Electrically conductive spacer and disk drive including the electrically conductive spacer
View Patent ↗A disk drive. The disk drive includes a motor, a hub coupled to a spindle shaft of the motor, at least two disks each having a center hole and being coupled to the hub, and a spacer having a center hole. The spacer is disposed around the hub such that the hub is disposed within the center hole of the spacer; and, the spacer is sandwiched between and in contact with the two disks to define spacing between the disks. The spacer includes at least two conductive rings and the conductive rings are secured between the two disks. The spacer also includes a damping sheet configured to absorb vibration between the conductive rings, and a conductive ring-shaped spring having a spring characteristic in a radial direction of the disks to make a diameter variable. Moreover, the conductive ring-shaped spring is in contact with both of the two conductive rings.
1. A disk drive comprising:
a motor;
a hub coupled to a spindle shaft of said motor;
at least two disks each having a center hole and being coupled to said hub; and
a spacer having a center hole, said spacer disposed around said hub such that said hub is disposed within said center hole of said spacer, said spacer sandwiched between and in contact with said two disks to define a spacing between said two disks, and said spacer comprising:
at least two conductive rings each having a center hole, said two conductive rings disposed around said hub such that said hub is disposed within said center hole of said two conductive rings, said two conductive rings secured between said two disks;
a damping sheet configured to absorb vibration between said two conductive rings; and
a conductive ring-shaped spring having a spring characteristic in a radial direction of said disks to make a diameter variable, said conductive ring-shaped spring in contact with both of said two conductive rings.
2. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said ring-shaped spring is cut at one location and is straight in said circumferential direction.
3. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein said ends of said ring-shaped spring are separated when said ring-shaped spring is mounted.
4. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein said ring-shaped spring is in contact with an inside-diameter surface of said ring while pressing said inside-diameter surface of said ring.
5. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said two conductive rings comprise an upper ring and a lower ring; and said ring-shaped spring is in contact with inside-diameter surfaces of said upper ring and said lower ring while pressing said inside-diameter surfaces of said upper ring and said lower ring.
6. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein said two conductive rings comprise an upper ring and a lower ring; a side surface of said upper ring has a tapered surface on a lower side; a side surface of said lower ring has a tapered surface on an upper side; and said ring-shaped spring is in contact with both of said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring.
7. The disk drive of claim 6 , wherein a cross-section of said ring-shaped spring is circular.
8. The disk drive of claim 6 , wherein taper angles of said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring are equal.
9. The disk drive of claim 6 , wherein said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring each satisfy a following relationship with said ring-shaped spring:
θ<arctan(μ)
where θ is a taper angle and μ is a friction coefficient between said ring-shaped spring and said tapered surface.
10. The disk drive of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clamp for securing a plurality of disks comprising said at least two disks with a supporter of said hub to sandwich said disks; and
a second spacer having a same structure as said spacer between said clamp and said disk, and between said supporter and said disk.
11. A disk drive comprising:
a motor;
a hub coupled to a spindle shaft of said motor;
a disk having a center hole and being coupled to said hub;
a clamp for securing said disk to said hub; and
a spacer having a center hole, said spacer disposed around said hub such that said hub is within said center hole of said spacer, said spacer sandwiched between and in contact with said disk and said clamp to define a spacing between said disk and said clamp, and said spacer comprising:
a conductive ring having a center hole, said conductive ring disposed around said hub such that said hub is disposed within said center hole of said conductive ring, said conductive ring secured between said clamp and said disk;
a damping sheet configured to absorb vibration between said conductive ring and said disk; and
a conductive ring-shaped spring having a spring characteristic in a radial direction of said disk to make a diameter variable, said conductive ring-shaped spring in contact with both said conductive ring and said disk that sandwich said damping sheet.
12. The disk drive of claim 11 , wherein said ring-shaped spring is cut at one location and is straight in a circumferential direction; and ends of said ring-shaped spring are separated when said ring-shaped spring is mounted.
13. A spacer that is configured to be interposed between disks of a disk drive to define a spacing between said disks, said spacer comprising:
an upper ring having a center hole and being an electrical conductor;
a lower ring having a center hole and being an electrical conductor;
a damping sheet provided between said upper ring and said lower ring and configured to absorb vibration of said upper ring and said lower ring; and
a ring-shaped conductive spring having a spring characteristic in a radial direction of said upper ring and said lower ring to make a diameter variable and being in contact with both side surfaces of said upper ring and said lower ring while pressing said side surfaces of said upper ring and said lower ring.
14. The spacer of claim 13 , wherein said ring-shaped spring is cut at one location and is straight in a circumferential direction.
15. The spacer of claim 14 , wherein ends of said ring-shaped spring are separated between said upper ring and said lower ring.
16. The spacer of claim 13 , wherein said ring-shaped spring is in contact with an inside-diameter surface of said upper ring and said lower ring while pressing both of said inside-diameter surfaces of said upper ring and said lower ring.
17. The spacer of claim 13 , wherein said side surface of said upper ring has a tapered surface on a lower side; said side surface of said lower ring has a tapered surface on an upper side; and said ring-shaped spring is in contact with both said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring.
18. The spacer of claim 17 , wherein a cross-section of said ring-shaped spring is circular.
19. The spacer of claim 17 , wherein taper angles of said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring are equal.
20. The spacer of claim 17 , wherein said tapered surface of said upper ring and said tapered surface of said lower ring each satisfy a following relationship with said ring-shaped spring:
θ<arctan(μ)
where θ is a taper angle and μ is a friction coefficient between said ring-shaped spring and said tapered surface.