Continuous powder supply non-stop device of 3D printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to a continuous powder supply non-stop device of a 3D printer. The continuous powder supply non-stop device comprises a powder hopper, a charging hopper and a powder feeding assembly, a feeding port is formed in the upper portion of the side wall of the powder hopper, and the feeding hopper is arranged on the lateral upper portion of the powder hopper. One end of the conveying pipeline is communicated with a feeding port of the powder hopper, and the other end of the conveying pipeline is fixedly connected with the fixed end of the air cylinder; the sealing plug is arranged in the conveying pipeline in a sliding and sealing mode, the rear end of the sealing plug is fixedly connected with the telescopic end of the air cylinder, when the telescopic end is located at the first position point, the feeding port, the conveying pipeline and the feeding port are kept communicated, and powder can be conveyed into the powder hopper from the feeding hopper along the downwards-inclined conveying pipeline; and when the telescopic end is located at the second position point, the front end of the sealing plug is located in the powder hopper, the front end of the sealing plug can push powder gathered in the conveying pipeline into the powder hopper in the process of going to the powder hopper, the conveying pipeline is cleaned, and blocking is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of 3D printing process equipment, in particular to a device for continuously supplying powder without stopping a 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] Powder 3D printing is a key process in additive manufacturing. It primarily uses high-energy sources such as lasers or electron beams to melt or sinter metal or polymer powders layer by layer to create three-dimensional structures. This technology, which includes selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), and laser melt deposition (LMD), offers high precision, high material utilization, and the ability to produce complex geometries. It is widely used in aerospace, medical device, and automotive manufacturing, and is particularly well-suited for manufacturing high-performance metal parts, functional prototypes, and customized products.

[0003] Powder feeders and other powder supply devices are essential equipment for powder-based 3D printing. Currently, traditional powder feeders typically utilize a single-drum structure, requiring the machine to be shut down when adding powder. Restarting the machine after a shutdown can easily lead to the formation of seams, reducing the continuity and quality of the cladding layer. This also increases 3D printing time and reduces efficiency.

[0004] In the prior art, for example, the utility model patent with patent number CN217021438U discloses a powder feeder device that can continuously add powder without stopping the machine, including a feeding hopper and a powder feeder body. The lower end interface of the feeding hopper and the upper end interface of the powder feeder body are connected to a manual butterfly valve through a sealing clamp. A sealing cover is provided on the upper side of the feeding hopper. The device can meet the requirements of long-term continuous processing and powder feeding, reduce cladding, reduce the seams that appear when 3D printing is restarted after shutdown, and improve work efficiency.

[0005] Due to their large specific surface area and high water retention capacity, powders are susceptible to moisture and agglomeration, especially when using fine powders. In the prior art, the connection channel between the lower end interface of the feed hopper and the powder hopper of the powder feeder body is narrow. Moisture-induced powder easily accumulates in the connecting pipe between the feed hopper and the powder hopper, affecting powder feeding uniformity and potentially clogging the connecting pipe.

[0006] In some implementations, the problem of accumulation is solved by expanding the connecting pipe between the feeding hopper and the powder hopper, but the expansion will lead to a large loss of powder feeding pressure. Under the same powder feeding speed conditions, the expanded powder feeding pressure is obviously insufficient.

[0007] Based on this, it is necessary to study a continuous powder supply device for 3D printers without stopping. Utility Model Content

[0008] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping, which can effectively solve the problem that the connecting pipe between the feeding hopper and the powder hopper is easily blocked by accumulation.

[0009] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present utility model is:

[0010] A 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping, comprising a powder hopper, a feeding hopper and a powder feeding assembly;

[0011] A feeding port is provided on the upper portion of the side wall of the powder hopper;

[0012] The feeding hopper is arranged above the side of the powder hopper;

[0013] The powder delivery assembly includes a delivery pipe, a sealing plug and a cylinder;

[0014] The conveying pipe is arranged obliquely, one end of the conveying pipe is connected to the feeding port of the powder hopper, and the other end is fixedly connected to the fixed end of the cylinder;

[0015] A feed port is provided in the middle of the conveying pipe, and the feed port is connected to the output port of the feeding hopper;

[0016] The sealing plug is slidingly sealed and arranged in the delivery pipeline, and the rear end of the sealing plug is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder;

[0017] The telescopic end of the cylinder includes at least a first position point and a second position point;

[0018] When the telescopic end is located at the first position, the feed port, the conveying pipe and the feed port remain in communication;

[0019] When the telescopic end is located at the second position, the front end of the sealing plug is located in the powder hopper, and the side wall of the sealing plug blocks the feed opening.

