3D printing system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a material changing mechanism for a 3D printer and a 3D printing system. The material changing mechanism comprises a support; the material guiding unit is arranged on the support and comprises a plurality of sub material guiding pipes and a material guiding opening communicating with the sub material guiding pipes, and the material guiding opening is used for being connected with a main material guiding pipe of the 3D printer; and the plurality of material changing units are arranged on the bracket. In this way, various material lines can be automatically provided for the 3D printer according to printing requirements, and the material disc can be conveniently replaced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 202390000127.6, and the original application date is January 12, 2023.

[0002] The original application claims priority to the prior application 202210058867.7, with a filing date of January 17, 2022, and the entire contents of the original application are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing system. Background Art

[0004] A 3D printer, also known as a three-dimensional printer or a stereo printer, constructs a three-dimensional object by printing layer by layer. The 3D printer includes a print head for extruding printing material and a printing platform for depositing printing material to form a three-dimensional object. The print head is configured to move relative to the printing platform and extrude printing material onto the printing platform while moving. The printing material is deposited layer by layer on the surface of the printing platform and fused together to form a three-dimensional object.

[0005] With the development of 3D printing technology, people have an increasing demand for the diversified colors and materials of printed objects. How to meet these diverse printing needs has gradually become a research hotspot. Utility Model Content

[0006] It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism that alleviates, mitigates, or even eliminates one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a material changing mechanism for a 3D printer is provided, comprising: a bracket; a material guide unit disposed on the bracket, the material guide unit comprising a plurality of sub-material guide pipes and a material guide port connected to the plurality of sub-material guide pipes, the material guide port being used to engage with a main material pipe of the 3D printer; and a plurality of material changing units disposed on the bracket, each of the plurality of material changing units automatically performing a loading operation and a unloading operation of a corresponding material tray among a plurality of material trays for the 3D printer. According to the material changing mechanism for a 3D printer provided by the present disclosure, a plurality of material lines can be automatically provided for the 3D printer according to printing needs, and the replacement of material trays can be facilitated. Each of the material changing units includes: a support shaft assembly, which is rotatably connected to the bracket and is used to contact the rim of a corresponding material tray among the multiple material trays to support the corresponding material tray; and a loading and unloading mechanism, which is used to drive the material line wound on the corresponding material tray to be introduced into the main material pipe through a corresponding sub-material guide pipe among the multiple sub-material guide pipes when the 3D printer performs a loading operation, and is used to drive the corresponding material tray to rotate when the 3D printer performs a unloading operation, so that the material line exiting from the main material pipe through the material guide unit is wound back onto the corresponding material tray.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a 3D printing system is provided, comprising a 3D printer and a material changing mechanism according to the aforementioned aspect.

[0009] These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Further details, features and advantages of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a material changing mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 2 A schematic side view of a material changing mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the back structure of a material changing mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a material changing mechanism after the material tray and the loading and unloading mechanism are removed according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a material changing mechanism after the material tray and the top cover are removed according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0016] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a material changing mechanism according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts in this article, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part without departing from the teaching of the present disclosure.

[0018] Spatial relative terms such as "below", "below", "below", "above", "above", etc. may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship between an element or feature and another (some) element or feature as illustrated in the figure. It will be understood that these spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will be oriented to "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example terms "below" and "below" can cover both orientations above and below. Terms such as "before" or "before" and "after" or "followed by" can be similarly used to indicate the order in which light passes through the elements. The device can be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatial relative descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly.

[0019] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing a specific embodiment and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "one" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the existence of the features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements and / or parts when used in this specification, but do not exclude the existence of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups or add one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and the phrase "at least one of A and B" refers to only A, only B, or both A and B.

[0020] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "connected to another element or layer," "coupled to another element or layer," or "adjacent to another element or layer," it may be directly on another element or layer, directly connected to another element or layer, directly coupled to another element or layer, or directly adjacent to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly connected to another element or layer," "directly coupled to another element or layer," or "directly adjacent to another element or layer," there are no intermediate elements or layers. However, in no case should "on..." or "directly on..." be interpreted as requiring that one layer completely cover the layer below.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and / or the context of this specification, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0022] In the related art, when a 3D printer prints different colors or different materials, the material tray needs to be replaced manually, which is complicated to operate and inefficient.

