Ball type contact tube
By using a ball-bearing conductive tip in the arc printing equipment, the contact form between the filament and the conductive tip is changed to rolling friction. A ball retainer and a wear-resistant plug are installed inside the conductive tip, which solves the problem of severe wear of the conductive tip, improves its service life and enhances the efficiency of arc printing.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423282458.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-30
AI Technical Summary
The conductive nozzles in arc printing equipment suffer from material softening and severe wear due to heat generated by electrical contact, resulting in a short service life.
The ball-type conductive tip design changes the contact between the wire and the conductive tip from sliding friction to rolling friction, and a ball retainer and wear-resistant plug are set in the wire guide hole to reduce wear.
It reduces wear on the conductive tip, extends its service life, improves arc printing efficiency, and lowers operating costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN223863015U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of additive manufacturing and relates to a conductive nozzle, particularly a ball-type conductive nozzle used in arc printing equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Arc additive manufacturing utilizes an electric arc as a heat source to melt metal wires or powders, continuously transferring the molten metal as droplets along a predetermined path to form metal components. Compared to lasers and electron beams, arc additive manufacturing offers higher forming efficiency and lower material requirements, exhibiting significant advantages in forming large-size, multi-dimensional, heterogeneous components. However, the conductive nozzles in arc printing equipment suffer from the following problems: 1) Electrical contact heating softens the nozzle material, leading to decreased wear resistance and reduced lifespan; 2) Prolonged contact and friction (hard friction) between the wire and the inner wall of the nozzle causes severe wear and shortens its lifespan. Utility Model Content
[0003] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems in the background art, the present invention provides a ball-type conductive tip that can reduce the wear of the conductive tip by the wire and improve the service life of the conductive tip.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0005] A ball-type conductive nozzle, characterized in that: the ball-type conductive nozzle includes a conductive nozzle body and a ball; a guide wire through hole is provided on the conductive nozzle body along the axial direction of the conductive nozzle body; a wire is placed in the guide wire through hole and moves along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole; the ball is placed in the guide wire through hole and is tangent to the wire.
[0006] The aforementioned balls are one or more. When there are multiple balls, the multiple balls are arranged from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire respectively; or, the multiple balls are arranged radially along the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire respectively.
[0007] The aforementioned multiple balls are evenly or non-evenly distributed from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire, or the multiple balls are evenly or non-evenly distributed along the radial direction of the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire.
[0008] When the aforementioned multiple balls are arranged along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole, the multiple balls form one or more rows of ball groups; the multiple rows of ball groups are evenly or non-evenly distributed along the radial direction of the guide wire through hole, and the inscribed circle formed by the cross-section of the multiple rows of ball groups is tangent to the wire.
[0009] The aforementioned ball-type conductive nozzle further includes a ball retainer arranged axially along the guide wire through hole; preferably, a dovetail groove is axially arranged inside the conductive nozzle body, the ball retainer is disposed in the dovetail groove, and the ball is disposed on the ball retainer; preferably, there are one or more ball retainers, the number of ball retainers matches the number of rows of ball groups, and the multiple ball retainers are evenly or non-evenly distributed along the radial direction of the guide wire through hole.
[0010] When the aforementioned multiple balls are arranged radially along the guide wire through hole, the multiple balls form one or more ball sets; the inscribed circle formed by the cross-section of each ball set is tangent to the wire.
[0011] The aforementioned ball-type conductive tip also includes a stabilizing element placed inside the guide wire through hole; the ball is disposed on the stabilizing element; the stabilizing element is a groove formed in the inner wall of the guide wire through hole and / or a ball retainer disposed radially inside the guide wire through hole; the ball is embedded in the groove and tangent to the wire; or, the ball is disposed on the ball retainer and tangent to the wire; or, the ball is embedded in the groove through the ball retainer and tangent to the wire.
[0012] When the aforementioned stabilizing element is a groove formed in the inner wall of the guide wire through hole, the cross-section of the groove is arc-shaped; there are one or more grooves, and when there are multiple grooves, the multiple grooves are arranged in parallel from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole; the number of grooves matches the number of layers of the ball assembly; when the stabilizing element is a ball retainer arranged radially inside the guide wire through hole, there are one or more ball retainers, and when there are multiple ball retainers, the multiple ball retainers are arranged in parallel from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole; the number of ball retainers matches the number of layers of the ball assembly.
[0013] When the aforementioned stabilizing component is a ball retainer disposed inside the guide wire through hole, the stabilizing component further includes a connecting component disposed along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole; multiple ball retainers are connected by the connecting component.
[0014] The aforementioned ball-type conductive nozzle also includes a bottom wear-resistant plug placed inside the guide wire through hole and close to the bottom of the guide wire through hole, and a top wear-resistant plug placed inside the guide wire through hole and close to the top of the guide wire through hole; the top wear-resistant plug, the ball, and the bottom wear-resistant plug are arranged sequentially from top to bottom.
