Rotational Drive Detail Patents (Class 360/99.08)
  • Patent number: 8848357
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an enclosure, a bracket, a connector, and a fan. The enclosure includes a bottom plate and two side plates located on the bottom plate. The bracket is secured to the side plates and includes a bottom wall. The bottom wall is substantially parallel to the bottom plate and defines an installing opening. Two locking pieces extend from two opposite edges of the installing opening. Each of the locking pieces defines a locking hole. The connector is secured in the installing opening, the connector comprising two resilient portions. A locking protrusion protrudes from each of the resilient portions. The locking protrusions of the resilient portions engage in the locking holes of the locking pieces. The resilient portions are deformable to disengage the locking protrusions from the locking holes. The fan is received in the bracket and adapted to be electrically coupled to the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sheng-Hung Lee, Li-Ping Chen, Xian-Huang Gao, Jin-Jia Yu, Cheng-Wang Zhao
  • Patent number: 8848312
    Abstract: The disk drive device includes a base member, a hub, a bearing unit which is arranged on the base member and which rotatably supports the hub, and a spindle drive unit which drives the hub to rotate. The spindle drive unit includes a stator core having a salient pole, a coil wound around the salient pole and a magnet opposed to the salient pole. The base member includes a wire hole through which a drawing line of a wire for forming the coil passes, and a concavity formed at a bottom surface of the base member at least partly arranged radially outside the outer diameter portion of the magnet. The drawing line passes through the wire hole and is arranged along the bottom surface of the base member and connected to a wiring member at the concavity beyond the outer diameter portion of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Watanabe, Hiroshi Iwai, Tomoyuki Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20140285924
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including: a sleeve fixedly installed on the base member and having a circulation hole formed therein; a shaft rotatably inserted into a shaft hole of the sleeve; a rotor hub fixedly installed on an upper end portion of the shaft; and a thrust member installed in an installation groove of the sleeve and forming a connection part while being installed in the installation groove, the connection part being connected to the circulation hole, wherein the connection part is formed by the sleeve and the rotor hub and connects a sealing part in which a liquid-vapor interface is disposed and the circulation hole to each other, and an upper and lower radial dynamic grooves allowing a lubricating fluid to move from a lower end portion of the shaft toward the upper end portion thereof during rotation of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Sung Hoon KIM, Hyun Gi Yang, Young Sun Yoo
  • Publication number: 20140268413
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a shaft; a sleeve rotatably supporting the shaft by fluid dynamic pressure; a holder provided outwardly of the sleeve and at least partially formed of a magnetic material; a stator core mounted on an outer surface of the holder; and a base member including a mounting part protruding upwardly in an axial direction and fixed to the holder. The holder has a core seating part protruding outwardly therefrom, and an upper surface of the stator core is seated on the core seating part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Woon PARK, Tae Young CHOI, Shin Young CHEONG, Hyun Chul LEE
  • Publication number: 20140268411
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion that is rotatable about a central axis extending in a vertical direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft and a cup portion. The shaft extends in an axial direction and is fixed to the cup portion. The rotating portion includes a sleeve portion including at least a portion thereof arranged inside the cup portion, and is arranged opposite to the shaft. The cup portion includes a cylindrical portion, a bottom plate portion, and a first conical portion. The cylindrical portion is radially opposite to an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve portion. The bottom plate portion is inside the cylindrical portion. The first conical portion extends upward from an inner end portion of the bottom plate portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventor: Yoichi SEKII
  • Publication number: 20140268412
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor, including: a rotating member including a shaft having a fixing groove disposed in a lower portion thereof, a hub base extending from an upper end of the shaft in an outer radial direction, and a magnet support part extending from an outer edge of the hub base downwardly in an axial direction; a sleeve rotatably supporting the rotating member; and a stopper including a fixed part inserted into the fixing groove and a flange part extending from an end of the fixed part in the outer radial direction, wherein the flange part includes a groove part formed by being recessed inwardly and an extension part extending from the groove part in the outer radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Viatcheslav SMIRNOV
  • Patent number: 8837079
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor, including: a rotating member including a shaft having a fixing groove disposed in a lower portion thereof, a hub base extending from an upper end of the shaft in an outer radial direction, and a magnet support part extending from an outer edge of the hub base downwardly in an axial direction; a sleeve rotatably supporting the rotating member; and a stopper including a fixed part inserted into the fixing groove and a flange part extending from an end of the fixed part in the outer radial direction, wherein the flange part includes a groove part formed by being recessed inwardly and an extension part extending from the groove part in the outer radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Viatcheslav Smirnov
