Cycloid gear assembly with partial contact and related technology

A method comprising:

• causing first and second transfer members of a gear assembly to move out-of-phase with one another relative to an assembly axis;
• carrying first roller bearings at a first support of the gear assembly while the first support extends circumferentially around the assembly axis in a first plane intersecting the assembly axis;
• carrying second roller bearings at a a second support of the gear assembly while the second support extends circumferentially around the assembly axis in a second plane intersecting the assembly axis;
• carrying pins of the gear assembly between different respective pairs of one of the first roller bearings and one of the second roller bearings;
• transferring force between the first transfer member and at least some of the pins via contact between the the first transfer member and at least some of the pins in a third plane intersecting the assembly axis while the first and second transfer members move out-of-phase with one another relative to the assembly axis;
• and
• transferring force between the second transfer member and at least some of the pins via contact between the the second transfer member and at least some of the pins in a fourth plane intersecting the assembly axis while the first and second transfer members move out-of-phase with one another relative to the assembly axis, wherein the third and fourth planes are between the first and second planes along the assembly axis.

A method for using a cycloid gear assembly of an actuator, comprising:

• a rotating step for rotating an input shaft of the gear assembly;
• a first transferring step for transferring force from the input shaft to transfer members of the gear assembly;
• and
• a second transferring step for transferring force from the transfer members to pins of the gear assembly.