Powder circulation conveying mechanism for 3D printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of 3D printing equipment, in particular to a powder circulation conveying mechanism for a 3D printer, comprising a case, the case is provided with a partition plate, the middle of the partition plate is slidably provided with a sinter molding plate in a penetrating manner along the vertical direction, and two sides of the case are respectively provided with a first discharge bin and a second discharge bin; the sinter molding plate is located between the first discharging bin and the second discharging bin, powder outlets located above the partition plate are formed in the lower portions of the opposite side walls of the first discharging bin and the second discharging bin, the partition plate is provided with two powder measuring cylinders, one powder measuring cylinder is located between the first discharging bin and the sinter molding plate, and the other powder measuring cylinder is located between the second discharging bin and the sinter molding plate. The other powder measuring cylinder is located between the second discharging bin and the sintering forming plate, the upper end face of the powder measuring cylinder is flush with the upper end face of the partition plate, an inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder is slidably connected with a lifting plate in the vertical direction, the upper end face of the partition plate is slidably connected with a powder pushing roller in the horizontal direction, and the machine box is provided with a horizontal driving assembly for driving the powder pushing roller to slide. The method has the effect of improving the printing efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of 3D printing equipment, in particular to a powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer. BACKGROUND

[0002] 3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing. It is a kind of rapid prototyping technology based on digital model files. Rapid prototyping technology includes 3DP technology, FDM fusion deposition modeling technology, SLA stereolithography technology, SLS laser sintering, DLP laser forming technology and UV ultraviolet forming technology, etc.

[0003] In SLS laser sintering, powder material (metal powder or non-metal powder) is transported by a powder feeding mechanism, and a layer of powder material is laid on the workbench by a powder laying mechanism, and then the laser is controlled by the computer to sinter the powder according to the interface contour information, and the process is repeated to form a layer-by-layer accumulation. The powder feeding mechanism in the prior art uses a single feed bin for feeding, which results in low printing efficiency, and therefore needs to be further improved. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In order to improve the printing efficiency, the present application provides a powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer.

[0005] The powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer provided by the present application adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] A powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer, comprising a cabinet, the cabinet is provided with a partition plate, a sintering forming plate is vertically slid through the middle of the partition plate, the two sides of the cabinet are respectively provided with a first feed bin and a second feed bin, the sintering forming plate is located between the first feed bin and the second feed bin, the lower part of the opposite side wall of the first feed bin and the second feed bin is respectively provided with a powder outlet located above the partition plate, the partition plate is provided with two powder measuring cylinders, one powder measuring cylinder is located between the first feed bin and the sintering forming plate, and the other powder measuring cylinder is located between the second feed bin and the sintering forming plate, the upper end surface of the powder measuring cylinder is flush with the upper end surface of the partition plate, the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder is vertically slidably connected with a lifting plate, the upper end surface of the partition plate is horizontally slidably connected with a powder pushing roller, and the cabinet is provided with a horizontal driving assembly for driving the powder pushing roller to slide.

[0007] By adopting the technical scheme, in the initial state, the lifting plates of the two powder measuring cylinders are lowered, the powder falls from the first / second discharge bin by gravity and enters the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder to be measured, the horizontal driving assembly first drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the first discharge bin, sweeps the powder above the upper end face of the powder measuring cylinder when passing through the powder measuring cylinder, then the lifting plate in the powder measuring cylinder close to the first discharge bin is raised to make the upper end face of the lifting plate flush with the upper end face of the powder measuring cylinder, the horizontal driving assembly drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the sintering forming plate, pushes the powder on the lifting plate to the sintering forming plate for laser sintering operation, at this time, the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder close to the first discharge bin starts to store powder, after completing a sintering operation, the sintering forming plate is lowered, the powder pushing roller continues to slide towards the second discharge bin to sweep and compact the powder of the powder measuring cylinder on the other side, the lifting plate close to the second discharge bin is raised after the powder pushing roller passes through the powder measuring cylinder to make the upper end face of the lifting plate flush with the upper end face of the powder measuring cylinder, the horizontal driving assembly drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the sintering forming plate, pushes the powder on the lifting plate to the sintering forming plate for laser sintering operation, and the cycle of powder feeding and sintering operation is carried out in turn, thereby improving the printing efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, the upper end face of the partition plate is fixedly connected with a pair of baffles located on the two sides of the sintering forming plate, the two baffles are distributed along the width direction of the partition plate, the upper end face of the partition plate is fixedly connected with a powder pushing guide rod located outside the baffles, the powder pushing guide rod is sleeved with a sliding block, the sliding block is fixedly connected with a powder pushing frame, and the powder pushing roller is arranged in the powder pushing frame and located between the two baffles.

