area of ​​the extrusion section 1211 illuminated by light, thereby enabling the imaging module in the 3D printer to capture clear images or videos of all positions of the extrusion section 1211.

[0039] In some embodiments, the number of air outlets 1302 may be three, four, five or more, and the arrangement of the multiple air outlets 1302 can also be adjusted as needed, and is not limited to the opposite sides of the nozzle 121. Similarly, the number of light-emitting elements 142 can match the number of air outlets 1302, and can be set one-to-one with multiple air outlets 1302.

[0040] It is understood that when there are multiple light-emitting elements 142, there can also be multiple circuit boards 141, which are arranged one-to-one with the multiple light-emitting elements 142. Alternatively, multiple light-emitting elements 142 can be connected to the same circuit board 141 through flexible circuit boards or cables or other electrical connectors. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0041] To form the aforementioned air duct 1301, the air supply assembly 130 may include an air guide shell 131. The air guide shell 131 is connected to the mounting base 110. The air guide shell 131 is disposed on the bottom surface 112 and may surround at least a portion of the periphery of the nozzle 121. Simultaneously, the air guide shell 131 may form the aforementioned air duct 1301, and an air outlet 1302 communicating with the air duct 1301 is formed on the outer surface of the air guide shell 131 facing the nozzle 121. In this embodiment, the air guide shell 131 may be partially surrounding the nozzle 121 to cool the extruded consumables from the nozzle 121 through the air outlet 1302 on the air guide shell 131. Furthermore, the semi-surrounding structure facilitates observation or replacement of the hot-end assembly 120 from the position where the air guide shell 131 does not surround the nozzle 121.

[0042] To generate an airflow that blows towards the extruded consumables, the air supply assembly 130 may further include an air supply element 132. Specifically, the air supply element 132 may be a fan or other air-guiding structure, and it can be mounted on the mounting base 110 and connected to the air duct 1301, allowing it to supply air to the extruded consumables through the air duct 1301. In this embodiment, the air supply element 132 can be installed inside the air guide housing 131 and connected to the mounting base 110 via the air guide housing 131. By installing the air supply element 132 inside the air guide housing 131, the additional space occupied by the air supply element 132 on the tool head 100 is avoided, which helps to reduce the size of the tool head 100.

[0043] In some embodiments, the air supply component 132 may also be arranged outside the air guide shell 131, rather than being arranged inside the air guide shell 131, as long as the air supply component 132 can maintain communication with the air duct 1301.

[0044] To install the air supply component 132 and form two air outlets 1302, the air guide housing 131 may include a main body 1311 and two extensions 1312. The main body 1311 has an installation space 1303, and the two extensions 1312 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the main body 1311 and can be arranged opposite each other and spaced apart. Meanwhile, a portion of the nozzle 121 protruding from the bottom surface 112 can be located between the two extensions 1312, allowing the main body 1311 and the two extensions 1312 to be arranged semi-encircling the nozzle 121.

[0045] The air supply component 132 can be disposed within the installation space 1303. The extension 1312 has a tubular structure, and the internal space of the extension 1312 can form an air duct 1301. Simultaneously, each of the two extensions 1312, at the end furthest from the main body 1311, can be provided with the aforementioned air outlet 1302, and the air ducts 1301 of the two extensions 1312 can connect the installation space 1303 and the two air outlets 1302. The airflow generated by the air supply component 132 can be blown into the two air ducts 1301 and guided through the two air ducts 1301 to be blown out from the two air outlets 1302 respectively, thereby dissipating heat from the extruded consumables.

[0046] In this embodiment, the axial direction N of the air supply component 132 ( Figure 1 (As shown) The angle formed by the intersection with the extrusion direction Z can be less than 45°, so that the air supply component 132 can be placed in the bottom space of the mounting base 110 to minimize the volume of the tool head 100. At the same time, notches can be formed at the ends of the two extensions 1312 away from the main body 1311 to facilitate the installation of the hot end assembly 120 and to observe the operation of the hot end assembly 120.

