Material breakage detection components, material box and printer

Abstract

This application relates to the field of additive manufacturing equipment technology, specifically to a material breakage detection component, a material box, and a printer. The material breakage detection component includes a mounting structure, an elastic element, and a detection component, the detection component comprising a movable element and a fixed element. The mounting structure can be flexibly positioned at any location in the wire material transmission channel. At least one movable or fixed element is used to detect the relative distance between the movable and fixed elements. Material breakage is determined by identifying the distance between the movable and fixed elements. This component adopts an independent modular design, breaking through traditional integration limitations. It can be flexibly installed and monitors the material through direct contact between the movable element and the wire material, without relying on transmission components and unaffected by material blockage or wear. The elastic element applies a pushing force to the movable element to press against the wire material; this pushing force is range-bound and can adapt to wire materials of different sizes, ensuring detection stability and increasing structural compatibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of additive manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a material breakage detection component, a material box, and a printer. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, 3D printing, as a typical representative of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing, is based on digital model files and constructs objects by layering together powdered metals, plastics, and other bondable materials. Modern 3D printers have the capability to print multiple materials simultaneously or in stages, and can meet the needs of complex components through the synergy of material properties.

[0003] Currently, the filament commonly used in printing equipment is in strip form, which is extruded through the nozzle by extrusion. The strip filament travels a relatively long distance from the filament cartridge to the printhead, especially in equipment that uses multiple filament types, requiring it to pass through different internal circuits before finally reaching the printhead. During its passage through the pipeline, the filament is prone to breakage, leading to printing failures. Therefore, filament breakage detection is a crucial step in reducing printing failures.

[0004] Existing technologies offer partial material breakage detection solutions based on wire extrusion devices. These devices detect material breakage while extruding the wire, relying on the principle that a stable extrusion process indicates normal wire material condition and recording the extrusion length. However, this solution has significant limitations. The integrated setup can only be configured within the extrusion device, and the measurement is indirect. The measurement location is limited, affected by the extrusion process, and cannot be replicated for other locations along the wire transport path. Therefore, current material breakage detection solutions have significant limitations, insufficient stability, and poor adaptability. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome at least one of the shortcomings of the prior art and to provide a material breakage detection component, a material box, and a printer to solve the problems of the existing material breakage detection scheme having significant limitations and insufficient stability.

[0006] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of this application.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, a material breakage detection assembly is provided, comprising: a mounting structure, an elastic element, and a detection component; the mounting structure is provided with a wire transmission channel; the detection component includes a movable element and a fixed element, at least one of the movable element or the fixed element being used to detect the relative distance between the movable element and the fixed element; one end of the elastic element is fixed relative to the mounting structure, and the other end of the elastic element is connected to the movable element; wherein, when the wire is normally transmitted in the wire transmission channel, when the movable element is subjected to the force of the elastic element and abuts against the wire, the distance between the movable element and the fixed element is D1; ​​when the wire is broken in the wire transmission channel, the movable element is subjected to the force of the elastic element at least partially within the wire transmission channel, and the distance between the movable element and the fixed element is D2, D2≠D1, and neither D1 nor D2 is 0.

[0008] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0009] In this type of embodiment, the material breakage detection component overcomes the limitation of existing technologies where detection components are only integrated into the drive device or extrusion assembly. It can be flexibly positioned at any location within the wire feed line, and in particular, can complete material breakage detection before the wire feed is driven or extruded. This configuration ensures that even if a material breakage occurs during additive manufacturing, it will be detected before the material is driven or extruded. This not only provides operators with more processing time and improves the timeliness of material breakage handling, but also effectively reduces the scrap rate and wire waste caused by material breakage during additive manufacturing.

[0010] Based on the above settings, operators can flexibly choose material handling according to the actual scenario, or stop printing earlier when material breakage is irreversible. This allows for the early termination of failed printing processes, significantly reducing invalid printing time; it also reduces the volume of already printed material, effectively lowering material loss and minimizing material waste at the source. Furthermore, if material breakage is detected in the pipeline before the drive unit, it can be handled directly at that stage without requiring readjustment of the extrusion assembly, making the process more efficient and flexible.

[0011] The material breakage detection component of this application identifies changes in the distance between the moving part and the fixed part by directly contacting the moving part with the wire, thus achieving direct monitoring of material breakage. This fundamentally improves the accuracy of material breakage detection, effectively avoiding misjudgments or failures to detect breakage, and eliminates the need for separate judgment processes and operations, effectively improving the accuracy and efficiency of anomaly handling.

[0012] The material breakage detection component in this embodiment adopts an independent modular design, which does not need to be integrated into the drive device or extrusion component, reducing its assembly complexity and design accuracy requirements, and also improving the overall space utilization and structural rationality of the equipment.

[0013] The elastic element in the material breakage detection assembly enables the moving part to automatically abut against the material and maintain continuous contact. Regardless of whether the material is in normal feeding or experiencing slight fluctuations, the moving part stably adheres to the material, achieving uninterrupted monitoring of its condition. Simultaneously, the fixed element, by recognizing changes in the position of the moving part, provides a clear and direct theoretical basis for material breakage judgment, ensuring the stability and reliability of the detection process and further enhancing the practical value of material breakage monitoring.

[0014] It is understandable that the elastic element applies a pushing force to the moving element to press against the wire material. The pushing force is limited in scope. This setting can effectively detect wire materials of different sizes, making it more applicable. It not only ensures the stability of the detection, but also increases the compatibility of the structure.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixed component is a magnetic sensor, the movable component is a magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor is disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic body.

[0016] In this type of embodiment, the magnetic sensor has high sensitivity and stability in sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic body, and can accurately capture the positional shift of the moving part caused by changes in the state of the wire, ensuring the accurate transmission of the material breakage monitoring signal and reducing the risk of misjudgment caused by detection delay or signal distortion.

[0017] By leveraging the differentiated characteristics of magnetic field regions, different magnetic field intervals can be set to correspond to different wire material states: for example, a specific magnetic field interval can be used to determine normal wire material conveying, while another interval can be used to determine wire material breakage. It can also identify wire material abnormalities (such as wire material surface dents, abnormal diameters, etc.), breaking through the limitations of single wire material breakage detection and realizing comprehensive monitoring of wire material conveying status and wire material quality itself.

[0018] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments of this application, the magnetic sensor includes at least one of the following: a Hall sensor, a magnetoresistive sensor, or a magneto-inductive sensor, and the magnetic body includes at least one of the following: a natural magnet, a neodymium iron boron magnet, or a ferrite magnet.

[0019] Specifically, the advantages of combining a Hall sensor with a magnetic material are that the combination responds quickly to changes in the magnetic field, has high sensitivity, and can accurately capture changes in the magnetic field caused by minute displacements of the magnetic material, making it suitable for early detection of minor abnormalities in wire (such as dents); the output signal is a DC voltage, which is easy to process and digitize, has strong anti-interference ability, and is stable in industrial environments.

[0020] The advantages of combining a magnetoresistive sensor with a magnetic body are that this combination has high accuracy in sensing changes in the direction and intensity of the magnetic field, and is especially suitable for small-range displacement detection. It can clearly distinguish different state ranges such as "not interrupted material", "interrupted material", and "abnormal jamming". It also has good temperature stability and small detection error in the temperature fluctuation environment of the printer.

[0021] The advantages of combining a magneto-inductive sensor with a magnetic body are its simple structure, strong coil durability, and good resistance to mechanical wear; it has outstanding range sensing capability of magnetic fields, and can flexibly divide the "normal", "abnormal", and "material breakage" intervals by setting the inductance threshold range, adapting to the detection needs of different wire diameters or materials.

[0022] Furthermore, there are various types of magnetic materials to choose from, each with its own advantages, allowing for selection based on actual needs. For example, natural magnets: sourced from natural magnetite (such as magnetite), requiring no artificial synthesis and resulting in lower costs; they also exhibit good chemical stability and slow magnetic decay in dry environments. Another example is neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets: possessing strong magnetism, high magnetic field strength, and a wide range, ensuring stable signal output from the sensor across a large displacement range, thus improving detection reliability; they can be precision-machined into regular shapes (such as cylinders and cubes), ensuring good assembly consistency with moving parts and making them suitable for mass production. Yet another example is ferrite magnets, which offer low cost and high performance-to-price ratio, making them suitable for large-scale applications; they possess excellent chemical stability, strong resistance to corrosion and aging, and a long service life in humid and dusty industrial environments; they also have higher mechanical strength and superior shock and vibration resistance compared to NdFeB magnets.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, one end of the elastomer is fixedly connected to the mounting structure, and the other end of the elastomer abuts against one end of the movable member; the side of the movable member away from the elastomer is the abutting surface, and the distance between the abutting surface and the elastomer gradually increases along the forward direction of the wire, and at the maximum distance, the extension direction of the abutting surface is parallel to the forward direction of the wire.

[0024] In this type of embodiment, the elastomer adopts a structural design with a fixed end (fixedly connected to the mounting structure) and a free end (the abutting part abuts against the moving part), ensuring that the direction of the applied elastic force remains constant and will not deviate due to the deformation angle deviation of the elastomer or installation errors. This stable elastic force output ensures that the moving part can consistently and stably abut against the material with a preset pressure, avoiding fluctuations in the position of the moving part due to unstable force. This guarantees the stability and accuracy of the fixed part's identification of the moving part's position, further improving the reliability of material breakage detection.

