Patents Examined by William J. Klimowicz
  • Disc grabbing device adapted to disc archive system
    Patent number: 10937459
    Abstract: A disc grabbing device adapted to a disc archive system for grabbing at least one disc is provided. The disc grabbing device includes a center cylinder, a drive controller and a detection device. When the disc is grabbed by the disc grabbing device, the center cylinder passes through the center hole of the disc. The drive controller is configured to control the disc grabbing device to grab the disc. The detection device is electrically connected to the drive controller to detect a surface of a disc placed on a disc tray to be grabbed, and to correspondingly transmit a drive stop signal to the drive controller to stop the operation of the disc grabbing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Inventors: Cheng-Wen Huang, Ming-Chun Tsao, Hui-Chung Leu
  • Magnetic phonograph record stabilizer
    Patent number: 10930305
    Abstract: A magnetic phonograph record stabilizer is configured to hold a phonograph record in a biased contact against a turntable. The stabilizer features a base which is engaged with a magnetic housing which is moveable from a first position where magnetic attraction biases the base toward the turntable. The magnetic housing is slidable to a second position eliminating the biasing from the magnetic flux so the stabilizer can be removed from the turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Glen Tippetts
  • Piezoelectric-based locking of actuator elevator mechanism for cold storage data storage device
    Patent number: 10930307
    Abstract: An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator assembly for moving an actuator assembly along at least one support feature to provide a head slider access to at least two different disk media of a disk stack. The HDD includes a piezoelectric-based locking mechanism, including at least one piezoelectric actuator, movably coupled with the support feature, such that actuation of the actuator either locks or unlocks the locking mechanism relative to the support feature. When unlocked, the actuator assembly can be translated along the length of the disk stack via the actuator elevator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bikash Sukla, David K. Myers, Jon M. Garbarino, Garold W. Plonczak
  • True one turn (T1T) perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer designs
    Patent number: 10916261
    Abstract: A PMR writer with a true one turn design is disclosed with a driving coil above the main pole (MP) but where a bucking coil below the MP is replaced by a dummy metal layer or fully removed to substantially enhance the return field to the trailing shield. A non-double write shield scheme is employed where the leading loop for magnetic flux return is terminated at the leading shield. A tapered bottom yoke (tBY) contacts the MP bottom surface and has a tapered front side at height tBYd from the air bearing surface. Bottom yoke (BY) is below the tBY and has a front side at height BYd where BYd>tBYd. Reader-writer separation is reduced by 1-2 microns when the bucking coil is fully removed. Wide adjacent track erasures are controlled with a high damping material in one or more of the leading, side and trailing shields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yue Liu
  • Tangential and longitudinal glide ramp for magnetic storage device
    Patent number: 10910005
    Abstract: Disclosed here is a ramp for receiving a lift tab of a hard disk drive. The ramp comprises a first side and a second side, where the first side is spaced apart from the second side. The ramp also comprises an inclined surface along which the lift tab slides as it moves in a first direction to remove a read/write head from a disk of the hard disk drive. The inclined surface inclines from a leading edge of the ramp to an intermediate edge of the ramp in the first direction. The inclined surface has a width that is generally perpendicular to the first direction and extends from the first side to the second side. The inclined surface has a width that is generally perpendicular to the first direction and extends from the first side to the second side. The tapered portion defines an oblique angle relative to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kia Moh Teo, Biao Sun, Weidong Huang
  • MAMR recording head with high damping trailing shield seed layer
    Patent number: 10891977
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a main pole and a trailing shield. A spin torque oscillator device is disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator device includes a free layer. A trailing shield hot seed layer is disposed between the spin torque oscillator device and the trailing shield. The trailing shield hot seed layer includes a magnetic material doped with a rare earth element. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer includes the rare earth element in an atomic percent content from about 2% to about 10% atomic percent. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer has an intrinsic damping from about 0.02 to about 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden
  • Areal density capability improvement with a main pole skin
    Patent number: 10891976
