Multi-consumable management method and cartridge management system

Abstract

The present application provides a multi-consumable management method and a cartridge management system. The method comprises: determining and displaying the number of cartridges, and detecting each cartridge; when a preset signal is detected, displaying first preset parameter information of corresponding consumables on the basis of the preset signal; and when no preset signal is detected, on the basis of a first user instruction, displaying second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables, or displaying the consumables of a corresponding trough as empty.

Description

Multi-consumables management method and material box management system

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410163189.X filed on February 5, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, and in particular to a multi-consumable material management method and a material box management system. Background Art

[0004] 3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing technology, is a technology that uses digital model files as the basis, uses adhesive materials, and constructs objects by printing layer by layer. 3D printing is usually achieved using a 3D printer. 3D printers, also known as three-dimensional printers or stereo printers, are a type of rapid prototyping process equipment. 3D printers are often used to manufacture models or parts in fields such as mold manufacturing and industrial design. A typical 3D printing technology is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which constructs objects by selectively depositing molten material on a printing plate layer by layer. The material used is a thermoplastic polymer.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a multi-consumables management method and a material box management system, the main purpose of which is to provide an automated consumables management method, optimize the interaction process for consumables information, and improve user experience.

[0007] In a first aspect, one or more embodiments of the present application provide a method for managing multiple consumables, including:

[0008] Determine and display the number of material boxes, and test each of the material boxes;

[0009] When a preset signal is detected, first preset parameter information of corresponding consumables is displayed respectively based on the preset signal;

[0010] When the preset signal is not detected, the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables is displayed based on the first user instruction, or the consumables in the corresponding trough are displayed as empty.

[0011] Furthermore, before the step of displaying the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables based on the first user instruction, the method further includes:

[0012] Determining whether there are consumables in the material box;

[0013] When it is determined that consumables are present in the material box, generating the first user instruction in response to second preset parameter information input by the user in any one or more ways of voice input, manual selection, or manual input;

[0014] When it is determined that there is no consumable material in the material box, the second preset parameter information in the first user instruction is set to empty.

[0015] Furthermore, the material box is provided with a plurality of material slots, the material box is provided with a plurality of material slots, a signal receiving component is provided within a preset range of the material slot, and the step of detecting each of the material boxes includes:

[0016] The signal receiving component is used to detect whether the consumables on the corresponding material trough have the preset signal.

[0017] Furthermore, a consumables sensor is provided in the material box, and the step of determining whether consumables are present in the material box includes:

[0018] The consumables sensor is used to detect whether there are consumables in the corresponding material trough.

[0019] Furthermore, the first preset parameter information includes one or more of a number, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable, and the step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable includes:

[0020] In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size;

[0021] Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic;

[0022] The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

[0023] Furthermore, the preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable, and the remaining amount of the consumable is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

[0024] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0025] Determine and display the number of racks;

[0026] Based on the second user instruction, the third preset parameter information of each of the material racks is displayed, or the material rack is displayed as empty.

[0027] Furthermore, the preset signal includes an RFID signal or an NFC signal.

[0028] In a second aspect, one or more embodiments of the present application provide a cartridge management system, the cartridge management system comprising:

[0029] Material box, display screen and:

[0030] a memory storing computer programs or instructions;

[0031] A processor, wherein when executing the computer program or the instructions, the processor implements the steps of a multi-consumables management method provided in the first aspect.

[0032] In a third aspect, one or more embodiments of the present application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed, implements the steps of a multi-consumables management method as provided in the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0034] FIG1 is a flowchart of a multi-consumables management method provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0035] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0036] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0037] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0038] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a printing system provided by one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0039] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by one or more embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

[0041] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "circumferential", "radial", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0042] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present application, at least one refers to one or more; a plurality refers to two or more. In the description of the present application, words such as "first", "second", and "third" are only used for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying order. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0044] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "mounted," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0045] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0046] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, the terms "including," "comprising," "having," and their variations in this specification all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0047] In 3D printers, a tray holder is often used to mount consumable trays. Users must constantly keep track of the materials placed on the tray holder. In various scenarios, such as model slicing, print initiation, and material changes, manual operations based on the material's characteristics are required. The large number of materials used in printing can make the printing process cumbersome and potentially lead to print failures due to insufficient consumables experience.

