Hub, consumable storage device and 3D printer

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a hub, a consumable storage device and a 3D printer. The hub comprises a shell, wherein the shell is provided with at least two inlet ports, at least two feeding channels, a main channel and an outlet port, each inlet port being in corresponding communication with one feeding channel, and the main channel being in communication with all the feeding channels and the outlet port; a driving assembly which is arranged on the shell and comprises a feeding driving wheel and a feeding driven wheel arranged opposite the feeding driving wheel, a gap for consumable conveying being provided between the feeding driving wheel and the feeding driven wheel; and a first consumable detection assembly which is configured to acquire consumable conveying information by means of detecting rotation information of the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

Description

Hub, consumables storage device and 3D printer

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410163036.5 filed on February 5, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of 3D printing technology, and specifically relates to a hub, a consumable storage device and a 3D printer. Background Art

[0004] FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) is currently the most widely used 3D printing technology. 3D printers using FDM technology use linear consumables, which are melted and then deposited on a work platform to form the product. While 3D printers have a broad space for development and promotion, they also face many difficulties and challenges, especially in terms of color printing, printing efficiency and material utilization, which require more in-depth research and exploration.

[0005] The consumables used in current 3D printing equipment are generally wound on a roller-shaped material tray. Multiple material trays are arranged and placed in the same consumable box for printing. The consumables wound on each material tray correspond to a printing tool head. When the printing color or printing material needs to be changed, manual replacement operation is required.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application provides a hub, a consumables storage device and a 3D printer to solve the problem of how to effectively monitor the delivery information of the current consumables while meeting the needs of different consumables replacement.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a hub, comprising:

[0009] A shell, wherein the shell is provided with at least two feed ports, at least two feed channels, a main channel and a discharge port, each of the feed ports is connected to a corresponding feed channel, and the main channel is connected to all the feed channels and the discharge port;

[0010] A drive assembly is provided on the housing, the drive assembly comprising a feeding drive wheel and a feeding driven wheel arranged opposite to the feeding drive wheel, a gap for consumables transmission is provided between the feeding drive wheel and the feeding driven wheel, so as to convey the consumables in the main channel;

[0011] A first consumable material detection component is provided on the shell, and the first consumable material detection component is configured to obtain consumable material conveying information by detecting the rotation information of the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present application, the drive assembly further includes a drive member, a transmission gear meshing with the output gear of the drive member, and a first transmission rod, wherein the transmission gear is connected to the feeding active wheel via the first transmission rod;

[0013] The outer tooth profiles of the feeding active wheel and the feeding driven wheel are both recessed inward to form the gap. When the consumables are transported along the first direction through the gap, the consumables abut against the outer tooth profile of the feeding driven wheel to drive the feeding driven wheel to rotate synchronously.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present application, the rotation information includes the number of rotations and the rotation duration of the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel; and / or,

[0015] The consumable material conveying information includes any one or more types of consumable material conveying information of the amount of consumable material conveyed, the consumable material conveying direction, and the remaining amount of consumable material.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present application, the first consumable material detection component includes a photoelectric encoder that is transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel, and the photoelectric encoder is provided with a plurality of grating through holes along the circumferential direction;

[0017] A first photoelectric emitter and a first photoelectric receiver are correspondingly arranged on both sides of the photoelectric code disk. When the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel rotates, the photoelectric code disk is driven to rotate synchronously, so as to receive the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric emitter through the first photoelectric receiver, and obtain the current consumption of consumables based on the pulse signal converted from the light signal.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present application, the drive assembly also includes a second transmission rod, and the photoelectric encoder and the feed driven wheel are connected via the second transmission rod. The second transmission rod is provided with a protrusion with a rectangular axial cross-section at one end close to the photoelectric encoder, and a connecting groove for the protrusion to pass through is provided at the position of the photoelectric encoder corresponding to the protrusion.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present application, the first consumable material detection assembly includes a magnetic member and a Hall sensor, and the magnetic member is configured to rotate synchronously with the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel;

[0020] The Hall sensor is used to output a corresponding pulse signal according to the intensity of the change in the magnetic field of the magnetic component, and to determine the current consumable material consumption that has been delivered according to the pulse signal.

