Three-dimensional printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of printing equipment, in particular to a three-dimensional printer. The three-dimensional printer comprises an ink jet head, a curing device, a printing platform and a protection assembly, the protection assembly is located between the ink jet head and the curing device, the ink jet head, the curing device and the protection assembly are movably arranged in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform and located above the printing platform, and the ink jet head is movably arranged in the height direction relative to the printing platform. The protection assembly comprises a protection part and is characterized in that when the ink jet head moves within a first height range in the height direction relative to the printing platform, the lower end face of the protection part makes contact with the printing platform. The protection assembly is located between the ink jet head and the curing device, and the lower end face of the protection part of the protection assembly makes contact with the printing platform, so that the situation that light rays emitted by the curing device directly irradiate or are reflected to the surface of a nozzle of the ink jet head by other objects can be reduced; therefore, reduction of printing precision can be avoided, and parts of the three-dimensional printer are prevented from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technical field of printing equipment particularly relates to a three-dimensional printer. Background Art

[0002] Existing three-dimensional inkjet printing equipment usually includes an inkjet head, a curing device and a printing platform. The inkjet head is used to spray ink onto the printing platform, and the curing device is used to cure the ink sprayed onto the platform to form a part of a three-dimensional object. The light emitted by the curing device may be reflected to the inkjet head via the printing platform or the printed three-dimensional object, so that the ink in the nozzle of the inkjet head is cured and clogged, resulting in reduced printing accuracy, or the ink attached to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head is cured, making the nozzle surface difficult to clean, which may cause the cured ink on the nozzle surface to collide with the printing platform or the three-dimensional object during the printing process, resulting in reduced printing accuracy or damage to components of the three-dimensional inkjet printing equipment.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a mechanism that can prevent the light emitted by the curing device from affecting the inkjet head. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, the present application provides a three-dimensional printer to prevent the light emitted by the curing device from affecting the inkjet head, thereby ensuring printing accuracy and avoiding damage to the components of the three-dimensional printer.

[0005] The three-dimensional printer provided in the present application includes an inkjet head, a curing device, a printing platform and a protective component, wherein the protective component is located between the inkjet head and the curing device, and the inkjet head, the curing device and the protective component are arranged to move in a horizontal direction relative to the printing platform and are located above the printing platform. The inkjet head is arranged to move in a height direction relative to the printing platform, and the protective component includes a protective part, characterized in that when the inkjet head moves within a first height range along the height direction relative to the printing platform, the lower end surface of the protective part contacts the printing platform.

[0006] In one possible implementation, when the inkjet head moves within a first height range along the height direction relative to the printing platform, the upper end surface of the protective portion is higher than the bottom surface of the curing device, or the upper end surface of the protective portion is flush with the bottom surface of the curing device.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the protection component further includes a sliding portion, the sliding portion is fixedly disposed relative to the curing device and / or the inkjet head, and the protection portion is slidably disposed relative to the sliding portion.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the protection assembly further includes a sliding element and a guiding element, wherein the sliding element is fixedly disposed at one of the protection part and the sliding part, the guiding element is fixedly disposed at the other of the protection part and the sliding part, and the sliding element is slidably disposed relative to the guiding element.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the protection portion further includes a mounting element and a contact element, the contact element is disposed on the mounting element, the protection component contacts the printing platform via the contact element, and the contact element is detachably connected to the mounting element.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the contact element includes a brush and / or a ball.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the brush is a nylon brush.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner, the mounting element is formed of nylon material.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the inkjet head, curing device and protective assembly are arranged to rotate in a horizontal direction relative to the printing platform, the printing platform includes a circular non-printing area and a printing area located outside the non-printing area, the inkjet head and the curing device are at least partially located above the printing area, and the protective assembly is located above the non-printing area.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the curing device is movably disposed along a height direction relative to the printing platform.

