WO2023169505A1

WO2023169505A1 - Storage box for 3d printer and 3d printer

Info

Publication number: WO2023169505A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/080441
Authority: WO
Inventors: 田开望
Original assignee: 上海轮廓科技有限公司
Priority date: 2022-03-10
Filing date: 2023-03-09
Publication date: 2023-09-14
Also published as: CN217319340U

Abstract

A storage box for a 3D printer and a 3D printer. The storage box comprises: an upper cover, which has a first peripheral edge at a capping end; a box body, which has a second peripheral edge at the capping end, wherein a first channel is formed on a side wall of the box body, and the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge match each other by means of a first sealing structure and a second sealing structure; a communication assembly, wherein an external terminal of the communication assembly extends to the outside from the interior of a storage space by means of an external window formed in the side wall; and a first sealing member, which is pressed between a main body part and an inner surface of the side wall.

Description

Storage boxes and 3D printers for 3D printers

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 2022205221142 filed on March 10, 2022, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a material storage box for a 3D printer and a 3D printer.

Background technique

3D printer, also known as three-dimensional printer and three-dimensional printer, is a kind of process equipment for rapid prototyping, which is usually realized by printing materials using digital technology. 3D printers are often used to manufacture models or parts in fields such as mold manufacturing and industrial design. In recent years, 3D printing technology has gained popularity in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, firearms, and other fields. High application prospects.

The three-dimensional printing method known in the art, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), is a method based on digital models that uses materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct three-dimensional objects through layer-by-layer printing. The three-dimensional printer used is The molding material is supplied to the print head in the form of filaments, and the molding material is heated to a molten state by electrical heating in the print head. The print head prints a three-dimensional object layer by layer according to the movement path of the print head relative to the substrate generated by the controller of the three-dimensional printer.

Existing 3D printers are generally provided with a storage box for storing printing filaments and providing the printing filaments to the print head. The storage box is provided with an outlet for outputting the printing filaments. However, moisture outside the storage box can easily enter the inside of the storage box through the above-mentioned outlet, resulting in a decrease in printing quality.

Contents of the invention

According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage box for a 3D printer is provided, which is characterized in that it includes: an upper cover having a first peripheral edge at the cover end; a box body, the upper cover and the box The two bodies jointly define a storage space, the box body has a second peripheral edge at the lid end, and a first passage connecting the inside and outside of the storage space is formed on the side wall of the box body. channel, wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge cooperate with each other through the first sealing structure and the second sealing structure;; communication component, the main body of the communication component is fixed on the inner surface of the side wall, and the external terminal of the communication component passes through The external window opened on the side wall extends from the inside of the storage space to the outside; and the first sealing member is pressed between the main body and the inner surface of the side wall to form a seal between the first sealing member and the inner surface of the side wall. Structure to seal exterior windows.

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a 3D printer is provided, including: a print head; and the above-mentioned storage box, wherein the storage space of the storage box is used to accommodate printing wires, and the printing wires are used to be transported to Print head for 3D printing.

These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Description of the drawings

Further details, features and advantages of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following description of example embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a storage box according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the storage box shown in Figure 1 along the Y-Z plane;

Figure 3 shows an enlarged structural view of the fixing mechanism of the storage box shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a communication assembly and a first seal according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 5 shows an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the first sealing structure and the second sealing structure according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a storage box according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed ways

In related technologies, some storage boxes used in 3D printers are not waterproof. Although some storage boxes are waterproof, they can only be used to store wires and cannot discharge and change materials.

To this end, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a storage box for a 3D printer and a 3D printer, which enables the storage box to transport wire materials to the outside world and communicate with the outside world to switch wire materials, while also having a waterproof function to ensure Drying of printing filament in storage box.

The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a storage box according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage box for a 3D printer, including: an upper cover 100 , a box body 200 , a second seal 300 , a communication component 400 and a first seal 500 .

As shown in Figure 1, the upper cover 100 and the box body 200 jointly define a storage space. The upper cover 100 has a semi-cylindrical structure. The upper cover 100 has a first peripheral edge 110 at the closing end. In other embodiments, the upper cover 100 can also be in other shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped structure.

