Patents by Inventor Mark Gregory Steele

Mark Gregory Steele has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Crush ring to seal the counter plate on hydrodynamic bearing
    Patent number: 7147377
    Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing including a shaft rotating within a sleeve and a thrust plate or the like supported at an end of the shaft rotating in a recess defined with the sleeve. The thrust plate faces a counterplate supported from the sleeve over the recess, and the sleeve and shaft are supported for rotation by fluid in the gap or gaps between the shaft and sleeve, thrust plate and sleeve, and thrust plate and counterplate. To prevent fluid from leaking out of the fluid dynamic bearing into the surrounding atmosphere by seeping between the counterplate and sleeve face it rests on, a seal recess is defined in the sleeve, a crush ring seal is placed in the recess. The counterplate is then pressed into the recess, crushing the crush seal ring and blocking any passage of the fluid from the gap region surrounding the thrust plate through the gap between counterplate and sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Robin Francis Dorulla, Mark Gregory Steele
  • Crush ring to seal the counter plate on hydrodynamic bearing
    Patent number: 6952875
    Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing including a shaft rotating within a sleeve and a thrust plate or the like supported at an end of the shaft rotating in a recess defined with the sleeve. The thrust plate faces a counterplate supported from the sleeve over the recess, and the sleeve and shaft are supported for rotation by fluid in the gap or gaps between the shaft and sleeve, thrust plate and sleeve, and thrust plate and counterplate. To prevent fluid from leaking out of the fluid dynamic bearing into the surrounding atmosphere by seeping between the counterplate and sleeve face it rests on, a seal recess is defined in the sleeve, a crush ring seal is placed in the recess. The counterplate is then pressed into the recess, crushing the crush seal ring and blocking any passage of the fluid from the gap region surrounding the thrust plate through the gap between counterplate and sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Robin Francis Dorulla, Mark Gregory Steele
  • Crush ring to seal the counter plate on hydrodynamic bearing
    Publication number: 20030095728
    Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing including a shaft rotating within a sleeve and a thrust plate or the like supported at an end of the shaft rotating in a recess defined with the sleeve. The thrust plate faces a counterplate supported from the sleeve over the recess, and the sleeve and shaft are supported for rotation by fluid in the gap or gaps between the shaft and sleeve, thrust plate and sleeve, and thrust plate and counterplate. To prevent fluid from leaking out of the fluid dynamic bearing into the surrounding atmosphere by seeping between the counterplate and sleeve face it rests on, a seal recess is defined in the sleeve, a crush ring seal is placed in the recess. The counterplate is then pressed into the recess, crushing the crush seal ring and blocking any passage of the fluid from the gap region surrounding the thrust plate through the gap between counterplate and sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: Robin Francis Dorulla, Mark Gregory Steele