Photocuring 3D printer

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a photocuring 3D printer, which relates to the field of printers and comprises a rack, a lifting mechanism, a printing platform, a tray and a plurality of force sensors. The lifting mechanism and the material disc are both installed on the rack, the printing platform is connected with the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism is used for driving the printing platform to be close to or away from the material disc so as to adjust the distance between the printing platform and the surface of a material located in the material disc; the multiple force sensors are installed on the printing platform, and each force sensor is used for obtaining the pressure applied to the surface of a material by the printing platform. According to the structural design of the printer, the levelness of the printing platform can be adjusted in an auxiliary mode through cooperation of the multiple force sensors, the fault position can be recognized in an auxiliary mode, and overhauling is facilitated; and a plurality of force sensors are used independently and do not interfere with one another, so that the redundancy of the system is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of printers, and in particular to a light-curing 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] The force feedback system used in traditional printers, such as light-curing 3D printers, is usually single-point and has only one force sensor. It is not accurate enough in leveling and fault identification, and the single sensor has no redundancy in the event of a failure, which can cause the device to be unusable or even damaged.

[0003] The inventors discovered during their research that the existing light-curing 3D printers have at least the following disadvantages:

[0004] Existing printers are equipped with a sensor to obtain the pressure exerted by the printing platform on the surface of the material. When the sensor fails, the printer needs to be shut down for maintenance, which results in a long vacuum period and high operating costs. In addition, a single sensor can only obtain a local pressure value, which has great limitations and cannot be used to level the printing platform through pressure. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the present utility model includes, for example, providing a light-curing 3D printer, which can obtain the pressure acting on the surface of the material at different positions of the printing platform, so as to level the printing platform according to the pressure, and each force sensor can be used independently to increase the redundancy of the system.

[0006] The embodiment of the present utility model can be implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a light-curing 3D printer, comprising:

[0008] A frame, a lifting mechanism, a printing platform, a material tray and multiple force sensors; the lifting mechanism and the material tray are both installed on the frame, the printing platform is connected to the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the printing platform closer to or away from the material tray to adjust the distance between the printing platform and the surface of the material located in the material tray; the multiple force sensors are all installed on the printing platform, and each of the force sensors is used to obtain the pressure applied by the printing platform to the surface of the material.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, there is a distance between any two force sensors among the plurality of force sensors.

[0010] Based on the above solution, the force sensors are distributed over a wide range, making it easier to adjust the levelness of the printing platform through pressure information obtained by force sensors at different positions.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the printing platform is configured as a rectangular platform; the number of the force sensors is four, and the four force sensors are respectively distributed at the four corners of the printing platform.

[0012] Based on the above solution, the printing platform has a regular structure and is easy to manufacture. In addition, the large number of force sensors can obtain pressure data at multiple locations around the printing platform, which is conducive to adjusting the levelness of the printing platform.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the printing platform is movably connected to the lifting mechanism to adjust the horizontality of the printing platform.

[0014] Based on the above solution, when the pressure data obtained by multiple force sensors are inconsistent, the position of the printing platform relative to the lifting mechanism can be adjusted as needed until the pressure data obtained by the multiple force sensors are consistent.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes a mounting plate, the printing platform is connected to the mounting plate, the printing platform and the mounting plate have multiple connection positions, and the printing platform can move relative to the mounting plate at each of the connection positions to adjust the distance between the printing platform and the mounting plate.

[0016] Based on the above solution, there are multiple connection positions between the printing platform and the mounting plate, each connection position can be adjusted, the printing platform has a wide adjustment range, the adjustment operation is flexible, and it is conducive to controlling the levelness of the printing platform.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, a plurality of adjusting screws are installed on the printing platform, the plurality of adjusting screws are rotatably matched with the printing platform, and the two are relatively fixed in the axial direction of the adjusting screws; the adjusting screws are threadedly fixed to the mounting plate.

[0018] Based on the above solution, each adjusting screw is controlled individually, and the operating space is large. By turning the adjusting screw, the printing platform can be driven closer to or away from the mounting plate, thereby adjusting the levelness of the printing platform, and the operation is convenient and quick.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, scale lines are provided on the outer circumference of the adjusting screw.

[0020] Based on the above solution, when screwing the adjustment screw, you can refer to the scale lines on the adjustment screw, and the adjustment degree can be adjusted using the scale lines as a reference, which is more intuitive, reduces the difficulty of adjustment, and improves the adjustment efficiency.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes a motor, a lead screw and a sliding plate, the motor is fixed to the frame, the lead screw is connected to the output shaft of the motor, the sliding plate is screwed to the lead screw, and the sliding plate is slidably matched with the frame; the printing platform is mounted on the sliding plate.

