CN220095569U - Hot end and shower nozzle external member and 3D printing equipment of using it - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a hot end suitable for a high-speed printing process, a spray head kit applying the hot end and 3D printing equipment. The hot end comprises a heating part and a nozzle part, a conveying channel for conveying consumable materials is formed in the nozzle part, the conveying channel is configured to extend in a first direction to penetrate through the nozzle part, the conveying channel is provided with an inner wall, and the heating part is configured to heat the conveying channel from the outer side of the nozzle part; the hot end also comprises a nozzle inner tube which is arranged in the transmission channel and comprises a heat conduction part; the heat conducting part is in contact with the transmission channel at least at one position and is thermally coupled with the heating part, and the heat conducting part comprises a convex part which is convexly arranged from the inner wall to the central axis direction of the transmission channel in a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The spray head suite comprises an extrusion assembly and a hot end, and the hot end is connected with the extrusion assembly. The 3D printing equipment comprises an equipment main body, a printing platform and a spray head suite, wherein the spray head suite and the printing platform are respectively and movably connected with the equipment main body.

Description

Hot end and shower nozzle external member and 3D printing equipment of using it

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of 3D printing, in particular to a hot end, a spray head kit applying the hot end and 3D printing equipment.

Background

The 3D printing technology is a rapid prototyping technology for manufacturing three-dimensional objects by printing a layer of material by using special wax materials, powdered metal or plastic and other bondable materials on the basis of digital model files. Fused deposition rapid prototyping technology is one of the main 3D printing techniques. The technology is that hot melt material wires are extruded from a spray head after being heated and melted, and deposited on a forming platform or a previous layer of solidified material, and finally a real object is generated.

High-speed printing is a trend in the development of 3D printing, which has a faster printing speed, less printing time, and better printing quality. However, the existing hot end suitable for low-speed printing and medium-speed printing is not suitable for high-speed printing process. When the nozzle suitable for low-speed printing and medium-speed printing is applied to high-speed printing, various problems such as insufficient consumable melting, high consumable viscosity, printing speed far lower than expected, nozzle blocking, high printing pressure, poor forming quality and the like can occur, so that the expected high-speed printing cannot be realized. How to solve the above problems, it is considered by those skilled in the art to provide a nozzle structure that can accommodate high-speed printing.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the embodiment of the utility model provides a hot end applied to 3D printing equipment, a spray head kit integrated with the hot end and the 3D printing equipment.

Embodiments of the present utility model provide a hot end including a heating part and a nozzle part, in which a transfer passage for transferring consumable materials is formed, the transfer passage being configured to extend in a first direction to penetrate the nozzle part, the transfer passage having an inner wall, the heating part being configured to heat the transfer passage from an outside of the nozzle part; the hot end further comprises: the nozzle inner pipe is arranged in the transmission channel and comprises a heat conduction part; the heat conducting part is in contact with the transmission channel at least at one position and is thermally coupled with the heating part, the heat conducting part comprises a convex part which is arranged in a protruding mode from the inner wall to the central axis direction of the transmission channel in a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

It can be appreciated that the heating portion is used for generating or transmitting heat to raise the temperature in the transmission channel, so that the consumable material in the hot end is heated and gradually melted, and the subsequent jet printing is facilitated. The heat conduction portion is thermally coupled with the heating portion, the consumable and the heat conduction portion are contacted and thermally conducted, so that the consumable can be melted, the heat conduction portion protruding into the transmission channel can be in direct contact with the middle portion of the consumable (or the portion far away from the inner wall in the consumable), the whole consumable is heated more uniformly and melted more fully, the viscosity of the melted consumable is reduced, the printing pressure is reduced, the melting speed of the consumable is improved, the occurrence of blocking is avoided, and the forming quality is improved. According to the hot end disclosed by the utility model, the whole heating process of the consumable is smooth, so that the consumable can be uniformly heated and fully melted in a short time, blocking is not easy to occur, meanwhile, a lubricating layer can be further formed between the melted consumable and the inner surface of the nozzle inner pipe, the hot end can be suitable for a high-speed printing process, and various problems of insufficient consumable melting, high consumable viscosity, printing speed far lower than expected, blocking, high printing pressure, poor forming quality and the like can be solved.

In an embodiment, in the second direction, the heat conducting portion includes a first end and a second end that are disposed at intervals; the first end is connected with the inner wall, and the second end protrudes towards the center line direction of the transmission channel to form a plurality of protruding parts which are arranged at intervals.

It can be understood that the second end stretches out towards the middle part of the transmission channel, so that the central part of the consumable flowing through the region can be directly contacted with the second end to be heated, the uniformity of consumable melting is improved, the consumable melting is more sufficient, the consumable viscosity and printing pressure are reduced, the fully melted consumable can flow away quickly and is not easy to cause material blockage, and the printing speed is improved.

