Device facilitating cleaning of metal 3D printing filter element
By setting up four layers of adjustment components and a conical boss structure inside the filter element, the air pressure is balanced, which solves the problem of insufficient filter element cleaning and achieves complete cleaning and efficient use of the filter element.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-10
AI Technical Summary
When cleaning existing filter cartridges using positive pressure inflation, the pressure difference can lead to insufficient cleaning in certain areas.
Design a device that includes a filter chamber and a filter element. Set the adjustment component as a four-layer structure. Use conical protrusions to guide the gas and adjust the air pressure through the vent opening to ensure that the air pressure of each layer is balanced and avoid pressure difference.
It achieves complete cleaning of the filter element, avoids cleaning dead spots, and improves cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.
Smart Images
Figure CN223980260U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, concretely is a device convenient for metal 3D printing filter core cleaning. BACKGROUND
[0002] Metal 3D printing technology is an important branch in the field of additive manufacturing, which can directly build complex metal parts from digital models, and has a wide application market in the future. In the 3D printing process, the excess metal powder in the printing space needs to be cleaned in time to avoid affecting the quality of the final product, and the entire printing process needs to be kept in an inert gas (such as nitrogen) space. The existing technology usually uses negative pressure to extract the inert gas in the printing space, synchronously takes out the metal powder and filters it, and then feeds the inert gas without metal powder back to the printing space.
[0003] However, metal powder is easily left on the openings of the filter core, and positive pressure inflation is usually used for cleaning. However, due to the pressure difference in the filter core during cleaning, the air pressure in the lower half is greater than that in the upper half, so there may be a situation of insufficient local cleaning. UTILITY MODEL CONTENTS
[0004] The utility model solves the technical problem that the existing filter core is not fully cleaned when using positive pressure inflation. To solve this problem, a device for cleaning the filter core of metal 3D printing is provided, which includes a filter bin and a filter core. The filter core is connected to the inner upper wall of the filter bin. A gas port for connecting to a gas pump is provided in the middle of the top of the filter bin. An adjusting assembly for balancing the air pressure is arranged inside the filter core and directly below the gas port. The adjusting assembly has a four-layer structure. Each layer of the adjusting assembly is provided with a conical boss for guiding the gas. The conical bosses above the bottom layer are provided with air vents for passing the gas.
[0005] The technical solution of the utility model sets up the adjusting assembly, which divides the filter core into multiple layers of space. The conical bosses guide part of the gas, and the air vents allow another part of the gas to enter the lower layer. This can clean the filter core, and by adjusting the diameter of the air vents, the air pressure of each layer during cleaning can be adjusted, thereby balancing the air pressure. There is no pressure difference in the filter core, so the cleaning of the filter core is more complete.
[0006] To optimize the technical solution of the utility model, an openable maintenance door is arranged on the front wall of the filter bin. A filter inlet is arranged on one side wall of the filter bin. A detachable collection box is arranged at the bottom of the filter bin. The maintenance door is convenient for maintenance and installation of related structures. The filter inlet is convenient for the gas containing metal powder to enter the filter bin. The collection box is used to collect metal powder for recycling.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet is connected to a positive pressure source and a negative pressure source respectively via a three-way valve. The negative pressure source generates negative pressure, allowing gas to enter the filter chamber to achieve the purpose of filtration. The positive pressure source cleans the filter element by filling it with gas.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment assembly includes four layers and multiple connecting rods. The two ends of the connecting rods are respectively connected to the end faces of two adjacent layers. The layers and connecting rods cooperate to form a four-layer structure, which facilitates the division of the interior of the filter element, ensuring that the air pressure in each part is the same and avoiding insufficient cleaning due to air pressure differences.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, multiple connecting rods are provided between two adjacent shelves. The connecting rods are evenly distributed on the edge of the end face of the shelf. The connecting rods are round rods. Multiple connecting rods can improve the stability of the adjustment assembly, and the smooth surface of the round rods can reduce wind resistance.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the layer plate is circular, and the diameter of the layer plate is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filter element. The circular shape matches the inner cavity of the filter element, and the slightly smaller diameter also facilitates the placement of the adjustment component inside the filter element.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conical protrusion is frustum-shaped and is located at the center of the upper end face of the shelf. The upper diameter of the conical protrusion is smaller than the lower diameter. The conical protrusion facilitates the guidance of the gas above and its diffusion to the surrounding areas, thereby facilitating the cleaning of the sidewalls of the filter element.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the two ends of the ventilation opening respectively penetrate the upper surface of the conical boss and the lower surface of the shelf, so that the ventilation opening facilitates the passage of gas into the lower layer and prevents gas from being unable to enter the lower layer.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation opening is cylindrical, and the diameter ratio of the ventilation opening from top to bottom is 2:3:2. The airflow is adjusted by the ratio of the ventilation opening, so that when the adjustment component cleans by positive pressure, the air pressure of each layer is the same, and the cleaning efficiency is the same.
