This application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 104128378, filed on Aug. 28, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The present invention relates an adjusting system and an adjusting method therefor, and more particularly to a printing platform adjusting system of a three-dimensional printer for adjusting a degree of parallelism between a printing platform and a horizontal movement plane of a printhead, and an adjusting method therefor.
In recent years, with the upgrading of industrial technology, the cost of three-dimensional printing is reduced and the three-dimensional printers become more common and public. In the conventional three-dimensional printer, a printing platform is fixed on the machine and parallel to a horizontal movement plane of the printhead for avoiding the running printhead to collide the printing platform or to scrape molding materials of printed models, and further preventing from causing damage to the printed products or even to the printhead. Therefore, the degree of parallelism of the printing platform relative to the horizontal movement plane of the printhead has to be adjusted after the three-dimensional printer is moved or before a printed model is printed.
However, the conventional printing platform adjusting method is performed by means of ocular estimating and manually producing.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a printing platform adjusting system in a three-dimensional printer for adjusting a degree of parallelism between the print platform and a horizontal movement plane of the printhead in order to overcome the above drawbacks encountered by the prior arts.
An object of the present invention provides a printing platform adjusting system of a three-dimensional printer, and an adjusting method therefor. The inventive adjusting system and adjusting method can replace the prior adjusting means of ocular estimating and manually producing for adjusting a degree of parallelism between the print platform and a horizontal movement plane of the printhead, so as to solve the problems of complicated adjusting means, time-wasting adjusting process, and imprecise adjusting result, and further avoid to cause damage to the printed products or even to the printhead.
Another object of the present invention provides a printing platform adjusting system of a three-dimensional printer, and an adjusting method therefor. By using the adjusting system and adjusting method of the present invention, the degree of parallelism between the printing platform and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead is adjusted automatically or semi-automatically, so that the adjusting process is simplified, the adjusting time period is reduced, and the accuracy and precision of the adjustment operations is enhanced. In addition, the damage probability of the printhead can be reduced and the quality of the printed models can be enhanced.
A further object of the present invention provides a printing platform adjusting system of a three-dimensional printer, and an adjusting method therefor, in order to simplify the entire process of calculating the adjusting parameters and reduce the loading of the control unit.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing platform adjusting system for a three-dimensional printer. The printing platform adjusting system includes a print unit having a printhead, a supporting frame, a printing platform, a driving unit, a distance sensor, a control unit, and a parallelism adjusting set. The printing platform is disposed on the supporting frame and has a plurality of detecting points. The driving unit is connected to the print unit and drives the printhead to move in a horizontal movement plane and in a vertical direction. The distance sensor is disposed on the print unit and configured to detect and obtain a plurality of detected vertical height values corresponding to the detecting points. The control unit is connected to the driving unit and the distance sensor, controls the driving unit to drive the printhead to move, receives the detected vertical height values from the distance sensor, and converts the detected vertical height values into a plurality of adjusted vertical height values. The parallelism adjusting set includes a plurality of adjusting and fastening units, wherein the adjusting and fastening units are disposed and connected between the printing platform and the supporting frame respectively and configured to adjust a degree of parallelism between the printing platform and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead according to the adjusted vertical height values.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing platform adjusting method for a printing platform adjusting system of a three-dimensional printer. The printing platform adjusting system includes a print unit having a printhead, a printing platform, a supporting frame, a distance sensor, a control unit, and a parallelism adjusting set. The printing platform is disposed on the supporting frame. The distance sensor is disposed on the printhead unit. The control unit is connected to the distance sensor, and the parallelism adjusting set includes a plurality of adjusting and fastening units connected between the printing platform and the supporting frame respectively. The printing platform adjusting method includes steps of: driving the printhead to move to the positions above a plurality of detecting points on the printing platform, and detecting a plurality of detected vertical height values corresponding to the vertical height distances between the printhead and the detecting points; receiving the detected vertical height values from the distance sensor, and obtaining a plurality of calculated vertical height values corresponding to the vertical height distances between the printhead and the adjusting and fastening units by the control unit; defining one of the calculated vertical height values as a baseline value, and defining a plurality of vertical height differences between the baseline value and the other calculated vertical height values respectively as a plurality of adjusted vertical height values; and adjusting the printing platform to be parallel to the horizontal movement plane of the printhead according to the adjusted vertical height values.
