Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an ink jet device and 3D printing equipment, which can improve the uniformity and consistency of ink supply, improve the ink jet quality and further improve the printing effect.
Embodiments of the present invention are implemented as follows:
In one aspect of the embodiment of the invention, an ink jet device is provided, which comprises a controller, a negative pressure box component, an ink storage box, a bottom plate and a plurality of nozzle components uniformly distributed on the bottom plate, wherein each nozzle component is communicated with an ink supply box component, the nozzle component comprises a nozzle, an ink inlet and an ink return opening which are mutually communicated, the ink supply box component comprises an ink supply cavity and an ink return cavity, the ink inlet is communicated with the ink supply cavity, the ink return opening is communicated with the ink return cavity, the negative pressure box component comprises a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are respectively communicated with a negative pressure source, and the controller is electrically connected with the negative pressure source so that the air pressure in the first cavity is greater than the air pressure in the second cavity, the first cavity is communicated with the ink supply cavity, the second cavity is communicated with the ink return cavity, and the ink supply cavity and the ink return cavity are respectively communicated with the ink storage box to form the ink supply cavity, the ink inlet and the ink return cavity.
Optionally, the negative pressure box assembly further includes a first pressure sensor disposed on the first cavity, and a second pressure sensor disposed on the second cavity, the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are respectively electrically connected with the controller, and the controller is respectively configured to control the negative pressure source to adjust the pressures in the first cavity and the second cavity according to the acquired detection values of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.
Optionally, the ink storage box is arranged above the ink supply box assembly, an air hole is formed in the top of the ink storage box, a first ink outlet and a second ink outlet are further formed in the ink storage box, a first access port and a second access port are correspondingly formed in two sides of the ink supply cavity respectively, the first ink outlet is communicated with the first access port, and the second ink outlet is communicated with the second access port.
Optionally, the inkjet device further includes a driving plate, a first electromagnetic valve and a second electromagnetic valve which are respectively electrically connected with the controller are arranged on the driving plate, the first ink outlet is communicated with the first inlet through the first electromagnetic valve, the second ink outlet is communicated with the second inlet through the second electromagnetic valve, a liquid level sensor electrically connected with the controller is further arranged in the ink supply cavity, and the controller controls the first electromagnetic valve and the second electromagnetic valve to be opened or closed according to detection data obtained by the liquid level sensor.
Optionally, a third ink outlet is further formed in the ink storage box, and the ink supply cavity is further provided with a third access port, and the third ink outlet is communicated with the third access port.
Optionally, the ink supply cavity comprises a plurality of sub ink supply cavities, the ink return cavity comprises a plurality of sub ink return cavities, each sub ink supply cavity is correspondingly communicated with a plurality of ink inlet, and each sub ink return cavity is correspondingly communicated with a plurality of ink return openings.
Optionally, a plurality of baffles are respectively arranged in the sub ink supply cavity and the sub ink return cavity, and the sub ink supply cavities are mutually communicated through communication holes.
Optionally, the ink jet device further comprises a peristaltic pump, and the ink return cavity is communicated with the ink storage box through the peristaltic pump, so that the ink in the ink return cavity is pumped back into the ink storage box.
Optionally, the ink jet device further comprises end plates, wherein two end plates are correspondingly arranged and fixedly connected through pull rods, so that the end plates are fixedly connected with the plurality of nozzle assemblies.
In another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a 3D printing apparatus is provided, including a frame, a sliding rail module disposed on the frame, and the ink jet device according to any one of the above, where the sliding rail module is in transmission connection with the ink jet device through a connecting slider.
The beneficial effects of the embodiment of the invention include:
According to the inkjet device and the 3D printing equipment provided by the embodiment of the invention, the nozzle assembly is communicated with the ink supply box assembly, so that the nozzle assembly can stably jet ink. Through the difference of first cavity, the second cavity and the first cavity and the second cavity pressure of the intercommunication with the ink feed chamber, make the ink follow the ink feed chamber and pass through the shower nozzle subassembly and to the ink feed chamber or make the ink follow the ink feed chamber and pass through shower nozzle subassembly blowout and carry out the inkjet printing to there is not the phenomenon of ink droplet in the printing process, promoted the stability when printing. In addition, through the ink supply chamber and the ink return chamber that communicate with ink storage box respectively, make from the ink supply chamber to the ink return chamber the ink returns to the ink storage box again, realize circulating ink supply, reduced because of the long-time deposit of placing of ink emergence, and then block up the shower nozzle subassembly, cause the printing to lose the frame, the local probability that does not jet ink scheduling phenomenon takes place. Through having first cavity and second cavity of negative pressure to and ink feed chamber, return the organic combination of ink chamber and ink storage box, improve homogeneity and the uniformity of ink feed, improve the inkjet quality, and then improve the printing effect.