[0015] The advantages of this utility model are:
[0016] This invention provides a ball-bearing conductive tip, comprising a conductive tip body and a ball bearing. A guide wire through-hole is provided on the conductive tip body along its axial direction. A wire is placed in the guide wire through-hole and moves along its axial direction. The ball bearing is placed in the guide wire through-hole and tangential to the wire. This invention, by installing a ball bearing inside the conductive tip, changes the contact between the wire and the conductive tip from sliding friction to rolling friction, reducing the wear on the guide wire through-hole, effectively extending the service life of the conductive tip, reducing its operating cost, and improving arc printing efficiency. Furthermore, this invention adds a bottom wear-resistant plug and a top wear-resistant plug in the guide wire through-hole, particularly near the bottom and top of the through-hole. Both wear-resistant plugs are made of wear-resistant and high-temperature-resistant copper alloy, allowing the conductive tip to withstand higher temperatures and preventing material softening and reduced wear resistance due to high temperatures, thus effectively extending the service life of the conductive tip. Attached Figure Description
[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model;
[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model.
[0019] Figure 3 This is a top view (without a top wear-resistant plug) structural schematic diagram of the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model;
[0020] in:
[0021] 1-Top wear-resistant plug; 2-Conductive nozzle body; 3-Ball retainer; 4-Ball; 5-Bottom wear-resistant plug. Detailed Implementation
[0022] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 This invention provides a ball-bearing conductive tip, comprising a conductive tip body 2 and a ball bearing 4. A guide wire through-hole is provided on the conductive tip body 2 along its axial direction. A wire is placed in the guide wire through-hole and moves along its axial direction. The ball bearing 4 is placed in the guide wire through-hole and tangential to the wire. By installing a ball bearing inside the conductive tip, this invention changes the contact between the wire and the conductive tip from sliding friction to rolling friction, reducing the wear on the guide wire through-hole, effectively extending the service life of the conductive tip, reducing its operating cost, and improving arc printing efficiency.
[0023] For example, there may be one or more balls 4. When there are multiple balls 4, they are arranged from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire, or they are arranged radially along the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire. That is, the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model adopts two different ball arrangement methods. Further, the multiple balls 4 are evenly or non-evenly distributed from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire, or they are evenly or non-evenly distributed radially along the guide wire through hole and are tangent to the wire.
[0024] When multiple balls 4 are arranged axially along the guide wire through hole, they form one or more rows of ball sets. The multiple rows of ball sets are evenly or non-evenly distributed radially along the guide wire through hole, and the inscribed circle formed by the cross-section of the multiple rows of ball sets is tangent to the wire. To prevent the balls 4 from shifting, the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model also includes a ball retainer 3 arranged axially along the guide wire through hole. A dovetail groove is axially provided inside the conductive nozzle body 2, and the ball retainer 3 is disposed in the dovetail groove, with the balls 4 disposed on the ball retainer 3. Preferably, there are one or more ball retainers 3, and the number of ball retainers 3 matches the number of rows of ball sets. The multiple ball retainers 3 are evenly or non-evenly distributed radially along the guide wire through hole.
[0025] When multiple balls 4 are arranged radially along the guide wire through hole, the multiple balls 4 form one or more ball sets; the inscribed circle formed by the cross-section of each ball set is tangent to the wire. For example, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, the ball 4 is a layer, and each layer of ball assembly includes 3 balls 4. The 3 balls 4 are evenly distributed on the outside of the guide wire and are tangent to the guide wire. The 3 balls 4 form an equilateral triangle structure.
[0026] To prevent the balls from moving inside the wire through-hole, the ball-type conductive nozzle provided by this utility model also includes a stabilizing element placed inside the wire through-hole; the balls 4 are disposed on the stabilizing element. For example, the stabilizing element is a groove formed in the inner wall of the wire through-hole and / or a ball retainer 3 disposed radially inside the wire through-hole. When the stabilizing element is a groove, the balls 4 are embedded in the groove and tangent to the wire. For example, when the stabilizing element is a groove formed in the inner wall of the wire through-hole, the groove has an arc-shaped cross-section, and the balls 4 are placed in the arc-shaped groove. The groove limits the movement of the balls 4, preventing them from moving or escaping. There may be one or more grooves. When there are multiple grooves, they are arranged in parallel from top to bottom along the axial direction of the wire through-hole; the number of grooves matches the number of sets of balls 4. When the stabilizing element is a ball retainer 3, the ball retainer 3 is provided with dovetail grooves distributed at equal angles and having a dovetail-shaped cross-section. The balls 4 are embedded in the dovetail grooves and tangent to the wire, such as... Figure 3As shown. For example, the ball cage 3 employs three sets of dovetail grooves, meaning each ball cage 3 is fitted with three balls 4, and the diameter of the inscribed circle formed by the three balls is the diameter of the wire. When the stabilizer is a ball cage 3 disposed inside the guide wire through-hole, there can be one or more ball cages 3. When there are multiple ball cages 3, they are arranged in parallel from top to bottom along the axial direction of the guide wire through-hole. In this case, to prevent the ball cages 3 from shifting, the stabilizer also includes a connector arranged along the axial direction of the guide wire through-hole; multiple ball cages 3 are connected by the connector. Alternatively, when the stabilizer has both grooves and ball cages 3, the balls 4 are embedded in the grooves through the ball cages 3 and are tangential to the wire. The structure of the ball cage 3 is similar to that of a bearing cage.
