3D printer nozzle cleaning unit and method

Abstract

A 3D printer according to one embodiment may include: a base; a platform installed on the base and on which an output to be printed is placed; a printing nozzle movable on the platform and spraying a printing material; and a nozzle cleaning unit installed on the base and cleaning the end of the printing nozzle as the printing nozzle passes through it.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The following description relates to a nozzle cleaning unit for a 3D printer and a method thereof. Background Technology

[0003] In a 3D printing process in which printing material is layered using a nozzle injection method, as printing progresses, material from a previously printed layer may adhere to the end of the nozzle being printed, and this tendency may be further exacerbated, especially when printing is performed with high-viscosity materials such as food ink.

[0004] As material adhering to the nozzle tip may additionally adhere or detach during printing, non-uniformity in the internal infill shape and density of the printed object may occur, which can lead to problems such as reduced resolution and quality of the final printed object.

[0005] The aforementioned background technology is one that the inventor possessed or acquired during the process of deriving the present invention, and it cannot be considered as publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present invention. The problem to be solved

[0007] The objective according to one embodiment is to provide a nozzle cleaning unit for a 3D printer and a method thereof. means of solving the problem

[0009] A 3D printer according to one embodiment may include: a base; a platform installed on the base and on which an output to be printed is placed; a printing nozzle movable on the platform and spraying a printing material; and a nozzle cleaning unit installed on the base and cleaning the end of the printing nozzle as the printing nozzle passes through it.

[0010] The above nozzle cleaning unit may include a cleaning section having a brush having a plurality of bristles protruding outward.

[0011] The nozzle cleaning unit may further include a lubrication unit installed spaced apart from the cleaning unit and applying a lubricant to the printing nozzle.

[0012] The above lubricating part may include a sponge immersed in a lubricant or a flexible polymer member.

[0013] The nozzle cleaning unit may further include a driving unit that moves the cleaning unit and the lubrication unit relative to the base.

[0014] A 3D printer wherein the cleaning unit and the lubrication unit are spaced apart along the direction in which the printing nozzle passes through the nozzle cleaning unit, and the cleaning unit is positioned at a point where the printing nozzle passes before the lubrication unit, based on the direction in which the printing nozzle passes through the nozzle cleaning unit.

[0015] A nozzle cleaning method for a 3D printer according to an embodiment having a nozzle cleaning unit for cleaning a printing nozzle comprises: a step of printing an output through the printing nozzle on a platform; a step of checking whether the printing nozzle is in a cleaning condition; and a step of moving the printing nozzle to the nozzle cleaning unit if the cleaning condition is met; wherein the nozzle cleaning unit may include a cleaning part having a brush having a plurality of bristles protruding outward; and a lubrication part spaced apart from the cleaning part and having a sponge or a flexible polymer member immersed in a lubricant.

[0016] In the step of checking whether the above cleaning condition exists, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether a preset time has been reached based on the printing sequence of the output.

[0017] In the step of checking the cleaning condition, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether the number of layers of the output stacked through the printing nozzle has been printed to a set number.

[0018] In the step of moving the printing nozzle to the nozzle cleaning unit, the printing nozzle may sequentially pass through the cleaning section and the lubrication section based on the direction of passing through the nozzle cleaning unit. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to a nozzle cleaning unit and method according to one embodiment, by preventing printing material from adhering to the nozzle end, the internal filling shape and density of the layer can be made uniform, and the resolution and quality of the final output shape can be improved. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 3D printer including a nozzle cleaning unit according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a 3D printer according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a printing nozzle moving toward a nozzle cleaning unit according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a nozzle cleaning method according to one embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The following description is one of several aspects of the embodiments, and the following description constitutes part of the detailed description of the embodiments.

[0024] However, in describing one embodiment, specific descriptions regarding known functions or configurations are omitted to clarify the gist of the present invention.

[0025] In addition, terms or words used in this specification and claims shall not be interpreted in their ordinary or dictionary senses, and based on the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention, they shall have a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of ​​the nozzle cleaning unit and method of a 3D printer according to one embodiment.