[0023] In order to alleviate, mitigate or even eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a material changing mechanism and a 3D printing system for a 3D printer, which can automatically provide a variety of material lines for the 3D printer according to printing needs and facilitate the replacement of material trays.

[0024] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a material changing mechanism according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 2 shows a side structural schematic diagram of a material changing mechanism according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the back structure of a material changing mechanism according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Reference Figures 1 to 3 As shown, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a material changing mechanism for a 3D printer, including: a bracket 100 , a plurality of material changing units 300 , and a material guiding unit 200 .

[0027] The material guide unit 200 is disposed on the bracket 100. The material guide unit 200 includes a plurality of sub-material guide pipes 210 and a material guide port 220 connected to the plurality of sub-material guide pipes 210. The material guide port 220 is used to be coupled with a main material pipe of a 3D printer.

[0028] A plurality of material changing units 300 are arranged on the support 100. Each of the plurality of material changing units 300 automatically performs a loading operation and a unloading operation of a corresponding material tray among a plurality of material trays for the 3D printer, wherein each material changing unit 300 comprises: a support shaft assembly 310 and an unloading and loading mechanism 320. The support shaft assembly 310 is rotatably connected to the support 100, and can be used to contact a rim 410 of a corresponding material tray 400 among a plurality of material trays 400 to support the corresponding material tray 400. The unloading and loading mechanism 320 is used to drive the material line wound on the corresponding material tray 400 to be introduced into the main material pipe through a corresponding sub-material guide pipe 210 among the plurality of sub-material guide pipes 210 when the 3D printer performs a loading operation, and is used to drive the corresponding material tray 400 to rotate when the 3D printer performs an unloading operation, so that the material line withdrawn from the main material pipe through the material guide unit 200 is wound back onto the corresponding material tray 400.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bracket 100 may be made of plastic or metal, and the bracket 100 is used to install the material guiding unit 200 and the material changing unit 300 .

[0030] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the material guiding unit 200 includes a plurality of sub-material guiding pipes 210, and the sub-material guiding pipes 210 are all connected to a material guiding port 220. In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-material guiding pipes 210 can be processed by an integrated molding process, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0031] In some embodiments, the material guide unit 200 may further include a multi-pass piece 240, which connects multiple sub-material guide pipes 210 to the material guide port 220. The multi-pass piece 240 may have an outlet and multiple inlets connected to the outlet, the outlet may be used to engage the main material guide pipe, the inlet may be used to connect a sub-material guide pipe 210, and the outlet may constitute the material guide port 220. In some embodiments, an auxiliary extrusion wheel (not shown) is disposed inside the multi-pass piece 240 to assist the loading and unloading mechanism 320 in loading and unloading operations. In some embodiments, a material line sensor (not shown in the figure) may also be disposed inside the multi-pass piece 240 to detect the position of the material line in the material guide pipeline.

[0032] Each material tray 400 may include two baffles spaced apart along the rotation axis of the material tray and a cylindrical or cylindrical winding portion located between the two baffles, the winding portion may be used to wind the material wire, the radius of the baffle is greater than the radius of the winding portion, so as to prevent the material wire from falling off the winding portion. The cylindrical surface of each baffle may constitute the rim 410 of the material tray 400. The free end of the material wire of each material tray 400 may extend into a corresponding sub-material guide pipe 210.

[0033] The material changing unit 300 includes a support shaft assembly 310 and a loading and unloading mechanism 320. The support shaft assembly 310 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 100. For example, the support shaft assembly 310 can be connected to the bracket 100 through a bearing. The cylindrical surface of the support shaft assembly 310 is used to contact the rim 410 of the material tray 400, thereby supporting the material tray 400. The support shaft assembly 310 and the rim 410 of the material tray 400 can be force transmission contact, so that when one of them rotates, the other can follow the rotation. The structure of the support shaft assembly 310 can be various, which will be further described later.

