A 3D-printed hot end mounted with a fixed heating block

Abstract

This utility model provides a 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, relating to the field of printing equipment technology. It includes: a device cylinder with a through groove inside, a nozzle inside the through groove, a nozzle head fixedly mounted on the lower end face of the nozzle, and a thermistor mounted below the outer end face of the device cylinder. In this utility model, the lower end of the nozzle is threadedly connected to the lower end of the through groove, ensuring a stable connection. The nozzle and the device cylinder form a single unit, thus integrating the heating and cooling systems within the hot end. This combines the advantages of integrated hot ends and four-section split hot ends while avoiding their disadvantages. It solves the problems of uneven heating of the material inside the nozzle and poor printing results caused by using a single heat source, and the issues of material waste and high replacement costs associated with existing integrated hot ends, which, while reducing replacement time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printing equipment technology, and in particular to a 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block. Background Technology

[0002] Since 2020, FDM 3D printing technology has been widely adopted in various industries due to its advantages of low cost and high speed, showing a strong development momentum. The hot end, as one of the core components of a 3D printer, directly affects the melting efficiency of the printing material, which in turn affects the filament extrusion flow rate, ultimately impacting the quality of the printed product and production efficiency. With continuous technological advancements, various industries are placing higher demands on printing speed; therefore, further improving the melting performance of the hot end has become a current research hotspot.

[0003] There are some areas for improvement in the existing hot-end structure design of FDM 3D printing:

[0004] Firstly, in terms of structure, the existing hot end has a heat dissipation system in the upper part and a heating system in the lower part. It often uses holes or grooves in the heat sink to fix the hot end. During high-speed or high-acceleration movement, the way the head is fixed will cause the hot end nozzle to vibrate, affecting the print quality.

[0005] Regarding the heating system, the existing hot end uses a single heater, which increases the power of the heat source to achieve a higher melting effect. The marginal effect of this approach is significantly improved. Some hot ends also have unreasonable heating source layout, which leads to uneven heating of the printing material in the nozzle, and the melting capacity cannot meet the actual printing needs, resulting in nozzle blockage.

[0006] Regarding the cooling system, as the power of the heating system increases, more heat will be transferred to the heat sink through the heat pipe. If heat accumulates here, it will cause the consumables to soften prematurely, leading to a blockage. Therefore, the volume of the air-cooled heat sink needs to be increased to avoid heat accumulation.

[0007] As a key component connecting the heat dissipation and heating systems, the thermal break tube not only needs to reduce the transfer of heat to the heat sink, but also needs to ensure the stability of the hot end during high-speed movement. However, there is a fundamental contradiction between the existing requirements for reducing the wall thickness of the thermal break tube and the requirement for high structural strength.

[0008] Secondly, from the perspective of structural design and ease of maintenance, while existing integrated hot-end designs can shorten replacement time, they suffer from material waste and high replacement costs. The classic four-section separate hot-end design, consisting of heat sink, heat pipe, heating block, and nozzle, reduces nozzle replacement costs but also suffers from issues such as easy material leakage and cumbersome and time-consuming maintenance. Utility Model Content

[0009] This utility model relates to a 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, which solves the problems of uneven heating of the material inside the nozzle and poor printing effect caused by the current method of using a single heat source, as well as the problems of material waste and high replacement cost of existing integrated hot ends, although they can shorten the replacement time.

[0010] This utility model provides a 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, specifically including: a device cylinder;

[0011] The device cylinder has a through groove inside, and a spray pipe is installed inside the through groove. A nozzle is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the spray pipe, and a thermistor is installed below the outer end face of the device cylinder.

[0012] The protective plate has two dovetail grooves on its inner end face, and the device sleeve is engaged in the two dovetail grooves. The surface of the protective plate has two second locking holes symmetrically provided.

[0013] A heating element is fixedly installed on the outer end face of the protective plate, and the main body of the heating element is a long strip structure.

