3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor

Abstract

The utility model discloses a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor. The 3D printing detection device comprises a shell, the optical flow sensor, a follow-up structure and a pressure applying structure, the follow-up structure is rotationally connected with the shell along the axis of the follow-up structure. The follow-up structure is arranged in the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor, and at least part of the follow-up structure is within the illumination range of the optical flow sensor; the pressure applying structure comprises a pressure head; a material wire channel allowing 3D printing material wires to pass through is formed between the follow-up structure and the pressing head. The pressing head is used for pressing the material wires against the follow-up structure; and the material wire can drive the follow-up structure to rotate around the axis of the follow-up structure when moving. According to the device, the abnormity of the material wires in the 3D printing process can be recognized, the consumption of consumables can be estimated, and the whole device is simple and reliable in structure, low in cost, small in size and convenient to install and use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor. Background Art

[0002] The current FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printer heats the plastic wire to melt it, and the molten plastic is deposited layer by layer on the printing platform through the printer nozzle to form the required 3D model. When the model to be printed is large and the printing time is long, the user cannot continue to pay attention to the operation of the printer. The plastic wire may break, get entangled, or run out of wire during use, causing the printer nozzle to run idle and unable to print normally. At this time, it is necessary to pause the entire printing process in time, replenish the wire, and continue printing. Otherwise, it will be discovered that the wire is abnormal midway until the end of the process, which will result in a large waste of materials and time. In addition, during the printing process, if the amount of wire used can be estimated in real time, the overall amount of wire used can be better grasped and the success rate of printing can be improved.

[0003] The sensors used in the existing broken material detection scheme include photoelectric sensors, touch switches, Hall sensors, etc. The photoelectric sensor requires a larger circular grating. During the feeding process, the movement of the wire drives the grating, and the photoelectric sensor detects the movement of the grating to determine whether there are consumables passing. The principle of the touch switch is that when the wire exists, the touch switch is closed, indicating that the wire passes normally. After the wire breaks, the touch switch opens, and the circuit is disconnected and an alarm is triggered. The principle of the Hall sensor is similar. When the wire exists, the magnet moves to a specific position, and the Hall sensor detects the position of the magnet, indicating that the wire is normal. When the wire breaks, the magnet moves to another position, and the Hall sensor detects the position of the magnet and reports an abnormality. However, the photoelectric sensor is large in size, has more components, and has a relatively complex structure. Although the touch switch solution is simple, poor contact may occur over time. Neither the touch switch nor the Hall sensor can be used to estimate the wire usage in real time.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background technology section of this application is intended to deepen the understanding of the general background technology of this application, and should not be regarded as an admission or suggestion in any form that the information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] To this end, the purpose of this application is to provide a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor to solve the problems of large size, complex structure, poor contact after long-term use, and inability to estimate consumables usage in real time in the existing 3D printing process.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor, which comprises: a housing and an optical flow sensor, a follower structure and a pressure structure arranged in the housing;

[0007] The follower structure is rotatably connected to the housing along its own axis; the follower structure is arranged in the light path direction of the optical flow sensor, and at least a part of the follower structure is within the illumination range of the optical flow sensor;

[0008] The pressure structure includes a pressure head; a filament channel for 3D printing filament to pass through is formed between the follower structure and the pressure head;

