Consumable extruder for 3D printer

Abstract

The consumable extruder for the 3D printer comprises a consumable channel arranged in the extruder, the consumable channel can allow consumables to pass through (from bottom to top) the consumable channel, and the consumable channel is provided with an anti-blocking transition section at an outlet of a gear extrusion mechanism. The solid strip-shaped consumable conveying device is suitable for conveying solid strip-shaped consumables, the consumable channel is formed in the extruder through the frame structure, the gear extrusion mechanism is arranged on the consumable channel, the consumables are assisted to penetrate through the consumable channel through the gear extrusion mechanism, and the inverted-horn-shaped transition section is arranged at the consumable extrusion outlet. And the phenomena of material blocking and the like of consumables in the extrusion process can be greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a 3D printer, in particular to an improvement of a consumable material extrusion mechanism used in the 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, 3D printing technology is becoming more and more advanced and popular. Fused deposition modeling is one of the 3D printing technologies. The whole process is to melt the filament through the nozzle and then form the product through deposition.

[0003] During the printing process, the consumables need to be transported to the nozzle through the extrusion mechanism first, and then heated and melted inside the nozzle. During the extrusion and transportation process, material jamming is likely to occur, and it is not easy to repair and clean inside the closed and precise printer.

[0004] Some extrusion mechanisms in the prior art also mention similar problems. For example, Chinese patent CN209141390U discloses an FDM-type 3D printer molten consumables extrusion device, which is connected to an anti-jamming device on the spiral conveying screw, but does not mention the problem of material jamming in the conveying channel. In addition, many FDM-type 3D printers in the prior art use spiral devices to feed molten consumables, such as a 3D printer molten consumables extrusion device disclosed in Chinese patent CN210525833U, and a molten extrusion device for 3D printer consumables production equipment disclosed in Chinese patent CN204076747U. Such devices first heat the consumables to a molten state and then feed them through a spiral. The overall process is relatively long (occupies a large space), and the molten state of the consumables is prone to instability throughout the process. It is also easy to produce consumable residue and waste during the conveying process.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a consumable material extrusion mechanism with a sophisticated structure, not prone to material jamming and easy maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a consumable material extruder for a 3D printer in view of the problems existing in the background technology.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is:

[0008] A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer includes a consumable material channel arranged inside the extruder, wherein the consumable material channel can allow the consumable material to pass through (from bottom to top), and the consumable material enters the nozzle assembly of the 3D printer after passing through the consumable material channel.

[0009] Furthermore, the consumable channel is provided with an anti-jamming transition section at the outlet where the consumable is extruded. Generally speaking, a consumable extrusion mechanism is provided in a near-end printer, and the anti-jamming transition section is provided at the outlet where the extrusion mechanism extrudes the consumable.

[0010] Furthermore, the anti-stuck material transition section is a trumpet-shaped structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the trumpet mouth of the trumpet-shaped structure faces the direction of the gear extrusion mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, at least two windows are provided on one side of the consumables channel.

[0013] Furthermore, the window includes a first window and a second window, the first window is located behind the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable material extrusion direction, and the second window is located before the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable material extrusion direction.

[0014] Furthermore, a window fixing member is provided in the first window.

[0015] Furthermore, a detection device is provided in the second window.

[0016] Furthermore, a detection device is provided in the consumables channel for detecting whether consumables have passed through.

[0017] Furthermore, the detection device includes but is not limited to at least one of a photoelectric switch, a micro switch, and a Hall switch.

[0018] Furthermore, when the detection device utilizes a photoelectric switch, the detection device includes a trigger, a rotating shaft, and a return assembly. The trigger is mounted on the rotating shaft via the return assembly, and one end of the trigger naturally hangs down to the consumable channel. When consumables pass through, the trigger is pushed, blocking the light path of the photoelectric element. Otherwise, the trigger is reset by the return assembly. When the photoelectric switch is triggered, it indicates that the consumables have reached the extruder feed port. At this time, the consumables can be fed into the proximal end through the synchronous movement of the remote extruder and the proximal extruder, or the consumables can be fed into the proximal end through a single proximal extruder, without the user having to manually poke into the top channel.

