Disk drive comprising a spindle motor having a windings shield for reduced disk voltage coupling
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRobert P. Ryan, Alan P. Rice, Jon E. Jacoby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over a surface of the disk, and a spindle motor for rotating the disk. The spindle motor comprises a ring-shaped stator having a plurality of stator teeth each wound with a winding. The spindle motor further comprises a hub having a plurality of magnets for interacting with the stator teeth to rotate the hub about the shaft when the windings are energized. A ring-shaped shield is disposed in a vertical gap between the windings and the hub to reduce a voltage coupled from the windings to the surface of the disk.
Claims18
A disk drive comprising:
- (a) a disk;
- (b) a head actuated over a surface of the disk;
- (c) a spindle motor for rotating the disk, the spindle motor comprising:
- a base;
- a shaft coupled to the base;
- a ring-shaped stator having a planar alignment substantially parallel with the disk, wherein:
- the shaft is disposed axially through the ring-shaped stator;
- the ring-shaped stator comprises a plurality of stator teeth;
- a winding is wound around each stator tooth;
- and
- when the windings are energized, a voltage emanating from the windings being at least partially coupled to the surface of the disk;
- (d) a hub comprising a plurality of magnets for interacting with the stator teeth to rotate the hub about the shaft when the windings are energized, the hub comprising a first ring-shaped planar surface positioned over the windings defining a first vertical gap between the windings and the hub;
- and
- (e) a first ring-shaped shield disposed in the first vertical gap between the windings and the hub to reduce the voltage coupled to the surface of the disk,
- wherein the first ring-shaped shield is grounded to at least one of the base and the shaft to reduce the voltage coupled to the surface of the disk.
A spindle motor for rotating a disk in a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a head actuated over a surface of the disk, the spindle motor comprising:
- (a) abase;
- (b) a shaft coupled to the base;
- (c) a ring-shaped stator having a planar alignment substantially parallel with the disk, wherein:
- the shaft is disposed axially through the ring-shaped stator;
- the ring-shaped stator comprises a plurality of stator teeth;
- a winding is wound around each stator tooth;
- and
- when the windings are energized, a voltage emanating from the windings being at least partially coupled to the surface of the disk;
- (d) a hub comprising a plurality of magnets for interacting with the stator teeth to rotate the hub about the shaft when the windings are energized, the hub comprising a first ring-shaped planar surface positioned over the windings defining a first vertical gap between the windings and the hub;
- and
- (e) a first ring-shaped shield disposed in the first vertical gap between the windings and the hub to reduce the voltage coupled to the surface of the disk,
- wherein the first ring-shaped shield is grounded to at least one of the base and the shaft to reduce the voltage coupled to the surface of the disk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.