Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| RE42854 | Single piece hub with integral upper and lower female cones To simplify fabrication of an integral hub piece, the opening between the upper and lower female cones in this hub has sufficient width or radial dimension to allow access to both cones from one side of the hub with the cutting tool. A cutting tool is used which has... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7682082 | Compact surface self-compensated hydrostatic bearings A compact surface self-compensated hydrostatic bearing includes a rotor assembly including a rotor plate having upper and lower fluid restricting faces, a rotor top and bottom, each having bearing surfaces angled with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotor asse... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7455457 | Hydrodynamic bearing device and a recording disk drive equipped with it A hydrodynamic bearing device comprises a shaft bush having a substantially conical inclined dynamic pressure surface around the outer circumference thereof which is relatively rotatably inserted in a bearing sleeve having a substantially conical inclined dynamic pr... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7435001 | Hydrodynamic bearing device, method for manufacturing the same, spindle motor and recording and reproduction apparatus A hydrodynamic bearing device which can improve workability of injecting a lube repellant and effectively prevent leakage of a lubricant, a method for manufacturing the same, a spindle motor, and a recording and reproduction apparatus are provided. A hydrodynamic be... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7422371 | Active hybrid FDB motor An active fluid bearing system is provided. In one example, the active fluid bearing system includes an interface region formed between an outer surface of an inner member and an opposing inner surface of an outer member. The inner and outer members are disposed for... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7396164 | Compensated orifice for use in hydrostatic fluid bearing A hydrostatic bearing design employing inherently compensated orifices whose geometric design is such that the use of multiple orifices is substantially simplified. In normal cylindrical hydrostatic bearings, the orifices are usually employed in rows. There can be f... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7390125 | Single piece hub with integral upper and lower female cones To simplify fabrication of an integral hub piece, the opening between the upper and lower female cones in this hub has sufficient width or radial dimension to allow access to both cones from one side of the hub with the cutting tool. A cutting tool is used which has... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7365940 | Hard disk drive device, and fluid dynamic bearing spindle motor and assembling method thereof A hydrodynamic bearing for a hard disk drive device is disclosed. An oil is filled in a clearance between an inner surface of the hub and an outer surface of the shaft, whereby a hydrodynamic radial bearing is formed between the inner periphery of the hub and the ou... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7290935 | Bearing assembly with bearing sleeve having end bearing members A ceramic bearing assembly includes a shaft (20), and a bearing sleeve (10) rotatably receiving the shaft. The bearing sleeve includes an inside wall. First and second bearing blocks (120, 140) are formed at the inside wall at first and second e... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7290933 | Hydrodynamic bearing, spindle motor and hard disk drive The invention relates to a hydrodynamic bearing, particularly for a spindle motor, comprising a shaft, a thrust plate connected to the shaft and a bearing sleeve closed at one end by a cover plate, the bearing sleeve enclosing the shaft and the thrust plate with a s... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7283148 | Optically marking the label side of an optical disc A method for labeling an optically writable label side of an optical disc of an embodiment of the invention rotates the optical disc such that an optical marking mechanism passes adjacent to a track of the optically writable label side of the optical disc a number o... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7246945 | Oil dynamic bearing, motor supported on oil dynamic bearing and disk drive carrying the motor An oil dynamic bearing, a motor and a disk drive adapted to be reduced in both size and thickness are disclosed. The oil dynamic bearing (B) includes at least two bearing portions (B1, B2), each having a bearing near end nearer to the rotational axis o... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7234868 | Radial pumping oil seal for fluid dynamic bearing motor An improved rotational motor, such as a spindle motor for a disc drive, is provided. The motor first comprises a hub having a shaft portion and a horizontal body portion. The motor also comprises a sleeve surrounding the shaft portion of the hub. A fine first vertic... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7224552 | High-speed centrifugal seal for a spindle motor A robust spindle motor is provided having added shock resistance for fluid containment. In an aspect, a high-speed centrifugal capillary seal contains a fluid reservoir extending between similarly rotatable components. Fluid is recirculated through the motor and sub... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7218023 | Spindle motor The spindle motor includes a rotational shaft 30 which has a conical portion 34, whose outer surface gradually widens toward a thrust dynamic pressure bearing 70, and a straight portion 33 with a fixed outer diameter. Radial dynamic press... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7213972 | Non-recirculating conical fluid dynamic bearing for an electric motor A fluid dynamic bearing design featuring a shaft, a first and second conical bearing affixed, respectively, to a first and second end of the shaft, and asymmetric seals on each bearing. The asymmetric seals pump fluid into reservoirs on the first and second conical ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7193811 | Fluid dynamic bearing with non-linear damping Thus, if a shock or other disturbance to the system occurs that tilts the bearing assembly, the resulting motion is both a tilting, and a motion which is axial. If a shock axially moves the hub assembly, only an axial motion occurs. Thus the system has a non-linear ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7168857 | Special type bearing device The invention provides a special type bearing device that is insusceptible to damage, is light in weight, has a long service life and excellent wear resistance, is insusceptible to the effect of change in temperature, is easy to fabricate, and has little offensivene... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7160622 | Oil repelling agent An oil repelling agent to coat a dynamic pressure device, such as a fluid dynamic pressure bearing device, includes a UV coloring agent, a fluorine-based polymer and a solvent. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the concentration of the UV coloring agent c... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7147376 | Dynamic bearing device The dynamic bearing device of the invention comprises a housing, a bearing sleeve provided inside the housing, a rotating member rotating relative to the bearing sleeve, and a dynamic bearing portion supporting the rotating member in a non-contact manner by dynamic ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7131770 | Hydro fill controlling shield and sleeve for a hydrodynamic bearing A hydrodynamic bearing system, having a bearing sleeve and a shaft inserted into an inner cylindrical bore of the bearing sleeve. A bearing gap is formed between the shaft and the bearing sleeve, the bearing gap being filled with a lubricating oil. A shield encloses... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7133250 | Inboard thrust surface fluid recirculation pump An inboard thrust surface is provided for a spindle motor that maintains fluid flow through a journal bearing and generates an added offset pressure to avoid any subambient pressure within a journal. In an aspect, journal bearing asymmetry is minimized or eliminated... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7101085 | Rotating shaft conical fluid dynamic bearing A fluid dynamic bearing design is provided featuring a rotating shaft with at least one conical bearing formed integrally thereon. The shaft is disposed through a stationary sleeve, and a fluid separates the shaft and sleeve surfaces. ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7097360 | Hydrodynamic bearing for a spindle motor A hydrodynamic bearing for use in a spindle motor, having a shaft, a bearing sleeve encompassing the shaft with a small radial space, and a skewback at one end face of the bearing sleeve which is fixedly connected to the bearing sleeve. The shaft features a thrust p... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7092203 | Method of manufacturing a fluid dynamic bearing applicable to a disk drive that includes welding a cover member to a cylindrical wall of a shaft base A method of manufacturing a fluid dynamic bearing in which a stopper is fixed by welding. The bearing comprises a hub, a shaft erected on the hub, a sleeve, a cylindrical wall erected on the hub, and the stopper mounted on the cylindrical wall. The method comprises ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7090401 | Grooving pattern for grooved fluid bearing A fluid dynamic bearing is provided having two surfaces rotatable with respect to each other, a lubricating medium located in a gap between the two surfaces during rotation of the bearing, and an interrupted and offset groove pattern formed on one of the two surface... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7073945 | Dynamic radial capillary seal A fluid dynamic bearing motor is provided that comprises a stationary member, a rotating member that is configured to rotate about a rotational axis, a fluid dynamic bearing that is configured to support relative rotation between the stationary member and the rotati... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7063463 | Conical hydrodynamic bearing device and a recording disk drive equipped with it, and a method of manufacturing a conical hydrodynamic bearing device A conical hydrodynamic bearing device comprises a shaft bush having a conical inclined dynamic pressure surface around an outer circumference thereof being relatively-rotatably inserted in a bearing sleeve having a conical inclined dynamic pressure surface around an... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7048444 | Fluid lubricated bearing device An inner space of a housing sealed with a seal member as well as internal pores of a bearing member (pores in a porous structure) are filled with a lubricating oil without the presence of air, so that the oil surface of the lubricating oil is within a seal space. Un... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7042125 | Hydraulic fluid dynamic bearing incorporating an asymmetric journal bearing A fluid bearing design is provided which according to one aspect includes a shaft defining together with a surrounding sleeve an asymmetric journal bearing, and a thrust bearing at or near an end of the shaft towards which the asymmetric journal bearing is pumping, ... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7001073 | Hydrodynamic bearing for a spindle motor Hydrodynamic bearing for use in a spindle motor includes a shaft, a bearing sleeve encompassing the shaft with a small radial clearance, a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves formed on at least one of an outer surface of the shaft and an inner surf... | 02/21/2006 |
| 7001074 | High pressure barrier to oil loss by diffusion An improved rotational motor, such as a spindle motor for a disc drive, is provided. The motor first comprises a hub having a shaft portion and a horizontal body portion. The motor also comprises a sleeve surrounding the shaft portion of the hub. A fine vertical gap... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6966699 | Dynamic pressure bearing device, and manufacturing method and assembly jig thereof It is an object of the present invention to provide a miniaturized, high-precision, easy, and low-cost dynamic pressure bearing device and a manufacturing method thereof. In manufacturing a dynamic pressure bearing device, a first and a second ring-shaped member are... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6962442 | Fluid trap for oil migration A hydrodynamic bearing system for use in spindle motors having a shaft and a bearing sleeve. At least one bearing member is mounted an outer surface of the shaft. A fluid trap member is further provided in the bearing system, the fluid trap member being integrated i... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6961213 | Disk drive spindle motor having hydrodynamic bearing working surface with low friction layer formed on wear resistant layer A disc drive storage system including a housing having a central axis, a stationary member that is fixed with respect to the housing and coaxial with the central axis, and a rotatable member that is rotatable about the central axis with respect to the stationary mem... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6955472 | Lubricant reservoir for gas bearing A method and apparatus is provided for allowing a molecularly thin film to be established on a surface of the gas fluid dynamic bearing. The film can be controllably replenished so that the problem of liquid lubricant starvation is overcome. A suitable non-sludging ... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6955471 | Cartridge style fluid dynamic bearing with conical or spherical bearing elements A fluid dynamic bearing cartridge includes a shaft or sleeve adapted to be fixed in place has at least one fluid dynamic bearing supporting the shaft and one or more seals at either end of the shaft. The seal arrangements may include a pair of centrifugal capillary ... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6951422 | Low power spindle motor with a stepped shaft A spindle motor for use in a disk drive, the spindle motor including a shaft having a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section with a step formed therebetween. The spindle motor also includes a bearing sleeve having a central cylindrical opening, the s... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6933643 | Multiple radial/axial surfaces to enhance fluid bearing performance In one embodiment, a plurality of axially oriented bearings defined along gaps between rotor and stator are provided to provide radial stiffness to the system; and these bearings are coupled together by radially oriented gaps. Grooves and/or magnets may be defined i... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6921209 | Conical hydrodynamic pivot bearing A bearing having a conical hydrodynamic bearing section and a pivot bearing section. The bearing can be used with a spindle motor. The conical hydrodynamic bearing section is formed by the conical portion of the shaft and a correspondingly shaped cavity of the beari... | 07/26/2005 |
