Abstract: A spindle motor which is designed to rotate with minimal vibrations and hence is suitable for a hard disk driver. The spindle motor employs hydrodynamic bearings as radial and thrust bearings. A support shaft is formed in a cylindrical configuration with a center hole, and a rotor has a columnar portion which is inserted into the center hole in the support shaft. A thrust bearing collar is attached to the lower end of the rotor, and a thrust bearing member is secured to a base in opposing relation to the thrust bearing collar. A group of stator coils and a radial bearing member are disposed on either the inner peripheral surface of the center hole in the support shaft or the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft, and a group of rotor magnets and a radial bearing sleeve are disposed on either the outer peripheral surface of the columnar portion or the inner peripheral surface of the rotor in opposing relation to the stator coil group and the radial bearing member.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A novel thrust bearing is provided in which a spiral element having a disc shape is loosely interposed between a pair of flat elements one of which is rotatable and the other of which is stationary, the spiral element having a spiral groove pattern on each of the opposite surfaces of the disc with the patterns on the respective surfaces reverse in relation to each other in their spiral direction.