[0009] By adopting the technical scheme, a pair of baffles are additionally arranged on the two sides of the sintering forming plate, which can effectively prevent the powder from spilling during the powder pushing process and improve the stability of powder transmission. Meanwhile, the powder pushing guide rod is arranged on the upper end face of the partition plate, and the stable horizontal movement of the powder pushing roller is realized through the cooperation of the sliding block and the powder pushing frame, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the powder pushing process.

[0010] Preferably, the powder pushing frame comprises a powder pushing transverse plate fixedly connected between the two sliding blocks and a connecting block fixedly connected to the lower end face of the powder pushing transverse plate and located inside the baffles, and the powder pushing roller is rotationally connected to the connecting block, the horizontal driving assembly comprises a powder pushing motor fixedly connected to the cabinet, a driving wheel fixedly connected to the output shaft of the powder pushing motor, a driven wheel rotationally connected to the cabinet, and a driving belt, one end of the powder pushing transverse plate is fixedly connected with a mounting block, one end of the driving belt is fixedly connected to the mounting block, and the other end of the driving belt is fixedly connected to the mounting block after being sequentially wound around the driving wheel and the driven wheel.

[0011] By adopting the technical scheme, the powder pushing frame is composed of a powder pushing horizontal plate and a connecting block, the powder pushing horizontal plate is in sliding fit with the powder pushing guide rod through a sliding block, and the structural stability is ensured. The powder pushing roller is rotatably connected to the connecting block, can rotate flexibly, and effectively reduces the resistance in the powder pushing process. In the horizontal driving assembly, the powder pushing motor drives the powder pushing horizontal plate to move through a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a driving belt, precise control of the horizontal displacement of the powder pushing roller is realized, and the powder leveling and compaction operation is efficiently completed.

[0012] Preferably, the baffle is fixedly connected with a rack, and the end of the powder pushing roller is coaxially fixedly sleeved with a gear, and the gear is engaged with the rack.

[0013] By adopting the technical scheme, the powder pushing roller can rotate during movement in the horizontal direction through the meshing transmission of the gear and the rack. This design not only helps the powder pushing roller to more evenly level and compact the powder, but also effectively reduces the frictional resistance between the powder pushing roller and the powder, thereby improving the stability and efficiency of the powder transmission.

[0014] Preferably, the lower end surface of the powder measuring cylinder is fixedly connected with a support, the support is fixedly penetrated with a shaft sleeve, the lower end surface of the lifting plate is fixedly connected with a polished rod which is slidably penetrated in the shaft sleeve, the lower end of the polished rod is fixedly connected with a movable plate located below the support, and the support is provided with a lifting driving assembly for driving the movable plate to slide up and down.

[0015] By adopting the technical scheme, the shaft sleeve and the polished rod are additionally provided to realize precise control of the lifting plate, ensure the accuracy and stability of the powder measurement in the powder measuring cylinder, and further improve the precision and reliability of the entire powder conveying process.

[0016] Preferably, the lifting driving assembly comprises an eccentric wheel located below the movable plate and abutting against the lower end surface of the movable plate, and a powder measuring motor fixedly connected with the support to drive the eccentric wheel to rotate, and the eccentric wheel is fixedly connected with the output shaft of the powder measuring motor.

