Three-dimensional printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018222126-A1
Application number	US-201715464364-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	Aug 9, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A 3D printing apparatus including a forming assembly, a scraping tool, a first collection tank, a sweeping tool and a second collection tank is provided. A roller of the forming assembly is adhered with a forming material during a forming process. When the roller is rotated, the scraping tool removes the forming material adhered on the surface of the roller. The scraping tool is disposed between the first collection tank and the roller. The forming material removed from the surface of the roller is guided into the first collection tank. The sweeping tool is configured to sweep the forming material in the first collection tank to a position of the first collection tank. The second collection tank is connected to the position of the first collection tank to receive the forming material swept to the position by the sweeping tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:
a forming assembly, having a roller, and configured to produce and stack a forming material to form a three-dimensional object during a forming process, wherein a surface of the roller is adhered with the forming material during the forming process; a scraping tool, disposed beside the roller, and attached to the surface of the roller, wherein when the roller is rotated, the scraping tool removes the forming material adhered on the surface of the roller; a first collection tank, disposed beside the scraping tool and located opposite to the roller, such that the scraping tool leans between the first collection tank and the roller, and the forming material removed from the surface of the roller is guided into the first collection tank by the scraping tool; a sweeping tool, movably leaned against the first collection tank to sweep the forming material in the first collection tank to a position of the first collection tank; and a second collection tank, connected to the position of the first collection tank to receive the forming material swept to the position by the sweeping tool.

2 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the roller is rotated with a rotation shaft, and the sweeping tool moves along a sweeping path to sweep the forming material in the first collection tank, wherein the sweeping path is parallel to the rotation shaft.

3 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
a first guide post, the sweeping tool movably disposed on the first guide post, and an extending direction of the first guide post is parallel to the sweeping path; a transmission assembly, connected to the sweeping tool; and a motor, connected to the transmission assembly, and driving the transmission assembly to drive the sweeping tool to move along the sweeping path.

4 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the sweeping tool further comprises:
a first moving member, movably disposed on the first guide post and connected to the transmission assembly; a second moving member, movably disposed on the first moving member and connected to the transmission assembly; a moving base, disposed in the second moving member; an elastic member, retractably leaned between the moving base and the second moving member; and a paddle, disposed on the moving base, wherein the moving base floats relative to the second moving member through the elastic member, such that the paddle leans against the first collection tank and is adapted to a surface contour of a bottom surface of the first collection tank.

5 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a movable direction of the second moving member relative to the first moving member is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the first collection tank.

6 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first moving member has a first opening and a second opening, the first guide post penetrates through the first opening, the second moving member has a second guide post, and the second guide post penetrates through the second opening along the movable direction.

7 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first collection tank has a slot hole, the second moving member further comprises a convex post, the convex post is disposed in the slot hole, and is adapted to move along an extending direction of the slot hole, and when the sweeping tool is driven by the transmission assembly, the second moving member is moved in the first collection tank through the convex post along the extending direction of the slot hole.

8 . A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:
a forming assembly, having a roller, and configured to produce and stack a forming material to form a three-dimensional object during a forming process, wherein a surface of the roller is adhered with the forming material during the foaming process; and a scraping tool; a sweeping tool; and at least one collection tank, wherein the scraping tool leans between the surface of the roller and the collection tank, so as to scrap the forming material adhered to the surface of the roller when the roller is rotated, wherein both of the scraping tool and the roller extend along an axial direction, and the sweeping tool leans against the scraping tool and moves along the axial direction, so as to sweep the forming material on the scraping tool to the collection tank.

9 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one collection tank comprises a first collection tank disposed beside the scraping tool and located opposite to the roller, such that the scraping tool leans between the first collection tank and the roller, and at least a part of the forming material on the scraping tool is guided into the first collection tank.

10 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a second collection tank, wherein the first collection tank extends along the axial direction, the second collection tank is disposed at one end of the first collection tank along the axial direction, the second collection tank is connected to the first collection tank, and the sweeping tool leans against both of the scraping tool and the first collection tank to sweep the forming material into the second collection tank.

11 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the roller is rotated with a rotation shaft, and the sweeping tool moves along a sweeping path to sweep the forming material in the first collection tank, wherein the sweeping path is parallel to the rotation shaft and the axial direction.

12 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
a first guide post, the sweeping tool movably disposed on the first guide post, and an extending direction of the first guide post is parallel to the sweeping path; a transmission assembly, connected to the sweeping tool; and a motor, connected to the transmission assembly, and driving the transmission assembly to drive the sweeping tool to move along the sweeping path.

13 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sweeping tool further comprises:
a first moving member, movably disposed on the first guide post and connected to the transmission assembly; a second moving member, movably disposed on the first moving member and connected to the transmission assembly; a moving base, disposed in the second moving member; an elastic member, retractably leaned between the moving base and the second moving member; and a paddle, disposed on the moving base, wherein the moving base floats relative to the second moving member through the elastic member, such that the paddle leans against the first collection tank and is adapted to a surface contour of a bottom surface of the first collection tank.

14 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a movable direction of the second moving member relative to the first moving member is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the first collection tank.

15 . The three-dimensional printing apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first moving member has a first opening and a second opening, the first guide post penetrates through the first opening, the second moving member has a second guide post, and the second guide post penetrates through the second opening al

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc

Inventors

• Hsu Che-Ming

Classifications

• B29C64/35 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/205 Primary

  Means for applying layers · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/112 Primary

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title