[0014] The placement plate is made of low thermal conductivity materials such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and ceramic, and has a through-hole in the middle of its surface. The placement plate is sleeved on the outside of the nozzle.

[0015] A heat sink assembly, which is located above the placement plate.

[0016] Furthermore, a fixing ear plate is installed at each of the left and right ends of the device cylinder. The surface of the fixing ear plate is provided with a first locking hole. The bolt passes through the first locking hole and the second locking hole to fix the device cylinder to the surface of the protective plate.

[0017] Furthermore, a connecting groove is provided in the middle of the upper end face of the protective plate, and a thread is provided inside the connecting groove. A first through hole is provided on the left side of the plate, and a bolt passes through the first through hole and is threaded into the connecting groove.

[0018] Furthermore, the lower end face of the heat sink assembly has two connecting holes with threads inside. Two second through holes are provided on the right side of the surface of the placement plate, and bolts pass through the second through holes and are threaded into the connecting holes.

[0019] Furthermore, the heat sink assembly has a through hole inside, and the upper part of the nozzle is engaged in the through hole inside the heat sink assembly.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower part of the through groove is provided with a thread, and the lower end of the nozzle is provided with an external thread, and the lower end of the nozzle is threadedly connected to the lower end of the through groove.

[0021] This invention provides a 3D printed hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, which has the following advantages:

[0022] 1. The placement plate is bolted to the protective plate through the first through hole at the left end, and the placement plate is bolted to the heat sink assembly through the second through hole at the right end. The fixing lugs at both ends of the device cylinder are connected to the protective plate by bolts. This achieves the fixation between the heat sink assembly, the device cylinder and the protective plate, and avoids the problem of nozzle vibration when the hot end rotates at high speed.

[0023] 2. In Embodiment 3, a heating element is installed at each of the front and rear ends of the device cylinder. This layout is more reasonable. The two heating elements heat the nozzle inside the device cylinder at the same time, so the nozzle is heated more evenly, which improves the heating effect and avoids the problem of uneven heating of the printing material in the nozzle caused by the design of a single heat source. The thermistor monitors the temperature in real time. Combined with the dual heating element design, it can achieve precise temperature control and ensure the melting consistency of different batches of printing material.

[0024] 3. The lower part of the through groove is threaded, and the lower end of the nozzle is threaded. The lower part of the nozzle is threaded to the lower end of the through groove, ensuring the stability of the connection. The nozzle and the device cylinder form a whole, thus making the heating system and heat dissipation system in this hot end a whole. This strengthens the advantages of the integrated hot end and the four-section split hot end, while avoiding their disadvantages. In addition, when it is necessary to replace the nozzle or clean the blockage, the worker can quickly disassemble and install. The placement plate is connected to the heat sink and the device cylinder by bolts to form a detachable component.

[0025] 4. The heat sink assembly can play a heat dissipation role. With its large heat dissipation area, it can dissipate heat to the surrounding environment, preventing the nozzle temperature from getting too high. This keeps the entire hot end working within a relatively stable and suitable temperature range, ensuring that the printing process can continue stably. The heat sink assembly can be made of alloy materials with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum and copper, to improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0026] 5. In Example 2, the mechanical locking design of the cover plate and the buckle reduces the probability of operators accidentally touching the high-temperature area, and the plate, as a natural heat insulation layer, can prevent heat from dissipating upwards, improve heat utilization efficiency, and reduce heat waste. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below.

[0028] The accompanying drawings described below are only related to some embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0029] In the attached diagram:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall device structure in Embodiment 1 of this utility model is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 An exploded view of the overall device in Embodiment 1 of this utility model is shown;

[0032] Figure 3 This diagram shows the connection structure between the device cylinder and the fixed ear plate in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 4 This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the device cylinder in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the protective plate structure in Embodiment 1 of this utility model is shown;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the protective plate and buckle connection structure in Embodiment 2 of this utility model is shown;

[0036] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the structure of the protective plate, buckle, and cover plate in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0037] Figure 8 This diagram shows the connection structure of the device cylinder, cover plate, and buckle in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0038] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the device cylinder and the heating element in Embodiment 3 of this utility model is shown.

