Abstract:
A motor has plural through-holes punched on a top surface of its frame, and a cap made of magnetic material is placed at a place on a stator, where the place corresponding to the through-holes and spaced axially from the through-holes. An attracting magnet is placed outside the cap. This structure allows a bearing to hold its oil, and realizes to generate attracting force in an axial direction without adversely affecting driving-magnetic-circuits. As a result, an apparatus using this motor can be low-profile and run at a higher speed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a motor to be used for recording and/or reproducing information stored in a compact disc or a video disc, and an apparatus using the same motor. More particularly, it relates to a motor structure which can improve oil-holding performance of oil-impregnated metal, and a motor structure which can restrain a rotor from moving and vibrating axially due to axial attraction from an attracting magnet.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Recently, oil-impregnated metal made of porous metal has been widely used for a bearing in order to meet a requirement of lowering the cost of motors that drive optical discs or optical-magneto discs for recording and/or reproducing information stored therein. However, an apparatus such as a compact-disc player or a videodisc player runs at a higher speed than ever, and this trend reduces a long-term reliability of the bearing, and thus the motors encounter the following problems:  
           [0003]    necessity of an oil-holding structure of the oil-impregnated metal which forms the bearing; and  
           [0004]    measures against oil splashed from the oil-impregnated metal. If a rotor moves or vibrates axially when the motor is driven at a high speed, errors could occur in reading/writing information from/to a disc.  
           [0005]    A conventional motor is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H08-289523. FIG. 9 shows a construction of the conventional motor. In FIG. 9, shaft  101  transmits rotation. Ring-shaped rotor-magnet  103  is press-fitted or rigidly bonded to an inner wall of frame  102 . Magnet  103  is multipolar magnetized in a circumferential direction. Burring process is applied to the center of frame  102 , and shaft  101  is directly press-fitted into the burring-processed section. Rotor  111  comprises shaft  101 , frame  102  and magnet  103 .  
           [0006]    Bracket  104  made of magnetic material is formed by press working, and has burring-processed section  112  that projects like steps at an approx. center. Burring-processed section  112  works as bearing housing  123  accommodating a bearing. Bracket  104  includes burring-processed section  112  with which mounting-base  113  is unitarily formed. Base  113  is used for mounting a motor to an apparatus.  
           [0007]    On an inner wall of burring-processed section  112 , oil-impregnated metal  105  is press-fitted for supporting shaft  101  rotatably. On the other hand, on an outer wall of section  112 , stator core  114  is press-fitted. On core  114 , copper wire  106  is wound via an insulator made of resin.  
           [0008]    Printed circuit board  107 , which includes at least a part of circuits driving and controlling the motor, is rigidly bonded to base  113  with double-faced adhesive tape (not shown). An end of copper wire  106  is connected onto board  107 .  
           [0009]    Stopper  108 —preventing rotor  111  from coming off in a thrust direction—is formed by metal pressing work. Stopper  108  is press-fitted to an end of shaft  101 . Bottom plate  109  bears load of rotor  111  in the thrust direction via resin board  110  of abrasion resistance. Bottom plate  109  is press-fitted into the inner wall of burring-processed section  112 .  
           [0010]    A plurality of through-holes  116  are punched on a top plate of frame  102 . When bottom plate  109  is press-fitted into section  112 , face “P” of stator core  114  can be supported with a jig (not shown) extending through holes  116 , so that the force caused by press-fitting is restrained from being applied to base  113 .  
           [0011]    However, the structure discussed above allows oil leaked from the top of oil-impregnated metal  105  to splash outward during the rotation of rotor  111 . The oil splashed moves to stator core  114 , travels on the inner wall of frame  102  and arrives at magnet  103 . As a result, the oil impregnated in metal  105  decreases, which lowers the reliability of the bearing spinning at a high speed. Thus the motor cannot suit for an apparatus demanded to spin at a higher speed.  