[0027] by Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 Taking the structure shown as an example, when the wire passes through the guide hole formed by the inscribed circles of three rows of balls from top to bottom, on the one hand, the balls can transmit current to the wire; on the other hand, the balls can rotate 360° to contact the wire, reducing the friction between the wire and the inner wall of the conductive tip, reducing the wear of the conductive tip, and improving the service life of the conductive tip.
[0028] See Figure 2 The ball-type conductive nozzle also includes a bottom wear-resistant plug 5 located inside the guide wire through-hole and near the bottom of the guide wire through-hole, and a top wear-resistant plug 1 located inside the guide wire through-hole and near the top of the guide wire through-hole. Both the bottom wear-resistant plug 5 and the top wear-resistant plug 1 are wear-resistant parts made of wear-resistant and high-temperature resistant copper alloy, and are fixed by being pressed into the holes at the upper and lower ends of the conductive nozzle. On the one hand, they are used to limit the movement of the ball retainer; on the other hand, they are used to maintain the direction of the wire and prevent the wire from deviating in direction when entering and exiting the conductive nozzle.
Claims
1. A ball-type electrically conductive tip, characterized by: The ball type conductive nozzle comprises a conductive nozzle body (2) and a ball (4); the conductive nozzle body (2) is provided with a wire guide hole in the axial direction of the conductive nozzle body (2); the wire is placed in the wire guide hole and moves in the axial direction of the wire guide hole; the ball (4) is placed in the wire guide hole and is tangent to the wire.
2. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 1, characterized by: The ball (4) is one or more, when the ball (4) is multiple, the multiple balls (4) are arranged from top to bottom in the axial direction of the wire guide hole and are respectively tangent to the wire, or the multiple balls (4) are arranged in the radial direction of the wire guide hole and are respectively tangent to the wire.
3. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 2, characterized by: The multiple balls (4) are arranged in the axial direction of the wire guide hole and are respectively tangent to the wire.
4. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 3, characterized by: When the multiple balls (4) are arranged in the axial direction of the wire guide hole, the multiple balls (4) form one or more ball groups; the multiple ball groups are arranged in the radial direction of the wire guide hole and the cross section of the multiple ball groups forms an inscribed circle tangent to the wire.
5. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 4, characterized by: The ball type conductive nozzle further comprises a ball retainer (3) arranged in the axial direction of the wire guide hole.
6. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 5, characterized by: The inside of the conductive nozzle body (2) is provided with a dovetail groove in the axial direction, the ball retainer (3) is arranged in the dovetail groove, and the ball (4) is arranged on the ball retainer (3).
7. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 6, characterized by: The ball retainer (3) is one or more, the number of the ball retainer (3) matches the number of the ball groups, and the multiple ball retainers (3) are arranged in the radial direction of the wire guide hole.
8. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 3, characterized by: When the multiple balls (4) are arranged in the radial direction of the wire guide hole, the multiple balls (4) form one or more ball groups; the cross section of each ball group forms an inscribed circle tangent to the wire.
9. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 8, characterized by: The ball type conductive nozzle further comprises a stabilizing member arranged in the wire guide hole; the ball (4) is arranged on the stabilizing member; the stabilizing member is a groove opened in the inner wall of the wire guide hole and / or a ball retainer (3) arranged in the wire guide hole in the radial direction; the ball (4) is embedded in the groove and tangent to the wire; or the ball (4) is arranged on the ball retainer (3) and tangent to the wire; or the ball (4) is embedded in the groove through the ball retainer (3) and tangent to the wire.
10. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 9, characterized by: When the stabilizing member is a groove opened in the inner wall of the wire guide hole, the cross section of the groove is arc-shaped; the groove is one or more, when the groove is multiple, the multiple grooves are arranged in the axial direction of the wire guide hole from top to bottom in sequence and in parallel; the number of the groove matches the number of the ball groups; when the stabilizing member is a ball retainer (3) arranged in the wire guide hole in the radial direction, the ball retainer (3) is one or more, when the ball retainer (3) is multiple, the multiple ball retainers (3) are arranged in the axial direction of the wire guide hole from top to bottom in sequence and in parallel; the number of the ball retainer (3) matches the number of the ball groups.
11. The ball-type contact tip according to claim 10, characterized by: When the stabilizing member is a ball cage (3) arranged inside the wire hole, the stabilizing member further comprises a connecting member arranged along the axial direction of the wire hole; and a plurality of ball cages (3) are connected by the connecting member.
12. The ball-type contact tip according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by: The ball-type electrically conductive nozzle further comprises a bottom wear-resistant plug (5) arranged inside the wire hole and close to the bottom of the wire hole, and a top wear-resistant plug (1) arranged inside the wire hole and close to the top of the wire hole; the top wear-resistant plug (1), the ball (4) and the bottom wear-resistant plug (5) are arranged in sequence from top to bottom.