Patent ID: 7982349

Claim:
A spindle motor having a fluid dynamic bearing system comprising: a stationary shaft ( 12 ; 212 ; 312 ) that is held directly or indirectly in a baseplate ( 10 , 210 ; 310 ), a rotor component ( 14 , 114 a ; 214 ; 314 a - c ) rotatably supported with respect to the shaft about a rotational axis ( 46 ; 246 ; 346 ), a bearing gap ( 20 , 220 ; 320 ) open at both ends filled with a bearing fluid that separates the adjoining surfaces of the shaft ( 12 ; 212 ; 312 ), the rotor component ( 14 , 114 a ; 214 ; 214 a - c ) and at least one first bearing part ( 16 , 216 ; 316 ) from one another, a first radial bearing ( 22 a , 222 a ; 322 a ) and a second radial bearing ( 22 b , 222 b ; 322 b ) formed between the opposing axially extending bearing surfaces of the shaft ( 12 ; 212 ; 312 ) and the rotor component ( 14 , 114 a ; 214 ; 314 a - c ), an axial bearing ( 26 , 226 ; 326 ) formed between the opposing radially extending bearing surfaces of the rotor component ( 14 , 114 a ; 214 ; 314 a - c ) and the first bearing part ( 16 , 216 ; 316 ) connected to the baseplate, a recirculation channel ( 28 ; 128 ; 228 ; 328 ) filled with bearing fluid that connects the remote regions of the bearing to each other, and an electromagnetic drive system ( 42 , 44 ; 342 , 244 ) for driving the rotor component, and characterized in that the recirculation channel ( 28 , 128 ; 228 ) ends in a gap ( 21 ) radially outside of the bearing gap ( 20 ) of the axial bearing ( 26 ), the width of the gap ( 21 ) being greater than the width of the bearing gap ( 20 ).