[0021] As a further improvement of the present application, a second consumables detection assembly for detecting the incoming consumables is provided on the main channel, the second consumables detection assembly comprising a detection plate mounted above the main channel, and a detection push rod passing through the detection plate and capable of moving along a second direction on the detection plate, the first end of the detection push rod passing through the detection plate and then being disposed in the main channel, and a photoelectric sensing mechanism is provided on the detection plate at a position corresponding to the second end of the detection push rod;

[0022] When the consumables enter the main channel along the first direction, the detection push rod is pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate so that the second end of the detection push rod blocks the photoelectric sensing mechanism; wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0023] As a further improvement of the present application, the photoelectric sensing mechanism includes a second photoelectric emitter and a second photoelectric receiver, two sensing plates are provided on a side of the detection plate away from the main channel, and the second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver are arranged opposite to each other on the two sensing plates;

[0024] When the consumables in the feeding channel enter the main channel along the first direction, the detection push rod is pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate, so that the second end of the detection push rod enters the sensing area formed between the two sensing plates, blocking the light between the second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver.

[0025] As a further improvement of the present application, the hub further includes a stripping assembly for adjusting the gap;

[0026] The material return assembly includes an adjusting member clamped at both ends of the feed driven wheel, the other end of the adjusting member is arranged close to the discharge port, and a second transmission rod is provided on the adjusting member. The feed driven wheel is rotatably mounted on the adjusting member through the second transmission rod, so that the gap between the feed active wheel and the feed driven wheel can be increased or decreased by pressing one end of the adjusting member close to the discharge port.

[0027] As a further improvement of the present application, an elastic member is provided between the shell and the adjusting member, one end of the elastic member abuts against the outer wall of the shell, and the other end of the elastic member passes through the adjusting member and extends in a direction away from the shell. The gap formed between the feeding active wheel and the feeding driven wheel is maintained by the elastic member, and when the adjusting member is pressed, the adjusting member moves in a direction away from or close to the shell under the guidance of the elastic member.

[0028] As a further improvement of the present application, a plurality of the feed channels are combined into one feed channel in pairs and then connected to the main channel.

[0029] The present application also provides a consumable storage device, comprising any of the hubs described above.

[0030] The present application also provides a 3D printer, comprising any one of the hubs described above, or the consumables storage device described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0032] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0033] FIG2 is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0034] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a first consumables detection component in a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0035] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a second consumables detection component in a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0036] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drive component in a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0037] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a second transmission rod in a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0038] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a housing in a hub provided by one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0039] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 10-housing; 11-feeding port; 12-discharging port; 13-feeding channel; 14-main channel; 20-driving assembly; 21-feeding driving wheel; 211-first transmission rod; 22-feeding driven wheel; 221-second transmission rod; 23-driving member; 231-output gear; 24-transmission gear; 30-first consumable material detection assembly; 31-photoelectric code disk; 311-connecting groove; 32-grating through hole; 40-second consumable material detection assembly; 41-detection plate; 42-detection push rod; 43-photoelectric sensing mechanism; 44-sensing plate; 50-material return assembly; 51-adjusting member; 52-elastic member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, this application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0041] In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement of the components under a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0042] To provide a more detailed and complete description of the present disclosure, the following provides illustrative descriptions of the embodiments and examples of the present application; however, these descriptions are not intended to be the only ways to implement or use the embodiments of the present application. The embodiments cover features of various embodiments, as well as the method steps and sequences for constructing and operating these embodiments. However, other embodiments may also be used to achieve the same or equivalent functionality and step sequences.

[0043] Conventional 3D printing equipment suffers from cumbersome procedures and troublesome replacements. It also lacks real-time monitoring of consumable usage, making it prone to material shortages and breakages, resulting in suboptimal printing results. Therefore, effectively monitoring the current consumable delivery information while meeting the needs of varying consumable replacements remains a pressing issue.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1-7 , in order to solve the problem of how to effectively monitor the delivery information of current consumables while meeting the needs of different consumable replacements in the prior art, the present invention provides a hub, a consumable storage device, and a 3D printer. Referring to Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hub provided in the present invention, the hub includes a housing 10 , a drive assembly 20 , and a first consumable detection assembly 30 , thereby collecting multiple consumables from a feed port 11 provided on the housing 10 to meet the needs of replacing different consumables or consumables of different colors for 3D printing.

[0045] As an optional embodiment, the shell 10 provided in the present application is provided with at least two feed ports 11, at least two feed channels 13, a main channel 14 and a discharge port 12. Each feed port 11 is connected to a corresponding feed channel 13, and several feed channels 13 are converged into the main channel 14 and connected to the discharge port 12. The consumables wound on different material trays are passed from the feed port 11 into the corresponding feed channel 13 in the hub, so that the consumables set in at least one feed channel 13 can be discharged from the discharge port 12 of the shell 10 according to the 3D printing requirements.

[0046] Further, please refer to Figure 3, which is a structural schematic diagram of the first consumable material detection component 30 in the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. The driving component 20 provided in the present application is arranged on the shell 10, specifically including a feeding active wheel 21 and a feeding driven wheel 22 arranged opposite to the feeding active wheel 21. A gap for consumable material transmission is provided between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22, so that the consumable material in the main channel 14 passes through the gap along the first direction and is output from the set discharge port 12.