[0019] Furthermore, the consumables channel is provided with a cavity near the outlet, and the cavity is configured to allow the cutter to enter and exit, and the cutter cuts the material through the cavity.

[0020] Furthermore, the extruder includes an extruder fixing plate, the consumable channel is arranged on the extruder fixing plate, the gear extrusion mechanism is installed on the extruder fixing plate, the gear extrusion mechanism includes extrusion gears arranged in pairs, the extrusion gears include a driving wheel and a driven wheel, wherein the driving wheel is driven by a driving device, the driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively connected to the extrusion wheels arranged in pairs through a driving shaft and a driven shaft, the extrusion wheels are respectively located on both sides of the consumable channel, and the spacing between the extrusion wheels is slightly smaller than the consumable diameter.

[0021] Furthermore, the extruder includes a drive motor, which is provided with a piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer is configured to collect vibration information of the drive motor. The piezoelectric transducer can adopt a piezoelectric ceramic generator. The piezoelectric transducer is connected to the data acquisition device of the printer through a current amplifier to read the vibration frequency of the motor. The vibration frequency is used to distinguish whether there is an abnormality in the consumable feeding (the motor frequency is different under abnormal and normal conditions) and can be connected to the chip through a cable.

[0022] Furthermore, the extruder includes a housing with a window at the motor to facilitate heat dissipation and reduce the size and weight of the extruder. Furthermore, a belt mounting bracket is provided at the bottom of the extruder to secure the printer's transmission belt. Positioning the belt at the bottom of the machine avoids the need to dismantle the printer chassis drive components associated with the belt drive during maintenance.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The present invention is suitable for conveying solid bar-shaped consumables. A consumable channel is formed inside the extruder through a frame structure, and a gear extrusion mechanism is provided on the consumable channel. The gear extrusion mechanism assists the consumables to pass through the consumable channel. The structure is compact and easy to use. (2) The present invention provides an inverted trumpet-shaped transition section at the outlet position of the consumable extrusion, which can greatly reduce the phenomenon of consumables getting stuck during the extrusion process. (3) The present invention provides a detection device at the consumable feed point, which determines whether the consumables are in place through the detection device, and can automatically start the remote and near-end extruders based on the detection results of the detection device, without the need for the user to manually load the material. (4) The photoelectric detection device of the present invention cleverly uses the structural interference of the consumables to push the trigger, thereby triggering the photoelectric switch, which can effectively avoid the problem of insensitivity of the photoelectric switch due to the certain light transmittance of some consumables themselves. (5) The utility model provides at least one openable window on one side of the consumable channel, which is located above and below the gear extrusion mechanism respectively. The window can be opened when maintenance is required, and the shape of the window can also be set to match the gear extrusion mechanism to prevent accidental contact with the gear mechanism during maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1This is an internal structural diagram of the extruder of the present invention, showing the structure of the consumables channel and the gear extrusion mechanism.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a partial diagram of the transition section in the consumables channel of the present utility model.

[0026] Figure 3 It is an internal structure diagram of the extruder of the present invention, showing the structure of the window.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a partial structural diagram of the detection device of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 5 It is an external structural diagram of the motor of the present utility model.

[0029] Figure 6 It is the overall structure diagram of the utility model.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a detection circuit diagram of the piezoelectric transducer of the utility model.