The box 200 has a rectangular parallelepiped structure. The box 200 includes four side walls 210 . In other embodiments, the box body 200 may also be of other shapes and include more or less than four side walls 210 . The box body 200 has a second peripheral edge 220 at the closing end. The first peripheral edge 110 and the second peripheral edge 220 may cooperate with each other through the first sealing structure 600 and the second sealing structure 700 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , a first channel 201 is formed on one of the side walls 210 of the box body 200 (ie, the rear wall shown in FIG. 1 ) to connect the inside and outside of the storage space. One end of the first channel 201 is arranged inside the material storage space, and the other end is arranged outside the material storage space. The second sealing member 300 is disposed inside the first channel 201 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the communication component 400 is also fixed on the inner surface of the side wall 210 of the box 200 . Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the communication assembly 400 includes a main body 401 and at least one external terminal 402 . The side wall 210 is provided with an external window 202 at a fixed position of the communication component 400 for at least one external terminal 402 to extend from the inside of the storage space to the outside through the external window 202 to connect with external circuits to achieve external communication. communication. The main body 401 of the communication component 400 is fixed on the inner surface of the side wall 210 .

The first sealing member 500 is pressed between the main body part 401 and the inner surface of the side wall 210 , and enables the first sealing member 500 and the inner surface of the side wall 210 to form a sealing structure to seal the external window 202 .

Therefore, by setting sealing structures at the cover end of the storage box, the discharge channel, and the external port of the communication component, the storage box can transport wire materials to the outside world and communicate with the outside world while being waterproof. The function ensures the dryness of the printing filament in the storage box.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first sealing structure 600 may be disposed on the second peripheral edge 220 , and the second sealing structure 700 may be disposed on the first peripheral edge 110 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the first sealing structure 600 includes a sealing ring 601 and a first groove 602 in which the sealing ring 601 is arranged. In one example, the first groove 602 and the second peripheral edge 220 may be integrally formed. For example, the second peripheral edge 220 may have a depression extending along the length direction of the second peripheral edge 220 , the depression forming the first groove 602 . The second sealing structure 700 includes ribs 701 that cooperate with the sealing ring 601 . In one example, the second The sealing structure 700 and the first peripheral edge 110 of the upper cover 100 may be integrally formed. For example, the first outer peripheral edge 110 may have a protrusion extending along the length direction of the first outer peripheral edge 110 , and the protrusion forms a rib 701 .

In some embodiments, the sealing ring 601 may include a second groove 603 with an open end disposed in conjunction with the rib 701 . Therefore, by configuring the sealing ring 601 to have a groove structure, a ring of ribs 701 on the upper cover 100 can be inserted into the sealing ring 601 more closely, thereby improving the waterproof effect.

In some embodiments, the first groove 602 includes first and second sidewalls 604a, 604b that are opposed to each other, and the second groove 603 includes third and fourth sidewalls 605a, 605b that are opposed to each other. A first cavity 606a and a second cavity 606b are respectively provided between the first side wall 604a and the third side wall 605a, and between the second side wall 604b and the fourth side wall 605b. Therefore, by providing cavities on both sides of the sealing ring 601, the rigidity of the sealing ring structure is reduced and the opening and closing feel is improved.

In some embodiments, the third side wall 605a and the fourth side wall 605b are respectively provided with chamfers at the open end of the second groove 603. In the example of Figure 5, the chamfers of the third side wall 605a and the fourth side wall 605b are opposite to each other. This can realize the guiding function of the rib position when closing the cover, avoiding lax closing of the cover due to misalignment and affecting the waterproof effect.

In some embodiments, the third and fourth sidewalls 605a, 605b may include opposing first and second protrusions 607a, 607b, respectively. The thickness of the rib 701 is greater than the distance between the first protrusion 607a and the second protrusion 607b. This allows the ribs to be more tightly inserted into the sealing ring, thereby improving the waterproofing effect.

In some embodiments, the first sealing structure 600 may be disposed on the first peripheral edge 110 and the second sealing structure 700 may be disposed on the second peripheral edge 220 . In one example, the first groove 602 and the first peripheral edge 110 may be integrally formed. In one example, the second sealing structure 700 and the second peripheral edge 220 of the box body 200 may be integrally formed.