[0048] FIG1 is a flow chart of a multi-consumables management method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the multi-consumables management method includes:

[0049] The executor of the embodiment of the present application is a multi-consumables management system, in which the controller of the multi-consumables management system is electrically connected to the material box. The number of material boxes can be one or more. The controller and the material box can be connected through a USB port or a Type-C interface. The controller determines whether to connect the material box based on the signal at the interface. The specific determination can be made based on actual conditions, and the embodiment of the present application does not make any specific restrictions on this.

[0050] Generally, since the types of consumables that can be placed in a material box are limited, multiple material boxes are connected to increase the types of consumables. For example, if each material box can hold 4 colors of consumables, a multi-consumables management system can use 16 colors of consumables by connecting 2 material boxes. The more material boxes that are connected, the more colors that can be used.

[0051] S110, judging and displaying the number of material boxes, and inspecting each of the material boxes.

[0052] Each box is tested to see if a preset signal can be detected in the box. The following is an example of testing one of the boxes. The testing process for each box is the same.

[0053] Because printing consumables come from multiple manufacturers, and the materials and models of consumables from different manufacturers may vary, in order to determine whether the consumables in the cartridge meet the printing requirements of the target printer, it is necessary to detect a preset signal to see whether the preset signal can be detected on the consumables. The detection method of the preset signal can be determined based on actual conditions and is not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the preset signal detection is performed on each material box, which can be regarded as the detection of each consumable in the material box to see whether the preset signal can be detected on the consumable.

[0055] For example, in an embodiment of the present application, a related signal transmitting component can be set on the consumable material to transmit a preset signal. The signal transmitting component can be any component that can send an electrical signal, such as a Bluetooth sensor, NFC sensor, RFID sensor, etc. The specific component can be determined according to actual conditions, and the embodiment of the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0056] For example, the preset signal includes an RFID signal or an NFC signal. When the signal transmitting component is an RFID sensor, the preset signal is an RFID signal; when the signal transmitting component is an NFC sensor, the preset signal is an NFC signal.

[0057] It should be noted that the preset signal also includes relevant information about the consumables, such as consumable brand, consumable category, consumable name, consumable color, consumable diameter, consumable remaining quantity, consumable density, consumable length, printing temperature range, etc., which can be determined according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application. The value of the preset range can be determined according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

[0058] S120: When a preset signal is detected, first preset parameter information of corresponding consumables is displayed based on the preset signal.

[0059] When a preset signal is detected in the material box, it indicates that there must be consumables in the material box. The first preset parameter information contained in the preset signal is read and displayed. For example, when four types of consumables are placed in the material box, these four consumables correspond to different display areas when displayed; if there are no consumables in the first and second positions, and the first and second consumables are placed in the third and fourth positions respectively, if the preset signal is detected on both the first and second consumables, the relevant parameters of the consumables will be displayed in the corresponding positions of the first and second consumables.

[0060] It should be noted that the value of the first preset parameter information in the embodiment of the present application can be determined according to actual conditions, and the embodiment of the present application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0061] For example, the first preset parameter information may include the label, remaining amount, material and color of the consumables, the label of the consumables indicates the position of the consumables in the material box, and the remaining amount of the consumables indicates the remaining amount of the consumables.

[0062] S130: When the preset signal is not detected, display the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables based on the first user instruction, or display that the consumables at the corresponding positions are empty.

[0063] When the preset signal cannot be detected in the material box, there are two possibilities. One is that there are consumables in the material box but no signal sending component is set on the consumables, resulting in the inability to detect the preset signal; the other is that there are no consumables in the material box and the preset signal cannot be detected.