[0031] Numbers in the figure: consumable channel 1, gear extrusion mechanism 2, consumable 3, anti-jamming transition section 4, first window 5, second window 6, window fixing part 7, handle 8, detection device 9, trigger 10, photoelectric switch 11, rotating shaft 12, return assembly 13, cavity 14, cutter 15, motor 16, piezoelectric transducer 17, extrusion gear 18, extrusion wheel 19, housing 20, extruder fixing plate 21, belt fixing frame 22, printing nozzle 23, window 24, adhesive 25. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail, clearly, and completely in the following embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Moreover, based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Example 1, refer to the attached Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0034] This embodiment provides an extruder structure for a 3D printer, which includes a filament channel 1 and a gear extrusion mechanism 2 provided inside the extruder. The filament channel 1 allows the filament 3 to pass through. When the filament 3 enters the extruder structure, the gear extrusion mechanism 2 is activated to guide the filament 3 until it is delivered to the printing nozzle 23. Since the printer in the present invention adopts a bottom-up conveying method for filaments, the filament 3 passes through the filament channel 1 from bottom to top in the filament channel 1. At the outlet of the gear extrusion mechanism 2 (i.e., above the position where the two extrusion wheels contact the filament), the filament has an upward force due to the force of the extrusion mechanism. Moreover, if the direction of the filament is slightly tilted or offset (even if very small) during the extrusion process, or if there is a slight difference in the extrusion force on both sides, it may cause the filament to get stuck in the filament channel due to friction, position interference, etc. when it comes out of the extrusion mechanism. To avoid this situation, in this embodiment, the filament channel is provided with an anti-jamming transition section 4 at the outlet of the gear extrusion mechanism.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the anti-jamming transition section 4 itself is a trumpet-shaped channel structure with an inner diameter larger than the consumable channel 1, and the trumpet mouth of the trumpet-shaped structure is facing the direction of the gear extrusion mechanism 2, and the inner wall of the trumpet-shaped structure is smooth, thus forming a transition section structure with a downward mouth, a larger bottom and a smaller top. When the consumable 3 just comes out of the extrusion mechanism, even if there is a slight deviation from the direction or interference, it can be guided into the consumable channel 1 behind through the arc surface of the trumpet section with a larger diameter, thereby avoiding the occurrence of jamming.

[0036] It should be noted here that the gear extrusion mechanism mentioned in this embodiment can also be replaced by other extrusion mechanisms with similar principles if different application scenarios or practical requirements are met. The gear extrusion mechanism is currently an implementation method with higher stability, but it does not mean that it is the only implementation method.

[0037] Example 2, refer to the attached Figure 3 .

[0038] This embodiment provides a maintenance-friendly structure that can be used in Example 1 or independently in a 3D printer extruder. This structure includes at least two openable or closable windows on one side of the filament channel 1. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the windows include a first window 5 and a second window 6. For ease of description, the window located after the gear extrusion mechanism (i.e., above the gear extrusion mechanism) in the filament extrusion direction (process) is referred to as the first window, and the other window is referred to as the second window.

[0039] Preferably, when the first window 5 is provided with a window fixing part 7, the first window 5 can be closed by the window fixing part 7 when the printer is in normal use. The overall shape of the window fixing part 7 matches the first window 5, and the window fixing part 7 is also provided with a handle 8 for easy taking and placing.

[0040] Preferably, a detection device 9 may be provided at the second window 6 , and the detection device 9 may detect whether the consumables have arrived by means of a sensor / inductor, etc., so as to facilitate the printer to perform the next action.

[0041] As mentioned above, the technical solution of this embodiment can be applied to a 3D printer alone or implemented in combination with embodiment 1.

[0042] Example 3, refer to the attached Figure 4 .

[0043] This embodiment provides a specific structure of the detection device 9 that can be used in embodiment 1 or 2, and the detection device is configured to detect whether the consumable material has reached the inlet of the extruder.

