A nozzle cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to nanometer particle injection 3D printing technical field, concretely relates to a nozzle cleaning equipment. In actual production process, need to clean piezoelectric ceramic printing head frequently, remove maintenance work such as blockage. The number of nozzle of each cleaning is more, and the cleaning process is complex, and the artificial work efficiency is low, and the existing other nozzle cleaning equipment cannot also adapt to the nozzle cleaning work of the field. The utility model aims at solving above -mentioned problem, provides a nozzle cleaning equipment, utilizes gas source, multiple liquid storage bin, multiple syringe, multiple pipeline, shunt and so on constitute a set of system, and the nozzle is cleaned through discharging different cleaning fluid in turn, and whether existence blockage condition is judged automatically, and further depth cleaning is carried out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of nanoparticle jet 3D printing technology, specifically to a nozzle cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] The printheads used in this field are mostly piezoelectric ceramic printheads. Piezoelectric ceramic printheads utilize the bending deformation property of piezoelectric ceramics under the action of voltage changes at both ends. When image information voltage is applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, the expansion, contraction, vibration, and deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic will change with the change of image information voltage, so that the ink is ejected uniformly and accurately in a stable state.

[0003] In actual production processes, piezoelectric ceramic printheads require frequent cleaning and declogging. Each cleaning cycle involves a large number of printheads, the process is complex, and manual labor is inefficient. Existing printhead cleaning equipment is also unsuitable for this specific application.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, a new nozzle cleaning device is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above problems and provide a nozzle cleaning device. It uses an air source, multiple liquid storage tanks, multiple syringes, multiple pipes, a distributor, etc. to form a system. It cleans the nozzle by sequentially discharging different cleaning liquids and automatically judges whether there is any blockage and performs further deep cleaning.

[0006] This utility model provides a nozzle cleaning device, the nozzle cleaning device comprising:

[0007] The gas source unit includes a gas source and a control program. The gas source is connected to multiple syringes via pipes.

[0008] The liquid storage array comprises multiple liquid storage chambers. These chambers are identical in size and shape, but contain different types of cleaning fluid. Each chamber is cylindrical, hollow to hold the cleaning fluid, and has an opening at the bottom connected to a syringe piston via a pipe to supply cleaning fluid to the syringe.

[0009] An injection array comprises multiple syringes. These syringes are identical in size and shape but contain different types of cleaning solutions. Each syringe consists of a shell, an inner ring, a syringe barrel, and a piston. The shell is cylindrical, consisting of an outer wall, a top annular platform, and a semi-enclosed bottom structure. The outer wall is cylindrical and has two side access ports; the top annular platform is a horizontal ring structure with two top access ports; the semi-enclosed bottom structure has two circular holes in the center and vents around it. Inside the shell, a cylindrical inner wall, coaxial with the outer wall, forms an annular cavity and a central cavity. The middle portion of the inner wall is hollow, dividing it into upper and lower layers. The aforementioned vents are located between the inner and outer walls. The inner ring is a stepped ring, with the upper ring area having a smaller diameter than the lower ring area. A small hole penetrates the inner ring at the bottom of the upper ring area. Inside the inner ring at the same height as the small hole, two grooves are formed. The groove is a horizontal groove, with a vertical groove extending upwards from the rightmost side. The aforementioned small hole penetrates the horizontal groove. The syringe is cylindrical with two connecting tubes at the bottom. The piston has a circular base at the bottom, a vertical hollow rod in the middle, two long moving rods at the top, and an input tube in the middle of the top.

[0010] The piping unit includes a Y-shaped pipe, a straight pipe, and a distributor that connect the gas source, liquid storage tank, syringe, and nozzle.

[0011] Preferably, the control program can receive sensor information and control the air source to release compressed air.

[0012] Preferably, the circular holes in the middle of the semi-enclosed structure at the bottom of the injection array housing are of equal size.

[0013] Preferably, a vibration sensor is provided near the vent at the bottom of the injection array housing.

[0014] Preferably, the opening direction of the through hole on the inner ring of the injection array is perpendicular to the half-section of the inner ring.

[0015] Preferably, a pressure sensor is provided at the top of the inner ring of the injection array.

[0016] Preferably, the two connecting tubes at the bottom of the injection array syringe are of the same size and can pass through the small hole at the bottom of the injection array housing.

[0017] Preferably, the pipe connections between the gas source and the syringe, the liquid storage tank and the syringe, and the syringe and the distributor are all equipped with one-way valves.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: automated injection replaces manual injection for cleaning nozzles, which is more efficient and protects workers from corrosion caused by accidental leakage of cleaning fluid; it eliminates the need for frequent insertion and removal of nozzles to change cleaning fluid during cleaning, reducing the occurrence of liquid backflow in the pipeline and making waste liquid recovery more convenient; it can determine whether the nozzle is blocked, and if a blockage occurs, it can automatically clean the blocked nozzle, greatly improving the efficiency of nozzle cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a nozzle cleaning device according to this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a half-sectional view of the outer shell of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the outer casing of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inner ring of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a half-sectional view of the inner ring of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the syringe of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the piston of this utility model.