[0015] The three-dimensional printer provided by the present application includes an inkjet head, a curing device, a printing platform and a protective component, wherein the protective component is located between the inkjet head and the curing device, the inkjet head, the curing device and the protective component are arranged to move in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform and are located above the printing platform, the inkjet head is arranged to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform, and the protective component includes a protective part, characterized in that when the inkjet head moves in the first height range along the height direction relative to the printing platform, the lower end face of the protective part contacts the printing platform. By making the protective component located between the inkjet head and the curing device, and making the lower end face of the protective part of the protective component contact the printing platform, it is possible to reduce the light emitted by the curing device from being directly irradiated or reflected by other objects onto the nozzle surface of the inkjet head, thereby avoiding a reduction in printing accuracy and avoiding damage to the components of the three-dimensional printer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, a brief introduction will be given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a first viewing angle of a first state of a three-dimensional printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a 3D printer in a first state and a second viewing angle provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of a second state of a three-dimensional printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of a third state of a three-dimensional printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of another three-dimensional printer in a first state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of another 3D printer in a second state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the propagation of light emitted by the curing device when the inkjet head and the curing device are located at different heights relative to the printing platform in the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protection component in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sliding part in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an installation element in an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 100,200 - 3D printer;

[0029] 10- inkjet head;

[0030] 20-curing device;

[0031] 30-protection components;

[0032] 31- Protection Department;

[0033] 311-installation components;

[0034] 3111-opening;

[0035] 312- contact element;

[0036] 32- sliding part;

[0037] 33-guide rod;

[0038] 34-guide hole;

[0039] 40-printing platform;

[0040] 41-non-printing area;

[0041] 42-printing area;

[0042] 50-leveling device;

[0043] 61-First beam

[0044] 62-second beam;

[0045] 63-third crossbar;

[0046] O-three-dimensional object; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present application will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the drawings in the preferred embodiments of the present application. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar parts or parts with the same or similar functions. The described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application. The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0049] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are orientations or positional relationships based on the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0050] The terms "first", "second" and "third" (if any) in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0051] In addition, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or display comprising a series of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements explicitly listed, but may include other steps or elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product, or display.

[0052] In the prior art, the light emitted by the curing device of the 3D inkjet printing equipment will be reflected to the inkjet head through the printing platform, the printed 3D object or other components of the 3D printer, thereby causing the ink in the nozzle of the inkjet head to solidify and become clogged, or causing the ink attached to the nozzle surface of the inkjet head to solidify, thereby reducing the printing accuracy or damaging the components of the 3D printer.

[0053] After repeated thinking and verification, the inventors found that if a protective component in contact with the printing platform is set between the curing device and the inkjet head of the 3D printer, it can prevent the light emitted by the curing device from directly irradiating the inkjet head or reflecting to the inkjet head through the printing platform and other objects, thereby preventing the ink on the nozzle surface of the inkjet head from solidifying, avoiding the reduction of printing accuracy and preventing damage to the components of the 3D printer.

[0054] In view of this, the inventor has designed a three-dimensional printer, including an inkjet head, a curing device, a printing platform and a protective component, wherein the protective component is located between the inkjet head and the curing device, the inkjet head, the curing device and the protective component are arranged to move in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform and are located above the printing platform, the inkjet head is arranged to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform, and the protective component includes a protective part, when the inkjet head moves in the first height range in the height direction relative to the printing platform, the lower end face of the protective part contacts the printing platform. By making the lower end face of the protective part contact the printing platform, the light irradiated from the curing device to the inkjet head can be reduced as much as possible, thereby avoiding the reduction of printing accuracy and preventing damage to the parts of the three-dimensional printer.

[0055] The technical solution of the three-dimensional printing system provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a first viewing angle of a first state of a three-dimensional printer provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a 3D printer in a first state and a second viewing angle provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of a second state of a three-dimensional printer provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of a third state of a 3D printer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0057] First refer to Figure 1-Figure 4 The three-dimensional printer 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes an inkjet head 10, a curing device 20, a printing platform 40 and a protective component 30. The protective component 30 is located between the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20. The inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the protective component 30 are arranged to move in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform 40 and are located above the printing platform 40. The inkjet head 10 is arranged to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform 40. The protective component 30 includes a protective portion 31. When the inkjet head 10 moves in the first height range in the height direction relative to the printing platform 40, the lower end surface of the protective portion 31 contacts the printing platform 40. By making the lower end surface of the protective portion 31 contact the printing platform 40, when the inkjet head 10 moves in the first height range in the height direction relative to the printing platform 40, it is possible to prevent the light emitted by the curing device 20 from propagating from the bottom of the protective portion 31 to the inkjet head 10. In this embodiment, the height direction is the direction shown by Z in the figure, and the horizontal direction is the direction perpendicular to the height direction. In addition, the "height range" in this embodiment is described with the height of the printing platform 40 as 0.

