The harmonic gear drive was invented by an American inventor, C· W· Musser, a user in 1955, It is a new type of transmission, which uses the elastic deformation of flexible components for motion or power transmission. It breaks through the mode of using the rigid component to realize mechanical drive, but with a flexible component instead, thus obtaining a series of special functions that other transmissions cannot reach.
Its name comes from the deformation process of the intermediate flexible component, which is a symmetrical harmonic. Except that the former Soviet. Union called this kind of transmission"Wave Transmission" or "Flexible Gear Drive", other countries like America, England, Ger many, and Japan all called it "Harmonic Drive’’.
The principle of harmonic gear transmission deceleration is to use the relative motion of the flexible gear, rigid gear, and wave generator (mainly the controllable elastic deformation of the flexible gear), to realize the motion and power transmission. The elliptical cam in the wave generator rotates in the flexible gear, causing the flexible gear to deform. When the flexible gear teeth and the rigid gear teeth at both ends of the long shaft of the elliptical cam in the wave generator enter the engagement, the flexible gear teeth at both ends of the short shaft are disengaged from the rigid gear teeth.
For the teeth between the long shaft and the short shaft of the wave generator, the half meshing state that is gradually entering into the meshing along with the different parts of the circumference of the flexible gear and the rigid gear, is called meshing and the half meshing state that is gradually disengaging is called engaging-out. The continuous rotation of the elliptical cam in the wave generator makes the flexible gear deform constantly, which causes the teeth at the flexible gear and rigid gear to shift between the states of engaging-in, meshing, engaging-out, and disengagement, thus realizing motion transmission from active wave generator to the flexible gear.
Rigid gear: A rigid internal gear, usually 2 teeth more than a flexible gear, usually fixed onto the case;
Flexible gear: Thin-cup metal elastic part with gears on the outer ring of the opening part.It deforms with the rotation of the wave generator and is usually connected to the output shaft;
Wave generator: Consisting of an elliptical cam and a flexible bearing, usually connected with an input shaft. The inner ring of the flexible bearing is fixed on the cam, and the outer ring can be elastically shaped into an ellipse through the ball bearing. The harmonic drive company Han's Motion would love to tell you more about our product. Don't hesitate to contact us and inquire about additional details.
