Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Nidec Corporation

Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.

Kaoru Uenosono

Yosei Yoshikawa

Shinya Tokunaga

Takafumi Asada

Hideki Nishimura

Yoshito Oku

Tadashi Okada

Katsutoshi Hamada

Kiyofumi Inoue

Akira Ninomiya

Akira Sakata

Takahiro Kishi

The present invention pertains to a biological sample measurement device, which is intended to be easier to use. To achieve this object, the present invention comprises a main body case () having a sensor insertion opening into which a sensor for measuring biological samples is inserted, a connection terminal () provided within the main body case () behind the sensor insertion opening, () and a shutterthat is provided within the main body case () between the sensor insertion opening () and the connection terminal () and that opens and closes the sensor insertion opening (). This configuration makes the device easy to use.

Biological sample measurement device

According to the present invention, when processing shafts in a centerless grinding machine, engagement between the shafts is prevented without rearranging the shafts, and thus outer circumferential faces of the shafts can be precisely processed. A shaftis used in a hydrodynamic bearing device, and includes a cylindrical column formed with an outer circumferential faceforms a hydrodynamic radial bearing portion, a tapped holethat is formed at a first end of the cylindrical column, and a first projecting portionformed at a second end of the cylindrical column. When the first end and the second end of the shaftsare arranged side by side in an axis direction, the first projecting portionof the shaftcan not interfere with the tapped holeof the other shaft

Shaft, hydrodynamic bearing device, spindle motor, and recording and reproducing apparatus

As axis direction dimensions become smaller in HDD spindle motors as a result of thinner and more compact designs, there is a demand for hydrodynamic bearings with a long lifespan. As a means of solving this problem, a lubricant reservoir section is formed between a sleeve side surface and a cover side surface with a depth varying in a circumferential direction, lubricant is circulated in a bearing gap section, a sleeve end face gap section larger than a bearing gap between a sleeve end face and the cover, and a connecting channel, and the lubricant reservoir section and the sleeve end face gap section are connected via an introducing gap section having a bubble separation function.

Hydrodynamic bearing and spindle motor and information recording and reproducing apparatus equipped with the same

A hydrodynamic bearing device in a hydrodynamic bearing device in which a sleeve () is covered with a cover (), which is capable of easily confirming that a working fluid is favorably filled between the cover and the sleeve, and easily confirming that an adhesive () which bonds the cover and the sleeve is favorably filled, and an inspection method of an amount of the working fluid are provided. By using the cover having translucency, the filled state of the working fluid is visually recognized through the cover, and is confirmed with an image recognition apparatus.

Hydrodynamic bearing device and inspection method of amount of working fluid

A cylindrical sleeve is rotatably fitted over a fixed shaft erected on a base, the sleeve including an outer collar part at an outer periphery of the lower end portion thereof, a slip-out preventing member for preventing the slip-out from the fixed shaft while allowing the sleeve to rotate is provided on the base, the slip-out preventing member including an inner collar part that engages with the outer collar part in the slip-out direction. A hub is provided on the upper end portion of the sleeve, a pair of upper and lower radial bearings formed with a dynamic pressure generating groove are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, and a thrust bearing formed with a dynamic pressure generating groove is provided at the lower end face of the sleeve.

Hydrodynamic bearing device, spindle motor including the same, and recording and reproducing apparatus

A shaft is rotatably inserted through a bearing hole of a sleeve, a screw hole for fastening a clamp to the shaft is formed along a direction of an axis from an upper end portion of the shaft, an operating fluid is charged in a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and radial bearing parts constituted of dynamic pressure generating grooves are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve. As for an inside diameter of the sleeve, an inside diameter in a predetermined range from the opening upper end part is formed to be larger by an expected deformation amount in a diameter direction of the shaft than an inside diameter in a range at a lower end side from the predetermined range. The predetermined range corresponds to a range including a radial bearing part located at the upper end side.

Hydrodynamic bearing device and compact motor including hydrodynamic bearing device

The invention provides a hydrodynamic bearing device with a function of circulating the operating fluid by supplying the operating fluid to between the cover and the sleeve by way of a circular communication path, the hydrodynamic bearing device allowing the cover for covering the sleeve to be satisfactorily bonded, preventing the operating fluid from leaking outward, and preventing the adhesive from blocking the opening of the circular communication path; and a spindle motor. An adhesive inflow allowing space for allowing the adhesive from the adhesive setting and bonding part to flow in is formed between the adhesive setting and bonding part for setting the adhesive and bonding the cover and the sleeve, and a space region on the open end side between the cover and the sleeve for circulating and introducing the operating fluid so as to create a space in the cover.

Hydrodynamic bearing device and spindle motor

A hydrodynamic bearing device in which an introducing minimum clearance for causing capillary phenomenon is formed from the location in the proximity of the opening of a communicating path to the open end of the bearing hole in between the cover and the end face on the open end of the sleeve so that the operating fluid from the communicating path in the sleeve flows into the bearing hole by the capillary phenomenon; a vent hole leading to the outside air is formed on the cover; a fluid storage space for storing the operating fluid is formed on the inside surface of the cover or the end face on the open end of the sleeve to communicate the introducing minimum clearance and the vent hole in the circumferential direction; and the air bubbles separated at the fluid storage space are exhausted outward from the vent hole.

Hydrodynamic bearing device

A method of manufacturing a fluid dynamic bearing in which a stopper is fixed by welding. The bearing comprises a hub, a shaft erected on the hub, a sleeve, a cylindrical wall erected on the hub, and the stopper mounted on the cylindrical wall. The method comprises a first step to hold oil in the bearing gap, and a second step to locate the stopper on the peripheral wall being apart from the interface of the oil to fix the stopper by LASER welding.

Method of manufacturing a fluid dynamic bearing applicable to a disk drive that includes welding a cover member to a cylindrical wall of a shaft base

In a spindle motor utilizing dynamic-pressure bearings having a full-fill structure, a bearing configuration that balances and sustains at or above atmospheric pressure the internal pressure of the bearing oil. Thrust and radial bearing sections are configured within oil-filled bearing clearances in between the rotor, the shaft, and a shaft-encompassing hollow bearing member. A communicating passage one end of which opens on, radially inwardly along, the thrust bearing section is formed in the bearing member. Either axial ends of the bearing clearance in between the bearing member and shaft communicate through the passage. The communicating passage enables the oil to redistribute itself within the bearing clearances. Pressure difference between the axial upper and lower ends of the oil retained in between the bearing member and the shaft is compensated through the communicating passage, preventing incidents of negative pressure within the oil and of over-lift on the rotor.

Spindle motor and disk drive furnished therewith

Spindle motor utilizing a dynamic-pressure bearing device having a full-fill structure and capable of discharging air bubbles from the lubricating oil after it is charged into the bearing device, as well as air bubbles appearing in the oil due to cavitation in handling. Thrust and radial bearing sections are configured within bearing clearances in between the rotor, the shaft, and a shaft-encompassing hollow bearing member. A communicating passage enabling the oil to redistribute itself within the bearing clearances is formed in the bearing member. At least one ray-like groove that reaches from the radially inward edge of dynamic-pressure-generating grooves in the thrust bearing section to the rim of the shaft-encompassing hollow is furnished in the bearing member. When the motor rotates the air bubbles are stirred and minced by the ray-like groove, and migrate toward release at the single oil-air interface.

Growing community of inventors

Ozu, Japan

Kaoru Uenosono