Patent ID: 7517153

Claim:
A fluid dynamic bearing system, with an overall axial height considerably smaller than the fluid dynamic bearing system's radial extension, comprising: a stationary bearing construction having: a sleeve ( 2 ) disposed in a base ( 1 ) and a first bearing disk ( 3 ) disposed on one side of the sleeve, the sleeve ( 2 ) and the first bearing disk ( 3 ) forming an annular recess, wherein the recess houses a radial inwards projecting part of the rotor hub ( 8 ) or a component ( 21 ) connected to the rotor hub ( 8 ) in order to form a capillary seal and reservoir ( 18 ), a shaft ( 4 ) firmly fixed at one end in the sleeve and a second bearing disk ( 5 ) disposed at the other end of the shaft, the second bearing disk being an integral part of the shaft and being disposed on the shaft at a spacing to the first bearing disk such that an annular space is formed between the two bearing disks ( 3 ; 5 ), the shaft ( 4 ) and the second bearing disk ( 5 ) forming an annular recess, wherein the recess houses a radial inwards projecting part of the rotor hub ( 8 ) or a component ( 16 ; 21 ; 25 ) connected to the rotor hub ( 8 ) in order to form a capillary seal and reservoir ( 13 ); a bearing construction rotating about a rotational axis ( 6 ) having: a rotor component comprising an annular disk-shaped component ( 7 ) that is disposed in the annular disk-shaped space formed by the stationary bearing construction, and a rotor hub ( 8 ) disposed at the outer circumference of the annular disk-shaped component ( 7 ), a bearing gap ( 9 ) filled with a bearing fluid and formed by the bearing surfaces opposing each other of the stationary and the rotating bearing construction, at least one radial bearing ( 10 ) formed between the outer circumference of the shaft ( 4 ) and the inner circumference of the annular disk-shaped component ( 7 ), at least two axial bearings ( 11 ; 12 ) formed by the two end faces of the annular disk-shaped component ( 7 ) and the first end faces of the bearing disks ( 3 ; 5 ) opposing these; and capillary seals to seal the two open ends of the bearing gap ( 9 ), at least one capillary seal comprising a reservoir ( 13 ; 18 ) that is at least partly filled with bearing fluid and is formed between the surfaces opposing each other of the rotor hub ( 8 ), or a component ( 16 ; 19 ; 21 ; 25 ; 28 ) connected to the rotor hub, and an end face of one of the bearing disks ( 3 ; 5 ), such capillary seal comprising a reservoir ( 13 ; 18 ) extending substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis ( 6 ) and tapering radially outwards narrowing in the direction of the bearing gap ( 9 ), and such reservoir having no substantial axial tapering.