Load Analysis of Flexible Ball Bearing in a Harmonic Reducer

Harmonic reducers are generally supported by flexible bearings. The elastic deformation of the flexible bearing enables the harmonic reducer to satisfy high reduction ratio performance. By considering the flexible outer ring and noncircular inner ring of the flexible bearing, a universal static analysis model was developed to calculate the ball load distribution of flexible bearings in harmonic reducers. The validity of the proposed model was proved by studying two types of flexible bearings mounted on an elliptical cam and a four-force action-type cam, respectively. Several results validate the use of the model to assess the ball load distribution instead of a more time-consuming finite element method. Influences of design parameters in the flexible bearing on the load distribution were investigated, which makes reference for the optimal design of the flexible bearing.