[0034] In some embodiments, the loading and unloading mechanism 320 can be used to drive the material tray to rotate and realize loading and unloading. For example, the loading and unloading mechanism 320 can include a loading motor and a unloading motor, and the loading motor and the unloading motor can be respectively connected to the material tray. Taking the loading motor as an example, it can realize the rotation of the material tray by driving the friction wheel in contact with the wheel rim 410 of the material tray 400. For another example, the loading motor can also directly drive the material line to move by driving the friction wheel in direct contact with the material line, and drive the material tray to rotate through the movement of the material line.

[0035] Regardless of the method, when the 3D printer performs a loading operation, the loading motor can be used to drive the material tray 400 to rotate in the forward direction, so that the material line wound on the corresponding material tray 400 is introduced into the main material pipe through a corresponding sub-material guide pipe 210 and the material guide port 220. When the 3D printer performs a unloading operation, the unloading motor can be used to drive the corresponding material tray 400 to rotate in the reverse direction, so that the free end of the material line exits from the main material pipe through the material guide unit 200. The exited material line can be rewound back onto the corresponding material tray 400, thereby avoiding the problem that the material line accumulates around the material tray 400 and entangles with other mechanisms after unloading.

[0036] When the material line needs to be replaced, the current material line can be withdrawn from the main material pipe through the loading and unloading mechanism 320 corresponding to the current material line, and then the required material line can be introduced into the main material pipe through the loading and unloading mechanism 320 corresponding to the required material line. During printing, the material line in the main material pipe can be driven to move by the printing motor of the 3D printer, thereby dragging the material tray 400 to rotate. At this time, the loading motor and the unloading motor can also be separated from the material tray 400 transmission, so as not to affect the movement of the material tray 400.

[0037] In addition, in addition to including a loading motor and a unloading motor, the loading and unloading mechanism 320 can also be configured to have only one driving motor, and the forward and reverse rotation of the material tray can be achieved by the forward and reverse rotation of the driving motor.

[0038] By setting the material guide unit 200 and the material change unit 300, the required material line can be automatically provided to the 3D printer to realize the printing of three-dimensional objects of multiple colors or multiple materials, and the excess material line after the material is returned can be automatically wound onto the material tray 400, keeping the area around the material tray 400 tidy. At the same time, the support shaft assembly 310 can reduce the friction when the material tray rotates, making it convenient to load and unload materials. In addition, since the support shaft assembly 310 is supported by the rim 410 of the material tray 400, the material tray 400 can be installed on the material change mechanism only by gravity, without other complex installation structures. When the material line is consumed, the material tray 400 can be easily removed from the material change mechanism without disassembling other components, making it easy to replace.

[0039] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 As shown, the support shaft assembly 310 includes a first support shaft group 311 and a second support shaft group 312 which are respectively rotatably connected to the bracket 100, the first support shaft group 311 and the second support shaft group 312 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the corresponding material tray 400, and the first rotation axis of the first support shaft group 311, the second rotation axis of the second support shaft group 312 and the rotation axis of the corresponding material tray 400 are parallel to each other.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 As shown, with the side of the material tray 400 close to the loading and unloading mechanism 320 as the front side, the first support shaft group 311 and the second support shaft group 312 are respectively installed on the front and rear sides of the material tray 400, so as to play a role of stable support.

[0041] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the material changing mechanism in some embodiments of the present disclosure after the material tray and the loading and unloading mechanism are removed. Figure 5 The three-dimensional structure diagram of the material changing mechanism of some embodiments of the present disclosure after the material tray and the top cover are removed. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the first support shaft group 311 includes two first support shafts 3111, and the two first support shafts 3111 are arranged along the first rotation axis so that when the corresponding material tray 400 is installed in the material changing mechanism, the circumferential surfaces of the two first support shafts 3111 respectively contact the two wheel rims 410 of the corresponding material tray 400.