[0047] Compared with the related art, the hub, consumable storage device and 3D printer provided in the embodiment of the present application are provided with at least two feed ports 11 to connect different consumables, and one discharge port 12, so that several consumables entering the hub enter the corresponding feed channels 13. Since several feed channels 13 are eventually connected to the discharge port 12 through the main channel 14, the consumables in the required feed channels 13 can be discharged through the discharge port 12 along the first direction with the cooperation of the feed and discharge equipment according to the printing requirements. When the consumable needs to be replaced, the current consumable is discharged in cooperation with other feed and discharge equipment to enter the corresponding feed channel 13, and the consumable to be replaced is fed and discharged from the discharge port 12 along the first direction to meet the material replacement requirements of 3D printing; a first consumable detection component 30 is provided to effectively monitor the consumable conveying information of the current consumable to avoid material shortage and interruption, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the consumable conveying of the hub, and effectively ensuring the 3D printing efficiency and printing quality.

[0048] It should be known that the gap between the above-mentioned feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 is set on the main channel 14. The consumables wound on different material trays enter the corresponding feeding channel 13 in the hub from the feed port 11. According to the printing requirements, the consumables in the main channel 14 are discharged from the discharge port 12 after passing through the gap to cooperate with subsequent 3D printing operations.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present application, each feed port 11 is connected to a corresponding feed channel 13, and the feed channels 13 are combined into a single feed channel 13 and then connected to the discharge port 12 through a main channel 14. When the number of discharge ports 12 is configured as one, the number of main channels 14 is equal to the number of discharge ports 12 and is therefore also configured as one. The feed channels 13 formed between the multiple feed ports 11 are combined into a single feed channel 13 and then connected to the main channel 14.

[0050] Please continue to refer to Figure 1. It can be observed that the two-by-two convergence adopted in this application can be the convergence of two adjacent feed channels 13, or the two axially symmetrical feed channels 13 can be first converged, and then successively converged to the main channel 14 set at the axial symmetry line and then connected to the discharge port 12. Of course, the above-provided convergence methods are all feasible. As long as it is possible to achieve the convergence of several feed channels 13 to the main channels 14 equal in number to the discharge ports 12, any method selected is feasible, and this application does not impose further restrictions on this.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a structural diagram of the drive assembly 20 in the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. The drive assembly 20 provided in the present application also includes a drive member 23 and a transmission gear 24 meshing with the output gear 231 of the drive member 23. It can be observed that the transmission gear 24 and the feeding active wheel 21 are connected by a first transmission rod 211, so that the rotation of the drive member 23 further drives the output gear 231 and the transmission gear 24 to rotate, and the transmission gear 24 and the feeding active wheel 21 are connected by the first transmission rod 211. Therefore, the present application drives the feeding active wheel 21 to rotate through the drive member 23, so that the consumables squeezed between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 are discharged.

[0052] It should be noted that the above-mentioned driving member 23 can be set to the form of common driving members 23 such as a driving motor, a servo motor, etc. As long as it can drive the output gear 231 to rotate and further drive the transmission gear 24, the first transmission rod 211, and the feeding active wheel 21 to rotate, any form of the selected driving member 23 is feasible, and this application does not impose further restrictions on this.

[0053] Further, please continue to refer to Figure 3. The outer tooth profiles of the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 provided in this application are both recessed inward, thereby forming a gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22. When the consumable enters the gap, it will be squeezed by the outer tooth profiles of the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22. Therefore, when the consumable is led out through the gap in the first direction, the consumable abuts against the outer tooth profile of the feeding driven wheel 22, and the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 jointly press the consumable into the gap. At this time, when the feeding active wheel 21 drives the consumable to be led out in the first direction, the consumable will drive the feeding driven wheel 22 to rotate synchronously, leading the consumable in the first direction, and can also cooperate with the subsequent monitoring of the rotation information of the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22, thereby obtaining the consumable conveying information by detecting the rotation information of the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22.

[0054] As an optional embodiment, please refer to Figure 2, which is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. The present application also provides a first consumable material detection component 30 on the shell 10. The first consumable material detection component 30 is configured to obtain consumable material conveying information by detecting the rotation information of the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned rotation information may include the number of rotations and the rotation duration of the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22, and / or the above-mentioned consumable conveying information may include any one or more consumable conveying information including the amount of consumables conveyed, the direction of consumable conveying and the remaining consumables.

