Seagate Technology Incorporated

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Other

Seagate Technologies, Inc.

Lynn Bich-Quy Le

Hans L Leuthold

Alan Lyndon Grantz

Paco Gregor Flores

Troy Michael Herndon

Chris Michael Woldemar

Matthew M McConnell

Thomas J Hitchner

Klaus Diete Kloeppel

Anthony Joseph Aiello

Donald James Macleod

Christopher Michael Woldemar

An apparatus is provided including a shaft, wherein the shaft is stationary. A rotatable component is configured to rotate with respect to the shaft. A fluid is operable to flow between the shaft and the rotatable component. A limiter is at a first axial end of the shaft, and a cup is at a second axial end of the shaft. An axially extending grooved region is between the limiter and the rotatable component.

Fluid pumping capillary seal for a fluid dynamic bearing

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a stationary component, a rotatable component configured to rotate relative to the stationary component, and a conical pumping seal formed between the stationary component and the rotatable component.

Conical pumping seal

A device including a first axial portion, a second axial portion, and a radial portion is disclosed. A portion of the second axial portion is configured to connect to a hub. An upper surface of the second axial portion may be positioned above an upper surface of a sleeve limiter shoulder when the portion of the second axial portion is connected to the hub. The radial portion connects the first axial portion to the second axial portion. The radial portion is configured to increase stiffness by increasing surface contact between the radial portion and the sleeve limiter shoulder.

Drive motor with limiter with increased stiffness

A sealing gasket sheet and a storage drive are provided. The sealing gasket sheet includes a first adhesive layer, a metal layer disposed adjacent to the first adhesive layer, and a second adhesive layer disposed adjacent to the metal layer. The storage drive includes an enclosure formed by a storage drive base and a cover with the sealing gasket sheet between the storage drive base and the cover.

Hard disk drive enclosure base with a helium sealed gasket

A storage base having an interior side and an exterior side is described. The storage drive base includes a slotted aperature, a flexible circuit and a sealing-adhesive barrier. The slotted aperature passes through the storage drive base from the interior side to the exterior side. The flexible circuit has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible circuit is installed in the slotted aperture and aligned so that the first end extends along an interior surface of the storage drive base in a location proximal to the slotted aperture. The sealing-adhesive barrier is applied between edges of the slotted aperture and the flexible circuit to form a hermetic seal between the exterior side and the interior side of the storage drive base.

Hard disk drive enclosure base with feed through flexure design and accompanying flexure

An apparatus and method are provided for a robust and shock resistant fluid dynamic bearing. A fluid sealing system with fluid pumping and capillary features provides increased reliability and performance for small form factor disc drive memory systems. Concerns of motor jog are addressed, jog being the rapid and repeated opening and closing of spaces between relatively rotatable components that can dispel oil from, or draw air into, these spaces. The fluid pumping capillary sealing system includes a fluid pumping groove with a rib portion and a slot portion for pumping fluid. The fluid pumping capillary sealing system also includes a capillary seal. In an aspect, a sweeping rib sweeps fluid toward the bearing. A truncated rib is situated adjacent to the sweeping rib, the truncated rib extending a shorter radial distance as compared to the sweeping rib and forming a plenum region.

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a stationary component; a rotatable component; a fluid dynamic bearing defined by the stationary component and the rotatable component; a first channel substantially parallel to the fluid dynamic bearing; a second channel substantially perpendicular to the first channel; and a fluid reservoir substantially parallel to the first channel, wherein the second channel fluidly connects the fluid reservoir to the first channel.

Motor including reservoir and hub cap

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a clamping means for clamping at least one disk onto a hub at a mounting point on the hub for the at least one disk, wherein the clamping means is configured to sit wholly above the at least one disk; a seat in an outer perimeter of the hub configured to receive the clamping means; and a locking means for locking the clamping means onto the hub.

Disk clamp and lock

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a fluid dynamic bearing, wherein the fluid dynamic bearing includes a set of pressure-generating grooves, and wherein the set of pressure-generating grooves includes a plurality of chevron-shaped grooves, each chevron-shaped groove including at least two selected from a non-uniform depth, non-uniform angle, a non-uniform width, or a non-uniform length, selected to provide a predetermined spindle-motor stiffness to the journal bearing during steady-state operation and during a shock event.

Fluid bearing with non-uniform grooves

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a plurality of disk clamp notches spaced about an outer lip of an annular disk clamp; an annular groove in an outer perimeter of a hub; and a mounting point on the hub for at least one disk, wherein the annular disk clamp occupies the annular groove of the hub, clamping the at least one disk onto the hub at the mounting point for the at least one disk.

Notched disk clamp

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a plurality of teeth extending from an outer perimeter of an annular disk clamp to an inner perimeter of the annular disk clamp and an annular groove in an outer perimeter of a hub, wherein the plurality of teeth do not engage the annular groove of the hub when the disk clamp is unlocked into an unlocked form, and wherein the plurality of teeth engage the annular groove of the hub when the annular disk clamp is locked into a locked form, clamping at least one disk onto the hub at a mounting point for the at least one disk.

Undulating disk clamp

A system, method and means is provided for withstanding mechanical shock for use with fluid dynamic bearings. A sealing system is provided that withstands 1000 G shock events. In an aspect, a grooved pumping seal employed between a thrust plate and a shield, a thrust plate having spiral grooves, a fluid recirculation passageway, and a reservoir creates an asymmetric pressure gradient. In an aspect, fluid is retained and air is purged utilizing an enlarged fluid reservoir, axial channels and an angled fill hole. In an aspect, a shaft is attached to a top cover supplying radial stiffness, and an enlarged single-sided thrust plate improves dynamic parallelism.

Apparatus for fluid recirculation

An apparatus and associated method characterized by an enclosure having a side member that defines a substantially orthogonally directed cavity penetrating the side member. A motor shaft in the enclosure has a distal end that is operably aligned with the cavity. A shear transfer member in the enclosure is operably affixed to the motor shaft. One of the shaft and the shear transfer member is sized for a close mating engagement with the side member in the cavity, and the shear transfer member is further sized for being simultaneously shear coupled to the side member.

Restraining motor shaft play

Method and system for withstanding shock in a spindle motor bearing

The counterplate and/or sleeve are modified to reduce or eliminate distortion in the counterplate in a laser welded fluid bearing design. It is known to directly weld the counterplate which lies across the end of the shaft and the thrust plate to a wall or shoulder of the sleeve in which the counterplate is fit. The radial stiffness of the sleeve is weakened by cutting grooves or the like at or near the interface between the sleeve wall and the counterplate, or on the outer diameter of the sleeve wall to essentially weaken the sleeve wall. This weakening of the sleeve wall prevents bowing or distortion of the counterplate being imposed by the sleeve.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Lynn Bich-Quy Le