[0025] Meanwhile, the design of the contact surface of the moving part away from the elastic body, with the distance between the contact surface and the elastic body gradually increasing along the direction of wire material movement, facilitates the wire material reset operation after breakage. When the wire material needs to be reinserted after breakage, it can naturally slide into the contact position along the gradual slope of the contact surface, easily pushing the moving part back without complex alignment adjustments. This design significantly reduces the difficulty of reset operations, improves the operability and maintenance efficiency of the equipment, and effectively shortens downtime for adjustment, ensuring production continuity, especially in batch production or continuous operation scenarios.

[0026] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the elastic element is a spring, the movable element is a cylindrical structure, the elastic element applies a thrust away from the mounting structure to the cylindrical curved surface of the movable element, and the axial length of the movable element is less than the radial dimension of the elastic element.

[0027] When the elastic element is a spring, it has the characteristics of stable elastic coefficient, large deformation range and strong fatigue resistance. It can maintain constant thrust output during long-term repeated force application, ensuring long-term stable contact force between moving parts and wire. Moreover, if the surface roughness of the wire is uneven, it is easy to generate high-frequency vibration. In this case, the spring setting is more suitable.

[0028] When the elastic element is an elastic silicone strip, its elastic deformation is gentle and its cushioning performance is excellent. It can reduce the rigid impact on moving parts and wires through its own flexible deformation, reduce contact wear, and at the same time have good corrosion resistance and sound insulation effect. It is suitable for scenarios with high requirements for wire protection or low noise operation, and improves the overall adaptability of the component.

[0029] The moving parts adopt a cylindrical structure design, which, together with the elastic element, applies a pushing force to the cylindrical surface. This allows the elastic force to be evenly distributed along the cylindrical surface, avoiding localized wear or deformation of the moving parts due to concentrated force points, thus extending the service life of the moving parts. Simultaneously, the cylindrical structure reduces the frictional resistance during the movement of the moving parts, making their displacement along the wire conveying direction smoother under the action of elastic force and reducing the risk of jamming. The corresponding contact surface can be adapted to the cylindrical curvature design as an arc-shaped mating surface, which not only forms a stable line contact with the wire, ensuring accurate contact positioning, but also reduces contact resistance during wire conveying through the guiding effect of the arc surface, further improving the stability and smoothness of the inspection process.

[0030] The axial length of the moving part, i.e., the height of the cylinder, is less than the radial dimension of the elastic element, and the axial length of the moving part is less than the diameter of the elastic element. This design allows the volume of the cylinder to be reduced while still meeting the requirements for contact with the wire and connection with the elastic element, thus reducing the overall mass. This reduces the elasticity requirements of the spring and eliminates the need for excessive thrust. In this case, the impact of large spring forces on the wire is avoided, and the difficulty of resetting after a break is reduced.

[0031] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixing member is a pressure sensor, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure. One end of the elastic body is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end of the elastic body can abut against the movable member. When the distance between the movable member and the fixing member is D1, the pressure sensor outputs a first pressure. When the distance between the movable member and the fixing member is D2, the pressure sensor outputs a second pressure. The first pressure and the second pressure are not equal.

[0032] In this type of embodiment, the pressure sensor achieves material breakage monitoring by directly detecting changes in the thrust of the elastic element. Its detection logic is direct and accurate, allowing for intuitive judgment of the wire material status without indirect derivation, thus reducing errors in intermediate stages. Secondly, the force transmission is stable and reliable. Although it becomes the stress point of the elastic element, the deformation during the pressure sensor detection process is negligible. This not only provides a stable installation position for the elastic element but also reduces the complexity of the installation structure design. Furthermore, the pressure sensor has stronger environmental adaptability. It is unaffected by environmental factors such as magnetic field interference and dust obstruction, and can still maintain stable operation in the high-temperature and dusty conditions common in additive manufacturing.

[0033] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixing member is a distance sensor, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure and located on the side of the elastic member away from the movable member. When the distance between the movable member and the fixing member is D1, the distance sensor outputs a first signal, and when the distance between the movable member and the fixing member is D2, the distance sensor outputs a second signal.

[0034] In this type of embodiment, the distance sensor employs a non-contact detection method, detecting material breakage by monitoring changes in the position of the elastic or moving component, effectively avoiding direct mechanical contact with the moving component. This design does not interfere with the direction of the elastic force applied by the elastic component or the movement trajectory of the moving component, ensuring that the thrust of the elastic body on the moving component remains stable and guaranteeing the consistency of the contact state between the moving component and the wire.

[0035] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the mounting structure is provided with a detection channel, the movable part is slidably disposed in the detection channel, one end of the elastic part is fixedly disposed in the detection channel, the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are connected, and the extension directions of the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are set at an angle.

[0036] In this type of embodiment, the detection channel constructed by the mounting structure provides precise sliding guidance for the moving part, ensuring that the moving part can only move stably along the extension direction of the detection channel, effectively limiting the offset or swaying of the moving part in directions other than the wire feeding direction. This limiting effect can avoid abnormal fluctuations in the position of the moving part caused by slight wire slack, vibration, or external environmental interference, thereby preventing the misjudgment of normal wire slack as a break, and improving the anti-interference capability and stability of the break detection and status recognition.

[0037] One end of the elastic element is fixed within the detection channel, and the extension direction of the detection channel directly constrains the deformation trajectory of the elastic element and the direction of force application. Compared to structures without channel limiting, this design ensures that the thrust applied by the elastic element to the moving part is always stably output along a preset direction (away from the mounting structure), avoiding deviations in the thrust direction caused by the skewness or twisting of the elastic element. The stable thrust direction ensures that the contact pressure of the moving part against the wire remains uniform, ensuring more accurate and reliable switching of the distance between the moving part and the fixed part between D1 and D2, further improving the accuracy of the fixed part's identification of the moving part's position.

[0038] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, at the connection point between the wire transport channel and the detection channel, the central axis of the wire transport channel and the central axis of the detection channel have an included angle α, 30°≤α≤150°.

[0039] In this type of embodiment, the optimized distribution of the force exerted by the moving parts is achieved through physical and mechanical decomposition. The pushing force of the moving parts on the line can be decomposed into the force in the line retraction direction and the normal force: the normal force is significantly less than the actual force applied by the moving parts, which greatly reduces the lateral offset effect on the line, especially suitable for flexible or easily deformable lines. It can effectively avoid problems such as line bending and offset caused by excessive normal force, and ensure the stability of the line transmission channel; while the component force in the retraction direction is extremely small relative to the normal tension of the conveying link and can be ignored, so it will not interfere with the normal conveying of the line and ensure the independence of the detection process and the printing conveying process.

[0040] When the conveying of wire is restricted by the tubing, the reduction in positive pressure directly reduces the friction between the wire and the contact surface of the moving parts (or the inner wall of the tubing, if the wire is wrapped around them). During long-term continuous conveying, lower friction can prevent wear on the surface of the wire caused by friction, while also reducing the additional resistance during wire conveying, preventing conveying jams or wire stretching deformation caused by excessive resistance.

[0041] Furthermore, when the wire needs to be reinserted after a breakage, the oblique force characteristics generated by the angle setting of the moving part can significantly reduce the reset resistance: on the one hand, the positive pressure is significantly reduced after the angle is decomposed, and the wire does not need to overcome an excessive vertical contact force when inserted. Only a small pushing force is needed to push it back along the contact surface of the moving part; on the other hand, the oblique force distribution makes the contact surface between the wire and the contact surface of the moving part more closely fit the natural direction of the wire transmission channel. The wire is less likely to jam or deviate during insertion and can smoothly slide into the contact position along the preset angle.

[0042] According to one aspect of this application, a material box is provided, in which a material breakage detection component as described above is provided.

[0043] In this type of embodiment, the material breakage detection component of the material box is configured to move the detection process forward to the source of the wire output. The wire can be monitored in real time from the initial stage of output from the material box storage state to the wire transport channel. Compared with detection in the middle of the wire transport channel or near the drive device, abnormalities such as material breakage and wire slack can be detected earlier, providing a more sufficient time window for subsequent processing.

[0044] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the material box includes an adapter and a fixing tube, the fixing tube being connected to the material tray; the adapter is provided with at least one wire material transmission channel, the wire material transmission channel including a first connecting hole, a second connecting hole and a third connecting hole, the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole being located at opposite ends of the wire material transmission channel, the third connecting hole being opened on the wire material transmission channel, the fixing tube being connected to the first connecting hole, and the second connecting hole conveying wire material outward;

[0045] The moving part of the material breakage detection component is at least partially located in the third connecting hole. When the moving part comes into contact with the wire in the wire transmission channel, the fixing part of the material breakage detection component identifies the distance between the moving part and the fixing part as D1. When the moving part does not come into contact with the wire, the fixing part identifies the distance between the moving part and the fixing part as D2.

[0046] In this type of embodiment, the adapter constructs a complete wire transport channel through the first, second, and third connecting holes, providing precise installation and movement space for the movable component. The movable component is at least partially located within the third connecting hole, and its movement trajectory is strictly limited by the channel structure, preventing displacement due to external vibration or wire movement, and ensuring that the movable component always contacts the wire along a preset path. This structure makes the contact position between the movable component and the wire stable and controllable, reducing detection errors caused by movable component position deviations, and further improving the accuracy of wire breakage detection.

[0047] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, when the wire material enters the wire material transmission channel through the fixed tube, the distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D1; ​​when the fixed tube is not through which the wire material passes, the distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D2.

[0048] According to one aspect of this application, a printer is provided, the printer including a hot end and the aforementioned material breakage detection component disposed in front of the hot end, the material breakage detection component being used to detect the state of the filament in front of the hot end so that the hot end can heat the filament for 3D printing.

[0049] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0050] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0051] Figure 1 This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a material breakage detection component provided in one embodiment of this application, with the distance between the moving part and the fixed part being D2.

