A new intelligent extruder and 3D printer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a novel intelligent extruder, including shell subassembly and the rocker assembly of configuration on shell subassembly, extrusion mechanism, extrusion subassembly includes first gear, two second gears that are distributed in order along consumable conveying direction and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of first gear and are all with first gear meshing, two extrusion wheels that are coaxially connected with second gear and rotate synchronously and two groove bearings, the wheel groove of each extrusion wheel surface is set up, and the extrusion groove between the surface of corresponding groove bearing set up forms the space of extruding and conveying consumable, the rocker assembly includes side arm and middle arm, the middle part of side arm is hinged on shell subassembly and has the first end and the second end of opposite located two sides in the middle part, and the both ends of middle arm are hinged with a groove bearing respectively along consumable feeding direction. The utility model is high in integration, can reduce consumable wear in printing process, improves the service life of extruder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of extruder technology, and in particular to a novel intelligent extruder and 3D printer. Background Technology

[0002] The extrusion head of a traditional FDM-class 3D printer includes: a print head (including heat sink, throat, heating block, nozzle, and other sub-components) and an extruder (including extrusion gears, stepper motors, and other structural components). Currently, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology has become the mainstream process for consumer-grade 3D printing due to its low cost and ease of operation.

[0003] However, traditional FDM extruders have significant technical bottlenecks when printing flexible and fiber-reinforced materials, and lack integrated material breakage detection functions. They are also prone to heat accumulation in the enclosed structure of the printer, which can lead to material blockage or thermal creep due to high temperatures.

[0004] When printing fiber-reinforced materials, traditional extruder gears experience high wear rates and short lifespans, leading to fluctuations in print quality over time. Furthermore, when printing flexible materials with low hardness (typically Shore 85A-95A) such as TPU, the small meshing contact area of ​​traditional spur gears can cause slippage and inaccurate extrusion if the clamping force is insufficient. Conversely, excessive clamping force can cause material deformation, slippage, or even breakage, resulting in large fluctuations in extrusion flow and noticeable printing textures. Additionally, flexible materials are prone to twisting and tangling in long feed channels.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide a new type of intelligent extruder and 3D printer to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a new type of intelligent extruder and 3D printer with a stable overall structure, high integration, and the ability to accurately extrude consumables during the printing process, reduce consumable wear, improve the service life of the extruder, detect material breakage, and achieve precise printing.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a novel intelligent extruder, comprising a housing assembly and a rocker arm assembly and an extrusion mechanism disposed on the housing assembly; An extrusion mechanism includes an extrusion assembly and a drive assembly for driving its rotation. The extrusion assembly includes a first gear, two second gears arranged sequentially and symmetrically on both sides of the first gear and meshing with the first gear along the consumable conveying direction, two extrusion wheels coaxial with the second gears and synchronously rotating, and two grooved bearings. Each extrusion wheel is opposite to a grooved bearing. An extrusion groove on the outer periphery of each extrusion wheel and a corresponding groove on the outer periphery of the grooved bearing form a space for extruding and conveying consumables. The drive assembly includes a drive motor for driving the extrusion assembly to rotate. One of the extrusion grooves and the grooves is provided with straight teeth or helical teeth. The rocker arm assembly includes a side arm and a middle arm. The middle part of the side arm is hinged to the housing assembly via a shaft one, and has a first end and a second end located opposite each other on both sides of the middle part. The second end is hinged to the middle part of the middle arm via a shaft two. The shaft one and the shaft two are parallel. When the side arm swings around the shaft one, the second end swings toward or away from the extrusion wheel. A spring is provided between the first end and the housing assembly. The middle arm has a groove bearing hinged at each end along the material feeding direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the rocker arm assembly also includes an adjusting screw that passes through the first end and connects to the housing assembly. The adjusting screw is perpendicular to the consumable conveying direction and axis. The housing assembly has a threaded hole for the adjusting screw to be inserted. The spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the adjusting screw between the housing assembly and the first end. Operators can rotate the adjusting screw to change the tension of the spring between the housing assembly and the side arm, that is, to adaptively adjust the gripping force between the grooved bearing and the extrusion wheel on the consumable, making the pressure output more stable.