[0009] The pressing head is used to press the material wire against the follower structure; when the material wire moves, it can drive the follower structure to rotate around its own axis.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the follower structure includes a rotating shaft and a metal annular body, the metal annular body is sleeved and fixed on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably disposed on the housing.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the optical flow sensor is arranged along the peripheral direction of the follower structure around its own axis, and the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the optical flow sensor is arranged along the axial direction of the follower structure, and the end surface of the follower structure along its own axial direction faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure-applying structure further includes an elastic structure, and the elastic structure is respectively connected to the housing and the pressure head.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the elastic structure is a spring, one end of the spring is connected to the housing, the other end of the spring is connected to a two-section joint connecting rod, and the two-section joint connecting rod is also connected to the pressure head.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the elastic structure is a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the housing, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the pressure head.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure head is in the shape of a wheel.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, a mounting joint is provided on the outer surface of the housing, and the mounting joint is used to connect to an external device.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the mounting joint includes two pneumatic joints; the two pneumatic joints are arranged in the extension direction of the wire channel and are respectively located on two opposite sides of the outer shell; the wire can pass through a corresponding one of the pneumatic joints from one side of the outer shell into the outer shell, and further pass through the wire channel and then pass out of the outer shell to enter a pneumatic joint on the other side of the outer shell.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, the optical flow sensor-based 3D printing detection device further includes: a monitoring unit communicatively connected to the optical flow sensor.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The present application provides a follower structure and a pressure structure through which 3D printing filaments (i.e., consumables) can pass. The filaments are pressed against the follower structure by the pressure structure to ensure that the filaments can drive the follower structure to rotate when they move, thereby tracking the state of the filaments through the follower structure. During this process, the movement of the follower structure can be detected and counted in real time by an optical flow sensor, and then, based on the output of the optical flow sensor, it can be determined whether abnormalities such as material breakage, material blockage, or entanglement occur, thereby pausing the printing process in time according to these abnormalities, improving printing efficiency, and reducing waste of consumables.

[0022] In addition, the present application can also estimate the amount of filament used according to the output of the optical flow sensor, so that the amount of overall consumables can be better understood and the success rate of printing can be improved. In addition, the present application can integrate the entire detection device into a module component through the shell, and the structure of the entire detection device is simple and reliable, low cost, small size, and easy to install and use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are provided for a better understanding of the present application and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the present application.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor in Example 1 of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side structure of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor in Example 2 of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3A schematic diagram of the side structure of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor in Example 3 of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A side view structural diagram of a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor.

[0030] in, Figure 1-Figure 6 In the figure: 1-housing; 2-optical flow sensor; 3-follow-up structure; 31-rotating shaft; 32-metal ring; 4-pressure structure; 41-pressure head; 42-elastic structure; 43-two-stage joint connecting rod; 44-torsion spring; 5-mounting joint; 51-pneumatic joint; A1-moving direction of the wire; A2-rotating direction of the follow-up structure; A3-swinging direction of the two-stage joint connecting rod; 10-wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. A person of ordinary skill in the art may make various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0032] As used in this application, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" include plural objects, the term "or" is usually used to include the meaning of "and / or", and the term "multiple" is usually used to include the meaning of "two or more". In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of the features. In addition, as used in this application, an element is arranged on another element, which usually only indicates that there is a connection, coupling, matching or transmission relationship between the two elements, and the connection, coupling, matching or transmission between the two elements can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the spatial position relationship between the two elements, that is, an element can be in any position such as inside, outside, above, below or one side of another element, unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to 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.

[0034] The purpose of the present application is to provide a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor to solve the problems of large volume, complex structure, poor contact after long-term use, and inability to estimate the amount of consumables in real time in the existing 3D printing detection structure.

[0035] As can be understood by those skilled in the art, an optical flow sensor is a device that can measure the movement of an object relative to the surrounding environment. It can identify a moving object and detect the moving distance, direction and speed of the object. In short, an optical flow sensor can accurately capture the motion information of an object. Since the structure and working principle of an optical flow sensor are contents that those skilled in the art should know, this application will not describe them in detail.

[0036] The present application applies optical flow sensors to 3D printing material detection, which can not only identify abnormalities of filaments during 3D printing, but also estimate the amount of consumables in real time. In addition, due to the small size, simple and reliable structure, low cost, and reliable contact in long-term use of optical flow sensors, the present application can be simple and reliable in structure, low in cost, small in size, and easy to install and use. The following is a description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Embodiment 1

[0038] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the first embodiment of the present application, a 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor is provided, which includes: a housing 1 and an optical flow sensor 2, a follower structure 3 and a pressure structure 4 arranged in the housing 1.

[0039] The follower structure 3 is rotatably connected to the housing 1 along its own axis. The optical flow sensor 2 does not contact the follower structure 3. The follower structure 3 should be arranged in the optical path direction (including the light emitting direction and the light reflecting direction) of the optical flow sensor 2, and at least part of the follower structure 3 is located within the illumination range of the optical flow sensor 2.

