Bearing arrangement for harmonic or strain wave gearing

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for harmonic or strain wave gearing, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a mating gear, a wave generator, and gearing between the mating gear and the wave generator. The flexible gearing comprises gear teeth which are engaged with corresponding gear teeth on the mating gear. A plurality of rollers is disposed between the flexible gearing and the wave generator. The rollers may be engaged by a roller cage which is also disposed between the flexible gearing and the wave generator, thereby preventing the rollers from contacting each other and preventing roller-to-roller friction. The rollers ride directly on the exterior surface of the wave generator. As the wave generator moves, the wave generator pushes on the rollers which, in turn, push on the flexible gearing. The flexible gearing, in turn, meshes with the mating gear, thus creating relative motion. The bearing arrangement is such that the rollers roll directly on the flexible gearing and the wave generator, and the rollers experience relative motion between themselves and the wave generator as well as the flexible gearing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.