Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Tomohiro Haga

Junichi Nakamura

Shigeo Obata

Akihito Shirai

Naoshi Kainoh

Youichi Nishimoto

A hydrodynamic bearing device which can improve reliability by stabilizing a balance of dynamic pressures generated at a thrust bearing portion. The spindle motorincludes a hydrodynamic bearing deviceincluding a shaft, a sleeve, first and second thrust flangesand, first and second thrust bearing portionsandand thrust dynamic pressure generating groovesand. The thrust dynamic pressure generating groovesandare formed such that a plurality of groove portions are connected without being isolated from each other, and the groove depth becomes greater from the inner periphery toward the outer periphery.

Hydrodynamic bearing device

A flange on a shaft of a fluid dynamic bearing unit is to be provided with a hole connecting an outer periphery of the flange and an outer periphery of the shaft. A radial groove is provided on a surface of two flange half pieces, and a vertical groove communicating with the radial groove is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the flange half pieces. Upon combining the two flange half pieces with the grooves facing each other and attaching them to the shaft, a path connecting an outer periphery of the flange and an outer periphery of the shaft is formed. The groove may be formed in a desired cross-sectional shape such as a semicircle, triangle or rectangle. The groove may be formed only on either of the flange half pieces, and the groove can be formed by a simple process such as pressing.

Fluid dynamic bearing unit

A hydrodynamic bearing device which can improve workability of injecting a lube repellant and effectively prevent leakage of a lubricant, a method for manufacturing the same, a spindle motor, and a recording and reproduction apparatus are provided. A hydrodynamic bearing deviceincludes a lube repellantwhich is applied in a circular shape by a predetermined distance in a radial direction from a portion of an upper surface of a second thrust flangewhere it is connected to a shaftand a lube repellantwhich is applied in a circular shape on an outer peripheral surface of the second thrust flangebelow from an upper end in the radial direction by a predetermined distance. The lube repellantis applied near the upper end portion in a gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the second thrust flangeand an inner peripheral surface of an outer sleeve

Hydrodynamic bearing device, method for manufacturing the same, spindle motor and recording and reproduction apparatus

A fluid bearing device capable of preventing a lubricant from scattering outward even during rotation thereof, while holding a relatively large amount of lubricant at a seal surface portion. A lubricant is filled between a sleeve and a shaft, a seal surface portion is formed on the sleeve in a location facing an open end thereof, the seal surface portion has a sectional shape defined by a plurality of inclined surfaces, and an inclination angle &#x3b1; of the inclined surface of the seal surface portion adjacent a radial bearing portion with respect to a shaft axis is formed to be larger than an inclination angle &#x3b2; of the inclined surface of the seal surface portion distant away from the radial bearing portion with respect to the shaft axis.

Fluid bearing device

A fluid bearing device for preventing a lubricant from scattering outside even during rotation thereof, while holding a relatively large amount of lubricant in a seal surface portion. Lubricant is filled between a sleeve and a shaft, the seal surface portion is formed in a location facing an open end of the sleeve, a sectional shape of the seal surface portion is such that a smallest clearance from an outer peripheral surface of the shaft is at a radial bearing portion side end portion of the seal surface portion, a largest clearance is at an intermediate portion between the radial bearing portion side end portion and an open end side end portion of the seal surface portion, and a clearance at the open end side end portion of the seal surface portion is smaller than the clearance at the intermediate portion.

Growing community of inventors

Ozu, Japan

Tomohiro Haga