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US 5,710,470 AGranted
Hydrodynamic bearing assembly
AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorsKimio Komata, Toshihiro Otani, Yasushi Hisabe, Katsutoshi Chiba, Akihiro Machida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydrodynamic bearing assembly includes a support shaft provided on a stationary member, a rotating member rotatably supported on the support shaft through a hydrodynamic radial bearing and a hydrodynamic thrust bearing, a magnet provided at a stationary side, and a magnetic member provided on the rotating member opposite the magnet. The magnetic member is attracted by the magnetic force from the magnet so that a force acting on the thrust hydrodynamic bearing is cancelled or reduced.
Claims30
A hydrodynamic bearing assembly comprising:
- a support shaft;
- a stationary member on which said support shaft is disposed;
- a rotating member;
- a hydrodynamic radial bearing rotatably mounting said rotating member on said support shaft;
- a lower hydrodynamic thrust bearing supporting said rotating member from below in the axial direction thereof such that the weight of said rotating member acts on said hydrodynamic thrust bearing;
- a magnetic member provided on said rotating member;
- and
- a magnet disposed on said stationary member opposite said magnetic member so as to exert thereon a magnetic force sufficient to ensure that said magnetic member and said rotating member are attracted by said magnetic force from said magnet to such an extent that said weight of said rotating member acting on said hydrodynamic thrust bearing is offset entirely or reduced.
5 more elements
An assembly comprising:
- a stationary base;
- a support shaft disposed on said base;
- a rotating member mounted for rotation about said support shaft by a hydrodynamic radial bearing;
- a hydrodynamic thrust bearing supporting said rotating member from below in the axial direction thereof such that the weight of said rotating member acts on said hydrodynamic thrust bearing;
- a stationary cover member on said base;
- a cap on said cover member and being movable relative thereto at a position above said rotating member;
- said rotating member including a magnetic member;
- a magnet on said cap at a position confronting said magnetic member and exerting thereon a magnetic force sufficient to ensure that said magnetic member and said rotating member are attracted by said magnetic force to an extent such that said weight of said rotating member acting on said hydrodynamic thrust bearing is offset entirely or reduced;
- and
- the effect of said magnetic force of said magnet being adjustable by shifting said magnet toward and away from said magnetic member by movement of said cap relative to said cover member.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.