[0058] The following combination Figure 1-Figure 4 The specific structure of the 3D printer 100 is introduced.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The three-dimensional printer 100 also includes a leveling device 50, wherein the inkjet head 10 is used to spray ink onto the printing platform 40, the leveling device 50 is used to level the ink sprayed onto the printing platform 40, and the curing device 20 is used to solidify the ink leveled by the leveling device 50 to form a layer of the three-dimensional object O.

[0060] Furthermore, if Figure 2As shown, the 3D printer 100 is a rotary 3D printer 100, wherein the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20, the leveling device 50 and the protective assembly 30 are arranged to rotate in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform 40, and the printing platform 40 includes a non-printing area 41 and a printing area 42 located outside the non-printing area 41, the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 are at least partially located above the printing area 42, and the protective assembly 30 is located above the non-printing area 41. The printing platform 40 can be of any shape. In the rotary 3D printer 100, in order to avoid the ineffective increase of the volume of the device, the printing platform 40 is preferably a circular printing platform 40. Correspondingly, the shape of the non-printing area 41 can also be of any shape, but in this embodiment, in order to maximize the printing area 42 and ensure the production efficiency of the 3D printer 100, the non-printing area 41 is preferably circular. For convenience, the following description is based on the example that the printing platform 40 is circular and the non-printing area 41 is also circular.

[0061] The inkjet head 10, the curing device 20, the leveling device 50 and the protective assembly 30 rotate in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform 40, which can be achieved by rotating the printing platform 40 or by rotating the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20, the leveling device 50 and the protective assembly 30. This application does not impose any specific restrictions on this. Since there are many connection lines between the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20, the leveling device 50 and the protective assembly 30, in order to avoid complicating the 3D printer 100, this embodiment is described by taking the rotation of the printing platform 40 as an example.

[0062] More specifically, the inkjet head 10, the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 are respectively arranged at least partially above the printing area 42 along the radial direction of the printing platform 40, and the inkjet head 10, the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the printing platform 40, which can be uniformly arranged or non-uniformly arranged. In this embodiment, the inkjet head 10, the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 are non-uniformly arranged along the circumference of the printing platform 40, specifically, as Figure 2 As shown, the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 are installed at 180 degrees, and the leveling device 50 is arranged between the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 and is installed at 90 degrees to the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 respectively. In other embodiments, the inkjet head 10, the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the printing platform 40. Specifically, the inkjet head 10 and the leveling device 50 are installed at 120 degrees, and the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 are also installed at 120 degrees. Correspondingly, the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10 are also installed at 120 degrees. It should be understood that when the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 are installed at 180 degrees, the relative range of the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 is the smallest, and the portion of the light emitted by the curing device 20 that can be transmitted to the inkjet head 10 is the smallest.

[0063] More specifically, the radial length of the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 along the printing platform 40 may be less than the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40, or may be greater than or equal to the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40. Specifically, when the radial length of the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 along the printing platform 40 is less than the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40, the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 may be arranged to move along the radial direction of the printing platform 40, that is, the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 may be moved along the radial direction of the printing platform 40 so that the inkjet head 10, the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 can cover the entire printing area 42. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the radial length of the inkjet head 10 of the 3D printer 100 along the printing platform 40 is less than the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40, while the radial length of the curing device 20 and the leveling device 50 along the printing platform 40 is greater than or equal to the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40. In some other embodiments, the radial length of the inkjet head 10 and the leveling device 50 of the 3D printer 100 along the printing platform 40 is less than the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40, while the radial length of the curing device 20 along the printing platform 40 is greater than or equal to the radial length of the printing area 42 along the printing platform 40. The specific configuration can be made according to actual needs, and the present application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0064] More specifically, the inkjet head 10 is arranged to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform 40, which can be achieved by moving the inkjet head 10 in the height direction and / or by moving the printing platform 40 in the height direction. For the convenience of explanation, in this embodiment, the height difference between the inkjet head 10 and the printing platform 40 is called the inkjet height difference, and the height difference between the curing device 20 and the printing platform 40 is called the curing height difference.