  • Patent number: 8836183
    Abstract: In a rotating machine, a recording disk is mounted on a hub. A base rotatably supports the hub through a bearing unit. A core is fixed to the base and includes an annular portion and a salient pole radially extending therefrom. A coil is formed by winding a wire around the salient pole. The wire is pulled out to the back surface of the base through a pull-out hole provided in the base and soldered to a wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hirotake Nishino, Kazuhide Kamata
  • Patent number: 8837078
    Abstract: A rotating body for a fluid dynamic bearing used for rotating a recording disk that has been mounted therein include: a rotating shaft portion in which a cylindrical portion that serves as a rotating shaft and a protruding portion extended radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion are formed integrally with each other; and a hub that is to be connected to the end portion near to the outer circumference of the protruding portion and that has a mounting seat portion on which the recording disk is to be mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Akira Muramatsu, Takuji Yamada
  • Publication number: 20140254046
    Abstract: A disk drive unit includes a rotor configured to rotate a disk accommodated within a disk accommodating space and set thereon, a fixed body configured to rotatably support the rotor, a fluid dynamic pressure generating part provided between the fixed body and the rotor, and a plurality of ring-shaped members, provided in an overlapping manner along a direction of a rotational axis of the rotor within a space that communicates the disk accommodating space and a gas-liquid interface of the lubricant, and covering a gap between the rotor and the fixed body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo KODAMA, Ryusuke SUGIKI
  • Patent number: 8830622
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including a base member formed by firing processing a steel plate and provided with a cylindrical installation part, a shaft support part including a sleeve insertedly disposed in the installation part, a shaft rotatably supported by the shaft support part, a rotor hub fixed to an upper end of the shaft and provided with a driving magnet, and a stator core installation member disposed on the base member so as to be disposed outwardly of the installation part in a radial direction and having a stator core, wherein the stator core installation member includes a body part, an installation wall part extending from an upper surface of the body part and a support part, and the rotor hub is provided with an extending wall extending from a bottom surface thereof to form a labyrinth seal with the installation wall part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Il Geun Jeon, Tae Young Choi
  • Patent number: 8824096
    Abstract: A rotating portion of a motor includes a hub body portion and a shaft arranged to extend in an axial direction. The hub body portion includes a through hole and a recessed portion. The recessed portion extends radially outward from an outside surface of the shaft, has an annular shape and is recessed axially downward. The recessed portion includes first, second, and third ridge portions. The first ridge portion is an axially upper edge of an inside surface defining the through hole, the second ridge portion is arranged radially outward of the first ridge portion, and the third ridge portion is arranged radially outward of the second ridge portion, and is located axially above both the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion. An adhesive is arranged to cover the outside surface of the shaft and reach a portion of the second ridge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Akiyama, Atsushi Yawata
  • Patent number: 8824097
    Abstract: A motor includes a shaft component, an upper plate portion, a lower plate portion, and a sleeve portion. The shaft component includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion. The sleeve portion is disposed between the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion. A radial gap is defined between the sleeve portion and the outer shaft portion. A fixing range in which the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion radially overlap is provided. At least a portion in an axial direction of the fixing range radially overlaps with an existing range in the axial direction of the radial gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Iwasaki, Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Hideki Nishimura, Kazuto Miyajima, Takuro Iguchi, Kazuhiro Sato, Takeyuki Shuto
  • Patent number: 8824095
    Abstract: A spindle motor for a disk drive including a hub defining a longitudinal axis having a hub flange defining a mounting surface extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis, wherein the hub flange of the hub extends longitudinally relative to the mounting surface to define a vertical surface; and a motor base coupled to the hub proximate to the hub flange of the hub, the motor base having a central axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis, wherein the motor base extends longitudinally, wherein a radius of the motor base is greater than a radius of the hub flange of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mitchell D. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 8823230
