3D Printer Nozzle Cleaning via Reciprocating Brush and Blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional shaping apparatuses face challenges in maintaining shaping accuracy due to waste material adhering to the cleaning mechanism, which can reattach to the nozzle and affect the shaping process.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional shaping apparatus with a cleaning mechanism comprising a brush and a blade, where the brush and blade are positioned to contact the nozzle, have a melting point higher than the plasticizing temperature of the materials, and hardness lower than the nozzle. The apparatus controls the nozzle to reciprocate and traverse the cleaning mechanism multiple times, ensuring contact with different positions of the brush or blade, and operates at a lower temperature than during layer stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the nozzle is cleaned by bringing it into contact with a cleaning mechanism (brush or blade), then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but waste material may adhere to the cleaning mechanism and reattach to the nozzle, affecting shaping accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by cooling the nozzle before cleaning operations. This temperature reduction prevents waste material from adhering to the cleaning mechanism and subsequently reattaching to the nozzle, thereby resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and shaping accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary cooling to the nozzle before the cleaning operation occurs. This preliminary action modifies the nozzle's thermal state to prevent the harmful effect of waste material adhesion during cleaning, ensuring both effective cleaning and maintained shaping accuracy
2Reliability
If the cleaning mechanism operates at high temperature to effectively remove waste material, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but waste material adheres to the cleaning mechanism and can reattach to the nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high to low by cooling the nozzle before cleaning. This parameter change prevents waste material from adhering to the cleaning mechanism while still allowing effective cleaning to occur, thereby eliminating the harmful factor of waste material adhesion
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents waste material from adhering to the nozzle again, thereby maintaining shaping accuracy and preventing waste material from affecting the shaping process.
Implementation Method 1
The brush and the blade have hardness lower than hardness of the nozzle... execute a cleaning operation for bringing at least one of the brush and the blade and the nozzle to come into contact
Implementation Method 2
a plasticizing mechanism for plasticizing a plasticizing material and generating a shaping material... having a melting point higher than a plasticizing temperature of the plasticizing material
Implementation Method 3
a plasticizing mechanism for plasticizing a plasticizing material... Temperature of the nozzle in the cleaning operation is lower than temperature of the nozzle at a stacking time of the layers
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes an ejecting section configured to eject a shaping material from a nozzle, a stage on which the shaping material is stacked, a driving section configured to change relative positions of the ejecting section and the stage, a cleaning mechanism including a brush and a blade, and a control section. The control section causes, in cleaning processing, the nozzle to reciprocate to traverse the cleaning mechanism a plurality of times to execute a cleaning operation for bringing at least one of the brush and the blade and the nozzle to come into contact. The control section causes, in the cleaning operation, the nozzle to reciprocate to come into contact with the brush or the blade in different positions of the brush or the blade. Temperature of the nozzle in the cleaning operation is lower than temperature of the nozzle at a stacking time of layers.