[0009] Furthermore, the second end of the side arm is hinged to the connecting part in the middle of the middle arm via shaft two. A bearing groove is opened at each end of the middle arm. The groove bearing is hinged in the bearing groove via shaft three. The bearing groove has an opening facing the extrusion wheel.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive assembly also includes a drive master gear disposed at the drive end of the drive motor and a drive slave gear coaxially and synchronously connected to the first gear, wherein the drive master gear meshes with the drive slave gear. The drive end of the drive motor directly acts on the drive master gear, causing the drive master gear to rotate, and the drive slave gear, which meshes with the drive master gear, also rotates accordingly. Therefore, the first gear, which is coaxially connected to the drive slave gear, also rotates synchronously.

[0011] Furthermore, the first gear and the driven gear are fixedly connected by a connecting shaft, and a front bearing is sleeved at each end of the connecting shaft. The housing assembly has a corresponding mounting groove, and the front bearing is embedded in the corresponding mounting groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the extrusion assembly also includes a second connecting shaft, in which an inner bearing is fitted inside the central shaft hole of the second gear and the extrusion wheel. The second connecting shaft passes through the inner bearing and its two ends are inserted into the housing assembly and fixedly connected to the housing.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a material breakage detection component disposed on the side of the material conveying channel on the housing assembly. The material breakage detection component includes a micro switch and a ball disposed on the housing assembly. The housing assembly has a receiving channel with one end perpendicular to and connected to the material conveying channel for the ball to be received and moved. The micro switch is disposed at the other end of the receiving channel. The material conveying channel passes through the housing assembly and includes an inlet and an outlet located at both ends for conveying consumables. When the consumables enter the material conveying channel, the consumables can squeeze the ball to move it toward the micro switch and press the push button on the micro switch to transmit a material presence signal to the outside.

[0014] Furthermore, the housing assembly includes a front housing and a rear housing, which, when joined together, form an open space for accommodating the extrusion mechanism, rocker arm assembly, and material breakage detection assembly. This enhances airflow efficiency during extruder operation, effectively reduces the internal temperature of the extruder, and avoids the risks of heat accumulation, high temperatures causing material blockage, or thermal creep in enclosed printers.

[0015] Furthermore, the housing assembly also includes a front cover plate. A shaft passes through the rear housing and the side arm and is locked to the front cover plate. The first and second ends of the front cover plate are respectively provided with screw holes for inserting locking screws to fix the front cover plate to the front housing and the rear housing. The arrangement of the shaft allows the side arm to swing around the shaft as a fulcrum.

[0016] Furthermore, the feed inlet is engaged with a claw latch that communicates with the material conveying channel.

[0017] A 3D printer comprising any of the aforementioned novel smart extruders.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. In this utility model, two extrusion wheels cooperate with two grooved bearings on the rocker arm assembly to form a dual extrusion linkage design. The dual extrusion linkage design increases the contact area between the consumable and the extrusion structure, effectively reduces consumable slippage, and ensures continuous and stable consumable delivery. At the same time, the two extrusion wheels driven by the first gear can more accurately control the supply of consumables, reduce layer marks, and improve printing accuracy. There is a limited space between the extrusion wheels and the corresponding grooved bearings for consumables to enter and be extruded. The helical or straight teeth on the extrusion groove or wheel groove can spirally and progressively engage the consumable, reducing the impact of consumable tooth mark deformation during engagement and effectively reducing consumable wear. 2. The adjustable and adaptive rocker arm assembly in this utility model can adaptively adjust the pressure of consumables with different diameters / hardnesses, resulting in more stable pressure output, which is especially suitable for switching between multiple materials.