[0039] Appendix Figure 1-5 Tag list:

[0040] 1. Device cylinder; 101. Fixed ear plate; 1011. First locking hole; 102. Through groove; 1021. Nozzle; 103. Thermistor; 2. Protective plate; 201. Connecting groove; 202. Second locking hole; 203. Dovetail slide; 3. Heating element; 4. Placement plate; 401. First through hole; 402. Second through hole; 6. Heat sink assembly; 601. Connecting hole.

[0041] Appendix Figure 6-9 Tag list:

[0042] 105. Threaded hole; 204. Cover plate; 205. Buckle; 5. Silicone sleeve; 602. Limiting slot. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the described embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0044] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 :

[0045] This utility model proposes a 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, including: device cylinder 1;

[0046] The device cylinder 1 has a through groove 102 inside, and a nozzle 1021 is provided inside the through groove 102. A nozzle is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the nozzle 1021. A thermistor 103 is installed below the outer end face of the device cylinder 1. The thermistor 103 can monitor the temperature of the nozzle 1021 in real time and feed it back to the control system to maintain the set melting temperature.

[0047] The protective plate 2 has two dovetail grooves 203 on its inner end face. The device cylinder 1 is engaged in the two dovetail grooves 203. The surface of the protective plate 2 has two second locking holes 202 symmetrically provided.

[0048] Heating element 3 is fixedly installed on the outer end face of protective plate 2. The main body of heating element 3 is a long strip structure.

[0049] The placement plate 4 has a through hole in the middle of its surface, and the placement plate 4 is fitted onto the outside of the nozzle 1021.

[0050] Heat sink assembly 6 is located above the placement plate 4. The thin plate in heat sink assembly 6 can be made of alloy materials with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum and copper, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect, increasing the heat dissipation speed, and avoiding heat accumulation.

[0051] The device cylinder 1 has a fixing ear plate 101 installed at each of its left and right ends. The surface of the fixing ear plate 101 is provided with a first locking hole 1011. The bolt passes through the first locking hole 1011 and the second locking hole 202 to fix the device cylinder 1 to the surface of the protective plate 2. In use, the device cylinder 1 is fixedly connected to the protective plate 2 through the fixing ear plates 101 installed at its left and right ends. The bolt passes through the first locking hole 1011 on the surface of the fixing ear plate 101 and the second locking hole 202 on the surface of the protective plate 2 to ensure the stability of the connection between the device cylinder 1 and the protective plate 2.

[0052] The upper end face of the protective plate 2 has a connecting groove 201 in the middle position, and the connecting groove 201 has a thread inside. The left end of the placement plate 4 has a first through hole 401. The bolt passes through the first through hole 401 and is threaded into the connecting groove 201. In use, the placement plate 4 and the protective plate 2 can be fixed together.

[0053] The heat sink assembly 6 has two connecting holes 601 on its lower end face. The connecting holes 601 are threaded inside. The right side of the surface of the placement plate 4 has two second through holes 402. The bolt passes through the second through holes 402 and is threaded into the connecting holes 601. When the heating element 3 generates a lot of heat during long-term operation, the heat sink assembly 6 can play a heat dissipation role. It can dissipate the heat to the surrounding environment through its large heat dissipation area, preventing the nozzle 1021 from getting too hot. This keeps the entire hot end working in a relatively stable and suitable temperature range, ensuring that the printing process can continue to be stable.

[0054] The heat sink assembly 6 has a through hole inside, and the upper part of the nozzle 1021 is engaged in the through hole inside the heat sink assembly 6. During use, excess heat at the lower end of the nozzle 1021 can be transferred outward through the heat sink assembly 6, preventing heat from accumulating at the lower end of the nozzle 1021.

