Minebea Company, Limited

Martin Hafen

Joerg Hoffmann

Olaf Winterhalter

Andreas Kull

Thilo Rehm

Rudolf Neumann

Tobias Kirchmeier

Dieter Braun

Matthias Wildpreth

Mathias Wildpreth

Jorg Hoffmann

Jörg Hoffmann

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 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 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, spindle motor and hard disk drive

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

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.

Conical hydrodynamic pivot bearing

The invention relates to a spindle motor comprising a casing part with a horizontal flange portion and a vertically oriented receiving sleeve for receiving and fastening a corresponding bearing configuration. According to the invention a bottom portion, integrally connected with the horizontal flange portion, is provided, which unilaterally closes the receiving sleeve. Consequently, the mounting of a separate cover for closing the receiving sleeve can be omitted.

Spindle motor with casing part in hard disk drives

A hydrodynamic bearing system for use in a spindle motor, especially for the actuation of hard disk drives, wherein the bearing arrangement features a shaft and a sleeve which, supported by a lubricant circulating between their bearing surfaces, are rotatable relative to one another. A reservoir for the lubricant is formed by a recess provided in the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve. The reservoir is provided in the area of the face of at least one opening in the sleeve. To enable the fill level of the lubricant in the reservoir to be checked, the recess is provided with tapering transitional areas contours of which form an acute angle with the cutting plane of the shaft.

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Spaichingen, Germany

Martin Hafen