[0042] One end of each first support shaft 3111 away from the other can be connected to the bracket 100 through a bearing. For example, a support plate can be protruding from the bracket 100, the outer ring of the bearing can be fixed to the support plate, and the inner ring of the bearing can be fixedly connected to the first support shaft 3111, so that the first support shaft 3111 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 100. Providing two first support shafts 3111 that are respectively in contact with two wheel rims 410 can not only provide stable support, but also reduce the volume of the first support shaft group 311, facilitating the installation of other structures.

[0043] In some embodiments, at least one of the two first support shafts 3111 is provided with a gear 3112, and the gear 3112 is driven by the loading and unloading mechanism 320 when the 3D printer performs a unloading operation, so that the first support shaft 3111 drives the corresponding material tray 400 to rotate to wind the material line back onto the corresponding material tray 400.

[0044] The gear 3112 can be coaxially connected to a first support shaft 3111, and the two can rotate synchronously. The loading and unloading mechanism 320 can be transmission-connected to the gear 3112. For example, the unloading motor can be transmission-connected to the gear 3112 through the transmission mechanism, so that when unloading, the gear 3112 is driven to rotate, and then the friction between the first support shaft 3111 and the material tray 400 drives the material tray 400 to rotate in the opposite direction. When loading and printing, the unloading motor can be transmission-disconnected from the gear 3112, so that the first support shaft 3111 can freely rotate with the material tray 400.

[0045] In some embodiments, the end of the corresponding sub-material guide tube 210 away from the material guide port 220 is arranged to be adjacent to the middle part of the first support shaft group 311 along the first rotation axis. This allows the free end of the material line on the material tray 400 to enter the sub-material guide tube 210 at an appropriate angle relative to the winding portion of the material tray 400, reducing the friction generated during loading and unloading. In some embodiments, the end of the corresponding sub-material guide tube 210 away from the material guide port 220 is arranged below the middle position close to the two first support shafts 3111, so that the material line can freely fall into the sub-material guide tube 210 by gravity, which is more convenient to use.

[0046] In some embodiments, the two first support shafts 3111 can be coaxially connected to each other, and the middle part of the first support shaft group 311 is a connecting shaft 3113, and the radial dimension of the connecting shaft is smaller than the radial dimension of the two first support shafts 3111. The two first support shafts 3111 can be connected by the connecting shaft 3113, thereby improving the strength of the first support shaft group 311, and at the same time, the space of the first support shaft group 311 can be reduced to avoid the material line from contacting with the support shaft group and generating greater friction.

[0047] In other embodiments, the two first support shafts 3111 may also be separated from each other, and the middle portion of the first support shaft group 311 is the gap between the two first support shafts 3111 , thereby further reducing the space occupied by the first support shaft group 311 .

[0048] In some embodiments, the second support shaft group 312 includes two second support shafts 3121, and the two second support shafts 3121 are arranged along the second rotation axis so that when the corresponding material tray 400 is installed in the material changing mechanism, the circumferential surfaces of the two second support shafts 3121 are respectively in contact with the two rims 410 of the corresponding material tray 400. While providing stable support, the volume of the first support shaft group 311 can also be reduced to facilitate the installation of other structures. In some embodiments, similar to the two first support shafts 3111, the two second support shafts 3121 can be coaxially connected to each other or separated from each other to achieve support for the material tray 400.

[0049] The configuration of the second support shaft 3121 is similar to that of the first support shaft 3111. Figure 2 As shown, the second support shaft 3121 is located at the rear side of the material tray 400, and the first support shaft 3111 is located at the front side of the material tray 400. The front side of the material tray 400 is provided with a loading and unloading mechanism 320 and a sub-material guide pipe 210, and the rear side is not provided with such a structure. The structure and function of the second support shaft 3121 can be specifically referred to the first support shaft 3111, and will not be described in detail.