[0055] The lower part of the through groove 102 is provided with a thread, and the lower end of the nozzle 1021 is provided with an external thread. The lower part of the nozzle 1021 is threadedly connected to the lower end of the through groove 102, which ensures the stability of the connection and allows the material to smoothly reach the nozzle along the nozzle 1021.

[0056] Example 2, based on Example 1, such as Figures 6-8 As shown, the connection between the protective plate 2 and the device cylinder 1 can also be achieved by using a cover plate 204 and a buckle 205. Specifically, the fixing lugs 101 at both ends of the device cylinder 1 can be removed, and the outer end face of the device cylinder 1 becomes an arc-shaped structure. The connecting groove 201 on the upper surface of the protective plate 2 and the second locking hole 202 on the surface of the protective plate 2 can also be removed. A cover plate 204 is installed on the left side of the inner end face of the protective plate 2, and a buckle 205 is installed on the right side of the inner end face of the protective plate 2. Both the cover plate 204 and the buckle 205 are rotatably connected to the protective plate 2, and the main body of the cover plate 204 is an arc-shaped structure. In this way, the cover plate 204 and the buckle 205 can clamp the device cylinder 1 onto the inner end face of the protective plate 2. After the buckle 205 is locked, it can prevent accidental contact. The safety of operation is improved by mechanical locking.

[0057] Alternatively, the connection between the device cylinder 1 and the heat sink assembly 6 can also be achieved by using a high-temperature rubber material (such as fluororubber or silicone) with an interference fit. Specifically, the placement plate 4 is removed, and a limiting slot 602 is opened in the middle of the lower surface of the heat sink assembly 6. A silicone sleeve 5 is then inserted into the limiting slot 602. The silicone sleeve 5 has a hollow cylindrical structure and can be tightly fitted onto the outer end face of the upper part of the device cylinder 1. At this time, the outer end face of the silicone sleeve 5 is tightly fitted with the limiting slot 602, and the inner end face of the silicone sleeve 5 is tightly fitted with the outer end face of the upper part of the device cylinder 1. This can fix the device cylinder 1 and the heat sink assembly 6 together. During the printing process, the heating plate 3 will heat the nozzle 1021, and the temperature of the silicone sleeve 5 will also rise. After being heated, the silicone sleeve 5 will expand in volume, which can further improve the stability of the connection between the device cylinder 1 and the heat sink assembly 6, so that the nozzle 1021 will not shake when the hot end moves quickly.

[0058] In addition, the softness of silicone and its malleable geometry can eliminate errors accumulated during the processing of other parts (such as the coaxiality of the center hole and geometric tolerances of the screw holes on the plane), which is more conducive to the assembly of the nozzle.

[0059] Example 2, based on Example 1, such as Figure 9 As shown: Four threaded holes 105 can be opened on the surface of the device cylinder 1, and the front and rear ends of the device cylinder 1 are set to be horizontal. In this way, the worker can pass bolts through the threaded holes 105 to connect the device cylinder 1 to other objects. In different usage scenarios, the worker can fix the device cylinder 1 according to the needs of the site. With the horizontal structure of the front and rear ends of the device cylinder 1, a heating plate 3 can be installed on the front and rear end surfaces of the device cylinder 1 respectively. The two heating plates 3 can heat the nozzle 1021 inside the device cylinder 1 at the same time. In this way, the nozzle 1021 will be heated more evenly, thus avoiding the phenomenon of uneven heating of the material inside the nozzle 1021, thereby improving the printing effect.

