Multi-material delivery method and 3D printing apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and particularly relates to a multi-consumable conveying method and a 3D printing device, the multi-consumable conveying method provided by the present application is applied to a 3D printing device, the 3D printing device comprises at least two material conveying channels, the material conveying channels are provided with consumable detection pieces and material waiting areas, and the method comprises the following steps: receiving at least two consumables through the material conveying channels; when the consumable detection pieces sense the consumables, conveying the consumables to the material waiting areas based on preset control instructions to wait for use. The consumables needed for printing are accurately conveyed to the material waiting areas before printing, the movement distance during printing switching of multiple consumables is reduced, the switching speed between the multiple consumables during printing is improved, and thus the problem that the switching speed between multiple consumables is slow during printing of the existing single-nozzle printer, thereby affecting the printing speed is solved.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a multi-consumable material delivery method and 3D printing equipment. [Background Technology]

[0002] With the continuous advancement of 3D printing technology, 3D printing equipment has evolved from the initial monochrome printers to today's multicolor printers.

[0003] Multicolor printers can be divided into multi-head printers and single-head printers. While multi-head printers can achieve high color accuracy, they are expensive. Single-head printers, on the other hand, are less expensive and have a wider range of applications. Single-head printers typically achieve multicolor printing by switching between different color printing media, and in actual printing, the switching between multiple printing media is very frequent. However, existing single-head printers have a slow switching speed between multiple media, which affects printing speed. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] To address the above problems, the present invention provides a method for delivering multiple consumables and a storage medium.

[0005] The present invention addresses the technical problem by providing the following technical solution in a first aspect: a multi-consumable conveying method applied to a 3D printing device, the 3D printing device comprising at least two material conveying channels, each material conveying channel being provided with a consumable detection component and a waiting area, the method comprising: receiving consumables through the material conveying channels; and when the consumable detection component senses the consumables, conveying the consumables to the waiting area based on a preset control command, for use.

[0006] In one feasible implementation, the preset control command includes a preset forward distance; the step of conveying the consumable to the waiting area based on the preset control command when the consumable detector senses the consumable, to wait for use, includes: when the consumable detector senses the consumable, controlling the consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset forward distance to reach the waiting area.

[0007] In one feasible implementation, when the consumable detection device senses a consumable, the consumable is transported to the waiting area based on a preset control command to await use, including: detecting whether there is a consumable in each of the conveying channels; if there is a consumable in each of the conveying channels, the consumable in each of the conveying channels is transported to the waiting area based on the preset control command.

[0008] In one feasible implementation, the 3D printing equipment further includes a melting zone; the method further includes: determining a target consumable from consumables located in the waiting zone; and controlling the target consumable to move from the corresponding waiting zone into the melting zone.

[0009] In one feasible implementation, the method further includes: if it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection element to the waiting area; when the target consumable retreats to the waiting area, then conveying the consumable to be switched for printing.

[0010] In one feasible implementation, controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection element to the waiting area includes: controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area according to a preset retreat distance, and then retreating to the waiting area.

[0011] In one feasible implementation, controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection element to the waiting area includes the following steps: controlling the target consumable to retreat towards the consumable detection element until the target consumable exits the detection range of the consumable detection element; controlling the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction until it enters the detection range of the consumable detection element; controlling the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset control command to reach the waiting area.

[0012] In one feasible implementation, determining the preset back-off distance includes the following steps: acquiring channel data between the waiting area and the melting area; and determining the preset back-off distance of the target consumable being printed based on the channel data.

[0013] In one feasible implementation, if it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, the method further includes controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection device and then to the waiting area. If at least one consumable other than the target consumable does not trigger the consumable detection device, the method further includes controlling the consumable that has retreated to the side of the consumable detection device away from the waiting area to move towards the waiting area to re-enter the waiting area.

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a second technical solution as follows: a 3D printing device, the 3D printing device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the multi-consumable delivery method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the multi-consumable delivery method, apparatus, and 3D printing equipment provided by this invention have the following advantages:

[0016] This invention provides a method for conveying multiple consumables in a 3D printing device. The 3D printing device includes at least two material conveying channels, each equipped with a consumable detection component and a waiting area. The method includes: receiving consumables through the material conveying channels; and when the consumable detection component senses the consumables, conveying the consumables to the waiting area based on a preset control command, ready for use. By accurately conveying the consumables to be printed to the waiting area before printing, the consumables can directly enter the heating and melting area for printing during actual printing. This shortens the movement distance of the consumables during printing and the movement distance when switching between multiple consumables, thereby improving the switching speed between multiple consumables. This solves the problem of slow switching speed between multiple consumables in existing single-head printers, which affects printing speed. [Attached Image Description]

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the steps of the multi-consumable delivery method provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a single-head multicolor printer provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of A in the middle.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps of step S20 in the multi-consumable delivery method provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps of step S401 in the multi-consumable delivery method provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of the 3D printing equipment provided in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0025] 1. Single-head multi-color printer; 2. 3D printing equipment;

[0026] 11. Material conveying channel; 12. Material waiting area; 13. Buffer zone; 14. Melting zone; 21. Processor; 22. Memory;

[0027] 111. Consumable testing parts; 112. Moving parts; 113. Elastic parts.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0029] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-consumable conveying method applied to a 3D printing equipment. The 3D printing equipment includes at least two material conveying channels 11, each material conveying channel 11 being provided with a consumable detection component 111 and a material waiting area 12. The method includes:

[0030] S10: Receive at least two consumables through the feeding channel 11;

[0031] S20: When the consumable detection component 111 detects a consumable, it transports the consumable to the waiting area 12 based on a preset control command, so that it can be used.

