Scraper of 3D printer and 3D printer

Abstract

The utility model provides a 3D printer's scraper suitable for printing low fluidity material, the scraper is used for moving along the moving direction to scrape the low fluidity material in the material trough of 3D printer, the scraper comprises a base part, the base part is provided with an accommodation groove, the lower end of the accommodation groove is provided with an outlet, and the outlet is provided with an opening. The side wall of the containing groove is provided with a backflow opening allowing the low-fluidity material to flow back into the containing groove, the lowest position of the backflow opening is higher than the bottom of the side wall, and the side wall is located on the side, relative to the moving direction, of the base part. According to the utility model, redundant materials can be quickly and repeatedly utilized, and the waste of the materials is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of 3D printer technology, and in particular to a scraper for printing low-flow materials and a 3D printer. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printers use photopolymerization to cure photopolymer resin material layer by layer to create three-dimensional objects. Many 3D printers employ immersion printing, where the forming platform is immersed in flowing resin and brought close to the curing light source below. After each layer is cured, the forming platform is lifted a certain distance before curing continues. This printing method is suitable for resins with good flowability.

[0003] Resins with good flowability generally produce 3D objects with lower strength. Therefore, it's necessary to add solid particles, such as ceramic or metal particles, to the resin to improve strength. Adding these particles reduces the resin's flowability, making immersion printing impossible. In this case, a squeegee is used to smooth out each layer of resin before curing.

[0004] CN219338598U discloses a 3D printing device for paste-like materials. A feeding trough is provided on one side of the printing platform, and a collecting trough is provided on the other side of the printing platform. When the scraper moves, it scrapes the excess paste-like material into the collecting trough. The excess paste-like material cannot be reused, resulting in material waste. Utility Model Content

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a scraper for a 3D printer that prints low-flow materials, as well as a 3D printer that can quickly reuse excess material and reduce material waste.

[0006] This invention provides a scraper for a 3D printer suitable for printing low-flow materials. The scraper is used to move along a moving direction to smooth the low-flow material in the material tray of the 3D printer. The scraper includes a base with a receiving groove on the base. The lower end of the receiving groove has an outlet. The side wall of the receiving groove has a return port for the low-flow material to flow back into the receiving groove. The lowest point of the return port is higher than the bottom of the side wall, which is located on the side of the base relative to the moving direction.

[0007] Furthermore, the receiving groove has two sidewalls arranged opposite to each other, and each sidewall is provided with a return port. The return port on one sidewall and the return port on the other sidewall are offset in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the receiving tank is provided with a filter screen, the position of which corresponds to the return port.

[0009] Furthermore, the filter screen is parallel to the bottom of the sidewall, and the filter screen is located between the lowest point of the return port and the bottom of the sidewall.

[0010] Furthermore, the filter can be heated.

[0011] Furthermore, the sidewall is provided with a scraper, the scraper including a curved portion whose end gradually bends downward and outward, the curved portion bending upward when it contacts the inner sidewall of the trough.

[0012] Furthermore, the lowest point of the scraper is a predetermined distance above the bottom of the sidewall.

[0013] This utility model also provides a 3D printer suitable for printing low-flow materials, including a material trough. The 3D printer also includes the aforementioned scraper, which is disposed in the material trough and can move along the moving direction so that the sidewall approaches or moves away from the inner sidewall of the material trough. When the scraper approaches the inner sidewall of the material trough, an excess material collection space is formed between the sidewall and the inner sidewall.

[0014] Furthermore, the sidewall is provided with a scraper, the scraper including a curved portion that gradually bends outward from the bottom, and a guide slope is provided below the inner sidewall of the material trough, the guide slope being used to guide the curved portion to bend upward when the scraper approaches the inner sidewall of the material trough.

[0015] Furthermore, the scraper is provided with an opening above it, and the 3D printer also includes a material supply mechanism. When the scraper approaches the inner wall of the material trough, the discharge port of the material supply mechanism is located above the opening and supplies material into the receiving trough.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: when material is added to the receiving groove of the scraper, the material will flow out from the outlet at the bottom of the receiving groove. When the scraper moves in the material tank of the 3D printer, the scraper will flatten the material, and the accumulated excess material will flow back into the receiving groove from the return port on the side wall. This allows the excess material to be reused quickly and reduces material waste. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the 3D printer of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the scraper from one side of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the scraper from another side of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper moving in the material trough according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model. It is understood that the accompanying drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the present utility model. The connection relationships shown in the drawings are only for clear description and do not limit the connection method.

