Consumable extruder for 3D printer and 3D printer

Abstract

Provide a consumable extruder for a 3D printer. 【Solution means】It includes a consumable passage 1a provided inside the extruder. The consumable passage enables the passage of the consumable (from bottom to top), and an anti-jamming transition part 4a is provided at the outlet for extruding the consumable. A gear extrusion mechanism 2a is provided in the consumable passage formed by the frame structure to assist the passage of the consumable, and a reverse horn-shaped transition part is provided at the outlet position for extruding the consumable, which can greatly reduce phenomena such as jamming in the process of extruding the consumable. In the present invention, one adapter is provided in the heat dissipation part. The adapter leaves a space between the nozzle and the heat dissipation assembly in the heating assembly, separates the consumable passage in the nozzle from the consumable passage in the conveying part, heats the consumable at an appropriate position, and ensures the smooth progress of printing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printers, and particularly to an improvement of a consumable extrusion mechanism for 3D printers.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, 3D printer technology is becoming more and more advanced and popular. Fused deposition modeling is related to 3D printing technology, and the whole process is to melt the consumables by a head and form a product by deposition.

[0003] During the printing process, it is necessary to first convey the consumables to the head by an extrusion mechanism, heat and melt them inside the head, and then discharge them from the head for printing. During the extrusion and conveyance process, jams are likely to occur, and it is not easy to perform maintenance and cleaning inside a closed and precise printer. Also, during the head printing process, it is very important to ensure that the consumables melt at an appropriate timing and position. If the consumables enter the molten state prematurely, they may adhere to the inside of the extrusion or conveyance passage before being extruded from the head. On the other hand, if the melting of the consumables is too slow, the printing will be slow and the printing may not be completed, for this reason.

[0004] Regarding the problems of conveyance jams, there are several designs related to extrusion mechanisms in the prior art. For example, Chinese Patent CN209141390U discloses an FDM type 3D printer molten consumable extrusion device, in which an anti-jam device is connected to a screw conveyance screw, but it does not mention the jam problem in the conveyance passage. In addition, in the prior art, there are not a few FDM type 3D printers that convey the melted consumables by a screw device. For example, the 3D printer molten consumable extrusion device disclosed in Chinese Patent CN210525833U, the molten extrusion device applied to the 3D printer consumable production equipment disclosed in Chinese Patent CN204076747U, etc. Such devices first heat the consumables to a molten state and then convey them by a screw. The overall process is long (occupying a large space), the molten state of the consumables is prone to instability throughout the process, and furthermore, the residue and waste of the consumables are prone to occur during the conveyance process.

[0005] Regarding the problems of the printing head, there are several structural designs in the prior art to control the heat of the head part and the amount of consumables. For example, Chinese Patent CN215320669U discloses a 3D printing heating nozzle and a 3D printer using the same. The specification of the patent discloses a technical solution in which a ceramic heat insulation sheet is provided between the ceramic heating tube and the heat dissipation unit to avoid direct contact or high-efficiency heat exchange between the ceramic heating tube and the heat dissipation unit, which causes heat loss. However, the ceramic fins in this patent are not designed for the heat melting of consumables, but only for avoiding direct contact between extreme low temperature and extreme high temperature. Chinese Patent CN109514860A discloses a throat tube structure, a nozzle device, and a fused deposition modeling type 3D printer for a 3D printer. In the throat tube structure disclosed in the patent, a heat insulation area is processed to partition the heat dissipation area and the heating area. The role of the heat insulation area in this patent is to reduce the range of the heating area in the throat tube, thereby suppressing the extrusion amount of the printing material and preventing the adhesion of consumables by using the material of the throat tube. However, the applicant has found that in fact, the above structure cannot completely solve the problem of controlling the melting of consumables at the head, the structure is complex, and when the throat tube is processed by splitting, a lot of production costs increase. Also, when the throat tube is clogged, it needs to be replaced, and the loss of parts is high.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a consumable extrusion mechanism and its head design that are less likely to cause material jams and are easy to maintain.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a consumable extruder for a 3D printer for the problems in the background art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The technical solution used by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows.

[0009] A consumable extruder for a 3D printer, including a consumable passage provided inside the extruder, the consumable passage enabling the passage of the consumable (from bottom to top), and the consumable entering the head assembly of the 3D printer after passing through the consumable passage.

