A material conveying system

Abstract

A material conveying system includes a material storage bin, a feed assembly and a material receiving bin which are connected in sequence, wherein one end of the feed assembly is partially accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin, and the other end of the feed assembly is connected to the material receiving bin; the feed assembly accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin is provided with an openable and closable feed port, and materials enter the material receiving bin from the material storage bin through the feed port. The materials inside the material storage bin can be conveyed to the material receiving bin through the feed port of the feed assembly to meet the material needs of the printer. Since the feed port can be opened and closed, the amount of material entering the feed assembly from the material storage bin can be controlled to avoid too much material in the pipeline, causing blockage and poor flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing, and in particular to the field of viscous material transportation. Background Art

[0002] There are various types of raw materials for current 3D printers, among which sticky materials are a common type of printing material. For the transportation of sticky materials, one form of transportation is mechanical transportation, such as bucket elevators, belt conveyors, tube chain conveyors, etc. This type of conveying mechanism is relatively complex and large, and occupies a large volume. Usually, the maintenance requirements are also relatively high. If the maintenance is not in place, the probability of failure will increase. Another form of transportation is pneumatic conveying, which can be used normally for materials with good fluidity, but for materials with high viscosity and poor fluidity, since the amount of material is difficult to control during transportation, it is easy to cause blockage, material arching and other problems, resulting in a serious reduction in transportation efficiency or even failure to transport. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on this, the present invention aims to solve the problem that the above-mentioned viscous materials cannot be smoothly conveyed, and provides a material conveying system, which effectively controls the material supply amount and avoids material blockage by setting intermittent material supply.

[0004] A material conveying system comprises a material storage bin, a feed assembly and a material receiving bin which are connected in sequence, wherein one end of the feed assembly is partially accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin, and the other end of the feed assembly is connected to the material receiving bin; the feed assembly accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin is provided with an openable and closable feed port, and the material enters the material receiving bin from the material storage bin through the feed port.

[0005] The materials in the material storage bin can be transported to the material receiving bin through the feed port of the feed assembly to meet the material needs of the printer. Since the feed port can be opened and closed, the materials entering the feed assembly from the material storage bin can be controlled to avoid too much material in the pipeline, causing blockage and poor flow.

[0006] In one embodiment, the feed assembly includes a feed pipe, a movable pipe sleeved on the outside of the feed pipe, and a driving device, the driving device is drivingly connected to the movable pipe, the feed pipe is passed through and accommodated at the bottom of the material storage bin, the feed pipe is provided with a first opening on the tube wall accommodated inside the material storage bin, the first opening is away from the bottom of the material storage bin, the movable tube is provided with a second opening at a position matching the first opening, the first opening and the second opening cooperate to form the feed port, and the driving device drives the movable tube and the feed pipe to move relative to each other to realize the opening and closing of the feed port.

[0007] By arranging a feed pipe and a movable pipe on the feed assembly, the feed pipe and the movable pipe cooperate to open an opening, and the movable pipe is driven by a driving device to move relative to the feed pipe, so as to achieve alignment and misalignment of the two openings, thereby achieving the opening and closing of the feed bag. When feeding is required, the two openings are aligned; when feeding is not required, the two openings are misaligned. The operation is simple and easy to control.

[0008] In one embodiment, the driving device includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a driving member and a mounting frame, one end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the movable tube, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod, the other end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the mounting frame, and the driving member is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame and the output end is drivingly connected to the second connecting rod.

[0009] By setting a connecting rod transmission structure, the movable pipe is rotated relative to the feed pipe, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the feed port. This mechanical structure has stable transmission and a simple and reliable structure.

[0010] In one embodiment, the feed pipe is provided with baffles on the outer walls of both ends matching the movable pipe, so as to limit the axial movement of the movable pipe.

[0011] By arranging baffles at both ends of the feed pipe, the movable pipe can be prevented from deviating along the axial direction of the pipe when rotating, causing sealing failure or structural damage.

[0012] In one embodiment, a negative pressure component is further included, and the negative pressure component is connected to the material receiving bin. Negative pressure is provided by the negative pressure component to accelerate the conveying speed of the material.

[0013] By setting up a negative pressure component, the material conveying speed can be accelerated and the conveying efficiency and effect can be improved.

[0014] In one embodiment, the negative pressure assembly includes a negative pressure pump, an air tank and a safety valve, wherein the safety valve is disposed on the air tank, one end of the air tank is connected to the negative pressure pump, and the other end of the air tank is connected to the material storage bin.

[0015] Setting up an air storage tank can avoid frequent start and stop of the negative pressure pump and extend the life of the negative pressure pump. Setting up a safety valve on the air storage tank can automatically release the pressure when the working pressure exceeds the set value to avoid danger.