[0064] Therefore, before the step of displaying the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables based on the first user instruction, the method further includes:

[0065] Determining whether there are consumables in the material box;

[0066] When it is determined that consumables are present in the material box, generating the first user instruction in response to second preset parameter information input by the user in any one or more ways of voice input, manual selection, or manual input;

[0067] When it is determined that there is no consumable material in the material box, the second preset parameter information in the first user instruction is set to empty.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, it is first determined whether there are consumables in the material box. The determination method can be determined according to actual conditions, and the embodiment of the present application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0069] In some embodiments, the material box is provided with a material slot, and the material box is provided with multiple material slots. A signal receiving component is provided within a preset range of the material slot. The step of detecting each of the material boxes includes:

[0070] The signal receiving component is used to detect whether the consumables on the corresponding material trough have the preset signal.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the consumable material is a filament-like wound material, which is wound onto a tray. The tray is then mounted on a signal transmitting assembly. The tray is then positioned within a trough of a magazine. Different consumable materials are wound onto different trays, which are then placed into different troughs. A signal receiving assembly is positioned within a predetermined range of each trough to ensure that it can receive a predetermined signal from the corresponding tray.

[0072] For example, when the preset signal is an RFID signal, the signal receiving component is an RFID reading component; when the preset signal is an NFC signal, the signal receiving component is an NFC reading component.

[0073] It should be noted that the value of the preset range can be determined according to actual conditions, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0074] In some embodiments, a consumables sensor is provided in the material box, and the step of determining whether there are consumables in the material box includes:

[0075] The consumables sensor is used to detect whether there are consumables in the corresponding material trough.

[0076] In this embodiment of the present application, a consumables sensor is provided in the material box. When the user inserts the material tray into the material trough, the consumables sensor can detect a signal. For each material trough, if the consumables sensor detects a signal, it can be determined that consumables are present in this trough; if the consumables sensor does not detect a signal, it can be determined that no consumables are present in this trough.

[0077] After determining whether there are consumables in the material box, the following description continues: if it is determined that there are consumables in the material box but the preset signal cannot be detected, since the information of the consumables cannot be read through the preset signal, the user can directly enter the second preset parameter information of the consumables, and generate the first user instruction based on the input second preset parameter information. The input method of the second preset parameter information of the consumables can be voice input, manual selection from existing parameters, direct manual input, or a combination of several input methods. The specific method can be determined according to actual circumstances and is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0078] When it is determined that there is no consumable material in the material box, the user cannot input the corresponding information, and the second preset parameter information in the first user instruction is set to empty.

[0079] Therefore, when the preset signal is not detected, a judgment is made based on the first user instruction. If the first user instruction contains the second preset parameter information, the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable is displayed. If the first user instruction is empty, the consumable at the corresponding position is displayed as empty.

[0080] The embodiment of the present application proposes a method for managing multiple consumables. After determining the number of connected material boxes, each material box is tested. For a certain material box, if a preset signal is detected in the material box, it means that there must be consumables in the material box, and the first preset parameter information is displayed at the position corresponding to the consumable. When the preset signal is not detected, there may be no consumables in the material box, or there may be a chip on the consumable that cannot generate a preset signal. When there are consumables but no chip in the material box, the first user instruction is received as input, and the second preset parameter information of the consumable is extracted from the first user instruction. When there are no consumables in the material box, the corresponding position of the consumable is directly displayed as empty. The embodiment of the present application provides a method for managing multiple consumables, which can intuitively display the number of material boxes and related information about the consumables in the material box. The user can clearly see the usage of the consumables in the material box, optimize the interaction process based on consumables, and improve the user experience.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first preset parameter information includes one or more of a number, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable, and the step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable includes:

[0082] In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size;

[0083] Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic;

[0084] The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, the first preset parameter information includes the corresponding consumable number, remaining consumable quantity, material, and color. When displaying the first preset parameter information for the consumable, the corresponding display area is first found based on the consumable slot. The consumables in different slots have different corresponding display areas, and the remaining consumable quantity is displayed by the size of a preset image. For example, the remaining consumable quantity can be displayed using a circle graphic, and the larger the remaining consumable quantity, the larger the circle graphic area.

[0086] You can also use the color of the preset graphic to display the color of the filament. For example, if the filament is yellow, the circle image will also be yellow. You can also mark the abbreviation of the filament in the display area to show the material of the filament, such as PLA and PETG.