[0014] The advantages of this utility model compared with the prior art are:
[0015] The technical solution of this utility model, through the setting of the adjustment component structure, divides the filter element into multiple spaces with a four-layer adjustment component. The conical protrusion guides part of the gas, while the vent allows another part of the gas to enter the lower layer. This not only cleans the filter element, but also, by adjusting the diameter of the vent, the air pressure of each layer during cleaning can be adjusted, thereby achieving the purpose of balancing the air pressure. There is no air pressure difference inside the filter element, so the cleaning of the filter element is more thorough and complete. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Fig. 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main view of this utility model;
[0017] Fig. 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the filter element and adjustment component of this utility model when they are in combination;
[0018] Fig. 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the adjustment component of this utility model;
[0019] Among them: 1-Filter chamber, 11-Inspection door, 12-Filter inlet, 13-Collection box, 2-Filter element, 3-Air port, 4-Adjustment component, 41-Shelf, 42-Connecting rod, 43-Conical boss, 44-Ventilation opening. Detailed Implementation
[0020] The following will refer to the appendix in the embodiments of this utility model. Figs. 1-3 The technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below. Example 1
[0021] like Figs. 1-3 As shown, this utility model is a device for cleaning metal 3D printed filter elements, including a filter chamber 1, a filter element 2, and an adjustment component 4.
[0022] like Fig. 1 As shown, the filter chamber 1 is square and has a hollow interior. At the four corners of the lower part of the filter chamber 1, a bracket is fixedly connected by welding or bolts, and the filter chamber 1 is supported by the four brackets.
[0023] In this embodiment, the bottom of the filter chamber 1 is empty and is connected to the collection box 13 through a funnel-shaped connecting part. The connecting part and the upper opening are fixed to the bottom of the filter chamber 1 by welding, and the lower opening is fixed to the collection box 13 by bolts. The collection box 13 is used to collect the metal dust accumulated during filtration. Since the bolt connection can be disassembled, it is convenient to process the collected metal dust, recycle it, save resources and reduce waste.
[0024] Furthermore, the upper opening of the connecting part is larger than the lower opening, so that metal dust can be collected through the collection box 13. At the same time, the upper opening of the connecting part is consistent with the inner cavity cross section of the filter chamber 1, which can greatly reduce the dead corners of hygiene, and the collection box 13 can collect metal dust more completely.
[0025] In this embodiment, an inspection door 11 is installed on the front outer wall of the filter chamber 1. The inspection door 11 can be opened to facilitate the installation of the filter element 2 inside the filter chamber 1 or to perform inspection and maintenance on related structures.
[0026] In this embodiment, a filter inlet 12 is formed on the outer wall of the other side of the filter chamber 1 by an indentation. The filter inlet 12 is used to allow argon gas containing metal powder to enter the filter chamber 1 for filtration and other operations.
[0027] In this embodiment, the filter chamber 1 is filtered by negative pressure and cleaned by positive pressure, and the whole is in an inert gas (argon) environment. Therefore, the connections of each part of the filter chamber 1 need to be tightly fitted, and the airtightness of the filter chamber 1 meets the requirements.
[0028] In this embodiment, the top of the filter chamber 1 is recessed to form an air port 3. A three-way valve is fixed at the air port 3. The two ports of the three-way valve are connected to a positive pressure air source and a negative pressure air source, respectively. The positive pressure air source works when the filter element 2 needs to be cleaned. The positive pressure gas blows off the metal dust attached to the opening of the filter element 2 and it falls into the filter chamber 1. The negative pressure air source is always working during the 3D printing process. It extracts the argon gas in the printing chamber, filters the dust in the filter element 2, and then discharges the filtered gas back into the printing chamber.