In an embodiment, each of the protrusions is not in contact with each other, and a first end between any two adjacent protrusions is configured to form a recess.

It can be understood that the protrusions are not contacted with each other, so that the part of the transmission channel corresponding to the region where the heat conducting part is located is not separated by the heat conducting part, and the transmission channel is a complete communication region, so that the melted consumable material can have a higher flow rate when passing through the transmission channel.

In an embodiment, the plurality of protruding portions extend along the first direction; and/or the plurality of concave parts are arranged along the first direction, and the first direction is the extending direction of the transmission channel.

It can be appreciated that the plurality of convex parts and/or the plurality of concave parts extend along the extending direction of the transmission channel, so that on one hand, consumable materials are gradually heated and insulated in the process of flowing through the transmission channel, the melting uniformity of the consumable materials is improved to ensure the printing quality, the obstruction to the flow process of melting the consumable materials is reduced to the greatest extent in the other direction, and the flow speed is improved.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional width of the protrusion tapers from the first end to the second end; and/or the cross-sectional width of the recess gradually widens from the second end toward the first end.

It can be appreciated that the tapered protrusions correspond to the transmission channels with circular cross sections, and the widths of the recesses between adjacent protrusions are approximately the same or are distributed at equal intervals, so that the flow velocity and the heating condition of the consumable material when the consumable material flows through the recesses are relatively balanced.

In an embodiment, the nozzle portion includes a first thermal coupling section and a second thermal coupling section, and in the second direction, a cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the first thermal coupling section is larger than a cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the second thermal coupling section, and the nozzle inner tube is disposed in the first thermal coupling section; the heating part is sleeved on the outer side of the nozzle part and comprises a third thermal coupling section in fit contact with the first thermal coupling section.

It can be understood that the heating part heats the first thermal coupling section by enabling the third thermal coupling section to be in contact with the first thermal coupling section, so that consumable materials positioned in the first thermal coupling section are heated, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the first thermal coupling section is larger than that of the transmission channel in the second thermal coupling section, the consumable materials are fully heated and melted at the first thermal coupling section, the pressure of the upstream of the second thermal coupling section is increased, and the flowing speed of the consumable materials at the second thermal coupling section is increased, so that the hot end of the utility model can be suitable for high-speed printing.

In an embodiment, in the first direction, the second thermal coupling section includes a transition section, a accumulating section and an outlet section that are sequentially arranged, the transition section connects the first thermal coupling section and the accumulating section, and consumable materials in the second thermal coupling section enter the accumulating section after passing through the transition section and are extruded from the outlet section; in the second direction, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the transition section is smaller than that of the transmission channel at the first thermal coupling section, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the transition section is larger than that of the transmission channel at the accumulation section, and the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the accumulation section is larger than that of the transmission channel at the outlet section.

It can be appreciated that by providing a length of accumulation section upstream of the outlet section, the pressure upstream of the outlet section can be increased, thereby increasing the speed of consumable flow at the outlet section, and making the hot end of the utility model suitable for high-speed printing. And, link up first thermal coupling section and long-pending material section through setting up the changeover portion, preferably, the size of changeover portion reduces to long-pending material section size by first thermal coupling section size gradually, sets up the changeover portion and long-pending material section and can avoid because the extrusion resistance increase that the size suddenly changes to guarantee that the consumptive material extrudes normally going on, prevent to take place the putty.

In an embodiment, the second thermal coupling section further comprises an extension section, the extension section is formed by extending the outlet section towards the consumable extrusion direction, and the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the extension section is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the outlet section.

It will be appreciated that the length of the extension is preferably 1/4 to 1/2 of the length of the outlet section, and that leakage at the nozzle portion can be avoided by providing the extension.

In an embodiment, the heating portion further includes a fourth thermal coupling section connected to the third thermal coupling section, the third thermal coupling section and the fourth thermal coupling section are connected through a buffer section, and a diameter of the buffer section is smaller than a diameter of the third thermal coupling section or the fourth thermal coupling section.

It can be appreciated that the buffer section is configured to reduce direct thermal coupling between the third thermal coupling section and the fourth thermal coupling section, avoid excessive heat loss of the third thermal coupling section, and improve the heating effect of the third thermal coupling section.

In an embodiment, the inner tube of the nozzle is arranged along the first direction in a penetrating manner, the inner tube of the nozzle comprises a functional area and a buffer area, the functional area and the buffer area are all arranged along the first direction in a penetrating manner, the buffer area is arranged corresponding to the feeding side of the hot end, the functional area is arranged corresponding to the discharging side of the hot end, the buffer area is positioned on one side, away from the second thermal coupling section, of the functional area, the heat conducting part is positioned in the functional area, and the cross-sectional area of a cavity corresponding to the buffer area is larger than the cross-sectional area of a cavity corresponding to the functional area in the second direction.