[0019] 3. In this utility model, the shell assembly is set as an open structure, and the extrusion assembly, rocker arm assembly and material breakage detection assembly are integrated on it. The overall structure is stable and highly integrated, which can enhance air circulation efficiency, effectively reduce the internal temperature of the extruder, reduce the risk of thermal creep, avoid high temperature blockage, effectively improve the service life of the extruder, ensure printing efficiency, and facilitate subsequent cleaning. 4. This utility model is equipped with a material breakage detection component, which can detect the material feeding status in real time and effectively detect printing abnormalities caused by unsuccessful material feeding before printing or abnormal material breakage during printing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the overall structure of a rocker arm assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of the overall structure of the rocker arm assembly from another perspective of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective; Figure 6 This is an isometric view of the overall structure of a material breakage detection component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an isometric view of the overall structure of the drive assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model; In the diagram: 1. Front housing; 2. Rear housing; 3. Extrusion mechanism; 31. Drive assembly; 311. Drive motor; 312. Drive main gear; 313. Drive driven gear; 314. Connecting shaft one; 32. Extrusion assembly; 321. First gear; 322. Second gear; 323. Front bearing; 324. Extrusion wheel; 325. Connecting shaft two; 326. Inner gear; 4. Rocker arm assembly; 41. Side arm; 411. First end; 412, Second end; 42, Shaft 2; 43, Middle arm; 431, Bearing groove; 432, Groove bearing; 44, Shaft 1; 45, Adjusting screw; 46, Connecting part; 47, Shaft 3; 48, Spring; 5, Material conveying channel; 6, Feed port; 7, Claw latch; 8, Discharge port; 9, Material breakage detection component; 91, Micro switch; 92, Ball; 93, Press button; 94, Receiving channel; 10, Front cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more definite definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "horizontal," and "vertical," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "a," "b," "first," and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, or two structures can be directly connected or indirectly connected through other structures. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] See appendix Figures 1 to 8 As shown, a novel intelligent extruder in this embodiment includes a housing assembly and a rocker arm assembly 4 and an extrusion mechanism 3 disposed on the housing assembly. The rocker arm assembly and the extrusion mechanism 3 are disposed on the housing assembly, which may be located inside the housing assembly, partially exposed to the outside, or located outside the housing, depending on the requirements. No specific limitation is made here.

[0025] The extrusion mechanism 3 includes an extrusion assembly 32 and a drive assembly 31 that can drive it to rotate. The drive assembly 31 includes a drive motor 311, which provides driving force for the operation of the extrusion assembly 32 to drive it to rotate. See appendix Figures 1 to 8 The extrusion assembly 32 includes a first gear 321, two second gears 322 arranged symmetrically on both sides of the first gear 321 along the consumable conveying direction and meshing with the first gear 321, two extrusion wheels 324 coaxial with and synchronously rotating with the second gears 322, and two grooved bearings 432. Each extrusion wheel 324 is opposite to a grooved bearing 432. The extrusion groove on the outer periphery of each extrusion wheel 324 and the corresponding groove on the outer periphery of the grooved bearing 432 form a space for extruding and conveying consumables. The drive assembly 31 includes a drive motor 311 for driving the extrusion assembly 32 to rotate. The groove of one of the extrusion groove and the wheel groove is provided with straight teeth or helical teeth; the rocker arm assembly 4 includes a side arm 41 and a middle arm 43. The middle part of the side arm 41 is hinged to the housing assembly by a shaft 44 and has a first end 411 and a second end 412 located on opposite sides of the middle part. The second end 412 is hinged to the middle part of the middle arm 43 by a shaft 42. The shaft 1 and the shaft 2 are parallel. When the side arm 41 swings around the shaft 1, the second end 412 swings towards or away from the extrusion wheel. A spring is provided between the first end 411 and the housing assembly. The two ends of the middle arm 43 along the material feeding direction are respectively hinged to a grooved bearing 432.

[0026] Here, the choice of drive motor is not specifically limited. For example, a stepper motor can be selected. When the stepper motor is working, the motor shaft directly or indirectly drives the rotation of the first gear. This is based on existing technology and will not be specifically described.

[0027] Here, the extrusion wheel and the grooved bearing have an outer circumference. The grooved bearing is a bearing with a groove on its outer circumference. The extrusion groove is a groove formed around the outer circumference of the extrusion wheel, and the wheel groove is a groove formed around the outer circumference of the grooved bearing. The groove can be a U-shaped groove, a V-shaped groove, or a groove with a shape more suitable for the consumable, etc. For example, the grooved bearing is a U-shaped groove bearing. When the first gear 321 rotates under the drive of the drive assembly 31, the two second gears 322 meshing with it rotate. Since the extrusion wheel 324 and the second gears 322 are coaxial and synchronously rotated, they rotate synchronously. Therefore, the extrusion wheel 324 also rotates accordingly. As one possible implementation, the coaxial and synchronously rotating connection between the extrusion wheel 324 and the second gears 322 can be a coaxial fixed connection, such as... Figure 4As shown, each extrusion wheel 324 is disposed opposite to and does not contact a groove bearing 432. The extrusion groove on the circumferential surface of each extrusion wheel 324 and the wheel groove on the circumferential surface of the corresponding groove bearing 432 form a space for extruding and conveying consumables. At least one of the extrusion groove and the wheel groove is provided with straight teeth or helical teeth. It can be understood that the straight teeth or helical teeth are arranged around the outer circumference of the extrusion groove and / or the wheel groove in the groove, similar to the teeth on the outer circumference of a gear. The consumables are helically and progressively engaged by the straight teeth or helical teeth. Multiple teeth are engaged at the same time, which reduces the wear rate of consumables and reduces the impact of tooth mark deformation of consumables during engagement compared with traditional structures.

