Rotational Drive Detail Patents (Class 360/99.08)
  • Patent number: 11915720
    Abstract: The spindle motor includes; a shaft including a shaft portion and a flange portion, the shaft portion having a columnar shape extending in an axial direction, the shaft portion including a shaft end portion, the flange portion being provided at the shaft end portion and receiving a load in the axial direction; and a bearing sleeve rotatably supporting the shaft, the bearing sleeve having a tubular shape including a sleeve end portion having a large-diameter recess part formed in the axial direction. The shaft is a member formed of a copper alloy containing from 0.5 mass percent to 1.5 mass percent of silicon and from 0.5 mass percent to 3.0 mass percent of manganese, and the member includes the shaft portion and the flange portion integrated with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Hideaki Showa, Daigo Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11719254
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a micro water pump, including: a housing having a base, an upper cover engaging with the base, an inner cavity, an inlet communicated with the inner cavity, and an outlet communicated with the inner cavity. A drive mechanism installed in the housing, includes a rotating shaft, an impeller arranged in the inner cavity and rotatably connected with the rotating shaft, a rotor installed in the impeller, and a stator installed in the base for driving the rotor to rotate. The upper cover includes a body part, and an accommodation slot formed by sinking from the surface of the body part close to the base; one end of the rotating shaft is embedded in the base, and the other end is accommodated in the accommodation slot. Whole strength of the micro water pump is enhanced thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: AAC Microtech (Changzhou) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Detao Xu, Fanghua Ling, Sensen Yang
  • Patent number: 11703079
    Abstract: A bearing element includes an inner surface (54) configured to receive a cylindrical shaft (18). The inner surface (54) includes a smooth profile having a plurality of sections (502). Each section (502) having a taper portion (506) between a first arc-span point (512) and a second arc-span point (514), a constant-radius portion (508) between the second arc-span point (514) and a third arc-span point (516), and a transition portion (510) between the third arc-span point (516) and a fourth arc-span point (518). An inner-surface radius dimension (520) changes from an inner-diameter major dimension to an inner-diameter minor dimension at the taper portion (506) and back at the transition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Bischof, Zachary Ashton
  • Patent number: 11582345
    Abstract: Context data management in a contact center environment is provided. For example, a method comprises receiving a given contact instance for a given user of a contact center, wherein the contact center comprises a plurality of communication channels configured to enable the user to initiate a contact instance and wherein the given contact instance is received over one of the plurality of communication channels. The method further comprises one of generating and updating a context data management pattern in response to receiving the given contact instance, wherein the context data management pattern comprises a data structure of one or more records that maintain information relating to the given contact instance received over the one of the plurality of communication channels and information relating to one or more previous contact instances associated with the user received over one or more of the plurality of communication channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Jonas de Abreu Resenes, Joseph P. Kelly, Jean Felipe Martins da Costa, Gabriel Timm
  • Patent number: 11437058
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Michael Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Patent number: 11387583
    Abstract: A connector includes a flexible connector having a first plurality of solder bumps arranged in a first pattern, and a base connector having a second plurality of solder bumps arranged in a second pattern concentric with and of a different size than the first pattern. A method of interconnecting a flexible connector to a base connector includes providing the flexible connector with a first plurality of solder bumps arranged in a first pattern, and providing the base connector with a second plurality of solder bumps arranged in a second pattern. The flexible and base connectors are aligned by aligning the first and second pluralities of solder bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Brian Lee Burski, Ted R. McDonald, Chau Chin Low
  • Patent number: 11211099
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a housing with a bottom wall, magnetic disks supported on a hub of a motor, a printed circuit board provided on an outer surface of the bottom wall, and a wiring board attached on the outer surface of the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes a recess formed in the outer surface, a step located on border between the outer surface and the recess, and through holes opened to the recess. The wiring board includes one end portion disposed in the recess and connection pads on the one end portion, connected to lead wires of a coil. An adhesive is filled into the recess and the through holes, and covers the one end and a solder joint and seals the through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Uehara, Yuu Kawai