[0052] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0053] Figure 3 This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a material breakage detection component provided in one embodiment of this application, with the distance between the moving part and the fixed part being D1.

[0054] Figure 4 This illustration shows a cross-sectional view of a material breakage detection component provided in one embodiment of this application from a side-testing perspective.

[0055] Figure 5 This illustration shows a cross-sectional view of a material breakage detection component provided in one embodiment of this application from a top view perspective.

[0056] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0057] 10. Installation structure; 11. Inspection channel; 12. Installation part; 13. Material passage; 20. Fixing component; 30. Elastic component; 40. Moving component; 41. Contact surface; 50. Wire material. Detailed Implementation

[0058] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0059] The features, structures, or characteristics described above can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, and where possible, the features discussed in the various embodiments are interchangeable. In the above description, numerous specific details are provided to give a full understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, materials, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0060] Although this application uses relative terms such as "up" and "down" to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as the orientation of the example shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the icon's arrangement is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down". Other relative terms, such as "high", "low", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", and "right", also have similar meanings. When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0061] In this application, the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion meaning and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.

[0062] With the continuous development and widespread application of 3D printing technology, the stability and reliability of the printing process play a decisive role in the quality of the final product and printing efficiency. Among them, material breakage is one of the common failures in the 3D printing process. If it cannot be detected in a timely and accurate manner, it will often lead to printing failure, resulting in adverse consequences such as material waste and increased time costs. Therefore, material breakage detection technology has become a key link to ensure the smooth progress of 3D printing.

[0063] In existing technologies, some 3D printers have significant shortcomings in effectively detecting material breakage during the feeding process. The system often only passively detects the breakage after a printing failure, severely hindering printing efficiency and ensuring product quality. Current material breakage detection solutions have revealed numerous drawbacks in practical applications: photoelectric sensor monitoring is limited by factors such as material transparency and reflectivity, resulting in poor detection stability and difficulty adapting to the detection needs of different types of printing materials; gravity sensor methods, due to their large size and slow response speed, cannot be applied to 3D printing equipment with high precision requirements; manual observation methods are inefficient and prone to misjudgment due to human factors, failing to meet the requirements of automated production. These solutions generally suffer from low sensitivity, slow response, complex structure, and high maintenance costs, creating an urgent need in the industry for a material breakage detection solution that is simple in structure, accurate in detection, and has a fast response.

[0064] In pursuit of high equipment integration, some traditional equipment integrates data acquisition components onto the extrusion rollers of the extrusion assembly, indirectly determining material breakage by monitoring the rotation status of the extrusion rollers. The principle is that a data acquisition device (usually a magnet) integrated on the extrusion roller rotates synchronously with it. When the extrusion roller's extrusion effect becomes inconsistent, with no load or slowed rotation, a material breakage is detected. However, this detection method has significant limitations. Blockages at the hot end or in the output pipe can cause the extrusion roller to slow down; conversely, slippage can cause it to accelerate. In these abnormal conditions, relying solely on the extrusion roller's rotation status to determine material breakage is prone to misjudgment or failure to detect the breakage, thus affecting actual processing operations. Users must then conduct further assessments of the abnormalities. Therefore, this method has limited detection accuracy and cannot proactively address material breakage.

[0065] Furthermore, although the aforementioned existing technologies integrate the material breakage detection function into the drive device, resulting in a compact internal structure, this design not only increases the assembly difficulty but also places extremely high demands on design accuracy, thus limiting the optimization and development of material breakage detection technology to some extent.

[0066] In summary, current 3D printer material breakage detection technology has shortcomings in terms of detection accuracy, response speed, and structural design. There is an urgent need for a new material breakage detection solution to make up for the deficiencies of existing technologies and improve the stability and reliability of 3D printing.

[0067] Please see Figures 1 to 5In some exemplary embodiments of this application, a material breakage detection component is provided, comprising: a mounting structure 10, a detection component, and an elastic element 30; the mounting structure 10 is provided with a wire transmission channel, the detection component includes a fixed element 20 and a movable element 40, at least one of the movable element 40 or the fixed element 20 is used to detect the relative distance between the movable element 40 and the fixed element 20; one end of the elastic element 30 is fixed relative to the mounting structure 10, and the other end of the elastic element 30 can abut against the movable element 40; wherein, when the wire 50 in the wire transmission channel is normally transmitted, when the movable element 40 abuts against the wire 50 under the force of the elastic element 30, the distance between the movable element 40 and the fixed element 20 is D1; ​​when the wire 50 in the wire transmission channel breaks, the movable element 40 is at least partially located in the wire transmission channel under the force of the elastic element 30, and the distance between the movable element 40 and the fixed element 20 is D2, D2≠D1, and neither D1 nor D2 is 0.

[0068] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0069] In this type of embodiment, the material breakage detection component overcomes the limitation of existing technologies where detection components are only integrated into the drive device or extrusion assembly. It can be flexibly positioned at any location in the conveying line of the wire 50, and in particular, can complete material breakage detection before the wire 50 is driven or extruded. This configuration ensures that even if a material breakage occurs during additive manufacturing, it will be detected before the wire is driven or extruded. This not only provides operators with more processing time and improves the timeliness of material breakage handling, but also effectively reduces the scrap rate and waste of wire 50 caused by material breakage during additive manufacturing.

[0070] Based on the above settings, operators can flexibly choose material handling according to the actual scenario, or stop printing earlier when material breakage is irreversible. This allows for the early termination of failed printing processes, significantly reducing invalid printing time; it also reduces the volume of already printed material, effectively lowering material loss and minimizing waste at the source. Furthermore, if material breakage is detected in the pipeline before the drive unit, it can be handled directly at that stage without requiring readjustment of the extrusion assembly, making the process more efficient and flexible.

[0071] The material breakage detection component of this application measures the change in distance between the fixed part 20 and the movable part 40 by directly contacting the movable part 40 with the wire 50.

[0072] Specifically, the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 is D1. When the movable part 40 does not contact the wire 50 in the wire transmission channel, the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 is D2, where D1 ≠ D2 and neither is equal to 0. In other words, when the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 changes, it can be determined that the position of the movable part 40 is abnormal, potentially indicating a break in the wire. This can also be applied to the reset process after receiving the wire. When the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 returns to D1, the abnormality handling ends.

[0073] It is understandable that the elastic element 30 applies a pushing force to the movable element 40 to press against the wire material 50. This pushing force is range-bound; within the range of the wire material 50's size (generally between 0.5mm and 10mm in diameter), the elastic element can effectively apply the pushing force, keeping the movable element 40 pressed against the wire material 50, ensuring effective detection. This type of wire breakage detection component can handle wire materials 50 of different diameters, offering a wide range of applications and maintaining stable detection. Furthermore, its structural function is adaptable to wire materials 50 of different diameters, demonstrating strong structural compatibility. The detection results are directly related to the position of the movable element and are not affected by other factors, reducing interference from external conditions and improving detection accuracy.

[0074] The above detection method does not rely on indirect feedback from transmission components such as extrusion rollers, and is not affected by factors such as material blockage or extrusion roller wear. In principle, it improves the accuracy of material breakage judgment, effectively avoids misjudgment or failure to detect material breakage, and does not require setting up a separate judgment process and operation, thus effectively improving the accuracy and efficiency of abnormality handling.

[0075] The material breakage detection component in this embodiment adopts an independent modular design, eliminating the need for integration with the drive unit or extrusion assembly. This allows for full utilization of the unused space between the material box and the drive unit. This design not only simplifies the internal structure of the drive unit, reducing its assembly complexity and design precision requirements, but also improves the overall space utilization and structural rationality of the equipment.

[0076] In one embodiment of this application, the movable member 40 has a cylindrical groove at its bottom, and a cylindrical structure is provided in the cylindrical groove for guiding installation. The elastic member 30 is a compression spring, and its end away from the mounting structure 10 is sleeved on the cylindrical structure in the groove of the movable member 40, and the end face of the spring abuts against the bottom surface of the groove. When the wire 50 is being transported normally, the supporting force of the wire 50 on the movable member 40 overcomes the spring force, so that the spring is in a compressed state. When the wire 50 is broken, the spring force is released, driving the movable member 40 to move along the cylindrical structure into the wire transport channel, so as to realize the dynamic contact and reset of the elastic member 30 and the movable member 40.

[0077] The elastic element 30 in the material breakage detection component enables the movable element 40 to automatically abut against the material 50 and maintain continuous contact. Regardless of whether the material 50 is in normal conveying or slightly fluctuating state, the movable element 40 can stably fit against the material 50, realizing uninterrupted monitoring of the state of the material 50. This provides a clear and direct theoretical basis for material breakage judgment, ensures the stability and reliability of the detection process, and further enhances the practical value of material breakage monitoring.

[0078] Based on the above embodiments, in some technical solutions, the installation structure 10 can be located at the starting point of the consumable in the material box, at the conduction point in the material box, at the output end of the material box, in front of the extrusion assembly of the printer, or in front of the hot end.

[0079] Based on the above embodiments, in some technical solutions, the fixing member 20, the elastic member 30 and the movable member 40 can be arranged in multiple groups along the wire material transmission channel in the same material breakage detection component. The detection components between adjacent groups can have a certain span, which can avoid the situation where material breakage or the interval between wire materials 50 is too small to be detected in certain special cases.

[0080] In some other scenarios, the breakage of wire 50 between the two breakage detection components can also be effectively detected. Therefore, the two breakage detection components can be set outside the two nodes with a long span in the wire transport channel.

