Deformation Investigations on the Flexspline with the Conic Curve Combined Cam Wave Generator

The deformation of the flexspline and the meshing quality are largely determined by the profile of a wave generator. The wave generator with a combined profile can effectively reduce or improve the deformation stress and strain of the flexspline for improving the transmission efficiency and reducing wear or noise. In this paper, in view of the facts that conic is originally cut out of the cone and different conic curves are easy to transform, a design concept of the curve cam wave generator based on the conic curve is proposed. Firstly, the combined principle, constraint conditions, and mathematic model of the curve cam generator based on the conic curve are established. Secondly, the deformation theory of the flexspline acted by the curve cam wave generator with conic curves has been developed, and finite element analysis on stress and strain of the flexspline compared with a standard elliptic wave generator has been carried out. Finally, a cam wave generator combined with the circle and ellipse as a sample has been developed and manufactured. Circumferential strain test has been further carried out by a static strain gauge to verify the strain characteristics of the flexspline acted with the circle and ellipse combined cam wave generator. The FEM results show that, in the meshing area of the flexspline, the maximum equivalent stress of the flexspline under the action of the arc and the ellipse wave generator is about 93 MPa, which is 36.3% lower than the maximum equivalent stress of the flexspline under the action of the standard ellipse which is 143 MPa. The experimental results show that the fitting curve of the experimental results fits well with the finite element analysis curve.