  • Patent number: 11171527
    Abstract: An electric drive motor includes a stator with pole shoes and at least one electrically actuable stator winding, a permanent-magnet rotor mounted in a rotationally driveable manner in the field of the stator winding defining an annular gap therebetween, a motor shaft, a magnet carrier disposed on the motor shaft and being produced in one piece as an injection-molded part, and a plurality of separate permanent magnets disposed on and distributed over the circumference of the magnet carrier. The permanent magnet rotor has a tensioning or clamping device for pressing the plurality of permanent magnets outwards in radial directions towards against an inner wall of a cavity in an injection mold of the magnet carrier during injection molding of the magnet carrier. A domestic appliance having the electric drive motor is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Ivanak, Michal Kalavsky
  • Patent number: 11121652
    Abstract: A method for determining an interrupted motor phase of an electric motor having at least three windings by means of a control unit is disclosed, wherein voltages induced in the windings are determined on outer conductors of the electric motor by means of at least one measuring unit, wherein the measuring unit is connected to at least one outer conductor of the electric motor via at least one resistor, the induced voltages of the outer conductors of the electric motor are compared with one another, and an interrupted motor phase is registered if the induced voltage differs or if a frequency of the induced voltage differs. A control unit, a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Denz, Haithem Fkaier
  • Patent number: 11011193
    Abstract: A spin transfer torque reversal assisted magnetic recording (STRAMR) structure is disclosed wherein two flux change layers (FCL1 and FCL2) are formed within a write gap (WG) and between a main pole (MP) trailing side and trailing shield (TS). Each FCL has a magnetization that flips to a direction substantially opposing a WG field when a direct current of sufficient current density is applied across the STRAMR device thereby increasing reluctance in the WG and producing a larger write field output at the air bearing surface. A reference layer (RL1) is used to reflect spin polarized electrons that exert spin torque on FCL1 and cause FCL1 magnetization to flip. A second reference layer (or the MP or TS) is employed to reflect spin polarize electrons that generate spin torque on FCL2 and flip FCL2 magnetization. Non-spin polarization preserving layers and spin polarization preserving layers are also in the STRAMR structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Wu, Wenyu Chen, Shohei Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10989205
    Abstract: A micro fan is provided. The micro fan includes a rotor and a stator. The stator includes an axial induced coil unit and a circuit board. The axial induced coil unit is made by twining a coil in an axial direction for at least two layers and in a radial direction for at least two layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chao-Wen Lu, Chih-Wei Chan, Che-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 10938270
    Abstract: A spindle motor according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a hub; a yoke; a rotor magnet; and a stator. The hub is formed in a cup shape having a hub cylindrical part extending in an axial direction and a disk part extending radially inward from an end of the hub cylindrical part. The yoke being arranged on radially inward of the hub is formed in an annular shape having a yoke cylindrical part facing the hub cylindrical part and a yoke flange part facing the disk part and extending radially inward from the one end of the hub cylindrical part. The disk part includes an adhesive part with the yoke flange part being fixed via an adhesive and a peripheral groove being formed on radially outward of the adhesive part. The adhesive is not present on radially outward of the peripheral groove, and the hub cylindrical part and the yoke cylindrical part do not contact each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Daigo Nakajima, Hideaki Showa, Daisuke Ito
  • Patent number: 10870167
    Abstract: Described are enclosures that include a friction stir weld, including electronic device enclosures, and precursors thereof, that contain a base and a cover that in an assembled condition form a joint at which a friction stir weld can be produced, as well as methods for producing a friction stir weld at a joint of such an assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Jerome Thomas Coffey, Samuel Edward Severson, David G. Fitzgerald, Jeffrey L. Bruce, David R. Lapp, Darrel R. Culver
  • Patent number: 10755740