[0032] Specifically, in this embodiment, the 3D printing equipment can be a single-nozzle multi-color printer 1, which achieves the alternating use of multiple materials or multiple colors in a single nozzle by precisely controlling the feeding, retraction, and switching processes of different materials. The single-nozzle multi-color printer 1 has at least two feeding channels 11 for switching between different materials or different colors. The feeding channel 11 is equipped with a consumable detection component 111 and a waiting area 12, which are arranged sequentially along the material conveying direction. In this embodiment, the consumable can be a solid, linear consumable, which allows for control of its forward or backward movement within the feeding channel 11.

[0033] Optionally, the single-head multi-color printer 1 may include two, three, four, or more than two feeding channels 11. This embodiment does not limit this, as long as the single-head multi-color printer 1 in this embodiment can achieve multi-color printing.

[0034] More specifically, the 3D printing equipment also includes a control system that controls the forward or backward movement of the filament within the feed channel 11. Forward movement controls the movement of the filament along the filament conveying direction; backward movement controls the movement of the filament in the opposite direction of the filament conveying direction. A filament detection element 111 can sense the filament passing through its corresponding position to output trigger information. A waiting area 12 is located inside the feed channel 11 and is positioned close to the area where the filament is heated and melted. Compared to the feed inlet of the feed channel 11 and the filament detection element 111, the waiting area 12 is closer to the area where the filament is heated and melted. When the consumable material has not passed the consumable material detection element 111, i.e., when the consumable material is located on the side of the consumable material detection element 111 away from the waiting area 12, the consumable material detection element 111 will not output trigger information. When controlling the consumable material located on the side of the consumable material detection element 111 away from the waiting area 12 to move forward, i.e., controlling the consumable material that has not reached the consumable material detection element 111 to move forward, the front end of the consumable material passes the consumable material detection element 111, and the consumable material detection element 111 can sense and output trigger information. After receiving the trigger information, the control system can control the consumable material to move along the consumable material conveying direction according to the preset control command, so that the consumable material moves from the position corresponding to the consumable material detection element 111 to the waiting area 12 to wait for use. During the process of the consumable material moving to the waiting area 12, since the consumable material is in a linear state, during the movement of the consumable material, each part of the consumable material will continuously pass through the consumable material detection element 111 and enter the waiting area 12. Therefore, the consumable material detection element 111 will continuously detect the passing consumable material and continuously output trigger information. This allows the position of the consumable in the material conveying channel 11 to be determined by whether the consumable detection device 111 has received the trigger information generated by the device and the status of the received trigger information, without affecting the movement of the consumable, so that the consumable can be accurately conveyed to the waiting area 12 for use.

[0035] Understandably, the consumables to be printed are accurately fed to the waiting area 12 before printing. This allows the consumables to directly enter the heating and melting area from the waiting area 12 during actual printing, and facilitates the switching process between consumables within the waiting area 12. Compared to the traditional switching process involving multiple consumables, this embodiment reduces the movement distance of the consumables during printing switching by switching them from the waiting area 12. It avoids the situation where consumables are fed into the feed port and then switched, thereby improving the switching speed between multiple consumables during printing. This solves the problem of slow switching speed between multiple consumables in existing single-head printers, which affects printing speed.

[0036] Understandably, consumable detection can be achieved through a single consumable detection component 111, or the position detection of consumables in the feeding channel 11 can be achieved through the cooperation of other structures with the consumable detection component. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this, as long as the position of consumables can be detected without affecting the movement of consumables in the feeding channel 11.

[0037] In one embodiment, a movable member 112 is also provided on the feeding channel 11, and part of the movable member 112 extends into the feeding channel 11; when the consumable moves in the feeding channel 11 and passes the movable member 112, the movable member 112 is driven to move, and the moved movable member 112 triggers the consumable detection member 111 to output electrical trigger information.

[0038] Specifically, the position of the consumable in the feed channel 11 can be detected and determined through the cooperation of the consumable detection component 111 and the movable component 112. The movable component 112 is used to move as the consumable moves within the feed channel 11 and passes through it. The movement of the movable component 112 includes, but is not limited to, rotation, translation, and extension / retraction, thereby changing its spatial position so that it enters the detection range of the consumable detection component 111. The movable component 112 then triggers the consumable detection component 111 to output an electrical signal, thus detecting the position of the consumable upon reaching the consumable detection component 111 within the feed channel 11. Furthermore, the movement of the movable component 112 allows detection to be performed without affecting the movement of the consumable within the feed channel 11, thereby avoiding printing interruptions and facilitating better control of the consumable's movement within the feed channel 11.

