Patents Examined by Craig A. Renner
  • Patent number: 11222663
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of tape drives, tape transport, tape heads and tape head suspension. More particularly, the present invention is related to magnetic tape data storage and tape recorders that include components designed to minimize or eliminate head-to-tape contact to reduce or eliminate wear and contamination of tape drive heads. Methods and apparatus of the present invention may dynamically control the head-to-media spacing by moving locations of magnetic heads relative to a tape. Such apparatus may include components designed to minimize magnetic spacing. This may be accomplished using actuators that move the magnetic heads, that move the tape, or that move both the magnetic heads and the tape. This may include supporting a back surface of the tape. Alternatively, or additionally, the movement of the tape past the magnetic heads may be performed using mechanisms that contact and drive the back surface of the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: L2 DRIVE INC.
    Inventors: Karim Kaddeche, John Wang, Peter Goglia
  • Patent number: 11217274
    Abstract: A hard magnet stabilization scheme is disclosed for a top shield and junction shields for double or triple dimension magnetic reader structures. In one design, the hard magnet (HM) adjoins a top or bottom surface of all or part of a shield domain such that the HM is recessed from the air bearing surface to satisfy reader-to-reader spacing requirements and stabilizes a closed loop magnetization in the top shield. The HM may have a height and width greater than that of the top shield. The top shield may have a ring shape with a HM formed above, below, or within the ring shape, and wherein the HM stabilizes a vortex magnetization. HM magnetization is set or reset from room temperature to 100° C. to maintain a desired magnetization direction in the top shield, junction shield, and free layer in the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Junjie Quan, Glen Garfunkel, Yewhee Chye, Kunliang Zhang, Min Li
  • Patent number: 11217275
    Abstract: A disk device includes a magnetic disk having a data non-recording region, and a data recording region inside the data non-recording region, a plurality of heads configured to read and write information from and onto the magnetic disk, and a plurality of arms supporting the heads, the arms being rotatable to move the heads from a parked position to a desired data recording position above or below the magnetic disk. Each of the arms comprises an overlapping region that overlaps the data recording region of the magnetic disk in a thickness direction of the magnetic disk when the heads are at the parked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11211099
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a housing with a bottom wall, magnetic disks supported on a hub of a motor, a printed circuit board provided on an outer surface of the bottom wall, and a wiring board attached on the outer surface of the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes a recess formed in the outer surface, a step located on border between the outer surface and the recess, and through holes opened to the recess. The wiring board includes one end portion disposed in the recess and connection pads on the one end portion, connected to lead wires of a coil. An adhesive is filled into the recess and the through holes, and covers the one end and a solder joint and seals the through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Uehara, Yuu Kawai
  • Patent number: 11211085
    Abstract: A suspension for a disk device comprises a load beam, a flexure and a damper member. The flexure overlaps the load beam, and comprises a tongue on which a slider is mounted and an outrigger connected to the tongue. The damper member is attached to the load beam. The outrigger comprises an arm opposing the load beam, and a folded portion extending from the arm and folded back in a thickness direction of the arm. Further, the folded portion is attached to the damper member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukie Yamada
  • Patent number: 11205447
    Abstract: A read head is disclosed wherein a Spin Hall Effect (SHE) layer is formed on a free layer (FL) in a sensor and between the FL and top shield (S2). Preferably, the sensor has a seed layer, an AP2 reference layer, antiferromagnetic coupling layer, AP1 reference layer, and a tunnel barrier sequentially formed on a bottom shield (S1). In a three terminal configuration, a first current flows between S1 and S2 such that the AP1 reference layer produces a first spin torque on the FL, and a second current flows across the SHE layer thereby generating a second spin torque on the FL that opposes the first spin torque. When the stripe heights of the FL and SHE layer are equal, a two terminal configuration is employed where a current flows between one side of the SHE layer to a center portion thereof and then to S1, or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyu Chen, Yan Wu
  • Patent number: 11195549
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a recording medium, electronic components including a magnetic head, a flexure, and an adhesive. The flexure includes a surface on which the electronic component is mounted, a first wiring and a second wiring each extending along the surface, and a groove provided on the surface between the first/second wirings. The adhesive is in contact with an inner surface of the groove and includes an adhesive portion attaching the electronic component to the surface. A first portion in the flexure is provided in a position apart from the electronic component. A second portion in the flexure is positioned closer to the adhesive portion than the first portion. A distance between the first wiring and the second wiring is larger than that in the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Nojima
