Abstract: A device for centering and securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a chamfer and a countersink on the top of the spindle motor shaft center. During the hard disk drive assembly process, a disk centering tool engages and uses these features to locate and center the disks that are installed on the spindle motor. The features are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the media disks with respect to the hub and the spindle motor. The present design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. As a result, the overall part cost is reduced and the manufacturing yield is improved.

Abstract: A method for centering and securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a chamfer and a countersink on the top of the spindle motor shaft center. During the hard disk drive assembly process, a disk centering tool engages and uses these features to locate and center the disks that are installed on the spindle motor. The features are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the media disks with respect to the hub and the spindle motor. The present design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. As a result, the overall part cost is reduced and the manufacturing yield is improved.

Abstract: A hard disk drive has a motor mounting bracket with mounting screws that attach from outside the drive and external to the seal with a screw bolt pattern diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the motor hub. This configuration greatly reduces contamination inside the disk drive since all contaminants due to the screws are sealed from entering the disk drive. Consequently, the bottom of the mounting bracket is extended to the form factor limit to increase the internal space that is provided for the stator/winding of the motor. In relatively high platter count disk drives, the bottom disk is positioned very close to the motor bracket with this approach, which normally would cause the air drag to increase drastically and thereby impede the performance of the disk drive. Bosses may be used on the bracket to accommodate blind tap hole depths from the external surface of the bracket.

Abstract: A disk clamp for securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a circumferential rib protruding from a lower surface of the disk clamp. A complementary recess is formed in the hub of the spindle motor for closely receiving the rib on the disk clamp. The inner diameter of the rib and the outer diameter of the recess are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the disk clamp with respect to the hub and spindle motor. This design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly and the overall part cost is reduced.

Abstract: A method of enabling a reliable, motor-to-base merge process is designed for motors that are attached to a base with screws that mount from outside of the base. An assembly fixture receives the motor, which has a tooling hole for circumferentially locating the motor relative to the base. The assembly fixture closely receives the motor and has a tooling pin that engages the tooling hole to prevent rotation of the motor relative to the assembly fixture. During the motor-to-base merge process, the motor is inverted with the tooling pin in the tooling hole. The assembly fixture aligns the threaded screw holes in the motor with the mounting holes on the base.

Abstract: A system for enabling a reliable, motor-to-base merge process is designed for motors that are attached to a base with screws that mount from outside of the base. An assembly fixture receives the motor, which has a tooling hole for circumferentially locating the motor relative to the base. The assembly fixture closely receives the motor and has a tooling pin that engages the tooling hole to prevent rotation of the motor relative to the assembly fixture. During the motor-to-base merge process, the motor is inverted with the tooling pin in the tooling hole. The assembly fixture aligns the threaded screw holes in the motor with the mounting holes on the base.

Abstract: A spindle motor is equipped with pre-installed adjustable balance clips on a stainless steel motor hub to facilitate better balance correction. A balance clip holder feature is formed in the hub and has grooves to hold the balance clips. The balance clip holder can be an integrally formed part of the hub, or it can be a separate piece that is assembled to the hub before the complete motor is assembled. In addition, the balance clips are provided with an improved coating to reduce friction during adjustment of the clips in the balance process. Each clip has a coating of nickel-Teflon to achieve a better coating quality and cleanliness over prior art designs. The nickel-Teflon combination yields unexpected results, such as a significantly smoother surface with more uniform coating thickness, and significantly less particle sloughing to reduce contamination.

Abstract: A method of using a balance clip in a hard disk drive spindle motor for disk pack balance correction provides the balance clip with one end that is offset from the circular shape of the balance clip. The offset end is located opposite the precise bent tab that provides tooling engagement in the balance clip. The offset end of the balance clip is offset at a radius that is less than the radius of the balance clip, or at a lesser radial offset from the circular shape. The edge of the offset end does not make contact with the groove in which the balance clip is seated. This design eliminates scratching between the offset end and motor hub, and reduces friction and particle generation during clip adjustment in the disk pack balancing process.