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion. The rotating portion includes a sleeve portion. The sleeve portion includes a communicating hole. A dynamic pressure bearing is defined in a first gap between a shaft portion and the sleeve portion. An upper seal portion and a lower seal portion are arranged radially outward of the dynamic pressure bearing. The upper seal portion and the lower seal portion are arranged in communication with each other through the communicating hole. The communicating hole and a space extending from the upper seal portion to the lower seal portion through the first gap are filled with a lubricating oil. A fixing region where an outer tubular portion and a base portion are fixed to each other is arranged to overlap with the dynamic pressure bearing in a radial direction in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Mizukami, Takayuki Oe, Yoichi Sekii, Naoki Sabashi, Hideki Nishimura, Takehito Tamaoka, Takashi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140233133
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including a base member formed by firing processing a steel plate and provided with a cylindrical installation part, a shaft support part including a sleeve insertedly disposed in the installation part, a shaft rotatably supported by the shaft support part, a rotor hub fixed to an upper end of the shaft and provided with a driving magnet, and a stator core installation member disposed on the base member so as to be disposed outwardly of the installation part in a radial direction and having a stator core, wherein the stator core installation member includes a body part, an installation wall part extending from an upper surface of the body part and a support part, and the rotor hub is provided with an extending wall extending from a bottom surface thereof to form a labyrinth seal with the installation wall part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Il Geun JEON, Tae Young Choi
  • Patent number: 8810095
    Abstract: A dynamic pressure bearing is defined in a first gap between a shaft portion and a sleeve portion. An upper seal portion extending upward and a lower seal portion extending downward are arranged radially outward of the dynamic pressure bearing. Each of the upper seal portion and the lower seal portion includes a surface including a lubricating oil located therein. The upper seal portion and the lower seal portion are arranged in communication with each other through a communicating hole defined in the sleeve portion. The communicating hole and a space ranging from the upper seal portion to the lower seal portion through the first gap are filled with the lubricating oil. The axial distance between the surfaces of the lubricating oil in the upper seal portion and the lower seal portion is arranged to be shorter than the axial distance between an upper end and a lower end of the dynamic pressure bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Mizukami, Takayuki Oe, Yoichi Sekii, Naoki Sabashi, Hideki Nishimura, Takehito Tamaoka, Takashi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8810959
    Abstract: A rotating device includes a rotor including a hub to receive a recording disk, and a fixed body including a base that fixedly supports a bearing unit to rotatably support the rotor. The fixed body includes a core having a cylindrical part and salient poles extending in a radial direction, a ring-shaped member having a core holding part that has the core fixed to an outer peripheral surface thereof, a sloping part extending in a direction inclined with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor from a side of the core holding part farther away from the hub, and a support part extending from a side of the sloping part farther away from the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Tokunaga, Tomoya Takahashi, Kazuyoshi Nagai
  • Patent number: 8810096
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion. The stationary portion preferably includes a shaft portion, a lower plate portion, and an outer tubular portion. The rotating portion preferably includes an inner tubular portion and a flange portion including a communicating hole. An upper seal portion is arranged radially outward of a first gap, and a lower seal portion is arranged radially outward of a second gap. The upper and lower seal portions are arranged in communication with each other through the communicating hole. The communicating hole and a space extending from the upper seal portion to the lower seal portion through the first gap, the second gap, and a third gap are filled with a lubricating oil. The third gap includes a dynamic pressure generation portion arranged to produce a radially inward pressure acting on the lubricating oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Mizukami, Takayuki Oe, Yoichi Sekii, Naoki Sabashi, Hideki Nishimura, Takehito Tamaoka, Takashi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8803391
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including: a sleeve supporting a shaft; and a rotor hub coupled to an upper portion of the shaft to thereby form a bearing clearance with the sleeve, wherein the sleeve and the rotor hub are provided with a plurality of sealing parts for preventing a leakage of a lubricating fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Seop Shin
  • Patent number: 8804279
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including a sleeve rotatably supporting a shaft, a rotor coupled to an upper end of the shaft and rotating together with the shaft, a stopper part coupled to a main wall part protruding from one surface of the rotor and facing an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve, a cover plate coupled to the sleeve while maintaining a clearance between the cover plate and lower portions of the shaft and the sleeve, a base member coupled to the cover plate, and a stator holder fixedly disposed on the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Viatcheslav Smirnov
  • Publication number: 20140211341
    Abstract: A disk drive device comprises a chassis, an annular hub having an outer periphery on which a recording disk is to be mounted, and having an inner periphery to which an annular magnet is fastened, a fluid bearing unit that supports the hub in a manner freely rotatable relative to the chassis, an opposing wall formed annularly on the surface of the chassis at the hub side, and facing with at least partially the inner periphery of the hub in the radial direction, a first gap that extends in the axial direction between the inner periphery of the hub and the opposing wall, and a second gap that is continuous from the first gap and extends in the radial direction between the end face of the hub and the chassis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS JAPAN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo KODAMA, Ryusuke SUGIKI
