Appeal No. 98-0816
Application 08/286,287
appeal. Claims 18 to 22, 31, 32, and 37 stand allowed. Claim 24 has been canceled, and claims 28,
31 and 32 stand objected as being allowable if rewritten to include all of the features of its base claim
and any intervening claim. Accordingly, only claims 1 to 17, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, and 33 to 36
stand rejected and are before us on appeal.
BACKGROUND
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a spindle motor assembly of a magnetic disc drive
for rotating the disc wherein the motor assembly includes a rotor, a stator, and a magnet. Appellants
disclose that, conventionally, magnets are held to the rotor hub using adhesive. (specification at page 1.)
Appellants provide the improvement of holding the magnet in place without adhesive, and in particular
holding the magnet in place using a retaining ring and an elastic washer for biasing the magnet axially
(see claims 1 and 2 on appeal).
Representative claim 1 is reproduced below:
1. A spindle motor assembly adapted for rotationally supporting a load about a base, the
spindle motor assembly comprising:
a rotor rotatably mounted on the base, the rotor having an outer periphery capable of
supporting the load, the rotor having a radially-extending surface;
a stator mounted on the base, the stator for providing a magnetic field;
a magnet opposing the radially-extending surface of the rotor, the magnet supplying a force in
response to the magnetic field of the stator for rotating the rotor, and;
a retaining ring attached to the rotor for biasing the magnet axially, the biasing force securing the
magnet axially against the radially extending surface.
2
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