It can be understood that the consumable is preheated and softened in the buffer area, so that the problem that the unmelted hard consumable directly abuts against the heat conducting part to cause material blockage or reduce the printing speed is avoided. The buffer zone can be used for preventing the joint of the fourth thermal coupling section and the third thermal coupling section from being directly butted with the functional zone so as to prevent consumables with different fluid viscosities (different viscosities caused by different consumable temperatures) from being piled up at the joint under suddenly increased extrusion pressure (the extrusion area of the functional zone is reduced due to the existence of the heat conducting part) to cause piling or blocking.

The embodiment of the utility model also provides a spray head kit, which comprises an extrusion assembly, a heat dissipation assembly and the hot end according to any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the hot end is connected with the heat dissipation assembly and the extrusion assembly.

It will be appreciated that the present utility model provides a showerhead kit having a hot end adapted for high speed printing, making the showerhead kit adaptable for high speed printing.

The embodiment of the utility model also provides 3D printing equipment, which comprises an equipment main body, a printing platform and the hot end or the spray head kit according to any one of the previous embodiments, wherein the hot end and the printing platform are respectively and movably connected with the equipment main body.

It will be appreciated that the 3D printing apparatus of the present utility model has a hot end adapted for high speed printing, making the 3D printing apparatus usable for high speed printing.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hot end along a top view according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a hot end along a bottom angle according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a hot end according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hot side along a plane along a first direction according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 5 is an exploded schematic cross-sectional view of a hot end along a plane along a first direction according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plane of a hot side along a second direction according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 7 is another schematic cross-sectional view of a plane of a hot side along a second direction according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hot side along a plane along a second direction according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a spray head kit according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a 3D printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of the main reference signs

Hot end 10

Heating unit 102

Inner wall 1020

Fourth thermally coupled section 1021

External thread 10211

Third thermally coupled section 1022

Outer wall 10221

Internal thread 10222

Buffer section 1023

Protruding structure 10231

Detection hole 10236

Heat conducting part 1024

Convex portion 1025

First end 10251

Second end 10252

Recess 1026

Nozzle portion 103

First thermally coupled section 1033

Second thermally coupled section 1034

Transition section 10341

Accumulation section 10342

Outlet section 10343

Extension 10344

Discharge outlet 1035

Transmission channel 104

Buffer 10421

Functional area 10422

Nozzle inner tube 105

Spray head kit 100

Extrusion assembly 11

3D printing apparatus 1

The apparatus main body 12

Printing platform 13

First direction X

Second direction Y

The utility model will be further described in the following detailed description in conjunction with the above-described figures.

Detailed Description

The following description will make reference to the accompanying drawings to more fully describe the utility model. Exemplary embodiments of the present utility model are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. This utility model may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. These exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the utility model to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals designate identical or similar components. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, "comprises" and/or "comprising" and/or "having," integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or groups thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model belongs. Furthermore, unless the context clearly defines otherwise, terms such as those defined in a general dictionary should be construed to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the relevant art and the present disclosure, and should not be construed as idealized or overly formal meanings. The following description of exemplary embodiments will be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the components depicted in the referenced figures are not necessarily shown to scale; and the same or similar components will be given the same or similar reference numerals or similar technical terms.

In general, the existing hot end suitable for low-speed printing and medium-speed printing is not suitable for high-speed printing processes. When the nozzle suitable for low-speed printing and medium-speed printing is applied to high-speed printing, various problems such as insufficient consumable melting, high consumable viscosity, printing speed far lower than expected, blocking, high printing pressure, poor forming quality and the like can occur, so that the expected high-speed printing cannot be realized. How to solve the above problems, it is considered by those skilled in the art to provide a nozzle structure that can accommodate high-speed printing.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the present utility model provides a hot end including a heating part and a nozzle part, in which a transfer passage for transferring consumable materials is formed, the transfer passage being configured to extend in a first direction to penetrate the nozzle part, the transfer passage having an inner wall, the heating part being configured to heat the transfer passage from an outside of the nozzle part; the hot end also comprises a nozzle inner tube which is arranged in the transmission channel and comprises a heat conduction part; the heat conducting part is in contact with the transmission channel at least at one position and is thermally coupled with the heating part, and the heat conducting part comprises a convex part which is convexly arranged from the inner wall to the central axis direction of the transmission channel in a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