[0022] Based on the above solution, the motor starts and drives the lead screw to rotate. Since the lead screw and the sliding plate are screwed together, and the sliding plate does not rotate relative to the frame, the sliding plate can slide along the frame driven by the lead screw. The sliding of the sliding plate drives the printing platform to rise and fall, so that 3D printing operations can be performed through the printing platform. The control accuracy is high, the printing platform runs stably and reliably, and the printing quality is high.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the light-curing 3D printer further includes an alarm, which is communicatively connected to the force sensor and is configured to issue an alarm when a force value acquired by the force sensor is greater than a threshold value.

[0024] Based on the above solution, by setting an alarm, when the pressure value obtained by the force sensor is greater than the threshold, the alarm will be activated and an alarm prompt will be issued to remind the operator to check the equipment in time and adjust the printing strategy to reduce the probability of equipment failure.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, the material tray is movably connected to the frame so that the level of the material tray is adjustable.

[0026] Based on the above solution, by adjusting the material tray, the levelness of the material tray can be improved, thereby making the relative position of the material tray and the printing platform more accurate, which is beneficial to improving the printing quality of the printing platform.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention include, for example:

[0028] In summary, the light-curing 3D printer provided in this embodiment provides multiple force sensors on the printing platform, each of which operates independently. Each force sensor can obtain the pressure at the surface contact point between the printing platform and the material, thereby adjusting the horizontality of the printing platform through the cooperation of multiple force sensors. That is, when the pressure data obtained by multiple force sensors have a pressure difference, it indicates that the printing platform is at an angle with the horizontal plane. Direct printing is prone to problems such as equipment failure and poor print quality. In this case, the horizontality of the printing platform is adjusted until the pressure data obtained by the multiple force sensors are basically equal or the pressure data obtained by the multiple force sensors are within a set range. After the horizontality of the printing platform is adjusted, the printing quality is high. At the same time, multiple force sensors can obtain pressure data at different locations, which facilitates fault identification, shortens maintenance time, and improves maintenance efficiency. If one or more of the multiple force sensors are damaged, the remaining force sensors can also be used independently, resulting in high system redundancy and flexible use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a light-curing 3D printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 An exploded schematic diagram of a light-curing 3D printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cooperation between the printing platform and the mounting plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] icon:

[0034] 100-frame; 110-base; 120-side panel; 130-slide rail; 200-lifting mechanism; 210-lead screw; 220-slide plate; 230-mounting table; 240-mounting plate; 250-adjusting screw; 300-printing platform; 400-material tray; 500-force sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0036] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not require further definition or explanation in subsequent drawings.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or is the orientation or position relationship in which the invented product is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0039] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., if used, are merely used to distinguish and describe, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0041] In the prior art, only one force sensor 500 is configured on the printing platform 300, which can only obtain the pressure applied by the printing platform 300 on the surface of the material during printing. It cannot assist in the leveling operation of the printing platform 300, and it is not easy to identify the fault location, which increases the difficulty of maintenance.

[0042] In view of this, the designer provides a light-curing 3D printer, which can assist in the levelness of the printing platform 300 through the cooperation of multiple force sensors 500, and can also assist in identifying the fault location to facilitate maintenance; and the multiple force sensors 500 are used independently without interfering with each other, and the system has high redundancy.

[0043] Please combine Figure 1-Figure 3In this embodiment, the stereolithography 3D printer includes a frame 100, a lifting mechanism 200, a printing platform 300, a material tray 400, and a plurality of force sensors 500. The lifting mechanism 200 and the material tray 400 are both mounted on the frame 100. The printing platform 300 is connected to the lifting mechanism 200. The lifting mechanism 200 is used to move the printing platform 300 toward or away from the material tray 400 to adjust the distance between the printing platform 300 and the surface of the material in the material tray 400. Multiple force sensors 500 are mounted on the printing platform 300, each of which is used to detect the pressure applied by the printing platform 300 to the surface of the material.

[0044] As described above, the light-curing 3D printer provided in this embodiment works as follows:

[0045] The lifting mechanism 200 is operated to lower the force sensor 500, which contacts the bottom of the material tray 400. All force sensors 500 can obtain the pressure applied by the printing platform 300 on the material tray 400. The horizontality of the printing platform 300 is adjusted based on the pressure data obtained by all force sensors 500. During adjustment, the pressure data obtained by all force sensors 500 are basically equal or the pressure difference is within the allowable range. Alternatively, when leveling the printing platform 300, the material can be laid in the material tray 400 first. After the material is scraped flat, the printing platform 300 is lowered so that the printing platform 300 contacts the material. After the printing platform 300 is leveled, the material is laid layer by layer in the material tray 400 from bottom to top. Then, the lifting mechanism 200 is used to drive the printing platform 300 to contact the upper layer of material to perform printing. In this way, the printing operation is performed from bottom to top. The printing platform 300 can be leveled before printing, and the pressure on the printing platform 300 can be obtained through multiple force sensors 500 during the printing process, thereby facilitating the control of the printing strategy, reducing the failure rate, and improving the printing quality.