[0020] Furthermore, the cylinder is a three-position cylinder, and the telescopic end of the cylinder further includes a third position point;

[0021] When the telescopic end is located at the third position, the front end of the sealing plug is located in the conveying pipeline, and the side wall of the sealing plug blocks the feed port.

[0022] Furthermore, the front end surface of the sealing plug is an inclined surface inclined from top to bottom and from back to front.

[0023] Furthermore, the sealing plug includes a cleaning portion and a sealing portion;

[0024] The cleaning part is slidably sealed with the delivery pipe, and the rear end of the cleaning part is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder;

[0025] The blocking portion is fixedly connected to the rear of the cleaning portion so that the feed port of the blocking portion is blocked when the cylinder is located at the second position or the third position.

[0026] Furthermore, a support column is vertically fixedly connected between the blocking portion and the telescopic end of the cylinder.

[0027] Furthermore, the hopper is arranged vertically, and the output port of the hopper is arranged at the bottom of the hopper; a vertical connecting port is provided on the feed port, and the output port is detachably arranged in the connecting port.

[0028] Furthermore, the cavity of the feeding hopper and the cavity of the powder hopper are both connected to an air source through an air pipe.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are:

[0030] The utility model discloses a powder hopper having a feeding port on the upper portion of a side wall, and a feeding hopper is arranged on the upper side of the powder hopper; a conveying pipe is arranged obliquely, one end of the conveying pipe is communicated with the feeding port of the powder hopper, and the other end is fixedly connected with the fixed end of the cylinder; a sealing plug is slidingly sealed in the conveying pipe, and a rear end of the sealing plug is fixedly connected with the telescopic end of the cylinder; when the telescopic end is at a first position, the feeding port, the conveying pipe and the feeding port remain in communication, and the powder can be conveyed from the feeding hopper to the powder hopper along the downwardly inclined conveying pipe; when the telescopic end is at a second position, the front end of the sealing plug is located at the powder hopper. In the hopper, the front end of the sealing plug can push the powder accumulated in the conveying pipe into the powder hopper during the process of moving to the powder hopper, thereby cleaning the conveying pipe and preventing blockage; in addition, when the telescopic end is at the second position point, the side wall of the sealing plug blocks the feed port, thereby stopping the powder from being output from the feeding hopper to the conveying pipe, playing the role of controlling the powder delivery switch, reducing the use of the valve, and avoiding accumulation and blockage in the valve, effectively solving the problem that the connecting pipe between the feeding hopper and the powder hopper is prone to accumulation and blockage, and ensuring a stable powder supply from the feeding hopper to the powder hopper. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of Example 1 when the telescopic end is located at the first position;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic end at the second position in Example 1;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic end at the third position in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic diagram of the sealing plug in Example 2;

[0035] Figure 5Schematic cross-section of a spiral feeding device provided in Example 3;

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0037] Figure numerals: 1 is a powder hopper, 2 is a feeding hopper, 3 is a conveying pipe, 4 is a sealing plug, 5 is a cylinder, 6 is an air pipe, 7 is a spiral feeding device, 8 is a sealing cover, 101 is a feeding port, 201 is an output port, 301 is a feed port, 302 is a connecting port, 401 is a cleaning part, 402 is a sealing part, 403 is a support column, 501 is a telescopic end, 502 is a fixed end, 601 is a three-way air valve, 701 is a rotating shaft, 702 is an auger, 703 is a motor, 704 is a rotating shaft bracket, and 705 is a stirring blade. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present invention is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0039] Example 1. This example aims to provide a 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping, which is mainly used to continuously supply powder to laser melting 3D printing equipment, and addresses the problem that the connecting pipe between the feeding hopper 2 and the powder hopper 1 is prone to accumulation and blockage.

