Rotation-stabilizing ambient gaseous fluid guide for rotary and storage devices

A storage device comprising:

• a stationary section;
• a rotary section surrounded by part of the stationary section and including a rotary main member allowed to rotate with respect to the stationary section and having an outer peripheral surface, and at least one coaxial disk-shaped recording medium projecting diametrically from the outer peripheral surface;
• bearing means including at least a radial dynamic-pressure bearing portion provided intervening between the stationary section and the rotary section, for rotatively supporting the rotary section against the stationary section;
• and
• at least one ambient gaseous fluid guide member disposed on the rotary-section-surrounding part of the stationary section, wherein the fluid guide member is external to the bearing means, and proximate a predetermined region of at least one of respective axial upper and lower faces of the disk-shaped recording medium, the fluid guide member having a guide face heading from a predetermined outward portion separated diametrically outward from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary main member and approaching diametrically inward toward an inward portion thereof heading along downstream-ward in the rotational direction of the rotary section, for concentrating ambient gaseous fluid, external to said bearing means and traveling with rotation of said recording medium, diametrically inward toward a predetermined position circumferentially on said outer peripheral surface of the rotary main member and applying pressure diametrically with respect to the rotary main member.

An electric motor comprising:

• a stationary section having an axially extending support portion;
• a rotary section including an axially extending rotary main member disposed axially coextensive with the support portion of and configured to rotate with respect to the stationary section, the rotary main member outer-circumferentially being radially opposed by a part of the stationary section surrounding the rotary section to define an ambient space external thereto;
• fluid dynamic-pressure bearing means including at least a radial dynamic-pressure bearing portion provided intervening between the rotary main member and the support portion of the stationary section, for rotatively supporting the rotary section against the stationary section;
• and
• one or more ambient-gaseous fluid guide members provided on a predetermined region of the part of the stationary section surrounding the rotary section, and having a guide face heading from a predetermined outward portion separated diametrically outward from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary main member and approaching diametrically inward toward an inward portion thereof heading along downstream-ward in the rotational direction of the rotary section, for concentrating ambient gaseous fluid, external to said bearing means and traveling with rotation of the rotary section, radially inward toward a predetermined position outer-circumferentially along the rotary main member to apply radially directed pressure against the rotary main member.

A spindle motor comprising:

• a casing;
• a stationary cylindrical support member extending axially from a base wall of the casing;
• a rotor having a cylindrical rotary member disposed in axial coextension with the cylindrical support member, wherein the rotary member and the cylindrical support member are nested to oppose via a radial micro-gap, and the casing surrounds the rotor to define an ambient space external thereto;
• fluid dynamic-pressure bearing means for rotatively supporting the rotor with respect to the support member, the bearing means including at least a radial dynamic-pressure bearing portion established in the micro-gap between the rotary member and the cylindrical support member;
• and
• one or more ambient gaseous fluid guide members provided radially projecting, from a predetermined region of a wall of the casing surrounding the rotor, in an arcuate line extending forward in the rotary-member rotational direction into a predetermined position proximate the rotor with respect to its cylindrical surface and having a guide surface extending along the arcuate line and projecting axially inward, for concentrating ambient gaseous fluid, flowing by rotation of the rotor, onto a line passing through the predetermined position and parallel to the rotor rotational axis, to apply radially directed pressure against the rotor and offset the rotor relative to the stationary cylindrical support member in the direction of the radially directed pressure.