[0039] In one embodiment, an elastic element 113 may be provided on the side of the movable part 112 facing away from the material conveying channel 11 to achieve automatic reset of the movable part 112 after it moves.

[0040] As one of the first optional implementations of the consumable detection element 111, the consumable detection element 111 can be a photoelectric sensor. Using a photoelectric sensor to detect the rotated moving part 112 enables non-contact, high-precision detection of the moving part 112, avoiding structural wear caused by contact detection. Furthermore, it can adapt to various environmental conditions. Specifically, a notch is provided on the photoelectric sensor; when the consumable passes through the moving part 112, causing the moving part 112 to move, and a portion of the moving part 112 enters the notch, the photoelectric sensor senses the portion of the moving part 112 that has entered the notch and outputs trigger information. This trigger information can be an abnormal electrical signal output by the photoelectric sensor compared to when no moving part 112 is detected. Therefore, during forward movement, if this electrical signal is not received, it can be determined that the consumable has not reached the consumable detection element 111; when this electrical signal is received, it can be determined that the consumable has reached the consumable detection element 111, thereby achieving the detection of the consumable's position within the feeding channel 11.

[0041] As a second optional implementation of the consumable detection component 111, the consumable detection component 111 may also be a mechanical sensor, including but not limited to a touch control or a contact switch. When the movable component 112 rotates to contact the touch control, the touch control can trigger the generation of trigger information to detect whether the consumable in the feeding channel 11 is in place.

[0042] As a third alternative implementation of the consumable detection component 111, the consumable detection component 111 can also be a magnetic sensor, such as a Hall sensor. By setting a magnetic movable part 112, it can be rotated and brought close to the Hall sensor to output trigger information through magnetic field changes to determine whether the consumable in the feeding channel 11 is in place.

[0043] As a fourth optional implementation of the consumable detection component 111, the consumable detection component 111 can also be a pressure sensor. By detecting the change in pressure applied to the pressure sensor by the moving part 112, the corresponding trigger information is output to determine whether the consumable in the conveying channel 11 is in place.

[0044] It should be noted that the consumable detection component 111 can also be other devices that can sense and detect the rotatable moving part 112. The consumable detection component 111 can be selected according to cost or actual detection needs. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0045] Please see Figure 5 In one embodiment, the preset control command includes a preset forward distance; step S20 includes:

[0046] S201: When the consumable detection element 111 senses the consumable, it controls the consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to a preset forward distance to reach the waiting area 12.

[0047] Specifically, the preset forward distance can be the distance between the pre-set consumable detection element 111 and the waiting area 12. When the consumable detection element 111 senses a consumable, it can be determined that the consumable has moved to the position of the feeding channel 11 corresponding to the consumable detection element 111. At this time, the consumable can be controlled to continue moving along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset forward distance, that is, the consumable that reaches the consumable detection element 111 is controlled to move forward to the waiting area 12.

[0048] Understandably, by sensing the consumable detection component 111, the position of the consumable in the feeding channel 11 can be more accurately determined. By controlling the consumable to continue moving forward a preset distance from the position corresponding to the consumable detection component 111, the movement distance of the consumable in the feeding channel 11 can be accurately controlled, thereby ensuring that the consumable can enter the waiting area 12, and thus improving the accuracy of the movement control of the consumable in the feeding channel 11.

[0049] In one embodiment, step S20 includes:

[0050] S211: Detect whether there are consumables in each of the material conveying channels 11;

[0051] S212: If there are consumables in each of the conveying channels 11, the consumables in each of the conveying channels 11 are conveyed to the waiting area 12 based on the preset control command.

[0052] A feed detection sensor is installed in the feeding channel between the consumable inlet and the extrusion mechanism. This sensor detects the presence of consumables within the corresponding feeding channel. Its detection principle and structure can be the same as or similar to the consumable detection component 111. Specifically, the feed detection sensor is triggered when consumables enter the feeding channel through the inlet, allowing the control system to detect the presence of consumables within the feeding channel corresponding to the sensor. This facilitates the control of the extrusion mechanism corresponding to the feeding channel to switch to a moving state to transport the consumables within the feeding channel. In an optional embodiment, the presence of consumables within each feeding channel can be detected using the feed detection sensors installed in each feeding channel.

[0053] Understandably, during actual printing, the consumables required for each print job vary depending on the printing needs. Therefore, before actual printing, all consumables to be printed can be pre-loaded into the corresponding feed channel 11 based on preset control commands. That is, the consumables entering the feed channel 11 are the consumables required for this print job. By selecting and determining the consumables entering the feed channel 11 before printing begins, it is ensured that the consumables fed into the feed channel 11 are the consumables required for the current print job.

[0054] Specifically, if the number of different types of consumables required for this printing is less than the number of feed channels 11, all required consumables can be fed into their respective feed channels 11. The movement of all consumables within the feed channels 11 is controlled. When a consumable is detected by the consumable detector 111, the consumable moves according to a preset control command. As long as the consumable detector 111 continues to detect consumables, it is determined that all consumables within the feed channels 11 have moved to their corresponding waiting areas 12 for use. Thus, the position of the consumables is determined by the sensing status of the consumables by the consumable detector 111. Meanwhile, other feed channels 11 remain empty to prevent the mixing of consumables not needed for this printing, minimizing the impact of consumable switching errors and ensuring the accuracy of the printed colors.