[0050] In some embodiments, the loading and unloading mechanism 320 is disposed on the side of the first support shaft group 311 away from the second support shaft group 312, and a channel 321 for passing the material line is also disposed in the loading and unloading mechanism 320, and the channel 321 is engaged with the corresponding sub-material guide tube 210. The channel 321 can play a guiding role, reducing the size of the material line exposed outside the channel 321 and the material guide unit 200, thereby preventing the material line from being entangled with other components, and at the same time facilitating the replacement of the material tray. In some feasible embodiments, one end of the sub-material guide tube 210 away from the corresponding channel 321 passes through the middle area of ​​the second support shaft group 312 to connect to an entrance of the multi-pass member.

[0051] Among them, one end of the ion guide tube 210 behind the channel 321 can be set as a trumpet-shaped opening, so that the material line can easily enter the channel 321, thereby facilitating the replacement of the material tray 400. Here, the term "trumpet-shaped opening" means that in the direction toward the outside of the channel 321, one end of the ion guide tube 210 behind the channel 321 has a gradually increasing inner diameter.

[0052] Continue to refer to Figures 4 to 5The bracket 100 may be provided with an arcuate groove 110 extending in a predetermined direction, and at least one partition 120 is provided in the arcuate groove 110. The at least one partition 120 is arranged at intervals in the predetermined direction to divide the arcuate groove 110 into a plurality of segments, each segment being used to at least partially accommodate a corresponding material tray 400 among the plurality of material trays 400.

[0053] The arc groove 110 may extend in a predetermined direction, so that the surface of the bracket 100 has a downward depression. The predetermined direction may be the arrangement direction of the plurality of material trays 400, and the partition 120 may be a rib structure. The partition 120 may be one or more, and when it is multiple, the plurality of partitions 120 may be arranged at intervals along the predetermined direction, thereby dividing the arc groove 110 into a plurality of segments, each of which may contain at least a portion of a corresponding material tray 400, thereby reducing the volume of the material changing mechanism and making the structure compact.

[0054] Reference Figure 3 As shown, the material guiding unit 200 can be located on the side of the bracket 100 away from the arc groove 110, that is, the material tray 400 can be arranged on the upper side of the bracket 100, and the material guiding unit 200 can be arranged on the lower side of the bracket 100, so that the structure is more compact.

[0055] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the surface of the bracket 100 facing the multiple material trays 400 is provided with at least one desiccant slot 130 for accommodating desiccant, and a top cover 140 is detachably mounted at the opening of each desiccant slot 130 , and a plurality of air holes 150 are provided on the top cover 140 .

[0056] In some embodiments, the desiccant groove 130 can be located at the bottom of the arc-shaped groove 110, and the top cover 140 can be an arc-shaped structure that adapts to the groove wall of the arc-shaped groove 110, that is, the top cover 140 can constitute part of the groove wall of the arc-shaped groove 110 and smoothly transition with other groove walls of the arc-shaped groove 110, so that the entire arc-shaped groove 110 can accommodate the corresponding material tray 400.

[0057] A plurality of air holes 150 may be arranged in an array on the top cover 140 so that the desiccant can absorb moisture from the surrounding environment and keep the surrounding environment dry, thereby providing a suitable working environment for the material exchange mechanism.

[0058] In addition, the desiccant slot 130 can be set according to the number of segments. For example, a desiccant slot 130 is set in each segment. For another example, multiple segments can share one desiccant slot 130. In this case, the size of the partition can be reduced so that the desiccant slot 130 can span multiple segments and can be set according to needs.

[0059] In some embodiments, the material replacement mechanism further includes a humidity sensor 500, which can be used to detect the humidity of the surrounding environment of the plurality of material trays 400. When the humidity exceeds a threshold suitable for operation, an alarm can be sounded to remind the user to replace the desiccant, or to stop working, etc. The humidity sensor 500 can be arranged in a variety of locations, for example, it can be installed in a circuit board on the back of the bracket 100.

[0060] In some embodiments, the material changing mechanism further includes an identification sensor 600, which can be used to identify the identification information of the material tray. The information identified by the identification sensor 600 can be information such as the length of the material line in the material tray 400, the color or material of the material line, etc. The identification information can be, for example, a barcode or a QR code set on the material tray. The identification sensor 600 can be used to scan the identification information and obtain information about the material tray 400 or the material line. The identification sensor 600 can be set on the bracket 100, for example, each material tray 400 can be correspondingly provided with an identification sensor 600. Alternatively, multiple material trays 400 can share one identification sensor 600.