[0010] Furthermore, a jam prevention transition part is provided at the outlet for extruding the consumable in the consumable passage. Generally, a consumable extrusion mechanism is provided in a near-end printer, and the jam prevention transition part is provided at the outlet where the extrusion mechanism extrudes the consumable.

[0011] Furthermore, the jam prevention transition part has a horn-shaped structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the horn opening of the horn-shaped structure faces the direction of the gear extrusion mechanism.

[0013] Furthermore, at least two windows are provided on one side of the consumable passage.

[0014] Furthermore, the windows include a first window and a second window. The first window is located behind the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable extrusion direction, and the second window is located in front of the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable extrusion direction.

[0015] Furthermore, a window fixture is provided in the first window.

[0016] Furthermore, a detection device is provided in the second window.

[0017] Furthermore, a detection device for detecting the presence or absence of the passage of the consumable is provided in the consumable passage.

[0018] Furthermore, the detection device includes at least one of a photoelectric switch, a micro switch, and a hall switch, but is not limited thereto.

[0019] Furthermore, when the detection device uses a photoelectric switch, the detection device includes a trigger device, a rotating shaft, and a reset assembly. The trigger device is externally fitted to the rotating shaft via the reset assembly. One end of the trigger device naturally hangs down into the consumable passage. When the consumable passes through, it pushes the trigger device, blocking the optical path of the photoelectric element. Conversely, the trigger device is reset by the reset assembly. When the photoelectric switch is triggered, it indicates that the consumable has arrived at the extruder supply port at this time. At this time, the consumable can be fed to the proximal end by the synchronous movement of the distal extruder and the proximal extruder without the user manually feeding it into the top passage, or it can also be fed by a single proximal extruder.

[0020] Furthermore, near the outlet of the consumable passage, a cavity is provided that is configured to allow the cutter to be inserted and removed, and the cutter passes through the cavity for cutting.

[0021] Furthermore, the extruder includes an extruder fixing plate. The consumable passage is provided on the extruder fixing plate. The gear extrusion mechanism is attached to the extruder fixing plate. The gear extrusion mechanism includes extrusion gears provided in pairs. The extrusion gears include a driving wheel and a driven wheel. The driving wheel is driven by a driving device. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively connected to extrusion wheels provided in pairs via a driving shaft and a driven shaft. The extrusion wheels are respectively located on both sides of the consumable passage, and the spacing distance between the extrusion wheels is slightly smaller than the diameter of the consumable.

[0022] Furthermore, the extruder includes a driving motor, and the driving motor is provided with a piezoelectric transducer configured to collect vibration information of the driving motor. The piezoelectric transducer may use piezoelectric ceramic power generation fins and is connected to the data collection device of the printer via a current amplifier. It reads the vibration frequency of the motor and distinguishes whether there is an abnormality in the consumable supply based on the vibration frequency (the frequency of the motor is different between abnormal and normal times), and can be connected to the chip via a cable.

[0023] Furthermore, it includes a housing, and an open window is provided in the housing for the motor, which is advantageous for the heat dissipation of the motor and the reduction of the size and weight of the extruder. Further, a belt fixing frame for fixing the transport belt of the printer is provided at the bottom of the extruder. By providing the belt at the bottom of the device, it is possible to avoid the need to remove the printer chassis transmission part related to the belt transmission during maintenance.

[0024] Furthermore, the consumable extruder for a 3D printer of the present invention further includes a print head assembly, and the print head assembly includes a print nozzle, a heat dissipation assembly, and a heating assembly. The heating assembly is externally fitted to the print nozzle, the heat dissipation assembly is connected to the heating assembly through an adapter, and there is a cavity between the print nozzle and the adapter.

[0025] Furthermore, the cavity is located within the heating assembly.

[0026] Furthermore, the height of the cavity is 1 to 3 times the diameter of the consumable for the 3D printer.

[0027] Furthermore, the heat dissipation assembly includes a throat tube, and a first passage is provided in the throat tube to allow the passage of the printing consumable of the 3D printer.

[0028] Furthermore, the adapter is inserted into the first passage and includes a connection portion.

[0029] Furthermore, the depth at which the connection portion is inserted into the first passage is more than half of the overall height of the heat dissipation assembly, or the depth at which the connection portion is inserted into the first passage is less than or equal to one-third of the overall height of the heat dissipation assembly.

[0030] Furthermore, a second passage is provided in the adapter to allow the passage of the printing consumable of the 3D printer, and the second passage communicates with the first passage.