           [0012]    In the conventional motor discussed above, attraction force (called magnetic thrust) working axially between stator  115  and rotor  111  is produced by the deviation between the center of an axial length of stator core  114  and the center of an axial length of rotor magnet  103 . In other words, the attraction force can be produced by shifting magnetic center H 1  appropriately. This attraction force working between stator  115  and rotor  111  allows a disc to vibrate smaller in the axial direction, thereby preventing read/write errors.  
           [0013]    Another conventional motor—having a different structure to produce attraction force—is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H11-55900. The motor disclosed in this application comprises the following elements:  
           [0014]    a rotary shaft;  
           [0015]    a bearing for journaling the rotary shaft;  
           [0016]    a hub fixed to the rotary shaft;  
           [0017]    a stopper, for preventing a motor from coming off, made of magnetic material and fixed to the hub;  
           [0018]    an attracting magnet mounted to the stopper;  
           [0019]    a bracket for holding the bearing; and  
           [0020]    a coil assembly fixed to the bracket.  
           [0021]    The attracting magnet faces a core of the coil assembly. The stopper slides with the bearing only when a rotating body moves. This structure prevents the motor from coming off, and restrains vibrations in both a radial and a thrust directions.  
           [0022]    However, according to the publication discussed above, oil leaked from an oilless bearing cannot be collected or returned to the bearing per se, therefore, it is difficult to further improve the reliability of the motor spinning at a higher speed. Major magnetic field produced by a driving current running through the coil is affected by magnetic flux from the attracting magnet because the attracting magnet is disposed closely to the coil assembly, and the major magnetic field produces magnetic interference.  
           [0023]    Still another conventional motor is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-245116. This conventional motor comprises the following elements:  
           [0024]    a stationary member;  
           [0025]    a rotor rotatable with respect to the stationary member;  
           [0026]    a bearing disposed between the stationary member and the rotor;  
           [0027]    a rotor magnet mounted to the rotor; and  
           [0028]    a stator mounted to the stationary member.  
           [0029]    The rotor includes a cup-shaped rotor made of magnetic material. The cup-shaped rotor has an annular wall and an end wall disposed on a first end of the annular wall. The rotor magnet is formed of sheet-like rubber magnet. This rubber magnet is mounted forming a ring shape on an inner face of the annular wall. Magnetic energizing means, for energizing the rotor axially, is mounted to the stationary member, where the magnetic energizing means includes a sintered magnet of ferrite system and faces the end wall of the cup-shaped rotor. This structure allows the conventional motor to be manufactured at a lower cost and obtain desirable energizing force.  
           [0030]    However, this structure needs additionally a holder as an element of the magnetic energizing means, and yet, this structure cannot collect oil leaked from the oilless bearing or return the oil to the bearing per se. Therefore, it is difficult for this structure to further improve the reliability of the bearing spinning at a higher speed. Furthermore since the energizing means is placed above the stator core, this structure is not suited for a motor used in a slim apparatus.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0031]    The present invention addresses the problems discussed above, and aims to provide a motor suitable for a disc driving apparatus which records and/or reproduces information stored in a compact disc, videodisc, optical disc, optical magneto disc or the like, and an apparatus using the same motor.  
           [0032]    To be more specific, the present invention aims to provide a motor structure that meets a requirement of downsizing and lowering of profile of an apparatus as well as improves the reliability of a motor-bearing spinning at a higher speed. At the same time, the present invention aims to provide a motor in a simple construction which prevents a disc from moving or vibrating in an axial direction in order to reduce read/write errors, and an apparatus using the same motor.  
           [0033]    The motor of the present invention comprises the following elements:  
           [0034]    (a) a bracket incorporating a bearing housing, and a mounting base for mounting a motor to an apparatus;  
           [0035]    (b) oil-impregnated metal fixed to an inner wall of the bearing housing;  
           [0036]    (c) a stator in which a stator core wound with coils is disposed on an outer wall of the bearing housing;  
           [0037]    (d) a rotor including a frame having a plurality of through holes on a top surface of the frame, a shaft fixed to the frame, and a rotor magnet fixed to the frame; and  
           [0038]    (e) a cap facing the through holes and disposed at a place spaced from the through holes.  
