Appeal No. 95-4789
Application 08/146,311
a disk drive housing having first and second opposed
housing walls, and an elongate spindle shaft having first and
second opposite shaft ends and supporting at least one data
storage disk for rotation relative to the spindle about a spindle
axis;
a substantially rigid but elastically deformable
fastener inserted axially into the spindle shaft via the first
shaft end, and having an enlarged head;
a substantially rigid but elastically deformable
alignment means surrounding the fastener and having: a frusto-
conical first inner guide surface converging in an axially inward
direction toward the spindle shaft and engaged with the enlarged
head; a frusto-conical second inner guide surface diverging in
the axially inward direction and engaged with the first shaft
end; and a radially outward edge surrounded by a rim of the first
wall;
wherein the fastener is so inserted to a predetermined
axial location beyond a point at which the first and second inner
guide surfaces engage the head and the first shaft end,
respectively, to cause a residual axial tensile force in said
fastener while urging the radially outward edge into a firm
contact engagement with the rim, thereby radially aligning and
integrally securing the first shaft end with respect to the first
wall; and
a means for mounting the second shaft end integrally
with respect to the second wall whereby the spindle shaft spans
the distance between the first and second walls and supports the
at least one disk for rotation inside the housing.
The Examiner’s Answer cites no prior art.
OPINION
The claims stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112, first
and second paragraphs, as allegedly non-enabled and indefinite.
We reverse for the reasons given by appellants and for the
following additional reasons as well.
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