[0055] Optionally, if the number of types of consumables required for this printing is the same as the number of feeding channels 11, the consumables can be fed into the corresponding feeding channel 11 and then into the corresponding waiting area 12 in the same way.

[0056] Optionally, the duration for which the consumables detection device 111 continuously senses the consumables can be used to determine whether all consumables in the feed channel 11 have moved to the waiting area 12. The preset duration is the time elapsed for the consumables to move from the consumables detection device 111 to the waiting area 12 at a preset speed. To ensure that all consumables entering the feed channel 11 move to the waiting area 12, the corresponding consumables detection device 111 on the feed channel 11 carrying consumables can determine whether it continues to sense consumables after the preset duration after the first sensing of consumables; if consumables are continuously sensed after the preset duration, it can be determined that all consumables fed into the feed channel 11 have moved to the waiting area 12. This controls all consumables that have been fed into the feed channel 11 but have not yet reached the waiting area 12 to move to the waiting area 12, completing the pre-printing preparation work, reducing the consumables movement distance during actual printing, shortening the switching time between multiple consumables, and improving printing speed. In addition, the movement of all consumables to the waiting area 12 also allows for the consumables to move forward or backward.

[0057] In one embodiment, if the feed detection sensor determines that all feed channels 11 are filled with consumables, and among all consumables there are consumables that do not need to be printed this time, then the consumables that need to be printed this time are determined from the consumables that have entered the feed channel 11 but have not reached the consumable detection piece 111. The consumables that need to be printed this time are controlled to continue moving along the consumable feed direction and move to the waiting area 12 to wait for use, while the remaining consumables can be controlled to stop moving.

[0058] In one embodiment, if the feeding detection sensor determines that all feeding channels 11 contain consumables, including consumables that do not need to be printed this time, all consumables entering the feeding channels 11 can be controlled to move to the waiting area 12. During actual printing, the consumables required for this printing can be determined from the waiting area 12.

[0059] In one embodiment, the 3D printing equipment further includes a melting zone 14;

[0060] After step S2011, the method further includes:

[0061] S 30: Determine the target consumable from the consumables located in the waiting area 12;

[0062] S 31: Control the target consumable to move from the corresponding waiting area 12 into the melting area 14.

[0063] Specifically, after all consumables that have not yet reached the waiting area 12 are moved to the waiting area 12, the consumable that needs to be printed can be selected as the target consumable. At this time, the target consumable can be controlled to move directly from the waiting area 12 to the melting area 14 along the conveying direction, and then printed after being heated and melted. Thus, by setting the waiting area 12, the time for the consumable to move to the melting area 14 is reduced, and the printing speed is further improved.

[0064] It should be noted that when the target consumable is being printed, the other consumables can all be kept in the waiting area 12 to improve the speed of switching between printing consumables.

[0065] In one embodiment, after step S31, the method further includes:

[0066] S 40: If it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, control the target consumable currently being printed to move backward toward the consumable detection piece 111 to the waiting area 12;

[0067] S 50: When the target consumable material retreats to the waiting area 12, the consumable material to be switched is transported for printing.

[0068] Specifically, the consumable to be switched is the next consumable to be printed after the target consumable has been printed. In actual printing of a model, different colors or materials of consumables are often required, necessitating switching between them. When it is determined that a switching process is needed, the currently printing target consumable must first be stopped, and then its backward movement controlled. Once the target consumable has moved to its designated position (i.e., back to the waiting area 12), printing with another consumable begins. This avoids the previous consumable affecting the printing of the next, enabling independent printing of consumables within different feeding channels 11 and ensuring the accuracy of printed colors and print quality.

[0069] It should be noted that "target consumables retreating to the designated area" can mean retreating the consumables to a designated area. In this embodiment, it specifically means retreating to the waiting area 12.

[0070] Optionally, the designated area can also be determined according to specific printing needs. This embodiment does not limit this, as long as the printing of the next consumable is not affected after the target consumable is moved into place.

[0071] In one embodiment, step S 401: controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection element 111 to the waiting area 12 includes:

[0072] S 4011: Control the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area 12 according to a preset retreat distance, and retreat to the waiting area 12 to wait for use.

[0073] Specifically, the preset retreat distance can be the distance from when the target consumable starts its retreating movement to when it retreats to the waiting area 12. This preset retreat distance can be determined through previous test data or obtained by calculation. This implementation does not impose any restrictions on this, as long as the preset retreat distance ensures that the target consumable retreats to the return area.

[0074] Understandably, by controlling the target consumable to move a preset backward distance in the opposite direction of the consumable conveying direction, the backward movement of the target consumable is completed, thereby controlling the target consumable to accurately retreat to the waiting area 12 and ensuring the accuracy of the backward movement. Furthermore, retreating the target consumable to the waiting area 12 facilitates its continued use in subsequent printing processes, further ensuring the switching speed between consumables.

