Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Keith Bloxham

Derick S Balsiger

A harmonic gear system, having: a housing; an input shaft having an aft end within the housing that defines a wave generator; a wave generator bearing; first and second nested cup-shaped flex splines that are grounded to the housing, the first and second flex splines are biased by the wave generator via the wave generator bearing; an output shaft having a forward end that is within the housing, and a radial flange at the forward end; first and second nested circular splined shafts within the housing, the first and second circular splined shafts are connected to the radial flange of the output shaft and are driven by ones of the first and second flex splines, to thereby drive the output shaft; and a bearing between the first and second circular splined shafts.

Harmonic gear systems having redundant load paths between input and output shafts

A harmonic drive, having: a housing; an output shaft within the housing; an input shaft within the housing, the input shaft is configured for being in a first position in which rotation of the input shaft rotates the output shaft, and a second position that is axially offset from the first position, in which rotation of the input shaft does not rotate the output shaft; a solenoid coil within the housing that, when energized, moves the input shaft to the second position; and a spring within the housing that, when the solenoid coil is not energized, moves the input shaft to the first position.

Balanced harmonic drive with output shaft disconnect

A harmonic drive, having a housing extending from first to second outer ends, the housing has radial outer and inner walls that extend axially between the first and second outer ends of the housing to define an annular channel having first and second ends that taper toward the first and second outer ends of the housing; a flex spline that extends axially between first and second ends and has a radial outer surface, and the first and second ends of the flex spline taper radially outwardly, the flex spline is located within the annular channel so that the first end of the flex spline is located within the first end of the annular channel and the second end of the flex spline is located within the second end of the annular channel; and first and second clamps that are clamped against the first and second ends of the annular channel.

Harmonic drive with flex spline end clamps

A harmonic drive, having: a ground ring; a first flex spline extending axially from the ground ring; a first input shaft that is radially exterior to the first flex spline, the first input shaft includes a first wave generator that engages the first flex spline; a second flex spline, radially within the first flex spline and rotationally coupled to the first flex spline, a second input shaft that is radially within the second flex spline, the second input shaft includes a second wave generator that engages the second flex spline; an output shaft coupled to the second flex spline, the first flex spline includes a first spline that faces radially inward; the second flex spline includes a second spline that faces radially outward; a circular gear having a third spline that face outwardly and engages the first spline; a fourth spline that faces radially inward and engages the second spline.

Strain wave gear differential with high gear reduction

A failsafe electro-mechanical actuator, the actuator having: an output shaft having a first and second ends spaced apart from each other along a shaft axis, and outwardly facing helical grooves formed along the first end; a motor shaft surrounding the output shaft; a harmonic drive between the motor and output shafts that transfers motion between these shafts in a first mode of operation; ball bearings seated at the first end of the motor shaft and project inwardly from the motor shaft; in the first mode of operation: the ball bearings are disengaged from the output shaft and the output shaft rotates with the motor shaft, and in a second mode of operation, the motor shaft axially moves toward the first end of the output shaft; the motor shaft is rotationally fixed; and the ball bearings engage the helical grooves in the output shaft, whereby the output shaft rotates.

Failsafe electro-mechanical actuator

A harmonic gearset, having: a drive shaft; first and second ground gears spaced apart from each other along the drive shaft; an output gear disposed on the drive shaft, between the first and second ground gears; a first flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the first ground gear and the output gear; and a second flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the second ground gear and the output gear, wherein the first and second flexsplines are axially adjacent to each other.

Harmonic gearset with split flexspline

A hinge-line actuator has: a drive shaft; first and second ground gears spaced apart along the drive shaft, wherein the first and second output gears include first and second contoured outer gear surfaces; and an output gear disposed on the drive shaft and disposed between the first and second ground gears, wherein the output gear includes a third contoured outer gear surface; an actuator housing that includes: contoured first, second and third gear seats that, respectively, seat the first, second and third outer gear surfaces.

Hinge-line actuator for rotating an aircraft control surface

Disclosed is a compound harmonic gear motor having: first and second ground gears connected by a stationary shaft; a wave generator including an outer surface that can rotate completely around the stationary shaft, the wave generator including a rotor and a stator, wherein rotation of the rotor causes rotation of the outer surface; a flex spline surrounding the outer surface of the wave generator that is driven to rotate by rotation of the outer surface of the wave generator; and an output flange including internal teeth that mate with the flex spline to cause rotation of the output flange completely around the stationary shaft.

Compound harmonic gear motor configured for continuous output rotation

Disclosed is a compound harmonic gearbox having: a first ground gear and a second ground gear being interconnected about a stationary shaft to form a housing, wherein only the first ground gear includes gearbox mounting features; an output flange partially encased within the housing; a flex spline within the housing that drives the output flange; a wave generator within the housing that drives the flex spline; an input shaft with an input gear that drives the wave generator, the input shaft extending through the first ground gear, wherein the output flange is configured to rotate completely around the stationary shaft by rotating the input shaft.

Compound harmonic gearbox configured for continuous output rotation

An inverted compound harmonic drive including: a wave generator configured to receive rotational input; a flex spline disposed radially within the wave generator that receives energy due to the rotation of the wave generator, the flex spline including a plurality of inner facing splines that include an axial center spline, a first axial end spline being adjacent to and forward of the axial center spline, and a second axial end spline adjacent to and aft of the axial center spline; an output gear meshes with the axial center spline; a first ground gear adjacent to and forward of the output gear that meshes with the first axial end spline; and a second ground gear adjacent to an aft of the output gear that meshes with the second axial end spline.

Inverted compound harmonic drive

An inverted harmonic gear actuator is provided and includes a motor stator and a motor rotor radially disposed within the motor stator. The inverted harmonic gear actuator also includes a wave generator radially disposed within the motor rotor, where the wave generator has a radially inner surface with a cammed shape. An actuator output shaft is radially disposed within the wave generator. A flex spline is radially interposable between the radially inner surface of the wave generator and the actuator output shaft. The flex spline is deformable to conform to the radially inner surface of the wave generator and drive rotation of the actuator output shaft slower than rotation of the motor rotor.

Inverted harmonic gear actuator

An electric actuator for control of an engine includes an electric motor coupled to a drive shaft that extends to align a gear interface of the electric actuator with a variable geometry adjustment interface of the engine. A position feedback shaft extends coaxially with respect to the drive shaft. The position feedback shaft is coupled to an output shaft of the gear interface at a gear interface end of the position feedback shaft. A rotational position sensor is coupled to a motor end of the position feedback shaft proximate the electric motor. The drive shaft and the position feedback shaft are sized to position an output ring gear of the output shaft in contact with the variable geometry adjustment interface within a casing of the engine and to further position the electric motor and the rotational position sensor external to the casing of the engine.

Electric actuator for engine control

A harmonic drive assembly with selective disconnect includes a motor with a motor drive shaft, a harmonic drive operatively coupled to the motor drive shaft, and a wave generator operatively coupled to the motor drive shaft and a flex gear of the harmonic drive. Also included is a ring gear of the harmonic drive operatively coupled to the flex gear with a plurality of ring gear teeth configured to mesh with a plurality of flex gear teeth. Further included is an output shaft operatively coupled to the harmonic drive. Yet further included is a retracting mechanism configured to selectively retract the motor drive shaft and the wave generator to decouple the motor drive shaft and the wave generator from the harmonic drive, wherein a clearance between the ring gear teeth and the flex gear teeth is established upon retraction of the motor drive shaft and the wave generator.

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Keith Bloxham