Static analysis of thin-walled flexible components in a harmonic reducer

A harmonic reducer is a speed-changing device with thin-walled flexible components. Under the action of a cam wave generator, the flexible components generate controllable elastic deformation to actualize the transfer of motion and power. As two core thin-walled flexible components of the harmonic reducer, the outer ring of flexible bearing (FB) and flexspline (FS) will generate small and continuous deflection waves with the rotation of the wave generator. In this paper, an energy method mechanical model for the FS and the FB in the assembled state is established by theoretical analysis. The internal load distribution of the FB is obtained by solving this model, and the deformation of two flexible components is considered. The effect of the structural parameters of the FS on the load distribution and the strain energy is investigated. The conclusions provide guidance for the structural optimization design of a harmonic drive.