Patents by Inventor William D. Hovey

William D. Hovey 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: 6078470
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive head suspension of the type having a load beam, a mounting region, and a flexure, includes an improved load point dimple. The load point dimple can be formed in either the load beam for contacting the flexure or the flexure for contacting the load beam. The dimple is characterized by a conical shape, including a conical base portion with generally planar surfaces of the dimple and a spherical tip of the dimple. The tip of the dimple is formed to have a height that is greater than the radius of curvature, and so that the radius of curvature of the tip is less than one-half the width of the dimple as measured at a surface of the material from which the dimple extends. In a preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature of the tip is approximately equal to the protrusion of the dimple above the surface in which the dimple is formed to reduce the change in the high point location of the dimple caused by a deflection angle in the surface in which the dimple is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Reid C. Danielson, Thomas F. Heeren, William D. Hovey