Minebea Company, Limited

Joerg Hoffmann

Olaf Winterhalter

Martin Hafen

Andreas Kull

Dieter Braun

Thilo Rehm

Rudolf Neumann

Tobias Kirchmeier

Markus Loehr

The invention relates to a spindle motor, preferably for driving a hard disk drive, having a stationary motor component and a rotatable motor component that is rotatably supported with respect to the stationary motor component and that is driven by an electromagnetic drive system, at least one storage disk being fixed to the rotatable motor component using some means of mounting and fastening. According to the invention, at least parts of the rotatable motor component and at least parts of the means of mounting and fastening have a wear resistant surface coating or are subjected to a wear resistant surface treatment.

Spindle motor for driving a hard disk drive

The invention relates to a spindle motor having a hydrodynamic bearing system, particularly to drive platters in a hard disk drive, the platters being disposed on a rotor, and the bearing system being formed by a bearing sleeve arranged on a baseplate and a shaft rotatably supported in an opening in the bearing sleeve and at least one thrust plate connected to the shaft. A liquid lubricant is filled into a bearing gap formed between the shaft, the thrust plate and the bearing sleeve. The invention is characterized in that the thrust plate rests directly against the rotor and is accommodated in an annular recess in the bearing sleeve facing the rotor.

Spindle motor having a hydrodynamic bearing system

The spindle motor described herein comprises a rotor having a rotor hub and a shaft connected to the rotor hub, a cylindrical bearing sleeve having a central bore to accommodate the shaft and a collar disposed at the receiving aperture, a cup-shaped bearing housing closed at one end to accommodate the bearing sleeve, a baseplate to hold the bearing receiving portion, a stopper ring disposed at the inside circumference of the rotor hub between the collar and the baseplate, and at least one radial bearing region formed between the outside diameter of the shaft and the inside diameter of the bore and defined by surface patterns. According to the invention, an annular axial bearing region is provided formed between a lower face of the collar and an upper face of the stopper ring. This design and construction makes it possible to realize spindle motors having small dimensions and, in particular, low overall heights.

Spindle motor of a small-scale design

The invention relates to a hydrodynamic bearing, particularly for a spindle motor, comprising a shaft, a thrust plate connected to the shaft and a bearing sleeve closed at one end by a cover plate, the bearing sleeve enclosing the shaft and the thrust plate with a slight radial spacing forming a concentric bearing gap filled with a lubricant. As is already known, the surfaces of the bearing sleeve and the shaft facing each other form at least one radial bearing region and the surfaces of the bearing sleeve, the cover plate and the thrust plate facing each other form at least one axial bearing region. In the hydrodynamic bearing according to the invention, at least one connecting channel is provided which connects a section between the bearing sleeve and the shaft abutting the radial bearing region and a section of the bearing gap abutting the axial bearing region to each other.

Hydrodynamic bearing, spindle motor and hard disk drive

The present invention provides a bearing comprised of a hydrodynamic bearing and a pivot bearing, which can be used with a spindle motor. It also provides a spindle motor utilizing a hydrodynamic bearing and a pivot bearing.

Hydrodynamic pivot bearing

The invention relates to a spindle motor, particularly for the purpose of driving the platters in hard disk drives having a baseplate, a stator arrangement that is stationary with respect to the baseplate, a shaft and a bearing system to rotatably support a rotary driven rotor connected to the shaft. In order to create a spindle motor in which it is possible to connect the shaft to the rotor with a high holding force and improved running precision, provision is made according to the invention for the shaft to be at least partly formed as a hollow shaft and for the rotor to have a shaft shoulder aligned concentric to its rotational axis which is inserted into the hollow shaft and firmly connected to the shaft.

Spindle motor

The invention relates to a hydrodynamic bearing having a shaft, a bearing sleeve that encloses the shaft with a short radial spacing forming a concentric bearing gap, and an equalizing volume that is disposed between an outer circumference of the bearing sleeve and a covering cap at least partly overlapping the bearing sleeve and firmly fixed with respect to the bearing sleeve and connected to the bearing gap via at least one connecting channel or gap, a bearing fluid filling the bearing gap and the connecting channel/gap fully and the equalizing volume at least partially and the bearing fluid forming a continuous fluid film between the bearing gap and the equalizing volume.

Hydrodynamic bearing for use in a spindle motor includes a shaft, a bearing sleeve encompassing the shaft with a small radial clearance, a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves formed on at least one of an outer surface of the shaft and an inner surface of the bearing sleeve, and a base-plate, flange or another frame element of the motor. The bearing sleeve is constructed as a single component with the frame element of the motor.

Hydrodynamic bearing for a spindle motor

Permanent electro-conductive connection is achieved between a bearing component and a baseplate/flange by providing at least one solid-state contact element between the baseplate/flange and the bearing component. The contact element establishes an electric contact between these parts by exercising mechanical force on the baseplate/flange and/or the bearing component. Alternatively, at least one welding seam may be formed between the baseplate/flange and the bearing component to establish the electro-conductive connection.

Spindle motor with an electro-conductive connection between the bearing system and the baseplate or flange

A bearing having a conical hydrodynamic bearing section and a pivot bearing section. The bearing can be used with a spindle motor. The conical hydrodynamic bearing section is formed by the conical portion of the shaft and a correspondingly shaped cavity of the bearing sleeve. The pivot bearing section is located adjacently to the conical bearing section and is formed by the curved end face of the shaft and an endplate inserted into the cavity of the bearing sleeve.

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Mettlach, Germany

Joerg Hoffmann