[0040] The optical flow sensor 2 can emit and receive light, so that when the follower structure 3 is driven by the 3D printing filament 10 to rotate, the optical flow sensor 2 can always detect the movement of the follower structure 3, including the rotation direction, distance, speed, etc. Specifically, the optical flow sensor 2 is used to receive the light reflected by the follower structure 3, and to perform imaging based on the reflected light, and finally obtain the movement information of the follower structure 3 based on the imaging data, so as to realize material detection.

[0041] The pressure structure 4 and the follower structure 3 are arranged on both sides of the wire 10, so that the wire 10 can pass between the pressure head 41 of the pressure structure 4 and the follower structure 3. Specifically, the pressure structure 4 includes the pressure head 41, and a wire channel (not marked) for the wire 10 to pass through is formed between the follower structure 3 and the pressure head 41. The size of the wire channel can be fixed or variable. Preferably, the size of the wire channel can be varied to be suitable for wires 10 of various sizes, thereby increasing the flexibility of the detection device.

[0042] Furthermore, the pressing head 41 is used to press the wire 10 against the follower structure 3, so that the wire 10 can drive the follower structure 3 to rotate around its own axis when it moves.

[0043] by Figure 1 For example, when there is a wire 10 between the pressure head 41 and the follower structure 3, and the wire 10 moves in the direction of arrow A1, it can drive the follower structure 3 on one side to rotate in the direction of arrow A2. During this process, the optical flow sensor 2 can identify the movement of the follower structure 3, and identify the distance when the follower structure 3 rotates according to the change of the light reflected back from the surface when the follower structure 3 rotates, and accumulate the count. When the follower structure 3 is stationary or the distance is very small, the optical flow sensor 2 outputs 0 and no longer accumulates the count. It can be understood that the optical flow sensor 2 counts according to the movement distance of the follower structure 3, and the count value is proportional to the movement distance.

[0044] In more detail, during normal feeding, the material wire 10 will be constantly moving between the pressure head 41 and the follower structure 3, and the material wire 10 will continuously drive the follower structure 3 to rotate, and the output value of the optical flow sensor 2 will be continuously accumulated, and the output is normal; when there are abnormalities such as material breakage, material blockage or entanglement, there will be no material wire 10 between the pressure head 41 and the follower structure 3 or the material wire 10 will not be able to continue to move, and the follower structure 3 will no longer rotate. At this time, the follower structure 3 remains relatively still relative to the optical flow sensor 2, and the optical flow sensor 2 stops outputting data (that is, the output is 0). In this way, it is possible to determine whether the material is abnormal based on the output data of the optical flow sensor 2.

[0045] In practice, to ensure the accuracy of the results, before use, the wire 10 can be manually or automatically pulled at a constant speed for a fixed distance to calibrate the accumulated reading of the optical flow sensor 2 to ensure the accuracy of its use.

[0046] In this way, the present application can track the state of the filament 10 through the follower structure 3, and at the same time can detect the movement of the follower structure 3 in real time online through the optical flow sensor 2, and then according to the movement of the follower structure 3, it can be judged whether the filament 10 is abnormal. Since the optical flow sensor 2 can identify the movement distance of the follower structure 3, the usage of the filament 10 can be estimated according to the movement distance of the follower structure 3.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, the optical flow sensor-based 3D printing detection device may further include a monitoring unit that is communicatively connected to the optical flow sensor 2. The monitoring unit may be disposed inside the housing 1 or outside the housing 1. Preferably, the monitoring unit is integrated with the 3D printing device, for example, directly using the control system of the 3D printing device.

[0048] The monitoring unit can determine whether the wire 10 is abnormal based on the output of the optical flow sensor 2; if the wire 10 is abnormal, the alarm device is notified to issue an alarm. Specifically, when the output data of the optical flow sensor 2 obtained by the monitoring unit is 0, the alarm device issues an alarm.