[0060] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: The device cylinder 1 is fixedly connected to the protective plate 2 through the fixing ear plates 101 installed at both ends. Bolts pass through the first locking hole 1011 on the surface of the fixing ear plate 101 and the second locking hole 202 on the surface of the protective plate 2, ensuring the stability of the connection between the device cylinder 1 and the protective plate 2. The placement plate 4 is sleeved on the outside of the nozzle 1021 on one hand, and on the other hand, it is threaded into the connecting groove 201 in the middle of the upper end face of the protective plate 2 by bolts passing through the first through hole 401 on its left end. The heat sink assembly 6 is fixed in place by bolts passing through the second through hole 402 on the right side of the surface of the placement plate 4 and threaded into the connection hole 601 on its lower end face. The components work together through this connection method to ensure the stable functioning of the printing hot end during printing. The nozzle 1021 is located in the through groove 102 inside the device cylinder 1. The nozzle head is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the nozzle 1021. The nozzle 1021 is threadedly connected to the lower end of the through groove 102, ensuring the stability of the connection. This allows the material to smoothly reach the nozzle along the nozzle 1021. When printing begins, the heating element 3, which is fixedly installed on the outer end face of the protective plate 2, starts to work. The elongated heating element 3 generates heat, causing the printing material inside the nozzle 1021 to melt and reach a suitable state for extrusion from the nozzle. The material is then ejected from the nozzle at the end of the nozzle 1021 for printing. The heat sink assembly 6 is located above the placement plate 4. During the printing process, when the heating element 3 works for a long time and generates a lot of heat, the temperature inside the nozzle 1021 may easily exceed the predetermined threshold. At this time, the heat sink assembly 6 can play a heat dissipation role. It can dissipate heat to the surrounding environment through its large heat dissipation area, preventing the temperature of the nozzle 1021 from becoming too high, thereby maintaining the entire hot end in a relatively stable and suitable temperature range. During this process, a thermistor 103 is installed below the outer end face of the device cylinder 1. The thermistor 103 can monitor the temperature of the nozzle 1021 in real time and feed it back to the control system to maintain the set melting temperature, ensuring that the printing process can continue to be stable.

Claims

1. A 3D-printed hot end mounted with a fixed heating block, characterized in that, The device includes: a device cylinder (1), which has a through groove (102) inside and a nozzle (1021) inside the through groove (102). A nozzle is fixedly installed on the lower end face of the nozzle (1021), and a thermistor (103) is installed below the outer end face of the device cylinder (1); a protective plate (2), which has two dovetail grooves (203) on the inner end face. The device cylinder (1) is engaged in the two dovetail grooves (203), and two second locking holes (202) are symmetrically opened on the surface of the protective plate (2); a heating element (3), which is fixedly installed on the outer end face of the protective plate (2). The main body of the heating element (3) is a long strip structure; a placement plate (4), which has a through hole in the middle of the surface of the placement plate (4) and is sleeved on the outside of the nozzle (1021); and a heat sink assembly (6), which is located above the placement plate (4).

2. The 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block according to claim 1, characterized in that, A fixing ear plate (101) is installed at each of the left and right ends of the device tube (1). The surface of the fixing ear plate (101) is provided with a first locking hole (1011). The bolt passes through the first locking hole (1011) and the second locking hole (202) to fix the device tube (1) to the surface of the protective plate (2).

3. A 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block according to claim 1, characterized in that, A connecting groove (201) is provided in the middle of the upper end face of the protective plate (2). The connecting groove (201) is threaded inside. A first through hole (401) is provided on the left side of the placement plate (4). The bolt passes through the first through hole (401) and is threaded into the connecting groove (201).

4. A 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end face of the heat sink assembly (6) has two connecting holes (601), and the connecting holes (601) are threaded inside. The right side of the surface of the placement plate (4) has two second through holes (402), and the bolt passes through the second through holes (402) and is threaded into the connecting holes (601).

5. A 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat sink assembly (6) has a through hole inside, and the upper part of the nozzle (1021) is engaged in the through hole inside the heat sink assembly (6).

6. A 3D printing hot end mounted with a fixed heating block according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower part of the through groove (102) is provided with a thread, and the lower end of the nozzle (1021) is provided with an external thread. The lower part of the nozzle (1021) is threadedly connected to the lower end of the through groove (102).

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