[0081] The components in the above embodiments will be described in detail below:

[0082] Mounting structure 10 is a basic structure for providing assembly. Its wire conveying channel is for the passage of wire 50. Specifically, it can be a pipe, channel, cavity, etc. adapted to wire 50 for integrating other components and enabling the detection of wire 50 at this location. It can be understood that the wire conveying channel can be any segment of the wire 50's conveying process inside the printer. This segment can be a physical structure or simply an area through which wire 50 passes, without limitation on its specific shape and location.

[0083] Regarding the fixed component 20 and the movable component 40, one of them has the function of detecting distance, either directly or indirectly. In other words, the above scheme can be used to identify and deduce the position or trajectory of the movable component 40. Thus, the position of the movable component 40 relative to the fixed component 20 is used to determine whether the wire 50 is broken. Under the continuous pushing force applied by the elastic component 30, the relative position of the movable component 40 and the wire 50 remains stable, increasing the stability and reliability of the detection. Furthermore, it is not limited to a specific setting location and can adapt to the need for rapid response. Meanwhile, the component used to implement the detection function can be a sensor based on physical principles. The combination of the elastic component 30 and the component implementing the detection function can be: an infrared sensor + silicone elastomer, a magnetic sensor + spring, a continuity circuit + spring, etc.

[0084] In one specific embodiment, the component that performs the detection function can be mounted on the fixing member 20. The fixing member 20 is fixedly mounted on the end of the elastic member 30 away from the movable member 40, so as to effectively collect the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixing member 20. The fixing position of the fixing member 20 can be a mounting position on the mounting structure 10.

[0085] In another specific embodiment, the component that performs the detection function can be set on the fixing member 20. The fixing member 20 is fixedly set on the side away from the elastic member 30 of the movable member 40 and located outside the wire material transmission channel. Compared with the above-mentioned solution, the distance between the fixing member 20 and the movable member 40 is closer, and it only needs to cross the wire material transmission channel, resulting in higher sensitivity of data acquisition.

[0086] In another specific embodiment, the component that performs the detection function can be mounted on the movable part 30, and the fixed part 20 can be used as a component to fix the collected information. In this embodiment, the fixed part 20 can be mounted on the end of the elastic part 30 away from the movable part 40. This solution increases the detection of material breakage by measuring the collected distance. Conversely, the fixed part 20 can also be mounted on the side of the movable part 40 away from the elastic part 30 and located outside the wire material transmission channel. This reduces the detection of material breakage by measuring the collected distance.

[0087] Based on the above solution, a light source can be installed on the movable component 30, and the light source emits a beam of light in a pulsed manner to illuminate the fixed component 20. A light collector is fixedly installed on the fixed component 20. When the light collector's acquisition time fluctuates beyond its range, it can be determined that the state of the wire has changed. Alternatively, the distance between the movable component 30 and the fixed component 20 can be calculated by comparing the acquisition time of the light collector with the illumination time of the light beam emitted by the light source.

[0088] Please see Figure 5Based on the above embodiments, in some technical solutions, at least two sets of elastic members 30 and movable members 40 are correspondingly arranged on the mounting structure 10, and the fixed members 20 are correspondingly arranged with the movable members 40. This arrangement can accommodate equipment with at least two sets of material transmission channels and can handle multi-channel material conveying.

[0089] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 For comparison, when there is a material break in the wire material transmission channel ( Figure 3 At this point, the movable part 40 is clearly abutting above the wire material 50 shown in the diagram, and the presence of wire material 50 in the wire material transmission channel can be clearly identified. However, when there is a break in the wire material transmission channel (…), Figure 1 At this point, the position of the movable part 40 is at least partially and clearly visible in the wire material transmission channel, so as to detect that the wire material 50 is not present.

[0090] Compared to direct detection of material breakage in locations such as the extrusion unit, the above-mentioned solution allows the moving part 40 to objectively and stably reflect the state of the wire material, and it is not affected by other supporting structures, thus offering greater advantages in detection accuracy and stability.

[0091] In some other scenarios, such as when the two wire segments 50 are not completely disconnected, the connection of the wire segments 50 is relatively weak. In this case, the movable part 40 can squeeze the connection. The distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 is between D1 and D2. In this case, it can also be determined that the wire segment 50 is abnormal and needs to be dealt with.

[0092] In some specific applications, the material breakage detection component can be positioned at the front end of a location where material breakage can be handled, which facilitates timely and effective material breakage handling upon receiving material breakage information.

[0093] In some alternative embodiments, the fixing member 20 may use an infrared optocoupler to detect the presence of the wire 50 or the position of the moving part 40. Its advantages are: infrared optocoupler detection is a non-contact detection method with fast response speed, simple structure, and low cost; it can directly determine the presence of consumables by whether light is blocked.

[0094] Specifically, the fixed component 20 is configured as an infrared optical coupler sensor, with its infrared light emission direction set towards the movable component 40. When the distance between the movable component 40 and the fixed component 20 changes, the specific position of the movable component 40 can be determined by the change in reflected light information, thereby realizing the position detection of the movable component 40. When the fixed component 20 is an infrared optical coupler sensor, its position is not restricted, as long as it meets the requirements of its infrared emission direction.

[0095] Furthermore, the movable component 40 can be made of a material with high reflectivity, such as silver, gold, aluminum, PET gold-plated film, aluminized polyester film, polytetrafluoroethylene, metal ceramic coating, etc. The above materials have high reflectivity and can be used in scenarios where the fixed component 20 is an infrared optical coupler sensor. Moreover, the physical properties of the reflected light of the material are stable, which has advantages in terms of position detection accuracy and fast response. Compared with the structure setting of non-direct acquisition, it is not only intuitive and reliable, but also stable. At the same time, the setting position of the fixed component 20 is not limited to the position matching of the elastic component 50. It can be on the same side or opposite sides, and can be flexibly assembled.

[0096] In some alternative embodiments, the fixed member 20 can also be a servo motor that monitors changes in feeding resistance and applies different pressures to the movable member 40 to obtain resistance feedback. Its advantage is that the feeding resistance can be sensed by utilizing the current feedback or torque monitoring function of the servo motor itself, without the need to add additional sensors, which simplifies the structural integration to a certain extent.

[0097] Specifically, the elastic element 30 is set as a tension spring, and the servo motor is a linear motor. Its output end is abutted against the side of the movable element 40 away from the wire 50. The servo motor pushes the movable element 40. When the distance between the movable element 40 and the fixed element 20 is D1, the elastic force of the elastic element 30 is less than the output resistance of the servo motor. The movable element 40 abuts against the wire 50. At this time, the extension of the servo motor can be used to determine that it is in a normal state.

[0098] When a material breakage or abnormality occurs in wire 50, the servo motor pushes against the movable part 40. The movable part 40, no longer blocked by the wire 50, enters the wire transmission channel, making the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 D2. Under the force of the servo motor, the movable part 40 drives the elastic part 30 to extend, realizing the conversion of kinetic energy into elastic potential energy. The force of the servo motor and the elastic force of the elastic part 30 are balanced. At this time, the extension amount of the servo motor can be used to determine whether it is in a material breakage state.

[0099] In some alternative embodiments, the fixing member 20 can be an external fiber optic sensing device for sensing minute displacements of the moving member 40. Its advantages are that the fiber optic sensing device has high detection accuracy, strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability, and is sensitive to minute displacements or state changes, making it suitable for complex environments.

[0100] In some alternative embodiments, the movable element 40 may be a contact block made of a certain elastic material, whose elastic physical properties can avoid rigid contact with the wire 50.

[0101] In some alternative embodiments, the multiple mounting positions of the mounting structure 10 can be arranged along the wire transport channel or arranged sequentially in a horizontal direction.

[0102] Specifically, the arrangement along the material transmission channel allows for real-time monitoring of material 50 at different points. If a break in material 50 occurs at a certain point, the location of the break can be determined comprehensively.

[0103] The material transport channels can be arranged in a horizontal direction to accommodate multiple different materials 50, thus enabling the transport of multiple different materials.

[0104] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixed member 20 is a magnetic sensor, the movable member 40 is a magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor is disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic body.

[0105] The combination of magnetic sensors and magnetic materials is used to solve the problems of insufficient sensitivity and stability in existing technical solutions.

[0106] Specifically, the magnetic sensor has high sensitivity and stability in sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic body. The two are in contactless cooperation, which can not only accurately capture the positional displacement of the moving part 40 caused by the change in the state of the wire 50, ensuring the accurate transmission of the material breakage monitoring signal and reducing the risk of misjudgment caused by detection delay or signal distortion, but also avoid abnormal problems caused by motion interference.

[0107] By leveraging the differentiated characteristics of magnetic field regions, different magnetic field intervals can be set to correspond to different states of wire material 50: for example, a specific magnetic field interval is used to determine that wire material 50 is being conveyed normally, while another interval is used to determine that the wire material is broken. It can also identify abnormalities in wire material 50 (such as surface dents or abnormal diameters), breaking through the limitations of single wire break detection and achieving comprehensive monitoring of the conveying status of wire material 50 and the quality of wire material 50 itself.

[0108] Since the position of the moving part 40 abutting the wire 50 is relatively stable, when the magnetic sensor detects that the distance between the moving part 40 and the fixed part 20 remains between D1 and D2 for a long time without changing, it can quickly determine whether the moving part 40 is stuck or has a mechanical failure. This feature can promptly trigger maintenance prompts, making it easier for operators to troubleshoot equipment abnormalities in advance, reducing downtime caused by component failures, and improving the overall operation and maintenance efficiency of the equipment.

[0109] The fixed part 20 is a magnetic sensor, which is fixed on the mounting structure 10. The magnetic field line of the movable part 40 passes through the magnetic sensor. When the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 is maintained at D1, the magnetic sensor outputs a normal signal. When the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 becomes D2, the magnetic sensor outputs a material cut-off signal.