In the hot end of the utility model, the heating part is used for generating or transmitting heat to raise the temperature in the transmission channel, so that consumable materials in the hot end are heated and gradually melted, and the subsequent jet printing is facilitated. The heat conduction portion is thermally coupled with the heating portion, the consumable and the heat conduction portion are contacted and thermally conducted, so that the consumable can be melted, the heat conduction portion protruding into the transmission channel can be in direct contact with the middle portion of the consumable (or the portion far away from the inner wall of the consumable), the whole consumable is heated more uniformly and melted more fully, the viscosity of the melted consumable is reduced, the printing pressure is reduced, the melting speed of the consumable is improved, the occurrence of blocking is avoided, and the forming quality is improved. According to the hot end disclosed by the utility model, the whole heating process of the consumable is smooth, so that the consumable can be uniformly heated and fully melted in a short time, blocking is not easy to occur, meanwhile, a lubricating layer can be further formed between the melted consumable and the inner surface of the nozzle inner pipe, the hot end can be suitable for a high-speed printing process, and various problems of insufficient consumable melting, high consumable viscosity, printing speed far lower than expected, blocking, high printing pressure, poor forming quality and the like can be solved.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a "3D printing device" refers to a device capable of 3D printing (additive manufacturing).

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that "thermally coupled" refers to a heat transfer connection, and that heat transfer may be accomplished by heat transfer, heat convection, or heat radiation, or any combination thereof.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, "consumable" refers to a rod-like thermoplastic material that is in a solid state at ordinary temperature, and that can be melted by heat and subsequently cooled to form.

The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the utility model will be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the hot end 10 according to the present utility model includes a heating portion 102, a nozzle portion 103 and a nozzle inner tube 105. The nozzle portion 103 has a transfer passage 104 formed therein for transferring consumable materials, the transfer passage 104 being configured to extend in the first direction X so as to penetrate the nozzle portion 103, the heating portion 102 being connected to the nozzle portion 103 by being sleeved, the heating portion 102 being sleeved outside the nozzle portion 103. The nozzle inner tube 105 is disposed in the nozzle portion 103, the nozzle portion 103 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the nozzle inner tube 105, the nozzle inner tube 105 includes a heat conducting portion 1024, and the heat conducting portion 1024 is disposed on the inner side of the nozzle inner tube 105 facing away from the nozzle portion 103.

In one embodiment, the heating portion 102 is configured to generate or transfer heat at least, and the heating of the transfer passage 104 from the outside of the nozzle portion 103 increases the temperature in the transfer passage 104, the nozzle portion 103 is used for at least extrusion of molten consumable, and the nozzle inner tube 105 is used to assist in adjusting the state of melting and extrusion of the consumable. The transfer channel 104 has an inner wall 1020, and the heat conducting portion 1024 is located in the transfer channel 104, and the heat conducting portion 1024 is in contact with the transfer channel 104 at least at one position and is thermally coupled to the heating portion 102, and the heat conducting portion 1024 includes a protrusion 1025 protruding from the inner wall 1020 toward the central axis of the transfer channel 104 in the second direction Y.

It will be appreciated that the heating portion 102 is configured to generate or transfer heat to raise the temperature in the transmission channel 104, so as to heat and gradually melt the consumable material in the hot end 10, thereby facilitating the subsequent jet printing. The heat conduction portion 1024 is thermally coupled with the heating portion 102, the consumable and the heat conduction portion 1024 are in contact and conduct heat, so that the consumable can be melted, the heat conduction portion 1024 protruding into the transmission channel 104 can be in direct contact with the middle part of the consumable (or the part far away from the inner wall 1020 in the consumable), the whole consumable is heated more uniformly and melted more fully, the viscosity of the melted consumable is reduced, the printing pressure is reduced, the melting speed of the consumable is improved, the occurrence of blocking is avoided, and the molding quality is improved.

On the other hand, the nozzle inner tube 105 provided with the heat conducting part 1024 is sleeved with the nozzle part 103 and can be mutually separated, when the shape of the heat conducting part 1024 or the thickness of the nozzle inner tube 105 needs to be adjusted according to the actual extrusion requirement, the extrusion effect of the hot end 10 can be adjusted by directly replacing the nozzle inner tube 105, so that the use efficiency of the hot end 10 is greatly improved. In addition, if the phenomena such as blocking occur in the nozzle inner tube 105, the fault can be rapidly removed by replacing the new nozzle inner tube 105, so that the reliability of the hot end 10 is improved.

It can be appreciated that the overall heating process of the hot end 10 of the utility model is smooth, so that the consumable can be uniformly heated and fully melted in a short time, and the blockage is not easy to occur, and meanwhile, a lubricating layer can be further formed between the melted consumable and the inner surface of the nozzle inner tube 105, so that the hot end 10 can be suitable for a high-speed printing process, and various problems of insufficient consumable melting, high consumable viscosity, printing speed far lower than expected, blockage, high printing pressure, poor forming quality and the like can be solved.