The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
In an embodiment, the driving unit 56 is a three-axis driving mechanism. The driving unit 56 drives the printhead 511 of the print unit 51 to move in the three-dimensional space by the control of the control unit 57. In some embodiments, the printing platform adjusting system 5 further includes a height adjusting device 58 disposed on the base 3. The supporting frame 53 is movably coupled with the height adjusting device 58, so that the supporting frame 53 is capable of being moved in the vertical direction (i.e. Z-axis direction) for facilitating to adjust the distance between the printing platform 52 and the printhead 511 roughly.
In the embodiment, the detecting points 521, 522, 523, 524 of the printing platform 52 are arranged in a rectangle. The printing platform 52 further includes a plurality of conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528. The conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528 are metal pillars having the same heights, and the detecting points 521, 522, 523, 524 are disposed on the corresponding ends of the conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528, respectively. The conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528 of the printing platform 52 are also arranged in a rectangle. In this embodiment, the detecting points 521, 522, 523, 524 disposed on the ends of the conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528 form a plane, which is parallel to the surface of the printing platform 52. In some embodiments, the distance sensor 54 is a contact distance sensor or a non-contact distance sensor. The contact distance sensor includes but not limited to a current-type distance sensor. When the distance sensor 54 contacts with the ends of the conductive pillars 525, 526, 527, 528, an electric current can be generated. Consequently, plural detected vertical height values between the printhead 511 and the detecting points 521, 522, 523, 524 can be detected and obtained by distance detector 54. In some embodiment, the non-contact distance sensor includes but not limited to an optical distance sensor including a photo-interrupter with sensor arm, or a light transmitter with a light receiver. Alternatively, the non-contact distance sensor includes but not limited to an inductive proximity sensor. It is noted that the distance sensor 54 is not limited to distance sensor as described in the above embodiments, and is capable of being adjusted and varied according to the practical requirements.
In some embodiments, the printing platform adjusting system 5 further includes a display unit 59 electrically connected to the control unit 57 for displaying the adjusted vertical height values transmitted from the control unit 57. The parallelism adjusting set 55 includes a plurality of adjusting and fastening units, for example a first adjusting and fastening unit 551, a second adjusting and fastening unit 552, and a third adjusting and fastening unit 553. The first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is connected between the printing platform 52 and the supporting frame 53 and disposed on a first side 52A of the printing platform 52. The second adjusting and fastening unit 552 is connected between the printing platform 52 and the supporting frame 53 and disposed on a first end 52B1 of a second side 52B of the printing platform 52, wherein the second side 52B is opposite to the first side 52A. The third adjusting and fastening unit 553 is connected between the printing platform 52 and the supporting frame 53 and disposed on a second end 52B2 of the second side 52B of the printing platform 52, wherein the second end 52B2 is opposite to the first end 52B1.
In this embodiment, the control unit 57 includes an adjustment height processing module 571 configured to receive the detected vertical height values from the distance sensor 54 and convert the detected vertical height values into a plurality of calculated vertical height values so as to obtain detected vertical height values corresponding to the distances between the printhead 511 in the horizontal movement plane and the adjusting and fastening units 551, 552, 553, respectively. For example, the distance sensor 54 obtains four detected vertical height values by detecting the four detecting points 521, 522, 523, 524, and the control unit 57 receives and converts the four detected vertical detected height values into three calculating vertical height values corresponding to the three adjusting and fastening units 551, 552, 553. The calculating vertical height values means the distances between the printhead 511 in the horizontal movement plane and the adjusting and fastening units 551, 552, 553, respectively. Afterward, the adjustment height processing module 571 of the control unit 57 defines one of the three calculated vertical height values as a baseline value, and obtains a plurality of vertical height differences between the baseline value and the other calculated vertical height values, and further defines the vertical height differences as the adjusted vertical height values. For example, the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is fixed without further adjusting, and the calculated vertical height value of the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is defined as the baseline value. The vertical height differences between the baseline value and the calculated vertical height values of the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are obtained respectively and defined as the adjusted vertical height values. Consequently, the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are adjusted respectively according to the corresponding adjusted vertical height values. In this embodiment, the number of the adjusting and fastening units is smaller than the number of the detecting points.