[0027] Figures 9-12 This is a schematic diagram of different working states of this utility model.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Gas source unit, 11. Gas source, 12. Control program, 13. Gas source outlet 1, 14. Gas source outlet 2, 15. Gas source outlet 3, 16. Gas source outlet 4, 2. Liquid storage array, 21. First liquid storage tank, 22. Second liquid storage tank, 23. Third liquid storage tank, 24. Fourth liquid storage tank, 25. First infusion tube, 26. Second infusion tube, 27. Third infusion tube, 28. Fourth infusion tube, 3. Injection array, 31. First syringe, 32. Second syringe, 33. Third syringe, 34. Fourth syringe, 4. Diverter, 5. Support, 6. Piping unit, 61. Y-shaped pipe, 62. Straight pipe, 7. Nozzle, 8. Collection box, 311. Outer shell, 312. Top connector 1, 313. Top connector 2, 314. Side connector 1, 315. Side connector 2, 316. Small hole 1, 317. Small hole 2, 318. Inner ring, 319. Through vent, 3110. Moving groove, 3111. Syringe, 3112. Connecting tube 1, 3113. Connecting tube 2, 3114. Piston, 3115. Input tube, 3116. Moving rod, 3117. Hollow rod, 3118. Vibration sensor, 3119. Pressure sensor, 3120. Exhaust port, 3121. Check valve. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The nozzle cleaning equipment mainly consists of an air source unit (1), a liquid storage array (2), an injection array (3), and a pipeline unit (6).

[0031] The gas source unit (1) includes a gas source (11) and a control program (12). The gas source (11) has a gas source outlet 1 (13), a gas source outlet 2 (14), a gas source outlet 3 (15), and a gas source outlet 4 (16), which are respectively connected to the top connector 1 (312) and the top connector 2 (313) of the first syringe (31), the second syringe (32), the third syringe (33), and the fourth syringe (34) through Y-shaped pipes (61). A one-way valve (3121) is provided at the connection to allow the gas to flow from the gas source into the syringe.

[0032] The liquid storage array includes a first liquid storage chamber (21), a second liquid storage chamber (22), a third liquid storage chamber (23), and a fourth liquid storage chamber (24). The bottom of the four liquid storage chambers is respectively provided with a first infusion tube (25), a second infusion tube (26), a third infusion tube (27), and a fourth infusion tube (28). The four infusion tubes are respectively connected to the input tubes (3115) of the first syringe (31), the second syringe (32), the third syringe (33), and the fourth syringe (34) through straight pipes (62).

[0033] The syringe inner ring (318) is placed in the annular cavity between the outer and inner walls of the outer shell (311). The syringe barrel (3111) is placed inside the central cavity of the outer shell (311) and fixed at the bottom. The connecting tube 1 (3112) and connecting tube 2 (3113) of the syringe barrel (3111) pass through the small holes 1 (316) and 2 (317) of the outer shell. The piston (3114) is placed inside the syringe barrel (3111), and the moving rod (3116) is placed in the moving groove (3110) of the inner ring (318). The pressure sensor (3119) is placed at the top of the inner ring (318), and the vibration sensor (3118) is placed at the bottom inside the outer shell (311).

[0034] The side connectors 1 (314) and 2 (315) of the four syringe housings (311) are connected to the distributor (4) via Y-shaped pipes (61), and a one-way valve (3121) is provided at the connection to allow flow from the side connector to the distributor (4).

[0035] The connecting tubes 1 (3112) and 2 (3113) of the four syringes are connected to the distributor (4) through a Y-shaped pipe (61). A one-way valve (3121) is provided at the connection to allow flow from the connecting tube to the distributor (4).

[0036] The distributor (4) and the nozzle (7) are connected by a straight pipe (62), and a one-way valve (3121) is provided at the connection to allow flow from the distributor (4) to the nozzle (7).

[0037] A liquid collection box (8) is placed below the nozzle (7).

[0038] The specific workflow is as follows:

[0039] Before starting the procedure, the syringe must be manually filled with cleaning solution, and the nozzle must be installed correctly. Lift the piston; the cleaning solution flows from the reservoir through the tubing into the hollow rod of the piston and then into the syringe. This example uses a nozzle that requires multiple cleaning solutions: the first reservoir contains cleaning solution a, the second reservoir contains cleaning solution b, the third reservoir contains cleaning solution c, and the fourth reservoir contains cleaning solution d.

[0040] like Figure 9 This is the state before starting work. Once preparation is complete, the air source is activated, and compressed air is injected into the first syringe. The pressure sensor on the inner ring of the syringe feeds back the pressure to the control program, which then adjusts the amount of gas injected to ensure that the pressure inside the syringe remains consistent.