[0017] By adopting the technical scheme, the combination of the eccentric wheel and the powder measuring motor can realize precise control of the lifting plate. When the powder measuring motor drives the eccentric wheel to rotate, the eccentric wheel periodically pushes the movable plate to move up and down, thereby driving the lifting plate to slide up and down in the powder measuring cylinder.

[0018] Preferably, the lower inner walls of the first and second discharge bins are each provided with a stirring assembly for stirring the powder.

[0019] By adopting the technical scheme, the lower inner walls of the first and second discharge bins are each provided with a stirring assembly for stirring the powder, which can effectively prevent the powder from being blocked and caked in the discharge bin, and ensure that the powder uniformly and smoothly enters the powder measuring cylinder from the powder outlet.

[0020] Preferably, the stirring assembly comprises a stirring shaft rotatably connected to the inner wall of the lower part of the material bin, a stirring vane spirally arranged on the outer wall of the stirring shaft, and a stirring motor for driving the stirring shaft to rotate.

[0021] By adopting the technical scheme, the structure of the stirring shaft and the stirring vane can uniformly stir the powder, the problem of blockage caused by powder adhesion is avoided, the driving effect of the stirring motor ensures continuous and stable stirring effect, and the stability and reliability of the powder feeding process are improved.

[0022] In summary, the utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] The powder falls from the first material bin / second material bin by gravity and enters the powder feeding cylinder inner cavity for metering from the powder outlet. The horizontal driving assembly first drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the first material bin, sweeps the powder above the upper end face of the powder feeding cylinder when passing through the powder feeding cylinder, then the lifting plate in the powder feeding cylinder close to the first material bin is moved upwards to make the upper end face of the lifting plate flush with the upper end face of the powder feeding cylinder, the horizontal driving assembly drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the sintering forming plate, pushes the powder on the lifting plate to the sintering forming plate for laser sintering operation, at this time, the powder feeding cylinder inner cavity close to the first material bin starts to store powder, after completing one sintering operation, the sintering forming plate is moved downwards, the powder pushing roller continues to slide towards the second material bin, sweeps and compacts the powder of the powder feeding cylinder on the other side, the lifting plate close to the second material bin is moved upwards after the powder pushing roller passes through the powder feeding cylinder to make the upper end face of the lifting plate flush with the upper end face of the powder feeding cylinder, the horizontal driving assembly drives the powder pushing roller to slide towards the sintering forming plate, pushes the powder on the lifting plate to the sintering forming plate for laser sintering operation, and the cycle powder feeding and sintering operation is carried out in turn to improve the printing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a whole structure schematic view of a powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structure schematic view of the partition plate and the first material bin / second material bin;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structure schematic view of a stirring assembly;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structure schematic view of the upper end face of the partition plate;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a structure schematic view of a lifting driving assembly;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a structure schematic view of a powder pushing frame.

[0030] In the figure, 1, case; 2, partition; 21, sintering forming plate; 22, baffle; 23, push powder guide rod; 24, sliding block; 25, push powder frame; 251, push powder horizontal plate; 252, connecting block; 253, mounting block; 26, push powder roller; 261, gear; 27, rack; 3, first feeding bin; 31, powder outlet; 32, stirring assembly; 321, stirring shaft; 322, stirring vane; 323, stirring motor; 4, second feeding bin; 5, powder measuring cylinder; 51, lifting plate; 52, light pole; 53, support; 531, support plate; 532, support rod; 533, shaft sleeve; 534, vertical plate; 54, movable plate; 55, lifting drive assembly; 551, eccentric wheel; 552, powder measuring motor; 6, horizontal drive assembly; 61, push powder motor; 62, driving wheel; 63, driven wheel; 64, drive belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following description will be made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-6 The application is further described in detail.

