Spindle system for a disk drive
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsNorman G. Ainslie, David W. Albrecht, James W. Berberich, Daniel W. Chapman, Mats A. Engwall, Richard E. Mach, Zack D. Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spindle system is comprised of a journal and thrust air bearing. The journal bearing has two sets of opposing groove areas. The thrust air bearing has two sets of spiral grooves. The thrust air bearing is gimballed to compensate for misalignment. A bias contact member is connected to the rotating member along the axis of rotation and provides electrical grounding. The spindle system is especially applicable to mounting recording disks in a data storage disk drive.
Claims54
A spindle system comprising:
- a first bearing member having an inner cylindrical fluid bearing surface;
- a second bearing member located within the first bearing member, the second bearing member having an outer cylindrical fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first bearing member;
- a first thrust member located within the second bearing member, the first thrust member having a fluid bearing surface;
- a second thrust member located within and connected to the second bearing member, the second thrust member having a fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first thrust member;
- and
- a pivoting connector for connecting the first thrust member to the first bearing member such that the first thrust member is allowed to pivot about a point along a central axis of the second bearing member such that the position of the first thrust member may adjust in order to maintain the fluid bearing between the fluid bearing surfaces of the first and second thrust members.
A spindle system comprising:
- a first bearing member having an inner cylindrical fluid bearing surface;
- a second bearing member located within the first bearing member, the second bearing member having an outer cylindrical fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first bearing member;
- a first thrust member having a fluid bearing surface;
- a second thrust member connected to the second bearing member, the second thrust member having a fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first thrust member;
- and
- a flexible connector means for connecting the first thrust member to the first bearing member such that the position of the first thrust member may adjust in order to maintain the fluid bearing between the fluid bearing surfaces of the first and second thrust members.
A spindle system comprising:
- a first bearing member having an inner cylindrical fluid bearing surface;
- a second bearing member located within the first bearing member, the second bearing member having an outer cylindrical fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first bearing member;
- a first thrust member located within the second bearing member, the first thrust member having a fluid bearing surface;
- a second thrust member located within and connected to the second bearing member, the second thrust member having a fluid bearing surface corresponding to the fluid bearing surface of the first thrust member;
- and
- a flexible connector means for connecting the first thrust member to the first bearing member such that the position of the first thrust member may adjust in order to maintain the fluid bearing between the fluid bearing surfaces of the first and second thrust members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.