[0040] A 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping, such as Figure 1 , including a powder hopper 1, a feeding hopper 2 and a powder feeding assembly. In this embodiment, the powder hopper 1 is the part of the existing powder feeder used to store powder. The powder hopper 1 has an inverted conical powder cavity with an output port at the bottom of the powder cavity. The powder feeder is mainly used to convey powder to the printer. The powder feeder also includes a quantitative feeding assembly and a terminal discharge port component. The quantitative feeding assembly and the terminal discharge port component are mainly used to convey powder to the printer. Both adopt existing technologies, and their specific structure and working principle are not repeated here. In this embodiment, a through feeding port 101 is opened on the upper part of the side wall of the powder hopper 1.

[0041] Hopper 2 is vertically mounted above and to the side of powder hopper 1 via a supporting structure. This supporting structure primarily utilizes existing technology and provides a stable foundation for hopper 2. Its specific structure and principles are not detailed here. Hopper 2 contains an inverted conical chamber with a discharge port 201 at its bottom. A removable sealing cap 8 is located at the top of hopper 2.

[0042] The powder feeding assembly includes a conveying pipe 3, a sealing plug 4 and a cylinder 5. The conveying pipe 3 is arranged at an angle, one end of the conveying pipe 3 is bonded and fixedly connected to the feeding port 101 of the powder hopper 1 and communicates with the other end of the conveying pipe 3 and is bolted and fixedly connected to the fixed end 502 of the cylinder 5 to maintain a seal.

[0043] A feed port 301 is formed in the middle of the delivery pipe 3. The feed port 301 opens upward and communicates with the output port 201 of the hopper 2. Specifically, the feed port 301 is integrally formed with an upwardly extending vertical connection port 302. The output port 201 is removably threaded and connected to the connection port 302. In other words, the lower end surface of the output port 201 cannot enter the active travel range of the sealing plug 4 in the delivery pipe 3.

[0044] In this embodiment, the forward direction is the direction toward the powder hopper 1, that is, the direction in which the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5 extends. Figure 1 The rear direction is the direction away from the powder hopper 1, that is, the direction in which the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5 retracts. Figure 1 the right direction.

[0045] The sealing plug 4 is slidingly sealed and arranged in the delivery pipe 3. The rear end of the sealing plug 4 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5. The telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5 includes at least a first position point and a second position point through telescopic transformation. Figure 1 When the telescopic end 501 is at the first position, the feed port 301, the conveying pipe 3 and the feeding port 101 remain connected, and the powder can be conveyed from the feeding hopper 2 to the powder hopper 1 along the downwardly inclined conveying pipe 3. Figure 2 When the telescopic end 501 is at the second position, the front end of the sealing plug 4 is located in the powder hopper 1, and the side wall of the sealing plug 4 blocks the feed port 301. As the front end of the sealing plug 4 moves toward the powder hopper 1, it can push the powder accumulated in the conveying pipe 3 into the powder hopper 1, thereby cleaning the conveying pipe 3 and preventing blockage. Furthermore, when the telescopic end 501 is at the second position, the side wall of the sealing plug 4 blocks the feed port 301, thereby stopping the discharge of powder from the hopper 2 into the conveying pipe 3. This serves to control the powder delivery switch, reduce the use of valves, and prevent accumulation and blockage within the valves.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cylinder 5 is a three-position cylinder 5, and the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5 also includes a third position point; Figure 3 When the telescopic end 501 is located at the third position, the front end of the sealing plug 4 is located in the conveying pipe 3, and the side wall of the sealing plug 4 blocks the feed port 301, that is, the front end of the sealing plug 4 is retreated from the powder hopper 1 to the conveying pipe 3, and the feed port 301 is always kept blocked during this process.

[0047] Furthermore, the front end surface of the sealing plug 4 is an inclined surface that is tilted from top to bottom and from back to front, so as to improve the cleaning effect of the front end of the sealing plug 4 on the conveying pipe 3.