[0065] During the printing process, as the height of the three-dimensional object O gradually increases, the inkjet head 10 rises relative to the printing platform 40, and the inkjet height difference increases accordingly, so that layer printing can continue on the printed part of the three-dimensional object O. When the inkjet height difference increases accordingly, the curing height difference can increase accordingly or remain unchanged. Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a first viewing angle of another three-dimensional printer in a first state provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a first perspective structure of another 3D printer in a second state provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1-Figure 6 The curing height difference will be described.

[0066] Continue to refer to Figure 1-Figure 4 , when the curing height difference increases accordingly, that is, the curing device 20 is moved relative to the printing platform 40 in the height direction, at this time, the movement of the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10 relative to the printing platform 40 in the height direction can be achieved by the same lifting device or different lifting devices that are connected to each other, or by different lifting devices that are independent of each other. In order to simplify the structure and control of the equipment, this application takes the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10 as an example to be implemented by the same lifting device. Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the 3D printer 100 includes a lifting mechanism and a first beam 61, the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 are arranged on the first beam 61, and the first beam 61 is movably arranged on the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism can be a screw-nut lifting module, a guide rail-slider lifting module, or a linear motor lifting module, and the application does not impose specific restrictions on this. In other words, the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to rise and fall, so that the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 follow the first beam 61 to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform 40.

[0067] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 , when the curing height difference remains unchanged, that is, the curing device 20 is fixedly arranged relative to the printing platform 40 in the height direction, wherein the curing device 20 can be fixedly arranged at a position above the printable height of the three-dimensional printer 200, that is, as printing proceeds, the inkjet height difference increases, and the curing height difference remains unchanged, but the height difference between the curing device 20 and the upper surface of the three-dimensional object O decreases as the height of the three-dimensional object O increases. In this setting, in order to reduce the difference in the degree of curing at different heights of the three-dimensional object O to ensure the printing accuracy of the three-dimensional object O, the energy of the curing device 20 can be adjusted accordingly to reduce the difference in the degree of curing at different heights of the three-dimensional object O. More specifically, the corresponding adjustment of the energy of the curing device 20 can be achieved by adjusting the power of the curing device 20 and / or the type of light emitted by the curing device 20, and the application does not impose specific restrictions on this. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the 3D printer 200 includes a second beam 62, a third beam 63 and a lifting mechanism, the curing device 20 is arranged on the second beam 62, and the inkjet head 10 is arranged on the third beam 63, wherein the second beam 62 is fixedly arranged and the third beam 63 is movably arranged on the lifting mechanism.

[0068] Further, in order to improve the light shielding effect of the protective component 30, in this embodiment, when the inkjet head 10 moves within the first height range along the height direction relative to the printing platform 40, the upper end surface of the protective part 31 is higher than the bottom surface of the curing device 20, or the upper end surface of the protective part 31 is flush with the bottom surface of the curing device 20. In other words, when the inkjet head 10 moves within the first height range along the height direction relative to the printing platform 40, the light emitted by the curing device 20 cannot be transmitted from the top of the protective part 31 to the inkjet head 10, thereby further reducing the light irradiating the inkjet head 10.

[0069] Furthermore, in order to maximize the light-blocking effect of the protective component 30, in this embodiment, the width of the protective component 30 is equal to the diameter of the circular non-printing area 41. This arrangement can minimize the light transmitted from the curing device 20 to the inkjet head 10.

[0070] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the propagation of light emitted by the curing device 20 when the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 are located at different heights relative to the printing platform 40 in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 The first height range will be described.

[0071] The first height range is the printable height range of the 3D printer 100, or the first height range may be a part of the printable height range of the 3D printer 100, or the first height range may include a part outside the printable height range of the 3D printer. For example, the first height range may be 0-1 cm, 0-2 cm, 0-5 cm, 0-10 cm, 1-5 cm, 1-10 cm, 2-10 cm, etc., and may be set according to actual conditions.