  • Patent number: 11183206
    Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge including: a magnetic tape; and a recording medium including a predetermined area for recording defect information, which is information regarding a defect of the magnetic tape detected in a production process of the magnetic tape. A recording device, a recording method, a data recording and reproducing system, and a data recording and reproducing method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hodaka Suzuki, Toru Nakao, Yoichi Akano
  • Patent number: 11176963
    Abstract: A brake crawler for an elevator-type hard disk drive generally includes a first and second set of clamp arms vertically arranged, each of the first and second sets of clamp arms being capable of exerting a clamping force on a shaft or slider via activation or deactivation of an actuator element associated with each set of clamp arms. The brake crawler further includes an actuator element disposed between the first and second set of clamp arms which allows for movement of the first set of clamp arms away from the second set of clamp arms upon a change in state of the actuator element. Via a specific sequence of activating and deactivating various of the actuator elements associated with the brake crawler, the brake crawler is capable of inch worm-type movement up and down the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Brett R. Herdendorf, Riyan Alex Mendonsa, Krishnan Subramanian, Wolfgang Rosner
  • Patent number: 11176968
    Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a controller configured to control writing operations to a magnetic recording tape, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller for causing the controller to receive a plurality of records, store datasets associated with the plurality of records in a buffer memory, and write the datasets stored in the buffer memory to the magnetic recording tape in response to a predetermined number of datasets being stored in the buffer memory. For each of the datasets being written, an end longitudinal position indicative of a physical position where the dataset is physically written to the magnetic recording tape is determined. Moreover, for each determined end longitudinal position, the end longitudinal position and an identifier of the associated dataset are stored to a table of a dataset that is to be subsequently written to the magnetic recording tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Miyamura, Setsuko Masuda
  • Patent number: 11170803
    Abstract: A magnetic recording write head includes a spin torque oscillator (STO) between a seed layer disposed on a write pole and trailing shield. The seed layer has a cross-track width greater than the width of the STO and a depth in a direction orthogonal to the disk-facing surface of the write pole greater than the depth of the STO. A first insulating refill layer is formed on the sides of the seed layer and STO, and a second insulating refill layer in contact with the first refill layer has a thermal conductivity greater than that of the first refill layer. When current is passing through the STO, the seed layer spreads the current to reduce heating of the write pole and STO, and the bilayer refill material facilitates the transfer of heat away from the write pole and STO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Liu, Quang Le, Hongquan Jiang, Guangli Liu, Jui-lung Li
  • Patent number: 11170807
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a read head of a data storage device. The read head includes a read sensor sandwiched between two shields. The shields can have different materials as well as a different number of layers. Furthermore the shields can be fabricated by different processes and have different heights and thicknesses. The ratio of the thickness to the height for the shields are substantially identical to ensure that the saturation field are substantially identical and balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Liu, Goncalo Baiao De Albuquerque, Daniele Mauri, Yukimasa Okada
  • Patent number: 11170810
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a method. The method includes determining a reference plane for a tape drive read-write array. The tape drive read-write array includes a first array element, a predetermined array element, and a last array element. Further, determining the reference plane is based on a first array position of the first array element and a last array position of the last array element. The method also includes capturing a position of a predetermined array element using an imaging device. The method further includes determining a deviation of the captured position from the reference plane. Additionally, the method includes generating a plot of an in-plane bow based on the deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Liang, Robert Biskeborn
  • Patent number: 11170804