[0031] Furthermore, the adapter is made of a material with poor thermal conductivity.

[0032] Furthermore, the printing nozzle is manufactured from a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0033] Furthermore, a third passage allowing the consumables of the 3D printer to pass through is provided inside the printing nozzle, and the consumables are heated to a printable state within the third passage.

[0034] Furthermore, the heat dissipation assembly includes heat dissipation fins, and a heat dissipation fan is provided on one side of the heat dissipation fins.

[0035] Moreover, the present invention provides a 3D printer that can use the above consumable extruder. A consumable passage is provided inside the 3D printer, and the consumables pass through the consumable passage and enter the nozzle assembly from the bottom up.

Advantages of the Invention

[0036] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows.

[0037] (1) In the present invention, it is applied to the conveyance of solid rod-shaped consumables. Inside the extruder, a consumable passage is formed by a frame structure, and a gear extrusion mechanism is provided in the consumable passage to assist the passage of the consumables in the consumable passage. The structure is small and easy to use.

[0038] (2) In the present invention, a reverse horn-shaped transition part is provided at the outlet position for extruding the consumables, which can significantly reduce phenomena such as jams during the extrusion process of the consumables.

[0039] (3) In the present invention, a detection device is provided for consumable supply. The detection device determines whether the consumables are in a predetermined position, and based on the detection result of the detection device, the remote extruder and the proximal extruder can be automatically turned on without the user manually supplying them.

[0040] (4) The photoelectric detection device of the present invention skillfully utilizes the interference of the structure through which the consumable passes to push the trigger device, thereby triggering the photoelectric switch. Since some consumables themselves have a certain light transmittance, the problem that the photoelectric switch is not sensitive can be effectively avoided.

[0041] (5) In the present invention, on at least one side of the consumable passage, openable windows are respectively provided above and below the gear extrusion mechanism. When inspection is required, the windows can be opened. The shape of the windows can be set according to the gear extrusion mechanism to prevent accidental contact with the gear mechanism during maintenance.

[0042] (6) The printing nozzle assembly of the present invention is provided with an adapter on the heat dissipation device and is connected to the heating assembly through the adapter. Due to the presence of the adapter, a space is left between the nozzle and the heat dissipation assembly in the heating assembly, separating the consumable passage in the nozzle from the consumable passage of the conveying part, so that the consumable can be heated at an appropriate position in the nozzle, avoiding premature melting of the consumable far from the nozzle exit, and ensuring smooth progress of printing.

[0043] (7) In the present invention, the adapter in the heat dissipation device is inserted into the throat tube of the heat dissipation fins, forming a consumable passage together with the passage inside the throat tube. The adapter is made of a material with poor thermal conductivity and can well control the heat exchange in the consumable passage inside the heat dissipation fins without affecting the conveyance of solid consumables.

[0044] (8) In the present invention, there is no need to change the overall structure of the conventional printing nozzle and heat dissipation heating in the extruder, which does not burden the processing process and the processing cost of the finished product is low.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0045]

Figure 1

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Figure 4

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Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0046] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be specifically, clearly and completely described by way of examples in conjunction with the drawings below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Also, based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor, any modifications, equivalent substitutions or improvements made, etc. should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0047] Refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 for Example 1.

[0048] This embodiment provides an extrusion structure for a 3D printer. The extrusion structure includes a consumable passage 1a provided inside the extruder and a gear extrusion mechanism 2a. The consumable passage 1a allows the passage of the printing consumable 3. When the printing consumable 3 enters the extrusion structure, the gear extrusion mechanism 2a operates to introduce the printing consumable 3 and convey it to the printing nozzle 1. In the printer of the present invention, since the consumable is conveyed from bottom to top, within the consumable passage 1a, the printing consumable 3 passes through the consumable passage 1a from bottom to top. At the outlet of the gear extrusion mechanism 2a (i.e., above the position where the two extrusion wheels contact the consumable), since the consumable has just received the acting force of the extrusion mechanism, it has a force to protrude upward. Also, during the extrusion process, even a slight inclination or deviation (even if small) in the direction of the consumable, or a slight difference in the extrusion force on both sides may cause jams such as friction and positional interference between the consumable discharged from the extrusion mechanism and the consumable passage. To avoid this, in this embodiment, a jam prevention transition portion 4a is provided at the outlet of the consumable passage for the gear extrusion mechanism.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the jam prevention transition portion 4a itself has a horn-shaped passage structure with an inner diameter larger than that of the consumable passage 1a. The horn opening of the horn-shaped structure faces the direction of the gear extrusion mechanism 2a, and the inner wall of the horn-shaped structure is smooth. In this way, a transition portion structure with the opening facing downward, larger at the bottom and smaller at the top is formed. Even if slight deviations or interferences occur when the printing consumable 3 just exits the extrusion mechanism, it can be guided into the subsequent consumable passage 1a through the arc surface of the horn portion with a larger diameter, thereby avoiding the occurrence of jams.

