Patents by Inventor Brenda Kaye Drake

Brenda Kaye Drake 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: 6850389
    Abstract: A disc clamp assembly for securing a data storage disc to a drive motor in a disc drive includes a disc clamp having a central portion that can be secured to a drive motor, a raised portion extending around the central portion, and a contact portion extending around the raised portion for pressing down on the disc to secure the disc to the drive motor. The contact portion has an upwardly extending rim, and the rim has at least fifteen spaced apart upwardly extending projections positioned around the rim. A balance ring is seated in the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Brenda Kaye Drake, Roland Sesselmann
  • Publication number: 20040032691
    Abstract: A disc clamp assembly for securing a data storage disc to a drive motor in a disc drive includes a disc clamp having a central portion that can be secured to a drive motor, a raised portion extending around the central portion, and a contact portion extending around the raised portion for pressing down on the disc to secure the disc to the drive motor. The contact portion has an upwardly extending rim, and the rim has at least fifteen spaced apart upwardly extending projections positioned around the rim. A balance ring is seated in the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Inventors: Brenda Kaye Drake, Roland Sesselmann
  • Patent number: 6483661
    Abstract: The performance of a leaf spring disc clamp can be enhanced by increasing the flatness of an annular contact surface while the clamp is in its fully deflected, installed position. Such a disc clamp exhibits substantially improved flatness at a minor expense in applied axial force. It has been determined that a lapping process can be used to achieve a desired level of performance without fully deflecting the clamp prior to installation in a disc pack. The performance of the disc clamp may be further enhanced by providing one or more slots within a central portion of the disc clamp and joining the slots with a central aperture in the central portion in order to more uniformly distribute the clamping force around a peripheral portion of the disc clamp and thereby improve disc flatness during disc drive operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen Robert Martin, Brenda Kaye Drake
  • Patent number: 6339516
    Abstract: The performance of a leaf spring disc clamp can be enhanced by increasing the flatness of an annular contact surface while the clamp is in its fully deflected, installed position. Such a disc clamp exhibits substantially improved flatness at a minor expense in applied axial force. It has been determined that a lapping process can be used to achieve a desired level of performance without fully deflecting the clamp prior to installation in a disc pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Robert Martin, Brenda Kaye Drake