Maxtor Corporation

Shane Walker

Shuo-Hao Chen

James Harold Bodmer

Clement Chan

Jim Bodmer

A method and apparatus for rotatably interconnecting computer storage disks to a stationary base is provided. The apparatus provides a hybrid bearing assembly having an oil-filled thrust bearing and an air-filled radial bearing. In particular, the apparatus provides a hybrid bearing having an oil-filled thrust bearing that is highly resistant to leakage. In addition, the apparatus provides a hybrid bearing having a radial air bearing with a very large diameter to provide great stiffness in a radial direction using common manufacturing tolerances. The method of the present invention includes rotatably interconnecting a hub for suspending computer storage media to a base or enclosure using an oil-filled thrust bearing and an air-filled radial bearing. The method further includes balancing the pressures in both directions along the axis of the thrust bearing to prevent leakage of the oil from the bearing. The method also includes providing an air bearing having a very large diameter.

Hybrid air/fluid bearing

A disk drive spindle air bearing includes an air bearing gap between a pair of air bearing surfaces that varies as a function of radial distance from an axis of rotation. This non-uniform air bearing gap effectively minimizes contact between the air bearing surfaces of the bearing when the disk drive hub is at rest or spinning below a threshold speed. This reduced contact significantly reduces the stiction forces that must be overcome during disk drive spin up operations and also reduces the generation of wear particles within the bearing. Air bearing surface shaping techniques are provided for achieving the non-uniform gap dimension, including techniques involving crowned, stepped, and sloped surfaces. In an alternative approach, sacrificial plating is employed to achieve a non-uniform gap dimension within the air bearing.

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Mead, CO, United States of America

Shane Walker