[0075] This invention provides a first optional implementation method for determining the target consumable material's retraction position, comprising the following steps:

[0076] S 41: When the target consumable moving backward moves to a side of the consumable detection unit 111 that is away from the waiting area 12, the consumable detection unit 111 cannot detect the target consumable, and then stops outputting the trigger information corresponding to the target consumable.

[0077] Specifically, in this embodiment, the designated area for the target consumable to be retracted into position can be the side of the consumable detection element 111 away from the waiting area 12, that is, the target consumable needs to be retracted to above the consumable detection element 111. Thus, the target consumable currently being printed can be controlled to move backward toward the consumable detection element 111, passing sequentially through the waiting area 12 and the consumable detection element 111. While the target consumable is not retracted to above the consumable detection element 111, the consumable detection element 111 will continuously sense the consumable and thus continuously output trigger information; when the target consumable is retracted to above the consumable detection element 111, the consumable detection element 111 can no longer sense the consumable and stops outputting trigger information. That is, when the target consumable is retracted to above the consumable detection element 111, the control system changes from a state of continuously receiving trigger information to a state of not receiving trigger information, determining that the target consumable has completely exited the waiting area 12 and retracted to above the consumable detection element 111. Thus, the retraction of the target consumable is determined through the state change of the trigger information.

[0078] Understandably, by controlling the target consumable currently being printed to move back to the side of the consumable detection unit 111 away from the waiting area 12, the consumable detection unit 111 is prevented from outputting trigger information. Thus, by not receiving trigger information, it can be determined that all target consumables have exited from the waiting area 12 and moved back above the consumable detection unit 111. This ensures that when switching consumables for printing, the previous consumable is in place, thereby avoiding mutual interference when printing consumables of different colors.

[0079] This invention provides a second optional implementation for determining the target consumable's retraction position. Step S401: Controlling the currently printing target consumable to retract towards the consumable detection element 111 to the waiting area 12 includes the following steps:

[0080] S 4021: Control the target consumable to move backward toward the consumable detection element 111 until the target consumable is out of the detection range of the consumable detection element 111;

[0081] S 4022: Control the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction until it enters the detection range of the consumable detection element 111;

[0082] S 4023: Control the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset control command, so as to reach the waiting area 12.

[0083] Understandably, the preset control command includes a preset forward distance. In this embodiment, the designated area where the target consumable is moved back to its designated position can be the waiting area 12. When controlling the target consumable to switch, the target consumable is controlled to move backward toward the consumable detection element 111 until it exits the detection range of the consumable detection element 111. This causes the consumable detection element 111 to go from continuously sensing the consumable to no longer sensing it, i.e., from outputting trigger information to stopping outputting trigger information. This indicates that the target consumable has moved to the side of the consumable detection element 111 that is far away from the waiting area 12. After the target consumable has moved back to the side of the consumable detection element 111 that is far away from the waiting area 12, the target consumable can be controlled to move again from above the consumable detection element 111 toward the waiting area 12, so that the consumable re-enters the detection range of the consumable detection element 111 and generates trigger information again. When the consumable detection element 111 senses the consumable, the target consumable is controlled to continue moving according to the preset forward distance until it reaches the waiting area 12. In other words, in this embodiment, the consumable detection component 111 determines the target consumable's retraction movement to the waiting area 12 by changing from continuously sensing consumables to not sensing consumables, and then from not sensing consumables to continuously sensing consumables. This ensures that all consumables that have not been printed are in the waiting area 12, thereby further ensuring the speed of consumable switching during printing.

[0084] In one implementation, determining the preset backtracking distance includes the following steps:

[0085] S 4013: Obtain channel data between the waiting area 12 and the melting area 14;

[0086] S 4014: Determine the preset back distance of the target consumable being printed based on the channel data.

[0087] Understandably, there exists a region between the waiting area 12 and the melting area 14 where the consumables are not yet melted. This region can be defined as buffer zone 13, where the consumables are in an unmelted state. The channel data between the waiting area 12 and the buffer zone 13 represents the channel length between the waiting area 12 and the buffer zone 13.

[0088] Specifically, in this embodiment, the designated area where the target consumable material retracts into place can be the waiting area 12. The preset retraction distance can be greater than the channel length of the buffer zone 13 but less than the sum of the channel lengths of the waiting area 12 and the buffer zone 13. Therefore, determining the preset retraction distance ensures that the printing consumable material, after retracting the preset distance, can accurately retract into the waiting area 12 without retracting above the consumable material detection element 111.

[0089] Specifically, after controlling the target consumable to retract a target distance, the consumable detection device 111 continuously senses the target consumable to determine whether it has retracted to the correct position. That is, whether the consumable detection device 111 continuously outputs trigger information determines whether it has retracted to the correct position. When the target consumable has retracted a preset distance, if the consumable detection device 111 continuously outputs trigger information, it is determined that the target consumable has directly retracted to the waiting area 12, that is, the target consumable has retracted to the correct position. If the consumable detection device 111 stops outputting trigger information after retracting the target distance, then after this retraction of the target distance, the consumable has retracted to above the consumable detection device 111, and has not retracted to the correct position.