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The head includes a main pole at a media facing surface (MFS), a trailing shield at the MFS, and a heavy metal layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield at the MFS. Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is generated from the heavy metal layer and transferred to a surface of the main pole as a current passes through the heavy metal layer in a cross-track direction. The SOT executes a torque on the surface magnetization of the main pole, which reduces the magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield. With the reduced magnetic flux shunting from the main pole to the trailing shield, write-ability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Suping Song, Zhanjie Li, Kuok San Ho, Quang Le, Alexander M. Zeltser
  • Multi-band multichannel magnetic recording head
    Patent number: 10891972
    Abstract: An apparatus, according to one approach, includes two arrays of data transducers on a module, the two arrays being aligned along a common axis extending between distal ends of the module. Outer servo readers are positioned toward outer ends of the two arrays. An inner servo reader is positioned between the two arrays. The servo readers are positioned to each reside above a unique servo track on a magnetic recording tape. A method according to one approach includes passing a magnetic recording tape having a plurality of data bands over a module as described above. Data is simultaneously transduced on the two data bands using the data transducers. Advantageously, the number of simultaneously-usable channels on the module is dramatically increased, thereby also dramatically increasing the data rate per unit of tape speed, while backward compatibility may be preserved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Robert G. Biskeborn
  • Disc storage device rack and disc archive device
    Patent number: 10885940
    Abstract: A disc storage device rack includes: an accommodation space surrounded by left and right side plates and upper and lower partition plates and configured to accommodate a disc storage device; a guide portion provided on the side plates and configured to fit to a guided unit provided in the disc storage device to guide a sliding operation of the disc storage device; and a shutter provided on each end surface of the side plates so as to be slidable in an up-and-down direction and configured to open an opening of the guide portion when the disc storage device is pulled out from the accommodation space or when the disc storage device is pushed into the accommodation space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Kubo, Naofumi Goto
  • Dual writer for advanced magnetic recording
    Patent number: 10878841
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head, a second write head, at least one read head, and a thermal fly height control element. The first write head is a wide writing write head comprising a first main pole and a first trailing shield. The second write head a narrow writing write head comprising a second main pole, a trailing gap, a second trailing shield, and one or more side shields. The first main pole has a shorter height and a greater width than the second main pole. The second main pole has a curved or U-shaped surface disposed adjacent to the trailing gap. The thermal fly height control element and the at least one read head are aligned with a center axis of the second main pole of the second write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Thao A. Nguyen, Michael Kuok San Ho, Zhigang Bai, Zhanjie Li, Quang Le
  • Magnetic tape, magnetic tape cartridge, and magnetic tape apparatus
    Patent number: 10878846
    Abstract: The magnetic tape include a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference (L99.9?L0.1) between a value L99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is 5.5 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Norihito Kasada, Eiki Ozawa, Atsushi Musha
  • Enclosures, devices with a friction stir weld, precursors thereof, and related methods
    Patent number: 10870167
    Abstract: Described are enclosures that include a friction stir weld, including electronic device enclosures, and precursors thereof, that contain a base and a cover that in an assembled condition form a joint at which a friction stir weld can be produced, as well as methods for producing a friction stir weld at a joint of such an assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Jerome Thomas Coffey, Samuel Edward Severson, David G. Fitzgerald, Jeffrey L. Bruce, David R. Lapp, Darrel R. Culver
  • Phonograph playing vehicle
    Patent number: 10872621
    Abstract: A phonograph player includes a body with a motor configured to drive a drive wheel and also having a head-shell. The head-shell rotates relative to the body and holds a needle cartridge. The head-shell is also configured to activate a sensor governing motor speed. The sensor is calibrated for rotation of the head-shell to alter motor speed, and such that rotating the head-shell results in the body portion maintaining a constant RPM relative to the phonograph. The sensor may be a light sensor, and the apparatus may include a head-shell clip for holding the head-shell. Preferably, the head-shell holds the needle cartridge in a trailing configuration, and a housing at least partially cover the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Inventor: Charles Ono
  • Spin transfer torque (STT) device with template layer for Heusler alloy magnetic layers
    Patent number: 10867625