[0050] Here, it should be noted that the gear extrusion mechanism mentioned in this embodiment can be replaced by other extrusion mechanisms with similar principles according to different needs of application scenarios and practices. The gear extrusion mechanism is currently an embodiment with high stability, but it does not indicate that it is the only embodiment.

[0051] For Embodiment 2, please refer to FIG. 3.

[0052] This embodiment provides a structure that is easy to maintain and can be used in Example 1 or independently in a 3D printer extruder. The structure is provided with at least two openable and closable windows on one side of the consumable passage 1a.

[0053] Specifically, as shown in the figure, the windows include a first window 5a and a second window 6a. For the convenience of description, the window located behind the gear extrusion mechanism (i.e., above the gear extrusion mechanism) in the consumable extrusion direction (process) is called the first window, and the other window is called the second window.

[0054] Preferably, a window fixture 7a is provided on the first window 5a. When the printer is being used normally, the first window 5a can be closed by the window fixture 7a. The overall outer shape of the window fixture 7a coincides with that of the first window 5a, and the window fixture 7a is further provided with a handle 8a for easy access.

[0055] Preferably, a detection device 9a may be provided on the second window 6a. The detection device 9a can detect whether a consumable has arrived by means of a sensor / inductor, etc., thereby facilitating the next operation of the printer.

[0056] As described above, the technical solution of this embodiment can be used independently in a 3D printer or implemented in combination with Example 1.

[0057] Refer to FIG. 4 for Example 3.

[0058] This embodiment provides a specific structure of the detection device 9a that can be used in Example 1 or 2. The detection device is configured to detect whether a consumable has arrived at the inlet of the extruder.

[0059] Preferably, in this embodiment, the detection device 9a can select a photoelectric switch including a trigger device 10a, a photoelectric element 11, a rotating shaft 12a, and a reset assembly 13a. The reset assembly 13a can use a torsion spring. The trigger device 10a is externally fitted to the rotating shaft 12a via the reset assembly 13a. The free end of the trigger device 10a naturally hangs down into the consumable passage 1a. When the consumable passes through, the consumable 1 can push the trigger device 10a outwards due to position interference. The trigger device 10a is rotatable around the rotating shaft 12a. At the same time, the reset assembly 13a stores energy. When the consumable passes through the consumable passage 1a normally, the trigger device 10a, due to the position interference of the consumable, partially enters between the photoelectric elements 11, blocking the optical path between the photoelectric elements, thereby triggering the detection device 9a, indicating that the consumable has reached the extruder supply port at this time. At this time, without the user manually feeding the consumable into the consumable passage, the consumable can be fed to the proximal end by the synchronous movement of the distal extruder and the proximal extruder, or the consumable can also be fed by a single proximal extruder. In this embodiment, instead of directly triggering with the consumable, the photoelectric element in the photoelectric switch is triggered by a lever. The reason is that consumables such as transparent and white colors used in FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing cannot block the infrared light emitted from the photoelectric element optical path, so the photoelectric switch cannot switch to the trigger state. To ensure the detection accuracy, it is necessary to indirectly trigger using a lever that does not transmit light.

[0060] In another specific embodiment, the detection device 9a may use a magnetic hall switch or a micro switch that detects by position or distance relationship.

[0061] The present invention provides a specific embodiment of the detection switch, but the present invention is not limited to only using such a detection method. For those skilled in the art, without creative labor, for convenience and commercial reasons, various devices with detection functions in the prior art can be freely selected.

[0062] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 for Example 4.

[0063] This example provides an extrusion structure for a 3D printer. The extrusion structure includes a consumable passage 1a provided inside the extruder. For other structures of the extruder in this example, one or more combinations of the above examples can be referred to.

