Handheld multitool device for 3D print

Abstract

Handheld multitool device for 3D print consisting of a body (1) and a plurality of tool heads, the body (1) of the device comprises a body cover, a filament movement mechanism, a user control interface, a power source, a female connector for connecting any of the tool heads, and an interface for controlling a connected tool head and supplying it with power, and each of the tool heads comprises a tool head cover, an interface for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, and a male connector for connecting the body (1). The tool heads can be a filament extrusion tool head (2), a soldering tool head (3), or a smoothing tool head (4).

Description

Handheld multitool device for 3D print

[0001] The invention relates to the field of working of plastics by means of additive manufacturing, specifically 3D printing using small, handheld, extruding apparatuses processing filaments, and by means of joining of preformed parts by heating, and to the field of electrically heated soldering irons.

[0002] Hand-held devices for finishing or repairing 3D prints, in particular by sealing cracks or smoothing the surface using heat, are generally known in the field of 3D printing, for example from documents US2016354973A1 and BE748982A. Typically, this involves melting the print material using soldering irons.

[0003] Furthermore, documents WO2013154136A1 and US11541608B2 describe devices for filling cracks or unevenness of the surfaces of plastic objects, namely heating devices equipped with a smoothing head adapted to press in additional filling plastic material and level the surface.

[0004] Also known from the prior art are hand-held devices for extruding molten plastic material, for example from documents US3604597 and EP2928672B1. These devices allow filling gaps or larger cracks with the extruded material.

[0005] Each of the above-described devices is suitable for a specific type of repair or finishing of a 3D print. However, none of them allows for complex repairs requiring a combination of multiple techniques.

[0006] Goal of the present invention is to introduce a device suitable for the above-mentioned complex repairs, where one device allows an application of multiple techniques while being compact and easy to handle.

[0007] The present invention describes a hand-held device for molding plastics by heating them and by 3D printing using interchangeable tool heads connected to a body of the device. The body of the device comprises a body cover, a filament movement mechanism, a user control interface, a power source, a female connector for connecting a tool head, and an interface for controlling the tool head and supplying it with power. The tool heads comprise a tool head cover, a heating element, an interface for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, a male connector for connecting the body of the device, and a tool.

[0008] The body cover and the tool head covers are separate compact units and cover the entire surface of the given part of the device, except for functional openings. The functional openings in the body cover are an opening for a filament inlet, an opening for a charging connector, at least one opening for components of the user control interface, and an opening for the female connector for connecting the tool head. The functional openings in the tool head covers are an opening for the tool, an opening for the male connector for connecting the body of the device, and at least one opening for ventilation of the internal space of the tool head in the case of tool heads equipped with a heating element located inside the tool head cover. The body of the device and the tool head thus form separate systems that are as enclosed as possible, which minimizes the risk of damage or contamination of their internal components, even with a frequent exchange of tool heads.

[0009] Equipping the body of the device with a female connector and the tool heads with male connectors plays a key role in creating a functional device construction including tools for techniques defined above in the prior art, which cannot be functionally combined within a single device based solely on the knowledge known from the prior art. An exemplary reason are the different requirements for properties of integral elements, where an extrusion device requires a space with a longitudinal cavity penetrating the device along its entire length, but such an element does not exhibit sufficient resistance to a lateral stress exerted on this element when a soldering or smoothing tool is used, as this requires the device to be pressed against the molded plastic object. Using construction of connectors according to the present invention achieves a technical effect where the integral element, that forms the male connector itself, always has properties suitable for the tool used. In the case of tools for extrusion of molten filament and for smoothing plastics, the integral element, and therefore the male connector, is a channel with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section. When using the filament extrusion tool head, the filament passes through this channel. In the case of a tool for soldering plastics, the integral element, and therefore the male connector, is a solid metal rod that resists lateral stress when pressing the tool against the moulded plastic object and provides a bend-resistant base that is required due to the higher weight of the soldering iron in comparison with other tools.

[0010] A common technical feature of the male connector for the filament extrusion tool head and the smoothing tool head is a channel with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section, i.e., provided with a longitudinal slit, which ensures a stability of the integral element within the tool head cover despite the different thermal expansion of the internal components of the tool head, as the large-scale temperature changes caused by the placement of the heating element inside the tool head cover can cause the integral element to loosen. The slit ensures the stability of the integral element within the tool head cover through the following mechanism: When the integral element is pressed into a relatively soft plastic material of the tool head cover during assembly of the head, the relatively soft plastic material at least partially infiltrates into the slit space, resulting in a firm seating of the integral element for the entire range of internal temperatures that may occur during a use of the device.

[0011] In the case of the filament extrusion tool head, the longitudinal slit, which is present in the channel with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section, has an additional technical effect in the form of an easy cleaning of the channel from filament residues or an easy removal of a stuck filament, as it allows access to the channel along its entire length.

[0012] A common technical feature of the male connector in all types of tool heads is a transverse recess at the outer end of the integral element, which forms a recess for a locking mechanism within the body of the device preventing a spontaneous release of a tool head connected to the body.