[0028] When the extrusion wheel 324 rotates, it works together with the corresponding grooved bearing 432 to extrude and convey the consumable material from top to bottom in a vertical direction to the discharge port 8. The two second gears 322 are respectively set above and below the first gear 321 and cooperate with the two grooved bearings to form a dual extrusion linkage design, which increases the contact area between the consumable material and the extrusion structure, effectively reduces the slippage of the consumable material, and also ensures the stability of the consumable material conveying.

[0029] Furthermore, in this application, the middle part of the side arm 41 is hinged to the housing assembly via shaft 44, and has a first end 411 and a second end 412 located opposite each other on both sides of the middle part. The second end 412 is hinged to the middle part of the middle arm 43 via shaft 42. A spring is provided between the first end 411 and the housing assembly. Shafts 1 and 2 can be selected from shaft structures such as pins and screws according to actual needs to achieve the hinge between the side arm and the housing assembly, and between the second end of the side arm and the middle arm. No specific limitation is made here. The rotation direction of the side wall after the side arm is hinged to the housing assembly is the same as the rotation direction of the side wall after the second end of the side arm is hinged to the middle arm. Since the middle arm is set inside the housing assembly and between the side arm, the range of motion of the middle arm is limited by the housing, and the spring provided between the first end 411 and the housing assembly also limits the swing and rotation of the side arm. After the side arm is hinged twice, the rotation range is greatly limited. As an implementable method, shafts 1 and 2 are parallel and perpendicular to the consumable conveying direction. The side arm faces the extrusion wheel, and a spring is provided between the first end and the housing assembly. The spring is in an uncompressed or compressed state between the first end and the housing assembly to further restrict the rotation of the side arm, thereby limiting the range of change in the position of the middle arm.

[0030] The housing assembly includes a front housing 1 and a rear housing 2, which interlock to form an open space for accommodating the extrusion mechanism 3, the rocker arm assembly 4, and the material breakage detection assembly 9. This open design of the housing assembly provides support and housing for the internal structures and enhances airflow efficiency during extruder operation, effectively reducing internal temperature and mitigating the risks of heat buildup, material blockage, or thermal creep inherent in enclosed printers. Furthermore, subsequent cleaning of the extruder allows for quick and easy removal of internal consumable debris without disassembly, significantly improving the overall convenience of extruder maintenance. The entire housing assembly is injection-molded from a nylon composite material, offering high strength and a long service life.

[0031] See appendix Figure 2 The housing assembly also includes a front cover plate 10. Shaft 44 passes through the rear housing 2 and the middle of the side arm 41 and is locked to the front cover plate 10, realizing the hinge connection between the side arm 41 and the housing assembly. The front cover plate 10 has screw holes for inserting locking screws to fix and lock the front cover plate 10 to the front housing 1 and the rear housing 2, increasing the overall strength of the extruder. For example, shaft 44 can be a hinge screw. The side arm 41 can rotate and swing with the hinge screw 44 as the fulcrum. The upper part of the side arm 41 is the first end 411, and the lower part is the second end 412. The first end 411 is connected to the side of the front housing 1 by a spring, so that the distance between the groove bearing 432 on the middle arm 43 and the corresponding extrusion wheel 324 can be adaptively adjusted according to the different thicknesses and diameters of the consumables, improving the applicability of the extruder.

