Systems and methods for implementing miniaturized cycloidal gears

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11554480-B2
Application number	US-202117223965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	Apr 6, 2021
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, a gear system includes two cycloidal gears coupled to an eccentric drive shaft via a cartridge bearing. Each of the two cycloidal gears includes a number N of pockets on a surface of the gears to receive a ball bearing in the respective pocket. The N pockets on the surface of a first cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears are substantially aligned with the N pockets on the surface of a second cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears. Each of the two cycloidal gears further includes a lip coupled to the cartridge bearing. The gear system includes a number N of ball bearings disposed in the N pockets of the two cycloidal gears, where the ball bearings maintain a distance between the two cycloidal gears. The ball bearings cause the respective cycloidal gear to be flush with the cartridge bearing coupled to the eccentric shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gear system, comprising:
two cycloidal gears coupled to an eccentric drive shaft via a cartridge bearing, wherein each of the two cycloidal gears comprises a number N of pockets on a surface of the gears to receive a ball bearing in the respective pocket, wherein the N pockets on the surface of a first cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears are substantially aligned with the N pockets on the surface of a second cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears, and wherein each of the two cycloidal gears further comprises a lip coupled to the cartridge bearing, wherein the lip prevents the respective cycloidal gear from moving in a first dimension, wherein the number N is three or greater;
a number N of ball bearings disposed in the N pockets of the two cycloidal gears, wherein the ball bearings maintain a specified distance between the two cycloidal gears, wherein the ball bearings cause the respective cycloidal gear to be flush with the cartridge bearing coupled to the eccentric shaft, and wherein the ball bearings prevent relative movement between the two cycloidal gears; and
a plurality of N drive pins, each drive pin passing through a corresponding one of a plurality of N drive-pin holes in each of the two cycloidal gears such that a radius of each drive pin lies in a plane that is parallel to a radius of that drive pin's corresponding drive-pin hole, wherein for each cycloidal gear one of the plurality of N drive-pin holes lies, in an angular direction with respect to the cycloidal gear, between each adjacent pair of N pockets on the surface of the gears.

2. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein a size of each of the N pockets is based on the specified distance between the two cycloidal gears, an eccentricity of the two cycloidal gears, and the size of the ball bearings.

3. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein a depth of each of the N pockets is based on a diameter of the N ball bearings and the specified distance between the two cycloidal gears.

4. The gear system of claim 3 , wherein the depth of each of the N pockets is equal to the diameter of the N ball bearing minus the specified distance between the two cycloidal gears divided by two.

5. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each of the N pockets is based on a diameter of the N ball bearings and an eccentricity of the two cycloidal gears.

6. The gear system of claim 5 , wherein the diameter of each of the N pockets is equal to the diameter of the N ball bearing plus two times the eccentricity of the two cycloidal gears.

7. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of each of the N pockets is curved.

8. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein the ball bearings prevent the two cycloidal gears from moving a distance in a second dimension over a predetermined distance.

9. The gear system of claim 8 , wherein the first dimension is parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the second dimension is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

10. The gear system of claim 1 , wherein the two cycloidal gears are manufactured using multi-material metal printing process.

11. The gear system of claim 10 , wherein a main body of the two cycloidal gears are made of a first material comprising a first set of properties, and wherein each of the N pockets is made of a second material comprising a second set of properties that are different from the first set of properties.

12. The gear system of claim 10 , wherein a main body of the two cycloidal gears are made of a ductile bulk material, and wherein each of the N pockets is made of an anti-friction material.

13. The gear system of claim 10 , wherein a main body of the of the two cycloidal gears are made of a ductile bulk material, and wherein a plurality of teeth of each of the two cycloidal gears are made of a wear-resistant material.

14. A method comprising:
sending one or more driving commands to an eccentric drive shaft of a gear system, wherein the gear system comprises:
two cycloidal gears coupled to the eccentric drive shaft via a cartridge bearing, wherein each of the two cycloidal gears comprises a number N of pockets on a surface of the gears to receive a ball bearing in the respective pocket, wherein the N pockets on the surface of a first cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears are substantially aligned with the N pockets on the surface of a second cycloidal gear of the two cycloidal gears, wherein each of the two cycloidal gears further comprises a lip coupled to the cartridge bearing, wherein the lip prevents the respective cycloidal gear from moving in a first dimension, wherein the number N is two or greater,
a number N of ball bearings disposed in the N pockets of the two cycloidal gears, wherein the ball bearings maintain a specified distance between the two cycloidal gears, wherein the ball bearings cause the respective cycloidal gear to be flush with the cartridge bearing coupled to the eccentric shaft, and wherein the ball bearings prevent relative movement between the two cycloidal gears;
a plurality of N drive pins, each drive pin passing through a corresponding one of a plurality of N drive-pin holes in each of the two cycloidal gears such that a radius of each drive pin lies in a plane that is parallel to a radius of that drive pin's corresponding drive-pin hole, wherein for each cycloidal gear one of the plurality of N drive-pin holes lies, in an angular direction with respect to the cycloidal gear, between each adjacent pair of N pockets on the surface of the gears; and

causing, in response to the one or more driving commands, a component coupled to the gear system to rotate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the N ball bearings prevent the two cycloidal gears from moving in a second dimension during rotation of the eccentric drive shaft.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first dimension is parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the second dimension is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the two cycloidal gears are manufactured using multi-material metal printing process.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a main body of the two cycloidal gears are made of a first material comprising a first set of properties, and wherein each of the N pockets is made of a second material comprising a second set of properties that are different from the first set of properties.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein a main body of the two cycloidal gears are made of a ductile bulk material, and wherein each of the N pockets is made of an anti-friction material.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein a main body of the of the two cycloidal gears are made of a ductile bulk material, and wherein a plurality of teeth of each of the two cycloidal gears are made of a wear-resistant material.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Brenner Thomas

Classifications

• F16H55/06

  Use of materials; Use of treatments of toothed members or worms to affect their intrinsic material properties · CPC title

• B22F5/08

  of toothed articles, e.g. gear wheels; of cam discs · CPC title

• B22F7/06

  of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title