[0064] Near the outlet of the consumable passage 1a in this example, a cavity 14a is provided which is configured to enable the insertion and removal of a cutter 15a for cutting the consumable. Preferably, the cutter 15a can enter from the side of the consumable passage 1a for cutting. This example does not limit the specific structure of the cutter and the driving method of the cutter. This example provides a consumable passage that can be easily cut.

[0065] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 5 for Example 5.

[0066] This example provides a driving device. The driving device may be used to drive the gear extrusion mechanism in the extruder of a 3D printer, or may be used to drive other structures that require power. These structures may be members necessary for the extruder of the present invention or the printer in which it is located, or any other mechanical structure member that requires power. The gear extrusion mechanism described in this example may be the gear extrusion mechanism 2a in Example 1 or Example 2, or may be a gear extrusion mechanism in the prior art or an improved gear extrusion mechanism.

[0067] In this example, the gear extrusion mechanism is driven by a motor 16a. On the outer surface of the motor 16a, a piezoelectric transducer 17a configured to collect vibration information of the motor is provided. As shown in the figure, the piezoelectric transducer 17a may be adhered to the surface of the motor via an adhesive 26, as long as it can detect the vibration frequency of the motor. In this example, the piezoelectric transducer 17a may use piezoelectric ceramic power generation fins, and actually, the model number of the piezoelectric transducer can be selected according to requirements.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 7, the piezoelectric transducer 17a (sensor) reads the vibration frequency of the motor and is connected to the data collection device of the printer via a current amplifier, and can be connected to the printer chip via, for example, a cable. Then, based on the vibration frequency, the chip can distinguish whether there is an abnormality in the consumable supply (the frequency of the motor is different between abnormal and normal times). It should be noted here that the collection principle of the piezoelectric transducer can directly utilize the aspects in the prior art, and the difference in vibration frequency can be obtained based on actual measurements. The technical solution claimed in the present invention is not a method for collecting or judging the piezoelectric transducer, but a motor structure in which a piezoelectric transducer can be provided on the surface.

[0069] In some embodiments, the gear extrusion mechanism 2a includes extrusion gears 18a provided in pairs. The extrusion gears 18a include a driving wheel and a driven wheel. The driving wheel is driven by a motor 16a. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively connected to extrusion wheels 19a provided in pairs via a driving shaft and a driven shaft. The extrusion wheels 19a are respectively located on both sides of the consumable passage 1a. The distance between the extrusion wheels 19a is slightly smaller than the diameter of the printing consumable 3. In this way, when the printing consumable 3 is fed in, the extrusion gears 18a are driven by the motor, and the two extrusion wheels 19a rotate relative to each other, so that the consumable can be introduced into the consumable passage 1a.

[0070] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 6 for Example 6.

[0071] This embodiment provides the overall structure of an extruder for a 3D printer. The extruder is close to the printing nozzle and can be called a proximal extruder. The proximal extruder in this embodiment can realize some functions of the extruder by using one or more combinations of the above embodiments. Of course, it is not excluded that the proximal extruder in this embodiment can use the prior art or other improved aspects.

[0072] In this embodiment, the extruder includes a housing 20a, and an extruder fixing plate 21a is fixedly provided in the housing 20a. The consumable passage 1a is provided in the extruder fixing plate 21a in a hollow manner, that is, by structural shaping, a consumable passage is formed in the extruder fixing plate 21a. By combining with the structures of other embodiments and the functional assemblies of the extruder, the consumable 1 is passed through the consumable passage and put into the printing nozzle.

[0073] Preferably, the housing 20a is provided with an open window 24a for the motor to facilitate removal, observation, and maintenance.

[0074] Preferably, at the bottom of the extruder, a belt fixing frame 22a is provided to fix the conveying belt of the printer and prevent the belt from shifting or slipping. By providing the belt at the bottom of the device, it is avoided that it is necessary to remove the printer chassis transmission part related to belt transmission during maintenance.

[0075] Refer to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 for Example 7.

[0076] This embodiment provides a printing nozzle assembly for a 3D printer including a printing nozzle 1, a heat dissipation assembly 2b, and a heating assembly 3b. The heating assembly 3b can use a heating sleeve, and its exterior is connected to a power source via a cable. The heating assembly 3b is externally fitted to the printing nozzle 1. The heat dissipation assembly 1 includes heat dissipation fins, and a throat tube 4b is provided in the heat dissipation fins. A first passage 6b that allows the printing consumable 3 of the 3D printer to pass through is provided in the throat tube 4b. In the present invention, the printing consumable 3 is generally a cylindrical solid consumable with good heat melting performance, which is collected by a consumable coil, pulled out by a conveying mechanism during printing, and fed into the printer.