[0046] At the same time, multiple force sensors 500 can acquire pressure data at different locations, facilitating fault identification, shortening repair time, and improving repair efficiency. If one or more of the multiple force sensors 500 are damaged, the remaining force sensors 500 can still be used independently, providing high system redundancy and flexibility.

[0047] The following embodiments illustrate the detailed structure of the light-curing 3D printer of the present application by way of examples.

[0048] Please combine Figure 1-Figure 3In this embodiment, the stereolithography 3D printer optionally includes a frame 100, an elevator 200, a printing platform 300, a material tray 400, and four force sensors 500. The elevator 200 is mounted on the side of the frame 100, the printing platform 300 is mounted at the lifting end of the elevator 200, and the material tray 400 is mounted on the frame 100 and located below the printing platform 300. The four force sensors 500 are all mounted on the bottom side of the printing platform 300.

[0049] It should be understood that in other embodiments, the number of force sensors 500 is not limited to four, and this embodiment does not enumerate the number exhaustively.

[0050] In this embodiment, the frame 100 optionally includes a base 110 and side panels 120. The side panels 120 can be fixed to the top surface of the base 110 using bolts or other structural members, and the side panels 120 are arranged perpendicular to the base 110. The material tray 400 is placed on the base 110. Elevation legs can be provided between the material tray 400 and the base 110. The number of elevation legs can be multiple, for example, four, positioned between the base 110 and the material tray 400, cooperating to support the material tray 400. The height of the material tray 400 can be adaptively adjusted using the four elevation legs. Furthermore, a level can be installed on the side of the material tray 400 to observe the level of the material tray 400 and adjust the level of the material tray 400 accordingly by operating the four elevation legs. The elevation legs can be screwed to the base 110 and rotatably engage the bottom of the material tray 400. Rotating the elevation legs can raise or lower the material tray 400, making operation convenient.

[0051] It should be understood that the base 110 may be a rectangular plate, the side plate 120 may be a rectangular plate, and the side plate 120 may be fixed to the base 110 by welding.

[0052] In addition, a slide rail 130 extending in a direction perpendicular to the base 110 is provided on the side panel 120 .

[0053] In this embodiment, optionally, the lifting mechanism 200 includes a motor, a lead screw 210, a sliding plate 220, a mounting platform 230 and a mounting plate 240. The motor is fixed to the base 110, and the output shaft of the motor extends vertically, or in other words, the output shaft of the motor is arranged perpendicular to the base 110. One end of the lead screw 210 can be connected to the output shaft through a coupling, and the other end can be rotatably engaged with the side plate 120 through a bearing. After the motor is started, it can drive the lead screw 210 to rotate around its own axis. A threaded hole is provided on the sliding plate 220, and the sliding plate 220 is screwed to the outside of the lead screw 210 by means of the threaded hole, and the sliding plate 220 is slidably engaged with the slide rail 130 on the side plate 120. The slide rails 130 not only guide the sliding plate 220 for stable sliding but also prevent the sliding plate 220 from rotating relative to the side plates 120. Thus, when the lead screw 210 rotates, the sliding plate 220 is driven to move linearly relative to the side plates 120 along the slide rails 130, thereby achieving the lifting and lowering of the sliding plate 220. The mounting platform 230 can be fixed to the sliding plate 220 by bolts, and the mounting plate 240 can be fixed to the mounting platform 230 by bolts.

[0054] Please combine Figure 3 Furthermore, four adjusting screws 250 can be set on the mounting plate 240, and the four adjusting screws 250 are all screwed and fixed to the mounting plate 240. Each adjusting screw 250 can be connected to the printing platform 300, and each adjusting screw 250 corresponds to a connection position between the printing platform 300 and the mounting plate 240. In this way, the mounting plate 240 forms four connection positions with the printing platform 300 through the four adjusting screws 250, and each adjusting screw 250 can be operated independently to adjust the position of the printing platform 300 relative to the mounting plate 240, thereby realizing the adjustment of the horizontality of the printing platform 300.

[0055] It should be understood that the number of the adjusting screws 250 is not limited to four and can be designed according to requirements.

[0056] In this embodiment, optionally, the printing platform 300 is set as a rectangular plate, and the printing platform 300 is installed below the mounting plate 240. The four adjusting screws 250 are rotatably engaged with the printing platform 300, and the adjusting screws 250 and the printing platform 300 are relatively fixed in the axial direction of the adjusting screw 250. In this way, when the adjusting screw 250 is rotated, the printing platform 300 can be driven to move relative to the mounting plate 240 through the adjusting screw 250, thereby realizing the adjustment of the flatness of the printing platform 300, which is convenient for operation.