In some embodiments, the sealing ring 601 may be made of elastic material such as silicone or rubber, thereby further improving the waterproof effect.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 , the second seal 300 may include a second channel 301 extending in the same direction as the first channel 201 . The interior of the second seal 300 may include at least one annular protrusion 302 distributed along the extension direction of the second channel 301 . In the example of FIG. 2 , the interior of the second seal 300 includes two annular protrusions 302 , which are distributed side by side in the extension direction of the second channel 301 . Each annular protrusion 302 extends along the circumferential direction of the second channel 301 to form an annular shape. Therefore, when the wire is transported from the above-mentioned second channel When it comes out, the guide tube that conveys the wire rod is sealed by squeezing the annular protrusion, thereby improving the waterproof effect of the storage box.

In some embodiments, the second seal 300 may be made of elastic material such as silicone or rubber, thereby further improving the waterproof effect.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the storage box of the present disclosure may further include a fixing mechanism 203 disposed on the inner surface of the side wall 201 . The fixing mechanism 203 may be composed of a bracket structure 204 integrally formed with the inner surface of the side wall 201 around the external window, a plurality of screw hole structures 205, and a plurality of screws 206 matching the plurality of screw hole structures 205. The bracket structure 204 is integrated with the inner surface of the side wall 201 , which means that the bracket structure is a part of the inner surface of the side wall 201 . The following are some examples where the bracket structure 204 is integrally formed with the inner surface of the side wall 201 . The bracket structure 204 is embedded in the inner surface of the side wall 201 . The bracket structure 204 is closely attached to the inner surface of the side wall 201, and the bracket structure 204 and the inner surface of the side wall 201 form an integrated structure. The bracket structure 204 is directly embedded or fixed on the inner surface of the side wall 201, and the bracket structure 204 and the inner surface of the side wall 201 form a seamless overall structure. A portion of the support structure 204 may form a structure surrounding the exterior window 202 . The main body 401 of the communication assembly 400 and the first sealing member 500 can be fixed and locked on the bracket structure 204 through a plurality of screws 206 in turn, so that the first sealing member 500 and the bracket structure 204 seal the external window 202 together.

In some embodiments, first seal 500 may be a gasket. The first seal 500 can be made of elastic material such as silicone or rubber, thereby further improving the waterproof effect.

In some embodiments, communication component 400 may be a printed circuit board. The communication assembly 400 may also include at least one internal terminal 403 for communicating with a refueling mechanism stored inside the storage box.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the upper cover 100 and the box body 200 may be connected through the rotating part 800 . The upper cover 100 and the box body 200 can rotate relative to each other through the rotating part 800 to open or close the storage space. In one example, the rotating part 800 may have a hinge structure. In one example, the rotating part 800 may be a joint part integrally formed with both the upper cover 100 and the box body 200 . Through the setting of the rotating part, the box body and the upper cover can be opened and closed conveniently, and the limitations of the structure can also further improve the waterproof performance.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the upper cover 100 may be provided with an extension portion 101 on an edge opposite to the rotating portion 800 . The extending portion 101 extends in a direction away from the rotating portion 800 . At least one knob 207 may be provided on an edge of the box body 200 opposite to the rotating part for cooperating with the extension part 101 to lock the upper cover 100 and the box body 200 . As a result, the upper cover and the box body can be locked with the help of the knob, further ensuring the sealing performance of the storage box.

In some embodiments, an opening portion 102 can be provided on the extension portion 101 of the upper cover 100, so that the upper cover 100 can be opened conveniently.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a 3D printer. The 3D printer includes: a print head and the above-mentioned material storage box. The printing filament in the storage space of the storage box is used to be transported to the print head. The print head heats the above-mentioned printing filament and melts it. Subsequently, the print head further extrudes the molten printing filament for 3D printing.