[0077] An adapter 7b is provided on the upper part of the heat dissipation assembly 1. The adapter 7b includes one connection part 8b, and the connection part 8b can be pushed into the throat tube 4b of the heat dissipation fins, and the pushing depth is more than half of the height of the whole heat dissipation fins, or it is ensured that the depth at which the connection part is inserted into the first passage is not more than one-third of the height of the whole heat dissipation assembly. According to experiments, it is proved that both of the above two sizes can ensure heat insulation. It is connected to the heating assembly and has a cavity 10b between the printing nozzle and the adapter.

[0078] A second passage 9b allowing the passage of the printing consumable 3 is also provided in the adapter 7b. When the connection part 8b of the adapter 7b is pushed into the throat tube, the second passage 9b and the first passage 6b communicate integrally.

[0079] Preferably, the adapter 7b is made of a material with poor thermal conductivity, such as titanium alloy or other metal materials with poor thermal conductivity. The throat tube is made of red copper or brass material. In this way, the cost of the heat dissipation fins themselves can be reduced. On the other hand, the printing nozzle 1 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and a third passage 11b allowing the passage of the printing consumable 3 is provided in the printing nozzle. The consumable is heated to a printable state in the third passage.

[0080] The lower part of the heating assembly 3b is connected to the adapter 7b, and the interior of the upper half of the heating assembly 3b is connected to the nozzle. In this embodiment, the adapter 7b is machined with a male thread for connecting to the heating assembly, and actually, other fixing forms may be selected according to requirements. The connection between the upper and lower two parts forms a gap for forming a cavity inside the heating assembly 3b. As shown in FIG. 9, there is one cavity 10b between the bottom of the printing nozzle 1 and the top of the adapter 7b. The height of the cavity is 1 to 3 times the diameter of the consumable for the 3D printer, and the inner diameter of the cavity is 1.5 to 4 times the diameter of the consumable. The installation of the cavity 10b forms a blocking portion between the heat dissipation fins and the nozzle heating area by utilizing the space. This blocking portion does not completely block the heat transfer, but when combined with the poor thermal conductivity of the adapter 7b, it can avoid heating the consumable that has not entered the printing nozzle until it melts, and at the same time, the cavity 10b can further preheat the consumable that has entered the printing nozzle before melting, making the printing smoother.

[0081] In the present invention, the design of the cavity 10b does not require complicated design and processing (such as stepped surfaces or concave-convex rings) for the members, has low production costs, and is easy to process and replace.

[0082] Preferably, in order to enhance the heat dissipation performance of the heat dissipation area, a heat dissipation fan 12b may be provided on one side of the heat dissipation assembly 2b.

[0083] The printing nozzle assembly of this embodiment can be used alone or in combination in any of the above embodiments.

[0084] For Embodiment 8, please refer to FIG. 6.

[0085] This embodiment provides a 3D printer, which can perform printing using the printing nozzle assembly of Embodiment 7 and / or perform extrusion and conveyance of printing consumables using any one of the extruders of Embodiments 1-6. As shown in the figure, in the printer, the entire nozzle assembly is provided above the extruder, and other combined members such as an extrusion mechanism may be provided in the extruder. The consumables are conveyed from bottom to top to the heat dissipation assembly, and then put into the printing nozzle 1 by the heat dissipation assembly for printing.

[0086] Other embodiments of this embodiment can refer to any of the above embodiments. Specific technical processes not described in detail in this embodiment can be realized with reference to the prior art.

Description of Reference Signs

[0087] 1 Printing nozzle 1a Consumable passage 2a Gear extrusion mechanism 3 Printing consumables 4a Jam prevention transition part 5a First window 6a Second window 7a Window fixture 8a Handle 9a Detection device 10a Trigger device 11a Photoelectric switch 12a Rotating shaft 13a Reset assembly 14a Cavity 15a Cutter 16a Motor 17a Piezoelectric transducer 18a Extrusion gear 19a Extrusion wheel 20a Housing 21a Extruder fixing plate 22a Belt fixing frame 24a Open window 25a Adhesive 2b Heat dissipation assembly 3b Heating assembly 4b Throat tube 6b First passage 7b Adapter 8b Connection part 9b Second passage 10b Cavity 11b Third passage 12b Heat dissipation fan.