[0048] Furthermore, the cavity of the feeding hopper 2 and the cavity of the powder hopper 1 are both connected to the air source through the air pipe 6. Since the powder is relatively fine, after the powder is discharged, due to the negative pressure generated, the powder may accumulate at the outlet and be difficult to discharge. Therefore, the powder hopper 1 and the feeding hopper 2 are ventilated with positive pressure, so that the air pressure in the feeding hopper 2 is greater than the air pressure in the powder hopper 1, and the air pressure in the powder hopper 1 is greater than the air pressure in the next level system of the powder feeder, so that the powder can smoothly enter the powder hopper 1 from the feeding hopper 2 through the conveying pipe 3, and enter the next level system of the powder feeder from the powder hopper 1. Specifically, the connecting air pipe 6 is also provided with an air circuit system such as an air pump, an air valve, and a three-way valve to ensure that the air circuit is unobstructed. Its specific structure and principle are mainly based on the existing technology and will not be repeated here.

[0049] The method of use of this embodiment is as follows: when the powder hopper needs to be loaded, the cylinder 5 is controlled so that the telescopic end 501 is located at the first position, allowing the powder to be transported from the feeding hopper 2 along the downward-sloping conveying pipe 3 to the powder hopper 1; when loading needs to be stopped, the cylinder 5 is controlled so that the telescopic end 501 is located at the first position, the conveying pipe 3 is cleaned and the accumulated powder is pushed into the powder hopper 1, and the feed port 301 is blocked; the telescopic end 501 then retracts to the third position. When the powder in the feed hopper is insufficient, the telescopic end 501 needs to be located at the second or third position to block the feed port 301, and then the feed hopper 2 is replaced or the sealing cover 8 of the feed hopper 2 is opened to add powder.

[0050] Example 2: This example is basically the same as Example 1, except that the sealing plug 4 is improved. This example further illustrates the structure.

[0051] Considering that the sealing plug 4 needs to satisfy the function of blocking the feed port 301 at the second and third positions, its length is long, resulting in a large contact area with the conveying pipe 3. The gap between the sealing plug 4 and the conveying pipe 3 is prone to gather powder and form a jam. In order to reduce the contact area between the sealing plug 4 and the conveying pipe 3, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 The sealing plug 4 includes a cleaning portion 401 and a sealing portion 402 .

[0052] The cleaning part 401 is a plate-like structure that is tilted to reduce its length. The outer contour of the cleaning part 401 is adapted to the conveying pipe 3 to ensure a sliding seal between the cleaning part 401 and the conveying pipe 3. The rear end of the cleaning part 401 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5.

[0053] The blocking portion 402 is fixedly connected to the upper rear portion of the cleaning portion 401. The blocking portion 402 and the cleaning portion 401 are an integrated structure. In this embodiment, the conveying pipe 3 is a circular pipe, and the blocking portion 402 is an arc-shaped structure adapted to the top of the inner wall of the conveying pipe 3. When the cylinder 5 is in the second position or the third position, the upper end face of the blocking portion 402 can block the feed port 301; in other embodiments, if the conveying pipe 3 is rectangular, the blocking portion 402 can be a flat plate structure to reduce the contact area between the blocking portion 402 and the conveying pipe 3.

[0054] Furthermore, a support column 403 is vertically fixedly connected between the blocking portion 402 and the telescopic end 501 of the cylinder 5 to support the blocking portion 402 and prevent the blocking portion 402 from deforming under pressure and failing to effectively block the feed port 301 .

[0055] Example 3: This example is basically the same as Example 1, except that a spiral feeding device 7 is provided for the feeding hopper 2. This example further illustrates the structure.

[0056] In this embodiment, Figure 5 and Figure 6 Taking into account the possible problem of powder aggregation and clogging at the output port of the feeding hopper 2, a spiral feeding device 7 is provided in the feeding hopper 2 to stir and break up the powder at the output port of the feeding hopper 2, prevent the output port of the feeding hopper 2 from being blocked, ensure the continuous conveying of the powder, and be able to control the conveying speed of the powder.