[0032] The embodiment of the application discloses a powder circulation transmission mechanism for a 3D printer, which refers to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , comprising a case 1, a horizontally arranged partition 2 is fixedly connected to the middle of the case 1, a sintering forming plate 21 is vertically slidably arranged in the middle of the partition 2, and the case 1 is provided with a sintering drive element for driving the sintering forming plate 21 to slide and lift, in this embodiment, the sintering drive element can drive the sintering forming plate 21 to slide by means of a pneumatic cylinder, and in the initial state, the upper end surface of the sintering forming plate 21 is flush with the upper end surface of the partition 2.

[0033] Referring to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , the first feeding bin 3 and the second feeding bin 4 are fixedly connected to the two sides of the case 1 and are both open at the upper part, the first feeding bin 3 and the second feeding bin 4 are the same in structure, and the first feeding bin 3 is taken as an example for description, a powder outlet 31 is formed in the lower part of the side wall of the first feeding bin 3 close to the sintering forming plate 21, the powder outlet 31 is a strip-shaped opening, the length direction of the powder outlet 31 is parallel to the width direction of the partition 2, and the powder outlet 31 is located above one side of the partition 2. The first feeding bin 3 is provided with a stirring assembly 32 for stirring powder, the stirring assembly 32 comprises a stirring shaft 321 rotatably connected to the inner wall of the lower part of the first feeding bin 3, a stirring vane 322 fixedly and spirally arranged on the outer peripheral wall of the stirring shaft 321 and a stirring motor 323 for driving the stirring shaft 321 to rotate, the stirring motor 323 is fixedly connected to the lower end surface of the first feeding bin 3, and the output shaft of the stirring motor 323 and the stirring shaft 321 are connected through a synchronous belt transmission.

[0034] Referring to Figure 4 , Figure 5Two powder measuring cylinders 5 with open upper parts are fixedly connected to the partition plate 2. One powder measuring cylinder 5 is located between the first discharge bin 3 and the sintering forming plate 21, and the other powder measuring cylinder 5 is located between the second discharge bin 4 and the sintering forming plate 21. The length direction of the powder measuring cylinder 5 is parallel to the width direction of the partition plate 2, and the upper end face of the powder measuring cylinder 5 is flush with the upper end face of the partition plate 2. A lifting plate 51 is vertically slidably connected to the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder 5. A bracket 53 is fixedly connected to the lower end face of the powder measuring cylinder 5. The bracket 53 includes a support plate 531 located below the powder measuring cylinder 5 and a support rod 532 fixedly connected between the support plate 531 and the powder measuring cylinder 5. A bushing 533 is fixedly inserted through the support plate 531, and a smooth rod 52 that slides through the bushing 533 is fixedly connected to the lower end face of the lifting plate 51. A movable plate 54 located below the support plate 531 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the smooth rod 52.

[0035] A vertical plate 534 is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate 531. The vertical plate 534 is provided with a lifting drive assembly 55 for driving the movable plate 54 to move up and down. The lifting drive assembly 55 includes an eccentric wheel 551 located below the movable plate 54 and abutting against the lower end face of the movable plate 54, and a powder metering motor 552 fixedly connected to the vertical plate 534 to drive the eccentric wheel 551 to rotate. The eccentric wheel 551 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the powder metering motor 552.