[0087] It should also be noted that the current printing consumables can also be displayed by the brightness of the preset graphics. If the current printing is using the first consumable, then the preset graphics in the display area corresponding to the first consumable are bright, while the preset graphics in other display areas are dark; it can also be distinguished by dynamic and static methods. For example, the preset graphics in the display area corresponding to the first consumable are dynamically rotating, while the preset images in other display areas are static. Users can know at a glance which consumables are currently being used.

[0088] For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the multi-consumables management system is connected to four material boxes, which are respectively identified by 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each material box has four material slots, which are respectively identified by ABCD. The long strips on the right represent material boxes 1, 2, 3, and 4 from top to bottom, respectively. The inverted triangle represents the consumable currently being printed. The symbols in the long strips represent the status of the consumables in each slot in the material box.

[0089] As shown in Figure 2, the material box displayed on the current page is the first material box, in which the two material slots AB are empty, and " / " is used to indicate empty. Therefore, the "..." below indicates that the material of the consumables cannot be known; there is consumable in the C material slot, but because the preset signal cannot be detected and the user has not edited the consumables in the C material slot, the consumables are in an intermediate state, displaying "?", and the pen-shaped icon below indicates that it is editable. After the user edits it, the C material slot can normally display the first preset parameter information of the consumables; there is consumable in the D material slot and the preset signal can be detected. The shaded part in the figure indicates the remaining consumables, PLA indicates the material, and the eye image indicates normal display. The more consumables there are, the larger the shaded part is, and the less consumables there are, the smaller the shaded part is.

[0090] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0091] Determine and display the number of racks;

[0092] The third preset parameter information of each of the racks is displayed based on the second user instruction.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, a material rack is also displayed. The consumables on the material rack are generally not provided with a signal transmitting component. Therefore, the preset signal cannot be detected under normal circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to manually input the third preset parameter information in the second user instruction. The manual input method can be voice input, manual selection, manual input, or a combination of several methods. The specific method can be determined according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment of the present application, the third preset parameter information in the second user instruction is manually input, and then the third preset parameter information in the second user instruction is read and displayed.

[0094] It should be noted that the first preset parameter information, the second preset parameter information, and the third preset parameter information are all related systems of consumables, and the parameters contained therein may be the same or different.

[0095] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the cartridge management system is connected to four cartridges and one rack. The current page displays the consumables in the four slots ABCD of the first cartridge. The consumables in the ABCD slots are the same as in Figure 2. Figure 3 also displays the third preset parameter information for the rack. Since the consumable information in the rack cannot be read but can be edited, it also shows an intermediate state.

[0096] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by another embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 is obtained after editing the consumable parameters of the material rack and C on the basis of Figure 3. The consumable information of the consumables in the C material trough is edited to generate a second user instruction, and then the second preset parameter information of the consumables in the C material trough is extracted based on the second user instruction, so that the remaining amount, color, material, etc. of the consumables in the C material trough can be displayed; the consumable information of the consumables in the material rack is edited to generate a third user instruction, and then the third preset parameter information of the consumables in the material rack is extracted based on the third user instruction, so that the remaining amount, color, material, etc. of the consumables in the material rack can be displayed.

[0097] Comparing the remaining consumables on the material rack, trough C, and trough D in Figure 4, it can be seen that the remaining consumables on the material rack are the largest, the remaining consumables on trough D are the second largest, and the remaining consumables on trough C are the smallest.

[0098] In some embodiments, the preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable, and the remaining amount of the consumable is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present application, the preset signal includes the initial amount of consumables. It is easy to understand that during the printing process, consumables are continuously consumed and the remaining consumables are constantly changing. The multi-consumables management system displays the real-time remaining consumables. Therefore, the initial amount is subtracted from the consumables consumption to obtain the real-time consumables amount.

