Segmented Flexible Gear Wheel for Full-Width Harmonic Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear mechanisms with flexible gear wheels suffer from interference in engagement, reduced torque transmission, noise, and shortened service life due to tilting and manufacturing tolerances, leading to partial gear wheel overlap and edge support issues.
Innovation Solution
The flexible gear wheel is segmented into multiple disks in the axial direction, each with toothed segments connected by spring segments, allowing for radial flexibility and compensation of tilting, thereby increasing engagement width and reducing backlash.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single flexible gear wheel is used, then the structure is simple, but tilting and manufacturing tolerances cause only partial engagement and edge support issues
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible gear wheel is divided into multiple disks (first flexible gear wheel disk, second flexible gear wheel disk, etc.) arranged in the axial direction. Each disk can independently compensate for tilting and manufacturing deviations, ensuring that the entire gear wheel width engages properly with the ring gear, thereby eliminating edge support issues while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Power
If the gear wheel width is increased to improve torque transmission, then power transmission improves, but tilting causes only partial engagement
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the gear wheel into multiple disks in the axial direction, the invention enables full-width engagement of the gear teeth while maintaining a wide overall structure for high torque transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible gear wheel disks are designed to be radially flexible, allowing them to dynamically adapt and compensate for tilting during operation, ensuring reliable full-width engagement even when the gear wheel tilts relative to the ring gear axis.
3Manufacturing precision
If manufacturing tolerances are reduced to improve engagement accuracy, then precision improves, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible gear wheel disks possess inherent radial flexibility that enables them to automatically compensate for tilting and manufacturing tolerances without requiring external adjustment mechanisms or complex control systems, thereby achieving high engagement precision through self-compensation.
4Manufacturing precision
If gear teeth width is increased to reduce backlash, then engagement precision improves, but interference in engagement increases due to tilting
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the gear wheel into multiple thin disks reduces the effective tooth width of each individual disk to a maximum of half the total gear teeth width. This segmentation prevents interference in engagement while maintaining full-width contact through the combined action of multiple disks, thereby controlling backlash without generating harmful interference forces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances torque transmission, reduces noise, and extends service life by ensuring full gear wheel engagement and minimizing backlash.
Implementation Method 1
each gear wheel disk comprises at least two toothed segments in the circumferential direction which are connected to one another by way of spring segments
Data Source
AI summary
A gear mechanism is disclosed with a ring gear, with a flexible gear wheel arranged in the ring gear and with a wave generator which is in contact with the flexible gear wheel and which deforms the flexible gear wheel so that it is in sections in engagement in the ring gear. The gear mechanism can be configured in such a way that interference in the engagement in the gear teeth and the gear backlash are reduced, the noise behavior and the power transmission are improved and the service life is increased. The flexible gear wheel can include at least two flexible gear wheel disks arranged adjacent to one another in the axial direction, and each gear wheel disk can include at least two toothed segments in the circumferential direction which are connected to one another by way of spring segments.