Patents by Inventor David Ray Lapp

David Ray Lapp 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: 10679680
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards dual cavity apparatus and related methods involving hermetically sealing the cavities by evacuating and atmosphere therein, filling the cavity with a gas, and sealing the gas in the cavities. This evacuation and fill approach is carried out through openings that provide access to the cavities. During evacuation of at least one of the cavities through one of the openings, one or more spacers prevent the cavity from collapsing in response to the vacuum force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: David G. Fitzgerald, David Ray Lapp, Jeffrey James Croxall, Robert M. Gibbs
  • Patent number: 10199076
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards a manufacturing apparatus including a first chamber having a first cavity, and a first actuator. The first actuator aligns the opening of the first chamber to an opening in a second chamber having a second cavity, sealing the first cavity to the second cavity. The manufacturing apparatus further includes gas flow componentry that in conjunction with the first actuator and first chamber evacuate the second cavity by drawing a vacuum in the first cavity. After the second cavity is evacuated, the gas flow componentry fills the second cavity filled with a gas by introducing the gas to the first cavity. A second actuator seals the gas in the second cavity by applying a seal that covers the opening in the second chamber while the first and second cavity remains sealed to one another via the first actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Durrum, David Ray Lapp, Stephen G. Horning, Samuel Edward Severson
  • Patent number: 9754631
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards a disc drive apparatus. A base deck and a cover are joined to one another by a friction-stir weld along a lip of the cover that extends along a periphery of the cover and over a surface of the base deck. The base deck and cover enclose a cavity, which is hermetically sealed by the weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Edward Severson, David G. Fitzgerald, David Ray Lapp, Jerome Thomas Coffey, Robert M. Gibbs
  • Publication number: 20170110158
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards a manufacturing apparatus including a first chamber having a first cavity, and a first actuator. The first actuator aligns the opening of the first chamber to an opening in a second chamber having a second cavity, sealing the first cavity to the second cavity. The manufacturing apparatus further includes gas flow componentry that in conjunction with the first actuator and first chamber evacuate the second cavity by drawing a vacuum in the first cavity. After the second cavity is evacuated, the gas flow componentry fills the second cavity filled with a gas by introducing the gas to the first cavity. A second actuator seals the gas in the second cavity by applying a seal that covers the opening in the second chamber while the first and second cavity remains sealed to one another via the first actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas M. Durrum, David Ray Lapp, Stephen G. Horning, Samuel Edward Severson
  • Publication number: 20170101202
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards dual cavity apparatus and related methods involving hermetically sealing the cavities by evacuating and atmosphere therein, filling the cavity with a gas, and sealing the gas in the cavities. This evacuation and fill approach is carried out through openings that provide access to the cavities. During evacuation of at least one of the cavities through one of the openings, one or more spacers prevent the cavity from collapsing in response to the vacuum force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: David G. Fitzgerald, David Ray Lapp, Jeffrey James Croxall, Robert M. Gibbs
  • Publication number: 20170062019
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards a disc drive apparatus. A base deck and a cover are joined to one another by a friction-stir weld along a lip of the cover that extends along a periphery of the cover and over a surface of the base deck. The base deck and cover enclose a cavity, which is hermetically sealed by the weld.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Samuel Edward Severson, David G. Fitzgerald, David Ray Lapp, Jerome Thomas Coffey, Robert M. Gibbs
  • Patent number: 9536572
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus in which a base deck and a forged base deck cover are coupled to one another, via a weld joint, to provide a hermetically sealed cavity within. The base deck includes an outer region, and the base deck cover includes a lip that interfaces with the outer region of the base deck to provide the weld joint. Similarly, the base deck is formed by an outer region of a base deck bottom portion interfacing with a lip of the shroud to form, via welding, the base deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignees: Seagate Technology LLC, Cheung Woh Technologies LTD
    Inventors: David Ray Lapp, Loh Yut Chai, Wolfgang Rosner, Law Kung Ying, Neal Frank Gunderson, Scott Vogel Mitzner, Krithika Kalyanasundaram
  • Publication number: 20150332733