[0100] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a printing system provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the printing system includes a material box, a loading and unloading device, a cutting assembly, and a print head of a printer. The loading and unloading device is installed at the front end of the material box. In the embodiment of the present application, the multi-consumables management method involves at least two different consumables, namely a first consumable and a second consumable. The first consumable and the second consumable can be located in a material box connected to the 3D printer or on an external material rack of the 3D printer. The specific details can be determined according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, the first consumable material is located in the third material trough, and the second consumable material is located in the fourth material trough. Different consumables in the material box enter the loaders and loaders according to different paths. The output pipes of the loaders and loaders are connected to the cutting assembly, and the output pipes of the cutting assembly are connected to the print head.

[0102] The material box is used to place consumables, and the first consumable and the second consumable are placed in different material slots of the material box respectively. Each consumable is connected to the loaders and loaders through different channels. For example, the first consumable is connected to the loaders and loaders through a first pipe, and the second consumable is connected to the loaders and loaders through a second pipe; a driving device is arranged inside the loaders and loaders. When feeding is required, the driving device provides a driving force in the feeding direction, thereby driving the corresponding consumables to be fed; when returning the material, the driving device provides a driving force in the returning direction, thereby driving the corresponding consumables to be returned.

[0103] Taking the first consumable as an example, when the first consumable needs to be transported along the feed path, the first consumable is extruded along the first pipe onto the feed pipe, so that the first consumable is transported along the feed path; the end of the feed pipe is connected to the cutting component, and the first consumable is transported to the print head after passing through the cutting component, and the print head extrude the first consumable to print the product.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, sensors are provided at the entrance of the cutting component, the position of the cutter and the print head. The sensors detect whether there are consumables at the corresponding positions, so that the feeding process or the returning process of the consumables can be known. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the printing progress can also be displayed by displaying the position of the consumables; and, in the embodiment of the present application, two photoelectric detection sensors are also provided, through which it can be determined whether the printer is feeding or returning materials.

[0105] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a multi-consumables display provided by another embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the first consumable corresponds to the third hopper, corresponding to display area C in the figure, and the second consumable is placed in the fourth hopper, corresponding to display area D in the figure. The figure uses a roller graphic to represent the consumables, and the size of the shading indicates the remaining consumables. The meanings of the other icons are the same as above. The figure also includes a feed button and a return button. When the printer is in the feed state, the feed button is illuminated, and the return button is not illuminated; when the printer is in the return state, the feed button is not illuminated, and the return button is illuminated.

[0106] It is worth noting that Figure 6 also shows the printing progress, which is represented by three arrows. The first arrow indicates that the consumables have arrived at the entrance of the cutting component, the second arrow indicates that the consumables have arrived at the cutter of the cutting component, and the third arrow indicates that the consumables have arrived at the print head. The box below indicates that the consumables have arrived at the nozzle. When the consumables reach a certain position, the corresponding icon will light up to show the consumable printing progress.

[0107] The printer starts printing after receiving the printing model GCODE. During the printing process, when material change is required, a material change instruction is sent to the material box. When the material box receives the material change instruction, the controllers in the printer control the print head to stop printing.

[0108] In addition, the printer also controls the print head to move to a preset wiping position, preparing to perform a wiping operation on the print head. The purpose of the wiping operation is to wipe the nozzle of the print head to prevent consumables of different colors or different materials from mixing together and causing contamination. The preset wiping position can be determined based on actual conditions, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0109] The first consumable is transferred to the cutting position along the return path, and is cut into the first part and the second part at the cutting position. In this case, the roller icon corresponding to C lights up, the second arrow below lights up, and the return button lights up. In the actual implementation process, the extruder returns the first consumable from the extruder and causes the returned first consumable to be transferred along the return path. After the first consumable is transferred to the cutting position, it is detected by the sensor installed at the cutting position, thereby cutting the first consumable into two sections. The first part of the first consumable continues to return to the preset return position along the return path, and the second part is discarded along the waste path. In the embodiment of the present application, an additional waste path is also connected to the cutting position, which is specifically used to discard waste.

