IP Library Granted Patent US 7,186,028
Granted Patent B2
US 7,186,028 · App. 11/071,212 · Granted Mar 6, 2007

Hydrodynamic bearing device

Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,186,028
App. No.
11/071,212
Granted
Mar 6, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hydrodynamic bearing device capable of inhibiting leakage of a working fluid to an outside of a bearing and preventing reduction in radial bearing rigidity, and capable of keeping a gap between a thrust bearing and a radial bearing favorable and rotating stably. The hydrodynamic bearing device includes a shaft relatively rotatably inserted into a bearing hole of a sleeve, a radial bearing surface having dynamic pressure generating grooves formed on at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, and a gap filled with a working fluid between the shaft and the sleeve. The shaft is made of high manganese chrome steel or stainless steel, and the sleeve is entirely made of sintered metal of metal particles including at least 60% by weight of iron or copper. Resin, metal or water glass is impregnated in pores on a surface of the sintered metal and cured. Thereby, leakage of the working fluid to the outside of the bearing from the sleeve can be inhibited, and reduction in the pressure inside the bearing can be prevented.

Claims (13)

1. A hydrodynamic bearing device, comprising:

a shaft relatively rotatably inserted into a bearing hole of a sleeve;

a radial bearing surface having dynamic pressure generating grooves and formed on at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve;

a gap formed between the shaft and the sleeve and filled with a working fluid; and

a rotor hub located at a rotating side and supported rotataly with respect to a base at a fixed side, wherein

the shaft fixed to the rotor hub or the base is constituted of high manganese chrome steel or stainless steel, and

the entire sleeve fixed to the base or the rotor hub is constituted of sintered metal comprising metal particles including at least 60% by weight of iron or copper, and resin, metal or water glass is impregnated in pores existing on a surface of the sintered metal and cured.

2. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is constituted of sintered metal comprising at least 90% by weight of iron particles.

3. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is constituted of the sintered metal comprising iron particles including at least 50% by weight of iron particles of stainless steel.

4. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 3 , wherein the iron particles of stainless steel comprises iron particles including at least 50% by weight of iron particles of ferrite stainless steel or martensitic stainless steel.

5. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed by impregnating the pores existing on the surface of the sintered metal with acrylate resin and subjecting the resin to a curing treatment.

6. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed by impregnating the pores existing on the surface of the sintered metal with 4-fluorinated ethylene resin and subjecting the resin to a curing treatment.

7. The hydrodynamic bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed by impregnating the pores existing on the surface of the sintered metal with resin, metal or water glass, and subjecting the surface of the sleeve to nickel phosphor plating.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2010
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: NIDEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024788/0455 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 20, 2010
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024712/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2005
From: ASADA, TAKAFUMI; HAMADA, TSUTOMU; OHNO, HIDEAKI; TOKUNOU, YASUNORI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 015988/0971 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2004-069857 · Mar 12, 2004 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050201645A1 · Sep 15, 2005