[0090] Optionally, if after retreating the target distance, the material retracts to above the consumable detection component 111, then the above steps S4021-S4023 need to be performed so that the target consumable that did not retract to the correct position can re-enter the waiting area 12.

[0091] Understandably, the preset retraction distance of the target consumable can be determined through the channel data of the waiting area 12 and the buffer 13. After controlling the target consumable to retract the preset retraction distance, the trigger information continuously received from the consumable detection device 111 determines that the target consumable retracts directly from the buffer 13 to the waiting area 12, rather than retracting above the consumable detection device 111. This achieves precise retraction of the previous consumable during consumable switching. Furthermore, retracting directly to the waiting area 12 reduces the time spent switching between consumables during printing, further improving printing speed.

[0092] In one embodiment, after step S40, the method further includes:

[0093] S 60: If at least one consumable other than the target consumable does not trigger the consumable detection element 111, then the consumable that has retreated to the side of the consumable detection element 111 away from the waiting area 12 is controlled to move towards the waiting area 12 to re-enter the waiting area 12.

[0094] Specifically, before printing, all consumables need to be moved to the waiting area 12. During printing, all consumables except the target consumable being printed are also located in the waiting area 12 for timely switching. During switching, to prevent the backward movement of the target consumable from causing the other consumables to move, the trigger information output by the corresponding consumable detection device 111 of the other consumables can be continuously monitored. By checking whether trigger information is output, it can be determined whether any consumables other than the target consumable that is moving backward are being moved out of the waiting area 12 and back to above the consumable detection device 111. If, except for the consumable detection device 111 corresponding to the target consumable, there are consumables that have stopped outputting trigger information, it can be determined that some consumables have been moved backward and back to above the consumable detection device 111. Therefore, all consumables that have been moved backward need to be controlled to move forward again to re-enter the waiting area 12 for use.

[0095] Understandably, by detecting the state of the trigger information output by the consumable detection unit 111 corresponding to other consumables when the target consumable is moving backward, it can be determined whether other consumables besides the target consumable are being moved backward by the movement of the target consumable to the top of the consumable detection unit 111. In the event that a consumable is being moved backward, it is necessary to control the backward consumable to move back to the waiting area 12 to ensure that all consumables are in the waiting area 12 when not printing and during switching, thereby ensuring the control of the printing switching speed.

[0096] In one embodiment, after step S40, the method further includes:

[0097] S 70: If the consumable detection component 111 corresponding to the currently printed target consumable stops outputting the trigger information, then prompt the feeding channel 11 corresponding to the target consumable to replenish the material.

[0098] Understandably, when the target consumable is being printed, i.e., the target consumable being printed is in a state of continuous forward movement, the consumable detection unit 111 will continuously output trigger information. It can continuously monitor the trigger information output by the consumable detection unit 111 corresponding to the target consumable. From the state of continuously receiving trigger information to the state of not receiving trigger information, it can accurately know that the end of the moving target consumable has passed the consumable detection unit 111, so that there is no target consumable within the range of the consumable detection unit 111 and no trigger information can be generated. Thus, it can be determined that the remaining amount of the target consumable is insufficient, so as to prompt the replenishment and ensure the sufficiency of consumable during the printing process.

[0099] It should be noted that if, before printing, the consumable is moving forward but before printing begins, if the consumable is moving from the consumable detection unit 111 to the waiting area 12, and the consumable detection unit 111 suddenly stops outputting trigger information after continuously outputting trigger information, it can be determined that the end of the consumable currently moving forward has passed the consumable detection unit 111. At this time, it can be determined that the remaining amount of consumable is insufficient, and a prompt should be made to replenish the consumable, further ensuring the sufficiency of consumable during the printing process.

[0100] In one embodiment, if the feed detection sensor at the feed inlet of the feed channel 11 for the target consumable being printed does not detect the consumable, the feed channel 11 corresponding to the target consumable is prompted to be replenished.

[0101] Please see Figure 6 The second embodiment of the present invention provides a 3D printing device 2, which includes a processor 21 and a memory 22. The memory 22 stores a program or instructions that run on the processor 21. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor 21, they implement the multi-consumable delivery method of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] Understandably, the 3D printing equipment 2 provided in the second embodiment of the present invention can achieve the same beneficial effects as the multi-consumable delivery method in the first embodiment of the present invention, and will not be described again here.

[0103] The present invention also provides the following embodiments:

[0104] Reference numeral 1, a multi-consumable conveying method, applied to a 3D printing equipment, the 3D printing equipment including at least two conveying channels, each conveying channel being equipped with a consumable detection component and a waiting area, the method comprising:

[0105] Consumables are received through the material conveying channel;

[0106] When the consumable detection device detects a consumable, it transports the consumable to the waiting area based on a preset control command, ready for use.

[0107] Reference numeral 2, based on reference numeral 1, includes a preset control command that includes a preset forward distance; when the consumable detection device senses a consumable, the consumable is transported to the waiting area based on the preset control command to await use, including:

[0108] When the consumable detection device senses the consumable, it controls the consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset forward distance to reach the waiting area.