[0110] In some variations, the fixed member 20 is configured as an induction coil. When the position of the movable member 40 changes, the magnetic field changes accordingly. At this time, the induction coil generates a current, and the direction of the current can be used to determine the position change of the movable member 40, thereby determining its state.

[0111] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments of this application, the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor, a magnetoresistive sensor, or a magneto-inductive sensor, and the magnetic material is a natural magnet, a neodymium iron boron magnet, or a ferrite magnet.

[0112] The above settings are used to further provide specific solutions for enabling the magnetic sensor to cooperate with a magnetic body, as follows:

[0113] In one specific solution, a Hall sensor is used in combination with a magnetic material. The advantages of this combination are that it responds quickly to changes in the magnetic field, has high sensitivity, and can accurately capture changes in the magnetic field caused by minute displacements of the magnetic material. It is suitable for early detection of minor abnormalities (such as dents) in wire. The output signal is a DC voltage, which is easy to process and convert digitally. It has strong anti-interference ability and good stability in industrial environments.

[0114] In another specific scheme, when a Hall sensor is used in conjunction with a magnetic object, the principle is based on the Hall effect. When the magnetic object (magnetic field source) approaches or moves away from the Hall sensor, the current-carrying semiconductor inside the sensor generates a Hall voltage perpendicular to both the current and magnetic field directions under the influence of the magnetic field. During normal wire feeding, the moving part 40 (magnetic object) is abutted by the wire 50, and the distance between the moving part 40 and the fixed part 20 is D1. The magnetic field's effect on the Hall sensor is stable, and the Hall voltage output is a stable value. When the wire 50 breaks or malfunctions, the moving part 40, under the action of the elastic part 30, changes the distance between the moving part 40 and the fixed part 20 to D2. The change in magnetic field strength or direction causes a significant change in the Hall voltage, and the sensor determines the state of the wire 50 by recognizing this voltage change.

[0115] Based on the two specific solutions mentioned above, it can be seen that the combination of magnetoresistive sensor and magnetic body has the advantage of high accuracy in sensing changes in magnetic field direction and intensity. It is especially suitable for small-range displacement detection and can clearly distinguish different state ranges such as "not interrupted material", "discontinued material", and "abnormal jamming". It also has good temperature stability and small detection error in the temperature fluctuation environment of the printer.

[0116] In another specific solution, a magnetoresistive sensor is used in conjunction with a magnetic material. The principle behind this is that the magnetoresistive sensor utilizes the magnetoresistive effect, meaning the resistance of a magnetic material changes with the strength or direction of an applied magnetic field. When the position of the magnetic material (moving part 40) changes, the magnetic field strength acting on the magnetoresistive sensor changes, causing a change in the sensor's resistance. This change in resistance is then converted into a voltage or current signal output through a circuit. When the wire 50 is functioning normally, the magnetic material's position is stable, and the resistance remains constant. When the wire 50 is malfunctioning, the displacement of the magnetic material causes significant fluctuations in the resistance, thus enabling status judgment.

[0117] In another specific solution, a magneto-inductive sensor is used in conjunction with a magnetic body. Its advantages are simple structure, strong coil durability of the magneto-inductive sensor, good resistance to mechanical wear, and outstanding range sensing capability of magnetic field. By setting the inductance threshold range, the "normal", "abnormal", and "material breakage" intervals can be flexibly divided to adapt to the detection needs of different wire diameters or materials.

[0118] The working principle of the magneto-inductive sensor combined with a magnetic body is that the magneto-inductive sensor senses changes in the magnetic field by detecting changes in the coil inductance. The coil acts as the sensing element; when the magnetic body (movable part 40) approaches or moves away from the coil, the magnetic field distribution around the coil changes, causing a change in the inductance value. When the wire 50 is normal, the magnetic body's position is fixed, and the coil inductance value is stable. When the wire 50 is abnormal, the magnetic body's displacement causes detectable fluctuations in the coil inductance value, which are then output as a status signal through the inductance measurement circuit. In this type of embodiment, the elastic part 50 needs to be made of a non-magnetic material to avoid the generation of current and magnetic changes in materials such as springs when the magnetic field changes, which could affect the detection accuracy of the magneto-inductive sensor.

[0119] Furthermore, there are various magnetic materials to choose from, each with its own advantages, allowing for selection based on actual needs. For example, natural magnets: sourced from natural magnetite (such as magnetite), requiring no artificial synthesis, resulting in lower costs; they also exhibit good chemical stability and slow magnetic decay in dry environments. Another example is neodymium iron boron magnets: possessing strong magnetism, high magnetic field strength, and a wide range, ensuring stable signal output from the sensor across a large displacement range, thus improving detection reliability; they can be precision-machined into regular shapes (such as cylinders and cubes), ensuring good assembly consistency with moving parts 40, making them suitable for mass production. Yet another example is ferrite magnets, which offer low cost and high performance-to-price ratio, making them suitable for large-scale applications; they possess excellent chemical stability, strong resistance to corrosion and aging, and a long service life in humid and dusty industrial environments; they also have higher mechanical strength and superior resistance to impact and vibration compared to neodymium iron boron magnets.

[0120] In some alternative embodiments, different sensors and different magnetic materials can be selected for different scenarios, such as a combination of Hall sensor and natural magnet, magnetoresistive sensor and natural magnet, magneto-electric sensor and natural magnet, Hall sensor and neodymium iron boron magnet, magnetoresistive sensor and neodymium iron boron magnet, magneto-electric sensor and neodymium iron boron magnet, Hall sensor and ferrite magnet, magnetoresistive sensor and ferrite magnet, magneto-electric sensor and ferrite magnet, but not limited to these.

[0121] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, one end of the elastic member 30 is fixedly connected to the mounting structure, and the other end of the elastic member 30 abuts against the movable member 40; the side of the movable member 40 away from the elastic member 30 is the abutting surface 41, and the distance between the abutting surface 41 and the elastic member 30 gradually increases along the forward direction of the wire 50, and at the maximum distance, the extension direction of the abutting surface 41 is parallel to the forward direction of the wire 50.

[0122] The above solution is used to address the problem of how to quickly reset the movable part 40 to install the wire material after the material breakage process, and the problem of the movable part 40 pressing against the wire material 50, which can easily lead to large friction or even damage.

[0123] In this type of embodiment, the elastic element 30 adopts a structural design with a fixed end (fixedly connected to the mounting structure 10) and a free end (the elastic element 30 abuts against the movable element 40), ensuring that the direction of the applied elastic force remains constant and will not deviate due to deformation angle deviation of the elastic element 30 or installation error. This stable elastic force output ensures that the movable element 40 can consistently and stably abut against the wire 50 with a preset pressure, avoiding position fluctuations of the movable element 40 due to unstable force, thereby ensuring the stability and accuracy of the fixed element 20 in identifying the position of the movable element 40, and further improving the reliability of material breakage detection.

[0124] Meanwhile, the abutment surface 41 of the movable part 40, facing away from the elastic part 30, gradually increases in distance from the elastic part 30 along the forward direction of the wire 50, facilitating the reset operation of the wire 50 after breakage. When the wire 50 needs to be reinserted after breakage, it can naturally slide into the abutment position along the gradual slope of the abutment surface 41, easily adjusting the distance between the movable part 40 and the fixed part 20 from D2 to D1, and from the broken state to the normal state, without the need for complex alignment adjustments. This design significantly reduces the difficulty of reset operations, improves the operability and maintenance efficiency of the equipment, and effectively shortens downtime for adjustment, ensuring production continuity, especially in batch production or continuous operation scenarios.

[0125] Specifically, in some alternative embodiments, the structure of the contact surface 41 can also be an arc surface, a slope, a smooth curve surface, etc., which can be processed by CNC (Computer Numerical Control, here referring to a CNC machine tool). Its surface roughness can also be set to be less than that of the wire 50, or its surface can be treated to be non-stick to reduce friction with the wire 50.

[0126] In some alternative embodiments, the abutment surface 41 may also be a slope, with the angle between the slope and the direction of the wire's movement being between 30° and 75°.

[0127] In some alternative embodiments, the distance between the abutting surface 41 and the elastic member 30 gradually increases until the abutting surface 41 is parallel to the forward direction of the wire 50, and then the distance between the abutting surface 41 and the elastic member 30 gradually decreases. This arrangement can reduce the abutting area at the abutting point and reduce the friction between the abutting surface 41 and the wire 50.

[0128] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the elastic element 30 is a spring, the movable element 40 is a cylindrical structure, the elastic element 30 applies a thrust to the cylindrical curved surface of the movable element 40 away from the mounting structure 10, and the axial length of the movable element 40 is less than the radial dimension of the elastic element 30.

[0129] The above solution is used to achieve continuous contact of the moving part 40 and ensure its sensitivity, while also solving some shortcomings of the spherical structure.

[0130] When the elastic element 30 is a spring, it has the characteristics of stable elastic coefficient, large deformation range and strong fatigue resistance. It can maintain constant thrust output during long-term repeated force application, ensuring that the contact force between the moving part 40 and the wire 50 is stable over a long period of time. Moreover, if the surface roughness of the wire 50 is uneven, it is easy to generate high-frequency vibration. In this case, the spring setting is more suitable.

[0131] The movable component 40 adopts a cylindrical structure design. Combined with the elastic component 30 applying a pushing force to the cylindrical surface, the elastic force is evenly distributed along the cylindrical surface, preventing localized wear or deformation of the movable component 40 due to concentrated force points, thus extending its service life. Simultaneously, the cylindrical structure reduces the frictional resistance of the movable component 40 during movement, allowing for smoother displacement along the conveying direction of the wire material 50 under the action of the elastic force, reducing the risk of jamming. The corresponding abutment surface 41 can be adapted to the cylindrical curvature design as an arc-shaped mating surface, which not only forms a stable line contact with the wire material 50, ensuring accurate abutment position, but also reduces the contact resistance of the wire material 50 during conveying through the guiding effect of the arc surface, further improving the stability and smoothness of the detection process.