Detailed Description
For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments of the present invention. The components of the embodiments of the present invention generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.
Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as presented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the invention.
It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, no further definition or explanation thereof is necessary in the following figures.
In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., are directions or positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, or are directions or positional relationships conventionally put in use of the inventive product, are merely for convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not indicative or implying that the apparatus or element to be referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used merely to distinguish between descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
Furthermore, the terms "horizontal," "vertical," and the like do not denote a requirement that the component be absolutely horizontal or overhang, but rather may be slightly inclined. As "horizontal" merely means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be perfectly horizontal, but may be slightly inclined.
In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "disposed," "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, integrally connected, mechanically connected, electrically connected, directly connected, indirectly connected through an intermediary, or in communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.
Referring to fig. 1, the present embodiment provides an inkjet device 100, which includes a controller (not shown in fig. 1), a negative pressure cartridge assembly 110, an ink storage cartridge 120, a bottom plate 103, and a plurality of nozzle assemblies 130 uniformly distributed on the bottom plate 103, wherein each nozzle assembly 130 is in communication with an ink supply cartridge assembly 140. Referring again to fig. 2, the nozzle assembly 130 includes a nozzle 132, an ink inlet 134 and an ink return port 136 which are mutually communicated, as shown in fig. 3, the ink supply cartridge assembly 140 includes an ink supply chamber 142 and an ink return chamber 144, the ink inlet 134 is communicated with the ink supply chamber 142, the ink return port 136 is communicated with the ink return chamber 144, as shown in fig. 5, the negative pressure cartridge assembly 110 includes a first chamber 112 and a second chamber 114, the first chamber 112 and the second chamber 114 are respectively communicated with a negative pressure source (not shown in fig. 5), the controller is electrically connected with the negative pressure source so that the air pressure in the first chamber 112 is greater than the air pressure in the second chamber 114, the first chamber 112 is communicated with the ink supply chamber 142, the second chamber 114 is communicated with the ink return chamber 144, and the ink supply chamber 142 and the ink return chamber 144 are respectively communicated with the ink storage cartridge 120 to form an ink circulation path of the ink storage cartridge 120, the ink supply chamber 142, the ink inlet 134, the ink return port 136 and the ink return chamber 144.
It should be noted that, first, the ink jet device 100 is normally provided with the ink cartridge 120, and the ink flows through the ink supply chamber 142 of the ink supply cartridge assembly 140, and the ink in the ink supply chamber 142 is then printed by the nozzle 132 of the nozzle assembly 130. When the amount of ink in the nozzle assembly 130 is greater than the amount required for printing, excess ink is drawn back into the ink return chamber 144 by the action of the first and second chambers 112, 114, reducing the chance of ink dripping during printing. In addition, through the passage formed by the ink storage box 120, the ink supply cavity 142, the spray head assembly 130 and the ink return cavity 144, and the passage formed between the ink return cavity 144 and the ink storage box 120, the ink forms a flowing circulation, so that the probability that the ink is deposited and crystallized due to standing, even the nozzle 132 is blocked, local ink is not sprayed, and finally the printing quality is affected is reduced.
Second, the first cavity 112 and the second cavity 114 provide the required negative pressure for the ink supply environment, the first cavity 112 is communicated with the ink supply cavity 142, so that the ink pressure in the ink supply cavity 142 is stable during printing, fluctuation during ink supply is reduced, and then the probability of frame loss, ink jet pattern or partial non-ink jet during printing is reduced. The second chamber 114 communicates with the ink return chamber 144 to draw excess ink back into the ink return chamber 144, reducing the chance of ink dripping from the nozzles 132 during printing. The negative pressure source for providing negative pressure for the first cavity 112 and the second cavity 114 may be a device such as a vacuum pump, which can generate negative pressure, and the specific model size is flexibly set according to actual needs.