[0072] More specifically, if Figure 7As shown, for the convenience of explanation, here, the printing platform 40 moves in the height direction relative to the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20, and the maximum printing height of the three-dimensional printer 100 is D. It can be understood that during the printing process, there is a jetting gap d between the inkjet head 10 and the printing surface, wherein the printing surface refers to the upper surface of the printing platform 40 or the part of the formed three-dimensional object O, and the size of d is related to the design parameters of the print head and the printing parameters such as printing speed and printing accuracy. When the three-dimensional object O with a height of D is printed at the maximum printing height, the inkjet height difference gradually increases from d to D+d to complete the printing. Among them, D1 is the inkjet height difference when the light emitted from the side of the curing device 20 close to the inkjet head 10 is reflected by the printing platform 40 to the end of the inkjet head 10 close to the curing device 20, D1' is the inkjet height difference when the light emitted from the side of the curing device 20 away from the inkjet head 10 is reflected by the printing platform 40 to the end of the inkjet head 10 close to the curing device 20, D2 is the inkjet height difference when the light emitted from the side of the curing device 20 close to the inkjet head 10 is reflected by the printing platform 40 to the end of the inkjet head 10 away from the curing device 20, D+d is the inkjet height difference when the 3D printer 100 prints to the maximum printing height D, D2' is the inkjet height difference when the light emitted from the side of the curing device 20 away from the inkjet head 10 is reflected by the printing platform 40 to the end of the inkjet head 10 away from the curing device 20, and D3 is the inkjet height difference when the 3D printer 100 moves to the standby position.

[0073] It should be understood that the sizes of D1, D2, D1' and D2' are related to the horizontal extension size of the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10, the installation position and the emission parameters of the curing device 20, so the height range between the minimum and maximum values ​​of D1, D2, D1' and D2' is the height range where the light emitted by the curing device 20 may be reflected from the printing platform 40 to the inkjet head 10. Figure 7 In the example shown, 0<D1<D2<D1'<D+d<D2'<D3, therefore, when the inkjet height difference is in the height range of D1~D2', the light emitted by the curing device 20 may be reflected to the inkjet head 10 through the printing platform 40. That is to say, when the inkjet head 10 moves in the height range of 0~D1 relative to the printing platform 40, the light emitted by the curing device 20 will not be reflected to the inkjet head 10 through the printing platform 40, when the inkjet head 10 moves in the height range of D1~D2' relative to the printing platform 40, the light emitted by the curing device 20 will be reflected to the inkjet head 10 through the printing platform 40, and when the inkjet head 10 moves in the height range of D2'~D3 relative to the printing platform 40, the light emitted by the curing device 20 will not be reflected to the inkjet head 10 through the printing platform 40.

[0074] in addition, Figure 7The lengths of the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 shown extending in the horizontal direction are both schematic illustrations of the positions of the inkjet head 10 and the curing device 20 during the printing process, that is, when the inkjet head 10 and / or the curing device 20 are fixed, the length of the inkjet head 10 and / or the curing device 20 extending in the horizontal direction is the actual length of the inkjet head 10 and / or the curing device 20; when the inkjet head 10 and / or the curing device 20 are movably arranged in the horizontal direction, the length of the inkjet head 10 and / or the curing device 20 extending in the horizontal direction is the total length of the area actually covered by the inkjet head 10 during the movement.