    Abstract: A spin transfer torque (STT) device has a free ferromagnetic layer that includes a Heusler alloy layer and a template layer beneath and in contact with the Heusler alloy layer. The template layer may be a ferromagnetic alloy comprising one or more of Co, Ni and Fe and the element X, where X is selected from one or more of Ta, B, Hf, Zr, W, Nb and Mo. A CoFe nanolayer may be formed below and in contact with the template layer. The STT device may be a spin-torque oscillator (STO), like a STO incorporated into the write head of a magnetic recording disk drive. The STT device may also be a STT in-plane or perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cell for magnetic random access memory (MRAM). The template layer reduces the critical current density of the STT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Zheng Gao, Masahiko Hashimoto, Sangmun Oh, Hua Ai Zeng
  • Foot-actuated musical turntable system for generating sounds
    Patent number: 10861494
    Abstract: A musical instrument configured to generate a scratching sound effect includes a rotatable platform configured to support a record thereon, and a pedal (such as, for example, a foot pedal) operably coupled to the platform. The foot pedal is actuatable from a first position to a second position to rotate the platform, and in turn, the record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventor: Jon Schreckinger
  • Spin transfer torque device with oxide layer beneath the seed layer
    Patent number: 10839833
    Abstract: A spin transfer torque (STT) device is formed on an electrically conductive substrate and includes a ferromagnetic polarizer layer near the substrate, a ferromagnetic free layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the ferromagnetic polarizer layer and the ferromagnetic free layer. A multilayer structure is located between the substrate and the ferromagnetic polarizer layer. The multilayer structure includes a metal or metal alloy seed layer for the ferromagnetic polarizer layer and an intermediate oxide layer below and in contact with the seed layer. The intermediate oxide layer reflects spin current from the write pole and thus reduces undesirable spin pumping of the ferromagnetic polarizer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC
    Inventors: James Mac Freitag, Masahiko Hashimoto, Zheng Gao, Susumu Okamura
  • Dual writer designs with SOT and STT assisted recording
    Patent number: 10839831
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a first write head and a second write head. The first write head comprises a first main pole, a first yoke having a first length, and a first coil wrapped around the first yoke. The second write head comprises a second main pole, a second yoke having a second length, a second coil wrapped around the second yoke, and a side shield surrounding two or more surfaces of the second main pole. The side shield comprises a heavy metal layer and a magnetic layer. The second write head comprises an energy-assisted magnetic recording element or stack. The second write head comprises a non-magnetic conductive structure to enable maximum current efficiency and uniformity. A write of the first write head is wider than that of the second write head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Thao A. Nguyen, Michael Kuok San Ho, Zhigang Bai, Zhanjie Li, Quang Le
  • MAMR recording head with high damping trailing shield seed layer
    Patent number: 10839832
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a main pole and a trailing shield. A spin torque oscillator device is disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator device includes a free layer. A trailing shield hot seed layer is disposed between the spin torque oscillator device and the trailing shield. The trailing shield hot seed layer includes a magnetic material doped with a rare earth element. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer includes the rare earth element in an atomic percent content from about 2% to about 10% atomic percent. In certain embodiments, the trailing shield hot seed layer has an intrinsic damping from about 0.02 to about 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Muhammad Asif Bashir, Petrus Antonius Van Der Heijden
  • Slider test socket
    Patent number: 10839836
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider test socket. The slider test socket includes a clamp, which includes a body, a handle having an opening, and a plurality of arms that extend between the body at a first end of the clamp and the handle at a second end of the clamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Razman Zambri, Stefan A. Weissner, Rohit Deokar, Brett R. Herdendorf
  • Pivot assembly bearing device and pivot assembly bearing device fabrication method
    Patent number: 10839834
    Abstract: A technique for swinging swing arms stably by reducing vibrations of bearing units due to resonance in rolling bearings is provided. A pivot assembly bearing device 1 includes a shaft 10 extending in an axis Y1 direction, and an upper bearing unit 20 and a lower bearing unit 60 that are provided along the axis Y1 direction of the shaft 10. A natural frequency of the upper bearing unit 20 and a natural frequency of the lower bearing unit 60 in the axis Y1 direction of the shaft 10 differ from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Tsuchiya, Atsushi Kaneko, Tadashi Uchida