    Abstract: A magnetic recording head includes a trailing shield and a main pole. A trailing shield gap is between the trailing shield and the main pole. A spin orbital torque structure is within the trailing shield gap. The spin orbital torque structure includes a spin torque layer having a first side and a second side at a media facing surface. A first spin Hall layer is along the first side of the spin torque layer. A second spin Hall layer is along the second side of the spin torque layer. The first spin Hall layer comprises a heavy metal material having a positive spin Hall angle. The second spin Hall layer comprises a heavy metal material having a negative spin Hall angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zhanjie Li, Suping Song, Lijie Guan
  • Patent number: 11170809
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally related to read heads having dual free layer (DFL) sensors. The DFL sensor and has a surface at the media facing surface (MFS). Behind the DFL sensor away from the MFS, is a rear hard bias (RHB) structure. The RHB structure is disposed between the shields as well. In between the DFL sensor and the RHB structure is insulating material. The insulating material is a multilayer structure. A first layer of the multilayer structure is composed of the same material as the tunnel magnetoresistive barrier layer, such as MgO, and is disposed adjacent the DFL sensor, yet spaced from the RHB structure. A second layer of the multilayer structure is a different insulating layer that is disposed adjacent the RHB structure, yet spaced from the DFL sensor. The multilayer structure helps improve areal density without degrading head stability and performance reliability by maintaining RHB coercivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ming Mao, Chen-Jung Chien
  • Patent number: 11170823
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a tape embedded drive having a plurality of feedthrough connectors. The feedthrough connectors are symmetrically placed within the tape embedded drive such that regardless of whether an even or odd number of feedthrough connectors are present, the feedthrough connectors are symmetrical about a centerline of the tape embedded drive. In such a layout, the tape embedded drive is more stable due to symmetrical mass balance. Additionally, the tape embedded drive is more cost effective to produce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Miki Namihisa, Kouki Uefune, Toshio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11158354
    Abstract: The embodied invention is a bendable portable hard drive holder with four foldable arms, an adhering central element, a surface adhering element for attachment to a surface, and bendable metal in the 4 foldable arms. The invention is suited for portable use with a hard drive as the two adhering elements are separable, such as by use of a magnet or hook and loop attachment. The holder remains on the hard drive for improved convenience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Christian A. Goeller
  • Patent number: 11152017
    Abstract: A card reader includes a writing coil that is provided to a magnetic head for recording magnetic data in a magnetic card, and a drive circuit that supplies a write current to the writing coil. The drive circuit is a chopping circuit that supplies a chopping current, on/off of which is switched in a specified cycle, as the write current to the writing coil. An on/off cycle of the chopping current is a cycle in which a length of a magnetized pattern in a recording direction is shorter than a reading gap formed in a core around which the writing coil is wound or a core around which a reading coil being separately provided from the writing coil is wound, the magnetized pattern in the recording direction being formed in the magnetic card by the chopping current in a period including one each of the on and the off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jo Tanaka, Yohei Shimizu, Yufei Gu
  • Patent number: 11138994
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a shield, a magnetic pole, a first magnetic layer provided between the shield and the magnetic pole, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the magnetic pole, a third magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the magnetic pole, a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the shield and the first magnetic layer, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, and a fourth nonmagnetic layer provided between the third magnetic layer and the magnetic pole. The first and third nonmagnetic layers include one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, and Ti. The second and fourth nonmagnetic layers include one of Ta, Pt, Ir, W, Mo, Cr, Tb, Rh, Pd, and Ru.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tazumi Nagasawa, Naoyuki Narita, Hirofumi Suto, Masayuki Takagishi, Tomoyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 11127430
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes identifying a lower calibration target of a column of an automated tape library and identifying an upper calibration target of the column. The method includes calculating at least one slot position between the upper calibration target and the lower calibration target. For at least some of the calculated slot positions, the method includes performing a check including identifying an actual slot position corresponding to the calculated slot position. The actual slot position is located by a robotic accessor. The method includes comparing the calculated slot position to the corresponding identified actual slot position and determining whether the calculated slot position is within a predefined range of the corresponding identified actual slot position. The method includes outputting a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. Nave, Ronald Faye Hill, Jr., Luis Roberto Macias