[0056] In a specific embodiment provided in the present application, please continue to refer to Figure 3. The first consumable material detection component 30 provided in the present application includes a photoelectric code disk 31 that is transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22. When it is necessary to detect the number of rotations of the feeding driving wheel 21, the photoelectric code disk 31 can be transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel 21. When it is necessary to detect the number of rotations of the feeding driven wheel 22, the photoelectric code disk 31 can be transmission-connected to the feeding driven wheel 22. Since the feeding driven wheel 22 can achieve synchronous rotation with the feeding driving wheel 21 under the drive of the consumable material, whether the photoelectric code disk 31 is transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel 21 or the photoelectric code disk 31 is transmission-connected to the feeding driven wheel 22, it is feasible to detect the corresponding gear rotation information, and the required consumable material conveying information can be obtained. Therefore, the present application does not further restrict the specific setting position of the photoelectric code disk 31.

[0057] Preferably, it can be observed that the photoelectric code disk 31 is provided with a plurality of grating through holes 32 along the circumferential direction. In the present application, the plurality of grating through holes 32 are evenly arranged on the circumference of the photoelectric code disk 31, and a first photoelectric emitter and a first photoelectric receiver are correspondingly provided on both sides of the photoelectric code disk 31. When the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22 drives the photoelectric code disk 31 to rotate synchronously, since the photoelectric code disk 31 is provided between the first photoelectric emitter and the first photoelectric receiver, the photoelectric code disk 31 rotates to a position where no grating through holes 32 are provided. It will block the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric emitter. When the grating through holes 32 provided on the photoelectric code disk 31 are rotated just to between the first photoelectric emitter and the first photoelectric receiver, it will not block the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric emitter. The light signal emitted by the first photoelectric transmitter is blocked, and the first photoelectric receiver can receive the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric transmitter at this time. The light signal emitted by the first photoelectric transmitter is received back and forth by the first photoelectric receiver in turn, and the light signal is converted into a pulse signal and sent to the main controller (not shown in the figure) for signal processing, so as to calculate the current consumables delivered consumption according to the pulse signal, or calculate the current consumables delivered consumption within a certain rotation time, and obtain the remaining consumables according to the delivered consumption of the consumables, so as to add new consumables in time; as for how the main controller calculates the current consumables consumption according to the pulse signal, it is an existing technology widely used in the field of photoelectric encoders, so this application will not elaborate on it.

[0058] Further, please refer to Figure 6, which is a structural schematic diagram of the second transmission rod 221 in the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. In a specific embodiment provided in the present application, the photoelectric code disk 31 is preferably coaxially connected to the feeding driven wheel 22 through the second transmission rod 221, and the current consumable consumption is calculated by monitoring the forward and reverse rotation number of the feeding driven wheel 22. It can be observed that the second transmission rod 221 is provided with a protrusion with a rectangular axial cross-section at one end close to the photoelectric code disk 31, and a connecting groove 311 for the above-mentioned protrusion to pass through is provided at the center position of the photoelectric code disk 31 corresponding to the protrusion. By connecting one end of the second transmission rod 221 to the feeding driven wheel 22, the end protrusion of the other end of the second transmission rod 221 passes through the connecting groove 311, thereby realizing that the feeding driven wheel 22 rotates while driving the photoelectric code disk 31 to rotate synchronously, thereby realizing the monitoring of the forward and reverse rotation number of the feeding driven wheel 22, so as to further obtain the current consumable consumption.

[0059] In another specific embodiment provided in the present application, the above-mentioned first consumable material detection component 30 may also include a magnetic part and a Hall sensor, wherein the magnetic part is configured to rotate synchronously with the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22, and the Hall sensor outputs a corresponding pulse signal according to the intensity change of the magnetic field of the magnetic part, and sends the pulse signal to the main controller for signal processing, so as to calculate the current consumable material delivery consumption based on the pulse signal.

[0060] Specifically, the magnetic part can be set in the form of a permanent magnet, and the magnetic part can be installed on the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22 as needed. Since the feeding driven wheel 22 can achieve synchronous rotation with the feeding active wheel 21 under the drive of the consumables, the required consumables conveying information can be obtained regardless of whether the magnetic part is set on the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22. Therefore, this application does not impose further restrictions on the specific setting position of the magnetic part.

[0061] Furthermore, it is necessary to fix the Hall sensor at a position close to the magnetic part. When the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22 rotates, the magnetic part set thereon will also rotate synchronously. At this time, the magnetic part will continuously pass through the Hall sensor. Due to the existence of the Hall effect, whenever the S pole (south pole) or N pole (north pole) of the magnetic part passes through the Hall sensor, the Hall sensor will generate corresponding electrical signal changes according to the intensity of the magnetic field change of the magnetic part, thereby generating a Hall voltage.

