Piezo-electric drive arrangement for a harmonic drive transmission
US6029543A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 29, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 1, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/19
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method of rotatively empowering a harmonic drive transmission. The steps of the method include arranging a primary and a secondary cup-shaped flexspline co-axially within a rotatable rigid circular spline, and forming pivotable fingers in the secondary flexspline, biasing radially outwardly the pivotable fingers so as to contact and bias radially outwardly the primary flexspline in a sequential manner. The array of teeth between the primary flexspline and the circular spline engage one another to effect relative rotation therebetween. An array of piezo-electric elements is arranged in contact with the secondary flexspline and an adjacent non-rotating component. An electric current is sequenced through the piezo-electric elements to effect a dimensional change therein, thus to effect the biasing of the primary flexspline by the secondary flexspline.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.