Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing system having at least one stationary part and one rotating part that form a bearing gap filled with bearing fluid between the opposing bearing surfaces, at least one end of the bearing gap being open and sealed against the environment by a sealing means, pumping grooves being provided on at least two spatially separated bearing surfaces to generate hydrodynamic pressure and at least one supply volume connected to the bearing gap being available for the bearing fluid. The distinctive feature of the invention is that the sealing means are formed by pumping grooves that are disposed at the open and of the bearing gap on at least one of the bearing parts and designed in such away that they generate a pumping action on the bearing fluid directed towards the interior of the bearing and, as a result, create a dynamic seal for the open end of the bearing. The bearing system itself is designed as a compact unit preferably consisting of only three parts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spindle motor having a fluid dynamic bearing system that comprises a base (10), a stationary shaft (14) that is connected to the base (10), a bearing bush (16) that is connected to the base (10) and disposed at a spacing about the shaft (14), a hub (18) having a sleeve-shaped part (20) and a cylindrical bore for receiving the shaft (14), a thrust plate (22)) that is disposed at one end of the sleeve-shaped part (20; 120), wherein the sleeve-shaped part and the thrust plate are disposed between an inside circumference of the bearing bush (16) and the outside circumference of the shaft (14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system that comprises a bearing sleeve having a bearing bore and a shaft that is rotatably supported in the bearing bore by means of a fluid dynamic radial bearing. An annular first bearing plate connected to the shaft is provided that, together with a first end face of the bearing sleeve, forms a first fluid dynamic axial bearing, means of producing an axial counterforce to the first axial bearing being available. According to the invention, the axial counterforce is applied by means of a combination of a mechanical spring element and a second fluid dynamic axial bearing. Since the spring force of a preloaded spring does not change significantly over small distances, compensation for tolerances is made possible without the bearing system losing its axial stiffness or being subjected to too much stress.

Abstract: The invention relates to a disc clamp for mounting an information storage disc to a rotating hub of a spindle motor assembly, and a disc drive spindle hub assembly comprising said disc clamp. The disc clamp comprises an annular body portion, an inner centering portion defining a central aperture, and an annular outer peripheral clamping portion. The inner centering portion having a series of centering tabs disposed about an inner circumference of the body portion. Each centering tab includes a first tab portion extending substantially perpendicular to the body portion of the clamp, and a second tab end portion extending in an angle from the first tab portion. The centering tabs contacting an inner circumferential surface and being in a snap-fit engagement with the hub The outer peripheral portion contacting the information storage disc when the disc and the clamp are installed on the top portion of the hub.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spindle motor having a stationary part and a rotating part that are rotatably supported with respect to each other by means of radial and axial bearing systems, the radial bearing system being a fluid bearing and the rotating part being driven by an electromagnetic drive system. The spindle motor is characterized in that the axial bearing system is designed as a magnetic bearing and that it operates against a magnetic preload.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system used in particular for the rotational support of spindle motors for driving the storage disks in hard disk drives having a stationary bearing part (10, 16, 20) and a rotating bearing part (12, 14), wherein the bearing parts are separated from one another by a bearing gap (18) filled with bearing fluid and rotatable with respect to each other about a rotational axis (36), wherein at least one radial bearing (28; 30) is provided in a first section (18?) of the bearing gap and at least one axial bearing (32; 34) is provided in a second section (18?) of the bearing gap, and a supply volume (22) for the bearing fluid connected to the bearing gap (18) is provided. According to the invention, it is provided that the supply volume (22) is formed at the outside circumference of the stationary bearing part and that it is connected via a connecting channel (37) to the second section (18?) of the bearing gap.

Abstract: A canned motor providing a rotor having a rotor shaft; a can having a cylindrical wall which is closed at one end; and a stator, the cylindrical wall of the can being inserted between the rotor and the stator. To measure the rotational position and, where applicable, the number of revolutions of the rotor, the invention provides a resolver integrated in the canned motor which has a resolver rotor that rotates with the rotor and a stationary resolver stator, the cylindrical wall of the can also lying between the resolver rotor and the resolver stator. The resolver enables the rotational position of the rotor, in particular, to be precisely measured as well as the number of revolutions, and thereby enables the motor to be regulated as basically known from the field of electronically commutated DC motors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a roller bearing with preloading that comprises a first bearing ring, a second bearing ring and roller members disposed between these two parts, and at least one elastic element that is disposed on the first bearing ring or on a component connected to the first bearing ring and that exercises a preload force on the second bearing ring. According to the invention the preload force generated by the elastic element is transferred to the second bearing ring by means of at least one first bearing. The bearings are preferably fluid dynamic bearings. However, additional roller bearings may be used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a holder for the winding wires for stators of electric motors consisting of a component to be disposed on the stator having means for holding and guiding the winding wires that run between the individual stator windings. According to the invention, the holder is designed as a part of a circuit board for connecting the phase windings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a disc clamp for mounting an information storage disc to a rotating hub of a spindle motor assembly, and a disc drive spindle hub assembly comprising said disc clamp. The disc clamp comprises an annular body portion, an inner centering portion defining a central aperture, and an annular outer peripheral clamping portion. The inner centering portion having a series of centering tabs disposed about an inner circumference of the body portion. Each centering tab includes a first tab portion extending substantially perpendicular to the body portion of the clamp, and a second tab end portion extending in an angle from the first tab portion. The centering tabs contacting an inner circumferential surface and being in a snap-fit engagement with the hub The outer peripheral portion contacting the information storage disc when the disc and the clamp are installed on the top portion of the hub.

