University of Southampton

Rodime Plc

Ronald W Woolley

Norman Jackson White

Kenneth J Binns

A spindle assembly with air bearings for use in a hard disk storage device. The spindle assembly consists of a stationary shaft assembly and a rotating hub assembly that is supported in rotation by self-acting air bearings formed between adjacent axial and radial surfaces of the shaft assembly and the hub assembly. The shaft assembly includes a stationary shaft. A cylindrically hollow ceramic sleeve is fitted around the shaft. A double herringbone groove pattern is indented into the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve. A further hollow ceramic cylinder fits over the sleeve such that a suitable air bearing can develop between the outer surface of the sleeve and an inner surface defined in the cylinder. Two disk-shaped ceramic thrust plates are fitted around the shaft, one on either side of the hollow sleeve. The innermost surfaces of the thrust plates are indented with a herringbone groove pattern such that a suitable air bearing can develop between the surface of the thrust plates and the flat end surfaces of the cylinder. A motor stator assembly is fitted to the end of the stationary shaft beyond one of the thrust plates, and a magnetic rotor assembly is fitted to the inside surface of a rotating aluminum hub adjacent to the stator.

Self-acting air bearing spindle for disk drive

Drive and support structure for magnetic disc stores comprising a drive spindle which is adapted for direct connection to a disc pack, a pair of self-acting air bearings which support the spindle with its axis vertical, and an alternating current synchronous motor comprising a rotor which is connected to the spindle between the bearings and carries permanent magnets, and a stator which surrounds the rotor and produces a rotating magnetic field which interacts with magnetic poles provided at the periphery of the stator by the magnets. The air bearings are each of the inward pumping zero flow herringbone type.The upper end of the spindle is adapted for connection to a disc pack, and the weight of the spindle is supported at its lower end through a self-acting fluid thrust bearing of the grooved hydro-dynamic oil type. A cooling chamber is provided around the thrust bearing to cool recirculated oil.

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Poole, United Kingdom

Ronald W Woolley