           [0039]    The apparatus of the present invention includes a housing and the motor discussed above and mounted in the housing via the mounting base.  
           [0040]    The motor structure discussed above allows the stator to be supported with, e.g., supporting-pins through the through holes because the cap is positioned at a place corresponding to the through holes punched on the frame. Force generated in assembling the motor is thus not applied to the mounting base, so that the assembly does not impair precision of the mounting base. Further, the cap can prevent oil from splashing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0041]    [0041]FIG. 1A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 1B is a top view of a rotor of the motor shown in FIG. 1A.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 2 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 1A is press-fitted.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 3A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 3B is a top view of a rotor of the motor shown in FIG. 3A.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 4 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 3A is press-fitted.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 5A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 5B illustrates a magnetized status of an attracting magnet in the motor shown in FIG. 5A.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 6 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 5A is press-fitted.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 7 shows a figure of an apparatus in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 8 shows a schematic structure of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7, where the apparatus employs the motor in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 9 shows a structure of a conventional motor. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0053]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are demonstrated hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0054]    First Exemplary Embodiment  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 1A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a top view of a rotor of the motor shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 1A is press-fitted.  
         [0056]    In FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, shaft  1  outputs power of the motor, for instance, it transmits rotation to a disc. Ring-shaped rotor-magnet  3  is press-fitted or rigidly bonded to an inner wall of frame  2 . Magnet  3  is multipolar magnetized in a circumferential direction. Burring process is applied to the center of frame  2 , and shaft  1  is directly press-fitted into a first burring-processed section. Rotor  11  comprises shaft  1 , frame  2  and magnet  3 .  
         [0057]    Bracket  4  made of magnetic material is formed by press working, and has second burring-processed section  12  that projects like steps at an approx. center. Burring-processed section  12  works as bearing housing  23  accommodating a bearing. Bracket  4  includes burring-processed section  12  with which mounting-base  13  is unitarily formed. Base  13  is used for mounting the motor to an apparatus. This unitary formation improves accuracy of right angles of mounting base  13  with respect to burring-processed section  12 .  
         [0058]    On an inner wall of burring-processed section  12 , oil-impregnated metal  5  is press-fitted for supporting shaft  1  rotatably. On the other hand, on an outer wall of section  12 , stator core  14  is press-fitted. On core  14 , copper wire  6  is wound via an insulator made of resin.  
         [0059]    Printed circuit board  7 , which contains at least a part of circuits driving and controlling the motor, is rigidly bonded to base  13  with double-faced adhesive tape (not shown). An end of copper wire  6  is connected onto board  7 . Stator  15  comprises bracket  4 , oil-impregnated metal  5 , copper wire  6 , board  7  and stator core  14 .  
         [0060]    Four through-holes  16  (at least two holes) are punched on a top surface of frame  2 . Cap  17  is placed at a place spaced from the through holes  16  axially. To be more specific, a first end of cap  17  faces through holes  16 , and cap  17  is press-fitted from its second end into an inner wall of stator core  14  so that cap  17  has clearance from the top plate of frame  2  in an axial direction.  
         [0061]    Stopper  8  prevents rotor  11  from coming off in the thrust direction and is formed by metal-pressing work. Stopper  8  is press-fitted to an end of shaft  1 . Bottom plate  9  bears load of rotor  11  in the thrust direction via resin board  10  of abrasion resistance. Bottom plate  9  is press-fitted into the inner wall of burring-processed section  12 .  
         [0062]    A sectional form of cap  17  is described hereinafter. An end face on the side of first end  19 , which is not press-fitted to stator core  14 , of cap  17  has a smaller inner diameter than that of another section  20  of cap  17 , where section  20  is press-fitted. This formation prevents oil from splashing outside cylinder section  21  of cap  17  even if the oil leaks from the top of oil-impregnated metal during the rotation, because cylinder section  21  of cap  17  works as a barrier against the oil splashing.  
         [0063]    A radial gap is provided between the outer wall of metal  5  and the inner wall of cylinder section  21 . The oil splashing to cylinder section  21  enters into the radial gap, and returns to oil-impregnated metal  5 . This radial gap can thus recycle the oil. The structure discussed above improves oil-holding performance of metal  5 , and collects the splashed oil and returns it to oil-impregnated metal  5  per se.  
