# US 2018/0320770 A1 · Strain wave gearing

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2018/0320770 A1
- Document ID: US20180320770A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/772,277
- Filed: 2015-11-17
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-17
- Assignees: Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
- Applicants: Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
- Inventors: Jun HANDA; Hiroaki KIMURA; Sotaro MIYAKE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320770A1

## CPC

- F16H 49/001: {Wave gearings, e.g. harmonic drive transmissions}
- F16H 57/0404: {Lubricant filters}
- F16H 2049/003: {Features of the flexsplines therefor}
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A foreign-matter intrusion preventing mechanism of a strain wave gearing is provided with a filter attachment plate attached to a wave generator plug and a filter attached to the ellipsoidal outer peripheral surface of the filter mounting plate. Lubricant flows, via the filter, between a wave generator bearing and a meshing portion between an external gear and an internal gear. Foreign matters included in the lubricant are captured by the filter. Because the filter is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of an external-tooth forming portion of the external gear, foreign matters can be assuredly prevented from intruding into a sliding friction portion between an outer-ring outer peripheral surface of the wave generator bearing and the inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion of the external gear.

## Claims

### Claim 1

(canceled)

### Claim 2

A strain wave gearing comprising:
a rigid internal gear;
a flexible external gear disposed coaxially inside the internal gear; and
a wave generator that flexes the external gear into a non-circular shape to partially mesh with the internal gear, and moves a meshing position between the two gears in a circumferential direction,
wherein the external gear has a cylindrical external-tooth forming portion that is flexible in a radial direction and is provided with at least one end being an open end; and the wave generator is mounted coaxially inside the external-tooth forming portion,
wherein the wave generator has:
a wave-generator plug that is a rigid body having a non-circular contour;
a wave-generator bearing mounted between a non-circular plug outer peripheral surface of the wave-generator plug and an inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion; and
a foreign-matter intrusion preventing mechanism that covers a space formed between the wave-generator plug and an inner peripheral surface of the external gear,
wherein the foreign-matter intrusion preventing mechanism has:
an annular filter capable of capturing foreign matters mixed in a lubricant passing therethrough; and
a lubricant-impermeable filter attachment plate,
wherein the filter attachment plate is attached to the wave-generator plug so as to rotate integrally therewith; and
the filter is attached to the filter attachment plate so as to rotate integrally therewith, and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion in a slidable state, and
wherein the filter is provided with a non-circular filter outer peripheral surface similar in shape to a non-circular plug outer peripheral surface,
the filter is attached to the filter attachment plate so that the non-circular filter outer peripheral surface is in a same phase as the non-circular plug outer peripheral surface, and
the non-circular filter outer peripheral surface is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion.

### Claim 3

A strain wave gearing comprising:
a rigid internal gear;
a flexible external gear disposed coaxially inside the internal gear; and
a wave generator that flexes the external gear into a non-circular shape to partially mesh with the internal gear, and moves a meshing position between the two gears in a circumferential direction,
wherein the external gear has a cylindrical external-tooth forming portion that is flexible in a radial direction and is provided with at least one end being an open end; and the wave generator is mounted coaxially inside the external-tooth forming portion,
wherein the wave generator has:
a wave-generator plug that is a rigid body having a non-circular contour;
a wave-generator bearing mounted between a non-circular plug outer peripheral surface of the wave-generator plug and an inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion; and
a foreign-matter intrusion preventing mechanism that covers a space formed between the wave-generator plug and an inner peripheral surface of the external gear,
wherein the foreign-matter intrusion preventing mechanism has:
an annular filter capable of capturing foreign matters mixed in a lubricant passing therethrough; and
a lubricant-impermeable filter attachment plate,
wherein the filter attachment plate is attached to the wave-generator plug so as to rotate integrally therewith; and
the filter is attached to the filter attachment plate so as to rotate integrally therewith, and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion in a slidable state, and
wherein the filter attachment plate is provided with a non-circular attachment-palate outer peripheral surface similar in shape to a non-circular plug outer peripheral surface of the wave-generator plug;
the filter attachment plate is attached to the wave-generator plug in a same phase as the non-circular plug outer peripheral surface; and
the filter is attached to the non-circular attachment-plate outer peripheral surface and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the external-tooth forming portion in a state being flexed into a non-circular shape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The strain wave gearing according to claim 2,
wherein the wave-generator plug of the wave generator has an ellipsoidal plug outer peripheral surface, and
the external gear is flexed ellipsoidally by the wave generator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The strain wave gearing according to claim 3,
wherein the wave-generator plug of the wave generator has an ellipsoidal plug outer peripheral surface, and
the external gear is flexed ellipsoidally by the wave generator.