[0132] The axial length of the movable part 40, i.e., the height of the cylinder, is less than the radial dimension of the elastic part 40. For example, when the elastic part 30 is a spring, the axial length of the movable part 40 is less than the diameter of the spring. This design allows the volume of the cylinder to be reduced while still meeting the requirements for contact with the wire 50 and connection with the elastic part 30, thus reducing the overall mass and lowering the elasticity requirements of the spring, eliminating the need for excessive thrust. In this case, the impact of large elastic forces on the wire can be avoided, and the difficulty of resetting after a break is reduced.

[0133] It is understandable that setting the structure as a cylinder has many advantages over setting the movable part 40 as a sphere. First, the contact position with the elastic part 30 is different. The spherical structure requires the elastic part to abut against one of its circular surfaces, and the radial dimension of the elastic part 30 is required to be less than or equal to the diameter of the spherical structure. This will undoubtedly lead to insufficient elastic force applied to the elastic part 30. When the movable part 40 is set in the vertical direction, it will apply gravity to the elastic part 30. If the elastic force limit of the elastic part 30 itself is insufficient, it will overstretch the elastic part 30, causing it to fail. This will affect the reset after the material breakage is resolved, as well as the cooperation with the wire material 50.

[0134] Secondly, the volume of the spherical structure is uncontrollable and significantly larger than that of the cylindrical structure, resulting in a greater mass and higher requirements for the elastic element 30, as well as a greater pushing force on the wire 50. In contrast, the radial dimension of the cylindrical structure only needs to meet the contact of the elastic element 30, while the axial length can be set much smaller than the size of the elastic element 30, for example, in a sheet-like form, or its axial length can be adapted to the width of the wire 50.

[0135] Finally, compared to a spherical structure, the mass of the moving part 40 is reduced and the demand for the elasticity of the elastic part 30 is reduced. At this time, the pressure on the wire material 50 under the action of the elastic part 30 is also reduced, which plays a role in protecting the consumables.

[0136] Compared to structures like cuboids, the cylindrical surface of a cylinder allows for rapid loading and unloading of wire 50. Furthermore, the reduced contact area between the cylindrical surface and the wire 50 can, under certain circumstances, transform sliding friction into rolling friction, thereby effectively reducing frictional resistance and preventing damage to the wire.

[0137] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixing member 20 is a pressure sensor, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure 10. One end of the elastic member 30 is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end of the elastic member 30 can abut against the movable member 40. When the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixing member 20 is D1, the pressure sensor outputs a first pressure. When the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixing member 20 is D2, the pressure sensor outputs a second pressure. The first pressure and the second pressure are not equal.

[0138] The above embodiment provides a detection method different from that of a magnetic sensor, wherein a pressure sensor is disposed at the end of the elastic member 30 away from the movable member 40, and is fixed on the mounting structure 10 as the mounting base of the elastic member 30, so as to measure the pressure transmitted back by the elastic member 30.

[0139] In this type of embodiment, the pressure sensor achieves material breakage monitoring by directly detecting changes in the thrust of the elastic element 30. Its detection logic is direct and accurate, allowing for intuitive judgment of the wire 50's state without indirect derivation, thus reducing errors in intermediate steps. Secondly, the force transmission is stable and reliable. Although it becomes the stress point of the elastic element 30, the deformation during the pressure sensor's detection process is negligible. This not only provides a stable installation position for the elastic element 30 but also reduces the complexity of the installation structure 10's design. Furthermore, the pressure sensor has stronger environmental adaptability. It is unaffected by environmental factors such as magnetic field interference and dust obstruction, and can still maintain stable operation under the high-temperature and dusty conditions common in additive manufacturing.

[0140] Furthermore, based on the above embodiments, a strain gauge pressure sensor can be selected. Its principle is as follows: the strain gauge built into the sensor undergoes mechanical deformation under the thrust of the elastic element 30, resulting in a change in resistance value, which is converted into an electrical signal output proportional to the pressure through a circuit. The advantages of this type of sensor include:

[0141] High-precision response: The strain gauge has high sensitivity to small deformations and can capture pressure changes in the elastic element 30 caused by the slight fluctuations of the wire 50. It can even identify abnormal states such as local dents in the wire 50.

[0142] Excellent dynamic performance: Fast response speed (millisecond level), can track the sudden pressure change of the elastic element 30 at the moment of material breakage in real time, avoid missed detection caused by lag, and ensure the timeliness of material breakage judgment.

[0143] Strong structural compatibility: It is compact in size and flexible in installation. It can be adapted to different elastic elements 30 such as springs and elastic silicone strips. It can stably collect signals by directly abutting the fixed end of the elastic element 30, without the need for a complicated mechanical adaptation structure, thus reducing the difficulty of assembly.

[0144] Good long-term stability: The strain gauge material has strong fatigue resistance. During long-term operation with repeated deformation of the elastic element, the signal drift is small and the service life is long, reducing the maintenance cost of frequent calibration or replacement.

[0145] Alternatively, when the movable part 40 has a limit position and is limited by other structures, such as setting a channel for the wire to pass through, when the wire breaks and the movable part 40 is restricted by the channel, one end of the elastic element 30 can abut against the pressure sensor, and the other end of the elastic element 30 abuts against the movable part 40, which can reduce assembly requirements.

[0146] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the fixing member 20 is a distance sensor. The distance sensor is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure 10 and located on the side of the elastic member 30 away from the movable member 40. When the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixing member 20 is D1, the distance sensor outputs a first signal. When the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixing member 20 is D2, the distance sensor outputs a second signal.

[0147] The above embodiments provide another detection method that differs from magnetic sensors, wherein the distance sensor is fixed on the mounting structure 10.

[0148] In this type of embodiment, the distance sensor employs a non-contact detection method, detecting material breakage by monitoring the positional changes of the elastic element 30 or the movable element 40, effectively avoiding direct mechanical contact with the movable element 40. This configuration does not interfere with the direction of the elastic force applied by the elastic element 30 or the movement trajectory of the movable element 40, ensuring that the thrust of the elastic element 30 on the movable element 40 remains stable, and guaranteeing the consistency of the contact state between the movable element 40 and the wire 50.

[0149] Furthermore, based on the above embodiments, the distance sensor can be a laser distance sensor as the fixed component 20. Its working principle is to emit a laser beam to the surface of the elastic component 30 or the movable component 40, and use the laser reflection time difference or phase difference to accurately calculate the distance between the sensor and the detection target. When the wire 50 is being conveyed normally, the movable component 40 maintains a stable position under the thrust of the elastic component 30, and the laser ranging value is within a preset range (corresponding to the distance between the movable component 40 and the fixed component 20 as D1). When the wire 50 breaks, the position of the movable component 40 changes, causing the ranging value to exceed the preset range (corresponding to the distance between the movable component 40 and the fixed component 20 as D2), thereby triggering a material breakage alarm.

[0150] The advantages of this type of sensor are: First, it has extremely high detection accuracy, reaching the micrometer level, which can accurately capture minute displacement changes of moving parts 40 and avoid misjudgments caused by detection errors; second, it has a fast response speed, with extremely low laser signal propagation and processing delay, which can provide real-time feedback on changes in the state of the wire material 50; third, it has strong anti-interference capabilities, is not affected by ambient light, dust, or other factors, and is suitable for complex working conditions such as additive manufacturing; fourth, the detection range is adjustable, and by adjusting the laser emission angle and detection threshold, it can flexibly adapt to different deformation amplitudes of elastic parts 30, improving the versatility of the solution.

[0151] In another alternative embodiment, the distance sensor may be a wire displacement meter, which includes an extendable and retractable coil assembly. One end of the coil assembly is connected to the movable member 40. The movable member 40 moves away from the distance sensor under the action of the elastic member 40. At this time, the coil extension becomes longer, the displacement meter transmits position change information, and measures the distance change between the movable member 40 and the fixed member 20 based on the change in the coil extension to determine the state switching.

[0152] Furthermore, when the elastic element 30 is a spring, the coil passes through the hollow region of the spring.

[0153] Please see Figure 1 In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the mounting structure 10 is provided with a detection channel 11, the movable part 40 is slidably disposed in the detection channel 11, the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel 11 are connected, and the extension directions of the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are set at an angle.

[0154] The above technical solution is used to solve the problem that the status of the wire material 50 cannot be accurately detected when the moving part 40 is in a free state and there is a displacement or other situation.

[0155] In this type of embodiment, the detection channel 11 constructed by the mounting structure 10 provides precise sliding guidance for the movable part 40, ensuring that the movable part 40 can only move stably along the extension direction of the detection channel 11, effectively limiting the offset or swaying of the movable part 40 in directions other than the conveying direction of the wire 50. This limiting effect can avoid abnormal fluctuations in the position of the movable part 40 caused by slight slack, vibration, or external environmental interference of the wire 50, thereby preventing the normal slack of the wire 50 from being misjudged as a break, and improving the anti-interference capability and stability of the break detection.