[0062] These changing electrical signals will be converted into digital pulse signals by the Hall sensor. Each pulse signal represents a certain gear angle or rotation stroke, and these digital pulse signals are transmitted to the main controller for signal processing. After receiving these pulse signals, the main controller will calculate how many times the gear rotates per second based on preset parameters such as the gear radius of the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22, and thus convert it into the rotation speed of the gear, or calculate the amount of consumables delivered per second. Similarly, by accumulating the number of these pulse signals and multiplying it by the delivery length of the consumables corresponding to each pulse, the current consumables delivered consumption can be calculated in real time, and the consumables remaining can be obtained based on the delivered consumables consumption so as to add new consumables in time; as for how the main controller calculates the current consumables consumption based on the pulse signal, it is an existing technology widely used by Hall sensors in the field of mileage calculation, so this application will not go into details here.

[0063] It should be noted that the above-mentioned configuration of the first consumable material detection component 30 as a photoelectric code disk 31, a first photoelectric transmitter, a first photoelectric receiver, or as a magnetic part and a Hall sensor is feasible, and can be directly or indirectly connected to the feeding active wheel 21 or the feeding driven wheel 22 to achieve the purpose of detecting the corresponding gear rotation information, thereby obtaining the required consumable material information based on the rotation information. Therefore, this application does not impose further restrictions on the specific setting form and setting position of the first consumable material detection component 30.

[0064] As an optional embodiment, please refer to Figure 4, which is a structural schematic diagram of the second consumable detection component 40 in the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. It can be observed that a second consumable detection component 40 for detecting the incoming consumable material status is also provided on the main channel 14. The second consumable detection component 40 includes a detection plate 41 mounted above the main channel 14, and a detection push rod 42 is provided through the detection plate 41. It can be observed that the detection push rod 42 not only passes through the detection plate 41, but can also move along the second direction on the detection plate 41; in the embodiment of the present application, the extension direction of the main channel 14 is the first direction, and the moving direction of the detection push rod 42 is the second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction satisfy a mutually perpendicular positional relationship.

[0065] Furthermore, the first end of the above-mentioned detection push rod 42 passes through the detection plate 41 and is arranged in the main channel 14. The second end of the detection push rod 42 passes through the detection plate 41 and extends in a direction away from the main channel 14. A photoelectric sensing mechanism 43 is provided at the position of the detection plate 41 corresponding to the second end of the detection push rod 42. When the consumables enter the main channel 14 along the first direction, the detection push rod 42 will be pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate 41, so that the second end of the detection push rod 42 blocks the photoelectric sensing mechanism 43, thereby monitoring whether there is consumables transmission in the current main channel 14.

[0066] It should be noted that the position of the first end of the detection push rod 42 needs to be adaptively adjusted so that when consumables pass by, it will squeeze or push the detection push rod 42 to move along the second direction on the detection plate 41, and further enable the second end of the detection push rod 42 to block the photoelectric sensing mechanism 43. If the position of the first end of the detection push rod 42 is too close to or far away from the main channel 14, the transportation of the consumables will be blocked, or when the consumables pass by, the detection push rod 42 cannot be squeezed or pushed because it is too far away from the first end of the detection push rod 42. Therefore, in actual applications, the position of the first end of the detection push rod 42 needs to be adaptively adjusted, and technical personnel in this field should be aware of this.

[0067] In a specific embodiment provided in the present application, please continue to refer to Figure 4. The photoelectric sensing mechanism 43 includes a second photoelectric emitter and a second photoelectric receiver, and two sensing plates 44 are correspondingly arranged on the side of the detection plate 41 away from the main channel 14. The present application arranges the above-mentioned second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver relatively on the above-mentioned two sensing plates 44, so as to effectively monitor the position of the second end of the detection push rod 42.

[0068] Specifically, when the consumables in the feeding channel 13 enter the main channel 14 along the first direction, the detection push rod 42 will be pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate 41, so that the second end of the detection push rod 42 enters the sensing area formed between the two sensing plates 44, blocking the light between the second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver. When no consumables enter the main channel 14, the second end of the detection push rod 42 will not block the light between the second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver, thereby realizing the judgment of whether the light emitted by the second photoelectric emitter is received by the second photoelectric receiver, so as to judge whether there is consumables to be transported in the current main channel 14.

[0069] Of course, the above-mentioned photoelectric sensing mechanism 43 can also be set as a sensor form such as a through-beam laser sensor, a diffuse reflection photoelectric sensor, etc. As long as it can be set between the two sensing plates 44 and identify whether the two sensing plates 44 are blocked by the second end of the detection push rod 42, any form of photoelectric sensing mechanism 43 selected is feasible, and this application does not impose further restrictions on this.