    Abstract: Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus in which a base deck and a forged base deck cover are coupled to one another, via a weld joint, to provide a hermetically sealed cavity within. The base deck includes an outer region, and the base deck cover includes a lip that interfaces with the outer region of the base deck to provide the weld joint. Similarly, the base deck is formed by an outer region of a base deck bottom portion interfacing with a lip of the shroud to form, via welding, the base deck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: David Ray Lapp, Loh Yut Chai, Wolfgang Rosner, Law Kung Ying, Neal Frank Gunderson, Scott Vogel Mitzner, Krithika Kalyanasundaram
  • Patent number: 7355818
    Abstract: A method for attaching a printed circuit card assembly to an actuator assembly in a disc drive comprises forming one or more pins integrally with the actuator assembly, inserting each pin through a corresponding pin opening in the printed circuit card assembly, and attaching the pins to the printed circuit card assembly. The pins may be attached to the printed circuit card assembly by a soldering process, or alternatively, pressure may be applied to a top surface of the pins to cause them to deform over the printed circuit card assembly, thereby securing the printed circuit card assembly to the actuator assembly. A disc drive in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention has an actuator assembly with one or more integral pins and a printed circuit card assembly attached to the integral pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Dave Paul McReynolds, David Ray Lapp, Frank William Bernett
  • Patent number: 6898051
    Abstract: A disc drive assembly includes a magnetic disc mounted on a hub of a spindle motor. The spindle motor includes a base portion supporting the hub for rotation about a spindle axis. A bottom surface of the base portion extends outside of an internal disc drive environment, and a damper affixed to the bottom surface of the base portion attenuates vibrations within the base portion of the spindle motor. A constrain layer of the damper is secured to the bottom surface of the base portion by an adhesive, and the constrain layer is sufficiently stiff to dampen resonant vibrations such as rocking mode vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Shirish Dnyaneshware Bahirat, David Ray Lapp
  • Publication number: 20040075949
    Abstract: An actuator assembly for use in a data storage device is described that has features that reduce off-track writes due to coil popping. The fantail portion of the actuator includes thermal restraint features that engage with the over-mold, and the thermal restraint feature are positioned prevent the over-mold from separating from the actuator as a result of the over-mold and the actuator having different coefficients of thermal expansion. The thermal restraint features reduce the length of effective interface between the actuator and the over-mold acted upon by shear forces due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch. In one example, the thermal restraint features are holes that extend through the actuator, to allow the over-mold to flow through the holes and connect on both sides of the fantail during molding, effectively interlocking the fantail portion to the over-mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Wallis Allen Dague, David Ray Lapp, David Paul McReynolds
  • Patent number: 6608732
    Abstract: A disc drive device includes a base plate having an upper surface, a voice coil motor operably attached to the upper surface of the base plate, and a damper pad positioned on the upper surface of the base plate between the base plate and the voice coil motor such that vibrations occurring in the base plate and/or the voice coil motor are effectively damped. In this manner, vibrationally induced noise in a disc drive servo system and vibrationally induced acoustical emissions from the disc drive device are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Frank William Bernett, Loutfi E. Charara, Gary Frank Kelsic, David Ray Lapp
  • Publication number: 20030099061
    Abstract: A disc drive assembly includes a magnetic disc mounted on a hub of a spindle motor. The spindle motor includes a base portion supporting the hub for rotation about a spindle axis. A bottom surface of the base portion extends outside of an internal disc drive environment, and a damper affixed to the bottom surface of the base portion attenuates vibrations within the base portion of the spindle motor. A constrain layer of the damper is secured to the bottom surface of the base portion by an adhesive, and the constrain layer is sufficiently stiff to dampen resonant vibrations such as rocking mode vibrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Shirish Dnyaneshware Bahirat, David Ray Lapp
  • Publication number: 20020047339
    Abstract: A disc drive device includes a base plate having an upper surface, a voice coil motor operably attached to the upper surface of the base plate, and a damper pad positioned on the upper surface of the base plate between the base plate and the voice coil motor such that vibrations occurring in the base plate and/or the voice coil motor are effectively damped. In this manner, vibrationally induced noise in a disc drive servo system and vibrationally induced acoustical emissions from the disc drive device are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Frank William Bernett, Loutfi E. Charara, Gary Frank Kelsic, David Ray Lapp