[0156] One end of the elastic element 30 is fixed within the detection channel 11. The extension direction of the detection channel 11 directly constrains the deformation trajectory and force application direction of the elastic element 30. Compared to structures without channel limiting, this design ensures that the thrust applied by the elastic element 30 to the movable element 40 is always stably output along a preset direction (away from the mounting structure 10), avoiding deviations in the thrust direction caused by the skewness or twisting of the elastic element 30. The stable thrust direction ensures that the contact pressure of the movable element 40 with the wire 50 remains uniform, ensuring more precise and reliable switching between the distance between the movable element 40 and the fixed element 20 between D1 and D2, further improving the accuracy of the fixed element 20 in recognizing the position of the movable element 40.

[0157] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the mounting structure 10 may also be provided with a material passage 13 for the wire 50 to pass through, and the material passage 13 is connected to the channel or pipe of the wire transmission channel. This pipe provides stability for the monitoring status of the wire 50, avoiding the situation of no channel limit and misjudging the situation of material breakage in the case of material loosening.

[0158] The above-described technical solution provides a channel through which the wire 50 passes, using the presence of a pipeline at its location as a basis to provide a more reliable benchmark for wire breakage detection. Without other components, the wire 50 may be outside the wire transport channel due to its own deformation or other issues. In this case, the moving part cannot contact it, and the distance between the moving part and the fixed part 20 is D2, but the wire 50 is not broken, resulting in a false alarm.

[0159] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, at the connection position of the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel, the included angle between the central axis of the wire material transmission channel of the wire material 50 and the central axis of the detection channel 11 is α, 30°≤α≤150°.

[0160] In this type of embodiment, the optimized distribution of the force exerted by the moving part 40 is achieved through physical and mechanical decomposition. The pushing force of the moving part 40 on the line can be decomposed into the force in the retraction direction of the line material 50 and the normal pressure: the normal pressure is significantly less than the actual applied force of the moving part 40, which greatly reduces the lateral offset effect on the line material 50. This is especially suitable for flexible or easily deformable line materials 50, and can effectively avoid problems such as bending and offset of the line material 50 caused by excessive normal pressure, thus ensuring the stability of the line material transmission channel. The component force in the retraction direction is extremely small relative to the normal tension of the conveying link and can be ignored. It will not interfere with the normal conveying of the line material 50, ensuring the independence of the detection process and the printing conveying process.

[0161] When the conveying of wire 50 is restricted by the pipe, the reduction in positive pressure directly reduces the friction between the wire 50 and the contact surface 41 of the moving part 40 (or the inner wall of the pipe, if wrapped with wire). During long-term continuous conveying, lower friction can prevent wear on the surface of the wire 50 caused by friction, and at the same time reduce the additional resistance during the conveying of the wire 50, preventing conveying jams or stretching deformation of the wire 50 due to excessive resistance.

[0162] Furthermore, when the wire 50 needs to be reinserted after the material is broken, the oblique force characteristics generated by the angle setting of the movable part 40 can significantly reduce the reset resistance: on the one hand, the positive pressure is significantly reduced after the angle is decomposed, and the wire 50 does not need to overcome an excessive vertical contact force when it is inserted. Only a small pushing force is needed to adjust the distance between the movable part and the fixed part 20 from D2 to D1 along the contact surface 41 of the movable part 40; on the other hand, the oblique force distribution makes the contact between the wire 50 and the contact surface 41 of the movable part 40 more in line with the natural direction of the wire transmission channel, and the wire 50 is less likely to jam or deviate during the insertion process, and can smoothly slide into the contact position along the preset angle.

[0163] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the angle between the extension direction of the wire transmission channel of the wire 50 and the extension direction of the detection channel 11 is α≤90 degrees. In this case, the detection channel 11 is longer, which provides a longer deformation space for the elastic element and enables better control of the spring compression.

[0164] Preferably, the angle between the extension direction of the wire transmission channel of wire 50 and the extension direction of the detection channel 11 is 45 degrees ≤ α ≤ 75 degrees.

[0165] Specifically, α can be 45 degrees, 46 degrees, 47 degrees, 48 ​​degrees, 49 degrees, 50 degrees, 51 degrees, 52 degrees, 53 degrees, 54 degrees, 55 degrees, 56 degrees, 57 degrees, 58 degrees, 59 degrees, 60 degrees, 61 degrees, 62 degrees, 63 degrees, 64 degrees, 65 degrees, 66 degrees, 67 degrees, 68 degrees, 69 degrees, 70 degrees, 71 degrees, 72 degrees, 73 degrees, 74 degrees, or 75 degrees, but is not limited to these.

[0166] Furthermore, when the detection channel 11 is tilted relative to the extension direction of the wire material transmission channel, the force exerted by the movable part 30 on the wire material 50 will form a component force, the pressure on the wire material 50 will be reduced, and the direction of application of the component force is consistent with the conveying direction of the wire material 50, which reduces the probability of wear on the wire material 50.

[0167] In other embodiments, the angle between the extension direction of the wire transmission channel of the wire 50 and the extension direction of the detection channel 11 is 90 degrees ≤ α ≤ 150 degrees; in this case, the detection channel 11 is lengthened, which provides a longer deformation space for the elastic element and enables better control of the spring compression.

[0168] Furthermore, since the force exerted by the movable part 30 on the wire 50 forms a component force, the pressure directly on the wire 50 is reduced, and the other component force is in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the wire 50. This arrangement is more conducive to resetting after material breakage. The pushing force when the wire 50 resets can directly counteract the component force in this direction, thereby pushing the movable part to reset.

[0169] Preferably, the angle between the extension direction of the wire transmission channel of wire 50 and the extension direction of the detection channel 11 is 100 degrees ≤ α ≤ 140 degrees.

[0170] Specifically, α can be 100 degrees, 101 degrees, 102 degrees, 103 degrees, 104 degrees, 105 degrees, 106 degrees, 107 degrees, 108 degrees, 109 degrees, 110 degrees, 111 degrees, 112 degrees, 113 degrees, 114 degrees, 115 degrees, 116 degrees, 117 degrees, 118 degrees, 119 degrees, 120 degrees, 121 degrees, 122 degrees, 123 degrees, 124 degrees, 125 degrees, 126 degrees, 127 degrees, 128 degrees, 129 degrees, 130 degrees, 131 degrees, 132 degrees, 133 degrees, 134 degrees, 135 degrees, 136 degrees, 137 degrees, 138 degrees, 139 degrees, or 140 degrees, but is not limited to these.

[0171] exist Figure 1 In the example, the movable part 40 is pulled by the elastic part 30 and does not completely enter the wire material transmission channel. On this basis, compared with the side of the original wire material transmission channel away from the movable part 40, there is at least a certain space between it and the movable part 40. The setting of this space allows the wire material 50 to enter the wire material transmission channel better.

[0172] like Figure 5 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments of this application, the mounting structure 10 is provided with a mounting part 12, which is used to fix the fastener 20, and the mounting part 12 is located at one end of the detection channel 11. The mounting structure 10 is an integrally formed structure.

[0173] The above solution is used to provide the installation position of the fastener 20, and the one-piece molding structure reduces the difficulty of its assembly and achieves the purpose of weight reduction.

[0174] In this type of embodiment, the mounting structure 10 adopts a one-piece molding design, which effectively enhances the rigidity and stability of the overall structure. Compared with the spliced ​​structure, the one-piece molding avoids positional displacement caused by assembly gaps or loose connections, ensuring that the relative positional accuracy of the detection channel 11 and the mounting part 12 remains consistent. This provides a reliable foundation for the stable sliding of the moving part 40 and the precise installation of the fixed part 20, reducing detection errors caused by component displacement at the structural level and ensuring the long-term stability of the material breakage detection system.

[0175] According to one aspect of this application, a material box is provided, in which a material breakage detection component as described above is disposed. The specific structure and beneficial effects of the material breakage detection component are detailed in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0176] In this type of embodiment, the material breakage detection component of the material box is configured to move the detection process forward to the source of the wire material 50 output. The wire material 50 can be monitored in real time from the initial stage of output from the material box storage state to the wire material transmission channel. Compared with detection in the middle of the wire material transmission channel or near the drive device, abnormalities such as material breakage and wire material 50 slack can be detected earlier, providing a more sufficient time window for subsequent processing.

[0177] In some applications, such as when the remaining wire 50 in the hopper is about to run out or breaks, the component can immediately send a signal to prevent the wire 50 from being ineffectively transported in the pipeline after being output from the hopper, thus further improving the timeliness and foresight of the material shortage warning.

[0178] As the core component for storing 50g of wire, the material box's internal space is fully utilized to integrate a material breakage detection component, eliminating the need for additional detection devices on the outside of the material box and reducing the overall space occupied by the equipment. This integrated design allows the material box to perform both storage and detection functions, simplifying the printer's external piping layout and avoiding problems such as piping interference and complicated installation that may arise from external detection components, thus improving the overall structural compactness and aesthetics of the equipment.

[0179] By integrating the material breakage detection component into the material box, the component can be inspected and maintained simultaneously when the material box is replaced. Users can verify the status of the detection component without disassembling other parts of the equipment, reducing the complexity of maintenance operations. At the same time, the relatively closed and stable internal environment of the material box reduces interference from external dust, vibration, and other factors on the detection component, helping to maintain the long-term stability of detection accuracy and extend the component's service life.

[0180] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, the material box includes an adapter and a fixing tube, the fixing tube being connected to the material tray; the adapter is configured with at least one wire material 50 transmission channel, the wire material 50 transmission channel including a first connecting hole, a second connecting hole and a third connecting hole, the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole being located at opposite ends of the wire material 50 transmission channel, the third connecting hole being opened on the wire material 50 transmission channel, the fixing tube being connected to the first connecting hole, and the second connecting hole conveying the wire material 50 outward; the movable part 40 of the material breakage detection component is at least partially located within the third connecting hole, when the movable part 40 abuts against the wire material 50 in the wire material 50 transmission channel, the fixing part 20 of the material breakage detection component identifies the distance between the movable parts 40 as D1, and when the movable part 40 does not abut against the wire material 50, the fixing part 20 identifies the distance between the movable parts 40 as D2.