[0016] In one embodiment, the material receiving bin includes a bin body, a material inlet, a material outlet, an air outlet and a control valve, wherein the control valve is installed at the material inlet, the material inlet is connected to the feed assembly through a pipeline, and the air outlet is connected to the negative pressure assembly.

[0017] In one embodiment, a liquid level detection device and a filter element are provided on the silo body, wherein the liquid level detection device is used to detect the liquid level of the material in the silo body, and the filter element is used to separate the gas from the material.

[0018] In one embodiment, the feed pipe is further provided with an extension section, the extension section is away from the material receiving bin, a drying element is installed on the extension section and is in communication with the external air.

[0019] A drying component is provided at one end of the feed pipe so that the gas passing through the feed pipe will be dried by the drying element to prevent moisture from mixing into the material and affecting the material properties.

[0020] In one embodiment, an arched air cushion is provided at the bottom of the material storage bin.

[0021] By setting an arched air cushion at the bottom of the material storage bin, the sliding of the side wall material can be accelerated and the material adhesion can be reduced.

[0022] The present invention realizes intermittent material supply by arranging a feed component with an openable and closable feed port at the bottom of the material storage bin, effectively improving the material control amount and avoiding material blockage and arching. By arranging a negative pressure component, the material conveying speed and effect are accelerated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Attached Figure 1 Schematic diagram of material conveying system;

[0024] Attached Figure 2 Overall schematic diagram of the feeding assembly;

[0025] Attached Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the driving device structure;

[0026] Attached Figure 4 Schematic diagram of negative pressure assembly;

[0027] Attached Figure 5 Schematic diagram of material receiving warehouse;

[0028] in:

[0029] 100-Material storage warehouse;

[0030] 200-feeding assembly, 210-feeding port, 220-feeding pipe, 230-movable pipe, 240-driving device, 221-baffle, 231-ear plate, 241-first connecting rod, 242-second connecting rod, 243-cylinder;

[0031] 300-Material conveying pipe,

[0032] 400-material receiving bin, 401-bin body, 402-material inlet, 403-material outlet, 404-air inlet, 405-liquid level detection, 406-filter element;

[0033] 500-negative pressure component, 501-negative pressure pump, 502-gas storage tank, 503-safety valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, a plurality of embodiments will be given below to describe the present invention in more comprehensive manner. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present invention more thoroughly and comprehensively understood.

[0035] The materials mentioned in the claims and the specification herein include but are not limited to powders and liquids. The bottom referred to herein is close to the bottom. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0036] In one embodiment, the present application provides a material conveying system, comprising a material storage bin, a feed assembly and a material receiving bin connected in sequence, wherein one end of the feed assembly is partially accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin, and the other end of the feed assembly is connected to the material receiving bin; the feed assembly accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin is provided with an openable and closable feed port, and the material enters the material receiving bin from the material storage bin through the feed port.

[0037] The materials in the material storage bin can be transported to the material receiving bin through the feed port of the feed assembly to meet the material needs of the printer. Since the feed port can be opened and closed, the materials entering the feed assembly from the material storage bin can be controlled to avoid too much material in the pipeline, causing blockage and poor flow.

[0038] The viscous material conveying system is described below in conjunction with a specific embodiment to further understand the concept of the viscous material conveying system. Figure 1 A viscous material conveying system includes a material storage bin 100, a feed assembly 200 and a material receiving bin 400 which are connected in sequence, and the feed assembly and the material receiving bin are connected through a material conveying pipe 300. Specifically, the material storage bin is designed as a structure with a large top and a small bottom. The upper part can be square or round, and the lower part is set as an inclined surface or a conical surface to facilitate the descent and shedding of materials. One end of the feed assembly 200 is passed through the lower part of the material storage bin and connected to the material storage bin, so that part of the feed assembly is accommodated in the material storage bin, and the other end of the feed assembly is connected to the material receiving bin through a pipe 300. The feed assembly accommodated at the bottom of the material storage bin is provided with a feed port 210, and the feed port can be opened and closed. The material in the material storage bin can be conveyed to the material receiving bin through the material conveying pipe 300 after passing through the opened feed port.

[0039] It should be noted that the opening and closing of the feed port can be automatic or manual, such as setting a linear push-pull baffle along the conveying direction of the feed component or setting a rotating baffle along the axial direction of the feed component, and the feed port can be opened and closed through the cooperation of the baffle and the feed port. The material receiving bin can be set below the material storage bin, and the material is conveyed by gravity flow. Intermittent conveying and supply of materials can be achieved by opening or closing the feed port to avoid blockage caused by large amounts of material congestion.