[0110] The second filament is then transferred to the print head's extruder along the feed path. The roller icon corresponding to C dims, the second arrow in area C dims, the roller icon corresponding to D brightens, and the third arrow in area D illuminates. The transfer process is identical to the transfer process for the first filament described above; please refer to the preceding process for details. In actual implementation, the loaders and unloaders squeeze the second filament onto the second pipe, where it travels through the second pipe to the cutting assembly, then to the feed pipe, ultimately delivering it to the print head.

[0111] The printer also controls the nozzle of the print head to perform a wiping operation at a preset wiping position. In an embodiment of the present application, the preset wiping operation may be performed for a predetermined period of time, through which the nozzle of the print head can be wiped clean; after the predetermined time is completed, the extruder in the print head extrude the second consumable material to print the product. In this case, the third arrow in area D becomes dark, and the box icon below lights up.

[0112] As an embodiment, the second consumable material is transported to the print head according to the feed path, and the print head is controlled to perform the erasing operation at a preset erasing position. The steps include:

[0113] determining whether a second consumable is detected at the print head;

[0114] If the second consumable is detected at the print head, the print head is controlled to perform a material erasing operation at a preset material erasing position;

[0115] If the second consumable is not detected at the print head, the second material tray is controlled to rotate in a preset feeding direction, and the second consumable continues to be transported until the second consumable is detected at the print head.

[0116] During the process of the second consumable being transferred to the print head along the feed path, if the sensor at the print head detects the second consumable, it means that the second consumable has been transferred to the print head. At this time, the nozzle of the print head will perform a wiping operation to prevent the first consumable remaining in the nozzle from contaminating the new material.

[0117] If the sensor at the print head does not detect the second consumable, it means that the second consumable has not reached the print head and the second consumable needs to be further transported. The driving force in the feeding direction is provided by the driving device of the loaders and cutters and the cutting assembly to drive the second material tray to rotate in the preset feeding direction, so that the second consumable continues to be transported until the second consumable is detected at the print head.

[0118] It should be noted that the sensor is generally installed at the extruder of the print head.

[0119] As an embodiment, the steps of controlling the print head to perform the erasing operation at a preset erasing position include:

[0120] After the second consumable is controlled to continue feeding a preset length, the remaining material of the first consumable in the throat of the print head is squeezed out, and at the same time the second consumable is controlled to be in a pre-printing state, and the print head is controlled to perform a material erasing operation at a preset material erasing position;

[0121] The preset length does not exceed the length of the pipe.

[0122] In an embodiment of the present application, when the nozzle of the print head is wiped, the second consumable is located at the extruder. The second consumable is first fed toward the nozzle. After feeding a preset length, since the preset length does not exceed the throat length of the printer, the second consumable can squeeze the first consumable remaining in the throat out of the nozzle, and the second consumable is in a pre-printing state. Then, the nozzle is controlled to perform the wiping operation to wipe the first consumable remaining at the nozzle clean to avoid cross-contamination of the second consumable.

[0123] It should be noted that the pre-printing state is: based on the type of consumables, the nozzle temperature and extrusion pressure are set within the adaptive parameter range.

[0124] The present application provides a material box management system, including a material box, a display screen, and:

[0125] a memory storing computer programs or instructions;

[0126] A processor, wherein when executing the computer program or the instructions, the processor implements the steps of the above-mentioned multi-consumables management method.

[0127] The memory may include a random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory (Non-Volatile Memory), such as at least one disk storage. Alternatively, the memory may be at least one storage device located away from the processor.

[0128] The above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, and discrete hardware components.

[0129] This embodiment is a system embodiment corresponding to the above method, and its specific implementation process is the same as that of the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the above method embodiment, and this product embodiment will not go into details.

[0130] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed, the steps of the above-mentioned multi-consumables management method are implemented.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, devices, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0132] The present application embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart and / or block diagram of the method, terminal equipment (device), and computer program product according to the embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of the process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor or other programmable data processing terminal device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device produce a device for implementing the function specified in one process or multiple processes in the flowchart and / or one box or multiple boxes in the block diagram.

