Flexible Bearing Spacers Angular Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flexible bearings with strain wave gearing experience deformation and interference between the outer race and retainer, leading to unsmooth operations and wear due to the separation of rolling elements, which results in noise and potential abrasion.

Innovation Solution

The flexible bearing design includes an outer race with a rolling groove, an inner race with a corresponding rolling trough, and spacers with retention sections that allow for angular adjustment between adjacent spacers, preventing interference with the outer or inner race through concave and convex surfaces with specific radii and U-shaped configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the flexible bearing is subjected to deformation and changes to an elliptic shape during operation, then the speed-reduced output effect is achieved, but the outer race causes interference with the retainer leading to unsmooth operations and potential wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed-reduced outputVSAvoidoperation smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces spacers as intermediary elements between the rolling elements and the retainer. These spacers have concave and convex surfaces that engage with each other, allowing relative angular movement while preventing direct contact between the outer race and retainer, thus eliminating interference and wear during elliptic deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The spacers are designed with movable angular positions relative to each other through their concave-convex surface engagement. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the spacers to adapt to the elliptic deformation of the bearing, maintaining proper spacing and preventing interference throughout the operation cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If the spacers are designed with fixed positions to separate rolling elements, then the structure is simplified, but the spacers interfere with the outer race or inner race during deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespacer structureVSAvoidinterference and wear

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The spacers feature concave and convex arc surfaces that enable smooth relative angular movement between adjacent spacers. The curved surfaces allow the spacers to rotate slightly relative to each other, accommodating deformation without creating interference points

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS9897144B1Flexible bearing comprising spacers

Publication Date: 2018.02.20 HIWIN TECH CORP

AI summary

A flexible bearing including spacers is provided. The flexible bearing includes: an outer race including a rolling groove; an inner race arranged in the outer race and including a rolling trough corresponding the rolling groove to collectively define a loading passage; rolling elements arranged in the loading passage; and spacers each including a retention section for receiving and retaining the rolling elements. Two adjacent ones of the spacers are in contact engagement with each other with end faces thereof and the two end faces are respectively a concave surface and a convex surface. The concave surface and the convex surface of the spacers are allowed to undergo relative sliding so as to allow the spacers to adjust, with respect to each other, an angular position thereof during an operation of the flexible bearing in order to prevent the spacers from interfering with the outer race or the inner race.