Discharge nozzle

Abstract

To provide an extrusion nozzle that improves upon the poor resin cutting performance of conventional 3D printer extrusion nozzles. [Solution] The discharge nozzle is a discharge nozzle that is detachably attached to a printer head from which molten resin is discharged from a 3D modeling device, and comprises a receiving section attached to the printer head for receiving molten resin, a tip section having a discharge port for discharging the molten resin that has flowed into the receiving section, a passage section through which the molten resin passes from the receiving section to the tip section, a valve section provided in the passage section for opening and closing the discharge port, and a drive section connected to the valve section for driving the valve section to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge nozzle. In particular, it relates to a discharge nozzle used in a three-dimensional modeling apparatus such as a 3D printer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a 3D printer that forms a shaped object by laminating materials layer by layer based on 3D data created in 3D (Three-Dimensional)-CAD (Computer-Aided Design), or 3DCG (computer graphics), etc. is known. Various shaping methods are used in 3D printers. For example, there is a 3D printer of the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method that forms a shaped object by laminating a material melted by heat. The 3D printer of the FDM method has a spindle that moves a discharge unit that discharges a material such as melted resin three-dimensionally (or two-dimensionally), and a control unit that controls the spindle moves the spindle three-dimensionally to shape a workpiece.

[0003] Also, a nozzle for a material extrusion type 3D printer has been developed (see Patent Document 1). According to this nozzle for a material extrusion type 3D printer, in a material extrusion type 3D printer, particularly when two or more material injection nozzles are provided, the phenomenon in which a liquid material drips from a nozzle during standby, which is a problem, can be prevented with a configuration of parts that is as lightweight and few as possible.

[0004] However, in the material discharge by the nozzle of the material extrusion type 3D printer disclosed in this Patent Document 1, since the closing of the opening is not sufficient, there is a disadvantage that the discharged material remains in the shaped object in a form that draws a thread.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, this disclosure provides an extrusion nozzle that can improve the problem of extruded material remaining in the fabricated object in the form of strings, that is, the poor resin cutting performance in conventional 3D printer extrusion nozzles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, the discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment is a discharge nozzle that is detachably attached to a printer head from which molten resin is discharged from a three-dimensional modeling apparatus, and comprises a receiving section attached to the printer head for receiving molten resin, a tip section having a discharge port for discharging the molten resin that has flowed into the receiving section, a passing section through which the molten resin passes from the receiving section to the tip section, a valve section provided in the passing section for opening and closing the discharge port, and a drive section connected to the valve section for driving the valve section to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port.

[0008] In the second embodiment, the discharge nozzle may have a central part fitted between the receiving part and the tip part, and the drive part may be incorporated into the central part.

[0009] A third embodiment is a discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment, in which the drive unit is equipped with a crank mechanism and drives the valve unit to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port.

[0010] A fourth embodiment is a discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment, wherein the valve portion may be a needle valve.

[0011] A fifth embodiment is a discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment, in which a passage portion may be formed in the central part.

[0012] A sixth embodiment is a discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment, in which a branched flow path is formed in the passage portion within the central part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The discharge nozzle according to this disclosure is a discharge nozzle that is detachably attached to a printer head from which molten resin is discharged from a 3D printing device, and comprises a receiving section attached to the printer head for receiving molten resin, a tip section having a discharge port for discharging the molten resin that has flowed into the receiving section, a passage section through which the molten resin passes from the receiving section to the tip section, a valve section provided in the passage section for opening and closing the discharge port, and a drive section connected to the valve section for driving the valve section to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port. As such, the valve section can block the discharge port, preventing the material from remaining in the tube in a stringy form, thereby improving the poor resin cutting performance of conventional 3D printer discharge nozzles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the movement of the screw when supplying resin, the material used in conventional discharge nozzles. (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the discharge state, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the stopped state. [Figure 2] This figure shows that the 3D modeling apparatus and the discharge nozzle are connected according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] (a) is a side view showing a connecting member that connects the 3D printing apparatus and the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment. (b) is a perspective view showing a connecting member that connects the 3D printing apparatus and the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment, in which the needle valve is separated from the valve seat. (b) is an enlarged view of the tip. [Figure 6] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment, in which the needle valve is seated on the valve seat. (b) is an enlarged view of the tip. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle according to this embodiment, and it shows the shape of the passage section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the movement of a screw when supplying resin, which is a material of a conventional discharge nozzle 100. (a) is a cross-sectional schematic view of the discharge state, and (b) is a cross-sectional schematic view of the stop state. In a conventional 3D printer, the molten resin material is discharged from the discharge port 410 at the tip 400 by rotating the screw 600 clockwise. Conversely, when stopping the discharge of the resin material, the resin material was sucked upward by rotating the screw 600 counterclockwise. However, as shown in FIG. 1, if the discharge port 410 remains open, there is a problem that the resin material discharged from the discharge port 410 becomes shredded and hangs like a thread, and adheres to the shaped object.