[0032] In some embodiments, the rocker arm assembly 4 further includes an adjusting screw 45 that passes through the first end 411 and connects to the housing assembly. The adjusting screw 45 is perpendicular to the consumable conveying direction and axis. The housing assembly has a threaded hole for the adjusting screw 45 to be inserted. A spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the adjusting screw 45 between the housing assembly and the first end 411. The operator can rotate the adjusting screw 45 to change the distance between the first end 411 and the housing, thereby changing the tension of the spring between the housing assembly and the side arm 41 and limiting the swing amplitude of the first end. That is, it can be used to adaptively adjust the biting force of the groove bearing 432 and the extrusion wheel 324 on the consumable, and to adjust the extrusion force of the space formed between the extrusion wheel and the groove bearing on consumables of different diameters / hardnesses, so as to make the pressure output more stable, especially suitable for multi-material switching. In addition, the adjusting screw passing through the spring can also be used to prevent the spring from flying off.

[0033] The second end 412 of the side arm 41 is hinged to the connecting part 46 in the middle of the middle arm 43 via shaft 2 42. A bearing groove 431 is provided at each end of the middle arm 43. A grooved bearing 432 is hinged in the bearing groove 431 via shaft 3. The bearing groove 431 has an opening facing the extrusion wheel 324. Alternatively, the middle arm 43 includes a middle arm body and a connecting part 46 connected to the middle of the middle arm body and protruding towards the second end of the side arm. One of the connecting part 46 or the second end has a U-shaped groove for fitting and is hinged via shaft 2. The bearing groove can be a U-shaped groove, a recess, etc. The grooved bearing rotates freely within the bearing groove, and the bearing groove has an opening on the side facing the extrusion wheel. The grooved bearing at least partially extends beyond the opening. The wheel groove on the grooved bearing and the two groove structures of the extrusion groove of the extrusion wheel form a semi-enclosed constraint on the consumable material, thus confining the consumable material within the space for extrusion and delivery between the extrusion groove and the wheel groove. In addition, besides rotating around shaft three, after the bearing groove 432 is hinged to the groove, the inner length of the bearing groove in the shaft three direction is greater than the length of the groove bearing in the shaft three direction. This allows the groove bearing to slide back and forth along the shaft three direction. This sliding length is relatively small, and the specific sliding length can be set according to actual needs without specific limitations, such as 0.1-5mm, etc. It is used to automatically adjust and align the extrusion wheel 324 when extruding consumables and clamp the outer diameter of the consumables. This reduces the misalignment problem caused by the machining accuracy or misalignment of the traditional fixed gear, ensuring that the force is uniform in all parts of the extruded consumables and improving the extrusion and transportation efficiency of the consumables.

[0034] It should be noted that the shaft three can be selected from shaft-shaped structures such as pins and screws according to actual needs. There is no specific limitation here. For example, shaft two and shaft three are pins, and the bearing groove 431 can be set as U-shaped or other shapes that can allow the groove bearing 432 to be hinged. There is no limitation here.

[0035] See appendix Figure 1 , 4 7, 8. In some embodiments, the drive assembly 31 further includes a drive master gear 312 disposed at the drive end of the drive motor 311 and a drive slave gear 313 coaxially and synchronously connected to the first gear 321, wherein the drive master gear 312 and the drive slave gear 313 mesh. Specifically, the rotation of the drive motor 311's rotating shaft drives the drive master gear 312 to rotate, causing the meshing drive slave gear 313 to rotate, which in turn drives the synchronously rotating first gear 321 to rotate. Here, the first gear and the drive slave gear 313 are coaxially and fixedly connected, which can be direct or indirect fixed connection.

[0036] It should be noted that the driving component for driving the main gear 312 is not limited to the drive motor 311; it can also be an indexing plate or other known mechanical structure capable of driving the main gear 312 to rotate.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first gear 321 and the driven gear 313 are fixedly connected via a connecting shaft 314. A front bearing 323 is fitted at each end of the connecting shaft 314. A corresponding mounting groove is provided on the housing assembly, and the front bearing 323 is embedded in the corresponding mounting groove. Here, the corresponding mounting groove refers to two mounting grooves on the housing assembly for the respective embedding of the front bearings 323. The first gear 321, connecting shaft 314, and driven gear 313 can be independently detachable and mutually fixed, or the first gear 321 and connecting shaft 314 can be an integrated gear shaft, with the gear shaft and driven gear 313 coaxially fixedly connected, etc. No specific limitation is made here. For example, two mounting grooves are provided, located on opposite surfaces of the front housing 1 and the rear housing 2, respectively, and their positions correspond to the embedding of the two front bearings. This ensures that the driven gear 313 and the first gear 321 will not rotate or shift or even detach from the housing assembly during operation, and guarantees the smoothness and stability of rotation.