[0026] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of a nozzle cleaning unit and method for a 3D printer according to one embodiment, and do not represent all technical concepts of a nozzle cleaning unit and method for a 3D printer. It should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 3D printer including a nozzle cleaning unit according to one embodiment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a 3D printer according to one embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a printing nozzle moving toward a nozzle cleaning unit according to one embodiment.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a 3D printer (1) according to one embodiment can print a three-dimensional output (16). The 3D printer (1) performs printing by stacking printing layers layer by layer.

[0030] A 3D printer (1) according to one embodiment may include a base (15), a platform (12) installed on the base (15) to support a printed object (16), a printing nozzle (13) for stacking printed objects (16) on the platform (12), a nozzle cleaning unit (11) installed near the platform (12) or on the platform (12) to perform cleaning and / or lubrication of the printing nozzle (13), and a control unit (14) for controlling the overall printing process of the 3D printer (1).

[0031] The platform (12) may be a flat support structure on which the output (16) is placed. For example, the platform (12) may be translated so that its height is adjusted along the up-and-down direction relative to the base (15) during the process of printing the output. For example, the platform (12) may be capable of three degrees of freedom of movement including the up-and-down direction as well as the forward / backward and left-and-right directions.

[0032] The printing nozzle (13) can print the output (16) layer by layer by applying printing material onto the platform (12) until the output (16) is completed. For example, the printing nozzle (13) may be capable of two degrees of freedom translational driving along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the height direction on the platform (12). For example, the printing nozzle (13) may be translational driven along the height direction.

[0033] The nozzle cleaning unit (11) can remove and prevent printing material from adhering to the end portion of the printing nozzle (13) during the printing process.

[0034] For example, the nozzle cleaning unit (11) can remove printing material adhering to the end and apply lubricant by having a part of the lower end of the printing nozzle (13) pass through the nozzle cleaning unit (11) at a height that interferes with the nozzle cleaning unit (11) at set intervals during the printing process.

[0035] For example, the nozzle cleaning unit (11) may be installed near the printing nozzle (13) on the base (15) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. For example, the nozzle cleaning unit (11) may be installed in a location that is easily accessible without the printing nozzle (13) performing printing on the platform (12) deviating significantly from the movement path according to the printing process.

[0036] As another example, it is noted that the nozzle cleaning unit (11) may have a structure installed on the platform (12) and moving together with the platform (12).

[0037] For example, the nozzle cleaning unit (11) may include a cleaning section (111) and a lubrication section (112) installed spaced apart along a horizontal direction, and a driving section (113) that moves the cleaning section (111) and the lubrication section (112) along a horizontal direction relative to the base (15).

[0038] The cleaning unit (111) can remove printing material or other foreign substances adhering to the printing nozzle (13) by interfering with the end of the printing nozzle (13) as the printing nozzle (13) passes through the upper side of the cleaning unit (111).

[0039] For example, the cleaning unit (111) may include a brush or bristles having a plurality of bristles protruding outward.

[0040] For example, if the cleaning unit (111) is a brush, a plurality of bristles may be formed protruding upward or sideways. However, the material, density, or protrusion direction of the plurality of bristles may be formed differently depending on the 3D printing environment or 3D printing material.

[0041] As another example, the cleaning unit (111) may include a soft fiber material that can effectively remove foreign matter without damaging the end of the printing nozzle (13).

[0042] For example, the cleaning section (111) may be located at a point where the printing nozzle (13) passes before the lubrication section (112) based on the direction in which the printing nozzle (13) passes through the nozzle cleaning unit (11).

[0043] For example, the cleaning section (111) may be positioned closer to the platform (12) than the lubrication section (112).

[0044] According to the above structure, when the printing nozzle (13) passes through the nozzle cleaning unit (11) for cleaning, the printing nozzle (13) passes through the cleaning section (111) first, and then passes through the lubrication section (112) after foreign substances attached to the printing nozzle (13) are removed, thereby allowing the order to be set so that the removal of foreign substances and the lubrication process proceed sequentially.

[0045] The lubrication section (112) can allow the printing nozzle (13) to pass over the upper side of the lubrication section (112) and interfere with the end of the printing nozzle (13), thereby allowing the lubricant to be applied to the end of the printing nozzle (13).

