Patents Examined by Jennifer A. Poker
  • Patent number: 6861937
    Abstract: An enhanced inductive coil design for use in data storage magnetic disk drives with areal density over 35 Gb/in2, features a double wound twin coil that is able to achieve a yoke length of 15 ?m or less by reducing the insulation spacing between the two coils. The coil further presents improved reliability by reducing the possibility of occurrence of electrical shorting. The coil is made by forming two interleafing conductors on the same layer with a demesne process. A tri-level process is implemented in the layout of the first conductor to ensure that the coil width and spacing are uniform and even, in order for the second conductor to be wound therebetween. A conformal dielectric layer of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 ?m in thickness is deposited between the two conductors and serves as insulation. The two conductors are formed by a copper seed layer plating process that eliminates potential damage to the conductors during production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), Inc.
    Inventors: Aiguo Feng, Dennis Rafferty, Wei Xiong, Yiming Huai
  • Patent number: 6859127
    Abstract: A device for combining annular transformers with a machine housing includes a bolt to fix annular transformers on a machine housing and a saucer-shaped plate assembled on the outer side of the machine housing. The saucer-shaped plate is bored with a central insert hole for the bolt to pass therethrough and has its outer annular portion formed with a first plane and its inner annular portion formed with a second plane higher than the first one. The two planes are connected by an annular conical portion contracting gradually toward its upper side to be positioned in the machine housing. The bolt is orderly inserted through the saucer-shaped plate, the machine housing and the annular transformers to fix securely the annular transformers on the machine housing. The bolt has its head completely positioned in the conical portion of the saucer-shaped plate, not protruding out of the machine housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Inventor: Heng Sheng Lin
  • Patent number: 6859126
    Abstract: A non-contact transformer includes a transformer component provided on the floor of a housing, a printed circuit board on the transformer component, and an empty core space is formed within the transformer component wherein deformation of the housing is prevented through a construction that evacuates residual air from the core space when the core space is filled with resin even though both ends of the core space are covered by lid-like parts. A cylindrical end face at one extremity of the primary transformer component is positioned on the bottom plate of the primary housing opposed to the secondary housing, and the printed circuit board is provided on an opposite cylindrical end face which is at the other extremity of the primary transformer component. A passage is formed between the printed circuit board and the primary transformer component to provide a connecting orifice between a core space of primary transformer component and the space external to the primary transformer component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Iwao, Yoshinori Katsura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6856225
    Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher L. Chua, Francesco Lemmi, Koenraad F. Van Schuylenbergh, Jeng Ping Lu, David K. Fork, Eric Peeters, Decai Sun, Donald L. Smith, Linda T. Romano
  • Patent number: 6856230
    Abstract: A filter uses a special autotransformer that has a ferromagnetic core with a plurality of legs and flux return bars. A first coil is located on one leg, and a second coil is located on the same leg, but spaced from the first coil. The first coil and at least part of the second coil are connected in series to receive distorted alternating current and at least that part of the second coil is connected to an output terminal. Between the coils and extending at least part of the way from the first leg to an adjacent leg is a magnetic shunt assembly to divert part of the flux generated in the first coil by the alternating current so that that part does not link with the second coil. An air gap is located to link with the second coil to create an inductor in that coil by flux in the second coil, and a capacitor is connected across the second coil to tune it to the fundamental frequency of the alternating current and substantially reduce harmonics in that current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Inventor: Weimin Lu
  • Patent number: 6853287
    Abstract: There is provided a coil and a method for fabricating the same. One embodiment of the coil includes a plurality of traces in one area of a substrate. Each trace has a first end located at a first side of the area, and a second end located at a second side of the area opposite the first side. A plurality of wires couples the plurality of traces to form a coil. Each wire couples the first end of one trace to the second end of another trace located adjacent to the one trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Kirkpatrick, Thomas Mader, Jean-Marc Verdiell
  • Patent number: 6852937
