Crowned conical bearing
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsHans Leuthold, Matt L. Shumway, Alan L. Grantz, Roger A. Addy, Norbert S. Parsoneault, Samnathan Murthy, Mohamed M. Rahman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing assembly including a bearing cone (50) having a crowned bearing surface (56) with V-shaped grooves (60) that are shallow at their apex (62) and deepest at the outer edges (52, 54). When mated with a female bearing seat, lubricating fluid builds up along the midline of the bearing surface as the bearing seat rotates about the bearing cone.
Claims20
A magnetic disc storage system for rotatably supporting a magnetic storage disc, comprising
- a base,
- a shaft mounted to the base, the shaft including opposed first and second bearing cones each having a crowned bearing surface that at least partially faces the crowned bearing surface of the other bearing cone,
- a hub rotatably mounted on the shaft for carrying the magnetic storage disc, the hub including a first conical bearing seat for rotatably cooperating with the first bearing cone and a second conical bearing seat for rotatably cooperating with the second bearing cone, the first and second bearing seats being positioned, along the length of the shaft, between the first and second bearing cones, so that the bearing seats hold the hub for rotation about the shaft, and
- lubricating fluid in a gap between the crowned bearing surface of the first conical bearing and the first bearing seat and in a gap between the crowned bearing surface of the second conical bearing and the second bearing seat.
A bearing cartridge for rotatably supporting a rotating component about a fixed shaft, comprising
- a bearing cone having a crowned bearing surface, secured to the rotating component
- a conical bearing seat secured to the rotating component, and
- lubricating fluid in a gap between the conical bearing surface of the bearing cone and the crowned bearing surface of the bearing seat,
- one of the bearing cone or bearing seat including grooves for channeling lubricating fluid toward the midline of the crowned bearing surface for creating a fluid bearing between the bearing cone and the bearing seat.
A magnetic disc storage system for rotatably supporting a magnetic storage disc, comprising
- a base,
- a shaft mounted to the base, the shaft including opposed first and second bearing cones,
- a hub rotatably mounted on the shaft for carrying the magnetic storage disc, the hub including a first bearing seat for rotatably supporting the first bearing cone and a second bearing seat for rotatably supporting the second bearing cone, the first and second bearing seats being positioned, along the length of the shaft, between the first and second bearing cones, so that the bearing seats support the hub on the shaft, and
- lubricating fluid in a gap between the first bearing cone and the first bearing seat and in a gap between the second bearing cone and the second bearing seat,
- the first bearing seat and the second bearing seat having a crowned surface, and
- the first bearing cone and the second bearing cone having a conical surface.
A bearing cartridge for rotatably supporting a rotating component about a fixed shaft, comprising
- bearing means for supporting the rotating component for rotation about the shaft, and
- fluid means for lubricating bearing surfaces of the bearing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.