Patent ID: 8225689

Claim:
A compliant gear assembly comprising: a hub subassembly which includes a first hub component adapted for mounting the compliant gear assembly to a support element, the first hub component including a front face and a back face and defining a first axis which extends through the first hub component and is oriented normal to the front face, the hub subassembly further including a second hub component which is movable relative to the first hub component in a direction perpendicular to the first axis between a first stop position and a second stop position; a gear ring mounted upon the hub subassembly and rotatable relative to the hub subassembly, the gear ring defining a gear ring axis of rotation and being coupled to move with the second hub component between the first stop position and the second stop position, wherein at the first stop position the gear ring axis of rotation is co-linear with the first axis and at the second stop position the gear ring axis of rotation is parallel to but not co-linear with the first axis; and a compliance mechanism coupled between the first hub component and the second hub component and including a pad component, and a first and a second helical spring, biasing the second hub component toward the first stop position; each of the first helical spring and the second helical spring includes an inboard spring end and an outboard spring end; the first hub component defines a first spring bore receiving the inboard spring end of the first helical spring and a second spring bore receiving the inboard spring end of the second helical spring; each of the outboard spring ends contacting the pad component such that the pad component transmits a biasing force of the first and second helical springs to the second hub component.