[0023] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component, or there may be an intervening component. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, as a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; as a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; or as a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention.

[0024] It should also be noted that in the description of this utility model, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] See Figure 1As shown, a specific embodiment of this utility model provides a 3D printer 100 suitable for printing low-flow materials. The 3D printer 100 includes a light source (not shown), a material trough 10, a scraper 20, a moving mechanism 30, a forming platform 40, and a lifting mechanism 50.

[0026] The light source is used to photocur the material in the material tank 10. The light source is located below the material tank 10 and emits light into the material tank 10.

[0027] The scraper 20 is mounted on the moving mechanism 30 and spaced apart from the bottom surface 11 of the material trough 10. The moving mechanism 30 drives the scraper 20 to move along the moving direction in the material trough 10 to flatten the low-flow material in the material trough 10.

[0028] The forming platform 40 is raised or lowered by the lifting mechanism 50 to move closer to or further away from the material trough 10. After the scraper 20 flattens the material, the forming platform 40 is pressed against the material. Then, the light source irradiates the material, causing the material to solidify and form a cured layer that adheres to the forming platform 40. The lifting mechanism 50 then raises the forming platform 40, and the scraper 20 is moved to flatten another layer of material before the cured layer is pressed against the material again. The process is repeated until a printed three-dimensional object is obtained.

[0029] Among them, see Figure 2-4 As shown, the scraper 20 includes a base 21, on which a receiving groove 22 is provided, and the lower end of the receiving groove 22 has an outlet 23. The receiving groove 22 is used to receive low-flow-rate material, which flows out of the receiving groove 22 from the outlet 23 and is then scraped flat by the scraper 20.

[0030] The sidewall 221 of the receiving tank 22 is provided with a return port 222 for the low flow material to flow back into the receiving tank 22. The lowest point of the return port 222 is higher than the bottom of the sidewall 221. The sidewall 221 is on the side of the base 21 relative to the direction of movement.

[0031] See Figure 4 As shown, when the scraper 20 moves in the material trough 10 of the 3D printer 100, the accumulated excess material is pushed to one side by the scraper 20 and then flows back into the receiving trough 22 from the return port 222 on the side wall 221. This allows the excess material to be reused quickly, reducing material waste.

[0032] The base 21 may be generally flat, and the receiving groove 22 has two side walls 221 arranged opposite to each other. Each side wall 221 is provided with a return port 222. The return port 222 on one side wall 221 and the return port 222 on the other side wall 221 are offset in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

[0033] As the scraper 20 moves back and forth in the material trough 10 to scrape the material, excess material will accumulate on both sides. The excess material on both sides will flow back into the receiving trough 22 from the return ports 222 on the two side walls 221 respectively. Since the material has low fluidity, the return ports 222 on the two side walls 221 are staggered to allow the material to flow evenly from the two side walls 221 into the receiving trough 22, avoiding the accumulation of material in the same position in the receiving trough 22 and affecting the scraping of the material.

[0034] The receiving tank 22 is equipped with a filter screen 24, which is located corresponding to the return port 222. Some solid residues left after photocuring will mix into the excess material. The filter screen 24 can filter out the solid residues and prevent them from affecting the printing effect.

[0035] Specifically, the filter screen 24 is parallel to the bottom of the side wall 221, and is located between the lowest point of the return port 222 and the bottom of the side wall 221. The filter screen 24 can be heated, and it not only filters residues, but also, during the movement of the scraper 20, it can uniformly heat the material stored in the receiving tank 22, and heat the scraped material to improve printing accuracy.

[0036] Furthermore, the sidewall 221 is provided with scraper blades 25, which can be installed on both sides of the sidewall 221 respectively. The scraper blades 25 are arranged along the sidewall 221, and each scraper blade 25 may include a mounting part 251 and a bending part 252. The mounting part 251 is installed on the sidewall 221, and the end of the bending part 252 gradually bends downward and outward. When the bending part 252 contacts the inner sidewall 12 of the trough 10, it bends upward.