[0075] Combined with the above analysis, the first height range can be set to 0~D2', or D1~D2', or 0~D+d, or 0~D3, or any height range within the height range of 0~D2', and the present application does not impose any specific restrictions on this. Among them, the sizes of D1, D2, D1' and D2' are related to the horizontal extension size of the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10, the installation position and the emission parameters of the curing device 20, etc. Therefore, in actual use, the first height range can be calculated and set in combination with actual conditions and specific needs, as long as the light emitted by the curing device 20 can be reduced from propagating to the inkjet head 10. In addition, D3 can usually be set to a height that is convenient for removing the printed three-dimensional object O from the printing platform 40, and can be set specifically according to actual conditions, and the application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0076] It should be understood that when the first height range is set to D1-D2', the protection component 30 needs to be additionally provided with a driving mechanism for driving the protection part 31 to move up and down, so that when the inkjet height difference is less than D1 and the inkjet height difference is greater than D2, the protection part 31 is in a retracted state and separated from the printing platform 40, and when the inkjet height difference is between D1 and D2, the protection part 31 is in an extended state and in contact with the printing platform 40, so that the time of sliding contact between the protection component 30 and the printing platform 40 can be minimized, and the light emitted by the curing device 20 can be effectively prevented from propagating to the inkjet head 10. More specifically, the protection component 30 also includes a driving mechanism and a moving mechanism, the protection part 31 is arranged on the moving mechanism, the driving mechanism drives the protection part 31 to move on the moving mechanism to realize the lifting and lowering of the protection part 31 in the height direction, the driving mechanism can be a motor, and the moving mechanism can be a common screw transmission mechanism, a slide rail transmission mechanism, a belt transmission mechanism, a chain transmission mechanism, etc., and the application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0077] When the first height range is set to 0~D2', 0~D+d or 0~D3, the moving mechanism of the protective component 30 is set so that the protective part 31 can be against the printing platform 40 by the action of gravity, without the need to separately set up a driving mechanism for driving the protective part 31 to move up and down. The structure and control of the protective component 30 thus set are simpler.

[0078] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a protection component in an embodiment of the present application; Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sliding part in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mounting element in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8-Figure 10 The specific structure and working principle of the protection component which does not require an additional driving mechanism are introduced.

[0079] Specifically, refer to Figure 8-Figure 10 In this embodiment, the protection component 30 further includes a sliding portion 32, the sliding portion 32 is fixedly arranged relative to the curing device 20 and / or the inkjet head 10, and the protection portion 31 is slidably arranged relative to the sliding portion 32. More specifically, the protection component 30 further includes a sliding element and a guiding element, the sliding element is fixedly arranged in one of the protection portion 31 and the sliding portion 32, the guiding element is fixedly arranged in the other of the protection portion 31 and the sliding portion 32, and the sliding element is slidably arranged relative to the guiding element. In a specific embodiment, the sliding element is a slide rail, and the guiding element is a slider, or the sliding element is a slider and the guiding element is a slide rail, wherein the slider and the slide rail are slidably matched; in another specific embodiment, the sliding element is a guide hole 34, and the guiding element is a guide rod 33, or the sliding element is a guide rod 33, and the guiding element is a guide hole 34, wherein the guide hole 34 and the guide rod 33 are slidably matched.

[0080] More specifically, for example, the sliding element is fixedly disposed on the sliding portion 32 and the sliding element is the guide hole 34, and the guiding element is fixedly disposed on the protective portion 31 and the guiding element is the guide rod 33. Figure 8 and Fig. 9As shown, the sliding part 32 is a plate-like structure, and the sliding part 32 can be fixedly installed on the side of the curing device 20 close to the inkjet head 10 by fasteners such as screws, wherein a guide hole 34 extending in the height direction is opened on the sliding part 32, and the guide rod 33 is fixedly arranged on the protective part 31, and the guide rod 33 can be inserted into the guide hole 34 to achieve sliding fit. In order to facilitate installation, at least one end of the guide rod 33 can be selectively movably arranged relative to the protective part 31, so that the guide rod 33 can be inserted into the guide hole 34. Specifically, at least one end of the guide rod 33 is detachably fixed on the protective part 31. When it is necessary to insert the guide rod 33 into the guide hole 34, the end detachably fixed on the protective part 31 can be loosened from the protective part 31, and the guide rod 33 is inserted into the guide hole 34 on the sliding part 32 from the end, and then the end is locked to the protective part 31. In other embodiments, the sliding portion 32 may also be fixedly mounted on the frame, beams (first beam 61, second beam 62, third beam 63) or inkjet head 10 of the 3D printer 100, as long as the protective component 30 can be located between the curing device 20 and the inkjet head 10 and above the non-printing area 41.