In this embodiment, the transmission channel 104 extends straight, and the first direction X is the extending direction of the transmission channel 104. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, and the second direction Y may be any direction on a plane perpendicular to the first direction X.

As further shown in fig. 1 to 5, in an embodiment, the nozzle portion 103 includes a first thermal coupling section 1033 and a second thermal coupling section 1034 connected to each other, the nozzle inner tube 105 is disposed on the first thermal coupling section 1033, and the second thermal coupling section 1034 is provided with a discharge port 1035.

In one embodiment, in the second direction Y, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel 104 in the first thermal coupling section 1033 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel in the second thermal coupling section 1034, and the nozzle inner tube 105 is disposed in the first thermal coupling section 1033.

It will be appreciated that the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 in the first thermal coupling section 1033 is greater than the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel in the second thermal coupling section 1034, so that the consumable is sufficiently heated and melted in the first thermal coupling section 1033, and the pressure upstream of the second thermal coupling section 1034 is increased, so that the flow speed of the consumable in the second thermal coupling section 1034 is increased, and the hot end 10 of the present utility model is suitable for high-speed printing.

In an embodiment, in the first direction X, the second thermal coupling section 1034 includes a transition section 10341, a accumulating section 10342, and an outlet section 10343 that are sequentially disposed. The transition section 10341 connects the first thermal coupling section 1033 and the accumulation section 10342, and consumables in the second thermal coupling section 1034 enter the accumulation section 10342 after passing through the transition section 10341 and are extruded from the outlet section 10343. In the second direction Y, the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 at the transition section 10341 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 at the first thermally coupled section 1033, the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 at the transition section 10341 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel at the accumulation section 10342, and the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 at the accumulation section 10342 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel at the outlet section 10343.

It will be appreciated that by providing a length of accumulation section 10342 upstream of the outlet section 10343, the pressure upstream of the outlet section 10343 can be increased, thereby increasing the speed of consumable flow at the outlet section 10343, making the hot end 10 of the present utility model suitable for high speed printing. Moreover, by setting the transition section 10341 to connect the first thermal coupling section 1033 and the accumulation section 10342, preferably, the size of the transition section 10341 is gradually reduced from the size of the first thermal coupling section 1033 to the size of the accumulation section 10342, and setting the transition section 10341 and the accumulation section 10342 can avoid the increase of extrusion resistance caused by abrupt change of the size, thereby ensuring normal material extrusion and preventing material blockage.

In an embodiment, the second thermal coupling section 1034 further includes an extension section 1034, the extension section 1034 is formed by extending the outlet section 10343 toward the extrusion direction of the consumable, and the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel 104 in the extension section 1034 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the transfer channel in the outlet section 10343. The transition section 10341, the accumulation section 10342, the outlet section 10343, and the extension section 10344 are sequentially communicated.

It will be appreciated that the length of the extension 10344 is not too long, preferably 1/4 to 1/2 of the length of the outlet section, and that leakage at the nozzle portion 103 can be avoided by providing the extension 10344.

In this embodiment, the outlet 1035 is located on a side of the extension 10344 remote from the outlet 10343, and the outlet 1035 communicates with the extension 10344.

In this embodiment, the first thermal coupling section 1033 is substantially cylindrical, the region of the second thermal coupling section 1034 for connecting with the first thermal coupling section 1033 is substantially cylindrical, the region of the second thermal coupling section 1034, which is far away from the first thermal coupling section 1033, for extruding the consumable is substantially conical, the inner diameter of the second thermal coupling section 1034 is narrowed to achieve extrusion of the consumable, and the discharge port 1035 is disposed on the side of the second thermal coupling section 1034, which is far away from the first thermal coupling section 1033.

As further shown in fig. 1 to 5, in an embodiment, the heating portion 102 includes a fourth thermal coupling section 1021, a third thermal coupling section 1022, and a buffer section 1023, where the third thermal coupling section 1022 and the fourth thermal coupling section 1021 are connected by the buffer section 1023. The fourth thermal coupling section 1021 corresponds to a portion of the heating portion 102 that is not in contact with the nozzle portion 103, and the outer surface of the fourth thermal coupling section 1021 is provided with external threads 10211. The third thermal coupling section 1022 corresponds to a portion of the heating portion 102 in contact with the nozzle portion 103, and the inner surface of the third thermal coupling section 1022 is provided with an internal thread 10222. The third thermal coupling section 1022 is in contact with the first thermal coupling section 1033, the fourth thermal coupling section 1021 is disposed on a side of the third thermal coupling section 1022 away from the second thermal coupling section 1034, the second thermal coupling section 1034 is disposed on a side of the first thermal coupling section 1033 away from the fourth thermal coupling section 1021, and the second thermal coupling section 1034 is not in direct contact with the heating portion 102.