The inkjet device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention enables the nozzle assembly 130 to stably eject ink through the nozzle assembly 130 communicating with the ink supply cartridge assembly 140. By the difference of the pressure of the first cavity 112 communicated with the ink supply cavity 142, the pressure of the second cavity 114 communicated with the ink return cavity 144 and the pressure of the first cavity 112, the ink is enabled to be ejected from the ink supply cavity 142 to the ink return cavity 144 through the nozzle assembly 130 or the ink is enabled to be ejected from the ink supply cavity 142 to the nozzle assembly 130 for ink jet printing, no ink dripping phenomenon exists in the printing process, and the stability in printing is improved. In addition, through the ink supply cavity 142 and the ink return cavity 144 which are respectively communicated with the ink storage box 120, the ink from the ink supply cavity 142 to the ink return cavity 144 returns to the ink storage box 120, so that the circulating ink supply is realized, the occurrence of the phenomena of sedimentation, blockage of the spray head assembly 130, frame loss during printing, partial non-ink ejection and the like due to long-time placement of the ink is reduced. By the organic combination of the first and second chambers 112, 114 with negative pressure and the ink supply chamber 142, the ink return chamber 144, and the ink storage cartridge 120, uniformity and consistency of ink supply are improved, ink jet quality is improved, and printing effect is further improved.
As shown in fig. 5, the negative pressure box assembly 110 further includes a first pressure sensor 116 disposed on the first cavity 112, and a second pressure sensor 118 disposed on the second cavity 114, where the first pressure sensor 116 and the second pressure sensor 118 are respectively electrically connected to a controller, and the controller controls the negative pressure source to adjust the pressures in the first cavity 112 and the second cavity 114 according to the acquired detection values of the first pressure sensor 116 and the second pressure sensor 118, respectively. In this way, the stability of the negative pressure cartridge assembly 110 can be ensured during the whole printing process, so that the stability of the ink supply cartridge assembly 140 is promoted, and the printing quality and the printing stability are improved.
As shown in fig. 1 and 6, the ink storage box 120 is disposed above the ink supply box assembly 140, an air hole 122 is disposed at the top of the ink storage box 120, a first ink outlet 124 and a second ink outlet 126 are further disposed on the ink storage box 120, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, a first access port 1422 and a second access port 1424 are correspondingly disposed on two sides of the ink supply cavity 142, the first ink outlet 124 is communicated with the first access port 1422, and the second ink outlet 126 is communicated with the second access port 1424, so as to form two parallel paths.
Specifically, the air hole 122 disposed at the top of the ink storage box 120 balances the air pressure above the liquid level in the ink storage box 120 with the atmospheric pressure, so that when the ink storage box 120 supplies ink into the ink supply cavity 142, the ink can automatically flow by the weight of the ink and the negative pressure in the ink supply cavity 142 can be used for negative pressure ink absorption. The use of the passageway between the first ink outlet 124 and the first inlet 1422, and the passageway between the second ink outlet 126 and the second inlet 1424, which form two parallel lines, are disposed on both sides of the ink supply chamber 142, facilitates sufficient and stable ink supply, makes the distribution of ink in the ink supply chamber 142 more uniform, reduces fluctuation during ink supply, and facilitates smooth ink supply.
As shown in fig. 1,4 and 6, the ink jet device 100 further includes a driving plate 150, a first electromagnetic valve 152 and a second electromagnetic valve 154 electrically connected to the controller are disposed on the driving plate 150, the first ink outlet 124 is communicated with the first inlet 1422 through the first electromagnetic valve 152, the second ink outlet 126 is communicated with the second inlet 1424 through the second electromagnetic valve 154, a liquid level sensor (not shown in fig. 4) electrically connected to the controller is further disposed in the ink supply chamber 142, and the controller controls the first electromagnetic valve 152 and the second electromagnetic valve 154 to be opened or closed according to detection data obtained by the liquid level sensor.
Specifically, the liquid level sensor detects a preset interval value, has a high preset value and a low preset value, and when the value detected by the liquid level sensor reaches the low preset value, the controller controls the first electromagnetic valve 152 and the second electromagnetic valve 154 to be opened, and the ink storage cartridge 120 supplements the ink supply cavity 142 with the required ink. Similarly, when the value detected by the liquid level sensor reaches a high preset value, the controller controls the first electromagnetic valve 152 and the second electromagnetic valve 154 to be closed, the passage between the first ink outlet 124 and the first access port 1422 is blocked, the passage between the second ink outlet 126 and the second access port 1424 is also blocked, and the problems of reduced printing quality and the like caused by excessive ink supply are avoided.
Optionally, as shown in fig. 6, a third ink outlet 128 is further provided on the ink storage cartridge 120, and as shown in fig. 3, a third inlet (not shown in fig. 3) is further provided on the ink supply chamber 142, and the third ink outlet 128 communicates with the third inlet. In this way, when ink is supplied from the ink tank 120 to the ink supply chamber 142, the ink can be automatically supplied through the third ink outlet 128 by the weight of the ink, and negative pressure in the ink supply chamber 142 can be absorbed by negative pressure. The liquid level of the ink in the ink supply cavity 142 tends to be stable, frequent opening or closing of the first electromagnetic valve 152 and the second electromagnetic valve 154 is reduced, the stability of ink supply is improved, and the improvement of printing quality is facilitated.