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a base plate in which a through hole is formed, a stator core that is provided inside the base plate and is wound with a coil, and a circuit board that is provided outside the base plate and to which a conducting wire of the coil drawn out to outside through the through hole is connected, wherein the through hole includes an inner opening that opens inward of the base plate, an outer opening that opens outward of the base plate, and an intermediate portion having a cylindrical shape that is provided between the inner opening and the outer opening, an enlarged opening is formed to be connected to the outer opening, the enlarged opening is offset to extend toward a side where the circuit board is not present, and the through hole is sealed with a sealing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Hideaki Showa, Daigo Nakajima, Tetsuo Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10668588
    Abstract: A fixture for machining wheel outer rim without trace includes a positioning and clamping portion and a flexible support portion. A base is fixed on a bottom plate, and a screw is configured to compress an expanding pressure plate during being tightened so that the outer circumference of an expanding sleeve expands a center hole of a wheel; and the positioning columns are inserted into bolt holes of the wheel. A lower pressure plate is fixed on the base, and limiting columns and an upper pressure plate are installed on the lower pressure plate, with steel balls and rubber strip being enclosed in a space formed by the lower pressure plate and the upper pressure plate. The fixture meets the requirement for machining the wheel outer rim without trace, has the characteristics of simple structure, convenient manufacture, stable performance and precision, and meets the requirements of automatic production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weidong Liu, Xiaoyu Jiang, Fengyan Liu
  • Patent number: 10661402
    Abstract: A fixture for suppressing tool vibration on an outer rim, wherein a pressure claw base, an end face block and a base are installed on the chuck, and the pressure claw is installed on the chuck; a lower pressure plate is fixed on the base, limiting columns and an upper pressure plate are installed on the lower pressure plate, with steel balls and a rubber strip being enclosed in a space formed by the lower pressure plate and the upper pressure plate; and a rubber strip is enclosed in an annular groove formed by a jaw A and a jaw B, and can move radially in the groove. The fixture in the present invention is configured to counteract the vibration of the wheel rim during machining, and thus can effectively eliminate the problem of tool vibration on the outer rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weidong Liu, Xiaoyu Jiang, Xuesong Wang, Shengchao Zhang, Haiping Chang, Yingfeng Wang, Dan Yao
  • Patent number: 10635158
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to an electronic circuit and method of operating thereof to back up write cache data on DDR memory in data storage devices during an emergency power off (EPO). The method involves using a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a combo driver and one MOSFET for regulator output. The method involves detecting a voltage value that is below a predetermined threshold value, retracting a write head away from a hard disk drive (HDD), backing up data, and then resetting the HDD after the backup is complete. The backing up and retraction may occur in parallel or in sequence. The method utilizes the spindle back-electromotive force (BEMF) power to have sufficient power to make the backup. If the power from the spindle BEMF is too low, then the retraction is suspended and a high impedance is present to lighten the load until the BEMF recovers before the power on reset. As such, the back-up data is not reset and volatized by a lack of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki Watanabe, Gaku Ikedo, Naoyuki Kagami, James Jinshi Ng, Brian Kenneth Tanner
  • Patent number: 10622015
    Abstract: A hollow shaft includes a hollow portion extending in an axial direction from an opening that is open at one end of the hollow shaft in the axial direction. The hollow shaft further includes a first communicating hole establishing radial communication between the hollow portion and an axial space between an upper lubricating oil and a lower lubricating oil. The hollow shaft further includes a second communicating hole establishing radial communication between the hollow portion and an unsealed space inside the motor. The unsealed space is connected to an external space outside the motor. The hollow shaft further includes a sealing member closing the opening. The hollow shaft has, in an inner peripheral surface facing the hollow portion, a recess recessed radially outward. A part of the sealing member is fitted into the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Yawata
  • Patent number: 10566865
    Abstract: A protrusion includes a leading end to which a yoke is fixed and a connector that connects an axially lower end of a flange and the leading end. A minimum width of the connector in a direction intersecting a direction in which the protrusion protrudes is smaller than a maximum width of the leading end in a radial direction. A radial position at a radially inner end of the leading end is located radially outward with respect to a side surface in a radially inward direction of a magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuo Miyake, Kazuhiro Sato, Katsuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10559998