[0036] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 6 A baffle 22 is fixedly connected to the upper end face of the partition 2. The length direction of the baffle 22 is parallel to the length direction of the partition 2. Two baffles 22 are provided and located on both sides of the sintered plate 21. A powder pushing guide rod 23 located outside the baffle 22 is fixedly connected to the upper end face of the partition 2. The axial direction of the powder pushing guide rod 23 is parallel to the length direction of the baffle 22. A slider 24 is slidably sleeved on the powder pushing guide rod 23. A powder pushing frame 25 is fixedly connected between the two sliders 24. The powder pushing frame 25 includes a powder pushing horizontal plate 251 fixedly connected between the two sliders 24 and a connecting block 252 fixedly connected to the lower end face of the powder pushing horizontal plate 251 and located inside the baffle 22. A powder pushing roller 26 is rotatably connected to the connecting block 252. The axial direction of the powder pushing roller 26 is parallel to the width direction of the partition 2. Under normal conditions, the lower peripheral wall of the powder pushing roller 26 abuts against the upper end face of the partition 2. A rack 27 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the inner side wall of one of the baffles 22. The length direction of the rack 27 is parallel to the length direction of the baffle 22. A gear 261 is coaxially fixedly sleeved at the end of the powder pushing roller 26. The gear 261 meshes with the rack 27.

[0037] The partition plate 2 is provided with a horizontal drive assembly 6 for driving the powder pushing frame 25 to slide, the horizontal drive assembly 6 comprises a powder pushing motor 61 fixedly connected to the cabinet 1, a driving wheel 62 fixedly connected to an output shaft of the powder pushing motor 61, a driven wheel 63 rotatably connected to the cabinet 1 and a driving belt 64, one end of a powder pushing transverse plate 251 is fixedly connected with a mounting block 253, one end of the driving belt 64 is fixedly connected to the mounting block 253, and the other end of the driving belt 64 is fixedly connected to the mounting block 253 after being sequentially arranged on the driving wheel 62 and the driven wheel 63.

[0038] The implementation principle of the powder circulation transmission mechanism of the 3D printer according to the embodiment of the application is as follows: in the initial state, the powder pushing roller 26 is located between the sintering forming plate 21 and the powder measuring cylinder 5, the lifting plates 51 of the two powder measuring cylinders 5 are lowered, the powder is dropped from the first powder discharge bin 3 / second powder discharge bin 4 by gravity and enters the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder 5 through the powder outlet 31 for metering, the horizontal drive assembly 6 first drives the powder pushing roller 26 to slide towards the first powder discharge bin 3, sweeps the powder higher than the upper end surface of the powder measuring cylinder 5 when passing through the powder measuring cylinder 5, then the lifting plate 51 in the powder measuring cylinder 5 close to the first powder discharge bin 3 is raised to make the upper end surface of the lifting plate 51 flush with the upper end surface of the powder measuring cylinder 5, the horizontal drive assembly 6 drives the powder pushing roller 26 to slide towards the sintering forming plate 21, pushes the powder on the lifting plate 51 to the sintering forming plate 21 for laser sintering operation, at this time, the inner cavity of the powder measuring cylinder 5 close to the first powder discharge bin 3 starts to store powder, after completing the sintering operation, the sintering forming plate 21 is lowered, the powder pushing roller 26 continues to slide towards the second powder discharge bin 4, sweeps and compacts the powder of the powder measuring cylinder 5 on the other side, the lifting plate 51 close to the second powder discharge bin 4 is raised after the powder pushing roller 26 passes through the powder measuring cylinder 5 to make the upper end surface of the lifting plate 51 flush with the upper end surface of the powder measuring cylinder 5, the horizontal drive assembly 6 drives the powder pushing roller 26 to slide towards the sintering forming plate 21, pushes the powder on the lifting plate 51 to the sintering forming plate 21 for laser sintering operation, and the cycle of powder feeding and sintering operation is sequentially and repeatedly performed to improve the printing efficiency.

[0039] The above are preferred embodiments of the application, which do not limit the protection scope of the application, therefore: any equivalent changes made on the structure, shape and principle of the application should be covered within the protection scope of the application.

