Patents by Inventor Walter Wayne Butler

Walter Wayne Butler 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: 5953183
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive with a head stack assembly having a pass-through flex circuit cable is disclosed. The pass-through flex circuit cable is mounted to a side of the head stack assembly to extend straight forward in an initial unfolded position during handling and assembly and to then be folded over into a final position in a substantially opposite direction and with a desired flex cable trajectory. The head stack assembly includes a post, preferably of rectangular profile, that is integrally formed and spaced away from the actuator body. An outer surface of the post defines the flex cable trajectory. The flex circuit cable, located in the space between the actuator body and the post, extends past the post in the initial position and wraps around the post in the final folded over position. The flex circuit cable is secured to the post in the final folded over position, preferably with a flex clip that removably mounts to the post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Western Digital Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Wayne Butler, Payman Hassibi, Mark A. Hathaway, Tami Ogle, Sudha Narayanan
  • Patent number: 5727882
    Abstract: A pivot bearing assembly for mounting to an enclosure of a head disk assembly to support a head stack assembly of a disk drive is disclosed. The pivot bearing assembly comprises a shaft for being affixed to the enclosure and defining a longitudinal axis, a first and second set of bearings, the second set of bearings longitudinally spaced from the first set of bearings, and each set of bearings surrounding a respective portion of the shaft. The pivot bearing assembly also comprises an inner sleeve member and an outer sleeve member, both sleeve members surrounding the shaft. A pair of channels is located between the outer and inner sleeve members. Alternatively, the pair of channels is located between the shaft and the sets of bearings. The channels contain a cured cast-in-place material, preferably, an ultra violet cured polyurethane compound having a hardness between approximately 24 Shore A to 79 Shore A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Western Digital Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Wayne Butler, John Robert Edwards