[0057] It should be understood that the adjusting screw 250 can be connected to the printing platform 300 through a bearing, and the adjusting screw 250 and the printing platform 300 can rotate flexibly.

[0058] Furthermore, each adjustment screw 250 may be provided with scale lines on its outer circumference. For example, the adjustment screw 250 may include a smooth shaft section and a threaded shaft section. One end of the smooth shaft section is rotatably connected to the printing platform 300, while the threaded shaft section is threadedly engaged with a threaded hole in the mounting plate 240. Scale lines are provided on the outer circumference of the smooth shaft section. When tightening the adjustment screw 250, the scale lines on the adjustment screw 250 can be used as a reference. The scale lines provide a more intuitive reference for the degree of adjustment, reducing difficulty and improving efficiency.

[0059] Optionally, the four force sensors 500 are all installed on the bottom surface of the printing platform 300. The four force sensors 500 are distributed at the four corners of the printing platform 300, and there is a distance between any two force sensors 500. The four force sensors 500 are distributed in a reasonable position.

[0060] In this embodiment, the stereolithography 3D printer optionally includes an alarm, which is in communication with the force sensor 500 and is configured to issue an alarm when the force value detected by the force sensor 500 exceeds a threshold. The alarm can be mounted on the side panel 120 and can be a sounder or light emitter. When the pressure value detected by the force sensor 500 exceeds the threshold, the alarm activates, sounding an alarm to remind the operator to promptly check the equipment and adjust the printing strategy, thereby reducing the probability of equipment failure.

[0061] The light-curing 3D printer provided in this embodiment has multiple force sensors 500 installed on the same side of the printing platform 300. Each force sensor 500 can operate independently. If one or more force sensors 500 fail, the remaining force sensors 500 can continue to be used to monitor the printing process, resulting in a high level of system redundancy. Furthermore, the multiple force sensors 500 can assist in leveling the printing platform 300. Leveling is easy to operate by turning the adjustment screw 250. Multiple force sensors 500 can detect the force conditions at multiple locations on the printing platform 300, facilitating identification of the fault location, reducing maintenance difficulty, and improving maintenance efficiency.

[0062] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A light-curing 3D printer, characterized in that: include: A frame (100), a lifting mechanism (200), a printing platform (300), a material tray (400) and a plurality of force sensors (500); the lifting mechanism (200) and the material tray (400) are both mounted on the frame (100), the printing platform (300) is connected to the lifting mechanism (200), and the lifting mechanism (200) is used to drive the printing platform (300) to move closer to or away from the material tray (400) to adjust the distance between the printing platform (300) and the surface of the material located in the material tray (400); the plurality of force sensors (500) are all mounted on the printing platform (300), and each of the force sensors (500) is used to obtain the pressure applied by the printing platform (300) to the surface of the material.

2. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a distance between any two force sensors (500) among the plurality of force sensors (500).

3. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The printing platform (300) is configured as a rectangular platform; the number of the force sensors (500) is four, and the four force sensors (500) are respectively distributed at the four corners of the printing platform (300).

4. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The printing platform (300) is movably connected to the lifting mechanism (200) to adjust the horizontality of the printing platform (300).

5. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (200) includes a mounting plate (240), the printing platform (300) is connected to the mounting plate (240), the printing platform (300) and the mounting plate (240) have multiple connection positions, and the printing platform (300) can move relative to the mounting plate (240) at each connection position to adjust the distance between the printing platform (300) and the mounting plate (240).

6. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of adjusting screws (250) are installed on the printing platform (300), and the plurality of adjusting screws (250) are rotatably matched with the printing platform (300), and the two are relatively fixed in the axial direction of the adjusting screws (250); the adjusting screws (250) are screwed and fixed to the mounting plate (240).

7. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 6, characterized in that: Scale lines are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the adjusting screw (250).

8. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (200) comprises a motor, a lead screw (210) and a sliding plate (220), wherein the motor is fixed to the frame (100), the lead screw (210) is connected to the output shaft of the motor, the sliding plate (220) is screwed to the lead screw (210), and the sliding plate (220) is slidably matched with the frame (100); and the printing platform (300) is mounted on the sliding plate (220).

9. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-curing 3D printer further comprises an alarm, which is communicatively connected to the force sensor (500) and is used to issue an alarm prompt when the force value obtained by the force sensor (500) is greater than a threshold value.

10. The light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The material tray (400) is movably connected to the frame (100) so that the level of the material tray (400) is adjustable.

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