Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Chiaoping Ku

Fu-Ying Huang

Ferdinand Hendriks

Lidu Huang

Jifang Tian

Hitoshi Shindo

A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) includes a groove configuration that includes a pressure-generating groove pattern, and additionally includes a circumferential groove adjacent to the pressure-generating groove pattern and a pumping groove pattern adjacent to the circumferential groove. The circumferential groove may be deeper than the associated pumping and pressure-generating groove patterns and may extend for 360 degrees, and the pumping groove may be positioned at or near the entry to the bearing journal area to help maintain fluid flow direction and minimum pressure. Such an FDB groove configuration is likely to provide improved damping characteristics while maintaining relative stiffness, thereby improving vibration response characteristics.

Fluid dynamic bearing groove configuration

A contoured region is disposed within a capillary buffer of a Fluid Dynamic Bearing. In one embodiment, the contoured region comprises at least one defined edge for arresting the displacement of a lubricant within the capillary buffer.

Designed roughness and surface treatments for capillary buffer of fluid dynamic bearings

Approaches for a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system for use within a hard-disk drive. A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system may comprise an upper conical bearing and a lower conical bearing that are both disposed along a stationary shaft on which a magnetic-recording disk is rotatably mounted. The upper conical bearing and the lower conical bearing may have different cone angles, diameters, and/or lubricants to produce a desired difference in stiffness between the first conical bearing and the second conical bearing. By adjusting characteristics of the fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system to achieve the desired bearing stiffness ratio, the tendency for the magnetic-recording disks to experience a sustained vibration when the hard-disk drive receives a mechanical shock is reduced. By preventing the magnetic-recording disks from sustained vibration after a mechanical shock, data may be written to and read from the magnetic-recording disks with greater reliability.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Chiaoping Ku