It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear" , "Left", "Right", "Vertical", "Horizontal", "Top", "Bottom", "Inside", "Outside", "Clockwise", "Counterclockwise", "Axis", " The orientation or positional relationship or dimensions indicated by "radial", "circumferential", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the drawings. These terms are used only for convenience of description and do not indicate or imply the device or device to which they are referred. Elements must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features. In the description of the present disclosure, "plurality" means two or more than two, unless otherwise expressly and specifically limited.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly stated and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and other terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection. , or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two elements or an interaction between two elements . For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly stated and limited, a first feature "on" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features in direct contact, or may include the first and second features. Not in direct contact but through additional characteristic contact between them. Furthermore, the terms "above", "above" and "above" a first feature on a second feature include the first feature being directly above and diagonally above the second feature, or simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. “Below”, “under” and “under” the first feature is the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is less horizontally than the second feature.

This specification provides many different embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the disclosure. It should be understood that these various embodiments or examples are purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A material storage box for 3D printers, including:

Upper cover, the upper cover has a first peripheral edge at the cover end;

The box body, the upper cover and the box body jointly define a storage space, the box body has a second peripheral edge at the lid closing end, and an interior portion connected to the storage space is formed on the side wall of the box body and an external first channel, wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge cooperate with each other through a first sealing structure and a second sealing structure;

Communication component, the main body of the communication component is fixed on the inner surface of the side wall, and the external terminal of the communication component extends from the inside of the storage space to the outside through the external window opened on the side wall. ;as well as

The first sealing member is pressed between the main body part and the inner surface of the side wall, so that the first sealing member and the inner surface of the side wall form a sealing structure to seal the external window.
The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing structure includes a sealing ring and a first groove for arranging the sealing ring, and the second sealing structure includes a sealing ring that cooperates with the sealing ring. Muscle position.
The storage box according to claim 2, wherein the sealing ring includes a second groove, and the second groove has an open end for mating with the rib.
The storage box of claim 3, wherein the first groove includes a first side wall and a second side wall that are opposite to each other, and the second groove includes a third side wall and a fourth side wall that are opposite to each other. side walls, and wherein a first cavity and a second cavity are respectively provided between the first side wall and the third side wall and between the second side wall and the fourth side wall.
The storage box according to claim 4, wherein the third side wall and the fourth side wall are respectively provided with chamfers at the open end of the second groove.
The storage box according to claim 4, wherein the third side wall and the fourth side wall respectively include a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion The ribs are opposite to each other, and the thickness of the ribs is greater than the distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.
The storage box according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the first sealing structure is provided on the first peripheral edge, and the second sealing structure is provided on the second peripheral edge.
The storage box of claim 7, wherein the first groove is integrally formed with the first peripheral edge.
The storage box according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the first sealing structure is provided on the second peripheral edge, and the second sealing structure is provided on the first peripheral edge.
The storage box according to claim 9, wherein the first groove and the second peripheral edge are integrally formed.
The material storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a second sealing member disposed inside the first channel, the second sealing member being used to accommodate the material in the storage space. The printing wire passes through to the outside.
The storage box according to claim 11, wherein the second sealing member includes a second channel extending in the same direction as the first channel, and the interior of the second sealing member includes a second channel extending along the At least one annular protrusion is distributed in the extension direction of the second channel.
The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a fixing mechanism for fixing the main body of the communication component to the inner surface of the side wall, the fixing mechanism including a There is a bracket structure integrally formed with the inner surface of the side wall around the external window, a plurality of screw hole structures, and a plurality of screws matching the plurality of screw hole structures, and the main body of the communication component is connected to the The first sealing member is fixed on the bracket structure through the plurality of screws and the plurality of screw hole structures, and the first sealing member seals the external window together with the bracket structure.
The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper cover and the box body are connected through a rotating part, and the upper cover and the box body can be relatively relative to each other through the rotating part. Turn to open or close the storage space.
The storage box according to claim 12, wherein the upper cover is provided with an extension part on an edge opposite to the rotating part, and the storage box further includes:

At least one knob, each of the at least one knob is provided on an edge of the box opposite to the rotating part, and the at least one knob is used to cooperate with the extension part to Lock the upper cover and the box body.
A 3D printer including:

printhead; and

The storage box according to any one of claims 1 to 15,

Wherein, the storage space of the storage box is used to accommodate printing wires, and the printing wires are used to be transported to the print head for 3D printing.