[0070] As an optional embodiment, please refer to Figure 7, which is a structural schematic diagram of the shell 10 in the hub provided in an embodiment of the present application. The present application also provides a material return assembly 50 in the hub for adjusting the gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22. It can be observed that the material return assembly 50 includes an adjusting member 51 that is clamped at both ends of the feeding driven wheel 22, and the other end of the adjusting member 51 is arranged near the discharge port 12.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 3. It can be observed that a second transmission rod 221 is provided on the adjusting member 51, so that the feeding driven wheel 22 is rotatably mounted on the adjusting member 51 through the second transmission rod 221. At the same time, the other end of the second transmission rod 221 is connected to the photoelectric code disk 31 for transmission, so that when the feeding driven wheel 22 rotates, the photoelectric code disk 31 is driven to rotate synchronously. Since the feeding driven wheel 22 is mounted on the adjusting member 51 through the second transmission rod 221, and the other end of the adjusting member 51 is arranged close to the discharge port 12, the gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 can be increased or decreased by pressing one end of the adjusting member 51 close to the discharge port 12.

[0072] Specifically, when the consumables are blocked or broken, the consumables can be manually returned by pressing the adjustment part 51 to increase the gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22. The adjustment part 51 can also be pressed again after completing the manual return to reduce the gap, so that the gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 can just press the consumables without slipping, maintaining the normal transportation of the consumables, and preventing the consumables from slipping due to excessive or insufficient gaps during the 3D printing process, thereby affecting the feeding and returning of the consumables.

[0073] As an optional embodiment, the present application accommodates the above-mentioned driving component 20, the first consumable material detection component 30, the second consumable material detection component 40 and the material return component 50 inside the shell 10 through the shell 10, and an elastic component 52 is also provided between the shell 10 and the adjusting component 51. Please continue to refer to Figures 1 and 7. It can be observed that one end of the elastic component 52 is in contact with the outer wall of the shell 10, and the other end of the elastic component 52 passes through the adjusting component 51 and extends in the direction away from the shell 10. By setting the elastic component 52, a force in the opposite direction of the adjusting component 51 is applied to the shell 10 to maintain the gap formed between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22 to prevent the consumables from slipping during the conveying process. By setting the other end of the elastic component 52 through the adjusting component 51, the adjusting component 51 is moved in the direction away from or close to the shell 10 under the guidance of the elastic component 52 when pressed, and the pressing direction of the adjusting component 51 is guided by the elastic component 52.

[0074] It should be noted that the elastic member 52 provided in the present application preferably uses a spring that can undergo elastic deformation. As long as it can be arranged between the shell 10 and the adjusting member 51 and apply forces in opposite directions to the shell 10 and the adjusting member 51, thereby maintaining the relative gap between the feeding active wheel 21 and the feeding driven wheel 22, any form or structure of the elastic member 52 selected is feasible, so the present application does not impose further restrictions on the specific implementation method of the elastic member 52.

[0075] Based on the above hub, the present application also provides a consumables storage device, which includes the hub provided by the above embodiment.

[0076] The present application also provides a 3D printer, which includes the hub provided by the above-mentioned embodiment, or includes the consumables storage device provided by the above-mentioned embodiment. Since the consumables wrapped on the material tray need to be applied during the 3D printing process, the hub provided by the present application can be used on the basis of a conventional 3D printer. When used, the consumables wrapped on the material tray enter the corresponding feed channel 13 inside the hub through the feed port 11, and the required consumables in the main channel 14 are guided out from the discharge port 12 after passing through the gap along the first direction to achieve 3D printing of the required consumables.

[0077] It should be noted that when using the hub provided by this application, it is often necessary to use other equipment that can store and feed and withdraw consumables. During normal use, the feeding and withdrawing equipment performs feeding and withdrawing actions on the consumables. The drive component 20 provided in this application is used to cooperate with the feeding and withdrawing actions of the consumables. When feeding normally, the feeding and withdrawing equipment performs a feeding operation on the consumables to be printed specified in the feeding channel 13, so that it enters the main channel 14 and is exported through the outlet 12 along the first direction. Other consumables that are not needed at the current moment continue to stay in the corresponding feeding channel 13. When the color or type of consumables needs to be changed, the feeding and withdrawing equipment performs a returning operation on the consumables currently in the main channel 14, so that it is returned to the corresponding feeding channel 13, and then the feeding and withdrawing equipment performs a feeding operation on the specified consumables required for the current 3D printing, so that it enters the main channel 14 from the feeding channel 13 and is exported from the outlet 12 along the first direction, thereby meeting the material change requirements of 3D printing.