Claims

1. A powder circulation transfer mechanism for a 3D printer, characterized by: The utility model provides a kind of sintering forming plate and powder feeding device, including cabinet (1), the cabinet (1) is provided with partition (2), and the middle part of partition (2) is vertically slid and is provided with sintering forming plate (21), the two sides of the cabinet (1) are provided with first discharge bin (3) and second discharge bin (4) respectively, and sintering forming plate (21) is located between first discharge bin (3) and second discharge bin (4), the lower part of the opposite side wall of first discharge bin (3) and second discharge bin (4) is all provided with the powder outlet (31) located above partition (2), and partition (2) is provided with two powder measuring cylinder (5), one powder measuring cylinder (5) is located between first discharge bin (3) and sintering forming plate (21), and another powder measuring cylinder (5) is located between second discharge bin (4) and sintering forming plate (21), the upper end surface of powder measuring cylinder (5) is flush with the upper end surface of partition (2), and the inner chamber of powder measuring cylinder (5) is vertically slid and connected with lifting plate (51), and the upper end surface of partition (2) is horizontally slid and connected with powder pushing roller (26), and the cabinet (1) is provided with horizontal drive assembly (6) for driving powder pushing roller (26) to slide.

2. The powder circulating and conveying mechanism for a 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the partition (2) is fixedly connected with a pair of baffles (22) located on both sides of the sintering forming plate (21), the two baffles (22) are distributed along the width direction of the partition (2), the upper end surface of the partition (2) is fixedly connected with a powder pushing guide rod (23) located outside the baffles (22), the powder pushing guide rod (23) is slidably sleeved with a sliding block (24), the sliding block (24) is fixedly connected with a powder pushing frame (25), and the powder pushing roller (26) is arranged in the powder pushing frame (25) and located between the two baffles (22).

3. The powder circulating and conveying mechanism for a 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The powder pushing frame (25) includes a powder pushing cross plate (251) fixedly connected between the two sliding blocks (24) and a connecting block (252) fixedly connected to the lower end surface of the powder pushing cross plate (251) and located inside the baffles (22), and the powder pushing roller (26) is rotatably connected to the connecting block (252). The horizontal drive assembly (6) includes a powder pushing motor (61) fixedly connected to the cabinet (1), a driving wheel (62) fixedly connected to the output shaft of the powder pushing motor (61), a driven wheel (63) rotatably connected to the cabinet (1), and a drive belt (64). One end of the powder pushing cross plate (251) is fixedly connected with a mounting block (253), one end of the drive belt (64) is fixedly connected to the mounting block (253), and the other end of the drive belt (64) is sequentially wound around the driving wheel (62), the driven wheel (63), and then fixedly connected to the mounting block (253).

4. The powder circulating and conveying mechanism for a 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The baffle (22) is fixedly connected with a rack (27), and the end of the powder pushing roller (26) is coaxially fixedly sleeved with a gear (261), and the gear (261) is engaged with the rack (27).

5. The powder circulating and transferring mechanism for 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The lower end surface of the powder measuring cylinder (5) is fixedly connected with a bracket (53), the bracket (53) is fixedly provided with a shaft sleeve (533), the lower end surface of the lifting plate (51) is fixedly connected with a light rod (52) slidably provided in the shaft sleeve (533), the lower end of the light rod (52) is fixedly connected with a movable plate (54) located below the bracket (53), and the bracket (53) is provided with a lifting drive assembly (55) for driving the movable plate (54) to slide up and down.

6. The powder circulating and conveying mechanism for a 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting driving assembly (55) comprises an eccentric wheel (551) located below the movable plate (54) and abutting against the lower end surface of the movable plate (54), and a powder metering motor (552) fixedly connected to the support (53) to drive the eccentric wheel (551) to rotate, and the eccentric wheel (551) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the powder metering motor (552).

7. The powder circulating and transferring mechanism for 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The lower inner walls of the first and second discharge bins (3 and 4) are provided with stirring assemblies (32) for stirring the powder.

8. The powder circulating and conveying mechanism for a 3D printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The stirring assembly (32) comprises a stirring shaft (321) rotatably connected to the lower inner wall of the discharge bin, stirring vanes (322) spirally wound on the outer peripheral wall of the stirring shaft (321), and a stirring motor (323) for driving the stirring shaft (321) to rotate.

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