    Abstract: A switching device, in particular a position sensing switching device, generates switching signals. The position sensing switching device comprises at least one switching unit and at least one activation unit, the switching unit reacting to a relative spacial displacement of the switching unit and the activation unit with respect to one another by outputting appropriate switching signals. The switching unit is embodied as an inductive switching unit and the activation unit is embodied as an inductive damping unit. The position sensing switching device according to the invention is preferably applied in gear-speed-changing units for automatic gearboxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Cherry GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Zapf, Alexander Kugler, Gerhard Hahn
  • Patent number: 6853284
    Abstract: A high-voltage transformer includes a bobbin that holds a core at its center. This bobbin has eight winding grooves arrayed along the central axis of the core. A primary coil is wound around each of two outermost winding grooves with a predetermined number of turns. A secondary coil is wound around the six winding grooves near the center with a predetermined number of turns, which are distributed among these winding grooves. The cathode of a diode is connected through a terminal to one end of the secondary coil where the winding starts, while the anode of another diode is connected through another terminal to the other end of the secondary coil where winding ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Nagai, Yasunobu Saida, Toshihiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6847284
    Abstract: A planar coil includes a winding of N turns (N is an integer greater than or equal to 2). Letting ri(n) be a radius of an inner circumference of a winding portion at the nth turn (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N) from the inner side; ro(n) be a radius of an outer circumference of the same; rmin be a radius of an inner circumference of the innermost winding portion; Wtotal be a difference between a radius of an outer circumference of the outermost winding portion and the radius of the inner circumference of the innermost winding portion; and D be a distance between winding portions at adjacent turns, the ri(n) and ro(n) are determined so as to minimize a value of A expressed by equation (1) when the rmin, Wtotla and D are given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Gamou, Satoshi Horikami
  • Patent number: 6835906
    Abstract: A plating layer (or vapor deposition layer) which exhibits a metallic color is formed on the surface of a molded resin part. A color film with transmittance which is molded and which has a desired color for design is formed on the surface of the above plating layer (or vapor deposition layer). This color film comprises moldable materials such as resin including, for example, polymer compounds such as PET, PC, urethane or combinations of these. Thereby, a press button switch can be gained which imparts a feeling of high quality through a metallic finish design, of which the degree of design freedom is high and which can prevent color unevenness of the key top from occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Okamoto, Toshiya Inubushi
  • Patent number: 6833781
    Abstract: An inductor is formed from the interconnect structure of a semiconductor chip, using the vias and metal regions to form up and down segments of a loop, and horizontal metal lines to form the top and bottom segments of the loop. In addition, a second inductor can be formed between or under the first inductor to form an inductive system, such as a transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Gobi R. Padmanabhan, Visvamohan Yegnashankaran
  • Patent number: 6828893
    Abstract: A transformer circuit arrangement has a first transformer (201) with a first lower limit frequency (fu1) and a first upper limit frequency (fo1), and a second transformer (202) with a second lower limit frequency (fu2) and a second upper limit frequency (fo2), whereby the first lower limit frequency (fu1) is smaller than the second upper limit frequency (fu2), and the second upper limit frequency (fo2) is greater than the first upper limit frequency (fo1), the second lower limit frequency (fu2) is preferably not greater or smaller than the first upper limit frequency (fo1) by a factor of 10, at least one input (103, 104) of the first transformer is electrically connected to an input (209, 210) of the second transformer, and at least one output (205, 206) of the first transformer is connected to an output (107, 108) of the second transformer, and the transformer circuit arrangement has a band pass behaviour with a lower overall limit frequency (fuges) and an upper overall limit frequency (foges), whereby the l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventor: Reinhard Stolle
  • Patent number: 6825748
    Abstract: A composite component including a helical strip and a plurality of terminals both made of a same conductor material, the helical strip formed in close contact with an external periphery of at least one capacitor constructed of at least one insulation layer and at least two electrode layers, wherein the helical axis of the helical conductor strip is parallel with the electrode layers composing the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Ibata, Michio Ooba, Toshihiro Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 6816054
