Mechanical device for automated ejection of carrier plates from the 3D printer

Abstract

Mechanical device for ejecting a carrier plate from a 3D printer (1), characterized in that a lever (5) is rotatably mounted and is actuated at its trigger (14) by a print head (11) or the X-axis (2), wherein the lever (5) mechanically transmits the movement to a likewise rotatably mounted lifter (8), which then lifts the carrier plate (9) at its front edge when the print bed is moved backwards.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a mechanical device for the automated ejection of carrier plates in 3D printers with FFF / FDM technology without the use of additional sensors or active drives. State of the art

[0002] In 3D printing using the FFF or FDM process, a thermoplastic material is applied layer by layer to a support plate, usually also movable, by a movable print head. After the printing process is complete, the support plate must be removed or replaced to begin a new print. Common 3D printers (1) in the entry-level and hobby segments generally do not have any automation for this step, so the plate change is done manually.

[0003] Retrofit solutions already exist to automate this process. A frequently used design principle is based on an XZ movement (2, 4) of the print head and a Y movement (3) of the print bed (12). In such systems, the Y-axis (3) is used to eject the carrier plate (18) at the end of the printing process and feed a new one from a magazine. The carrier plates are usually magnetically fixed. Ejection occurs by lifting the front edge of the plate using a lifter, which releases the magnetic connection.

[0004] A well-known concept uses the upper Z position of the print head and transmits its movement to the lifter via a cable. However, this solution is complex to manufacture, requiring multiple components and adjustments. A cable tensioning device is also necessary. A simpler solution using rigid components—ideally made entirely of plastic—would be more cost-effective and suitable for digital DIY products. Object of the invention

[0005] It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple, purely mechanical device that automates the ejection of a carrier plate and does not require electronics or cable pull mechanisms. Disclosure of the invention

[0006] The invention provides a device in which a specially shaped lever (5) is actuated (15) by a defined movement of the print head (11) or the X-axis (2). The lever (5) mechanically transmits the movement to a lifter (8), which lifts the carrier plate (9) at its front edge (16), thus enabling ejection (18).

[0007] The device consists of a rotatably mounted lever (5), a lever holder (6), a likewise rotatably mounted lifter (8) and a lifter holder (7), whereby both holders can optionally be designed as a one-piece component.

[0008] In the initial state, the lifter (8) rests (13) on one end of the lever (5) or is located in the immediate vicinity of it ( Fig. 2, Fig. 4).

[0009] The lever (5) is positioned so that its trigger (14) is activated when the print head (11) or the X-axis moves to an outermost position (e.g., the lowest lateral position). The outermost positions of the axes are generally outside the regular printing range and are therefore suitable for activating the mechanism. The lifter (8) is in turn activated by the lever (15), i.e., raised, and in this state engages behind the plate hook (10), which is attached to the front edge of the carrier plate (9). Fig. 5). When the print bed moves backwards, the plate is lifted (16), released from the magnetic force ( Fig. 6) and stripped from the print bed (17) ( Fig. 7) so that they are ejected in front of the printer in the subsequent forward movement (18) ( Fig. 8) will be. Embodiments

[0010] The rotation axis of the lever can be variable, for example offset laterally or rotated by 90° (19) ( Fig. 9).

[0011] Alternatively, the lever end can be extended (20) so that activation occurs via an upper lateral position ( Fig. 10).

[0012] Furthermore, an implementation can also be carried out where the actuation of the trigger (14) is not necessarily carried out by the print head (11) itself, but by components attached to the print head or even by the X-axis (2) or components attached to it ( Fig. 11). Drawings

[0013] An embodiment of the invention is described with reference to Fig. 1 to 10. They show: Fig. 1: Common 3D printer (1) in the entry-level and hobby segment with 3 axes (2, 3, 4) and the attachment of the device explained. Fig. 2: 3D printer with device mounted on it in idle state Fig. 3: Device in triggered state Fig. 4: Device in resting state with side view Fig. 5: Device in the released state with a side view. The lifter reaches behind the plate hook. Fig. 6: Device in the triggered state with a side view. The lifter lifts the plate. Fig. 7: Printer strips the plate Fig. 8: Printer ejects the disk Fig. 9: Device in an alternative version of the axis alignment of the lever Fig. 10: Device in an alternative design with an extended trigger on the lever Fig. 10: Device in an alternative design with an extended trigger on the lever Fig. 11: Device in an alternative embodiment where the trigger of the lever is actuated by contact with the X-axis. List of reference symbols 1 3D printer 2 X-axis 3 Y-axis 4 Z-axis 5 levers 6 lever holder 7 Jack bracket 8 lifters 9 Carrier plate 10 plate hoes 11 Print head 12 print bed 13 lifters resting 14 lever triggers 15 lifts activated 16 Plate raised 17 Plate stripped 18 disk ejected 19 Alternative lever axis 20 Alternative lever height

Claims

[1] Mechanical device for ejecting a carrier plate from a 3D printer (1), characterized by that a lever (5) is rotatably mounted and is actuated at its trigger (14) by a print head (11) or the X-axis (2), wherein the lever (5) mechanically transmits the movement to a likewise rotatably mounted lifter (8), which then lifts the support plate (9) at its front edge when the print bed is moved backwards. [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by that the lever (5) is arranged so that by moving the print head (11) and / or the X-axis (2) into an outermost position ( Fig. 5) the trigger (14) of the lever (5) is activated. [3] Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the device consists entirely of rigid plastic parts and is suitable for additive manufacturing (3D printing).

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