[0040] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 1 and 2 , the feed assembly includes a feed pipe 220, a movable pipe 230 sleeved on the outside of the feed pipe, and a driving device 240. The feed pipe 220 is arranged at the bottom of the material storage bin, and the driving device is connected to the movable pipe. Specifically, an opening matching the size of the feed pipe can be provided below the material storage bin, the feed pipe is embedded in the material storage bin, and the movable pipe is sleeved on the outer wall of the feed pipe. The feed pipe embedded in the material storage bin is provided with a first opening, and the first opening is directed toward the top of the material storage bin (away from the bottom of the material storage bin). The movable pipe 230 is provided with a second opening at a position matching the first opening. It should be noted that the length of the first opening and the second opening in the circumferential direction of the circular tube is less than half of the circumference of the circular tube, and the length of the first opening and the second opening in the axial direction of the circular tube is less than its size in the material storage bin. The first opening cooperates with the second opening to form a feed port, and the driving member drives the movable pipe to rotate, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the feed port.

[0041] In one embodiment, the feed assembly includes a feed pipe 220, a movable pipe 230 sleeved on the outside of the feed pipe, and a drive device 240. The feed pipe 220 is arranged at the bottom of the material storage bin, and the drive device is connected to the movable pipe. Specifically, an opening matching the size of the feed pipe can be provided below the material storage bin, the feed pipe is embedded in the material storage bin, and the movable pipe is sleeved on the outer wall of the feed pipe. The feed pipe embedded in the material storage bin is provided with a first opening, and the first opening is facing the top of the material storage bin (away from the bottom of the material storage bin). The movable pipe 230 is provided with a second opening at a position matching the first opening. It should be noted that the length dimension of the second opening in the circumferential direction of the circular tube is not less than the dimension of the first opening along the circumferential direction of the circular tube, the dimension of the movable pipe not opened in the axial direction is not less than the dimension of the first opening (to ensure that the movable pipe can completely cover the first opening), and the length of the first opening and the second opening in the axial direction of the circular tube is less than its dimension in the material storage bin. The first opening cooperates with the second opening to form a feed port, and the driving member drives the movable tube to move in the axial direction of the feed tube, thereby realizing relative linear movement between the movable tube and the feed tube, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the feed port.

[0042] It should be noted that in the above two embodiments, the movable tube can be made into a cylindrical tube completely sleeved on the feed tube, or it can be made into a semicircular tube partially overlapped on the feed tube, as long as the above structural requirements are met. The embodiment of the present application is described according to the cylindrical tube structure. The movable tube and the feed tube can be sealed with the material storage bin by setting a seal, such as a lip seal ring, to prevent material leakage. The mechanism here belongs to conventional technical means and is not described in detail.

[0043] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3 The driving device 240 includes a first connecting rod 241, a second connecting rod 242, a cylinder 243 and a mounting frame. The driving device is arranged outside the material storage bin. For the convenience of connection, an ear plate 231 is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the movable tube 230. One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the end of the ear plate 231 on the movable tube, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod. The other end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the mounting frame. The cylinder is installed on the mounting frame and its output end is fixedly connected to the middle of the second connecting rod. Through the extension and contraction of the cylinder, the second connecting rod is driven to drive the first connecting rod to swing, and then the movable tube is driven to rotate to realize the opening and closing of the feed port.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the feed pipe 220 is provided with baffles 221 on the outer walls of both ends of the matching movable pipe 230, and the outer edge of the baffle is higher than the outer wall of the movable pipe, so that the movable pipe can avoid axial movement during rotation.

[0045] In one embodiment, the driving device comprises two first connecting rods, a second connecting rod, a cylinder and a mounting frame. The driving device is arranged outside the material storage bin, one end of the two first connecting rods is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the movable tube, the other end of the two first connecting rods is fixedly connected to the two ends of the second connecting rod, the cylinder is fixed on the mounting frame and the output end is fixed to the middle of the second connecting rod, and the first connecting rod is driven by the cylinder to drive the movable rod to move linearly through the telescopic movement to realize the opening and closing of the feed port.

[0046] In one embodiment, in order to improve the material conveying efficiency, the conveying system further includes a negative pressure component 500. Specifically, the negative pressure component is connected to the material receiving bin 400, and the negative pressure component provides negative pressure to accelerate the conveying speed of the material from the feeding component to the material receiving bin.

[0047] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 4The negative pressure assembly includes a negative pressure pump 501, an air tank 502 and a safety valve 503. The safety valve is arranged on the air tank. One end of the air tank is connected to the negative pressure pump through a hose, and the other end is connected to the material storage bin through a flexible pipeline. The set air tank can store a certain amount of gas to avoid frequent start and stop of the negative pressure pump and extend the life of the negative pressure pump; and when the negative pressure pump fails, the air tank can work normally to avoid downtime. A safety valve is arranged on the air tank, and when the working pressure exceeds the set value, the pressure can be automatically released to reduce danger and safety issues.