[0047] Please see Figures 7 to 8 , Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the 3D printer disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structural composition of the 3D printing system disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0048] like Figure 7 As shown in the illustration, this application also discloses a 3D printer 10, which may include the aforementioned tool head 100, frame 200, housing 300, and camera 400. The frame 200 is disposed within the housing 300, and the mounting base 110 can be connected to the frame 200 and moved on the frame 200 by a motor or other structure. The camera 400 is disposed on the housing 300, such as on the inner wall of the housing 300, and at least a portion of the field of view of the camera 400 on the nozzle 121 overlaps with the illumination range of the illumination component 140 on the nozzle 121. Thus, when the extrusion section 1211 of the nozzle 121 is illuminated by the illumination component 140, the camera 400 can better acquire an image of the extrusion section 1211, thereby determining whether the filament extrusion state of the nozzle 121 is normal, such as whether the nozzle 121 has problems such as tip entanglement. Furthermore, the camera 400 can observe the filament extrusion state and adjust the printer's printing parameters in a timely manner. It is understood that the aforementioned shooting module may include a camera 400.

[0049] To improve the recognition accuracy of the 3D printer 10, two cameras 400 can be used, and these two cameras 400 can be distributed at different positions on the frame 200. The field of view of both cameras 400 on the nozzle 121 can jointly cover the periphery of the nozzle 121. For example, the two cameras 400 can be arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, with one camera 400's field of view covering one side of the nozzle 121 and the other camera 400's field of view covering the opposite side of the nozzle 121, so that the field of view of both cameras 400 can jointly cover the periphery of the nozzle 121 parallel to the extrusion direction Z. In this way, the two cameras 400 can respectively acquire images of the extruded filament from opposite sides of the nozzle 121, thereby improving the recognition accuracy of the 3D printer 10.

[0050] In some embodiments, the number of cameras 400 may be three, four, five or more, and the placement of the multiple cameras 400 may be adjusted according to actual needs, as long as at least a portion of the field of view of the camera 400 can overlap with the illumination range of the illumination component 140.

[0051] like Figure 8As shown in the illustration, this application also discloses a 3D printing system 5, which includes a 3D printer 10 and a feeding device 20. The feeding device 20 is used to feed consumables such as plastic to the 3D printer 10, and the 3D printer 10 can use the consumables based on a digital model to print a 3D structure layer by layer. Of course, in addition to the 3D printer 10 and the feeding device 20, the 3D printing system 5 may also include other structures such as a dustproof box, which will not be listed in detail in this embodiment.

[0052] The tool head 100 disclosed in this application, by placing the lighting component 140 in the air duct 1301 of the air supply component 130, and the air duct 1301 having an air outlet 1302 facing the nozzle 121 of the hot end component 120, and at least part of the light emitted by the lighting component 140 can illuminate the nozzle 121 after passing through the air outlet 1302, allows the tool head 100 to not only supply air to the nozzle 121 using the air duct 1301, but also to reuse the space of the air duct 1301 as the installation space of the lighting component 140. This helps to reduce the size of the tool head 100 and reduce the space occupied by the tool head 100.

[0053] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made based on the content of this application specification and drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are similarly included in the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A tool head for a 3D printer, characterized in that, The tool head includes: a mounting base, an air supply component, a hot end component, and a lighting component, wherein the air supply component, the hot end component, and the lighting component are all mounted on the mounting base; The air supply assembly has an air duct with the air outlet facing the nozzle of the hot end assembly; the lighting assembly is disposed in the air duct, and at least part of the light emitted by the lighting assembly is irradiated to the nozzle through the air outlet.

2. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the extrusion direction of the nozzle, the height of the air outlet is lower than the height of the nozzle's extrusion port; The inner wall of the air duct includes at least a guide surface connected to the air outlet; the guide surface intersects the extrusion direction of the nozzle at an angle so that the air outlet is directed toward the nozzle and at least a portion of the light from the lighting assembly is directed toward the nozzle.