[0061] In some embodiments, the material changing mechanism includes a circuit board that can be set between two adjacent material trays 400, and the identification sensor 600 can be set on the circuit board, so that the identification information of the two material trays 400 can be scanned at the same time.

[0062] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the material changing mechanism according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the material changing mechanism further includes: a bottom shell 700 and a cover body 800 matching the bottom shell 700, the bottom shell 700 and the cover body 800 jointly define a receiving space, the bracket 100, the material guiding unit 200 and the plurality of material changing units 300 are all received in the receiving space, and the cover body 800 can move relative to the bottom shell 700 to open or close the receiving space.

[0063] In this embodiment, the bottom shell 700 can be a box-type structure, the cover body 800 can be arranged at the opening of the bottom shell 700, the cover body 800 can be detachably connected to the bottom shell 700, or the cover body 800 can be rotatably connected to the bottom shell 700, so that the accommodating space can be opened or closed.

[0064] The bottom shell 700 and the cover 800 may be made of a variety of materials, such as plastic or metal. By providing the bottom shell 700 and the cover 800, the material changing mechanism can be transported and used as a whole, which is more conducive to maintaining the dryness of the accommodation space and facilitating the replacement of the material tray 400.

[0065] The disclosed embodiment also provides a 3D printing system, including: a 3D printer and a material changing mechanism of any of the above embodiments. The 3D printer can be a device capable of printing three-dimensional objects, and the structure and function of the material changing mechanism are the same as those of the above embodiments, and the above embodiments can be referred to for details.

[0066] The 3D printing system provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can automatically provide the required material lines for the 3D printer by arranging the material guide unit 200 and the material change unit 300 in the material change mechanism, so as to realize the printing of three-dimensional objects of multiple colors or multiple materials, and the excess material lines after the material is returned can be automatically wound onto the material tray 400, so as to keep the area around the material tray 400 tidy. At the same time, the support shaft assembly 310 can reduce the friction when the material tray rotates, so as to facilitate loading and unloading. Moreover, since the support shaft assembly 310 is supported on the rim 410 of the material tray 400, the material tray 400 can be installed on the material change mechanism only by gravity, without other complex installation structures. When the material line is consumed, the material tray 400 can be easily removed from the material change mechanism without disassembling other components, so as to facilitate replacement.

[0067] Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description should be considered illustrative and exemplary rather than restrictive; the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. By studying the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims, those skilled in the art will be able to understand and implement variations to the disclosed embodiments when practicing the claimed subject matter. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps that are not listed, the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and the term "plurality" means two or more. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0068] Description of reference numerals:

[0069] 100: bracket; 110: arc groove;

[0070] 120: separator; 130: desiccant tank;

[0071] 140: top cover; 150: vent hole;

[0072] 200: material guide unit; 210: sub-material guide pipe;

[0073] 220: material guide port; 240: multi-pass piece;

[0074] 300: material changing unit; 310: support shaft assembly;

[0075] 311: first support shaft group; 3111: first support shaft;

[0076] 3112: gear; 3113: connecting shaft;

[0077] 312: second support shaft group; 3121: second support shaft;

[0078] 320: loading and unloading mechanism; 321: channel;

[0079] 400: tray; 410: wheel rim;

[0080] 500: humidity sensor; 600: identification sensor;

[0081] 700: bottom shell; 800: cover body.

Claims

1. A 3D printing system, characterized in that: The 3D printing system comprises: 3D printers; a multi-channel piece having an outlet and a plurality of inlets communicating with the outlet, wherein the outlet is connected to the 3D printer; A plurality of material changing units, each of which comprises a support shaft assembly and a loading and unloading mechanism; wherein the support shaft assembly is in force-transmitting contact with a wheel rim of a corresponding material tray among the plurality of material trays; the loading and unloading mechanism is provided with a channel for passing a material line, and the material line is wound around the corresponding material tray; A plurality of sub-material guide tubes are located below the plurality of material trays, each sub-material guide tube is connected to an inlet of the multi-way piece, and each sub-material guide tube is engaged with a corresponding channel so that the material line of each material tray extends into a corresponding sub-material guide tube through the corresponding channel.

2. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support shaft assembly includes a first support shaft group and a second support shaft group, the first support shaft group and the second support shaft group are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the corresponding material tray, and the loading and unloading mechanism is arranged on a side of the first support shaft group away from the second support shaft group; One end of each sub-material guiding pipe away from the corresponding channel is connected to an inlet of the multi-channel member through the middle area of ​​the second supporting shaft group.

3. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of each sub-material guiding tube is engaged with the corresponding channel, and one end of each sub-material guiding tube away from the corresponding channel is connected to an inlet of the multi-channel piece.

4. The 3D printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A material line sensor is arranged inside the multi-pass piece.

5. The 3D printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: An auxiliary extrusion wheel is arranged inside the multi-pass piece.

6. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet of the manifold is coupled to a main feed pipe of the 3D printer.

7. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing system further includes an identification sensor and a circuit board arranged between two adjacent material trays, wherein the identification sensor is arranged on the circuit board.

8. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, wherein: The 3D printing system further comprises a bracket, and the support shaft assembly is rotatably connected to the bracket; The bracket is provided with an arc-shaped groove extending along a predetermined direction, and the predetermined direction is the arrangement direction of the multiple material trays.

9. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing system further comprises a bracket, and the support shaft assembly is rotatably connected to the bracket; At least one partition is arranged on the surface of the bracket facing the multiple material trays, and the at least one partition is arranged at intervals in the arrangement direction of the multiple material trays to divide the bracket into multiple sections, each section is used to at least partially accommodate a corresponding one of the multiple material trays.

10. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading and unloading mechanism is used to drive the material line wound on the corresponding material tray to be introduced into the multi-channel piece through a corresponding sub-material guide tube among the multiple sub-material guide tubes to perform a loading operation, and is used to drive the corresponding material tray to rotate so that the material line exiting from the multi-channel piece through the material guide unit is wound back onto the corresponding material tray to perform a unloading operation.

11. The 3D printing system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first rotation axis of the first support shaft group, the second rotation axis of the second support shaft group, and the rotation axis of the corresponding material tray are parallel to each other.

12. The 3D printing system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first support shaft group includes two first support shafts, which are arranged along a first rotation axis so that when the corresponding material tray is installed in the material changing mechanism, the circumferential surfaces of the two first support shafts are in contact with two wheel rims of the corresponding material tray respectively.

13. The 3D printing system according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: One end of the corresponding sub-material guide pipe engaged with the channel is arranged adjacent to a middle portion of the first support shaft group along the first rotation axis.

14. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the channel away from the corresponding sub-material guiding pipe is a trumpet-shaped opening.

15. The 3D printing system according to claim 8, characterized in that: At least one desiccant slot for accommodating desiccant is disposed on the surface of the bracket facing the plurality of material trays, a top cover is detachably mounted at the opening of each of the desiccant slots, and a plurality of air holes are disposed on the top cover.

16. The 3D printing system according to claim 15, characterized in that: At least one partition is arranged on the surface of the bracket facing the plurality of material trays, and the partition and the corresponding desiccant slot are respectively located on both sides of the bracket, wherein the partition is arranged on a side close to the corresponding loading and unloading mechanism.

17. The 3D printing system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The at least one partition is arranged at intervals in the arrangement direction of the plurality of trays to divide the support into a plurality of sections; In the arrangement direction of the plurality of material trays, the length of the opening of the desiccant slot exceeds the length of each segment.

18. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support shaft assembly includes at least one first support shaft, and a gear is disposed on the at least one first support shaft; The loading and unloading mechanism drives the gear to rotate and drives the at least one first supporting shaft to rotate.

19. The 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing system also includes a humidity sensor, which is installed in a circuit board on the back of the bracket.

Images