Nidec Corporation

West Digital Technologies, Inc.

Takeshi Ohiro

Tomohiro Yoneda

Takayuki Ishino

Masahiro Akagi

Akihiro Yudate

Sho Nakamura

Shigeharu Sumi

Tadahiro Kuramoto

Toshiyuki Sasaki

Takako Hayakawa

Hiroshi Kobayashi

Kimihiko Sudo

Yoshiya Watanabe

Yuta Onobu

Jiro Kaneko

Tatsuya Yoshida

Ryosuke Takahashi

Takuya Ogawa

Toshitsugu Yamamoto

A drive device includes a motor, an output part outputting torque to the outside, a gear part transmitting torque of the motor to the output part, and a housing having an internal space. The gear part includes at least one gear shaft extending in an axial direction, to which at least one gear is fixed, and a gear case accommodating the gear. The gear case includes a wall part facing an outer circumferential surface of the accommodated gear in a radial direction and extending in a circumferential direction and an opening adjacent to the wall part in the circumferential direction and penetrating in the radial direction. The opening faces the housing in the radial direction, and in a rotation direction of the gear, the wall part includes a front end disposed on a front side of the opening and adjacent to the opening. The front end contacts the housing.

Drive device and electric vehicle

Drive unit for electric assisted bicycle

A motor unit having a motor shaft, and a speed reduction mechanism connected to the motor shaft are included. The speed reduction mechanism includes a sun gear unit disposed on the motor shaft, planetary gear units meshing with the sun gear unit and arranged in the circumferential direction, a carrier at least a part of which surrounds the planetary gear units, and an output unit connected to the planetary gear units. The carrier includes a first cylindrical portion disposed outward of and above the sun gear unit and extending in the axial direction. The first cylindrical portion rotatably supports the output unit via a bearing, and the bearing is at least partly disposed radially inward of the radially outer end of the planetary gear unit.

Drive device and movable body

A base member includes a recessed portion extending in radial directions and recessed upward from a lower surface of the base member, and a hole extending through the recessed portion in the vertical direction. The recessed portion includes a recessed portion loop-shaped surface defining a loop-shaped surface in the radial direction. A connector is located on a lower side of the recessed portion to cover the hole portion. An adhesive is located between the connector and the recessed portion. A minimum value of a gap distance in the radial direction between an outer end of the connector and an inner end of the recessed portion in which the outer end of the connector and the inner end of the recessed portion are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween is greater than a minimum value of a gap in the vertical direction distance between an upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface, in which the upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween. The adhesive includes a filler.

Base unit and disk drive apparatus

A base member includes a recessed portion extending in radial directions and recessed upward from a lower surface of the base member and a hole extending through the recessed portion in the vertical direction. The recessed portion includes a recessed portion loop-shaped surface defining a loop-shaped surface in the radial direction. A connector is located on a lower side of the recessed portion to cover the hole portion. An adhesive is located between the connector and the recessed portion. A minimum value of a gap distance in the radial direction between an outer end of the connector and an inner end of the recessed portion in which the outer end of the connector and the inner end of the recessed portion are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween is greater than a minimum value of a gap in the vertical direction distance between an upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface, in which the upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween. The adhesive includes an inorganic filler.

In a spindle motor, a cup portion of a base member includes a cylindrical portion coaxial or substantially coaxial with a central axis extending in a vertical direction and a bottom plate portion defined integrally with the cylindrical portion, and located to close a lower portion of the cylindrical portion. The bearing mechanism is inside of the cup portion and an outer circumferential surface of the bearing mechanism and an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion include a first adhesive layer located therebetween. The base member includes a communicating hole that passes through the bottom plate portion in an axial direction. The communicating hole includes a second adhesive layer located therein.

Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus

A base member includes a recessed portion arranged to extend in radial directions and recessed upward from a lower surface of the base member, the radial directions being directions perpendicular to a vertical direction; and a hole portion arranged to pass through the recessed portion in the vertical direction. The recessed portion includes a recessed portion loop-shaped surface being a loop-shaped surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. A connector is arranged on a lower side of the recessed portion to cover the hole portion. An adhesive is arranged between the connector and the recessed portion. A minimum value of a gap distance between an outer end of the connector and an inner end of the recessed portion in a radial direction in which the outer end of the connector and the inner end of the recessed portion are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween is greater than a minimum value of a gap distance between an upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface in the vertical direction, in which the upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween.

A cup portion of a base member includes a cylindrical portion and a bottom plate portion. The cylindrical portion is arranged to be coaxial or substantially coaxial with a central axis extending in a vertical direction. The bottom plate portion is defined integrally with the cylindrical portion, and is arranged to close a lower portion of the cylindrical portion. A bearing mechanism is arranged inside of the cup portion. An outer circumferential surface of the bearing mechanism and an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion have an adhesive layer arranged therebetween. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a communicating hole passing through the cylindrical portion in a direction that crosses an axial direction is defined in the vicinity of a junction of the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate portion. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base member includes a communicating hole passing through the bottom plate portion in the axial direction.

A base member includes a recessed portion arranged to extend in radial directions and recessed upward from a lower surface of the base member, the radial directions being directions perpendicular to a vertical direction or directions parallel to these directions; and a hole portion arranged to pass through the recessed portion in the vertical direction. The recessed portion includes a recessed portion loop-shaped surface being a loop-shaped surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. A connector is arranged on a lower side of the recessed portion to cover the hole portion. An adhesive is arranged between the connector and the recessed portion. A minimum value of a gap distance between an outer end of the connector and an inner end of the recessed portion in a radial direction in which the outer end of the connector and the inner end of the recessed portion are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween is greater than a minimum value of a gap distance between an upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface in the vertical direction, in which the upper surface of the connector and the recessed portion loop-shaped surface are opposed to each other with the adhesive therebetween.

Spindle motor capable of positively fixing and securing conduction between a housing and a bracket, and a recording disk driving apparatus using the spindle motor. The bracket has a circular through hole, and the housing is fixedly inserted in the circular through hole. A protrusion is formed on at least one of the bracket and the housing. A conductive member is between and in contact with a flange and the bracket or the housing in the direction of the rotary axis to electrically connect the flange and the bracket or the housing. The conductive member is in contact with the flange and the bracket or the housing under an elastic stress.

Spindle motor and recording disk driving apparatus having the spindle motor

According to the invention, a shaft as a component of a shaft member of a hydrodynamic bearing and a disc member such as a thrust plate are joined to each other by welding by a simple method with high precision. A shaft having a cylindrical outer circumferential surface, in joint surfaces which are joined to each other of the shaft and a disc member having a flat surface facing an end surface of the shaft, a circumferential projection having a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the shaft and projected in the axial direction and a recess at least of which outer periphery has a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the shaft and larger than the diameter of the projection and has a circular shape are provided.

Hydrodynamic bearing, method of manufacturing the same, method of manufacturing shaft member for hydrodynamic bearing, spindle motor, and recording disk driving apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Takeshi Ohiro