Methods for the fabrication of metal strain wave gear flexsplines using a specialized metal additive manufacturing technique are provided. The method allows the entire flexspline to be metal printed, including all the components: the output surface with mating features, the thin wall of the cup, and the teeth integral to the flexspline. The flexspline may be used directly upon removal from the building tray.

A flat strain wave gearing device equipped with: a first internal gear and a second internal gear; a flexible tubular external gear; and an elliptically shaped wave generator. In the direction of a central axis, the center of support of the external teeth by the wave generator is offset, by an offset amount of Δ along the direction of the central axis, with respect to the tooth-width center of the external teeth of the external gear. By setting the offset direction and the offset amount appropriately it is possible to achieve a strain wave gearing device which is suitable in terms of the operating conditions and the mechanical characteristics of the first and second internal gears.

A strain wave gearing with a built-in motor is provided with a motor, a wave gear mechanism enclosing the motor coaxially, and a heat-insulation spacing formed therebetween. The wave gear mechanism has a wave generator attached to the motor rotor so as to rotate integrally with the motor rotor. A wave generator plug of the wave generator is fixed to a rotor magnet back yoke of the motor rotor so as to enclose the rotor magnet back yoke. The spacing is formed in a contact surface portion between the rotor magnet back yoke and the wave generator back yoke, whereby heat transfer from the motor to the wave gear mechanism is suppressed.

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement bulk metallic glass-based strain wave gears and strain wave gear components. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a strain wave gear includes: shaping a BMG-based material using a mold in conjunction with one of a thermoplastic forming technique and a casting technique; where the BMG-based material is shaped into one of: a wave generator plug, an inner race, an outer race, a rolling element, a flexspline, a flexspline without a set of gear teeth, a circular spline, a circular spline without a set of gear teeth, a set of gear teeth to be incorporated within a flexspline, and a set of gear teeth to be incorporated within a circular spline.

A strain wave gear, in particular for an electromechanical camshaft adjuster, comprises a housing element, an internally toothed drive element connected thereto in a rotationally fixed manner, an elastic, externally toothed gear element, and an internally toothed output element. The drive element has positive locking elements with which it is connected to the housing element.

Provided is a strain wave gearing apparatus which is able to make the most of the structural advantages of the flat form while achieving ideal mesh-engagement without involving a high degree of dimensional precision or any special adjustment mechanism. A strain wave gearing apparatus is provided with a stationary internal gear, a rotary internal gear disposed side by side with the stationary internal gear, a flexible planetary gear disposed on the inner peripheral side thereof for meshing partially with the internal gears by being deflected in the radial direction, and a wave generator disposed inside the flexible planetary gear for continuously deforming and deflecting the flexible planetary gear by rotation. In the apparatus, backlash during mesh-engagement is eliminated by making the base portions and of the internal gears and elastic.

A configurable gear system that includes a set of gear segments; each gear segment of the set of gear segments including a base structure, a gearing surface connected to the base structure and extended along at least one face, and two segment connectors at opposing sides of the gearing surface; and wherein at least a subset of the gear segments interconnect through the gear connector interface into a gearing configuration.

A magnetic coupling device includes a driving magnet array having multiple annular sector-shaped, circumferentially arranged first permanent magnets, and a driven magnet array having multiple circular sector-shaped, circumferentially arranged second permanent magnets with pole surfaces facing pole surfaces of the first permanent magnets. The driven magnet array is rotated by the driving magnet array being rotated. A repulsion zone where a repulsive force acts is designed to have an area that is 5% to 15% of that of an attraction zone where an attractive force acts between a specific first permanent magnet and a specific second permanent magnet, with a radial first centerline of the specific first permanent magnet overlapping a radial second centerline of the specific second permanent magnet so that opposite poles face each other, including between first and second permanent magnets respectively adjacent the specific first and second permanent magnets with overlapping the centerlines.

A magnetic coupling device includes a driving magnet array having multiple annular sector-shaped, circumferentially arranged first permanent magnets, and a driven magnet array having multiple circular sector-shaped, circumferentially arranged second permanent magnets with pole surfaces facing pole surfaces of the first permanent magnets. The driven magnet array is rotated by the driving magnet array being rotated. A repulsion zone where a repulsive force acts is designed to have an area that is 5% to 15% of that of an attraction zone where an attractive force acts between a specific first permanent magnet and a specific second permanent magnet, with a radial first centerline of the specific first permanent magnet overlapping a radial second centerline of the specific second permanent magnet so that opposite poles face each other, including between first and second permanent magnets respectively adjacent the specific first and second permanent magnets with overlapping the centerlines.

An actuator device includes a motor and a reduction device operatively coupled to the motor and oriented about a central axis, the reduction device configured to modify an input angle of rotation provided by the motor to an output angle of rotation. Further included is a rotary flexure mechanism that includes a rotary flexure operatively coupled to an output portion of the reduction device. The rotary flexure mechanism also includes a plurality of flexure blades coupled to the rotary flexure, each of the flexure blades angularly oriented from the central axis. The rotary flexure mechanism further includes a diaphragm flexure pair operatively coupled to the flexure blades, wherein the diaphragm flexure comprises a rotational and in-plane stiffness greater than an axial stiffness resulting in the rotary flexure mechanism being configured to convert a rotational input to an axial translation.