    Abstract: A silicon steel core for transformers or choke coils includes at least one silicon steel sheet core which has at least two sets of silicon steel sheets that have respectively a magnetic flux section of a different length such that when two sets of the silicon steel sheet cores are coupled, the magnetic flux sections form at least two gaps of different intervals. Thereby the silicone steel sheet sets of a smaller gap can provide adequate electric induction for the transformers or choke coils while the silicone steel sheet sets of a greater gap can reduce the saturated condition when the transformers or choke coils are in the high load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Inventor: Kuo-Liang Lin
  • Patent number: 6809624
    Abstract: An integrated bobbin transformer assembly includes a first planar assembly, a second planar assembly, and a connecting assembly. The first planar assembly includes a first winding. In one embodiment of the invention, the second planar assembly includes an additional first winding. The connecting assembly is integrated into the first planar assembly and the second planar assembly. The connecting assembly includes a second winding. A magnetic core magnetically couples a voltage from the second winding to the first winding. In an embodiment of the invention, the magnetic core magnetically couples a voltage from the second winding to the first winding and the additional first winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Rantec Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian D. Coates
  • Patent number: 6809623
    Abstract: A high Q on-chip inductor includes a primary winding and an auxiliary winding that is coupled to receive a proportionally opposite representation of an input of the primary winding. Further, the auxiliary winding has an admittance that is greater than the admittance of the primary winding thereby yielding an asymmetry in the admittances. As such, a push/pull mechanism is obtained in a 2-port system (e.g., 1st and 2nd nodes of the primary winding) that produces a large Q factor for an on-chip inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventors: Sissy Kyriazidou, Harry Contopanagos, Reza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 6806804
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spin valve magnetic detecting element having large &Dgr;R. The positive or negative sign of the &bgr; value of a magnetic material constituting each of a first free magnetic sub-layer, a second free magnetic sub-layer and a pinned magnetic layer is defined so that the resistance values for spin-up conduction electrons are smaller than the resistance values for spin-down conduction electrons in all magnetic layers when magnetization of a free magnetic layer is changed to minimize the resistance value. In this case, the change &Dgr;R in resistance of the magnetic detecting element can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masamichi Saito, Yosuke Ide, Naoya Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6792666
    Abstract: A three-phase transformer is presented comprising a magnetic circuit and three coil block. The magnetic circuit comprises two spaced-apart, parallel, plate-like elements; and three spaced-apart, parallel column-like elementary circuits. Each of the column-like elementary circuits carries the corresponding one of the three coil blocks, and serves for the corresponding one of the three phases. The column-like elementary circuits are substantially perpendicular to the plate-like elements, and are enclosed therebetween such as to form a spatial symmetrical structure about a central axis of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: A.T.T Advanced Transformer Technologies (1998) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuri Bolotinsky, Alexander Rubshtein, Michael Savulkin
  • Patent number: 6788185
    Abstract: A powder core is obtained by compaction-forming magnetic powder. The magnetic powder is an alloy comprising 1-10 wt % Si, 0.1-1.0 wt % O, and balance Fe. An insulator comprising SiO2 and MgO as main components is interposed between powder particles having a particle size of 150 &mgr;m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Tokin Corporation
    Inventors: Teruhiko Fujiwara, Masayoshi Ishii, Yoshitaka Saito
  • Patent number: 6784780
    Abstract: A coupling adjusting structure for a double-tuned circuit contains first and second coils that are configured such that a pair of first conductive patterns formed on a first surface of a printed circuit and a corresponding pair of second conductive patterns formed on a second surface of the printed circuit board are connected via corresponding connecting conductors. One end of the first coil and the corresponding end of the second coil are disposed close to each other. A first ground conductive pattern is disposed at least on the first surface of the printed circuit. A first jumper connected to the first ground conductive pattern is disposed between the first and second coils to adjust an inductive coupling of the double-tuned circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Osada