[0046] For example, the lubricant may include a slippery oil material to prevent the printing material from sticking to the end of the printing nozzle (13). For example, if the printing material is edible, edible oil may be used as the lubricant.

[0047] For example, the lubricating part (112) may include a sponge member immersed in a lubricant. As another example, the lubricating part (112) may include a member of a polymer material, such as flexible rubber, immersed in or coated with a lubricant.

[0048] The driving unit (113) can be translated or rotated so that the cleaning unit (111) and the lubrication unit (112) are adjacent to the movement path of the printing nozzle (13) for smooth cleaning and lubrication of the printing nozzle (13).

[0049] For example, the driving unit (113) moves / rotates the cleaning unit (111) and the lubrication unit (112) so that they have a position overlapping with the movement path of the printing nozzle (13) according to the printing process, thereby minimizing the unnecessary distance traveled to perform cleaning and lubrication operations of the printing nozzle (13) during the printing process.

[0050] The control unit (14) may include computing means for controlling the operation of the 3D printer (1).

[0051] The control unit (14) can print an output (16) by moving the printing nozzle (13) and applying the printing material on the platform (12).

[0052] For example, the control unit (14) can adjust the height of the platform (12). For example, the control unit (14) can adjust the position of the nozzle cleaning unit (11) on the base (15) by driving the drive unit (113).

[0053] For example, the control unit (14) can periodically clean the printing nozzle (13) by moving the printing nozzle (13) to the nozzle cleaning unit (11) whenever the cleaning conditions are satisfied, according to preset cleaning conditions, to perform cleaning and lubrication of the printing nozzle (13).

[0054] The specific process of the control unit (14) cleaning the printing nozzle (13) through the nozzle cleaning unit (11) will be described later through the description of FIG. 4 below.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a nozzle cleaning method according to one embodiment.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 4, a nozzle cleaning method according to one embodiment may include a process of cleaning and lubricating the end of the printing nozzle (13) through a nozzle cleaning unit (11) during the process in which the control unit (14) of the 3D printer (1) according to the above-described embodiment stacks the output (16) through the printing nozzle (13).

[0058] A nozzle cleaning method according to one embodiment may include a step (21) in which a control unit (14) prints an output (16) on a platform (12) through a printing nozzle (13), a step (22) in which the control unit (14) checks whether the printing nozzle (13) is in a set cleaning condition, and a step (23) in which the printing nozzle (13) is moved to a nozzle cleaning unit (11) if it is in a set cleaning condition.

[0059] In the printing step (21), the control unit (14) can move the printing nozzle (13) on the platform (12) and perform the coating operation to stack the output (16).

[0060] In the step (22) of checking whether the cleaning conditions are met, the control unit (14) can check whether the pre-set cleaning conditions are met based on the printing progress of the output (16).

[0061] For example, the control unit (14) can perform the step (23) of moving the printing nozzle (13) to the nozzle cleaning unit (11) if it determines that the cleaning conditions are satisfied, and if not, it can continue printing.

[0062] For example, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether a pre-set work step has been reached to be performed at a specific point in the printing sequence for the output (16).

[0063] For example, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether it corresponds to the time when printing of the output (16) starts, during printing, and when printing is completed.

[0064] For example, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether a preset time has elapsed for cleaning the printing nozzle (13) at specific time intervals.

[0065] For example, the cleaning condition can be determined based on whether a preset amount of printing material has been applied based on the amount of printing material sprayed through the printing nozzle (13).

[0066] For example, the cleaning condition can be determined by whether the number of layers of the output (16) stacked through the printing nozzle (13) has been printed to a set number.

[0067] For example, it should be noted that cleaning conditions may be set differently depending on the size, shape, or type of material of the output (16), and various standards or conditions may be used to efficiently clean / lubricate the printing nozzle (13) periodically during the printing process.

[0068] The step (23) of moving the printing nozzle (13) to the nozzle cleaning unit (11) can be performed by the control unit (14) determining that the cleaning conditions of the printing nozzle (13) are satisfied, and then moving the printing nozzle (13) toward the nozzle cleaning unit (11) and moving it to pass through the nozzle cleaning unit (11).