         [0064]    A process of press-fitting the bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 1A is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 2. As discussed above, a plurality of through-holes are punched on frame  2  of rotor  11 . When bottom plate  9  is press-fitted to burring-processed section  12  of bracket  4 , supporting pins  22  support the end face of cap  17  through through-holes  16 . Force produced in press-fitting is thus not applied to mounting base  13  of bracket  4  when the motor is assembled.  
         [0065]    Bottom plate  9  can be press-fitted while mounting base  13  is held at accurate right angles with respect to burring-processed section  12  of bracket  4 . Mounting base  13 , oil-impregnated metal  5  press-fitted to base  13 , and shaft  1  journaled by metal  5  can be thus assembled at accurate right angles with respect to burring-processed section  12 .  
         [0066]    Second Exemplary Embodiment  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 3A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3B is a top view of a rotor of the motor shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 3A is press-fitted.  
         [0068]    The second embodiment differs from the first one in the following points: Cap  17  in accordance with the second embodiment is made of magnetic material, and attracting magnet  18  is placed on a top surface of stator core  14  which is disposed outside of cap  17 . Magnet  18  is made of material having excellent magnetic characteristics such as sintered magnet of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd—Fe—B) system. In the second embodiment, elements similar to those in the first embodiment have the same reference marks.  
         [0069]    Press-fitting the bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 3A is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 4. A plurality of through-holes  16  are punched on a top surface of frame  2  of rotor  11 . When bottom plate  9  is press-fitted into bracket  4 , supporting pins  22  support an end face of cap  17  through through-holes  16 . The force produced in press-fitting bottom plate  9  is thus not applied to mounting base  13  of bracket  4  during the assembly of the motor.  
         [0070]    Bottom plate  9  is therefore press-fitted into bracket  4  while the right angles of base  13  with respect to burring-processed section  12  of bracket  4  are accurately maintained. Mounting base  13 , oil-impregnated metal  5  press-fitted to base  13 , and shaft  1  journaled by metal  5  can be thus assembled at accurate right angles with respect to burring-processed section  12 .  
         [0071]    In this second embodiment, a height of an end face of cap  17  on the side of first end  19  is greater than that of an end face of attracting magnet  18 . Supporting pins  22  thus positively support the end face of cap  17  on the side of first end  19  of shaft  1 , and when bottom plate  9  is press-fitted, the force is borne by supporting pins  22  via cap  17 . This structure prevents the force from being applied to attracting magnet  18 . As a result, attracting magnet  18  is kept free from damages.  
         [0072]    Almost all the magnetic flux: from magnet  18  runs through stator core  14  and travels to frame  2  via cap  17  made of magnetic material, and forms a magnetic path returning to magnet  18  from the top surface of frame  2 . The magnetic flux thus does not cross link with magnetic flux from the coil formed of copper wire  6  of stator  15  or magnetic flux from rotor magnet  3 . As a result, magnetic circuits of stator  15  and magnet  3  are free from magnetic interference from attracting magnet  18 , and do not adversely affect rotor  11  to spin.  
         [0073]    Magnet  18  is desirably magnetized unipolar thicknesswise such as N pole on the top surface and S pole on the bottom surface or vice versa, or it is desirably magnetized bipolar on planes in parallel such as N-S on the top surface and S-N on the bottom surface.  
         [0074]    In the second embodiment, as same as the first one, an end face on the side of first end  19 , which is not press-fitted to stator core  14 , of cap  17  has a smaller inner diameter than that of another section  20  of cap  17 , where section  20  is press-fitted. This formation prevents oil from splashing outside cylinder section  21  even if the oil leaks from the top of oil-impregnated metal during the rotation, because cylinder section  21  of cap  17  works as a barrier against oil splashing.  
