Patent Publication Number: US-2021180875-A1

Title: Heat sink for 3d printer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of China application no. 201911274438.8, filed on Dec. 12, 2019. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a heat sink, and more particularly, to a heat sink applied to a 3D printer. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Photocurable resin is usually used as a printing material in a 3D printer. Since high heat is generated when the printing material is cured, especially when the 3D printer is printing fast, a large amount of heat generated in a short time is difficult to dissipate and thus accumulates in the 3D printer, which may affect parts that may contact the photocurable resin, thereby affecting the printing effect and causing the overall use efficiency of the 3D printer to deteriorate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a heat sink for a 3D printer. 
     A heat sink for a 3D printer of the invention includes a storage tank, a pipe loop, a pump, a heat dissipation unit, and a release film. The storage tank is configured to contain a printing material; the pipe loop is connected to the storage tank; the pump is connected to the pipe loop and configured to pump the printing material from the storage tank, so that the printing material circulates through the pipe loop; the heat dissipation unit is connected to the pipe loop, wherein the printing material is pumped into the pipe loop, then subjected to heat dissipation by the heat dissipation unit, and re-injected into the storage tank successively; and the release film is disposed at a bottom of the storage tank. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the pipe loop includes an injection pipe and an output pipe, the injection pipe being connected to one side of the storage tank, and the output pipe being connected to another side of the storage tank. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the injection pipe and the output pipe are connected to two opposite sides of the storage tank. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the heat sink further includes a guide plate disposed in the storage tank and configured to guide flowing of the printing material in the storage tank. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the heat sink further includes at least one filter screen disposed relative to at least one of the injection pipe and the output pipe. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the heat dissipation unit includes a heat pipe and a heat dissipation fin, the heat pipe passing through the heat dissipation fin to be connected between the injection pipe and the output pipe. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the pump is connected between the heat dissipation unit and the output pipe. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the heat dissipation unit further includes at least one fan disposed relative to the heat pipe. 
     Based on the above, in the heat sink for the 3D printer of the invention, the printing material is drawn out of the storage tank for heat dissipation and then re-injected into the storage bank, which may effectively reduce accumulated heat in the storage tank, thereby improving the overall use efficiency of the 3D printer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a heat sink for a 3D printer. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the heat sink of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are each a schematic top view showing a possible manner in which the storage tank, the injection pipe, and the output pipe are disposed. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view showing a possible manner in which the injection pipe and the output pipe are disposed. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     In the 3D printing technology, a printing material that is usually used is photocurable resin, and during 3D printing, faster curing of the photocurable resin leads to faster accumulation of heat. Therefore, heat dissipation of the printing material is necessary. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a heat sink for a 3D printer, and  FIG. 2  is a top view of the heat sink of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  together, a heat sink  100  for a 3D printer includes a storage tank  110 , a pipe loop  120 , a pump  130 , a heat dissipation unit  140 , and a release film  150 . The storage tank  110  is configured to contain a printing material M; the pipe loop  120  is connected to the storage tank  110 ; the pump  130  is connected to the pipe loop  120  and is configured to pump the printing material M from the storage tank  110 , so that the printing material circulates through the pipe loop  120 ; the heat dissipation unit  140  is connected to the pipe loop  120 , wherein the printing material M is pumped into the pipe loop  120 , then subjected to heat dissipation by the heat dissipation unit  140 , and re-injected into the storage tank  110  successively; and the release film is 150 disposed at a bottom of the storage tank  110 . 
     The pipe loop  120  that is connected to the storage tank  110  includes an injection pipe  122  and an output pipe  124 , the injection pipe  122  being connected to one side of the storage tank  110 , and the output pipe  124  being connected to another side of the storage tank  110 . 
     The heat sink  100  further includes at least one filter screen  160  disposed relative to at least one of the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124 . In the present embodiment, filter screens  160  may be disposed at both the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  to filter out impurities. 