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary unit and a rotary unit. The stationary unit includes a stator, a base portion having at least one hole extending in the up-down direction, and a flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate reaches a position higher than a lower surface of the base portion through at least one hole and is arranged to supply electric power to the stator. The flexible wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged higher than the lower surface of the base portion and connected to the stator. The connection portion includes a solder portion arranged on a lower surface thereof to cover a portion of a lead wire extending from a coil of the stator. At least a portion of the solder portion is positioned within the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiro Sato, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 10373644
    Abstract: A spindle motor is provided, the motor comprising: a base plate, a PCB on the base plate, a bearing assembly arranged on the base plate, a stator coupled to a periphery of the bearing assembly, a rotor rotationally coupled to the bearing assembly, the rotor including a yoke and a magnet, and a rotation shaft rotationally coupled to the bearing assembly. The base plate includes a planar portion and a protruding portion arranged along with a periphery of the yoke, the protruding portion being apart from the yoke. The base plate is partially covered with the PCB in a region where the stator is arranged. And, a height from the planar portion to an upper surface of the protruding portion is smaller than a height from the planar portion to a lower surface of the periphery of the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hoeop Yoon
  • Patent number: 10337209
    Abstract: A motor for an electronic lock. The motor drives the electronic lock between a locked position and an unlocked position. A printed circuit board is mounted onto the motor. The printed circuit board includes a motor battery that is mounted onto the printed circuit board. A lock memory device is also mounted onto the printed circuit board and keeping a record of the usage of the electronic lock. In a preferred embodiment, the motor battery is remotely mounted and is connected to the printed circuit board via a wire connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Leslie Ho Leung Chow
  • Patent number: 10320258
    Abstract: In this stator, a passage line extending in a circumferential direction is disposed in a circumferential gap between two circumferentially adjacent ones of coils. A lead wire continuous with a conducting wire defining one of the coils includes a bend portion being bent in the gap with the passage line serving as a supporting point; a led-out portion arranged to extend from the coil to one side in an axial direction to the bend portion; and a connection portion arranged to extend from the bend portion to another side in the axial direction. At least a portion of a portion of the lead wire which overlaps with the passage line when viewed in a radial direction is arranged at a radial position between the passage line and a core back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 10236745
    Abstract: A circuit board is in the shape of a strip and includes: in one longitudinal end portion thereof, power connection portions connected to an external power supply; in another longitudinal end portion thereof, land portions to which portions of conducting wires drawn out downwardly of a base portion are connected; and pattern portions electrically connected to the power connection portions and the land portions. The land portions include a first land portion, and a second land portion arranged adjacent to the first land portion. The pattern portions include a first pattern portion electrically connected to the first land portion, and a second pattern portion arranged adjacent to the first pattern portion, and electrically connected to the second land portion. The first pattern portion and the second land portion are arranged to overlap with each other when viewed in a widthwise direction of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michihiro Ito, Mitsuo Kodama, Tadashi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10109312
    Abstract: A motor that rotates an annular member includes a stationary portion including a stator, and a rotating portion arranged to be rotatable about a central axis extending in a vertical direction. The rotating portion includes a hub extending in an annular shape around the central axis; a magnet including a pole surface arranged radially opposite to the stator; and a yoke to which the magnet is fixed. The yoke includes a yoke increased thickness portion arranged radially outside of the magnet; and a yoke decreased thickness portion with a radial thickness smaller than that of the yoke increased thickness portion, and arranged axially above the yoke increased thickness portion. The yoke decreased thickness portion is fixed to the hub annular portion through press fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Shiraishi, Katsuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9935528