Abstract: A hard disk drive has a motor mounting bracket with mounting screws that attach from outside the drive and external to the seal with a screw bolt pattern diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the motor hub. This configuration greatly reduces contamination inside the disk drive since all contaminants due to the screws are sealed from entering the disk drive. Consequently, the bottom of the mounting bracket is extended to the form factor limit to increase the internal space that is provided for the stator/winding of the motor. In relatively high platter count disk drives, the bottom disk is positioned very close to the motor bracket with this approach, which normally would cause the air drag to increase drastically and thereby impede the performance of the disk drive. Bosses may be used on the bracket to accommodate blind tap hole depths from the external surface of the bracket.

Abstract: A disk clamp for securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a circumferential rib protruding from a lower surface of the disk clamp. A complementary recess is formed in the hub of the spindle motor for closely receiving the rib on the disk clamp. The inner diameter of the rib and the outer diameter of the recess are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the disk clamp with respect to the hub and spindle motor. This design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly and the overall part cost is reduced.

Abstract: A balance clip in a hard disk drive spindle motor facilitates improved disk pack balance correction. The balance clip has one end that is offset from the semi-circular shape of the body of the balance clip. The offset end is located opposite the precise bent tab that provides tooling engagement in the balance clip. The offset end of the balance clip is offset at a radius that is less than the radius of the balance clip, or at a pre-determined, lesser radial offset from the original circular shape. Consequently, the cross-sectional edge of the clip at the offset end does not make contact with the surface of the groove in which the balance clip is seated. This design eliminates scratching between the offset end and motor hub, and thereby greatly reduces friction and particle generation during clip adjustment in the disk pack balancing process.

Abstract: A disk clamp for securing disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a disk drive has symmetrically spaced apart countersunk apertures in the top surface of the disk clamp. The apertures enable the disk clamp to maintain a proper orientation before the fasteners are attached. This design overcomes issues related to rotation and displacement of the clamp while it is being fastened to the hub, and reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. Less tooling complexity also allows multi-fastener driver systems to be employed so that all of the fasteners required to complete the assembly may be simultaneously attached arid driven into the disk clamp. The countersunk apertures on the disk clamp are designed to couple with tapered sleeves on the installation tool to quickly and precisely center the fasteners in the disk clamp while providing anti-rotation torque for the disk clamp.

Abstract: A disk clamp for securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a circumferential rib protruding from a lower surface of the disk clamp. A complementary recess is formed in the hub of the spindle motor for closely receiving the rib on the disk clamp. The inner diameter of the rib and the outer diameter of the recess are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the disk clamp with respect to the hub and spindle motor. This design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly and the overall part cost is reduced.

Abstract: A hard disk drive has a motor mounting bracket with mounting screws that attach from outside the drive and external to the seal with a screw bolt pattern diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the motor hub. This configuration greatly reduces contamination inside the disk drive since all contaminants due to the screws are sealed from entering the disk drive. Consequently, the bottom of the mounting bracket is extended to the form factor limit to increase the internal space that is provided for the stator/winding of the motor. In relatively high platter count disk drives, the bottom disk is positioned very close to the motor bracket with this approach, which normally would cause the air drag to increase drastically and thereby impede the performance of the disk drive. Bosses may be used on the bracket to accommodate blind tap hole depths from the external surface of the bracket.

Abstract: A spindle motor is equipped with pre-installed adjustable balance clips on a stainless steel motor hub to facilitate better balance correction. A balance clip holder feature is formed in the hub and has grooves to hold the balance clips. The balance clip holder can be an integrally formed part of the hub, or it can be a separate piece that is assembled to the hub before the complete motor is assembled. In addition, the balance clips are provided with an improved coating to reduce friction during adjustment of the clips in the balance process. Each clip has a coating of nickel-Teflon to achieve a better coating quality and cleanliness over prior art designs. The nickel-Teflon combination yields unexpected results, such as a significantly smoother surface with more uniform coating thickness, and significantly less particle sloughing to reduce contamination.

Abstract: A disk clamp for securing disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a disk drive has symmetrically spaced apart countersunk apertures in the top surface of the disk clamp. The apertures enable the disk clamp to maintain a proper orientation before the fasteners are attached. This design overcomes issues related to rotation and displacement of the clamp while it is being fastened to the hub, and reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly. Less tooling complexity also allows multi-fastener driver systems to be employed so that all of the fasteners required to complete the assembly may be simultaneously attached and driven into the disk clamp. The countersunk apertures on the disk clamp are designed to couple with tapered sleeves on the installation tool to quickly and precisely center the fasteners in the disk clamp while providing anti-rotation torque for the disk clamp.