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OwnerAlan L. Grantz, Raquib U. Khan +1inventors
InventorsAlan L. Grantz, Raquib U. Khan, Norbert Steven Parsoneault
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A seal whose primary axis lies in the radial direction where the fluid bearing is primarily extending in the axial direction between the rotating shaft and surrounding sleeve. The capillary seal is positioned with an opening adjacent an end of the fluid bearing gap, and comprises two diverging walls, with the narrowest gap between the two generally radially extending walls being closely adjacent an end of the fluid gap. The walls diverge as they extend radially away from the fluid bearing. In this way, the fluid held in the radial capillary seal is maintained adjacent an end of the gap, while the size of the reservoir provided or defined by the diverging walls provides a relatively large reservoir volume. The seal uses an additional capillary which is defined by a narrow annulus between the rotating shaft and a radially inward end of one of the two walls of the seal adjacent the narrow end of the radial capillary seal. This very narrow gap provides a narrow annulus which establishes very high shock resistance to the loss of fluid past the outer axial wall of the radially capillary seal, as well as defining a small surface area from which evaporation can occur.
A radial capillary seal for use in combination with a fluid dynamic bearing comprising a sleeve defining a bore in which a rotating shaft is supported for rotation relative to the sleeve, by a fluid dynamic bearing comprising fluid in a gap between an outer surface of the shaft and an inner surface of the sleeve, the radial capillary seal cooperating with at least one end of the fluid dynamic bearing comprising first and second diverging, generally radially extending walls the diverging walls converging to a relatively small opening closely adjacent the outer surface of the shaft.
A seal as claimed in claim 7 wherein the radial capillary seal defined by the diverging walls is sufficiently large to also serve as a reservoir for the fluid bearing supporting the shaft for rotation.
A fluid dynamic bearing system comprising a sleeve, a shaft supported for rotation within the sleeve, the shaft including a thrust plate at an end thereof, the sleeve supporting a counterplate adjacent the thrust plate, the shaft and thrust plate being supported for rotation relative to the sleeve by at least one thrust bearing, the shaft being further supported for rotation relative to the sleeve by a journal bearing defined by fluid in a gap between the shaft and the sleeve, and a radial capillary sealing means defined adjacent an end of the journal bearing distal from the thrust bearing.
A fluid dynamic bearing system comprising a sleeve, a shaft supported for rotation relative to the sleeve, the sleeve supporting a counterplate adjacent an end of the shaft, the shaft being supported at an end adjacent the counterplate for rotation by a conical bearing including fluid in a gap between an outer surface of the conical bearing and an inner surface of the sleeve by fluid in a gap between the surface of the shaft and a facing surface of the sleeve thereby establishing a journal bearing, and a radial capillary sealing means adjacent an end of the journal bearing distal from the conical bearing for maintaining fluid in the journal bearing and serving as a reservoir for the journal bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.