Abstract: The bearing system according to the invention comprises a sleeve-shaped first bearing disk having a bore concentric to a rotational axis, a cylindrical shaft disposed in the bore and connected to the first bearing disk, the shaft having a second bearing disk disposed at one end that is arranged at a spacing to the first bearing disk such that an annular disk-shaped space is formed between the first and the second bearing disk. A third annular bearing disk is provided that is disposed in the annular disk-shaped space and is rotatable about the rotational axis, the opposing surfaces of the first, the second and the third bearing disk as well as the shaft being separated from one another by a bearing gap filled with bearing fluid. A radial bearing is provided between the outside circumference of the shaft and the inside circumference of the third bearing disk and marked by the hydrodynamic bearing patterns associated with the circumferential surfaces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system. It comprises a stationary part consisting of a cup-shaped housing and a bearing bush disposed therein, a moving part consisting of an arrangement of a shaft and a hub rotatably accommodated in the bearing bush and a thrust plate disposed at one end of the shaft that is accommodated in an annular disk-shaped space formed by the housing and the bearing bush. The respective surfaces opposing each other of the stationary part and the moving part are spaced apart from each other by a bearing gap filled with bearing fluid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system. It comprises a stationary part consisting of a cup-shaped housing and a bearing bush disposed therein, and a moving part consisting of an arrangement of a shaft and a hub rotatably accommodated in the bearing bush. The respective surfaces opposing each other of the stationary part and the moving part are spaced apart from each other by a bearing gap filled with bearing fluid. At least one radial bearing is provided that is formed by the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing bush and associated hydrodynamic bearing patterns. An axial bearing is formed by an end face of the bearing bush, an opposing end face of the hub and associated hydrodynamic bearing patterns. The shaft is held by a flange disposed at one of its ends that is accommodated in an annular disk-shaped space formed by the housing and the bearing bush.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system that has a stationary sleeve, a stationary shaft disposed in the sleeve and bearing disks disposed on the sleeve and shaft which form an annular disk-shaped space between each other in which an annular disk-shaped component is disposed. A bearing gap filled with a bearing fluid is formed between the stationary and the rotating bearing construction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system having at least one stationary part and one rotating part that form a bearing gap filled with bearing fluid between the opposing bearing surfaces, at least one end of the bearing gap being open and sealed against the environment by a sealing means, pumping grooves being provided on at least two spatially separated bearing surfaces to generate hydrodynamic pressure and at least one supply volume connected to the bearing gap being available for the bearing fluid. The distinctive feature of the invention is that the sealing means are formed by pumping grooves that are disposed at the open end of the bearing gap on at least one of the bearing parts and designed in such a way that they generate a pumping action on the bearing fluid directed towards the interior of the bearing and, as a result, create a dynamic seal for the open end of the bearing. The bearing system itself is designed as a compact unit preferably consisting of only three parts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic air bearing system to rotatably support a motor. The bearing system comprises a stationary shaft, a bearing bush partially enclosing the shaft and connected to the shaft, a bearing plate partially enclosing the shaft and connected to the shaft, the shaft, the bearing bush and the bearing plate between them forming a cavity that is rotationally symmetric with respect to a rotational axis. A component partially enclosing the shaft and having a sleeve-shaped section and at least one disk-shaped section is rotatably accommodated in the cavity, a bearing gap filled with air or a gas separating the surface of the rotatable component from the surfaces facing the rotatable component of the shaft, the bearing bush and the bearing plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spindle motor having a fluid dynamic bearing system and comprises a rotor having a cylindrical shaft, a first bearing disk disposed at one end of the shaft and a second bearing disk that is disposed on the shaft at a spacing to the first bearing disk in such a way that an annular disk-shaped space is formed between the two bearing disks. A stator is provided that has an annular disk-shaped component which is disposed in the annular disk-shaped space formed by the rotor, the respective opposing bearing surfaces of the stator and of the rotor being separated from one another by a bearing gap filled with a fluid medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system having pressure-generating asymmetric surface patterns, having at least two bearing parts that are rotatable with respect to each other and form a bearing gap filled with a bearing fluid between associated bearing surfaces. The surface patterns are disposed on at least one bearing surface so that hydrodynamic pressure is generated within the bearing gap when the bearing parts rotate with respect to each other. According to the invention, each surface pattern comprises at least three sections, each section generating a pumping action in a defined direction, and the pumping actions of adjacent sections being substantially aligned in opposite directions. Due to the special geometry of the surface patterns according to the invention, tolerances in the geometry of the bearing gap have a less significant effect on the pre-defined pumping direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing comprising at least two bearing parts that can move with respect to one another and form a bearing gap filled with a bearing fluid between the associated bearing surfaces. Surface patterns that act on the bearing fluid and generate hydrodynamic bearing pressure within the bearing gap when the bearing parts move with respect to each other are provided. According to the invention, a foil disposed within the bearing gap is provided as a base to carry the surface patterns.

Abstract: The canned motor in accordance with the invention comprises a rotor having a rotor shaft; a can having a cylindrical wall which is closed at one end; and a stator, the cylindrical wall of the can being inserted between the rotor and the stator. To measure the rotational position and, where applicable, the number of revolutions of the rotor, the invention provides a resolver integrated in the canned motor which has a resolver rotor that rotates with the rotor and a stationary resolver stator, the cylindrical wall of the can also lying between the resolver rotor and the resolver stator. The resolver enables the rotational position of the rotor, in particular, to be precisely measured as well as the number of revolutions, and thereby enables the motor to be regulated as basically known from the field of electronically commutated DC motors.