         [0075]    A radial gap is provided between the outer wall of metal  5  and the inner wall of cylinder section  21 . The oil splashing to cylinder section  21  enters into the radial gap, and returns to oil-impregnated metal  5 . This radial gap can thus recycle the oil. The structure discussed above improves oil-holding performance of metal  5 , and collects the splashed oil and returns it to oil-impregnated metal  5  per se.  
         [0076]    Further in this second embodiment, magnetic attracting force works between attracting magnet  18  and the top surface of frame  2 . Therefore, magnetic energizing force (attracting force) works axially to rotor  11  to be attracted toward stator  15 . This structure saves a need to deviate the center of axial length of stator core  14  from the center of axial length of rotor magnet  3 , i.e., a need to deviate the magnetic centers thereof Therefore, the motor can be assembled with ease, and magnetic noises due to a deviation between the magnetic centers can be reduced.  
         [0077]    Third Exemplary Embodiment  
         [0078]    [0078]FIG. 5A shows a structure of a motor in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B illustrates a magnetized status of an attracting magnet in the motor shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 illustrates how a bottom plate of the motor shown in FIG. 5A is press-fitted.  
         [0079]    In FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, shaft  1  transmits the rotation. Ring-shaped rotor magnet  3 , which is multipolar magnetized in a circumferential direction, is press-fitted or bonded to an inner wall of frame  2 . On a top face of frame  2 , a plurality of through-holes  16  are punched. Burring-process is provided to a center section of frame  2 , and shaft  1  is directly press-fitted into the burring-processed section. Rotor  11  thus comprises shaft  1 , frame  2  and magnet  3 .  
         [0080]    Bracket  4  is made of magnetic material and formed by press working. Bracket  4  is unitarily formed with mounting base  13  which is used for mounting the motor to an apparatus. Further, bearing housing  23  is mounted to bracket  4  by caulking or the like.  
         [0081]    Oil-impregnated metal  5  is accommodated inside of bearing housing  23 , however; oil-impregnated metal  5  can be unitarily formed with bearing housing  23  instead of being accommodated therein. As shown in FIG. 5A, metal  5  can be also formed of two parts axially separated. Stator core  14  is press fitted outside bearing housing  23 . Copper wire  6  is wound on stator core  14  via an insulator made of resin.  
         [0082]    Printed circuit board  7 , to which at least a part of circuits for controlling and driving the motor is mounted, is rigidly bonded to mounting base  13  with double-faced adhesive tape (not shown). An end of copper wire  6  is connected onto board  7 . Stator  15  thus comprises bracket 4 , oil-impregnated metal  5 , copper wire  6  and stator core  14 .  
         [0083]    Attracting magnet  18  is mounted on an upper face of stator core  14 , where the upper face is opposite to through-holes  16  punched on a top surface of frame  2 . Magnet  18  is made of material having excellent magnetic characteristics such as sintered magnet of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd—Fe—B) system. Magnetic attracting force works between attracting magnet  18  and the top surface of frame  2 . Therefore, magnetic energizing force (attracting force) works axially to rotor  11  to be attracted toward stator  15 . This structure saves a need to deviate the center of axial length of stator core  14  from the center of axial length of rotor magnet  3 , i.e., a need to deviate the magnetic centers thereof. Therefore, the motor can be assembled with ease, and magnetic noises due to a slide between the magnetic centers can be reduced.  
         [0084]    Stopper  8 —preventing rotor  11  from coming off in a thrust direction—is formed by metal press-working, and press-fitted to an end of shaft  1 . Bottom plate  9  bears load of rotor  11  in a thrust direction via resin board  10  of abrasion resistance, and is fixed to a bottom section of bearing housing  23  by caulking. A plurality of through-holes  16  are punched on the top surface of frame  2 , and when bottom plate  9  is caulked with housing  23 , an end face of magnet  18  can be supported by supporting pins  22  through through-holes  16 . The caulking force is thus not applied to mounting base  13  of bracket  4 .  
         [0085]    As a result, the right angles of bearing housing  23  with respect to mounting base  13  are accurately maintained. Mounting base  13 , oil-impregnated metal  5  press-fitted to base  13 , and shaft  1  journaled by metal  5  can be thus assembled maintaining accurate right angles.  
