Stereolithography 3D printer

• US 10,639,852 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: XYZprinting, Inc.
• Inventors: Pang, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mongelli, Guy F
• Application Number:
  US15/698,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20190070793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 425375
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/002 Making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles B29C53/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/223 Foils or films, e.g. for transferring layers of building material from one working station to another
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/357 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/00 Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00

Abstract

A stereolithography 3D printer (10) includes: a transporting mechanism (1) having a translucent conveyor belt (11) with its top divided into a discharge area (13) and a receiving area (14); a discharging mechanism (2) installed in the discharge area (13) and including a first material box (21) and a discharge nozzle (22) corresponsive to the first material box (21), and the first material box (21) having a discharge port (211); and a recycling mechanism (3) installed in the receiving area (14) and including a second material box (31) and a receiving sucker tip (32), and the first material box (21) and second material box (31) being disposed adjacent or attached to the translucent conveyor belt (11), and the receiving sucker tip (32) being corresponsive to the second material box (31), and the second material box (31) having a receiving port (311).

Claims

1. A stereolithography 3D printer used for a printing material (100), the stereolithography 3D printer (10) comprising:

a transporting mechanism (1), including a translucent conveyor belt (11) divided into a discharge area (13) and a receiving area (14) and a curing area (15) defined between the discharge area (13) and the receiving area (14);

a discharging mechanism (2), installed in the discharge area (13), and including a first material box (21) and a discharge nozzle (22), and the first material box (21) being disposed adjacent or attached to the translucent conveyor belt (11), and the discharge nozzle (22) being located in the first material box (21), and the first material box (21) having a discharge port (211) formed on a side thereof;

a recycling mechanism (3), installed in the receiving area (14), and including a second material box (31) and a receiving sucker tip (32), and the second material box (31) being disposed adjacent or attached to the translucent conveyor belt (11), and the receiving sucker tip (32) located in the second material box (31), and the second material box (31) having a receiving port (311) formed on a side thereof, and the discharge port (211) and the receiving port (311) being configured to be corresponsive to each other, and the translucent conveyor belt (11) moving in a direction from the discharge port (211) towards the receiving port (311);

a moving platform (4), installed in the curing area (15), and having a bearing surface (41) disposed opposite to the translucent conveyor belt (11); and

a light source (5), configured to be corresponsive to the curing area (15),

wherein the discharge nozzle (22) fills the printing material (100) into the first material box (21), and the translucent conveyor belt (11) continues moving in the direction from the discharge port (211) towards the receiving port (311), so that the printing material (100) gradually forms an appropriate area in the first material box (21), when printing material (100) stays on the curing area (15) and the moving platform (4) moves towards the translucent conveyor belt (11) to have the bearing surface (41) touch the printing material (100), a curing layer (200) of the printing material (100) is formed by projection of the light source (5) to the printing material (100), and the curing layer (200) chooses the bearing surface (41) with a surface friction coefficient greater than that of the translucent conveyor belt (11) to be attached thereon, and a remaining of the printing material (110) stays on the translucent conveyor belt (11), the translucent conveyor belt (11) continues moving in a direction from the discharge port (211) towards the receiving port (311), and the remaining of the printing material (100) enters the second material box (31) through the receiving port (311), and the remaining of printing material (100) is sucked and recycled by the receiving sucker tip (32).

2. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the discharge port (211) has a first opening width (a) smaller than a second opening width (b) of the receiving port (311).

3. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the discharging mechanism (2) further includes an adjustable gate (24) installed in the discharge port (211) and capable of moving towards or away from the translucent conveyor belt (11).

4. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 3, wherein the adjustable gate (24) has a scraper (241).

5. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the translucent conveyor belt (11) is a translucent film (111), and the transporting mechanism (1) further includes two reels (12), and each end of the translucent film (111) is wound on one of the two reels (12).

6. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the discharging mechanism (2) further includes a plurality of material tubes (23) installed on the discharge nozzle (22).

7. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the recycling mechanism (3) further includes a plurality of suction tubes (33) installed on the receiving sucker tip (32).

8. The stereolithography 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the light source (5) and the moving platform (14) are installed on two opposite sides of the translucent conveyor belt (11).