Ebara Corporation

Yumiko Noda

Yoshio Sato

Kazuyuki Kasahara

Daisuke Konno

Sachihiko Miwa

Kazuto Hirokawa

Shunichi Aiyoshizawa

Manabu Toshimitsu

Ryoichi Shinjo

Yasushi Hisabe

Ichiro Kamiya

Toshihiro Ohtani

Masahiko Kishi

Toshiya Kanamori

Noriyuki Osada

Yoshikazu Suganuma

A bearing device suitable for a spindle motor, which comprises a base, a spindle stood on a central portion of the base, a radial cylindrical member (4) fixed on the spindle, a pair of thrust plates (3) secured to both end surfaces of the radial cylindrical member, and a radial sleeve (6) rotatably supported by the thrust plates (3) and the radial sleeve (6), wherein a radial hydrodynamic bearing is formed by the radial cylindrical member (4) and the radial sleeve (6), thrust hydrodynamic bearings are formed by both end portions of the radial sleeve (6) and the thrust plates (3), a gas is employed as a fluid for generating dynamic pressure in the thrust hydrodynamic bearings, the radial bearing has a minute clearance, a chamfer portion is provided on the outer periphery of each end of the radial cylindrical member (4), and another chamfer portion is provided on the inner periphery of each end of the radial sleeve (6), thereby providing an air gap (13) at each axial end of the radial hydrodynamic bearing, which is surrounded by these chamfer portions and one thrust plate (3), a lubricating liquid is employed as a fluid for generating dynamic pressure in the radial hydrodynamic bearing, small holes (8) for collecting the lubricating liquid are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the radial cylindrical member (4), and lubricating liquid is sealed in the bearing clearance of the radial hydrodynamic bearing by virtue of the presence of the air gaps (13).

Hydrodynamic fluid bearing with liquid-radial bearing and gas-thrust

Hydrodynamic bearing

A ceramic hydrodynamic bearing used as a radial or a thrust bearing in a spindle motor for a hard disk driver. The bearing includes a ceramic bearing base having hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves. A sliding surface of the bearing base is irradiated with an energy beam with a high energy density to remove said material, thereby forming hydrodynamic pressure generating groove, and at the same time the grooves are coated with a modification layer that is formed by melting the ceramic material that constitutes said ceramic bearing base with the energy beam and by solidifying said ceramic bearing base.

Method of cutting grooves in hydrodynamic bearing made of ceramic

A bearing structure suitable for a spindle motor or the like, which enables such a motor to rotate with minimal vibrations. The bearing structure comprises a stator including a support shaft which is disposed on a base, and a rotor which is rotatably disposed around the support shaft. A radial hydrodynamic bearing and a thrust hydrodynamic bearing are disposed between the stator and the rotor. The stator has the support shaft, a thrust plate and a radial cylindrical member which is concentric with the support shaft. The thrust plate is secured to an end surface of the radial cylindrical member. The support shaft extends through the centers of the radial cylindrical member and the thrust plate. The rotor has a radial sleeve. The radial hydrodynamic bearing is formed from the inner peripheral surface of the radial sleeve and the outer peripheral surface of the radial cylindrical member, which face each other and either of which is formed with herringbone-shaped grooves for generating dynamic pressure. The thrust hydrodynamic bearing is formed from an end surface of the radial sleeve and a sliding surface of the thrust plate, which face each other and either of which is formed with spiral grooves for generating dynamic pressure. A rolling bearing may be added in order to minimize the starting torque in the bearing structure.

Bearing structure

A spindle motor comprising a stator including a support shaft positioned on a base, a cap-shaped rotor rotatably and concentrically disposed around the support shaft, thrust and radial bearings disposed between the stator and the rotor, a stator coil secured to the stator, and a rotor magnet member secured to the rotor opposing the stator coil. The thrust and radial bearings are hydrodynamic bearings. A movable piece that constitutes a part of the thrust bearing is secured to the lower end of a cylindrical portion of the rotor and extended outwardly or inwardly from the cylindrical portion, or is disposed above the rotor. The stator coil is secured to the outer peripheral portion of the support shaft above or below the radial bearing. The rotor magnet member is securd to the inner peripheral surface or inner top surface of the rotor. Either a radial or axial gap is provided between the stator coil and the rotor magnet member.

Gas dynamic bearing for spindle motor

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Yumiko Noda