Tube exchanging device of three dimensional printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018311908-A1
Application number	US-201715609152-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tube exchanging device of a three dimensional (3D) printer for allowing containers of multiple materials (tubes) to be used in printing includes a plurality of tubes and a holder. The holder comprises a first side wall and a first bottom wall, and a plurality of first clamping parts is installed on the first side wall. Each first clamping part fixes a tube on the holder, each first clamping part comprises two hooking parts, which are set in two front ends of the first clamping part. Each tube comprises a guiding surface and two locking surfaces. When the two hooking parts slide from the guiding surface to the two locking surfaces, the two hooking parts are limited by the two locking surfaces to fix the tube on the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tube exchanging device of a three dimensional (3D) printer, the tube exchanging device comprising:
a plurality of tubes; and a holder comprising a first side wall and a first bottom wall, a plurality of first clamping parts installed on the first side wall; wherein each of the plurality of first clamping parts is configured to fix a tube on the holder, each of the plurality of first clamping parts comprises two hooking parts, which are set in two front ends of the first clamping part; each tube comprises a guiding surface and two locking surfaces; when the two hooking parts slide from the guiding surface to the two locking surfaces, the two hooking parts are limited by the two locking surfaces to fix the tube on the holder.

2 . The tube exchanging device of claim 1 , further comprising a printing base; wherein the printing base comprises a second side wall and a second bottom wall; and a second clamping part is installed on the second side wall, and the printing base grasps a tube from the holder through the second clamping part.

3 . The tube exchanging device of claim 2 , wherein the first clamping part and the second clamping part are leaf springs.

4 . The tube exchanging device of claim 2 , wherein each hooking part comprises a first diagonal surface; and the second clamping part comprises two second diagonal surfaces, which are set in two front ends of the second clamping part.

5 . The tube exchanging device of claim 4 , wherein when a first tube is fixed on the holder by the first clamping part, a first distance between the two front ends of the first clamping part is greater than a second distance between the two front ends of the second clamping part; when the printing base grasps the first tube from the holder through the second clamping part, the printing base moves toward the holder, and the second clamping part jacks up the first clamping part to grasp the first tube.

6 . The tube exchanging device of claim 5 , wherein when the printing base moves a predetermined distance toward the holder, the printing base switches to move away from the holder to take the first clamping part and second clamping part out of contact.

7 . The tube exchanging device of claim 4 , wherein when a first tube is fixed on the printing base by the second clamping part, a first distance between the two front ends of the first clamping part is less than a second distance between the two front ends of the second clamping part; when the printing base replaces the first tube to the holder through the second clamping part, the printing base moves toward the holder, and the first clamping part jacks up the second clamping part to grasp the first tube.

8 . The tube exchanging device of claim 7 , wherein when two hooking parts of the first clamping part respectively slide to two locking surfaces of the first tube, the printing base switches to move away from the holder to take the first clamping part and second clamping part out of contact.

9 . The tube exchanging device of claim 1 , wherein the locking surface comprises a clamping surface and a limiting surface; the limiting surface is located between the guiding surface and the clamping surface; and the hooking part slides from the guiding surface to the clamping surface to be limited by the limiting surface.

10 . A tube exchanging device of a 3D printer, the tube exchanging device comprising:
a holder comprising a first side wall and a first bottom wall, and a plurality of first clamping parts installed on the first side wall; a plurality of tubes fixed on the holder through the plurality of first clamping parts; a printing base comprising a second side wall and a second bottom wall, and a second clamping part installed on the second side wall; and a driver; wherein each of the plurality of first clamping parts comprises two hooking parts, which are set in two front ends of the first clamping part; each of the plurality of tubes comprises a guiding surface and two locking surfaces; the two hooking parts are limited by the two locking surfaces to fix the tube on the holder; and the driver drives the printing base to grasps each of the plurality of tubes from the holder through the second clamping part.

11 . The tube exchanging device of claim 10 , wherein the first clamping part and the second clamping part are leaf springs.

12 . The tube exchanging device of claim 10 , wherein each hooking part comprises a first diagonal surface; and the second clamping part comprises two second diagonal surfaces, which are set in two front ends of the second clamping part.

13 . The tube exchanging device of claim 12 , wherein when a first tube is fixed on the holder by the first clamping part, a first distance between the two front ends of the first clamping part is greater than a second distance between the two front ends of the second clamping part; when the printing base grasps the first tube from the holder through the second clamping part, the driver drives the printing base to move toward the holder, and the second clamping part jacks up the first clamping part to grasp the first tube.

14 . The tube exchanging device of claim 13 , when the printing base moves a predetermined distance toward the holder, the driver drives the printing base to move away from the holder to take the first clamping part and second clamping part out of contact.

15 . The tube exchanging device of claim 12 , wherein when a first tube is fixed on the printing base by the second clamping part, a first distance between the two front ends of the first clamping part is less than a second distance between the two front ends of the second clamping part; when the printing base replaces the first tube to the holder through the second clamping part, the driver drives the printing base to move toward the holder, and the first clamping part jacks up the second clamping part to grasp the first tube.

16 . The tube exchanging device of claim 15 , wherein when two hooking parts of the first clamping part slide to two locking surfaces of the first tube, the driver drives the printing base to move away from the holder to take the first clamping part and second clamping part out of contact.

17 . The tube exchanging device of claim 10 , wherein the locking surface comprises a clamping surface and a limiting surface; the limiting surface is located between the guiding surface and the clamping surface; and the hooking part slides from the guiding surface to the clamping surface to be limited by the limiting surface.

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Shao-Hung

Classifications

• A23P20/20 Primary

  Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers · CPC title

• A23P2020/253

  Coating food items by printing onto them; Printing layers of food products · CPC title

• B29C67/0085 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B29C64/20

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