Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Nidec Corporation

Kunihiro Shida

Jr-Yi Shen

Thomas Edward Karis

Stanley Yen Wong

Andre Sirilutporn Chan

Ta-Chang Fu

Steven Alf Hanssen

Andrew Keith Hanlon

Tisha Jefferson

Ferdinand Hendriks

James B Sullivan

Hideki Nishimura

Takaaki Deguchi

Neal Bertram Schirle

Hitoshi Shindo

John Martin Burns

Robert Carl Reinhart

Malika Dothresa Carter

Wataru Yamauchi

Andre Sirilutporn

Steve Hanssen

A fluid dynamic bearing with an immiscible fluid barrier deposited on the bearing oil is disclosed. One embodiment provides the fluid dynamic bearing having a seal gap to define a seal cavity. The seal cavity is filled with the bearing oil for lubricating the fluid dynamic bearing. The immiscible fluid is disposed on the bearing oil to prevent the bearing oil from evaporating from the seal cavity. In one embodiment, the immiscible fluid is insoluble in the bearing oil.

Fluid dynamic bearing with an immiscible fluid barrier

A device for providing an air-gap associated with a portion of a fluid dynamic bearing, a sleeve is provided and surrounds a portion of a shaft. The sleeve and the shaft are configured for establishing the air-gap proximal to a portion of the fluid dynamic bearing. In addition, a cap is also provided and coupled to the sleeve. The cap has an outer end proximal to a portion of the fluid dynamic bearing such that the air-gap is provided between the outer end of the cap and the portion of the fluid dynamic bearing, wherein the air-gap forms a labyrinth seal.

Fluid dynamic bearing with a labyrinth seal

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to sealing an enclosure for a disk drive form factor. According to one embodiment, material is removed from a base casting for the disk drive form factor to enable insertion of a component. The removal of the material results in a portion of the base casting being thin enough to potentially cause an inadvertent hole in the base casting. A hole is purpose created in the base casting to avoid development of the inadvertent hole. A seal is used to cover the created hole in a manner that allows for insertion of the component.

Sealing an enclosure for a disk drive form factor

Components and assemblies for a hard disk drive (HDD) with a recessed actuator joint are described. A rotary actuator hub assembly comprises a shaft having a flange, and a pivot seat on which the flange is seated when the shaft is fastened to an HDD chassis. According to an embodiment, the pivot seat has at least one 'contact-reducing feature' recessed from the surface of the pivot seat at which the seat contacts the flange. A purpose of the contact-reducing feature(s) of the pivot seat is to weaken the joint between the actuator hub assembly and the chassis, thereby mechanically loosening the rotary actuator assembly from the chassis. Consequently, movements to and vibrations from the chassis are less likely to be transmitted to the rotary actuator assembly and, ultimately, to the HDD read/write head(s).

Hard disk drive with recessed actuator joint

Additives that inhibit the passage of oil across oil-air interfaces in disk drives and enable the use of the lower viscosity oil in disk drives are disclosed. Mass transfer of oil from the bulk liquid oil into the vapor phase takes place by oil molecules evaporating from the oil-air interface, or collections of oil molecules being ejected from the oil-air interface as aerosol. The invention reduces mass transfer across the oil-air interface through the use of oil-soluble surfactants.

Flow modifiers for improved magnetic recording device

A system and method for improving lubrication in a fluid dynamic bearing are disclosed. A fluid dynamic bearing comprising a rotor portion and a stator portion is formed. In addition, a lubricating fluid comprising a high pressure lubricant is provided between the rotor portion and the stator portion of the fluid dynamic bearing, wherein the high pressure lubricant provides extreme pressure protection of the rotor portion and the stator portion of the fluid dynamic bearing.

System and method for improving lubrication in a fluid dynamic bearing

A system and method for reducing corrosion in a fluid dynamic bearing is disclosed. In one embodiment, a fluid dynamic bearing comprising a rotor portion and a stator portion is formed. In addition, a corrosion inhibitor containing lubricating fluid is provided between the rotor portion and the stator portion of the fluid dynamic bearing, wherein the corrosion inhibitor containing lubricating fluid does not react with either the rotor portion or the stator portion of the fluid dynamic bearing.

Fluid dynamic bearing comprising a lubricating fluid having tolutriazole

A system for locating and determining the orientation of fasteners in hard disk drive spindle assemblies utilizes a sensor system that facilitates an automated rework process for the spindle assemblies. The screw locating system identifies the locations of the screws in a spindle and generates a signal for a screw driver system to align tool bits with the screws. The sensor is highly advantageous when reworking spindle motors with opaque labels that cover and/or block the fasteners. The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of prior art techniques by using a screw locating system that is based on a selected capacitance probe without requiring the use of timing features.

Method of locating and removing a fastener from a workpiece

A disk clamp for securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a circumferential rib protruding from a lower surface of the disk clamp. A complementary recess is formed in the hub of the spindle motor for closely receiving the rib on the disk clamp. The inner diameter of the rib and the outer diameter of the recess are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the disk clamp with respect to the hub and spindle motor. This design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly and the overall part cost is reduced.

System and method for hard disk drive with disk clamp annular rim inner wall engaging hub annular recess outer wall

Hard disk drive with disk clamp inner wall engaging bearing sleeve outer wall

Spindle-motor hydrodynamic bearing configuration having conical taper seals on the thrust-bearing ends. The spindle motor shaft is supported in a bore through the rotor by neighboring radial and thrust hydrodynamic bearings constituted through radial micro-gaps cylindrically between the shaft and rotor, axial micro-gaps between thrust plates on either shaft end and recesses endwise in the rotor bore, dynamic-pressure-generating grooves in the micro-gap forming surfaces, and lubricant retained continuously in the radial and axial micro-gaps. The thrust plates are at least partially conical, tapering axially outward. A ring fitted in each rotor bore recess has a conical inner peripheral surface corresponding to the opposing conical surface of the thrust plate, forming a taper seal sloped with respect to the rotational axial center of the motor. The gap clearance dimension gradually expands heading axially outward, wherein the lubricant forms an axial-end gas-liquid interface to function as a taper seal.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kunihiro Shida