Mounting assembly
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited
InventorsMarcus Baker, Andrew Slayne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mounting assembly comprising mating inner and outer components (36, 38) mounted together using a tolerance (20) is disclosed. The tolerance ring (20) has radially extending projections (28) that are configured to cause the tolerance ring (20) to operate into the plastic phase of its compression force/retention force characteristic. This can be achieved by using softer projections than those found in conventional tolerance rings. The force required to mount the tolerance ring and a range of retention forces exhibited by it for a given variance in sizes of mating components is thereby stabilized.
Claims20
A method of assembling a hard disk drive apparatus which comprises an inner component comprising a bearing mounted on a shaft to form a rotatable pivot and an outer component comprising an arm forming a housing having a bore therein, which outer component mates with the inner component by locating the rotatable pivot in the bore, the method comprising:
- mounting a tolerance ring either on the bearing of the inner component or in the bore of the outer component, the tolerance ring comprising an annular band having a plurality of radially extending projections which are compressible between the inner and outer components;
- mating the inner and outer components of the hard disk drive apparatus, thereby compressing the projections on the tolerance ring between the bearing and the housing to provide an interferance fit between the inner and outer components;
- and
- compressing the projections on the tolerance ring causes the tolerance ring to be in a generally flattened portion of its compression force/retention force characteristic, wherein:
- the projections exhibit significant plastic behaviour when compressed between the inner and outer components, and
- compressing is performed such that the tolerance ring is under a compressive force not greater than 3500 N.
A hard disk drive pivot mount apparatus comprising:
- an inner component comprising a bearing mounted on a shaft to form a rotatable pivot;
- an outer component comprising an arm forming a housing having a bore therein, wherein the outer component mates with the inner component by locating the rotatable pivot in the bore;
- and
- a tolerance ring located in the bore between the inner and outer components of the hard disk drive apparatus, wherein:
- the tolerance ring comprises an annular band including radially extending projections between the bearing and the housing to provide an interference fit between the inner and outer components;
- the tolerance ring is mounted between the bearing and the housing under a compressive force of not greater than 3500 N;
- and
- the projections have been significantly plastically deformed by the inner and outer components.
A method of assembling a hard disk drive apparatus that comprises an inner component comprising a bearing mounted on a shaft to form a rotatable pivot and an outer component comprising an arm forming a housing having a bore therein, which outer component mates with the inner component by locating the rotatable pivot in the bore, the method comprising:
- mounting a tolerance ring on the bearing of the inner component or in the bore of the outer component, wherein the tolerance ring comprises an annular band;
- and
- mating the inner and outer components of the hard disk drive apparatus, wherein mating comprises compressing the projections on the tolerance ring between the bearing and the housing to provide an interferance fit between the inner and outer components, wherein compressing is performed at a compressive force not greater than 3500 N, and projections that radially extend from the annular band exhibit significant plastic behaviour compressing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.