  • Publication number: 20140211342
    Abstract: A lubricating oil is arranged between stationary and rotating portions of a spindle motor. When the motor is stationary, upper and lower surfaces of the lubricating oil are respectively located in upper and lower capillary seal portions. A first angle defined between an outer circumferential surface of the plate portion and an inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical portion at the upper capillary seal portion, and a second angle defined between an outer circumferential surface of a sleeve and an inner circumferential surface of the wall portion at the lower capillary seal portion, in a section taken along a plane including a central axis is respectively in the range of about 1 degree to about 8 degrees and in the range of about 1 degree to about 10 degrees, respectively. The upper capillary seal portion has maximum radial and axial dimensions smaller than those of the lower capillary seal portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SATO, Masahiro SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 8792204
    Abstract: A base plate of a disk drive apparatus includes a motor base disposed around a central axis and a base body portion extending radially outward of the motor base. The motor base is made of a metallic material of a first type. The base body portion is made of a metallic material of a second type. Thus, the axial thickness of a portion of the base plate close to the central axis can be significantly reduced and a reduction in the stiffness of the portion can be prevented. Further, the motor base includes a flange portion and a plastic deforming portion. The flange portion and the plastic deforming portion are respectively in contact with at least a portion of both axial end surfaces of an inner end portion of the base body portion. Thus, extraction of the motor base in the axial direction is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Tatsumi, Takashi Fujiwara, Takayuki Ishino, Kiyofumi Inoue, Akihiro Yudate
  • Patent number: 8786982
    Abstract: A disk drive device includes a rotating body that rotates and drives a disk, a stationary body which includes a chassis with a protrusive part and a stator core fastened with the chassis, and a fluid bearing unit. The chassis has a recess with a bottom provided in the protrusive part, and the fluid bearing unit includes an insertion part inserted in the recess with the bottom, and a core encircled part. A gas passage is provided which causes a clearance space between the insertion part and the recess with the bottom to be in communication with a disk retaining space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Kodama, Kazuhiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8780492
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including: a fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly; a base member coupled to the fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly; and a core fixedly coupled to the base member and having a coil wound therearound, wherein the base member has a disk portion and a coupling portion extending from an inner edge of the disk portion upwardly in an axial direction, one surface of the core is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the overall coupling portion, and an upper end of the coupling portion is protruded upwardly, relative to an upper surface of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Viatcheslav Smirnov
  • Patent number: 8780494
    Abstract: A rotating device includes a sleeve which encircles a shaft, a housing which supports the shaft and which forms an annular supporting recess where the lower end of the sleeve enters together with the shaft, a ring member which is provided above the sleeve and which is fixed to the shaft in a manner encircling the shaft. A first gap between the sleeve and the shaft includes first and second radial dynamic pressure generating portions. An annular sleeve recess is formed in upper face of the sleeve. The ring member includes a ring entering portion that enters the sleeve recess in a non-contact manner. An outward gap in the radial direction where the ring entering portion and the sleeve recess face with each other in the radial direction includes a second air-liquid interface of a lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Kodama, Masafumi Mizuno, Taketo Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8780493
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor including a base member including an installation part having a stator core installed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a lower thrust member insertedly installed in the installation part, a shaft having a lower end portion fixed to the lower thrust member and an upper end portion having a flange part formed thereon, a rotating member including a sleeve forming a bearing clearance with the shaft and the lower thrust member, and a rotor hub extended from the sleeve, and a magnet installation guiding member installed on an inner surface of the rotor hub and guiding an installation position of a driving magnet such that centers of the stator core and the driving magnet coincide with each other in an axial direction, wherein the magnet installation guiding member seals one side of a clamping hole formed in the rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won Ki Park
  • Publication number: 20140192439
