Claims
- 1. A disc drive assembly having a base plate and a top cover defining an internal environment that contains a magnetic disc mounted on a spindle motor for rotation about a spindle axis, wherein the spindle motor comprises:
a cylindrical hub supporting the disc, the hub further including a rotor magnet; a base portion supporting the hub for rotation about the spindle axis and further supporting a fixed stator for driving the rotor magnet, the base portion including a bottom surface extending outside of the internal environment of the disc drive assembly; and a damper affixed to the bottom surface of the base portion to attenuate vibrations within the base portion of the spindle motor.
- 2. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the damper includes a constrain layer and an adhesive layer securing the constrain layer to the bottom surface of the spindle motor base portion.
- 3. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the constrain layer is formed from metal.
- 4. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the constrain layer has a thickness of approximately 0.020 inches.
- 5. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the damper covers substantially the entire surface area of the bottom surface of the base portion.
- 6. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the spindle motor further comprises an electrical connector secured to the bottom surface of the base portion, the electrical connector adapted to connect the spindle motor to a printed circuit board, and wherein the damper is shaped to cover substantially the entire surface area of the bottom surface of the base portion that is not covered by the electrical connector.
- 7. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein the damper is substantially disc shaped and includes a circumferential opening defining two opposing arms attached to the bottom surface of the spindle motors on opposite sides of the electrical connector.
- 8. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein a feature of the spindle protrudes through a central point of the bottom surface of the base portion, and wherein the damper includes a central opening sized to fit around the protruding feature to allow the damper to be seated flush against the bottom surface of the base portion.
- 9. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein a spindle motor shaft rotates with the hub and the protruding feature is a bearing cap.
- 10. A disc drive assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein the base portion of the spindle motor extends through an opening formed in the base plate of the disc drive, and wherein the spindle motor further includes an annular flange fastened to a top surface of the disc drive base plate.
- 11. A spindle motor for a disc drive, wherein the disc drive includes a base plate and a top cover defining an internal environment for housing a magnetic disc, the spindle motor comprising:
a base portion supporting a rotatable spindle hub adapted to support the magnetic disc, the base portion including a bottom surface adapted to extend outside of the internal environment of the disc drive; and a damper affixed to the bottom surface of the base portion to attenuate vibrations within the base portion of the spindle motor.
- 12. A spindle motor as defined in claim 11, wherein the damper includes a constrain layer and an adhesive layer securing the constrain layer to the bottom surface of the spindle motor base portion.
- 13. A spindle motor as defined in claim 12, wherein the damper covers substantially the entire surface area of the bottom surface of the base portion.
- 14. A spindle motor as defined in claim 13 wherein the spindle motor further comprises an electrical connector secured to the bottom surface of the base portion, the electrical connector adapted to connect the spindle motor to a disc drive printed circuit board, and wherein the damper is shaped to cover substantially the entire surface area of the bottom surface of the base portion that is not covered by the electrical connector.
- 15. A spindle motor as defined in claim 14, wherein the damper is substantially disc shaped and includes a circumferential opening defining two opposing arms attached to the bottom surface of the spindle motors on opposite sides of the electrical connector.
- 17. A spindle motor as defined in claim 13 wherein a feature of the spindle protrudes through a central point of the bottom surface of the base portion, and wherein the damper includes a central opening sized to fit around the protruding feature to allow the damper to be seated flush against the bottom surface of the spindle motor.
- 18. A disc drive comprising:
a spindle motor having a rotatable hub for supporting a magnetic disc; and means for damping rocking mode vibrations of the spindle motor.
- 19. A disc drive as defined in claim 18, wherein the disc drive assembly includes a base plate and a top cover defining an internal environment, and wherein the means for damping are positioned on a bottom surface of the spindle motor outside of the internal environment of the disc drive.
- 20. A disc drive as defined in claim 19, wherein the means for damping includes a constrain layer applied to the bottom surface of the spindle motor by an adhesive.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/333,703 filed Nov. 27, 2001, entitled “Motor Base Damper.”
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60333703 |
Nov 2001 |
US |