[0057] The spiral feeding device 7 includes a rotating shaft 701, an auger 702, a motor 703, and a rotating shaft bracket 704. The rotating shaft bracket 704 is fixed on the inner wall of the feed hopper 2. The rotating shaft 701 is rotatably set on the rotating shaft bracket 704, so that the rotating shaft 701 is vertically rotated and set in the middle of the feed hopper. The lower part of the rotating shaft 701 is fixedly sleeved with a stirring blade 705; the upper end of the rotating shaft 701 extends out of the feed hopper 2 and is transmission-connected to the motor 703, and the motor 703 is installed on the feed hopper 2 through the motor 703 seat. It should be noted that the installation position of the sealing cover 8 and the rotating shaft 701 and the motor 703 needs to be staggered, that is, the sealing cover 8 can be removed separately without affecting the rotating shaft 701 and the motor 703.

[0058] The lower end of the rotating shaft 701 is connected to the auger 702 through a coupling. The auger 702 is distributed in the output port 201, so that under the action of the auger 702, the powder gathered at the output port 201 is broken up to ensure the continuity of feeding between the feeding hopper 2 and the conveying pipe 3. The lower end of the auger 702 should not extend into the interior of the conveying pipe 3, that is, the lower end of the auger 702 cannot enter the active stroke area of ​​the sealing plug 4 in the conveying pipe 3, so as to avoid affecting the normal operation of the sealing plug 4.

Claims

1. A continuous powder supply device for a 3D printer without stopping the machine, characterized by: It comprises a powder hopper (1), a feeding hopper (2) and a powder feeding component; A feeding port (101) is provided on the upper portion of the side wall of the powder hopper (1); The feeding hopper (2) is arranged above and to the side of the powder hopper (1); The powder delivery assembly comprises a delivery pipe (3), a sealing plug (4) and a cylinder (5); The conveying pipe (3) is arranged at an angle, one end of the conveying pipe (3) is connected to the feeding port (101) of the powder hopper (1), and the other end is fixedly connected to the fixed end (502) of the cylinder (5); A feed port (301) is provided in the middle of the delivery pipe (3), and the feed port (301) is connected to the output port (201) of the hopper (2); The sealing plug (4) is slidingly sealed and arranged in the conveying pipe (3), and the rear end of the sealing plug (4) is fixedly connected to the telescopic end (501) of the cylinder (5); The telescopic end (501) of the cylinder (5) comprises at least a first position point and a second position point; When the telescopic end (501) is located at the first position, the feed port (301), the conveying pipe (3) and the feed port (101) remain in communication; When the telescopic end (501) is located at the second position, the front end of the sealing plug (4) is located in the powder hopper (1), and the side wall of the sealing plug (4) blocks the feed port (301).

2. The continuous powder supply device for a 3D printer without stopping according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder (5) is a three-position cylinder, and the telescopic end (501) of the cylinder (5) further includes a third position point; When the telescopic end (501) is located at the third position, the front end of the sealing plug (4) is located in the conveying pipe (3), and the side wall of the sealing plug (4) blocks the feed port (301).

3. The continuous powder supply device for a 3D printer without stopping according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front end surface of the sealing plug (4) is an inclined surface arranged to tilt from top to bottom and from back to front.

4. The continuous powder supply device for a 3D printer without stopping according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sealing plug (4) comprises a cleaning portion (401) and a sealing portion (402); The cleaning portion (401) is slidably sealed with the delivery pipe (3), and the rear end of the cleaning portion (401) is fixedly connected to the telescopic end (501) of the cylinder (5); The blocking portion (402) is fixedly connected to the rear of the cleaning portion (401), so that when the cylinder (5) is located at the second position or the third position, the blocking portion (402) blocks the feed port (301).

5. The continuous powder supply device for a 3D printer without stopping according to claim 4, characterized in that: A support column (403) is vertically fixedly connected between the blocking portion (402) and the telescopic end (501) of the cylinder (5).

6. A 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The hopper (2) is arranged vertically, and the output port (201) of the hopper (2) is arranged at the bottom of the hopper (2); a vertical connection port (302) is provided on the feed port (301), and the output port (201) is detachably arranged in the connection port (302).

7. A 3D printer continuous powder supply device without stopping according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The cavity of the feeding hopper (2) and the cavity of the powder hopper (1) are both connected to an air source via an air pipe (6).

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