| US 7,527,431 B2 | ||
| Bearing unit and rotating apparatus using the bearing unit | ||
| Yoshiaki Kakinuma, Tokyo (Japan); Takeshi Kaneko, Chiba (Japan); Hiroshi Sato, Chiba (Japan); and Kenichiro Yazawa, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sony Corporation, (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 12, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/484,682. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-217763 (JP), filed on Jul. 27, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0025653 A1, Feb. 01, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. F16C 32/06 (2006.01); F16C 33/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 384—100 [384/107; 384/279] | 12 Claims |
| 1. A bearing unit, comprising:
a radial bearing and a thrust bearing extending along an axis of rotation and configured to support a shaft for rotation;
a path forming member and a path forming member lid configured to form a communicating path having a function of short-circuiting
pressure generated when said shaft and said radial bearing rotate relative to each other, the path forming member having a
cup-shaped configuration defining a recess extending partially thereinto along the axis of rotation and sized to completely
receive the radial bearing and the thrust bearing therein and to completely receive the path forming member lid, the path
forming member lid operative in conjunction with the path forming member to retain the radial bearing and the thrust bearing
in the path forming member, the path forming member completely surrounding the radial bearing, the thrust bearing and the
path forming member lid along and about the axis of rotation;
a housing enveloping the path forming member and the path forming member lid while said housing is open at one end of said
shaft with a small void left therebetween; and
lubricating oil filled in said void;
wherein said path forming member and said path forming member lid cooperate with each other to fully cover said radial bearing
except a shaft opening side portion of said radial bearing, and said housing being made of a molded resin material.
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