[0029] like Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 As shown, the upper opening of filter element 2 is fixed to the inner upper wall of filter chamber 1 by snap-fit. Air port 3 is connected to the inner cavity of filter element 2 and is located at the center of the top of filter element 2. Filter element 2 is a backflush type coarse filter F9 grade, specifically using a 325*660 specification, which is existing technology.
[0030] like Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 As shown, the adjustment component 4 is a four-layer structure, which is placed inside the filter element 2. By adjusting the inner cavity of the filter element 2 in multiple layers, multiple spaces are formed in the vertical direction to ensure that the air pressure in each space is the same when the filter element 2 is cleaned by positive pressure. There is no air pressure difference, and all the openings of the filter element 2 can be cleaned, without the problem of insufficient cleaning or the existence of sanitary dead corners.
[0031] In this embodiment, the adjustment component 4 includes four layers 41 and connecting rods 42. The layers 41 are circular and their diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filter element 2, so they can be easily placed inside the filter element 2. The layers 41 are arranged at a certain distance along the vertical direction, and adjacent layers 41 are connected by multiple connecting rods 42.
[0032] In this embodiment, the connecting rod 42 is cylindrical. The two ends of the connecting rod 42 are fixed to the end faces of two adjacent layers 41 by welding or bolts. The connecting rod 42 is evenly distributed on the outer edge of the layer 41. The cylindrical shape can also greatly reduce wind resistance and facilitate the cleaning of the filter element 2 by positive pressure gas.
[0033] In this embodiment, after the adjustment component 4 is placed inside the filter element 2, the bottommost layer 41 is attached to the bottom of the inner side of the filter element 2. Since the diameter of the layer 41 is only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filter element 2, the adjustment component 4 will not shake after being placed inside the filter element 2. Of course, in order to enhance stability, the bottommost layer 42 of the adjustment component can also be fixedly connected to the bottom of the filter element 2 by bolts.
[0034] Furthermore, since the bottommost shelf 41 of the adjustment component 4 is attached to the bottom inner side of the filter element 2, although the bottom of the filter element 2 has openings, it is blocked by the shelf 41 and does not participate in the filtration work.
[0035] In this embodiment, each layer plate 41 has a conical protrusion 43 protruding upward from its center. The conical protrusion 43 and the layer plate 41 are an integral structure. The cross-section of the conical protrusion 43 is frustum-shaped, and the upper diameter of the frustum is smaller than the lower diameter, which facilitates the guidance of positive pressure gas to the surrounding area to clean the filter element 2.
[0036] In this embodiment, the conical protrusion 43 located on the bottommost layer 41 is a solid. The top of the conical protrusion 43 is arched, and its function is to guide the positive pressure gas blown out from above, so that it diffuses to the surroundings and impacts the openings on the side wall of the filter element 2, thereby cleaning the filter element 2.
[0037] In this embodiment, except for the lowest conical protrusion 43, all other conical protrusions 43 are provided with through ventilation openings 44. That is, the upper opening of the ventilation opening 44 penetrates the conical protrusion 43, and the lower opening of the ventilation opening 44 penetrates the shelf 41. Therefore, the ventilation opening 44 can connect the upper and lower parts of the shelf 41, which makes it easier for some positive pressure gas to enter the lower space through the ventilation opening 44. At the same time, with the guidance of the conical protrusion 43, some positive pressure gas can also diffuse to the surroundings and impact the openings around it to clean the filter element 2.
[0038] In this embodiment, the uppermost conical protrusion 43 is located directly below the air inlet 3. Therefore, when the positive pressure air source generates positive pressure gas, part of it is guided by the conical protrusion 43 to diffuse in all directions, and the other part enters below through the vent opening 44. By adjusting the size of the vent opening 44, the air pressure in each part of the space can be made the same, so the filter element 2 is cleaned more thoroughly and there are no dead corners in the cleaning.
[0039] In this embodiment, the ventilation opening 44 is cylindrical with the same diameter at both the top and bottom ends. The size of the ventilation opening 44 is adjusted, that is, the diameter of the ventilation opening 44 is adjusted.