[0044] Preferably, in this embodiment, the detection device 9 can use a photoelectric switch, including a trigger 10, a photoelectric element 11, a rotating shaft 12 and a response component 13. The response component 13 can be a torsion spring. The trigger 10 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 12 through the response component 13. The free end of the trigger 10 naturally hangs down to the consumable channel 1. When consumables pass through, the consumables 1 will push the trigger 10 outward through position interference, and the trigger 10 can rotate around the rotating shaft 12. The response component 13 stores energy at the same time. When the consumables pass through the consumable channel 1 normally, a part of the trigger 10 enters between the photoelectric elements 11 due to the position interference of the consumables, blocking the light path between the photoelectric elements, thereby triggering the detection device 9, indicating that the consumables have reached the extruder feed port. At this time, the consumables can be fed into the proximal end by synchronous movement of the remote extruder and the proximal extruder, or the consumables can be fed into the proximal end by a single proximal extruder, without the need for the user to manually pass the consumables into the consumable channel. In this embodiment, the reason why a lever is used to trigger the photoelectric element in the photoelectric switch instead of directly using consumables for triggering is that the transparent, white and other consumables used in FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printing cannot block the infrared light emitted by the photoelectric element optical path, and thus the photoelectric switch cannot be switched to the trigger state. Only an opaque lever can be used for indirect triggering to ensure detection accuracy.

[0045] In other specific implementations, the detection device 9 may also use a magnetic Hall switch or a micro switch to perform detection based on position or distance relationships.

[0046] The present invention provides a specific implementation of a detection switch, but this does not mean that the present invention can only use this detection method. For those skilled in the art, without creative work, for convenience or commercial reasons, they can freely choose various devices with detection functions in the prior art.

[0047] Example 4, refer to the attached Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0048] This embodiment provides an extruder structure for a 3D printer, which includes a consumable material channel 1 arranged inside the extruder. Other structures of the extruder in this embodiment can refer to one or more combinations of the above embodiments.

[0049] The consumable channel 1 in this embodiment is provided with a cavity 14 near the outlet, and the cavity 14 is configured to allow a cutter 15 for cutting the consumables to enter and exit. Preferably, the cutter 15 can enter from the side of the consumable channel 1 to cut the material. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the cutter and the driving method of the cutter. This embodiment provides a consumable channel that can facilitate cutting of materials.

[0050] Example 5, refer to the attached Figure 1 and Figure 5 .

[0051] This embodiment provides a drive device that can be used to drive the gear extrusion mechanism in the extruder of a 3D printer. It can also be used to drive other power-requiring structures. These structures can be components required by the extruder of the present invention or the printer in which they are installed, or any other mechanical structural components that require power. The gear extrusion mechanism described in this embodiment can be the gear extrusion mechanism 2 of Example 1 or Example 2, or it can be a gear extrusion mechanism in the prior art or an improved gear extrusion mechanism.

[0052] In this embodiment, the gear extrusion mechanism is driven by a motor 16. A piezoelectric transducer 17 is provided on the outer surface of the motor 16 and is configured to collect vibration information from the motor. As shown in the figure, the piezoelectric transducer 17 can be adhered to the motor surface using adhesive 26, as long as it can detect the motor's vibration frequency. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric transducer 17 can be a piezoelectric ceramic generator. In practice, the type of piezoelectric transducer can be selected as needed.

[0053] like Figure 7As shown, the piezoelectric transducer (sendor) 17 reads the motor vibration frequency and is connected to the printer's data acquisition device through a current amplifier (amplifier). For example, it can be connected to the printer chip via a cable. The chip can then distinguish whether there is an abnormality in the consumables feeding based on the vibration frequency (the motor frequency is different under abnormal and normal conditions). It should be noted here that the acquisition principle of the piezoelectric transducer can directly utilize the solutions in the existing technology, and the difference in vibration frequency can be obtained based on actual measurements. In the present utility model, the technical solution claimed is a motor structure that can be provided with a piezoelectric transducer on the surface, rather than a collection or judgment method of a piezoelectric transducer.