[0078] As for other details of the above-mentioned consumable storage device and 3D printer to implement the above-mentioned technical solution, please refer to the description of the hub provided in the above-mentioned application embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0079] The hub, consumables storage device and 3D printer provided in the embodiments of the present application are provided with at least two feed ports to connect different consumables and one discharge port, so that the consumables of several paths entering the hub enter the corresponding feed channels. Since the several feed channels are finally connected to the discharge port through the main channel, the consumables in the required feed channels can be guided out through the discharge port along the first direction with the cooperation of the feeding and withdrawing equipment according to the printing requirements. When the consumables need to be replaced, the current consumables are withdrawn in cooperation with other feeding and withdrawing equipment to make them enter the corresponding feed channel, and the consumables to be replaced are fed and guided out through the discharge port along the first direction to meet the 3D printing requirements. 3D printing material replacement needs; at the same time, a first consumables detection component is provided to effectively monitor the consumables delivery information of the current consumables to avoid material shortage and breakage, which affects the 3D printing effect and improves the reliability and stability of the hub for consumables delivery; an adjustment member coaxial with the feed driven wheel is provided to realize manual feeding and returning of the consumables, and the relative distance of the gap is adjusted by pressing the adjustment member to prevent the consumables from slipping or breaking, and maintain normal feeding of the consumables; an elastic member is provided to maintain the gap formed between the feed active wheel and the feed driven wheel to prevent the consumables from slipping during feeding, thereby improving the feeding reliability and use stability of the hub and ensuring 3D printing efficiency and printing quality.

[0080] It can be understood that the various technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0081] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and substance of the present application, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A hub, characterized in that: include: A shell, wherein the shell is provided with at least two feed ports, at least two feed channels, a main channel and a discharge port, each of the feed ports is connected to a corresponding feed channel, and the main channel is connected to all the feed channels and the discharge port; A drive assembly is provided on the housing, the drive assembly comprising a feeding drive wheel and a feeding driven wheel arranged opposite to the feeding drive wheel, a gap for consumables transmission is provided between the feeding drive wheel and the feeding driven wheel, so as to convey the consumables in the main channel; A first consumable material detection component is provided on the shell, and the first consumable material detection component is configured to obtain consumable material conveying information by detecting the rotation information of the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

2. The hub according to claim 1, wherein: The driving assembly further includes a driving member, a transmission gear meshing with the output gear of the driving member, and a first transmission rod, wherein the transmission gear is connected to the feeding driving wheel via the first transmission rod; The outer tooth profiles of the feeding active wheel and the feeding driven wheel are both recessed inward to form the gap. When the consumables are transported along the first direction through the gap, the consumables abut against the outer tooth profile of the feeding driven wheel to drive the feeding driven wheel to rotate synchronously.

3. The hub according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The rotation information includes the number of rotations and the rotation duration of the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

4. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The consumable material conveying information includes any one or more types of consumable material conveying information of the amount of consumable material conveyed, the consumable material conveying direction, and the remaining amount of consumable material.

5. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first consumable material detection component includes a photoelectric encoder that is transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel, and the photoelectric encoder is provided with a plurality of grating through holes along the circumferential direction; The photoelectric encoder is provided with a first photoelectric transmitter and a first photoelectric receiver on both sides thereof. When the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel rotates, the photoelectric encoder is driven to rotate synchronously, so as to receive the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric transmitter through the first photoelectric receiver. The converted pulse signal is used to obtain the current consumption of consumables.

6. The hub according to claim 5, wherein: The drive assembly also includes a second transmission rod, and the photoelectric encoder and the feed driven wheel are connected to each other through the second transmission rod. The second transmission rod is provided with a protrusion with a rectangular axial cross-section at one end close to the photoelectric encoder, and a connecting groove for the protrusion to pass through is provided at the position of the photoelectric encoder corresponding to the protrusion.

7. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The first consumable material detection assembly includes a magnetic member and a Hall sensor, and the magnetic member is configured to rotate synchronously with the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel; The Hall sensor is used to output a corresponding pulse signal according to the intensity of the change in the magnetic field of the magnetic component, and to determine the current consumable material consumption that has been delivered according to the pulse signal.

8. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: A second consumables detection assembly for detecting the incoming consumables is provided on the main channel, the second consumables detection assembly comprising a detection plate mounted above the main channel, and a detection push rod passing through the detection plate and capable of moving along a second direction on the detection plate. The first end of the detection push rod passes through the detection plate and is disposed in the main channel. A photoelectric sensing mechanism is provided on the detection plate at a position corresponding to the second end of the detection push rod. When the consumables enter the main channel along the first direction, the detection push rod is pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate so that the second end of the detection push rod blocks the photoelectric sensing mechanism; wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

9. The hub according to claim 8, wherein: The photoelectric sensing mechanism includes a second photoelectric emitter and a second photoelectric receiver. Two sensing plates are provided on the side of the detection plate away from the main channel. The second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver are provided on the two sensing plates opposite to each other. When the consumables in the feeding channel enter the main channel along the first direction, the detection push rod is pushed to move along the second direction on the detection plate, so that the second end of the detection push rod enters the sensing area formed between the two sensing plates, blocking the light between the second photoelectric emitter and the second photoelectric receiver.

10. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The hub also includes a stripper assembly for adjusting the gap; The material return assembly includes an adjusting member clamped at both ends of the feed driven wheel, the other end of the adjusting member is arranged close to the discharge port, and a second transmission rod is provided on the adjusting member. The feed driven wheel is rotatably mounted on the adjusting member through the second transmission rod, so that the gap between the feed active wheel and the feed driven wheel can be increased or decreased by pressing one end of the adjusting member close to the discharge port.

11. The hub according to claim 10, wherein: An elastic member is provided between the shell and the adjusting member, one end of the elastic member abuts against the outer wall of the shell, and the other end of the elastic member passes through the adjusting member and extends in a direction away from the shell. The gap formed between the feeding active wheel and the feeding driven wheel is maintained by the elastic member, and when the adjusting member is pressed, the adjusting member moves in a direction away from or close to the shell under the guidance of the elastic member.

12. The hub according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: A plurality of the feed channels are combined into one feed channel in pairs and then communicated with the main channel.

13. A consumable material storage device, characterized in that: The consumable material storage device includes a hub, and the hub includes: A shell, wherein the shell is provided with at least two feed ports, at least two feed channels, a main channel and a discharge port, each of the feed ports is connected to a corresponding feed channel, and the main channel is connected to all the feed channels and the discharge port; A drive assembly is provided on the housing, the drive assembly comprising a feeding drive wheel and a feeding driven wheel arranged opposite to the feeding drive wheel, a gap for consumables transmission is provided between the feeding drive wheel and the feeding driven wheel, so as to convey the consumables in the main channel; A first consumable material detection component is provided on the shell, and the first consumable material detection component is configured to obtain consumable material conveying information by detecting the rotation information of the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

14. The consumable material storage device according to claim 13, wherein: The driving assembly further includes a driving member, a transmission gear meshing with the output gear of the driving member, and a first transmission rod, wherein the transmission gear is connected to the feeding driving wheel via the first transmission rod; The outer tooth profiles of the feeding active wheel and the feeding driven wheel are both recessed inward to form the gap. When the consumables are transported along the first direction through the gap, the consumables abut against the outer tooth profile of the feeding driven wheel to drive the feeding driven wheel to rotate synchronously.

15. The consumable material storage device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The rotation information includes the number of rotations and the rotation duration of the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel.

16. The consumable material storage device according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that: The consumable material conveying information includes any one or more types of consumable material conveying information of the amount of consumable material conveyed, the consumable material conveying direction, and the remaining amount of consumable material.

17. The consumable material storage device according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that: The first consumable material detection component includes a photoelectric encoder that is transmission-connected to the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel, and the photoelectric encoder is provided with a plurality of grating through holes along the circumferential direction; A first photoelectric emitter and a first photoelectric receiver are correspondingly arranged on both sides of the photoelectric code disk. When the feeding active wheel or the feeding driven wheel rotates, the photoelectric code disk is driven to rotate synchronously, so as to receive the light signal emitted by the first photoelectric emitter through the first photoelectric receiver, and obtain the current consumption of consumables based on the pulse signal converted from the light signal.

18. The consumable material storage device according to claim 17, wherein: The drive assembly also includes a second transmission rod, and the photoelectric encoder and the feed driven wheel are connected to each other through the second transmission rod. The second transmission rod is provided with a protrusion with a rectangular axial cross-section at one end close to the photoelectric encoder, and a connecting groove for the protrusion to pass through is provided at the position of the photoelectric encoder corresponding to the protrusion.

19. The consumable material storage device according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that: The first consumable material detection assembly includes a magnetic member and a Hall sensor, and the magnetic member is configured to rotate synchronously with the feeding driving wheel or the feeding driven wheel; The Hall sensor is used to output a corresponding pulse signal according to the intensity of the change in the magnetic field of the magnetic component, and to determine the current consumable material consumption that has been delivered according to the pulse signal.

20. A 3D printer, characterized in that: The 3D printer includes the hub according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or includes the consumable storage device according to any one of claims 13 to 19.

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