[0040] In this embodiment, for the filter element 2 of the aforementioned model, when cleaning with positive pressure gas, the diameter ratio of the air vents 44 from bottom to top is 2:3:2. This ensures that the air pressure and cleaning efficiency are the same across all layers, preventing any localized inadequate cleaning. For example, ... Fig. 2 As shown, the actual dimensions of the ventilation openings 44 on the adjustment component 4 from top to bottom are 40mm, 60mm, and 40mm, respectively, at which point the air pressure in each part is the same.
[0041] The method of using the device for cleaning metal 3D printed filter elements in this embodiment is as follows:
[0042] Place the adjustment component 4 inside the filter element 2, and install the filter element 2 into the filter chamber 1 via a snap-fit. Close the access door 11 to begin metal 3D printing. A negative pressure air source draws inert gas outwards, creating negative pressure in the filter chamber 1. Inert gas containing metal powder enters the filter chamber 1 through the filter inlet 12 and is filtered by the filter element 2, preventing metal powder from entering. The negative pressure air source draws inert gas from inside the filter element 2; this gas, which does not contain metal powder, can be discharged back into the printing chamber. Because the negative pressure air source operates continuously, metal dust will be adsorbed at the openings on the filter element 2. The positive pressure air source operates intermittently, channeling gas into the filter element 2 through the air port 3. Positive pressure gas is introduced into each layer of the regulating component 4 through the vent 44. The positive pressure gas is guided by the conical protrusion 43, which directs some of the positive pressure gas to the surrounding areas to impact the openings of the filter element 2, thus cleaning the filter element 2. Since the diameter of the vent 44 is designed proportionally, the air pressure in each layer is the same, and the air pressure inside the filter element 2 is kept balanced, which can achieve complete cleaning of the filter element 2 and avoid the formation of dead corners that would result in incomplete cleaning of some openings, affecting the subsequent filtration effect. The fallen metal dust will eventually collect in the collection box 13. The collection box 13 is detachable, and the metal dust in the collection box 13 can be reused later, saving costs.
[0043] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept of this utility model and should not be used to limit the protection scope of this utility model. Any modifications made to the technical solution based on the technical concept proposed by this utility model shall fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A device for facilitating the cleaning of a metal 3D printing filter element, comprising a filter bin (1) and a filter element (2), the filter element (2) being connected to the upper wall inside the filter bin (1), characterized in that: The air port (3) for connecting with the air pump is arranged in the middle of the top of the filter bin (1), the adjusting assembly (4) for balancing air pressure is arranged inside the filter core (2) and below the air port (3), the adjusting assembly (4) is a four-layer structure, the conical boss (43) for guiding the air is arranged on each layer of the adjusting assembly (4), and the conical boss (43) above the bottom layer is provided with the air passage opening (44) for passing the air.
2. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter cartridge cleaning of claim 1, wherein: The openable inspection door (11) is arranged on the front wall of the filter bin (1), the filter inlet (12) is arranged on the side wall of the filter bin (1), and the detachable collection box (13) is arranged on the bottom of the filter bin (1).
3. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter cleaning of claim 1, wherein: The air port (3) is connected with the positive pressure source and the negative pressure source through the three-way valve.
4. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 1, wherein: The adjusting assembly (4) comprises four layer plates (41) and a plurality of connecting rods (42), and the two ends of the connecting rod (42) are connected with the end faces of the two adjacent layer plates (41) respectively.
5. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 4, wherein: A plurality of connecting rods (42) are arranged between the two adjacent layer plates (41), the connecting rods (42) are uniformly distributed on the edge of the end face of the layer plate (41), and the connecting rod (42) is a round rod.
6. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 4, wherein: The layer plate (41) is circular, and the diameter of the layer plate (41) is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the filter core (2).
7. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 4, wherein: The conical boss (43) is in the shape of a circular truncated cone, the conical boss (43) is arranged at the center of the upper end face of the layer plate (41), and the upper end diameter of the conical boss (43) is smaller than the lower end diameter.
8. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 7, wherein: The two ends of the air passage opening (44) pass through the upper surface of the conical boss (43) and the lower surface of the layer plate (41) respectively.
9. The device for facilitating metal 3D printed filter element cleaning of claim 1, wherein: The air passage opening (44) is in the shape of a cylinder, and the diameter ratio of the air passage opening (44) from top to bottom is 2:3:2.