[0081] Furthermore, the protective part 31 also includes a mounting element 311 and a contact element 312, wherein the contact element 312 is disposed on the mounting element 311, and the protective assembly 30 contacts the printing platform 40 through the contact element 312. Specifically, the contact element 312 is detachably connected to the mounting element 311. Among them, the contact element 312 is disposed on the mounting element 311, and specifically can be disposed on the side and / or bottom of the mounting element 311, and the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. Since the contact element 312 in contact with the printing platform 40 is in sliding contact with the printing platform 40 for a long time, its service life is much shorter than that of the mounting element 311. With such a configuration, the contact element 312 can be replaced separately when the contact element 312 reaches its service life, without replacing the protective assembly 30 as a whole, which is beneficial to reducing the use cost of the 3D printer 100. More specifically, the contact element 312 can be fastened to the mounting element 311 by means of fasteners such as screws. To facilitate installation and simplify the structure of the protection assembly 30, the movably disposed end of the guide rod 33 can also be fastened and disassembled by means of the fasteners used to fasten the contact element 312 to the mounting element 311. For example, Fig.10 As shown, an opening 3111 for installing the contact element 312 is provided at the bottom of the mounting element 311, and a movably disposed end portion of the guide rod 33 is inserted into the opening 3111. Therefore, when the contact element 312 is locked into the opening 3111 of the mounting element 311, the movably disposed end portion of the guide rod 33 can also be locked into the opening 3111. When the contact element 312 is removed from the opening 3111 of the mounting element 311, the movably disposed end portion of the guide rod 33 also becomes active.

[0082] More specifically, the total length of the mounting element 311 and the contact element 312 extending in the height direction is greater than or equal to the maximum height value in the first height range, so as to ensure that the inkjet head 10 can contact the printing platform 40 when moving in the first height range. The specific dimensions of the mounting element 311 and the contact element 312 can be arbitrarily set based on the first height range. In a specific embodiment, the length of the mounting element 311 extending in the height direction is greater than the length of the contact element 312 extending in the height direction. In another specific embodiment, the length of the mounting element 311 extending in the height direction is less than the length of the contact element 312 extending in the height direction.

[0083] Further, the contact element 312 is in sliding contact with the printing platform 40, so the contact element 312 and the printing platform 40 are prone to wear. In order to improve the service life of the contact element 312 and the printing platform 40, the contact element 312 can be a brush and / or a ball. Among them, the brush and the ball have good wear resistance, which can effectively extend the service life of the contact element 312, and the brush and the ball are not easy to cause damage to the printing platform 40, which is conducive to extending the service life of the printing platform 40. It should be understood that the bristles and the balls of the brush will inevitably have an installation gap when they are installed, and it is impossible to completely block the light in space. Therefore, when the contact component is a brush and / or a ball, the total length of the installation element 311 extending in the height direction is preferably greater than the total length of the contact element 312 extending in the height direction to ensure the light blocking effect of the protective component 30, and because the size of the contact element 312 with a shorter replacement cycle is set to be smaller, the use cost of the three-dimensional printing device can be further reduced. In other embodiments, when the mounting element 311 is formed of a material with a higher density such as metal, the contact element 312 can be set to a component such as a silicone sheet or a rubber sheet without an installation gap. At this time, the total length of the mounting element 311 extending in the height direction is set to be smaller than the total length of the contact element 312 extending in the height direction. This can reduce the overall weight of the protective assembly 30, thereby increasing the service life of the printing platform 40 and the contact element 312.

[0084] Furthermore, the brush can be natural hair, synthetic fiber, metal wire, etc. In order to keep the protection component 30 stable during operation, the brush is preferably made of a material with a certain strength and a lower hardness than the printing platform 40. The printing platform 40 is usually made of metal. Therefore, in this embodiment, the brush is preferably a nylon brush. The nylon brush has good wear resistance and a certain strength, and can stably support the protection part 31, thereby achieving a good light blocking effect. In addition, the hardness of the nylon brush is lower than that of the printing platform 40, so it is not easy to cause wear to the printing platform 40, which is conducive to improving the service life of the printing platform 40.

[0085] Furthermore, the mounting element 311 may be formed of any material having light-blocking properties, such as rubber, metal, nylon, etc. In this embodiment, in order to increase the service life of the contact element 312, the mounting element 311 is preferably formed of a nylon material, which has a relatively low density and a certain strength, thereby being able to reduce the pressure applied to the contact element 312 and ensure the stability of the structure of the protective component 30. This arrangement can increase the service life of the contact element 312 and achieve a better light-blocking effect.

