Patent ID: 8136996

Claim:
An axially preloaded bearing assembly for interconnecting a rotor with a stator, the bearing assembly comprising: a preload mechanism; first and second ball bearings configured to be mounted to different portions of the stator and adapted to be secured to different portions of the rotor, at least one of the first and second ball bearings including a linear section and a conical section having a frustoconical surface, wherein the rotor is configured to transfer an axial preload force exerted by the preload mechanism on the first ball bearing to the second ball bearing, and wherein the frustoconical surface transfers the axial preload force to a radial force; and the stator including a linear section and a conical section with a frustoconical surface, the frustroconical surface of the stator interfacing with the frustoconical surface of the at least one of the first and second ball bearings; wherein the radial force on the frustoconical surface of the conical section of the at least one of the first and second ball bearings creates an interference fit between a surface of the linear section of the at least one of the first and second ball bearings and an interfacing surface of the linear section of the stator which reduces or eliminates a clearance therebetween.