    Abstract: A motor includes a shaft component, an upper plate portion, a lower plate portion, and a sleeve portion. The shaft component includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion. The sleeve portion is disposed between the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion. A radial gap is defined between the sleeve portion and the outer shaft portion. A fixing range in which the outer shaft portion and the inner shaft portion radially overlap is provided. At least a portion in an axial direction of the fixing range radially overlaps with an existing range in the axial direction of the radial gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji IWASAKI, Yoichi SEKII, Takehito TAMAOKA, Hideki NISHIMURA, Kazuto MIYAJIMA, Takuro IGUCHI, Kazuhiro SATO, Takeyuki SHUTO
  • Publication number: 20140192438
    Abstract: A rotating device includes a sleeve which encircles a shaft, a housing which supports the shaft and which forms an annular supporting recess where the lower end of the sleeve enters together with the shaft, a ring member which is provided above the sleeve and which is fixed to the shaft in a manner encircling the shaft. A first gap between the sleeve and the shaft includes first and second radial dynamic pressure generating portions. An annular sleeve recess is formed in upper face of the sleeve. The ring member includes a ring entering portion that enters the sleeve recess in a non-contact manner. An outward gap in the radial direction where the ring entering portion and the sleeve recess face with each other in the radial direction includes a second air-liquid interface of a lubricant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS JAPAN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo KODAMA, Masafumi MIZUNO, Taketo NONAKA
  • Patent number: 8773814
    Abstract: Approaches to use of a squeeze air bearing for supporting and/or rotating the disks in a hard-disk drive. The squeeze bearing, whose effect is based on relative normal motion between two surfaces, is arranged adjacent to the rim of the disk to provide a bearing force at the disk rim. The squeeze bearing comprises multiple cantilevered arms with one end fixed to a support ring assembly and the other end having one or more vibrational element which, when vibrating, provides the bearing force. At least one of the vibrational elements is configured at an angle to the disk rim and which, when vibrating, provides a tangential force to rotate the disk for HDD operational purposes. Therefore, such a squeeze bearing provides an integrated solution for bearing and rotating the disk(s) of an HDD, thereby eliminating the need for a liquid-based disk spindle motor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Ferdinand Hendriks
  • Patent number: 8773816
    Abstract: A lubricating oil is arranged between stationary and rotating portions of a spindle motor. When the motor is stationary, upper and lower surfaces of the lubricating oil are respectively located in upper and lower capillary seal portions. A first angle defined between an outer circumferential surface of the plate portion and an inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical portion at the upper capillary seal portion, and a second angle defined between an outer circumferential surface of a sleeve and an inner circumferential surface of the wall portion at the lower capillary seal portion, in a section taken along a plane including a central axis is respectively in the range of about 1 degree to about 8 degrees and in the range of about 1 degree to about 10 degrees, respectively. The upper capillary seal portion has maximum radial and axial dimensions smaller than those of the lower capillary seal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sato, Masahiro Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8773815
    Abstract: An example rotating device is a disk drive device that includes a base, a hub on which a recording disk is to be mounted and which rotates relative to the base, and a fluid dynamic bearing unit that allows the hub to rotate relative to the base. The fluid dynamic bearing unit includes a shaft that performs relative rotation and a cylindrical member that encircles the shaft, the cylindrical member includes a thrust dynamic pressure generating groove which is provided in one end face of the cylindrical member and which generates thrust dynamic pressure, and the thrust dynamic pressure generating groove includes a cut-and-machined face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisayuki Aoshima
  • Publication number: 20140185162
    Abstract: There is provided a base assembly including a motor mounting part, and a base body including a disk mounting part coupled to the motor mounting part and having a disk disposed thereon, the disk having data stored therein, and a head seating part formed in a position lower than that of the disk mounting part, wherein the motor mounting part is formed of a non-magnetic material, and the base body is formed of a magnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nam Ki PARK
  • Publication number: 20140185163
    Abstract: There is provided a base plate including a body part formed of a metal plate, a pocket part including a recess formed in one surface of the body part by decreasing a thickness of the body part, a center plate part forming the pocket part and corresponding to the recess, a pocket periphery part forming the body part in a periphery of the pocket part, and a pocket edge part formed between the pocket periphery part and the center plate part and having a thickness different from that of the center plate part, wherein a height from a bottom surface of the body part to a top surface of the center plate part is identical to a height of the pocket periphery part, and a thickness of the pocket periphery part is greater than a thickness of the center plate part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Young CHOI, Il Geun JEON
  • Patent number: 8767386