    Abstract: A base portion of a spindle motor includes a base portion through hole passing therethrough from an upper surface to a lower surface thereof. Coils include a lead wire drawn out from above the upper surface downwardly from the lower surface through the base portion through hole. A circuit board includes a land portion to which the lead wire is connected. The spindle motor includes an insulation sheet portion configured to cover at least a portion of the base portion through hole and with which the lead wire is arranged to be in contact. A thickness of the insulation sheet portion is greater than a thickness of the land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yoneda, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Masanobu Taki
  • Patent number: 9865298
    Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including a stationary component, a rotatable component configured to rotate relative to the stationary component, and a conical pumping seal formed between the stationary component and the rotatable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Hans Leuthold, Lynn Bich-Quy Le, Chris M. Woldemar
  • Patent number: 9837872
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary unit and a rotary unit. The stationary unit includes a stator, a base portion having at least one hole extending in the up-down direction, and a flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate reaches a position higher than a lower surface of the base portion through at least one hole and is arranged to supply electric power to the stator. The flexible wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged higher than the lower surface of the base portion and connected to the stator. The connection portion includes a solder portion arranged on a lower surface thereof to cover a portion of a lead wire extending from a coil of the stator. At least a portion of the solder portion is positioned within the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiro Sato, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 9777734
    Abstract: A thin type fan includes an impeller and a motor. The impeller includes a hub and a blade structure disposed around the hub. The motor includes a stator structure, a magnetic assembly, a bearing structure and a rotational shaft. The motor drives the impeller to rotate. The magnetic assembly is disposed within the hub and around the stator structure. The magnetic assembly includes a magnet and a magnetically permeable shell. The bearing structure includes a bearing seat and a single ball bearing. The single ball bearing is disposed in the bearing seat and forms an accommodating space, and the rotational shaft is disposed in the accommodating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chao-Wen Lu, Chun-Chih Wang
  • Patent number: 9747953
    Abstract: A base member of a disk drive apparatus includes a window portion, a first groove, and a communicating groove. The window portion passes through a bottom plate portion of the base member in an axial direction. The first groove is defined in an upper surface of the bottom plate portion around the window portion. A connector includes a board portion and an electrode terminal on a lower surface of the board portion. The board portion is on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion to cover the window portion, the first groove, and a portion of the communicating groove. The communicating groove extends from the first groove up to a position outside of an outer circumferential portion of the connector. An adhesive layer is between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion and the lower surface of the board portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Shimomura, Shingo Suginobu
  • Patent number: 9698637
    Abstract: A rotating portion of a motor includes a magnet, a yoke, and a hub. An upper portion of the yoke is fixed to the hub. The yoke includes a first inner circumferential surface radially opposite to an outer circumferential surface of the magnet with a first gap intervening therebetween, and a second inner circumferential surface radially opposite to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet with a second gap intervening therebetween below the first inner circumferential surface. The second inner circumferential surface is parallel or substantially parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the magnet, and is located radially outward of the first inner circumferential surface. An adhesive is provided in at least a portion of the first gap. No adhesive is provided in at least a lower axial end portion of the second gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Ochitani, Wataru Yamauchi, Masayuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9692273
    Abstract: A rotating portion of a spindle motor includes a rotor magnet, a circular plate portion, and an annular raised portion that projects downward from the circular plate portion. A stationary portion includes a stator, a base portion, and an annular recessed portion configured to accommodate the raised portion. The raised portion includes an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface. The inner circumferential surface is positioned radially opposite a first side surface of the recessed portion with a first minute gap intervening therebetween. The outer circumferential surface is positioned radially opposite a second side surface of the recessed portion with a second minute gap intervening therebetween. The first minute gap has an axial dimension greater than an axial dimension of a seal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Sekii, Kazuya Enokizono
