Patent · US Expired

Spindle motor and disk drive utilizing the spindle motor

US6888278B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 2003
Grant dateMay 3, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16C2370/12
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Low-profile spindle motor whose entire shaft length is utilized to configure, along an encompassing sleeve, a radial dynamic-pressure bearing section. One end of the shaft is unitary with the rotor, and a cover member closes the other end. Between the sleeve upper-end face and the rotor undersurface a thrust bearing section is configured. Micro-gaps are formed continuing between the sleeve upper-end face and the rotor undersurface; the sleeve inner-circumferential surface and the shaft outer-circumferential surface; and the cover member inner face and the shaft end face, where an axial support section is established. Oil continuously fills the micro-gaps, configuring a full-fill hydrodynamic bearing structure. Hydrodynamic pressure-generating grooves in the radial bearing section are configured either so that no axial flow, or so that a unidirectional flow that recirculates from one to the other axial end of the radial bearing section through a communicating pathway is induced in the oil.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.