    Abstract: A fastening device for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a bottom plate and two fastening members. Two protrusions protrude up from the bottom plate. A positioning portion is formed on the bottom plate. The positioning portion defines a hooking slot. Each fastening member includes a connection wall, and a top wall and a bottom wall perpendicularly extending from top and bottom sides of the connection wall. The top walls are fastened to a bottom of the HDD. Each bottom wall defines an engaging hole. The engaging hole includes a large first hole and two small second holes communicating with opposite sides of the first hole. A latch is formed on one of the fastening members. The HDD is operable to slide to allow the protrusions to enter the corresponding second holes from the corresponding first holes, and to allow the latch to engage in the hooking slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zheng-Heng Sun
  • Patent number: 8760799
    Abstract: A rotor hub includes a shaft connecting portion arranged to be connected to a shaft serving as a central axis, a disk loading portion centered about the central axis and arranged to support a disk shaped storage medium mounted thereon, a yoke arranged below the disk loading portion and supporting a field magnet at one of an inner side surface thereof and an outer side surface thereof, and a flexible portion connecting the disk loading portion to the yoke and being flexible with respect to a force applied thereto from the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Takuro Iguchi, Yoshihiro Sameshima, Takehito Tamaoka, Ryouji Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20140168815
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a head gimbal assembly includes a load beam, a base plate fixed to a proximal-end portion of the load beam, a flexure attached to the load beam and the base plate, a gimbal portion formed of a distal-end portion of the flexure positioned on a distal-end portion of the load beam, a magnetic head attached to the gimbal portion, and electrically connected to the traces of the flexure, a concave portion formed in the gimbal portion, and concaved toward the thin metallic plate side, and a piezoelectric element arranged in the concave portion, fixed on a bottom of the concave portion, and configured to expand/contract in a longitudinal direction of the flexure by application of a voltage thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masaya Kudo
  • Patent number: 8755147
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording layer of a recording medium, a return pole opposed to the main pole with a write gap therebetween, and a high-frequency oscillator between respective facing surfaces of the main pole and the return pole and configured to produce a high-frequency magnetic field. At least one of the main and return poles faces the high-frequency oscillator and includes a laminated structure portion includes a magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer laminated to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takuya Matsumoto, Kenichiro Yamada, Masayuki Takagishi, Katsuhiko Koui, Hitoshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8755145
    Abstract: A base unit includes a stator and a base member including a first recess portion, a second recess portion, and at least one through-hole. The first recess portion is arranged on an upper surface of the base member to surround the hole portion and depressed toward the lower surface thereof. The second recess portion is arranged radially outward of the first recess portion and depressed toward a lower surface thereof. The through-hole is arranged inside the first recess portion to extend through the base member. The second recess portion includes a protrusion portion and a third recess portion. The protrusion portion protrudes from the lower surface of the base member toward the upper surface of the base member. The third recess portion is depressed from the lower surface of the base member toward the upper surface of the base member and positioned at the opposite side from the protrusion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Takuro Matsumoto, Toshihiro Akiyama, Atsushi Yawata
  • Patent number: 8754563
    Abstract: A recording disk is to be mounted on a hub. A base rotatably supports the hub through a bearing. A stator core is fixed to the base and includes an annular portion and a salient pole extending radially therefrom. A magnet faces the salient pole radially and is rotated with the hub. The magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles in the circumferential direction such that each of the plurality of magnetic poles faces the salient pole. The salient pole includes a rod-shaped body around which a wire is wound and a tooth portion that is provided radially outside the rod-shaped body and extends circumferentially. The circumferential end located at the end in the circumferential direction of the tooth portion is located radially inside a circumscribed circle passing through the tip located at the radially outermost end of the tooth portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Japan Advanced Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Nagai, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8755146
    Abstract: There is provided a spindle motor, including: a shaft having a fixing groove formed in a lower portion thereof; a lower thrust member including a fixing part inserted into the fixing groove, a disk part extending from the fixing part in an outer radial direction, and an extension part extending from the disk part in an axial direction; a base member coupled to the extension part; a rotating member forming a bearing clearance with the shaft and rotatably provided with respect to the shaft; a first sealing part provided between an upper surface of the extension part and the rotating member; and a second sealing part provided between an inner circumferential surface of the base member and an outer circumferential surface of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Song Bon Oh, Kwan Soo Yun, Kum Kyung Lee
  • Publication number: 20140160595