[0048] In one embodiment, the material receiving bin 400 includes a bin body 401, a material inlet 402, a material outlet 403, an air outlet 404 and a control valve. The material inlet is connected to the feed pipe in the feed assembly through a pipeline, and the control valve is installed at the material inlet 402 for controlling the feed. The air outlet 404 is connected to the air storage tank in the negative pressure assembly. In this way, by starting the negative pressure pump, negative pressure can be formed in the air storage tank, the bin body 401 and the feed.

[0049] In one embodiment, a liquid level detection device 405 and a filter element 406 are provided on the silo 401. The liquid level detection device is used to detect the liquid level of the material in the silo. When the material liquid level exceeds the set high liquid level and low liquid level, a liquid level alarm is issued. The filter element 406 is installed on the upper part of the silo, close to the gas outlet 404 and higher than the material inlet. When feeding under negative pressure, it is used to filter the material mixed in the gas to ensure the purity of the gas and improve the working environment of the negative pressure pump.

[0050] When the negative pressure pump is turned on, the suction of the negative pressure pump will generate negative pressure in the gas storage tank, material receiving bin and feed assembly / feed pipe in turn. At this time, the cylinder drives the movable pipe to move, so that the feed port is opened, and the material in the material storage bin passes through the feed pipe and the connecting pipeline along the negative pressure suction direction and enters the material receiving bin. The material receiving bin opens the material outlet in time for supply according to actual demand. The feed port of this design can be opened intermittently according to actual use, effectively controlling the amount of material entering, avoiding blockage in the material pipeline, and affecting the conveying efficiency; through the support of negative pressure suction, the material conveying efficiency is higher.

[0051] In one of the embodiments, in order to ensure the dryness and quality of the material, the feed pipe is further provided with an extension section at one end away from the material receiving bin, and a drying element 221 is installed on the extension section. The drying element is connected to the external air, and the air entering from the outside is first dried by the drying element before entering the feed assembly, which can prevent moisture from entering the material and affecting the material performance.

[0052] In one embodiment, an arched air cushion is provided at the bottom of the material storage bin. Specifically, the arched air cushion can be provided on the conical side wall at the bottom of the material storage bin, and the air cushion is connected to the outside air through the side wall, and the material attached to the air cushion can be accelerated to fall off by blowing with the air pressure.

[0053] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0054] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A material conveying system, characterized in that: It includes a material storage bin, a feed component and a material receiving bin which are connected in sequence, one end of the feed component is partially accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin, and the other end of the feed component is connected to the material receiving bin; the feed component accommodated in the bottom of the material storage bin is provided with an openable and closable feed port, and the material enters the material receiving bin from the material storage bin through the feed port.

2. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding assembly includes a feeding pipe, a movable pipe sleeved on the outside of the feeding pipe and a driving device, the driving device is drivingly connected to the movable pipe, the feeding pipe is passed through and accommodated at the bottom of the material storage bin, the feeding pipe is provided with a first opening on the tube wall accommodated inside the material storage bin, the first opening is away from the bottom of the material storage bin, the movable pipe is provided with a second opening at a position matching the first opening, the first opening and the second opening cooperate to form the feeding port, and the driving device drives the movable pipe and the feeding pipe to move relative to each other to realize the opening and closing of the feeding port.

3. The material conveying system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving device includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a driving member and a mounting frame. One end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the movable tube, and the other end is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod. The other end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the mounting frame. The driving member is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame and the output end is drivingly connected to the second connecting rod.

4. The material conveying system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The feed pipe is provided with baffles on the outer walls of both ends matching the movable pipe, so as to limit the axial movement of the movable pipe.

5. The material conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a negative pressure component, which is connected to the material receiving bin and provides negative pressure to speed up the material conveying speed.

6. The material conveying system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The negative pressure assembly includes a negative pressure pump, an air storage tank and a safety valve. The safety valve is arranged on the air storage tank. One end of the air storage tank is connected to the negative pressure pump, and the other end of the air storage tank is connected to the material storage bin.

7. The material conveying system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material receiving bin includes a bin body, a material inlet, a material outlet, an air outlet and a control valve. The control valve is installed at the material inlet. The material inlet is connected to the feed component through a pipeline, and the air outlet is connected to the negative pressure component.

8. The material conveying system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bin body is provided with a liquid level detection device and a filter element. The liquid level detection device is used to detect the liquid level of the material in the bin body, and the filter element is used to filter the material in the gas.

9. The material conveying system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The feed pipe is also provided with an extension section, the extension section is far away from the material receiving bin, and a drying element is provided on the extension section, and the drying element is connected to the external air.

10. The material conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An arched air cushion is provided at the bottom of the material storage bin.

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