[0016] (Configuration of the discharge nozzle 10) The configuration of the discharge nozzle 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing that the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 1 and the discharge nozzle 10 according to the present embodiment are connected. The discharge nozzle 10 is detachably attached to a printer head (not shown) from which molten resin is discharged from the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 1. The three-dimensional shaping apparatus 1 includes a shaping apparatus 2 that laminates the discharged resin to shape a three-dimensional shaped object, a moving apparatus (not shown), a scanner (not shown), and a mounting table (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the shaping apparatus 2 includes a plurality of cylindrical cylinders 3 and a plurality of tubes 4. Molten resin is poured from the plurality of tubes 4 into the plurality of cylinders 3 to shape a three-dimensional shaped object.

[0018] The mounting table is a table on which a printed matter discharged by the discharge nozzle 10 is mounted. The mounting table may be swingable vertically, horizontally, and laterally. Thereby, a shaped object having a complex three-dimensional shape can also be shaped.

[0019] The discharge nozzle 10 injects molten resin for shaping a shaped object. The discharge nozzle 10 discharges the material melted and transferred by the three-dimensional shaping apparatus 1.

[0020] FIG. 3(a) is a side view showing a connecting member 80 that connects the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 and the discharge nozzle 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3(a), one end of the connecting member 80 is connected to the printer head of the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1, and the other end is connected to the tip portion 20 of the discharge nozzle 10. FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view showing the connecting member 80 that connects the three-dimensional modeling apparatus 1 and the discharge nozzle 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the connecting member 80 is connected to the discharge nozzle 10 by bolts 21 disposed at the tip portion 20 of the discharge nozzle 10. The connecting member 80 is also connected to the printer head by bolts. The number of bolts is, for example, six.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the central portion 30 and one side of the tip portion 40 of the discharge nozzle 10 according to the present embodiment in a state where one side is opened. The discharge nozzle 10 includes a receiving portion 20, a central portion 30, a tip portion 40, a passage portion 50, a valve portion 60, and a drive portion 70.

[0022] The receiving section 20 receives molten material from the 3D printing apparatus 1. The upper end of the central section 30 is connected to the lower end of the receiving section 20. The material received by the receiving section 20 from the 3D printing apparatus 1 is transferred to the central section 30 through the passage section 50. The material transferred to the central section 30 is transferred to the tip section 40 through the passage section 50. The upper end of the tip section 40 is connected to the lower end of the central section 30. The terms "upper end" and "lower end" are used because when the receiving section 20 is connected to the 3D printing apparatus 1 and receives material, the receiving section 20 is on the upper side in the vertical direction and the tip section 40 is on the lower side in the vertical direction. The tip section 40 has a tip 41 and a tip ring 42. The tip 41 has a valve section 60 inserted in its center, and its tip is an outlet section 43. The tip ring 42 protects the tip 41 from the outside and is connected to the central section 30. A valve section 60 is located in the central section 30, and this valve section 60 is moved forward (downward) from the receiving section 20 through the central section 30 to the tip section 40 by the drive section 70. The valve section 60 moves as the material flows from top to bottom in the vertical direction of the discharge nozzle 10, and when the material is completely discharged it reaches the tip section 40 and closes the discharge port section 43 of the tip section 40. This eliminates the problem of the resin material being discharged from the discharge port section 43 breaking into small pieces and hanging down like threads, which then adhere to the molded object.