    Abstract: Approaches for an emergency power off (EPO) power island, for saving critical data to non-volatile memory in the event of an EPO condition, for use in a hard-disk drive (HDD) storage device. The EPO power island includes a controller for detecting an EPO condition. A voltage regulator supplies power from spindle motor back EMF only to the EPO power island and to the non-volatile memory. Thus, the remainder of the hard drive controller (HDC) is isolated from the EPO power island so that it will not corrupt the data as the HDC's power supply is decaying. Using the power provided by the voltage regulator, the EPO power island transfers critical data from a memory internal to the island to a non-volatile memory external to the island, such as to a flash memory chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: SRIDHAR CHATRADHI, RAJESH KOUL, RYAN MATTHEW SCHULZ, ANTHONY EDWIN WELTER
  • Patent number: 8749915
    Abstract: A motor unit for use in a disk drive apparatus includes a motor portion, a housing member including a through hole defined therein, and a circuit board. The motor portion includes a rotating portion, a base portion, and a stator fixed to the base portion. The circuit board is arranged to extend from an outside of the motor portion to an inside of the stator through a gap defined between the stator and the base portion. The circuit board includes a connection portion arranged radially inward of the stator. A plurality of lead wires of the stator is connected to the connection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoki Sugi, Tomohiro Yoneda, Hiroshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8749916
    Abstract: There is provided a motor including: a rotating member rotating together with a shaft and including an extension part extended along an outer surface of the shaft; a fixed member including a shaft support part supporting the shaft and an extension part support part supporting the extension part; and an oil storage part disposed between a lower surface of the extension part and the fixed member to thereby provide an oil storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young Ha Park
  • Publication number: 20140153132
    Abstract: A base member of a motor includes a base through-hole extending through a bottom portion thereof. Two or more lead wires extending from coils pass through the base through-hole. Thus, as compared with a case where the lead wires pass through different base through-holes respectively, it is possible to reduce the number of the base through-holes. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize or prevent a reduction in the rigidity of the base member. Insulating sheet portions are arranged on the lower and upper surfaces of the base member. Each insulating sheet portion includes an overhang portion which overlaps with the base through-hole when seen in a plan view. The lead wires extending from the coils are led out toward the lower surface of the base member through holes, cutouts, or slits defined in the overhang portion. This makes it possible to easily distinguish the led-out lead wires from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SATO, Masahiro SHIRAISHI, Takayuki ISHINO, Akihiro YUDATE, Takuro MATSUMOTO, Toshihiro AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8743505
    Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing apparatus includes a first minute gap, a second minute gap, a third minute gap, a fourth minute gap, and a fifth minute gap. A flow of a lubricating oil from the fifth minute gap to the fourth minute gap is caused by a plurality of dynamic pressure generating grooves arranged within the fluid dynamic bearing apparatus. This flow causes air bubbles mixed in the lubricating oil within the fifth minute gap to flow toward the third minute gap and be discharged to an outside of the fluid dynamic bearing apparatus through the third minute gap. The fluid dynamic bearing apparatus further includes a plurality of dynamic pressure generating grooves and an annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Nidec Corporation, Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamada, Junya Mizukami, Tsuyoshi Morita, Tetsuya Maruyama, Takuro Iguchi, Troy Michael Herndon, Timothy Edward Langlais
  • Patent number: 8737017
    Abstract: A spindle motor of a disk drive apparatus includes a base unit, a stator core, a covered cylindrical rotor hub, a rotor magnet, and a bearing mechanism. The height of the stator core in an axial direction is about 50% or more and about 70% or less of the height of the stator. A torque constant Kt of torque generated between a stator and a rotor magnet is about 4 mN·m/A or more and about 6 mN·m/A or less. A motor constant Km is about 2 mN·m/(A·??) or more and about 4 mN·m/(A·??) or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 8737015
    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 shaft; and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotary shaft on the outer diameter side of the rotary shaft. The bracket includes a cylindrical portion extending along the shaft and a folded portion formed by folding the upper end of the cylindrical portion onto the outer diameter side. The bearing is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion whereas the stator core is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the folded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ishida, Okihisa Tsuchie, Toshiyuki Nishikata
  • Patent number: 8737016
    Abstract: There are provided a motor and a hard disk drive including the same. The motor includes: a sleeve supporting a shaft with a lubricating fluid; and a rotor fixed to the shaft, rotating together therewith, and having a surface facing the sleeve, wherein one surface of the surface of the rotor facing the sleeve and a surface of the sleeve facing the rotor is provided with a thrust dynamic pressure groove, and the other surface of the surface of the rotor facing the sleeve and the surface of the sleeve facing the rotor is provided with an extension groove extended to the outside of the thrust dynamic pressure groove so as to partially face the thrust dynamic pressure groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju Ho Kim, Hyo Seok Lee, Yong Il Kwon