[0181] In this type of embodiment, the adapter constructs a complete wire material 50 transmission channel through the first, second, and third connecting holes, providing precise installation and movement space for the movable component 40. The movable component 40 is at least partially located within the third connecting hole, and its movement trajectory is strictly limited by the channel structure, preventing the movable component 40 from shifting due to external vibration or wire material 50 movement, ensuring that the movable component 40 always contacts the wire material 50 along a preset path. This structure makes the contact position between the movable component 40 and the wire material 50 stable and controllable, reducing detection errors caused by positional deviations of the movable component 40, and further improving the accuracy of material breakage judgment.

[0182] The wire material 50 transmission channel and detection components are highly integrated: the fixed tube securely receives the wire material 50 input through the first connecting hole, the wire material 50 is output from the second connecting hole through the internal channel of the adapter, and the movable part 40 is embedded in the side of the transmission channel through the third connecting hole, directly forming an abutment relationship with the wire material 50 in the channel. This integrated layout eliminates the need for additional detection space outside the material box, making full use of the internal space of the adapter to complete the dual functions of wire material 50 transmission and material breakage detection, making the overall structure of the material box more compact, avoiding spatial interference between pipelines and detection components, and simplifying the internal layout of the material box.

[0183] The wire 50 is conveyed within the enclosed transmission channel of the adapter. The contact process between the moving part 40 and the wire 50 is isolated by the channel structure, reducing interference from dust, wire 50 debris, and other impurities inside the material box on the movement of the moving part 40. Simultaneously, the third connecting hole's enveloping restraint on the moving part 40 reduces the impact of vibration during wire 50 conveying on the moving part 40, ensuring that the thrust applied by the elastic element 30 acts stably on the moving part 40. This makes the fixed element 20's identification of the moving part 40's position more reliable, especially maintaining consistent detection accuracy during long-term use.

[0184] The adapter integrates the transmission and testing component installation functions of the wire material 50. The standardized connection method between the fixed tube and the first connecting hole facilitates rapid assembly, while the preset structure of the third connecting hole provides clear positioning for the installation of the movable part 40 and the elastic part 30, reducing the assembly difficulty and precision requirements during material box production. When maintenance of the testing components is required, the movable part 40 and the elastic part 30 can be directly inspected or replaced through the hole structure of the adapter without disassembling the entire material box, thus improving the convenience of maintenance.

[0185] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, when the wire material 50 enters the wire material transmission channel through the fixed tube, the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixed member 20 is D1; ​​when the fixed tube is not through which the wire material passes, the distance between the movable member 40 and the fixed member 20 is D2.

[0186] The distance D2 between the moving part 40 and the fixed part 20 when the fixed tube is not threaded with wire 50 is clearly different from the distance D1 when the wire 50 is threaded (D1≠D2), providing an intuitive and stable basis for detecting material breakage. The fixed part 20 can directly determine whether the wire 50 is properly threaded or broken by identifying these two distinct distance states, avoiding the risk of misjudgment due to ambiguous state boundaries. Compared to detection methods that rely on inference from indirect parameters, this judgment logic based on clear distance differences is simpler and more direct, effectively improving the accuracy of material breakage detection and ensuring reliable results in identifying the presence or absence of wire 50.

[0187] The difference in distance between D1 and D2 allows the fixing component 20 to capture instantaneous changes in the threading state of the wire 50 in real time. When the wire 50 changes from normal threading to a break, the moving component 40 quickly resets as the wire 50 disappears, and the distance switches from D1 to D2. The fixing component 20 can immediately sense this change and provide a feedback signal. Conversely, when the wire 50 is re-threaded, the process of the distance switching from D2 to D1 can also be identified in real time. This rapid response characteristic ensures immediate feedback on the break or reset state, providing a precise time reference for the equipment to promptly perform operations such as stopping, alarming, or prompting reset, further shortening the response cycle for abnormal handling.

[0188] The structural design of the wire material 50 transmission channel and the third connecting hole keeps the distance changes (D1 and D2) between the moving part 40 and the fixed part 20 within a relatively enclosed space, reducing the interference of external environment (such as vibration and dust) on distance detection. At the same time, the clear distance difference setting reduces the impact of minor external disturbances on the judgment results, ensuring that even when the equipment operates with slight vibrations, the fixed part 20 can still stably distinguish the states corresponding to D1 and D2, maintaining the consistency and reliability of long-term detection.

[0189] According to one aspect of this application, a printer is provided, the printer including a hot end and a material breakage detection component disposed in front of the hot end as in any of the above embodiments. The material breakage detection component is used to detect the state of the filament 50 in front of the hot end so that the hot end can heat the filament for 3D processing. The specific structure and beneficial effects of the material breakage detection component are detailed in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0190] In some exemplary embodiments of this application, at least one material breakage detection component is disposed in the feed channel of the hot end, and / or, at least one material breakage detection component is disposed inside the material box, and / or, at least one material breakage detection component is disposed between the material box and the hot end.

[0191] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application.

[0192] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the detailed structure and arrangement of the components proposed in this application. This application can have other embodiments and can be implemented and executed in various ways. The foregoing variations and modifications fall within the scope of this application. It should be understood that the disclosure and definition of this application extends to all alternative combinations of two or more individual features mentioned or apparent in the text and / or drawings. All these different combinations constitute multiple alternative aspects of this application. The embodiments described in this application illustrate the best known mode for implementing this application and will enable those skilled in the art to utilize this application.

Claims

1. A material breakage detection component, characterized in that, The material breakage detection component includes: Installation structure, elastic components, and testing components; The installation structure is equipped with a wire material transmission channel; The detection component includes a movable part and a fixed part, and at least one of the movable part or the fixed part is used to detect the relative distance between the movable part and the fixed part. One end of the elastic element is fixed relative to the mounting structure, and the other end of the elastic element can abut against the movable element; Wherein, when the wire material is being transported normally in the wire material transmission channel, when the movable part is pressed against the wire material by the force of the elastic part, the distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D1; When the wire breaks in the wire conveying channel, the movable part is at least partially located in the wire conveying channel due to the force of the elastic part. The distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D2, D2≠D1, and neither D1 nor D2 is 0.

2. The material breakage detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed component is a magnetic sensor, the movable component is a magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor is disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic body.

3. The material breakage detection component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The magnetic sensor includes at least one of the following: a Hall sensor, a magnetoresistive sensor, and a magneto-inductive sensor; the magnetic body includes at least one of the following: a natural magnet, a neodymium iron boron magnet, and a ferrite magnet.

4. The material breakage detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side of the movable component facing away from the elastic component is the contact surface. Along the forward direction of the wire, the distance between the contact surface and the elastic component gradually increases. At the maximum distance, the extension direction of the contact surface is parallel to the forward direction of the wire.

5. The material breakage detection component according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring, and the movable element is a cylindrical structure. The elastic element applies a thrust to the cylindrical curved surface of the movable element. The axial length of the movable component is less than the radial dimension of the elastic component.

6. The material breakage detection component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing component is a pressure sensor, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure. One end of the elastic component is connected to the pressure sensor, and the other end of the elastic component can abut against the movable component. When the distance between the movable component and the fixing component is D1, the pressure sensor outputs a first pressure. When the distance between the movable component and the fixing component is D2, the pressure sensor outputs a second pressure. The first pressure and the second pressure are not equal.

7. The material breakage detection component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing component is a distance sensor, which is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure and located on the side of the elastic component away from the movable component. When the distance between the movable component and the fixing component is D1, the distance sensor outputs a first signal, and when the distance between the movable component and the fixing component is D2, the distance sensor outputs a second signal.

8. The material breakage detection component according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The installation structure is provided with a detection channel, the movable part is slidably disposed in the detection channel, one end of the elastic part is fixedly disposed in the detection channel, the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are connected, and the extension directions of the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are set at an angle.

9. The material breakage detection component according to claim 8, characterized in that, At the point where the wire material transmission channel and the detection channel are connected, the angle between the central axis of the wire material transmission channel and the central axis of the detection channel is α, where 30°≤α≤150°.

10. A material box, characterized in that, The material box is provided with a material tray storage component and a material breakage detection component as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The material tray storage component corresponds to the wire material in the material tray passing through the wire material transmission channel to supply material to the printer. The material breakage detection component is used to detect the status of the wire material.

11. The material box according to claim 10, characterized in that, The material box includes an adapter and a fixing tube; the fixing tube is connected to the material tray, the adapter is provided with at least one wire material transmission channel, the wire material transmission channel includes a first connecting hole, a second connecting hole and a third connecting hole, the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole are respectively located at both ends of the wire material transmission channel, the third connecting hole is opened on the wire material transmission channel, the fixing tube is connected to the first connecting hole, and the second connecting hole conveys wire material outward; The movable part of the material breakage detection component is at least partially located in the third connecting hole. When the movable part comes into contact with the wire in the wire transmission channel, the fixing part of the material breakage detection component identifies the distance between the movable part and the fixing part as D1. When the movable part does not come into contact with the wire, the fixing part identifies the distance between the movable part and the fixing part as D2.

12. The material box according to claim 11, characterized in that, When the wire enters the wire transport channel through the fixed tube, the distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D1; ​​when the fixed tube does not pass through the wire, the distance between the movable part and the fixed part is D2.

13. A printer, characterized in that, The printer includes a hot end and a material breakage detection component disposed in front of the hot end as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the material breakage detection component being used to detect the state of the filament so that the hot end can heat the filament for 3D printing.

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