[0049] The monitoring unit can also estimate the usage of the filament 10 according to the output of the optical flow sensor 2, so as to better understand the usage of the consumables and improve the success rate of printing.

[0050] The monitoring unit may adopt any existing host, computer, control system, control device and other equipment. Those skilled in the art may know how to select the monitoring unit based on the disclosure of this application document and the common knowledge in the field.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, the follower structure 3 includes a rotating shaft 31 and a metal annular body 32; the metal annular body 32 is sleeved and fixed on the rotating shaft 31, and the rotating shaft 31 is rotatably arranged on the housing 1. In this way, the metal annular body 32 is in direct contact with the wire 10. The metal annular body 32 is generally a circular structure. Here, the metal annular body 32 is made of metal material, which can make the detection effect of the optical flow sensor 1 better. The follower structure 3 can be an integrally formed structure or a split-formed structure. Optionally, the follower structure 3 is a metal bearing.

[0052] Key References Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the optical flow sensor 2 is arranged along the peripheral direction of the follower structure 3 around its own axis, so that the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure 3 directly faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor 2. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure 3 around its own axis serves as a reflection surface, and the optical flow sensor 2 is arranged in the peripheral direction of the follower structure 3, which can directly emit a light beam toward the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure 3 and receive the light reflected back by the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure 3.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, in order to reduce the wear on the wire 10 and to be able to adjust the size of the wire channel, the pressure structure 4 also includes an elastic structure, which is respectively connected to the shell 1 and the pressure head 41.

[0054] In this embodiment, the elastic structure is a spring 42; one end of the spring 42 is connected to the housing 1, and the other end of the spring 42 is connected to a two-stage joint connecting rod 43, which has one degree of rotational freedom (see Figure 1 The two-stage joint connecting rod 43 is also connected to the pressure head 41. Under the action of the two-stage joint connecting rod 43, the pressure head 41 can maintain the stability of its position and will not move in a large range. At the same time, the spring 42 can provide elastic force in the moving direction perpendicular to the material wire 10, which not only reduces the damage to the material wire 10, but also can change the relative distance between the follower structure 3 and the pressure head 41.

[0055] However, in some other embodiments of the present application, the elastic structure may not be provided, and the filament 10 may be pressed against the follower structure 3 by the pressing head 41. In addition, the pressing head 41 may be connected to the housing 1 by various means, not limited to the two-section joint connecting rod 43 shown in the figure.

[0056] The pressing head 41 may have various shapes, such as strip, block, column, disk, etc. In this embodiment, the pressing head 41 is in the shape of a wheel, which is beneficial to reduce the wear on the wire 10. Specifically, a roller may be used as the pressing head 41.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, a mounting joint 5 may be provided on the outer surface of the housing 1, and the mounting joint 5 is used to connect with an external device. Optionally, the external device is a tube, so that the filament 10 can be transported through the tube. Optionally, the tube is a Teflon tube.

[0058] In this embodiment, the mounting joint 5 includes two pneumatic joints 51 ; the two pneumatic joints 51 are arranged in the extension direction of the wire channel and are respectively located at two opposite sides of the housing 1 .

[0059] In addition, the filament 10 can enter the housing 1 from one side of the housing 1 through a corresponding pneumatic joint 51, and further pass through the filament channel and then pass out of the housing 1 to enter a pneumatic joint 51 on the other side of the housing 1. In this way, the detection device of the present application can be installed in the feeding direction during the 3D printing process, so as to perform real-time online detection of the filament 10.

[0060] However, it should be noted that the installation joint 5 includes but is not limited to the pneumatic joint 51, and other types of pipeline joints can also be used as long as the connection between the wire channel and the pipe can be achieved.

[0061] Embodiment 2

[0062] Based on Example 1, Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that Example 2 of the present application replaces the spring 42 (i.e., the elastic structure) and the two-stage joint link 43 (i.e., the rigid structure) in Example 1 with a torsion spring 44, i.e., the elastic structure is a torsion spring 44.

[0063] For details, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in the second embodiment of the present application, one end of the torsion spring 44 is connected to the housing 1, and the other end of the torsion spring 44 is connected to the pressing head 41. In this way, the wire 10 can also be pressed against the follower structure 3.

