Extrusion device of three-dimensional printer and cooling mechanism and cooling method thereof

• US 10,525,693 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECO Image Systems Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: TECO Image Systems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chou, Ken-Te, Chen, Ting-Chun, Chang, Yu-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Darnell, Baileigh Kate
• Application Number:
  US15/259,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20180015656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/02 Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2566 Die parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/87 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

An extrusion device of a three-dimensional printer comprises a housing, a nozzle, a ratchet, an idler and a cooling mechanism. The nozzle is connected with the housing, the ratchet is disposed in the housing, and the idler is disposed adjacent to the ratchet. A thermofusible material is jointly held by the ratchet and the idler, and is guided to be extruded through the nozzle. The cooling mechanism comprises an air pump and an air pipe. The air pipe is partially disposed in the housing and connected with the air pump for guiding the air extracted by the air pump to flow into the housing through the air pipe, thereby reducing an environment temperature inside the housing. Therefore, by disposing the air-guiding cooling mechanism, the advantages of enhancing the cooling effect and the printing quality are achieved.

Claims

1. An extrusion device of a three-dimensional printer, comprising:

a housing;

a nozzle connected with the housing;

a ratchet disposed in the housing;

an idler disposed adjacent to the ratchet, wherein a thermofusible material is jointly held by the ratchet and the idler and guided to be extruded through the nozzle; and

a cooling mechanism comprising an air pump and an air pipe, wherein the air pipe is partially disposed in the housing and is connected with the air pump,

wherein the air pipe is configured for guiding the air extracted by the air pump to flow to the extrusion device, and an air vent of the air pipe is directly disposed toward the thermofusible material.

2. The extrusion device of the three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein when the ratchet is rotated, a normal force is provided to the thermofusible material by the idler, the thermofusible material is guided to be extruded through the nozzle, and the idler is driven to rotate by the thermofusible material, wherein the rotation direction of the idler is opposite to the rotation direction of the ratchet.

3. The extrusion device of the three-dimensional printer according to claim 1 further comprising a temperature detection element disposed adjacent to the ratchet for sensing the temperature.

4. The extrusion device of the three-dimensional printer according to claim 1 further comprising a temperature-controlled chamber, wherein the housing and the nozzle are disposed in the temperature-controlled chamber, the air pump is disposed outside the temperature-controlled chamber, and the air pipe is partially disposed in the temperature-controlled chamber for guiding the air extracted by the air pump to flow into the housing through the air pipe, thereby reducing the environment temperature inside the housing.

5. The extrusion device of the three-dimensional printer according to claim 4 further comprising a heating plate disposed relative to the nozzle in the temperature-controlled chamber.

6. The cooling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the air pipe is a flexible pipe.