[0069] For example, the control unit (14) can move the end of the printing nozzle (13) to pass through the cleaning unit (111) and the lubrication unit (112) of the nozzle cleaning unit (11) sequentially while interfering with them, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0070] Afterwards, the control unit (14) can perform the aforementioned printing step (21) again by returning the printing nozzle (13) toward the output (16).

[0071] For example, the step (23) of moving to the nozzle cleaning unit (11) may include the step of the control unit (14) driving the driving unit (113) to move the nozzle cleaning unit (11) to a position close to the printing nozzle (13) based on a position on a horizontal plane.

[0072] As another example, the control unit (14) can reduce the unnecessary movement distance of the printing nozzle (13) during the printing process by moving the position of the nozzle cleaning unit (11) in synchronization with the position of the printing nozzle (13) based on an arbitrary horizontal axis through the driving of the driving unit (113).

[0074] The embodiments described above may be implemented as hardware components, software components, and / or combinations of hardware and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing unit may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications executed on said operating system. Additionally, the processing unit may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing unit may be described as being used as a single unit, but those skilled in the art will understand that the processing unit may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing unit may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Additionally, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0075] Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure a processing unit to operate as desired or command the processing unit independently or collectively. Software and / or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device, or transmitted signal wave so as to be interpreted by the processing unit or to provide instructions or data to the processing unit. Software may be distributed over networked computer systems and may be stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0076] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., either alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be those specifically designed and configured for the embodiment, or they may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operation of the embodiment, and vice versa.

[0077] As described above, the embodiments have been explained with specific details such as specific components, limited embodiments, and drawings, but this is provided to aid in the overall understanding. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible from this description by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and all things equivalent to or having equivalent variations to the claims set forth below, as well as the claims themselves, shall be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A base; a platform installed on the base and on which an output to be printed is placed; a printing nozzle movable on the platform and spraying a printing material; and a nozzle cleaning unit installed on the base near the platform and cleaning the end of the printing nozzle as the printing nozzle passes through; wherein the nozzle cleaning unit comprises a cleaning section having a plurality of bristles protruding outwardly; A 3D printer comprising: a cleaning unit spaced apart from the above cleaning unit and a lubrication unit including a sponge or a flexible polymer member immersed in the lubricant, wherein the cleaning unit and the lubrication unit are spaced apart along the direction in which the printing nozzle passes through the nozzle cleaning unit, and the cleaning unit is positioned at a point where the printing nozzle passes before the lubrication unit based on the direction in which the printing nozzle passes through the nozzle cleaning unit, and during the printing process, the printing nozzle moves to the nozzle cleaning unit and passes through the cleaning unit and the lubrication unit sequentially while interfering with each other, and then returns toward the output to perform printing again. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle cleaning unit further comprises a driving unit that moves the cleaning part and the lubrication part relative to the base. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A nozzle cleaning method for a 3D printer equipped with a nozzle cleaning unit for cleaning a printing nozzle, comprising: a step of printing an output through the printing nozzle on a platform; a step of checking whether the printing nozzle is in a cleaning condition; and a step of moving the printing nozzle to the nozzle cleaning unit installed near the platform if the cleaning condition is met; wherein the nozzle cleaning unit comprises: a cleaning section having a brush having a plurality of bristles protruding outward; and a lubrication section spaced apart from the cleaning section along the direction in which the printing nozzle passes through the nozzle cleaning unit, and having a sponge or a flexible polymer member immersed in the lubricant to apply a lubricant to prevent a printing material from adhering to the printing nozzle; and wherein, in the step of moving the printing nozzle to the nozzle cleaning unit, the printing nozzle moves to the nozzle cleaning unit and passes through the cleaning section and the lubrication section while sequentially interfering with each other, and then returns toward the output to print again. Claim 8 A nozzle cleaning method according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the step of checking whether the cleaning condition is met, the cleaning condition is determined by whether a preset time point has been reached based on the printing sequence of the output. Claim 9 A nozzle cleaning method according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the step of checking whether the cleaning condition is met, the cleaning condition is determined by whether the number of layers of the output stacked through the printing nozzle has been printed by a set number. Claim 10 delete

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