[0023] The valve section 60 is, for example, a needle valve. The needle valve has an elongated rectangular shape. This is because it is inserted into the elongated discharge nozzle 10 and moves smoothly to the tip within the device.

[0024] The drive unit 70 is equipped with a crank mechanism and drives the valve unit 60 to move back and forth relative to the discharge port 43. The drive unit 70 has an arm 71 and a shaft 72. The arm 71 and the shaft 72 are connected via a second nut 74. The drive unit 70 is, for example, a motor, which transmits the motor's drive to the shaft 72, and the crank mechanism converts the rotational motion of the shaft 72 into linear reciprocating motion of the arm 71, thereby driving the valve unit 60 to move back and forth (up and down) relative to the discharge port 43. The arm 71 is attached to the central part 30 of the discharge nozzle 10 via a first nut 73, and moves the valve unit 60 in a linear reciprocating motion in the vertical direction from the receiving part 20 to the tip part 40 and from the tip part 40 to the receiving part 20. This allows the valve unit 60, which cannot move on its own, to be moved to the discharge port 43.

[0025] While molten resin is being discharged, the valve portion 60 is not yet at the discharge port portion 43 of the tip portion 40 and is separated from it. Once the resin discharge is complete, the valve portion 60 reaches the discharge port portion 43 of the tip portion 40 and closes the discharge port portion 43.

[0026] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle 10 according to this embodiment, showing the valve portion 60 spaced apart from the discharge port portion 43 of the tip portion 40. The passage portion 50 is provided in the center of the central portion 30.

[0027] Figure 5(a) shows the state in which molten resin is being supplied, i.e., the normal state. At this time, the drive unit 70 is driven, and the driving force is transmitted to the shaft 72 by the crank mechanism of the drive unit 70, causing the shaft 72 to rotate around its axis. When the shaft 72 rotates, the arm 71, which is connected to the shaft 72 via the second nut 74, converts the rotational motion of the shaft 72 into linear reciprocating motion by the crank mechanism of the drive unit 70, driving the valve unit 60, which is attached to the arm 71 via the first nut 73, to move forward and backward. In this case, the valve unit 60 is moved backward (upward) to move towards the passage 50 of the central unit 30. This allows the valve unit 60, which cannot move on its own, to return to its original position in the passage 50 of the central unit 30. As a result, the discharge port 43 is opened, and molten resin is supplied.

[0028] Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the tip portion 40. As shown in Figure 5(b), the valve portion 60 reaches the tip portion 40, but the tip 61 of the valve portion 60 is not seated on the valve seat 44, and the material is discharged from the discharge port portion 43.

[0029] Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle 10 according to this embodiment, showing the valve portion 60 being adhered to the discharge port portion 43 of the tip portion 40. In other words, the discharge port portion 43 is closed by the tip 61 of the valve portion 60. This prevents molten resin from spilling out of the discharge port portion 43 and adhering to the molded object in a stringy manner.

[0030] Figure 6(a) shows the state after the supply of molten resin has ended. When the supply of molten resin stops, the user needs to close the discharge port 43. In this state, the tip 61 of the valve 60 is seated on the valve seat 44. When the supply of molten resin ends, the tip 61 of the valve 60 seats on the valve seat 44, causing the valve 60 to close the discharge port 43 and completely stop the flow of resin from the discharge port 43. In other words, it prevents the resin that leaks out of the discharge port 43 from remaining in a stringy manner on the printed object. Once the molten resin has been completely discharged and the printed object is complete, the valve 60 needs to return to its original passage 50 in the central part 30 in preparation for the next supply of molten resin.