  • Patent number: 9640207
    Abstract: In order to prevent leaking of lubricant, the bearing device includes a rolling bearing having an outer ring and an inner ring, a shaft fixed to the inner ring, and a sleeve fixed to the outer ring. A flange part is formed on at least one end part of the shaft. The flange part includes a disk part extending from the shaft toward an outside in a radial direction and a cylindrical part extending from the disk part along an axial direction. The cylindrical part is disposed at an outside of the outer ring, and a labyrinth gap which bends at two places is formed by gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kunihiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 9424887
    Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward a disc drive apparatus including a disc drive actuator assembly, and a vapor-trapping pathway. The vapor-trapping pathway, in certain embodiments, is formed by an inner surface of an eblock, outer surface of a pivot shaft, and first and second shields. The vapor-trapping pathway being designed to mitigate the flow of vapor into an interior enclosure of the disc drive from within a ball-bearing cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Mark Dubé
  • Patent number: 9413210
    Abstract: A rotor type brushless motor comprises a drive magnet having an indexing pole part that extends on one axial side thereof. This indexing pole part is formed at least in the range from the circumferential center of one north pole to the circumferential center of one adjacent south pole, and over no greater than the range from one circumferential end of the one north pole to the other circumferential end of the one south pole. A magnetic flux detector is arranged at a position axially facing the indexing pole part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Parts Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahisa Tuchiya
  • Patent number: 9368149
    Abstract: In a motor, a lower thrust portion is defined by a flange portion extending radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of a shaft portion of a shaft and a plate portion extending radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical wall of a bearing cup portion which axially overlap with each other. The flange portion and the plate portion include a first adhesive portion radially opposed thereto and a second adhesive portion axially opposed thereto. An adhesive is located in each of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion such that the shaft and the bearing cup portion have excellent bonding strength to withstand an axial load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Junya Mizukami
  • Patent number: 9369019
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion arranged to rotate about a central axis extending in a vertical direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a stator portion including a stator core including an annular core back and a plurality of tooth portions arranged to extend radially outward from the core back, and coils wound around the plurality of tooth portions; an outside surface press fitted to an inside surface of the core back; and a fixing member arranged at least on an upper surface of the core back. Conducting wires defining the coils include passage lines each of which is arranged to join different ones of the coils to each other; and lead wires each of which is drawn out from one of the coils, and is drawn out from an upper side of upper surfaces of the tooth portions to a lower side of lower surfaces of the tooth portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 9361929
    Abstract: A disk clamp for clamping a plurality of disks within a disk drive has a single fastening hole located at its symmetrical center sized to pass the shaft of a screw having a head diameter larger than the fastening hole. The screw fastens the disk clamp to a motor hub supporting the plurality of disks. The disk clamp has a moat around the fastening hole, at a maximum diameter that is smaller than the head diameter of the head on the fastening screw. The moat may be circular, have spike trenches angled toward the fastening hole, or be spiral. The diameter of the spiral moat decreases in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction toward the fastening hole. The midsection of the disk which the screw head covers is biased at a negative angle toward the fastening hole forcing particles generated during assembly toward the fastening hole of the disk clamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: INTRI-PLEX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Erlach, Frederic C. Petersen, Ryan J. Schmidt, Paul W. Smith, Adam D. Sutton, Robert J. Tench
  • Patent number: 9336817
