A Review on Compliant Joints and Rigid-Body Constant Velocity Universal Joints Toward the Design of Compliant Homokinetic Couplings

This paper presents for the first time a literature survey toward the design of compliant homokinetic couplings. The rigid-linkage-based constant velocity universal joints (CV joints) available from literature were studied, classified, their graph representations were presented, and their mechanical efficiencies compared. Similarly, literature is reviewed for different kinds of compliant joints suitable to replace instead of rigid-body joints in rigid-body CV joints. The compliant joints are compared based on analytical data. To provide a common basis for comparison, consistent flexure scales and material selection are used. It was found that existing compliant universal joints are nonconstant in velocity and designed based on rigid-body Hooke's universal joint. It was also discovered that no compliant equivalent exists for cylindrical, planar, spherical fork, and spherical parallelogram quadrilateral joints. We have demonstrated these compliant joints can be designed by combining existing compliant joints. The universal joints found in this survey are rigid-body non-CV joints, rigid-body CV joints, or compliant non-CV joints. A compliant homokinetic coupling is expected to combine the advantages of compliant mechanisms and constant velocity couplings for many applications where maintenance or cleanliness is important, for instance in medical devices and precision instruments.