Belt wave drives
A belt wave drive transmission system and method are shown involving a first rotor ( 10 ) having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation and a second rotor ( 20 ) having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor ( 10 ) is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum. A belt ( 30 ) encircles the first and second drums to couple the first ( 10 ) and second ( 20 ) rotors such that the first rotor ( 10 ) moves concentrically around the second rotor ( 20 ) as the belt ( 30 ) advances about a circumference of the second drum. In further refinements, the system and method involve electrically controllably coupling at least one of the first and second rotors to the belt.
1. A transmission system, the system comprising:
a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum; and
a belt encircling the first and second drums so as to couple the first and second rotors such that as the first rotor moves concentrically around the second rotor, the belt advances about a circumference of the second drum;
where the belt and an outer surface of the second drum are configured to be electrically coupled, and where the belt and the outer surface of the second drum are configured such that a belt wave drive is engaged by applying a voltage signal to at least one of the belt and the second drum to produce traction between the belt and the second drum.
2. The transmission system of claim 1 , where the belt and an outer surface of the first drum are configured to be electrically coupled.
3. The transmission system of claim 1 , where the belt and the outer surface of the second drum are configured such that the belt wave drive is disengaged by withdrawing the voltage signal from at least one of the belt and the second drum to reduce traction between the belt and the second drum.
4. A transmission system, the system comprising:
a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum; and
a belt encircling the first and second drums so as to couple the first and second rotors such that as the first rotor moves concentrically around the second rotor, the belt advances about a circumference of the second drum;
where the belt and an outer surface of the second drum are configured to be electrically coupled, and where the belt and the outer surface of the second drum are configured to be electrically coupled through an electrolaminate effect between the belt and the outer surface of the second drum.
5. A transmission system, the system comprising:
a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum; and
a belt encircling the first and second drums so as to couple the first and second rotors such that as the first rotor moves concentrically around the second rotor, the belt advances about a circumference of the second drum;
where the belt and an outer surface of the second drum are configured to be electrically coupled, and the system including control circuitry electrically coupled to at least one of the belt and the outer surface of the second drum and configured to apply an electrostatic adhesion voltage to the one of the belt and an outer surface of the second drum.
6. The transmission system of claim 5 , where the belt further includes at least one pair of adjacent electrodes electrically coupled to the control circuitry and the control circuitry is configured to apply a first one of a polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to one of the pair of adjacent electrodes and a second one of the polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to another one of the pair of adjacent electrodes and the outer surface of the second drum includes a dielectric material.
7. The transmission system of claim 5 , where the second drum further includes at least one pair of adjacent electrodes electrically coupled to the control circuitry and the control circuitry is configured to apply a first one of a polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to one of the pair of adjacent electrodes and a second one of the polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to another one of the pair of adjacent electrodes and a surface of the belt includes a dielectric material.
8. A method for providing high gear ratios in a transmission system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
providing a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum;
encircling the first and second drums with a belt so as to couple the first and second rotors;
moving the first rotor concentrically around the second rotor to advance the belt about a circumference of the second drum;
electrically coupling the belt and an outer surface of the second drum; and
applying a voltage signal to at least one of the belt and the second drum to produce traction between the belt and the second drum.
9. The method of claim 8 , where the method further includes configuring the first rotor to move concentrically about an outer circumferential surface of the second drum such that the belt advances about the outer circumferential surface of the second drum when the first rotor moves in the concentric orbit around the second rotor.
10. The method of claim 8 , where the method further includes electrically coupling the belt and an outer surface of the first drum.
11. The method of claim 8 , where the method further includes withdrawing the voltage signal from at least one of the belt and the second drum to reduce traction between the belt and the second drum.
12. A method for providing high gear ratios in a transmission system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
providing a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum;
encircling the first and second drums with a belt so as to couple the first and second rotors;
moving the first rotor concentrically around the second rotor to advance the belt about a circumference of the second drum; and
electrically coupling the belt and an outer surface of the second drum,
where the step of electrically coupling the belt and the outer surface of the second drum comprises electrically coupling the belt and the outer surface of the second drum through an electrolaminate effect between the belt and the outer surface of the second drum.
13. A method for providing high gear ratios in a transmission system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first rotor having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation;
providing a second rotor having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum;
encircling the first and second drums with a belt so as to couple the first and second rotors;
moving the first rotor concentrically around the second rotor to advance the belt about a circumference of the second drum;
electrically coupling the belt and an outer surface of the second drum; and
generating an electrostatic adhesion voltage and applying the electrostatic adhesion voltage to at least one of the belt and the outer surface of the second drum.
14. The method of claim 13 , where the step of applying the electrostatic adhesion voltage to at least one of the belt and the outer surface of the second drum further comprises:
providing the belt with at least one pair of adjacent conductors;
applying a first one of a polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to one of the pair of adjacent electrodes;
applying a second one of the polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to another one of the pair of adjacent electrodes; and
disposing a dielectric material on the outer surface of the second drum.
15. The method of claim 13 , where the step of applying the electrostatic adhesion voltage to at least one of the belt and the outer surface of the second drum further comprises:
providing the second drum with at least one pair of adjacent electrodes;
applying a first one of a polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to one of the pair of adjacent electrodes;
applying a second one of the polarity of the electrostatic adhesion voltage to another one of the pair of adjacent electrodes; and
disposing a dielectric material on a surface of the belt.