    Abstract: A spindle motor is used in a disk drive apparatus including a cover member to be attached to the spindle motor. The spindle motor includes a rotor portion; a bearing portion; a stator portion; a base portion molded by casting, and arranged to contain the rotor portion, the bearing portion, and the stator portion; and a screw attachment member fixed to the base portion, and including a screw hole. The base portion includes a plate portion arranged to extend radially with respect to a central axis, and a wall portion arranged to extend in an axial direction from a radially outer edge of the plate portion. The wall portion is arranged to support at least a portion of the cover member. An inside surface of the base portion includes a metal surface subjected to a cutting process. The screw attachment member is arranged on the wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiro Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 9219386
    Abstract: A motor's stator unit includes a base and a stator. The base has a shaft tube. The stator has a silicon steel plate unit, an insulation sleeve unit and a coil unit. The silicon steel plate unit has an inner circumferential wall forming a through-hole. The insulation sleeve unit has an engagement hole. The silicon steel plate unit and the insulation sleeve unit are stacked together. The through-hole and the engagement hole are aligned with each other to allow the shaft tube to extend through the through-hole and the engagement hole. An enameled copper wire is wound around a predetermined part of the insulation sleeve unit to form the coil unit. The insulation sleeve unit is press fitted around an outer circumferential wall of the shaft tube via at least one buffering member, so as to prevent the silicon steel plate unit from excessively compressing the shaft tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Alex Horng
  • Patent number: 9202512
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a data storage device comprising a motor having a stator is disclosed. The stator may include a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a n-phase winding arrangement having n phase windings; wherein each phase winding comprises m flat fractional-pitch coils arranged on the first surface of the substrate such that the coils are spaced apart uniformly along a closed loop and connected in series; wherein each coil together with an angular section of the substrate between the coil and an adjacent coil of the same phase winding defines a stator pole-pair; and wherein m is an integer larger than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Bi, Kui Cai, Kheong Sann Chan, Zhi Yong Ching, Moulay Rachid Elidrissi, Guchang Han, Zhimin He, Phyu Hla Nu, Jiang Feng Hu, Wei Hua, Quan Jiang, Siang Huei Leong, Wuzhong Lin, Bo Liu, Yansheng Ma, Chun Lian Ong, Jianzhong Shi, Cheng Su Soh, Sufui Sophia Tan, Li Wang, Chiew Leong Wong, Weiya Xi, Khai Leong Yong, Shengkai Yu, Yin Quan Yu, Zhimin Yuan, Jing Liang Zhang, Tiejun Zhou, Pantelis Alexopoulos, Budi Santoso, Qide Zhang, Kannan Sundaravadivelu, Ningyu Liu, Jianqiang Mou, Chong Wee Lee, Ke Gan, Boon Long Ibrahim See, Leonard Gonzaga, Wee Kiat Lim, Mengjun Liu, Venkataramanan Venkatakrishnan, Cheng Peng Tan
  • Patent number: 9196292
    Abstract: A rotary spindle has a rotatable shaft that defines a shaft axis of rotation, and has a shaft top land that is normal to the shaft axis of rotation. A disk mounting hub has an outer disk mounting surface, and has an inner cylindrical bore with an inner cylindrical surface that faces and is in radial compression with an outer cylindrical surface of the shaft at a cylindrical hub-to-shaft interface. The cylindrical hub-to-shaft interface is substantially concentric about the shaft axis of rotation. A disk clamp is fastened to the rotatable shaft, and the disk clamp has a clamp bottom land that faces and is in contact with the shaft top land.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Diep L. Nguyen, Ronald G. Ilagan, Klaus Kloeppel
  • Patent number: 9183876
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotor hub with a first horizontal surface, a cylindrical surface, a second horizontal surface, and a projecting portion. The first horizontal surface is located above the sleeve. The cylindrical surface extends downward from the first horizontal surface. The second horizontal surface is located above a stator. The projecting portion projects downward from the second horizontal surface, and surrounds the sleeve or the holding portion. The cylindrical surface and an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve together define a tapered gap therebetween where the radial distance therebetween decreases with increasing height. The holding portion, the projecting portion, and coils are located radially in this order, and at least portions thereof are positioned to radially overlap with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Sekii
  • Patent number: 9166452
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a base portion, a stationary portion, and a circuit substrate disposed in the base portion. The base portion includes a flat plate portion positioned below the rotary portion and a through-hole extending from an upper surface to a lower surface of the flat plate portion. The flat plate portion includes a first surface positioned between the upper surface and the lower surface of the flat plate portion and disposed within the through-hole. The circuit substrate includes a land portion to which a lead wire extending from a plurality of coils is electrically connected. The land portion is disposed on the first surface. The lead wire is connected to the land portion by solder within the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Endo, Atsushi Yawata