[0064] One end of the torsion spring 44 can be directly or indirectly connected to the housing 1, and the other end of the torsion spring 44 can be connected to the pressure head 41 through a suitable mechanical structure. The torsion spring 44 can be fixed on the housing 1 through its own hollow structure. The torsion spring 44 can provide elastic preload to ensure the accurate position and stability of the pressure head 41.

[0065] Compared with the detection device in the first embodiment, the detection device provided in the second embodiment of the present application has fewer parts and a smaller volume of the entire detection device.

[0066] Embodiment 3

[0067] Based on the first and second embodiments, the difference of the third embodiment of the present application is that in the third embodiment of the present application, the optical flow sensor 2 is arranged along the axial direction of the follower structure 3 so that the end face of the follower structure 3 along the axial direction faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor 2.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the end face of the follower structure 3 along its own axial direction serves as a reflective surface, and the optical flow sensor 2 is arranged in the end face direction of the follower structure 3, which can directly emit a light beam toward the end face of the follower structure 3 and receive the light reflected back by the end face of the follower structure 3.

[0069] The end surface of the follower structure 3 along its own axial direction can be a plane, or a convex surface or a concave surface, which is not limited.

[0070] In actual use, the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure 3 has a better effect when used as a reflective surface, and the optical flow sensor 2 is easier to align with the reflective surface.

[0071] It should also be noted that in each embodiment of the present application, the movement direction of the filament 10 is not fixed. In addition to moving in the direction indicated in the drawings, it can also move in the opposite direction indicated in the drawings. Regardless of the direction, it can be detected by the 3D printing detection device based on the optical flow sensor provided by the present application. In addition, the installation direction of the 3D printing detection device based on the optical flow sensor provided by the present application is not fixed. The filament 10 can move in the horizontal direction, in the vertical direction, or be installed at any angle. This application does not limit this.

[0072] The above-described embodiments are only preferred implementation modes of the present application and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the structures, features and principles described in the patent scope of the present application should fall within the scope of the present patent application.

Claims

1. A 3D printing detection device based on an optical flow sensor, characterized in that: include: A housing and an optical flow sensor, a follower structure and a pressure-applying structure arranged in the housing; The follower structure is rotatably connected to the housing along its own axis; The follower structure is arranged in the light path direction of the optical flow sensor, and at least a part of the follower structure is within the illumination range of the optical flow sensor; The pressure structure includes a pressure head; a filament channel for 3D printing filament to pass through is formed between the follower structure and the pressure head; The pressing head is used to press the material wire against the follower structure; when the material wire moves, it can drive the follower structure to rotate around its own axis.

2. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The follower structure comprises a rotating shaft and a metal annular body. The metal annular body is sleeved on and fixed to the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably arranged on the housing.

3. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical flow sensor is arranged along the peripheral direction of the follower structure around its own axis, and the outer peripheral surface of the follower structure faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor, or the optical flow sensor is arranged along the axial direction of the follower structure, and the end surface of the follower structure along its own axial direction faces the optical path direction of the optical flow sensor.

4. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure-applying structure further includes an elastic structure, and the elastic structure is respectively connected to the shell and the pressure head.

5. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic structure is a spring, one end of the spring is connected to the housing, the other end of the spring is connected to a two-section joint connecting rod, and the two-section joint connecting rod is also connected to the pressure head.

6. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic structure is a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the housing, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the pressure head.

7. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The pressure head is in a wheel shape.

8. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting joint is arranged on the outer surface of the housing, and the mounting joint is used to connect to an external device.

9. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mounting joint includes two pneumatic joints; the two pneumatic joints are arranged in the extension direction of the wire channel and are respectively located on two opposite sides of the outer shell; the wire can pass through a corresponding one of the pneumatic joints from one side of the outer shell into the outer shell, and further pass through the wire channel and then pass out of the outer shell into a pneumatic joint on the other side of the outer shell.

10. The 3D printing detection device based on optical flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A monitoring unit is communicatively connected to the optical flow sensor.

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