It will be appreciated that external threads 10211 may be used to removably connect hot end 10 to an external structure (e.g., extrusion assembly 11); alternatively, external threads 10211 may be used to removably couple heating portion 102 to a throat (not shown) of hot end 10. The internal threads 10222 may be used to mate with a threaded structure on the nozzle portion 103 to removably couple the heating portion 102 to the nozzle portion 103.

In an embodiment, a thread structure for matching with the internal thread 10222 is formed on the outer side of the first thermal coupling section 1033, so that the first thermal coupling section 1033 and the third thermal coupling section 1022 can be detachably connected.

In one embodiment, the diameter of the buffer section 1023 is smaller than the diameter of the third thermal coupling section 1022 or the fourth thermal coupling section 1021.

It can be appreciated that the buffer section 1023 is configured to reduce direct thermal coupling between the third thermal coupling section 1022 and the fourth thermal coupling section 1021, avoid excessive heat loss of the third thermal coupling section 1022, and enhance the heating effect of the third thermal coupling section 1022. The buffer section 1023 may be made of a strong and lightweight material, such as metallic titanium, so that the buffer section 1023 may be constructed as thin as possible.

In an embodiment, the third thermal coupling section 1022 is substantially cylindrical and is configured to match the first thermal coupling section 1033 that is also cylindrical, the third thermal coupling section 1022 may be configured to be sleeved with a ceramic heating ring (not shown) that is hollow and cylindrical, the ceramic heating ring is configured to be energized and generate heat, the third thermal coupling section 1022 is thermally coupled to the ceramic heating ring, and heat generated by the ceramic heating ring is transferred to the transmission channel 104 through the third thermal coupling section 1022 to heat and melt the consumable.

In other embodiments, the third thermal coupling section 1022 may be a functional structure having a heating capability, for example, a heating wire for heating is embedded in the third thermal coupling section 1022.

In one embodiment, the third thermal coupling section 1022 includes a protrusion 10231, and the protrusion 10231 protrudes away from the transmission channel 104 as compared to the outer wall 10221 of the third thermal coupling section 1022.

It will be appreciated that the protruding structure 10231 may enhance the heat conduction effect in cooperation with the nozzle portion 103 on the one hand, and increase the heat transfer effect by increasing the volume of the heat conduction medium on the other hand.

In one embodiment, the protruding structure 10231 is provided with a detection hole 10236, and the detection hole 10236 is used for accommodating a temperature sensor (not shown) for sensing the temperature of the hot end 10.

In this embodiment, the probe hole 10236 is a blind hole extending in the first direction X. In other embodiments, probe holes 10236 may be blind or through holes opened in other directions.

In this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be a thermistor. In other embodiments, the temperature sensor may also be other electronic components capable of sensing heat.

It can be appreciated that the detection hole 10236 is formed in the protruding structure 10231, so that on one hand, space can be reasonably utilized; on the other hand, a temperature sensor is provided in the protruding structure 10231, so that the detected consumable temperature is closer to the actual temperature of the consumable flowing into the nozzle portion 103, and the detection accuracy of the temperature sensor is improved.

As further shown in fig. 1 to 5, the nozzle inner tube 105 is substantially cylindrical, and the nozzle inner tube 105 is disposed corresponding to the first thermal coupling section 1033 of the nozzle portion 103, and the outer surface of the nozzle inner tube 105 is in abutting contact with the inner surface of the first thermal coupling section 1033.

In an embodiment, the nozzle inner tube 105 is disposed through along the first direction X, and the nozzle inner tube 105 includes a functional area 10422 and a buffer area 10421, wherein the functional area 10422 and the buffer area 10421 are all disposed through along the first direction X. The buffer region 10421 is disposed corresponding to the feeding side of the hot end 10, the functional region 10422 is disposed corresponding to the discharging side of the hot end 10, the buffer region 10421 is located on a side of the functional region 10422 away from the second thermal coupling section 1034, and the heat conducting portion 1024 is located in the functional region 10422. In the second direction Y, the cross-sectional area of the cavity corresponding to the buffer region 10421 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the cavity corresponding to the functional region 10422.