[0109] Label 3, based on Label 1, involves transporting the consumable to the waiting area according to a preset control command when the consumable detection device detects the consumable, ready for use. This includes:

[0110] Check each material conveying channel for the presence of consumables;

[0111] If there are consumables in each conveying channel, the consumables in each conveying channel will be transported to the waiting area based on preset control commands.

[0112] Number 4, based on number 3, the 3D printing equipment also includes a melting zone;

[0113] The method further includes:

[0114] Identify the target consumable from the consumables located in the waiting area;

[0115] The target consumable is controlled to move from the corresponding waiting area into the melting zone.

[0116] Based on reference numeral 4, the method further includes:

[0117] If it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, control the target consumable currently being printed to move backward toward the consumable detection part and into the waiting area;

[0118] When the target consumable moves back to the waiting area, the consumable to be switched is then conveyed for printing.

[0119] Label 6, based on label 5, controls the currently printed target consumable to retreat towards the consumable detection component and into the waiting area, including:

[0120] Control the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area according to the preset retreat distance, and then retreat to the waiting area.

[0121] Label 7, based on label 5, controls the currently printed target consumable to retreat towards the consumable inspection section and into the waiting area, including the following steps:

[0122] Control the target consumable to move backward toward the consumable detection piece until the target consumable is out of the detection range of the consumable detection piece;

[0123] Control the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction until it enters the detection range of the consumable detection component;

[0124] The target consumable is controlled to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset forward distance to reach the waiting area.

[0125] For label 8, based on label 6, determine the preset backward distance, including the following steps:

[0126] Obtain channel data between the waiting area and the melting area;

[0127] The preset back-off distance for the target consumable being printed is determined based on the channel data.

[0128] Reference 9, based on reference 5, if it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, the method further includes controlling the currently printing target consumable to retreat towards the consumable detection part and then to the waiting area.

[0129] If at least one consumable other than the target consumable does not trigger the consumable detection device, the consumable that has retreated to the side of the consumable detection device away from the waiting area is controlled to move towards the waiting area to re-enter the waiting area.

[0130] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0131] It should be understood that the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that the embodiments described in the specification are optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0132] In various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not necessarily imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0133] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It is particularly important to note that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0134] Compared with existing technologies, the multi-consumable delivery method, apparatus, and 3D printing equipment provided by this invention have the following advantages:

[0135] 1. This invention provides a method for conveying multiple consumables. The 3D printing equipment includes at least two feeding channels, each equipped with a consumable detection component and a waiting area. The method includes: receiving consumables through the feeding channels; and when the consumable detection component senses the consumables, conveying the consumables to the waiting area based on a preset control command, ready for use. By accurately conveying the consumables to be printed to the waiting area before printing, the consumables can directly enter the heating and melting area from the waiting area during actual printing, thereby shortening the movement distance during consumable printing and switching between multiple consumables, thus improving printing speed and switching speed between multiple consumables. This solves the problem of slow switching speed between multiple consumables in existing single-head printers, which affects printing speed.

[0136] 2. The preset control command provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a preset forward distance; when the consumable detection device senses the consumable, the consumable is conveyed to the waiting area based on the preset control command to await use, including: when the consumable detection device senses the consumable, controlling the consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset forward distance to reach the waiting area. By setting the preset forward distance, accurate control of the consumable's movement to the waiting area is achieved, ensuring that the consumable can enter the waiting area and improving the accuracy of the consumable's movement control within the conveying channel.

[0137] 3. In this embodiment of the invention, when the consumable detection component senses consumables, the consumables are transported to the waiting area based on a preset control command, ready for use. This includes: detecting whether consumables exist in each feeding channel; if consumables exist in each feeding channel, transporting the consumables in each feeding channel to the waiting area based on the preset control command. By transporting the required consumables into the feeding channels before printing, the consumables entering the feeding channels are the currently needed consumables, avoiding the mixing of irrelevant consumables and affecting the current printing.

[0138] 4. The 3D printing equipment in this embodiment of the invention further includes a melting zone; the method further includes: determining a target consumable from consumables located in the waiting zone; and controlling the target consumable to move from the corresponding waiting zone into the melting zone. By directly controlling the target consumable to move from the waiting zone to the melting zone for melting and printing, the time for the consumable to move to the melting zone is reduced, further improving the printing speed. In addition, all consumables are in the waiting zone, further improving the speed of switching between printing consumables.

[0139] 5. The method in this embodiment of the invention further includes: if it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, controlling the currently printing target consumable to retreat towards the consumable detection component to the waiting area; when the target consumable retreats to the waiting area, then conveying the consumable to be switched for printing. By controlling the currently printing target consumable to retreat to the waiting area before printing with another consumable when switching printing is required, the previous consumable is prevented from affecting the printing of the next consumable, realizing independent operation of consumable printing in different feeding channels, and ensuring the accuracy of printing colors and printing quality.

[0140] 6. In this embodiment of the invention, controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection component and into the waiting area includes: controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area according to a preset retreat distance, and then retreating to the waiting area. By directly controlling the target consumable to retreat a preset retreat distance to reach the waiting area, the retreat of the target consumable is controlled in a simple and effective way, further improving the speed of switching printing.

