Patents by Inventor John A. Rickeman

John A. Rickeman 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: 8881374
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a disk drive head suspension including a load beam, a flexure and a limiter for restricting the range of motion of the flexure with respect to the load beam. The load beam includes an aperture and an engaged portion adjacent to the aperture. The flexure, in an unformed state, includes a slider mounting region and a generally planar engagement structure extending from the slider mounting region. The engagement structure includes a tab portion extending from the slider mounting region and a hook portion extending from the tab portion. During a first forming operation the hook portion is bent around a tooling die to a ninety degree angle with respect to the tab portion. The flexure is then welded to the load beam with the hook portion extending into the aperture. During a second forming operation the tab portion is bent around a tooling die to a ninety degree angle with respect to the slider mounting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Jacob D. Bjorstrom, Reid C. Danielson, Eric O. Naatz, John A. Rickeman
  • Patent number: 6710978
    Abstract: A head suspension for supporting a head slider over a rigid disk in a dynamic storage device having a component that includes a compliant feature adapted to engage a first pin and a datum engaging surface spaced from the compliant feature. The component being locatable relative to a datum by manipulation of the component with respect to the datum and a first pin to cause the first pin to engage and deflect the compliant feature when the datum engaging surface of the component is engaged and positioned with respect to the datum. The head suspension also including a second component having a pin engaging feature and possibly a datum engaging surface alignable with the compliant feature and datum engaging surface of the first component, respectively. The pin engaging feature of the second component being compliant or non-compliant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Brett T. Holaway, Mark A. Miller, Eric O. Naatz, John A. Rickeman, Richard A. Schnitzler, Raymond R. Wolter, David J. Zachmeyer
  • Publication number: 20020093771
    Abstract: A head suspension for supporting a head slider over a rigid disk in a dynamic storage device having a component that includes a compliant feature adapted to engage a first pin and a datum engaging surface spaced from the compliant feature. The component being locatable relative to a datum by manipulation of the component with respect to the datum and a first pin to cause the first pin to engage and deflect the compliant feature when the datum engaging surface of the component is engaged and positioned with respect to the datum. The head suspension also including a second component having a pin engaging feature and possibly a datum engaging surface alignable with the compliant feature and datum engaging surface of the first component, respectively. The pin engaging feature of the second component being compliant or non-compliant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Brett T. Holaway, Mark A. Miller, Eric O. Naatz, John A. Rickeman, Richard A. Schnitzler, Raymond R. Wolter, David J. Zachmeyer
  • Patent number: 6367144
    Abstract: A head suspension for supporting a head slider over a rigid disk in a dynamic storage device having a component that includes a compliant feature adapted to engage a first pin and a datum engaging surface spaced from the compliant feature. The component being locatable relative to a datum by manipulation of the component with respect to the datum and a first pin to cause the first pin to engage and deflect the compliant feature when the datum engaging surface of the component is engaged and positioned with respect to the datum. The head suspension also including a second component having a pin engaging feature and possibly a datum engaging surface alignable with the compliant feature and datum engaging surface of the first component, respectively. The pin engaging feature of the second component being compliant or non-compliant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett T. Holaway, Mark A. Miller, Eric O. Naatz, John A. Rickeman, Richard A. Schnitzler, Raymond R. Wolter, David J. Zachmeyer