Claims

1. 1. A consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer, comprising: a consumable passageway disposed within the extruder, the consumable passageway allowing passage of a consumable through the consumable passageway into a head assembly of the three-dimensional printer.

2. 2. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein the consumable passage is provided with a jam prevention transition at an outlet for extruding the consumable.

3. 3. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer of claim 2, wherein the jam prevention transition is a horn-like structure.

4. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 3 , wherein the horn mouth of the horn-shaped structure faces toward a gear extrusion mechanism.

5. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1 , wherein at least two windows are provided on one side of the consumable passage.

6. 6. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer according to claim 5, wherein the window includes a first window and a second window, the first window being located behind the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable extrusion direction, and the second window being located in front of the gear extrusion mechanism in the consumable extrusion direction.

7. 7. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 6, wherein a window fixture is provided within the first window, and a detection device is provided within the second window.

8. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection device provided in the consumable passage for detecting whether or not a consumable is passing through the consumable passage.

9. 9. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer of claim 8, wherein the detection device includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a photoelectric switch, a micro switch, and a Hall switch.

10. 9. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that the detection device includes a trigger device, a rotating shaft and a reset assembly, the trigger device is externally fitted to the rotating shaft via the reset assembly, one end of the trigger device naturally hangs down into the consumable passage, and when a consumable passes through, the trigger device is pushed to trigger the detection device, and conversely, the trigger device is reset by the reset assembly.

11. 2. The consumable extruder of claim 1, wherein the consumable passage is provided proximate an exit thereof with a cavity configured to allow for the entry and exit of a cutter.

12. 2. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein the extruder includes an extruder fixed plate, the consumable passage is disposed on the extruder fixed plate, a gear extrusion mechanism is attached to the extruder fixed plate, the gear extrusion mechanism includes a pair of extrusion gears, the extrusion gears include a driving wheel and a driven wheel, the driving wheel is driven by a driving device, the driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively connected to the pair of extrusion wheels via a driving shaft and a driven shaft, the extrusion wheels are respectively located on both sides of the consumable passage, and a spacing distance between the extrusion wheels is slightly smaller than a diameter of the consumables.

13. 2. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer of claim 1, wherein the extruder includes a drive motor, the drive motor being provided with a piezoelectric transducer, the piezoelectric transducer being configured to collect vibration information of the drive motor.

14. The consumable extruder for 3D printers according to claim 1 , characterized in that a belt fixing frame is provided at the bottom of the extruder.

15. 2. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the extruder includes a print head assembly, the print head assembly including a print nozzle, a heat dissipation assembly, and a heating assembly, the heating assembly being fitted onto the print nozzle, the heat dissipation assembly being connected to the heating assembly via an adapter, and a cavity being formed between the print nozzle and the adapter.

16. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer of claim 15, wherein the cavity is located within the heating assembly.

17. 16. The 3D printer consumable extruder of claim 15, wherein the height of the cavity is 1 to 3 times the diameter of the 3D printer consumable.

18. 16. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer of claim 15, wherein the heat dissipation assembly includes a throat pipe having a first passageway therethrough that allows the passage of printing consumables of the three-dimensional printer.

19. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer of claim 18, wherein the adapter includes a connection portion that is inserted into the first passage.

20. 20. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 19, characterized in that the depth to which the connecting portion is inserted into the first passage is equal to or greater than half the height of the entire heat dissipation assembly, or the depth to which the connecting portion is inserted into the first passage is equal to or less than one-third the height of the entire heat dissipation assembly.

21. 20. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer according to claim 19, wherein a second passage is provided within the adapter to allow the passage of printing consumables of the three-dimensional printer, the second passage being in communication with the first passage.

22. 16. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer of claim 15, wherein the adapter is made of a material that is a poor conductor of heat.

23. 16. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer of claim 15, wherein the print nozzle is made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

24. 16. The consumable extruder for a three-dimensional printer according to claim 15, wherein a third passage is provided within the printing nozzle to allow the passage of a consumable of the three-dimensional printer, and the consumable is heated to a printable state within the third passage.

25. The consumable extruder for a 3D printer according to claim 15 , wherein the heat dissipation assembly includes a heat dissipation fin, and a heat dissipation fan is provided on one side of the heat dissipation fin.

26. A 3D printer using the consumable extruder according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

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