It can be appreciated that the consumable is preheated and softened in the buffer 10421, so as to avoid blocking or reducing the printing speed caused by direct contact of the unmelted hard consumable with the heat conducting portion 1024. Specifically, the buffer region 10421 can be used to prevent the joint (the fourth thermal coupling section 1021 and the third thermal coupling section 1022 are joined) from directly abutting against the functional region 10422 (provided with the heat conducting portion 1024), so as to avoid stacking or blocking of consumable materials with different fluid viscosities (different viscosities caused by different consumable material temperatures) at the joint due to suddenly increased extrusion pressure (the functional region has a reduced extrusion area due to the presence of the heat conducting portion 1024).

In an embodiment, in the second direction Y, the heat conducting portion 1024 includes a first end 10251 and a second end 10252 disposed at intervals, the first end 10251 is connected to the inner wall 1020, and the second end 10252 protrudes toward the center line of the transmission channel 104 to form a plurality of protruding portions 1025 disposed at intervals. The protruding direction of the protruding portion 1025 is along the second direction Y.

It can be appreciated that the second end 10252 extends toward the middle of the transmission channel 104, so that the central portion of the consumable flowing through the region can be directly contacted with the second end 10252 to be heated, the melting uniformity of the consumable is improved, the consumable is melted more fully, the viscosity and printing pressure of the consumable are reduced, the fully melted consumable can flow away quickly and is not easy to cause blockage, and the printing speed is improved.

In one embodiment, each protrusion 1025 is not in contact with each other, and a first end 10251 between any two adjacent protrusions 1025 is configured to form a recess 1026.

It can be appreciated that the protrusions 1025 do not contact each other, so that the portion of the transfer channel 104 (especially the functional area 10422) corresponding to the area where the heat conducting portion 1024 is located is not separated by the heat conducting portion 1024, and the transfer channel 104 is a complete communication area, so that the melted consumable material can have a higher flow rate when passing through the transfer channel 104. The plurality of concave parts 1026 are all located in the functional area 10422, and the plurality of concave parts 1026 are mutually communicated, and the transmission channel 104 is not separated by the plurality of convex parts 1025, so that the reduction of the flow rate of consumable materials caused by the reduction of the flow rate of the consumable materials is avoided, the flow rate of the consumable materials is improved, and the occurrence of blocking is avoided.

In one embodiment, the protruding portions 1025 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis of the transmission channel 104.

It can be appreciated that the plurality of convex portions 1025 symmetrically arranged make the overall consumable heated more uniformly, the flow rate more stable, the printing process more stable, and the printing quality is improved.

Further referring to fig. 6, in an embodiment, the plurality of protruding portions 1025 of the heat conducting portion 1024 are arranged at intervals in a spiral rotation.

It can be appreciated that the plurality of protrusions 1025 arranged in a spiral configuration can help promote the uniformity of the heating of the consumable.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, in an embodiment, the plurality of protruding portions 1025 are arranged along a first direction X, where the first direction X is an extending direction of the transmission channel 104; and/or, the plurality of concave portions 1026 are arranged along a first direction X, where the first direction X is an extending direction of the transmission channel 104.

It can be appreciated that the plurality of protruding portions 1025 and/or the plurality of recessed portions 1026 extend along the extending direction of the transmission channel 104, so that on one hand, the consumable is gradually heated and kept warm in the process of flowing through the transmission channel 104, and the uniformity of melting the consumable is improved to ensure the printing quality, and on the other hand, the obstruction to the flowing process of melting the consumable is reduced as much as possible, and the flow rate is improved.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional width of the male portion 1025 tapers from the first end 10251 to the second end 10252.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional width of recess 1026 gradually widens from second end 10252 to first end 10251.

It will be appreciated that the tapered protrusions 1025 correspond to the transfer channels 104 having circular cross-sections, and that the width of the recesses 1026 between adjacent protrusions 1025 are substantially the same or equidistant, so that the flow rate of the consumable material through the recesses 1026 and the heating of the consumable material are relatively balanced.

In one embodiment, the top of second end 10252 has a continuous arcuate surface.

It will be appreciated that the second end 10252 of the rounded top portion may promote the flow rate of the consumable and provide a more stable overall flow rate of the molten consumable.

As further shown in fig. 7, in one embodiment, the thermally conductive section 1024 includes four protrusions 1025.

As further shown in fig. 8, in one embodiment, the thermally conductive section 1024 includes eight protrusions 1025.

It will be appreciated that the number of protrusions 1025 may be selected to be suitable according to the specific flow rate or other printing requirements, and the number of protrusions 1025 may be other (e.g., six, twelve), and it is preferable that the protrusions 1025 are axially symmetrically distributed.

Referring further to fig. 9, an embodiment of the present utility model further provides a showerhead assembly 100, which includes an extrusion assembly 11, a heat sink assembly (not shown), and a hot end 10 according to any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the hot end 10 is connected to the heat sink assembly and the extrusion assembly 11.

