Retaining ring for disc drive spindle motor

• US 5,774,974 A
• Filed: 06/02/1995
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology plc (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Knoche, Steven Craig, Kloeppel, Klaus Dieter, Dunfield, John Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, CHRISTOP
• Application Number:
  US08/460,076
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 29/596, 310/608.03, 310/51, 310/71, 310/68 B, 310/67 R, 360/99.04, 360/99.11, 360/99.08, 360/99.09
• US Class Current: 29/596
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/20 Driving; Starting; Stopping; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/2009 Turntables, hubs and motors for disk drives; Mounting of motors in the drive means for clamping of disk to turntable G11B17/022 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/187 to inner stators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0056 Manufacturing winding connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0068 Connecting winding sections; Forming leads; Connecting leads to terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/03 Machines characterised by the wiring boards, i.e. printed circuit boards or similar structures for connecting the winding terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/06 Machines characterised by the wiring leads, i.e. conducting wires for connecting the winding terminations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2211/03 Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/522 for generally annular cores with salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/24 specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine

Abstract

A disc drive includes a disc drive motor for rotating a storage disc. The motor includes a motor base which carries a wiring assembly having a plurality of electrical contacts. A rotor hub is rotatably coupled to the base and rotatably carries a storage disc. The rotor hub includes a permanent magnet. A stator assembly includes a plurality of stator windings adapted for operation with the permanent magnet of the rotor hub. A wire guide coupled to the stator assembly positions wires of the stator windings adjacent the electrical contacts of the wiring assembly. The wires are soldered to the contacts after which the wiring guide can be removed. The stator assembly can be "potted" in an adhesive to reduce problems associated with resonant frequency of the disc drive motor. The wire guide acts as a retainer for the adhesive preventing the adhesive from interfering with rotation of the rotatable hub.

Claims

1. A method of making a disc drive motor, comprising:

obtaining a motor base;

placing a stator assembly and a wire guide into the motor base;

electrically connecting stator wires held by the wire guide to electrical contacts carried in the motor base;

removing the wire guide from the motor base; and

placing a rotor in the disc drive rotatably coupled to the stator assembly on a drive shaft coupled to the rotor base.

2. The method of claim 1 including applying an adhesive to the motor base thereby attaching the stator assembly to the motor base.

3. A method of making a disc drive motor, comprising:

obtaining a motor base;

obtaining a retaining ring having an interior surface and positioning the retaining ring in the motor base;

placing a stator assembly within the interior surface of the retaining ring and in the motor base; and

applying adhesive to the stator assembly and the motor base thereby attaching the stator assembly to the motor base, wherein the retaining ring is positioned to block excess flow of adhesive material of the stator assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 including:

electrically connecting stator wires of the stator assembly to electrical contacts in the motor base following the step of placing the stator assembly in the motor base.

5. The method of claim 3 including placing the stator wires in wire channels of the retaining ring prior to the step of electrically connecting.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of obtaining and positioning a retaining ring comprises positioning a retaining ring as an integral component with the motor base.

7. A method of making a disc drive motor, comprising:

obtaining a motor base;

obtaining a retaining ring having an interior surface and positioning the retaining ring in the motor base;

placing a stator assembly within the interior surface of the retaining ring and in the motor base;

applying adhesive to the stator assembly and the motor base thereby attaching the stator assembly to the motor base, wherein the retaining ring is positioned to block excess flow of adhesive material of the stator assembly; and

removing the retaining ring from the stator assembly and the motor base following the step of applying an adhesive.