[0141] 7. In this embodiment of the invention, controlling the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the consumable detection device to the waiting area includes the following steps: controlling the target consumable to retreat towards the consumable detection device until the target consumable exits the detection range of the consumable detection device; controlling the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction until it enters the detection range of the consumable detection device; controlling the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to a preset control command to reach the waiting area. By sensing the consumable through the consumable detection device, it can be determined whether the target consumable has retreated beyond the detection range of the consumable detection device during its retreat, thus determining that the target consumable has retreated to the side of the consumable detection device away from the waiting area; and after retreating beyond the detection range of the consumable detection device, the target consumable can be controlled to re-enter the waiting area, so that the consumable detection device goes from not being able to sense the target consumable to continuously sensing the target consumable, thereby determining that the target consumable has retreated to the waiting area, thus ensuring that all unprinted consumables are in the waiting area, further ensuring the speed of consumable switching during printing.

[0142] 8. In this embodiment of the invention, determining the preset retreat distance includes the following steps: acquiring channel data between the waiting area and the melting area; and determining the preset retreat distance of the currently printed target consumable based on the channel data. The preset retreat distance of the target consumable can be determined using the channel data between the waiting area and the melting area. After controlling the target consumable to retreat by the preset retreat distance, continuous sensing of the consumable by the consumable detection component ensures that the target consumable retreats to the waiting area, rather than retreating above the consumable detection component. This achieves precise retreat movement of the previous consumable during consumable switching. Furthermore, retreating directly to the waiting area reduces the movement of the consumable.

[0143] 9. In this embodiment of the invention, if it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, the target consumable currently being printed is controlled to retreat towards the consumable detection device and then to the waiting area. The method further includes: if at least one consumable other than the target consumable does not trigger the consumable detection device, the consumable that has retreated to the side of the consumable detection device away from the waiting area is controlled to move towards the waiting area to re-enter the waiting area. By detecting the sensing status of other consumable detection devices on the consumables when the target consumable moves backward, it can be determined whether the other consumables besides the target consumable are driven backward by the movement of the target consumable to the top of the consumable detection device. In the case where a consumable is driven backward, it is necessary to control the backward consumable to move back to the waiting area, ensuring that all consumables are in the waiting area before printing, ensuring the consistency of the time and distance of consumable movement when printing multiple consumables and switching printing, and improving the simplicity of consumable movement control.

[0144] 10. The present invention also provides a 3D printing device, which has the same beneficial effects as the above-described multi-consumable delivery method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0145] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of a multi-consumable material delivery method, apparatus, and 3D printing equipment disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for conveying multiple consumables, characterized in that: The method is applied to a 3D printing equipment, the 3D printing equipment including at least two material feeding channels, each material feeding channel being provided with a consumable detection component and a material waiting area, the method comprising: Consumables are received through the feeding channel; When the consumable detection device detects a consumable, it transports the consumable to the waiting area based on a preset control command, so that it can be used.

2. The multi-consumable delivery method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The preset control command includes a preset forward distance; the step of conveying the consumable to the waiting area based on the preset control command when the consumable detector senses the consumable, to await use, includes: When the consumable detection device senses a consumable, it controls the consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction according to a preset forward distance to reach the waiting area.

3. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When the consumable detection device senses a consumable, it transports the consumable to the waiting area based on a preset control command, ready for use, including: Detect whether consumables are present in each of the aforementioned material conveying channels; If there are consumables in each of the feeding channels, the consumables in each of the feeding channels will be transported to the waiting area based on preset control commands.

4. The multi-consumable delivery method as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The 3D printing equipment also includes a melting zone; The method further includes: Determine the target consumable from the consumables located in the waiting area; The target consumable is controlled to move from the corresponding waiting area into the melting zone.

5. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The method further includes: If it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, control the target consumable currently being printed to move backward toward the consumable detection piece to the waiting area; When the target consumable material is moved back to the waiting area, the consumable material to be switched is conveyed for printing.

6. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 5, characterized in that: Controlling the target filament currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area in the direction of the filament detection piece includes: Control the target consumable currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area according to a preset retreat distance, and then retreat to the waiting area.

7. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 5, characterized in that: Controlling the target filament currently being printed to retreat towards the waiting area in the direction of the filament detection piece includes the following steps: Control the target consumable to move backward toward the consumable detection element until the target consumable is out of the detection range of the consumable detection element; Control the target consumable to move along the consumable conveying direction until it enters the detection range of the consumable detection element; The target consumable is controlled to move along the consumable conveying direction according to the preset control command to reach the waiting area.

8. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 6, characterized in that: Determining the preset backward distance includes the following steps: Obtain the channel data between the waiting area and the melting area; The preset back-off distance of the target consumable being printed is determined based on the channel data.

9. The multi-consumable conveying method as described in claim 5, characterized in that: If it is necessary to switch consumables for printing, the method further includes controlling the currently printing target consumable to move backward toward the consumable detection component and then to the waiting area. If at least one consumable other than the target consumable does not trigger the consumable detection device, the consumable that has retreated to the side of the consumable detection device away from the waiting area is controlled to move towards the waiting area to re-enter the waiting area.

10. A 3D printing device, characterized in that, The 3D printing device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the multi-consumable delivery method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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