Patents by Inventor Galen D. Houk

Galen D. Houk has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7658001
    Abstract: A method for electrically connecting disk drive suspension assembly elements including positioning a first component having a first terminal with an edge adjacent to a second component having a second terminal and applying solder to form a solder joint over the edge of the first terminal and onto the second terminal. Heat to melt the solder is provided from a source that is physically remote from the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Galen D. Houk
  • Patent number: 7497006
    Abstract: A method for mounting a head slider of the type having terminal pads to a wireless disk drive head suspension flexure including a slider mounting region, lead contact pads, and a deflectable and resilient slider engagement member for releasably mounting a head slider to the slider mounting region. The method includes engaging and deflecting the slider engagement member and positioning the head slider onto the slider mounting region and between the lead contact pads and the slider engagement member while the slider engagement member is deflected. The method further includes disengaging the slider engagement member and causing the slider engagement member to force the head slider into frictional engagement with the lead contact pads and the slider engagement member with the lead contact pads in mechanical and electrical contact with the head slider terminal pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael W. Davis, Galen D. Houk, Ajay Sharma, Kia Moh Teo
  • Patent number: 7211935
    Abstract: Adhesive attachment features for bonding piezoelectric motors to a load beam substrate. The attachment features have one or more reliefs under or partially under or adjacent to a piezoelectric transducer to control the flow of adhesive by limiting or influencing adhesive travel or flow and simultaneously preventing excessive adhesive fillet height adjacent the piezoelectric motor while simultaneously providing for improved bond strength between the piezoelectric element and the load beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Galen D. Houk
  • Patent number: 7158350
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for grounding a flexure of a head suspension assembly to a moving support such as an actuator arm or an E block close to a preamplifier, write driver or other wiring such as a flexible circuit located on the moving support in a disk drive assembly, including connecting a metal substrate layer of the flexure to a ground on the moving support closely adjacent the preamplifier or flexible circuit to minimize ground loop interference with signals on the traces. The invention includes a variety of arrangements to secure the metal substrate layer to the moving support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith W. Carlson, Dennis A. Boismier, Galen D. Houk, Larry C. Webb, Jr., Craig A. Leabch
  • Patent number: 6856075
    Abstract: Adhesive attachment features for bonding piezoelectric motors to a load beam substrate. The attachment features have one or more reliefs under or partially under or adjacent to a piezoelectric transducer to control the flow of adhesive by limiting or influencing adhesive travel or flow and simultaneously preventing excessive adhesive fillet height adjacent the piezoelectric motor while simultaneously providing for improved bond strength between the piezoelectric element and the load beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Galen D. Houk, Thomas A. Schones, Tony S. Peterson
  • Patent number: 6271996
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a damping structure having at least one unconstrained surface. A reservoir is formed on the head suspension preferably from epoxy resin. Visco-elastic damping material is dispensed into the reservoir to form a damper on the head suspension. The damper and reservoir act to damp resonance mode vibrations of the head suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Galen D. Houk, Haiming Zhou
  • Patent number: 5879294
    Abstract: A measurement system and method for measuring a relative concentration of a first form of a chromophore having a first form and a second form. The method comprises irradiating a tissue sample with light at a plurality of wavelengths within a wavelength range within which the first and second forms of the chromophore provide an overlapping spectral response. A detector is provided that detects spectral data emitted from the tissue. Furthermore, the method comprises determining a first and a second 2d derivative spectrum value, at first and second wavelengths, respectively, within said wavelength range at which the first 2d derivative spectrum value varies with the relative concentration of the first form of the chromophore. A scaled, 2d derivative spectrum value is derived from the first and second 2d derivative spectrum values. A memory stores a correlation which provides the relative chromophore concentration as a function of the scaled, 2d derivative spectrum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Anderson, Galen D. Houk, Mark S. Lewandowski, Dean E. Myers, Joseph P. Ortner