[0054] In some embodiments, the gear extrusion mechanism 2 includes extrusion gears 18 arranged in pairs, and the extrusion gears 18 include a driving wheel and a driven wheel, wherein the driving wheel is driven by a motor 16, and the driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected to extrusion wheels 19 arranged in pairs through a driving shaft and a driven shaft respectively. The extrusion wheels 19 are respectively located on both sides of the consumable channel 1, and the spacing between the extrusion wheels 19 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the consumable 3. In this way, when the consumable 3 is fed in, the extrusion gear 18 is driven by the motor, and the two extrusion wheels 19 rotate relative to each other, so that the consumable can be introduced into the consumable channel 1.

[0055] Example 6, see attached Figure 1 and 6 .

[0056] This embodiment provides an overall structure of an extruder for a 3D printer. This extruder is located near the print nozzle and can be referred to as a proximal extruder. The proximal extruder of this embodiment can utilize one or a combination of the above-described embodiments to implement some of the functions of the extruder. Of course, it is not excluded that the proximal extruder of this embodiment can utilize existing technologies or other improved solutions.

[0057] In this embodiment, the extruder includes a shell 20, in which an extruder fixing plate 21 is fixed. The consumable channel 1 is arranged on the extruder fixing plate 21 in a hollow manner, that is, through structural molding, a consumable channel is formed on the extruder fixing plate 21, and in conjunction with the structures of other embodiments and the functional components of the extruder, the consumable 1 passes through the consumable channel and enters the printing nozzle.

[0058] Preferably, the housing 20 is provided with a window 24 at the motor to facilitate disassembly, observation and maintenance.

[0059] Preferably, a belt fixing frame 22 is provided at the bottom of the extruder, which can be used to fix the transmission belt of the printer to prevent the belt from deviating or slipping. The belt is set at the bottom of the machine to avoid the need to remove the printer chassis transmission part related to the belt drive during maintenance.

Claims

1. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer, characterized in that: The consumable material channel is provided inside the extruder, and the consumable material channel can allow the consumable material to pass through, and the consumable material enters the nozzle assembly of the 3D printer through the consumable material channel; The consumables channel is provided with an anti-jamming transition section at the outlet of the consumables; the anti-jamming transition section is a trumpet-shaped structure; The extruder further comprises a gear extrusion mechanism.

2. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trumpet mouth of the trumpet-shaped structure faces the direction of the gear extrusion mechanism.

3. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two windows are provided on one side of the consumables channel.

4. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The window includes a first window and a second window, wherein the first window is located behind the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable material extrusion direction, and the second window is located before the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable material extrusion direction.

5. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: A window fixing piece is provided in the first window.

6. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: A detection device is provided in the second window.

7. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A detection device is provided in the consumables channel for detecting whether consumables have passed through.

8. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The detection device is selected from at least one of a photoelectric switch, a micro switch, and a Hall switch.

9. The consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The detection device includes a trigger, a rotating shaft and a return component. The trigger is mounted on the rotating shaft through the return component. One end of the trigger naturally hangs down to the consumables channel. When consumables pass through, the trigger is pushed to trigger the detection device. Otherwise, the trigger is reset through the return component.

10. The consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The consumables channel is provided with a cavity near the outlet, and the cavity is configured to allow the cutter to enter and exit.

11. The consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extruder includes an extruder fixing plate, the consumable channel is arranged on the extruder fixing plate, the gear extrusion mechanism is installed on the extruder fixing plate, the gear extrusion mechanism includes extrusion gears arranged in pairs, the extrusion gears include a driving wheel and a driven wheel, wherein the driving wheel is driven by a driving device, and the driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected to the extrusion wheels arranged in pairs through a driving shaft and a driven shaft respectively, the extrusion wheels are respectively located on both sides of the consumable channel, and the spacing between the extrusion wheels is slightly smaller than the diameter of the consumable.

12. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1 or 11, characterized in that: The extruder includes a driving motor. A piezoelectric transducer is provided on the driving motor. The piezoelectric transducer is configured to collect vibration information of the driving motor.

13. A consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 12, characterized in that: The utility model comprises a shell, wherein the shell is provided with a window at the motor.

14. The consumable material extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A belt fixing frame is provided at the bottom of the extruder.

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