[0031] The drive unit 70 is then driven, transmitting the driving force to the shaft 72, which then rotates around its axis. As the shaft 72 rotates, the arm 71, which is connected to the shaft 72 via the second nut 74, converts the rotational motion of the shaft 72 into linear reciprocating motion by the crank mechanism of the drive unit 70, driving the valve unit 60, which is attached to the arm 71 via the first nut 73, to move forward and backward. In this case, the valve unit 60 is moved backward (upward) to move towards the passage 50 of the central unit 30. This allows the valve unit 60, which cannot move on its own, to return to its original position in the passage 50 of the central unit 30.

[0032] Figure 6(b) is an enlarged view of the tip portion 40. As shown in Figure 6(b), the valve portion 60 reaches the tip portion 40, and the tip 61 of the valve portion 60 is seated on the valve seat 44, closing the discharge port portion 43, and preventing material from being discharged.

[0033] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the discharge nozzle 10, and is a cross-sectional view showing the passage section 50 through which the valve section 60 passes. In this state, the valve section 60 eventually reaches the tip of the tip section 40 and closes the discharge port section 43. However, when the receiving section 20 receives the material, the valve section 60 moves to the passage section 50. The molten resin that has passed through this passage section 50 flows to the tip section 40 and is discharged from the discharge port section 43 at the tip of the tip section 40. The passage section 50 is a branched passage section 51. The branched passage section 51 initially branches into two and then merges. The branching is done at an angle of, for example, 30 to 45 degrees with the center of the passage section 50 as the axis. The reason the passage section 50 is a branched passage section 51 is to avoid interference between the passage of the passage section 50 and the needle valve of the valve section 60.

[0034] Furthermore, in the discharge nozzle 10 of the embodiment, the needle valve of the valve section 60 is incorporated into the central section 30, and the arm 71 of the drive unit 70 is connected to the needle valve of the valve section 60. If the passage section 50 within the central section 30 has a straight flow path structure (not shown), it will interfere with the valve section 60, arm 71, etc. Alternatively, the passage section 50 within the central section 30 must be curved. In contrast, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the passage section 50 has a structure that includes a branched flow path section 51, so that the arm 71 is housed in the middle part of the branched flow path section 51, and interference between the flow path of the passage section 50 and the needle valve of the valve section 60 is avoided. As a result, both the supply of molten resin to pass the molten resin received by the receiving section 20 through the inside of the central section 30 toward the tip section 40 and the control of opening and closing the discharge port 43 of the tip section 40 via the valve section 60 in the discharge nozzle 10 can be achieved.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the valve portion 60 closes the discharge port portion 43 at the tip portion 40, which prevents the material from remaining on the printed object in a stringy manner, thus improving the poor resin cutting performance of conventional 3D printer discharge nozzles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Three-dimensional modeling device 10 Discharge nozzles 20 Receiving Department 30 Central part 40 Tip 41 chips 42 Tip Rings 43 Discharge port 50 Passage section 51 Branch channel section 60 Valve section 61 Tip 70 Crank 71 Arm 72 shaft 73 First Nut 74. Second nut 80 Connecting Member

Claims

1. An ejection nozzle that is detachably attached to a printer head from which molten resin is ejected from a 3D modeling device, The aforementioned discharge nozzle is A receiving unit that is attached to the printer head and receives molten resin, The tip portion is equipped with a discharge port for discharging the molten resin that has flowed into the receiving portion, From the receiving portion to the tip portion, there is a passage portion through which the molten resin passes, A valve is provided within the passage portion for opening and closing the discharge port portion, The system includes a drive unit connected to the valve portion, which drives the valve portion to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port portion. A discharge nozzle characterized by the following features.

2. The discharge nozzle according to claim 1, wherein a central part is fitted between the receiving part and the tip part, and the drive part is incorporated within the central part.

3. The discharge nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit includes a crank mechanism that drives the valve unit to move forward and backward relative to the discharge port.

4. The discharge nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the valve portion is a needle valve.

5. The discharge nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the passage portion is formed within the central portion.

6. The discharge nozzle according to claim 5, wherein a branched flow channel is formed in the passing portion within the central portion.

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