Pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device
A pivot bearing includes a stepped shaft having an enlarged diameter shaft portion and a reduced diameter shaft portion; a plurality of balls of a lower row are interposed between the enlarged diameter shaft portion and a sleeve outer ring surrounding the enlarged diameter shaft portion; a ball bearing including inner and outer rings and a plurality of balls interposed therebetween is provided around the reduced diameter shaft portion so that the inner ring is secured around the reduced diameter shaft portion while applying an appropriate pre-load on the upper end surface of the inner ring, and the outer ring is urged to contact the lower surface thereof intimately onto the upper surface of the sleeve outer ring. The pivot bearing has a reduced number of parts, is facilitated in incorporation into a swing arm, and is expected to be manufactured at a reduced cost.
1. A pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device comprising:
a stepped shaft including an enlarged diameter shaft portion and a reduced diameter shaft portion, wherein an inner ring raceway is provided directly around an outer periphery of the enlarged diameter shaft portion for a lower row of balls;
a sleeve outer ring surrounding the enlarged diameter shaft portion of the stepped shaft, wherein an outer ring raceway is provided directly around the inner periphery of the sleeve outer ring;
a plurality of balls of the lower row adapted to be interposed between the inner and outer ring raceways; and
a ball bearing including inner and outer rings and a plurality of balls interposed therebetween, wherein the inner ring of the ball bearing is secured around the reduced diameter shaft portion while applying an appropriate amount of pre-load on an upper end surface of the inner ring, and a lower surface of the outer ring is urged onto an upper surface of the sleeve outer ring so as to contact intimately therewith.
2. The pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an end surface of the outer ring of said ball bearing and a corresponding opposite end surface of the sleeve outer ring are ground with precision on their flatness and perpendicularity so as not to produce wave-shaped deformations thereon, and thus obtained parts can be assembled so as to contact intimately with each other.
3. A pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device comprising:
a stepped shaft including an enlarged diameter shaft portion and a reduced diameter shaft portion, wherein an inner ring raceway is provided directly around an outer periphery of the enlarged diameter shaft portion for a lower row of balls;
a sleeve outer ring surrounding the enlarged diameter shaft portion of the stepped shaft, wherein an outer ring raceway is provided directly around the inner periphery of the sleeve outer ring;
a plurality of balls of the lower row adapted to be interposed between the inner and outer ring raceways; and
a ball bearing including inner and outer rings and a plurality of balls interposed therebetween, wherein the inner ring of the ball bearing is secured around the reduced diameter shaft portion while applying an appropriate amount of pre-load on an upper end surface of the inner ring, and a lower surface of the outer ring is urged onto an upper surface of the sleeve outer ring so as to contact intimately therewith,
wherein an outer diameter of said sleeve outer ring is larger than an outer diameter of the outer ring of said ball bearing, and wherein an upper end surface of the sleeve outer ring extending outwardly from the outer boundary of the outer ring is employed as a supporting portion for the swing arm, said swing arm mounted on said supporting portion.
4. The pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein an end surface of the outer ring of said ball bearing and a corresponding opposite end surface of the sleeve outer ring are ground with precision on their flatness and perpendicularity so as not to produce wave-shaped deformations thereon, and thus obtained parts can be assembled so as to contact intimately with each other.
5. The pivot bearing for the swing arm of the hard disk drive device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the swing arm mounted on said supporting portion comprises a single arm.
6. The pivot bearing for a swing arm of a hard disk drive device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein an end surface of the outer ring of said ball bearing and a corresponding opposite end surface of the sleeve outer ring are ground with precision on their flatness and perpendicularity so as not to produce wave-shaped deformations thereon, and thus obtained parts can be assembled so as to contact intimately with each other.