[0038] It should be noted that the drive gear, second gear, extrusion wheel, etc. in this application can be made of POM material, which can play a self-lubricating role during gear transmission, avoid transmission jamming, and ensure the transmission efficiency of consumables; the gear surface is coated with a hard coating (HV3300), which can significantly improve wear resistance and extend service life, making it suitable for long-term printing of abrasive consumables, high-performance consumables, etc.

[0039] In some embodiments, the extrusion assembly further includes a second connecting shaft 325. An inner bearing 326 is fitted inside the central shaft hole of the second gear and the extrusion wheel. The second connecting shaft passes through the inner bearing and its two ends are inserted into the housing assembly and fixedly connected to the housing. Based on the above-mentioned coaxial and synchronous rotational connection between one second gear and a corresponding extrusion wheel, i.e., the second gear and the corresponding extrusion wheel are coaxially fixedly connected, the second connecting shaft passing through the inner bearing and its two ends being inserted into the housing assembly and fixedly connected to the housing ensures that the second gear and the extrusion wheel will not rotate or shift or even detach from the housing assembly during operation, thus ensuring the smoothness and stability of rotation. The number of inner gears is set according to actual needs; for example, one inner gear is fitted inside the central shaft hole of both the second gear and the extrusion wheel.

[0040] It is understandable that the drive gear and the first gear can also be fitted with a front gear inside the central shaft hole and then fitted onto the first connecting shaft, with the first connecting shaft fixed to the housing assembly; the second gear and the extrusion wheel can also be fixedly connected to the second connecting shaft and then fitted with inner gears at both ends of the second connecting shaft, with the inner gears embedded in the housing, without any specific limitations here.

[0041] See appendix Figures 5 to 7It also includes a material breakage detection component 9 disposed on the side of the material conveying channel 5 on the housing assembly. The material breakage detection component 9 includes a micro switch 91 and a ball 92 disposed on the housing assembly. The housing assembly has a receiving channel 94 with one end perpendicular to and connected to the material conveying channel 5 for the ball 92 to be received and moved. The micro switch is disposed at the other end of the receiving channel 94. The material conveying channel 5 passes through the housing assembly and includes an inlet 6 and an outlet 8 located at both ends for conveying consumables. When the consumables enter the material conveying channel 5, they can squeeze the ball 92 to move it toward the micro switch 91 and press the press button 93 on the micro switch 91 to transmit a material presence signal to the outside.

[0042] Here, the sphere can be a steel ball. One end of the receiving channel is connected to the feeding channel 5, and a micro switch is provided at the other end of the opening or at the opening. When the consumable passes through the feeding channel, it squeezes the sphere. The sphere squeezes the micro switch, and the micro switch sends an electrical signal indicating that there is material to the external controller. Referring to the prior art, without specific limitation, for example, the micro switch is a micro switch button.

[0043] For example, the rear housing 2 has a mounting groove on the top side facing the front housing 1 for embedding the micro switch 91. After the micro switch is embedded, it can be fastened by fasteners such as screws. The housing assembly has a receiving channel 94 that is perpendicular to and communicates with the feeding channel 5 for accommodating and moving the ball 92. The feeding channel 5 passes through the housing assembly and includes an inlet 6 and an outlet 8 at both ends for conveying consumables. When the consumables enter the extruder, they can squeeze the ball 92 to move it toward the micro switch 91 and press the button 93 on the micro switch 91 to transmit a material signal to the external printer.

[0044] For example, a self-tapping screw passes through the top of the rear housing 2 and is threadedly locked onto the top of the micro switch 91 located in the mounting slot thereon, ensuring that the micro switch 91 does not detach from the rear housing 2.

[0045] For example, the sphere 92 is selected to be 4mm. When a 1.75mm consumable passes through the extruder, the sphere 92 is squeezed by the consumable and moves along the aforementioned receiving channel 94 toward the direction close to the micro switch 91 and presses the pressing button 93, triggering the micro switch 91. At this time, the micro switch 91 transmits a signal that there is material in the extruder to the external controller and controls the printer to start printing. When the sphere 92 lacks the squeezing of consumable, the force it exerts on the pressing button 93 is insufficient to trigger the micro switch 91 again. At this time, the micro switch 91 is closed, and the external controller will display a shortage of material or interruption of material on the display screen and pause printing. The operator can check in time whether the extruder has failed to feed material or has interrupted material.