As shown in fig. 3, the ink supply chamber 142 includes a plurality of sub ink supply chambers 1426, the ink return chamber 144 includes a plurality of sub ink return chambers 1442, and referring to fig. 2, each sub ink supply chamber 1426 is correspondingly communicated with the plurality of ink inlet ports 134, and each sub ink return chamber 1442 is correspondingly communicated with the plurality of ink return ports 136.
In particular, the number of sub-ink return chambers 1442 and sub-ink supply chambers 1426 may be flexibly set according to the number of nozzle assemblies 130 provided, which is not particularly limited in the present embodiment. In addition, the sub ink return chambers 1442 and 1426 may be spaced apart, nested, or area-wise concentrated, as long as they are easily connected to the ink inlet 134 and ink return 136 of the corresponding nozzle assembly 130.
As shown in FIG. 3, an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with 12 nozzle assemblies 130, and ink supply cartridge assembly 140 is generally divided into 3 sub-ink supply chambers 1426 and 4 sub-ink return chambers 1442. Wherein, 2 sub-ink return chambers 1442 are located at one side of the ink supply chamber 142, another 2 sub-ink return chambers 1442 are located at the other side of the ink supply chamber 142, and an ink supply chamber 142 composed of 3 sub-ink supply chambers 1426, that is, sub-ink return chambers 1442 are disposed at two sides of the sub-ink supply chamber 1426. One independent sub-ink return chamber 1442 corresponds to the ink return lines of 3 of the nozzle assemblies 130 and one independent sub-ink supply chamber 1426 corresponds to the ink feed lines of 4 of the nozzle assemblies 130 to form the desired path for each nozzle assembly 130 through the ink inlet 134 and the ink return 136, respectively.
As described in fig. 3 and 4, a plurality of partition plates 146 are provided in the sub ink supply chamber 1426 and the sub ink return chamber 1442, respectively, and the plurality of sub ink supply chambers 1426 are communicated with each other through the communication hole 148.
Specifically, the partition 146 may be integrally formed with the sub ink supply chamber 1426 and the sub ink return chamber 1442, or may be detachably connected separately, which is not particularly limited in the embodiment of the present invention. By providing the plurality of baffles 146 in the sub-ink-supply chamber 1426 and the sub-ink-return chamber 1442, the ink in the ink-supply chamber 142 can be prevented from shaking during operation of the inkjet device 100, and the uniformity and stability of the ink-supply flow rate can be ensured.
In addition, the communication hole 148 communicates the sub ink supply chambers 1426 with each other, and the ink level line is higher than the communication hole 148, so that the lower ink portions of the sub ink supply chambers 1426 are ensured to communicate with each other, and the upper negative pressure portions are independent of each other. The design can realize effective ink supply, and the negative pressure environment at the upper part of each sub ink supply cavity 1426 is more balanced, which is beneficial to the uniformity and consistency of ink jet.
Optionally, the ink jet device 100 further includes a peristaltic pump, and the ink return chamber 144 is in communication with the ink reservoir 120 via the peristaltic pump, so that ink in the ink return chamber 144 is drawn back into the ink reservoir 120.
Specifically, the inlet end of the peristaltic pump is connected to the ink return chamber 144, and the outlet end is connected to the connection port 129 on the ink storage cartridge 120, so that the ink in the ink return chamber 144 flows to the ink storage cartridge 120 more stably and reliably.
As shown in fig. 7, the inkjet device 100 further includes end plates 105, and the two end plates 105 are disposed correspondingly and are fixedly connected by tie rods 107, so that the end plates 105 are fixedly connected to the plurality of nozzle assemblies 130. In this way, the overall rigidity of the nozzle assembly 130 can be improved, which is advantageous for stable inkjet printing of the nozzle assembly 130.
The embodiment of the invention also discloses 3D printing equipment, which comprises a rack, a sliding rail module arranged on the rack and the ink jet device 100 according to any one of the above, wherein the sliding rail module is in transmission connection with the ink jet device 100 through a connecting sliding block. The 3D printing apparatus includes the same structure and advantageous effects as the inkjet device 100 in the foregoing embodiment. The structure and advantages of the ink jet device 100 are described in detail in the foregoing embodiments, and are not described herein.
The above description is only of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention, but various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.