[0041] Driven by compressed air, the inner ring slowly moves downwards, causing the piston to move downwards synchronously, thus delivering the cleaning fluid 'a' from the syringe into the nozzle. The cleaning fluid is discharged through the nozzle into the collection box, achieving the purpose of cleaning the nozzle. Simultaneously, compressed air is discharged through the through-hole on the inner ring, which pushes the piston's moving rod, causing it to rotate clockwise within the moving groove. Initially, the moving rod is at the far left of the moving groove. The setting is that when the nozzle is not clogged, the time it takes for the cleaning fluid 'a' to be completely discharged from the syringe is the same as the time it takes for the moving rod to rotate to the end within the moving groove; the state at this time is as follows. Figure 10 The inner ring disengages from the piston, and the movement of the inner ring no longer drives the piston to move.

[0042] The compressed air continues to push the inner ring downwards until it reaches the bottom, as... Figure 11 The outlets of side connector 1 and side connector 2 are exposed. Compressed air passes through the outlets, through the pipes to the nozzle, and empties the cleaning fluid a remaining in the nozzle.

[0043] At the same time, the inner ring reaches the bottom and collides with the vibration sensor, generating vibration. The vibration sensor feeds back data to the control program. Upon receiving the instruction, the control program compares the data, determines that there is no blockage, and after a preset time, once the remaining cleaning fluid a in the nozzle has been drained, it cuts off the air supply outlet 1 and releases the air supply to the air supply outlet 2.

[0044] Connect the gas source outlet 2 to the second injection solution, repeat the above steps, and clean the nozzle with cleaning solution b.

[0045] Next, disconnect gas source outlet 2 and release the gas source at gas source outlet 3. Connect the gas source at gas source outlet 3 to the third injection solution and repeat the above steps to clean the nozzle with cleaning solution c. If the nozzle is not clogged, the nozzle cleaning in this example is now complete.

[0046] If the nozzle becomes clogged, the moving rod may reach the end of the moving tank before the cleaning fluid has been completely drained. Figure 12 At this point, the inner ring disengages from the piston. Driven by compressed air, the inner ring accelerates further and reaches the bottom at a faster speed, colliding with the vibration sensor and generating significant vibration. The vibration sensor provides feedback, which the control program compares with preset data to mark any blockages. After comparing vibration data from the first, second, and third syringes, if all three are blocked, the air source outlet 4 is released, and the fourth syringe injects cleaning fluid d. The control program administers the injection in two stages: half is injected in the first stage, and the remainder is injected in the second, with an interval of several hours between injections. Cleaning fluid d contains components that dissolve ink scale and needs to be allowed to stand fully after the first injection. After the second injection, compressed air is used to purge any remaining cleaning fluid d, completing the cleaning process.

[0047] The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nozzle cleaning device, comprising an air source unit (1), a liquid storage array (2), an injection array (3), a pipeline unit (6), and a nozzle (7); characterized in that, The pipeline unit (6) connects the gas source unit (1), the liquid storage array (2), the injection array (3) and the nozzle (7), and each connection has a one-way valve (3121); the pipeline unit (6) includes a Y-shaped pipe (61), a straight pipe (62) and a distributor (4); the gas source unit (1) includes a gas source (11) and a control program (12), the liquid storage array (2) includes multiple liquid storage tanks, and the injection array (3) includes multiple syringes.

2. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid storage tank is cylindrical and hollow inside to hold cleaning fluid. It has an opening at the bottom and is connected to the input tube at the top of the syringe piston by a straight pipe (62) to provide cleaning fluid to the syringe.

3. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The syringe includes a shell (311), an inner ring (318), a syringe (3111), and a piston (3114).

4. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer shell (311) is cylindrical in shape, and its exterior is composed of an outer wall, a top annular platform, and a bottom semi-enclosed structure. The outer wall is cylindrical and has two side nozzles. The top annular platform is a horizontal ring structure and has two top nozzles. The bottom semi-enclosed structure has two round holes in the middle and exhaust holes (3120) around it. The interior of the outer shell is formed by a cylindrical inner wall that is coaxial with the outer wall, which, together with the outer wall, forms an annular cavity and a central cavity. The middle part of the inner wall is empty, so that the inner wall is divided into upper and lower layers. The aforementioned exhaust holes (3120) are located between the inner and outer walls.

5. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner ring (318) is a stepped circular ring, with the diameter of the upper ring area being smaller than that of the lower ring area. The bottom of the upper ring area has a small hole that penetrates into the interior of the circular ring. Inside the inner ring at the same height as the small hole, there are two grooves. The groove is a horizontal groove, and a vertical groove extends upward from the rightmost side of the horizontal groove. The aforementioned small hole penetrates the horizontal groove.

6. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The syringe is cylindrical with two connecting tubes at the bottom.

7. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The piston (3114) has a circular base at the bottom, a vertical hollow rod (3117) in the middle, two long strip moving rods (3116) at the top, and an input pipe (3115) in the middle of the top.

8. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The circular holes in the middle of the semi-enclosed structure at the bottom of the outer shell (311) are of equal size.

9. The nozzle cleaning equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, A vibration sensor (3118) is provided near the exhaust port (3120).

10. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The opening direction of the through hole on the inner ring (318) is perpendicular to the half section of the inner ring.

11. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A pressure sensor (3119) is provided on the top of the inner ring (318).

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