[0046] It should be noted that microswitches are existing technology, and their specific structure and operating principle will not be elaborated here.

[0047] The feed inlet 6 is connected to a claw clip 7 that communicates with the material conveying channel 5. The claw clip 7 is used to hold the Teflon tube, making it easy for consumables to be inserted into the extruder for feeding. It can be understood that the claw has a through channel and is connected to the material conveying channel.

[0048] A 3D printer comprising any of the aforementioned novel smart extruders.

[0049] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it. They cannot be used to limit the protection scope of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be covered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A novel intelligent extruder, characterized in that: Includes a housing assembly and a rocker arm assembly and an extrusion mechanism disposed on the housing assembly; An extrusion mechanism includes an extrusion assembly and a drive assembly for driving its rotation. The extrusion assembly includes a first gear, two second gears arranged sequentially and symmetrically on both sides of the first gear and meshing with the first gear along the consumable conveying direction, two extrusion wheels coaxial with the second gears and synchronously rotating, and two grooved bearings. Each extrusion wheel is opposite to a grooved bearing. An extrusion groove on the outer periphery of each extrusion wheel and a corresponding groove on the outer periphery of the grooved bearing form a space for extruding and conveying consumables. The drive assembly includes a drive motor for driving the extrusion assembly to rotate. Straight teeth or helical teeth are provided in one of the extrusion grooves and one of the grooves. The rocker arm assembly includes a side arm and a middle arm. The middle part of the side arm is hinged to the housing assembly via a shaft one, and has a first end and a second end located opposite each other on both sides of the middle part. The second end is hinged to the middle part of the middle arm via a shaft two. The shaft one and the shaft two are parallel. When the side arm swings around the shaft one, the second end swings toward or away from the extrusion wheel. A spring is provided between the side of the first end facing the extrusion wheel and the housing assembly. A grooved bearing is hinged to each end of the middle arm along the material feeding direction.

2. The novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rocker arm assembly also includes an adjusting screw that passes through the first end and connects to the housing assembly. The adjusting screw is perpendicular to the consumable conveying direction and axis. The housing assembly has a threaded hole for the adjusting screw to be inserted and rotated. The spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the adjusting screw between the housing assembly and the first end.

3. The novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second end of the side arm is hinged to the connecting part in the middle of the middle arm via shaft two. A bearing groove is opened at each end of the middle arm. The groove bearing is hinged in the bearing groove via shaft three. The bearing groove has an opening facing the extrusion wheel.

4. The novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly further includes a drive master gear disposed at the drive end of the drive motor and a drive slave gear coaxial with and synchronously rotated with the first gear, wherein the drive master gear meshes with the drive slave gear.

5. A novel intelligent extruder according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first gear and the driven gear are fixedly connected by a connecting shaft. A front bearing is sleeved at each end of the connecting shaft. The housing assembly has a corresponding mounting groove, and the front bearing is embedded in the corresponding mounting groove.

6. The novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extrusion assembly also includes a second connecting shaft. The second gear and the central shaft hole of the extrusion wheel are fitted with an inner bearing. The second connecting shaft passes through the inner bearing and its two ends are inserted into the housing assembly and fixedly connected to the housing.

7. A novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a material breakage detection component disposed on the side of the material conveying channel on the housing assembly. The material breakage detection component includes a micro switch and a ball disposed on the housing assembly. The housing assembly has a receiving channel with one end perpendicular to and connected to the material conveying channel for the ball to be received and moved. The micro switch is disposed at the other end of the receiving channel. The material conveying channel passes through the housing assembly and includes an inlet and an outlet located at both ends for conveying consumables. When the consumables enter the material conveying channel, they can squeeze the ball to move it toward the micro switch and press the button on the micro switch to transmit a material presence signal to the outside.

8. A novel intelligent extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing assembly includes a front housing and a rear housing, which together form an open space for accommodating the extrusion mechanism, rocker arm assembly, and material breakage detection assembly.

9. A novel intelligent extruder according to claim 8, characterized in that: The housing assembly also includes a front cover plate, with a shaft passing through the rear housing and side arm and locked to the front cover plate; the front cover plate has screw holes for inserting locking screws to fix and lock the front cover plate to the front housing and the rear housing.

10. A 3D printer, characterized in that: The novel intelligent extruder includes any one of claims 1-9.

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