It will be appreciated that the showerhead assembly 100 of the present utility model has a hot end 10 adapted for high speed printing, making the showerhead assembly 100 adaptable for high speed printing.

Referring further to fig. 10, an embodiment of the present utility model further provides a 3D printing apparatus 1, which includes an apparatus main body 12, a printing platform 13, and a spray head kit 100 or a hot end 10 according to the foregoing embodiment, where the hot end 10 and the printing platform 13 are respectively movably connected to the apparatus main body 12.

It will be appreciated that the 3D printing apparatus 1 of the present utility model has a hot end 10 adapted for high-speed printing, so that the 3D printing apparatus 1 may be used to implement high-speed printing, and the 3D printing apparatus 1 may further include other necessary functional units for implementing 3D printing, which is not described herein.

Hereinabove, the specific embodiments of the present utility model are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made to the specific embodiments of the utility model without departing from the scope thereof. Such modifications and substitutions are intended to be included within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims (12)

1. A hot end comprises a heating part and a nozzle part, and is characterized in that,

a transport passage for transporting consumable materials is formed in the nozzle portion, the transport passage being configured to extend in a first direction so as to penetrate the nozzle portion, the transport passage having an inner wall, the heating portion being configured to heat the transport passage from an outside of the nozzle portion;

the hot end further comprises:

the nozzle inner pipe is arranged in the transmission channel and comprises a heat conduction part; the heat conducting part is in contact with the transmission channel at least at one position and is thermally coupled with the heating part, the heat conducting part comprises a convex part which is arranged in a protruding mode from the inner wall to the central axis direction of the transmission channel in a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The hot end of claim 1, wherein in said second direction, said thermally conductive section includes first and second spaced apart ends; the first end is connected with the inner wall, and the second end protrudes towards the center line direction of the transmission channel to form a plurality of protruding parts which are arranged at intervals.

3. The hot end of claim 2, wherein each of said protrusions are not in contact with each other, and a first end between any adjacent two of said protrusions is configured to form a recess.

4. A hot end as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of said protrusions each extend in said first direction; and/or the plurality of concave parts are arranged along the first direction, and the first direction is the extending direction of the transmission channel.

5. A hot end as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional width of the boss tapers from the first end to the second end; and/or the cross-sectional width of the recess gradually widens from the second end toward the first end.

6. The hot end of claim 1, wherein said nozzle portion includes a first thermally coupled section and a second thermally coupled section, said transfer passage having a cross-sectional area in said second direction that is greater at said first thermally coupled section than at said second thermally coupled section, said nozzle inner tube being disposed at said first thermally coupled section; the heating part is sleeved on the outer side of the nozzle part and comprises a third thermal coupling section in fit contact with the first thermal coupling section.

7. The hot end of claim 6, wherein in the first direction, the second thermally coupled section comprises a transition section, a accumulating section, and an exit section arranged in sequence, the transition section connecting the first thermally coupled section and the accumulating section, consumables in the second thermally coupled section passing through the transition section and then entering the accumulating section and being extruded from the exit section;

in the second direction, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the transition section is smaller than that of the transmission channel at the first thermal coupling section, the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the transition section is larger than that of the transmission channel at the accumulation section, and the cross-sectional area of the transmission channel at the accumulation section is larger than that of the transmission channel at the outlet section.

8. The hot end of claim 7, wherein said second thermally coupled section further comprises an extension section extending from said outlet section in the direction of extrusion of the consumable, said transfer channel having a smaller cross-sectional area at said extension section than at said outlet section.

9. The hot end of claim 6, wherein the heating portion further comprises a fourth thermal coupling section connected to the third thermal coupling section, the third thermal coupling section and the fourth thermal coupling section being connected by a buffer section, the buffer section having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the third thermal coupling section or the fourth thermal coupling section.

10. The hot end of claim 6, wherein the nozzle inner tube is disposed through along the first direction, the nozzle inner tube includes a functional region and a buffer region, the functional region and the buffer region are disposed through along the first direction, the buffer region is disposed corresponding to a feeding side of the hot end, the functional region is disposed corresponding to a discharging side of the hot end, the buffer region is disposed on a side of the functional region away from the second thermal coupling section, the heat conducting portion is disposed in the functional region, and a cross-sectional area of a cavity corresponding to the buffer region is greater than a cross-sectional area of a cavity corresponding to the functional region in the second direction.

11. A showerhead kit comprising an extrusion assembly, a heat sink assembly and a hot end according to any one of claims 1 to 10, said hot end being connected to said heat sink assembly and extrusion assembly.

12. A 3D printing apparatus, comprising an apparatus main body, a printing platform, and a hot end according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or a showerhead kit according to claim 11, the hot end and the printing platform being respectively movably connected with the apparatus main body.