[0133] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a manufactured product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0134] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable terminal device to produce computer-implemented processing, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable terminal device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0135] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they become aware of the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0136] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application may include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), Rambus direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM), etc.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0138] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-consumables management method, characterized in that: include: Determine and display the number of material boxes, and test each of the material boxes; When a preset signal is detected, first preset parameter information of corresponding consumables is displayed respectively based on the preset signal; When the preset signal is not detected, the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables is displayed based on the first user instruction, or the consumables in the corresponding trough are displayed as empty.

2. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 1, wherein: Before the step of displaying the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables based on the first user instruction, the method further includes: Determining whether there are consumables in the material box; When it is determined that consumables are present in the material box, generating the first user instruction in response to second preset parameter information input by the user in any one or more ways of voice input, manual selection, or manual input; When it is determined that there is no consumable material in the material box, the second preset parameter information in the first user instruction is set to empty.

3. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 2, wherein: The material box is provided with a plurality of material slots, and a signal receiving component is provided within a preset range of the material slots. The step of detecting each of the material boxes includes: The signal receiving component is used to detect whether the consumables on the corresponding material trough have the preset signal.

4. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 3, wherein: The material box is further provided with a consumables sensor, and the step of determining whether there are consumables in the material box includes: The consumables sensor is used to detect whether there are consumables in the corresponding material trough.

5. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 1, wherein: The first preset parameter information includes one or more of a number, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable. The step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable includes: In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size; Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic; The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

6. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 3, wherein: The first preset parameter information includes one or more of a number, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable. The step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable includes: In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size; Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic; The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

7. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 5, wherein: The preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable material, and the remaining amount of the consumable material is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

8. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 6, wherein: The preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable material, and the remaining amount of the consumable material is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

9. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: Determine and display the number of racks; The third preset parameter information of each of the racks is displayed based on the second user instruction.

10. The multi-consumables management method according to claim 1, wherein: The preset signal includes an RFID signal or an NFC signal.

11. A material box management system, characterized in that: Includes material box, display screen and: a memory storing computer programs or instructions; A processor, which, when executing the computer program or the instructions, performs: Determine and display the number of material boxes, and test each of the material boxes; When a preset signal is detected, first preset parameter information of corresponding consumables is displayed respectively based on the preset signal; When the preset signal is not detected, the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables is displayed based on the first user instruction, or the consumables in the corresponding trough are displayed as empty.

12. The material box management system according to claim 11, characterized in that: Before executing the step of displaying the second preset parameter information of the corresponding consumables based on the first user instruction, the processor further executes: Determining whether there are consumables in the material box; When it is determined that consumables are present in the material box, generating the first user instruction in response to second preset parameter information input by the user in any one or more ways of voice input, manual selection, or manual input; When it is determined that there is no consumable material in the material box, the second preset parameter information in the first user instruction is set to empty.

13. The material box management system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The material box is provided with a plurality of material slots, and a signal receiving component is provided within a preset range of the material slots. The processor performs the step of detecting each of the material boxes, including: The signal receiving component is used to detect whether the consumables on the corresponding material trough have the preset signal.

14. The material box management system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The material box is further provided with a consumables sensor, and the processor performs the step of determining whether there are consumables in the material box, including: The consumables sensor is used to detect whether there are consumables in the corresponding material trough.

15. The material box management system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The first preset parameter information includes one or more of a label, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable. The processor, when executing the step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable, includes: In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size; Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic; The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

16. The material box management system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first preset parameter information includes one or more of a label, a remaining amount, a material, and a color of a corresponding consumable. The processor, when executing the step of displaying the first preset parameter information of the corresponding consumable, includes: In the display area corresponding to the consumables, the remaining amount of the consumables is displayed by a preset graphic size; Display the color of the consumable material by the color of the preset graphic; The material of the consumable is displayed by the material abbreviation.

17. The material box management system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable material, and the remaining amount of the consumable material is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

18. The material box management system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The preset signal includes an initial amount of the corresponding consumable material, and the remaining amount of the consumable material is calculated based on the initial amount and the consumption amount.

19. The material box management system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The processor also performs: Determine and display the number of racks; The third preset parameter information of each of the racks is displayed based on the second user instruction.

20. The material box management system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The preset signal includes an RFID signal or an NFC signal.

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