3. The tool head according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide surface includes: a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to and spaced apart; In the extrusion direction, the height of the first surface is lower than the height of the second surface; The illumination component emits light along the optical axis, and the portion of the light reflected by the first surface is positioned offset from the nozzle. The lighting component emits light along the optical axis, and a portion of the light, after being reflected by the second surface, illuminates the nozzle.

4. The tool head according to claim 3, characterized in that, The angle formed by the intersection of the first surface and the extrusion direction is the first included angle, and the angle formed by the intersection of the second surface and the extrusion direction is the second included angle; the angle value of the first included angle is less than the angle value of the second included angle.

5. The tool head according to claim 3, characterized in that, The light reflectivity of the first surface is lower than that of the second surface.

6. The tool head according to claim 3, characterized in that, The light reflections generated by the first surface and the second surface are both diffuse reflections.

7. The tool head according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that, The first surface is a black matte surface, and the second surface is a white matte surface.

8. The tool head according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lighting assembly includes: a circuit board and a light-emitting element; The light-emitting element is disposed on the circuit board and located on the side of the circuit board facing the first surface, and the orthographic projection of the light-emitting element in the optical axis direction is located within the first surface.

9. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the width direction, the width of the air outlet is greater than the width of the nozzle; The width direction is perpendicular to both the extrusion direction and the optical axis direction of the lighting component.

10. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct has two air outlets, and the lighting assembly includes two light-emitting elements; The two air outlets are located on opposite sides of the nozzle; the two light-emitting elements are both disposed in the air duct, and at least part of the light emitted by the two light-emitting elements is irradiated to the nozzle through the two air outlets.

11. The tool head according to claim 10, characterized in that, The optical axes of the two light-emitting elements coincide, and the optical axis direction intersects the extrusion direction of the nozzle.

12. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air supply assembly includes: an air supply component; The air supply component is installed on the mounting base, and the air duct is connected to the air supply component.

13. The tool head according to claim 12, characterized in that, The air supply assembly further includes: an air guide shell connected to the mounting base; The air guide shell is disposed around at least a portion of the periphery of the nozzle and has the air duct and an installation space communicating with the air duct, wherein the air supply component is disposed within the installation space.

14. The tool head according to claim 13, characterized in that, The air guide shell includes: a main body having the installation space, and two extensions respectively connected to opposite ends of the main body; The two extensions are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, and the nozzle is located between the two extensions; the extension is a tubular structure, and its internal space forms the air duct; each of the two extensions is provided with an air outlet at one end away from the main body, and the air duct connects the installation space and the two air outlets.

15. The tool head according to claim 12, characterized in that, The angle formed by the intersection of the axial direction of the air supply component and the extrusion direction is less than 45°.

16. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the nozzle where the extrusion orifice is located is the extrusion section; the portion of the nozzle above the extrusion section is the connecting section; and the portion of the nozzle below the extrusion section is the printing area. The light intensity emanating from the lighting component onto the extrusion section is greater than the light intensity emanating from the lighting component onto the connecting section and the printing area.

17. The tool head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial direction of the air outlet intersects the extrusion direction of the nozzle at an angle, and the intersection point is located at the extrusion port of the nozzle or below the extrusion port.

18. A 3D printer, characterized in that, The 3D printer includes: a frame, a housing, a camera, and a tool head as described in any one of claims 1-17; The frame is disposed inside the housing, the mounting base is connected to the frame, the camera is disposed on the housing, and the field of view of the camera on the nozzle at least partially overlaps with the illumination range of the lighting assembly on the nozzle.

19. The 3D printer according to claim 18, characterized in that, The number of cameras is two, and the field of view of the two cameras on the nozzle together covers the periphery of the nozzle.

20. A 3D printing system, characterized in that, The 3D printing system includes: a 3D printer and a feeding device as described in any one of claims 18-19, wherein the feeding device is connected to the 3D printer and is used to feed consumables to the 3D printer.

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