  • Patent number: 9165594
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a stationary portion with a shaft, a circular plate portion, a wall portion, and a plate portion. The plate portion has a flat plate portion and an annular convex portion. The sleeve includes an annular portion, an outer side cylindrical portion, and an inner side cylindrical portion. The inner side cylindrical portion and an upper radial dynamic pressure groove array are superimposed in a radial direction. The upper radial dynamic pressure groove array includes a plurality of upper spiral grooves that is inclined in one direction with respect to an axial direction and a plurality of lower spiral grooves that is inclined in another direction opposite to the one direction. A lower end of the upper spiral grooves is positioned farther on an upper side than an upper surface of the annular portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yawata, Hirotoshi Uchibori, Toshihiro Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9135947
    Abstract: There are provided a spindle motor and a hard disk drive including the same. The spindle motor includes a shaft fixedly installed on a base member and including an upper thrust member, a sleeve rotatably supported by the shaft, a hub extended from the sleeve in an outer diameter direction, and a sealing cap mounted on the hub, wherein the upper thrust member and the sleeve or the hub include a liquid-vapor interface formed therebetween, wherein a gap between facing surfaces of the sealing cap and the upper thrust member in the axial direction is narrow enough to form a labyrinth seal, and wherein the sealing cap includes a curved part curved so that a gap between the sealing cap and the upper thrust member at a portion of the sealing cap facing the upper thrust member in the axial direction is varied in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kwan Soo Yun, Shin Young Cheong, Ta Kyoung Lee, Song Bon Oh
  • Patent number: 9135945
    Abstract: A disk rotating motor is provided with: a stator including a stator core and a bracket for fixing the stator core; a rotor that can be rotated with respect to the stator and includes a rotary shaft; and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotary shaft on the outer diameter side of the rotary shaft, the bearing being supported by the bracket. The bracket includes a cylindrical portion extending along the rotary shaft, and a folded portion formed by folding the upper end of the cylindrical portion onto the outer diameter side such that at least a coaxial part of the folded portion extends coaxially along an outer surface of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion and the folded portion are sandwiched by the stator core and the bearing in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ishida, Okihisa Tsuchie, Toshiyuki Nishikata
  • Patent number: 9118222
    Abstract: The outer rotor-type blushless motor comprises: a stator including a cylindrical housing, a stator core having stator pole teeth and a bearing coaxially incorporated in a cylindrical hole of the hosing; and a rotor including a rotor yoke, a rotor hub provided to the rotor yoke and a rotor shaft rotatably supported by the bearing. A first resin washer, through which the rotor shaft is pierced and which contacts an end face of the rotor hub, and a second resin washer, which contacts an end face of the bearing incorporated in a center hole of the stator core, contact each other. The second resin washer has an elastic projected section fitted in a concave section formed in the center hole of the stator core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: SHINANO KENSHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fumihiro Okamura
  • Patent number: 9091302
    Abstract: A bearing with a magnetic fluid seal, wherein a plurality of rolling elements are interposed between an inner ring and an outer ring, and a ring-shaped magnet is arranged at an opening side of the inner and outer rings so as to retain magnetic fluid for sealing the plurality of rolling elements, and wherein the ring-shaped magnet is magnetized such that magnetic poles are oriented in an axial direction, the bearing comprising: a ring-shaped pole plate arranged so as to be in contact with an outer side surface of the ring-shaped magnet in the axial direction; outer-ring-side magnetic fluid retained between the outer ring and the ring-shaped pole plate and/or between the outer ring and the ring-shaped magnet; and inner-ring-side magnetic fluid retained between the inner ring and the ring-shaped pole plate and/or between the inner ring and the ring-shaped magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBERIDE, Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshige Ohara
  • Patent number: 9086858
    Abstract: A disk drive can include an enclosure and a media disk rotatably mounted to the enclosure via a spindle. A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) can be mounted between the enclosure and the spindle of the media disk. The FDB may include an integrally formed shaft and lower thrust bush formed together from a single material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Lidu Huang, Chiao-Ping Ku, Gwo-Jeng Lo