[0037] When the scraper 20 approaches the inner wall 12 of the material trough 10, an excess material collection space S1 is formed between the scraper 20 and the inner wall 12 of the material trough 10. The excess material is squeezed and flows back from the return port 222 into the receiving trough 22. The curved part 252 gradually bends upward, and the curved part 252 further lifts the material so that the material is closer to the return port 222. In this way, more material can flow back from the return port 222 into the receiving trough 22, further reducing material waste.

[0038] The lowest point of the scraper 25 can be higher than the bottom of the side wall 221 by a predetermined distance. A cavity S2 is formed between the scraper 25 and the side wall 221. When the scraper 20 moves, the scraper 25 on the front side of the moving direction will scrape off the excess material outside the scraper 20 in advance. This process causes a portion of the excess material to reach above the bend 252. This portion of the material is lifted by the bend 252 and flows back into the receiving groove 22 from the return port 222. The other portion of the excess material... The material will enter the chamber S2 through the gap S3 between the curved part 252 and the bottom surface 11 of the material trough 10 and be pre-stored in the chamber S2. This part of the material pre-stored in the chamber S2 can be used as a compensating material. During the process of the external material entering the gap S3, the material that was not uniform will be dispersed to both ends at the gap S3. The part of the material that enters the chamber S2 will be scraped flat by the side wall 221, so that the material can be scraped flatter by the scraper 20.

[0039] A guide slope 13 may be provided below the inner wall 12 of the material trough 10. The guide slope 13 is used to guide the curved part 252 to bend upward when the scraper 20 approaches the inner wall 12 of the material trough 10.

[0040] See Figure 1 As shown, an opening 27 can be provided above the scraper 20. A material supply mechanism 60 is provided on the 3D printer 100. When the scraper 20 is close to the inner wall 12 of the material trough 10, the discharge port of the material supply mechanism 60 is located above the opening 27 and supplies material into the receiving groove 22, so that material can be continuously supplied to the scraper 20.

[0041] In the specification and claims of this application, the terms "comprising / including" and "having / including" and variations thereof are used to specify the presence of the stated features, values, steps or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, components or combinations thereof.

[0042] Some features of this invention are described in different embodiments for clarity; however, these features may also be described in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, some features of this invention are described only in a single embodiment for brevity; however, these features may also be described individually or in any suitable combination in different embodiments.

[0043] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A scraper for a 3D printer, the 3D printer being suitable for printing low-flowability materials, the scraper being used to move along a moving direction to smooth the low-flowability material in the feed trough of the 3D printer, characterized in that, The scraper includes a base with a receiving groove on the base. The lower end of the receiving groove has an outlet. The side wall of the receiving groove has a return port for the low-flow material to flow back into the receiving groove. The lowest point of the return port is higher than the bottom of the side wall. The side wall is on the side of the base relative to the direction of movement.

2. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving tank has two sidewalls arranged opposite to each other, and each sidewall is provided with a return port. The return port on one sidewall and the return port on the other sidewall are offset in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

3. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving tank is equipped with a filter screen, and the position of the filter screen corresponds to the return port.

4. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The filter screen is parallel to the bottom of the sidewall, and the filter screen is located between the lowest point of the return port and the bottom of the sidewall.

5. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 4, characterized in that, The filter can be heated.

6. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidewall is provided with a scraper, which includes a curved portion whose end gradually bends downward and outward. When the curved portion contacts the inner sidewall of the trough, it bends upward.

7. The scraper for a 3D printer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lowest point of the scraper is a predetermined distance above the bottom of the sidewall.

8. A 3D printer suitable for printing low-flowability materials, the 3D printer comprising a feed trough, characterized in that, The 3D printer further includes a scraper as described in any one of claims 1-7, the scraper being disposed in the material trough and movable along the moving direction such that the sidewall approaches or moves away from the inner sidewall of the material trough, and when the scraper approaches the inner sidewall of the material trough, an excess material collection space is formed between the sidewall and the inner sidewall.

9. The 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sidewall is provided with a scraper, the scraper including a curved portion that gradually bends outward from the bottom. The inner sidewall of the material trough is provided with a guide slope, which is used to guide the curved portion to bend upward when the scraper approaches the inner sidewall of the material trough.

10. The 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The scraper has an opening above it, and the 3D printer also includes a material supply mechanism. When the scraper approaches the inner wall of the material trough, the discharge port of the material supply mechanism is located above the opening and supplies material into the receiving trough.

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