[0013] Tools of the interchangeable tool heads are primarily a filament extruder, a soldering iron, and a smoothing tool. The filament extrusion tool head comprises an extruder placed in a tool head cover, from which only an extruder nozzle protrudes on the front side, a heating element placed around the extruder and equipped with a thermistor, and a heat break connected to the extruder and both mechanically and thermally separating the hot part, i.e., the extruder, from the cold part, which is a channel with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break. The soldering tool head comprises a soldering element, for example in the form of a cone, which is in a thermal contact with a heating element equipped with a thermistor. The heating element is placed on a support in the form of a rod enclosed in a heat-resistant sleeve. The support is seated within a tool head cover by means of a heat-resistant coupling and is further connected to an integral element in the form of a solid metal rod. The smoothing tool head comprises a forming tool mounted on a threaded base, which is partly seated within a tool head cover, and a heating element equipped with a thermistor and placed around a part of the threaded base that is inside the tool head cover. A heat break is connected to the threaded base inside the tool head cover, both mechanically and thermally separating the hot part, i.e., the threaded base with the forming tool, from the cold part, which is a channel with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break.

[0014] A key element of the filament extrusion tool head and the smoothing tool head, i.e., tool heads equipped with a heating element located inside the tool head cover, is, in addition to the opening for ventilation of the internal space of the tool head, also the maximization of an uncovered outer surface of the heating element to ensure an efficient heat dissipation from the heating element to a free space outside the device. This achieves a more dynamic change in a temperature of the hot part, which in the case of the filament extrusion tool head results in a sharper end of an extrusion and in the case of the smoothing tool head results in a faster cooling of the forming tool, and therefore shorter downtime when changing the forming tool and at the same time higher safety when changing the entire tool head. These technical effects are achieved when more than 50% of the outer surface of the heating element is exposed. The size of the thermistor and its mounting, which cover the outer surface of the heating element, must therefore be minimized, while it is advisable to use a mounting made of a material with the highest possible thermal conductivity, taking into account the type of mounting.Fig.1

[0015] depicts a longitudinal section of a set of tool heads and a body of the device.Fig.2

[0016] depicts a longitudinal section of a body of the device.Fig.3

[0017] depicts a longitudinal section of a filament extrusion tool head.Fig.4

[0018] depicts a longitudinal section of a soldering tool head.Fig.5

[0019] depicts a longitudinal section of a smoothing tool head.Example 1

[0020] A body1of the device comprises a body cover11, a filament movement mechanism12, a user control interface13, a power source14, a female connector15for connecting a tool head, an interface16for controlling the tool head and supplying it with power, and a locking mechanism17.

[0021] A filament extrusion tool head2comprises a tool head cover21with two ventilation openings28placed on the sides, an interface29for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, an extruder22placed in the tool head cover21, from which only an extruder nozzle23protrudes on the front side, a heating element24placed around the extruder22and equipped with a thermistor25held in place by a silicone band with a high heat conductivity that covers 40% of an outer surface of the heating element24, a heat break26connected to the extruder22, and a channel27with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break26.

[0022] A soldering tool head3comprises a tool head cover31, an interface39for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, a soldering element32in the form of a cone, a heating element33equipped with a thermistor34and placed on a support35in the form of a rod enclosed in a heat-resistant sleeve36, a heat-resistant coupling37seated within the tool head cover31, and a solid metal rod38connected to the support35.

[0023] A smoothing tool head4comprises a tool head cover41with two ventilation openings48placed on the sides, an interface49for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, a forming tool42mounted on a threaded base43, which is partly seated within the tool head cover41, a heating element44equipped with a thermistor45and placed around a part of the threaded base43that is inside the tool head cover41, a heat break46connected to the threaded base43, and a channel47with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break46. The thermistor45is held in place by a polyether ether ketone tape with a high heat conductivity that covers 45% of an outer surface of the heating element44.

[0024] Handheld multitool device for 3D print is industrially applicable in repairing and finishing 3D prints.

Claims

Handheld multitool device for 3D printcharacterized in thatit consists of a body (1) and a plurality of tool heads, the body (1) of the device comprises a body cover (11), a filament movement mechanism (12), a user control interface (13), a power source (14), a female connector (15) for connecting any of the tool heads, and an interface (16) for controlling a connected tool head and supplying it with power, and each of the tool heads comprises a tool head cover, an interface for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, and a male connector for connecting the body (1).Handheld multitool device for 3D print according to claim 1characterized in thatthe tool heads are a filament extrusion tool head (2), a soldering tool head (3), and a smoothing tool head (4).Handheld multitool device for 3D print according to claim 2characterized in thatthe filament extrusion tool head (2) comprises a tool head cover (21) with at least one ventilation opening (28), an interface (29) for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, an extruder (22) placed in the tool head cover (21), from which an extruder nozzle (23) protrudes on the front side, a heating element (24) with more than 50% of its outer surface exposed placed around the extruder (22) and equipped with a thermistor (25), a heat break (26) connected to the extruder (22), and a male connecter in the form of a channel (27) with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break (26).Handheld multitool device for 3D print according to claim 2characterized in thatthe soldering tool head (3) comprises a tool head cover (31), an interface (39) for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, a soldering element (32), a heating element (33) equipped with a thermistor (34) and placed on a support (35) in the form of a rod enclosed in a heat-resistant sleeve (36), a heat-resistant coupling (37) seated within the tool head cover (31), and a male connecter in the form of a solid rod (38) connected to the support (35).Handheld multitool device for 3D print according to claim 2characterized in thatthe smoothing tool head (4) comprises a tool head cover (41) with at least one ventilation opening (48), an interface (49) for receiving power supply and controlling commands and sending operational feedback, a forming tool (42) mounted on a threaded base (43), which is at least partly seated within the tool head cover (41), a heating element (44) with more than 50% of its outer surface exposed equipped with a thermistor (45) and placed around a part of the threaded base (43) that is inside the tool head cover (41), a heat break (46) connected to the threaded base (43), and a male connecter in the form of a channel (47) with a longitudinal cavity shaped like the letter C in a cross section connected to the heat break (46).

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