[0086] The following combination Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Taking the first height range of 0 to D+d as an example, the specific working process of the 3D printer 100 is introduced:

[0087] 1.Reference Figure 4 , the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to move to the standby position D3 (D3>D+d), the protection part 31 of the protection assembly 30 is hung on the curing device 20 through the sliding part 32, and the protection part 31 of the protection assembly 30 is separated from the printing platform 40;

[0088] 2.Reference Figure 1 , the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to descend to move the inkjet head 10 from the standby position to an intermediate point H1 (0

[0089] 3. The printing platform 40 starts to rotate;

[0090] 4. During the rotation of the printing platform 40, the inkjet head 10 moves radially along the circular non-printing area 41 and sprays ink toward the printing area 42 of the printing platform 40. The ink sprayed onto the printing platform 40 passes through the leveling device 50 and the curing device 20 in sequence as the printing platform 40 rotates to achieve ink leveling and curing.

[0091] ​5. After one layer of printing is completed, the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to rise to move the inkjet head 10 to another middle point H2 (H1<H2<D+d) in the first height range, and the protection part 31 of the protection assembly 30 still keeps contact with the circular non-printing area 41 of the printing platform 40 from above the printing platform 40 and is fixed relative to the printing platform 40, and the sliding part 32 of the protection assembly 30 follows the rise of the curing device 20 and slides upward relative to the protection part 31;

[0092] 6.Reference Figure 3 , repeat the above steps 4 and 5 until the last layer of the three-dimensional object O is printed, the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to rise to move the inkjet head 10 to another middle point HN (H2<HN≤D+d) in the first height range, the protection part 31 of the protection assembly 30 still contacts the circular non-printing area 41 of the printing platform 40 from above the printing platform 40 and is fixed relative to the printing platform 40, and the sliding part 32 of the protection assembly 30 slides upward relative to the protection part 31 following the rise of the curing device 20;

[0093] 7.Reference Figure 4 After the last layer is printed, the lifting mechanism drives the first beam 61 to rise and return to the standby position D3 (D3>D+d) again. At this time, the protective part 31 of the protective assembly 30 follows the rise of the curing device 20 and separates from the printing platform 40 and is hung on the curing device 20 through the sliding part 32.

[0094] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printer, comprising an inkjet head, a curing device, a printing platform and a protective component, wherein the protective component is located between the inkjet head and the curing device, the inkjet head, the curing device and the protective component are arranged to move in the horizontal direction relative to the printing platform and are located above the printing platform, the inkjet head is arranged to move in the height direction relative to the printing platform, the protective component comprises a protective part, characterized in that: When the inkjet head moves relative to the printing platform along the height direction within a first height range, the lower end surface of the protection portion contacts the printing platform.

2. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the inkjet head moves relative to the printing platform along the height direction within the first height range, the upper end surface of the protective portion is higher than the bottom surface of the curing device, or the upper end surface of the protective portion is flush with the bottom surface of the curing device.

3. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protection component further comprises a sliding part, the sliding part is fixedly arranged relative to the curing device and / or the inkjet head, and the protection part is slidably arranged relative to the sliding part.

4. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The protection assembly further includes a sliding element and a guiding element. The sliding element is fixedly disposed on one of the protection part and the sliding part, the guiding element is fixedly disposed on the other of the protection part and the sliding part, and the sliding element is slidably disposed relative to the guiding element.

5. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protection part further includes a mounting element and a contact element. The contact element is arranged on the mounting element. The protection component contacts the printing platform through the contact element. The contact element is detachably connected to the mounting element.

6. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: The contact element comprises a brush and / or a ball.

7. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The brush is a nylon brush.

8. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mounting element is formed from a nylon material.

9. The three-dimensional printer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The inkjet head, curing device and protective assembly are arranged to rotate in a horizontal direction relative to the printing platform. The printing platform includes a circular non-printing area and a printing area located outside the non-printing area. The inkjet head and the curing device are at least partially located above the printing area, and the protective assembly is located above the non-printing area.

10. The three-dimensional printer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The curing device is arranged to move along the height direction relative to the printing platform.

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