     Further to the above description, the heat dissipation unit  140  includes a heat pipe  142  and a heat dissipation fin  144 , wherein the heat pipe  142  passes through the heat dissipation fin  144  to be connected between the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124 , and the pump  130  is connected between the heat dissipation unit  140  and the output pipe  124 . In another embodiment, the heat pipe  142  may be replaced with a liquid cooler. 
     When 3D printing is performed, heat generated due to the curing of the printing material M is transferred to the uncured printing material M, so heat may be accumulated in the storage tank  110 . If the heat accumulated in the storage tank  110  cannot be dissipated in time, the release film  150  may be melted, and the storage tank  110  or a semi-finished product under formation through 3D printing may also be affected. 
     In this case, a portion of the printing material M flows out of the output pipe  124  through pumping of the pump  130 . 
     The printing material M flowing out of the output pipe  124  enters the heat dissipation unit  140  for heat dissipation. Specifically, the printing material M enters the heat pipe  142 , and the heat is dissipated through the heat pipe  142  and the heat dissipation fin  144 , so that the printing material M may be effectively cooled. 
     Incidentally, in order to enhance the heat dissipation effect, the heat dissipation unit  140  may further include at least one fan  146 , the fan  146  being disposed relative to the heat pipe  142  and being configured to blow the heat pipe  142  to cause forced convection, thereby improving heat dissipation effects of the heat pipe  142  and the heat dissipation fin  144 . 
     The cooled printing material M is re-injected into the storage tank  110  through the injection pipe  122 , and exchanges heat with the printing material M with accumulated heat in the storage tank  110 . In this way, the overall temperature of the printing material M in the storage tank  110  may be effectively reduced. 
     It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are connected to two opposite sides of the storage tank  110 , but they are not limited to the manner described in the present embodiment. 
       FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are each a schematic top view showing a possible manner in which the storage tank  110 , the injection pipe  122 , and the output pipe  124  are disposed. As shown in  FIG. 3A , in an XY plane, the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are disposed on two opposite sides of the storage tank  110 , and the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  may have a same height in a Y direction. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  may have different heights in the Y direction. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3C , the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are not disposed on two opposite sides of the storage tank  110 , but are disposed on two connected sides of the storage tank  110 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic side view showing a possible manner in which the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are disposed. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  may have different heights in a Z direction, wherein a height of the injection pipe  122  is higher than a height of the output pipe  124 . 
     It may be learned from the above that positions at which the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are disposed may be changed according to actual requirements. 
     In addition, the heat sink  100  may further include a guide plate  170  additionally disposed in the storage tank  110 , wherein the guide plate  170  is configured to guide flowing of the printing material M in the storage tank  110 , so that the lower-temperature printing material M entering the storage tank  110  from the injection pipe  122  may flow in the storage tank  110  in a sinuous manner, to effectively perform heat exchange with the higher-temperature printing material M, and to avoid a case in which, due to pumping of the pump  130 , the lower-temperature printing material M flows out of the storage tank  110  directly through the output pipe  124  in a linear flowing manner after entering the storage tank  110  from the injection pipe  122 , and cannot perform effective heat exchange with the higher-temperature printing material M in the storage tank  110 . 
     The foregoing changes in the positions at which the injection pipe  122  and the output pipe  124  are disposed may also achieve the same effect as the manner in which the guide plate  170  is disposed in the storage tank  110 . Fluidity of the printing material M in the storage tank  110  is increased to achieve effective heat exchange. 
     Definitely, the fluidity of the printing material M in the storage tank  110  is not limited to being increased in the foregoing manner, which may alternatively be increased in a disturbance manner to improve the effect of heat exchange. For example, the storage tank  110  may be slightly vibrated, or a disturbance element may be disposed in a storage layer, which may also increase the fluidity of the printing material M in the storage tank  110  to improve the efficiency of heat exchange. 
     Based on the above, in the heat sink for the 3D printer of the invention, the printing material is drawn out of the storage tank for heat dissipation and then re-injected into the storage bank, which may effectively reduce heat accumulation in the storage tank, so that the overall temperature of the printing material in the storage tank may be effectively reduced, further preventing the release film disposed at the bottom of the storage tank from being melted, and improving the printing quality.