         [0086]    With regard to fixing bottom plate  9  to bearing housing  23 , housing  23  can be caulked with light load if housing  23  is made of easily extendable copper alloy. Therefore, when plate  9  is caulked and fixed to housing  23  while magnet  18  is supported by pins  22 , magnet  18  made of sintered magnet of Nd—Fe—B system is free from being damaged because the caulking needs light load.  
         [0087]    Attracting magnet  18  is preferably magnetized bipolar on planes in parallel as shown in FIG. 5B. When a plane is magnetized bipolar or multipolar, magnetic flux generated from N pole of magnet  18  forms a magnetic path running to frame  2  opposite to magnet  18  and returning to S pole of magnet  18 . Further, the magnetic flux from magnet  18  utilizes stator core  14  as a part of the magnetic path, where magnet  18  per se is mounted to stator core  14 . Almost all of the magnetic flux from magnet  18  and the magnetic flux from coils of stator  6  or that of rotor magnet  3  thus do not cross link each other. Magnetic circuits of stator  15  and magnet  3  are not subjected to magnetic interference from attracting magnet  18 , so that rotor  11  can spin free from being adversely affected.  
         [0088]    At an end of shaft  1 , frame  2  made of pressed-member is mounted. On a plane of outer circumference of frame  2 , turntable cushion  24  for receiving a disc (not shown) is pasted. Disc-holding ring  25 —shaping in approx. cylinder—for holding an internal circle section of the disc is press-fitted or rigidly bonded to frame  2 . Ring  25  can position the disc in a radial direction, and the disc is spun with turntable cushion  24  pressed thereto, therefore, disc-holding ring  25  has holes therein for accommodating disc-clamping-claws  26 . Spring  27  urges disc-clamping-claws  26  in the radial direction. The disc is urged to turntable cushion  24  by disc-clamping-claws  26 . This structure allows the disc to spin at a high speed without floating off from frame  2 , and information can be read or written from/to the disc.  
         [0089]    Fourth Exemplary Embodiment  
         [0090]    [0090]FIG. 7 shows an outward appearance of an apparatus in accordance with the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows a schematic structure of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7, where the apparatus employs the motor in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment.  
         [0091]    Apparatus  51  shown in FIG. 7 is specifically a compact-disc driving apparatus including housing  53 . In FIG. 8, the motor in accordance with the first embodiment is mounted within housing  53  of apparatus  51 . Mounting base  13  of motor bracket  4  is fixed to a mounting section  55  of the apparatus with screws  59 .  
         [0092]    The apparatus in accordance with the fourth embodiment can enjoy the same advantages as the motor in the first embodiment. The motor to be mounted to the apparatus of the present invention can be in accordance with not only the first embodiment but also the second or third embodiment. The apparatus of the present invention can expect the same advantages of the respective motors in accordance with each of the embodiments.  
         [0093]    As discussed above, in a motor mainly used for reading or writing information from/to a disc such as a compact disc or a video disc, a cap is disposed above and outside an oil-impregnated metal. This structure allows the oil-impregnated metal to improve its oil-holding performance as well as collects and returns splashed oil to the oil-impregnated metal per se. Therefore, even if the oil leaked from the oil-impregnated metal splashes outward due to spin of the rotor, the oil splashed can be recycled to the metal per se, so that the bearing does not lower its reliability when the motor is spun at a high speed. As a result, the present invention can provide a motor well suited for an apparatus running at a high speed as well as an apparatus using the same motor.  
         [0094]    Magnetic attracting force works between an attracting magnet and a top surface of a motor frame. Therefore, magnetic energizing force (attracting force) works axially to a rotor to be attracted toward a stator, so that the rotor is restrained from moving and vibrating axially when the motor spins at a high speed. As a result, read/write errors can be reduced.  
         [0095]    The cap is, in particular, made of magnetic material, and almost all of the magnetic flux from the attracting magnet travels along a path running through a top surface of the frame and the cap and returning to the attracting magnet. The magnetic flux from the attracting magnet does not adversely affect magnetic circuits of a rotor magnet.