In some embodiments, the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is a screw, and the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are mechanical height-adjusting devices. Each of the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 has a rotating part and plural marked graduations. The user rotates the rotating part corresponding to the marked graduations for adjusting the clearance between the connection corns of the supporting frame 53 and the printing platform 52. Under this circumstance, the user can rotate and adjust the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 according to the two adjusted vertical height values shown on the display unit 59 so as to accomplish the process of adjusting the degree of parallelism by means of a semi-automatic method.
In some embodiment, as shown in
In some embodiments, the printing platform adjusting system 5 further includes a glass plate 520 detachably mounted on the printing platform 52 for facilitating the user to take out the injected models or perform a cleaning process. The glass plate 520 is detachably mounted on the printing platform 52 via a plurality of clamping devices 529.
Please refer to
In detail, the line from point A along the Y-axis has a crossing point H with the line
Firstly, in the equation (1), ZH is obtained according to the known ZD and ZE.
Z
H=(ZE×
In the equation (2), ZL is obtained according to the known ZF and ZG.
Z
L=(ZF×
In the equation (3), ZA is obtained according to ZL and ZH.
Z
A=[(ZH−ZL)×
In the equation (4), ZI is obtained according to ZF and ZD.
Z
I*(ZF×
In the equation (5), ZK is obtained according to ZG and ZE.
Z
K=(ZG×
Finally, in the equation (6), ZB is obtained according to ZK and ZI.
Z
B=[(ZI−ZK)×
Moreover, in the equation (7), ZC is obtained according to ZK and ZI.
Z
C=[(ZK−ZI)×
According to approach described above, after the detected vertical height values ZF, ZG, ZE, ZD of the first detecting point 521, the second detecting point 522, the third detecting point 523, and the fourth detecting point 524 are detected and obtained, the calculated vertical height values ZA, ZB, ZC of the first adjusting and fastening unit 551, the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are determined and obtained by means of the above calculations. Consequently, the degree of parallelism between the printing platform 52 and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead 511 is adjusted according to the calculated vertical height values ZA, ZB, ZC of the first adjusting and fastening unit 551, the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553.
In some embodiments, the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is fixed without further adjusting, and the calculated vertical height value ZA of the first adjusting and fastening unit 511 is defined as a baseline value. Then, a vertical height difference between the calculated vertical height value (i.e. ZA) of the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 and that (i.e. ZB) of the second adjusting and fastening unit 552, and a vertical height difference between the calculated vertical height value (i.e. ZA) of the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 and that (i.e. ZC) of the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 can be calculated. Afterward, the two vertical height differences are defined as the adjusted vertical height values, and the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are adjusted according to the corresponding adjusted vertical height values, respectively. Consequently, the degree of parallelism between the printing platform 52 and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead 511 can be adjusted correspondingly. In other words, when the adjusting process is performed, the first adjusting and fastening unit 551 is fixed without further adjusting, and the second adjusting and fastening unit 552 and the third adjusting and fastening unit 553 are adjusted respectively according to the adjusted vertical height values obtained by means of calculating, so as to accomplish a printing platform adjusting process for adjusting the degree of parallelism between the print platform 52 and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead 511.
Please refer to
In summary, the present invention provides a printing platform adjusting system of three-dimensional printer, and an adjusting method therefor. The inventive adjusting system and adjusting method can replace the prior adjusting means of ocular estimating and manually producing for adjusting a degree of parallelism between the print platform and a horizontal movement plane of the printhead, so as to solve the problems of complicated adjusting means, time-wasting adjusting process, and imprecise adjusting result, and further avoid to cause damage to the printed product or even to the printhead. By using the adjusting system and adjusting method of the present invention, the degree of parallelism between the printing platform and the horizontal movement plane of the printhead is adjusted automatically or semi-automatically, so that the adjusting process is simplified, the adjusting time period is reduced, and the accuracy and precision of the adjustment operations is enhanced. In addition, the damage probability of printhead can be reduced and the quality of the printed models can be enhanced. Consequently, the entire process of calculating the adjusting parameters is simplified and the loading of the control unit is reduced.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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104128378 | Aug 2015 | TW | national |