Patents by Inventor John Contreras

John Contreras 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).

  • Publication number: 20120140360
    Abstract: Approaches for integrated lead suspension that provides many benefits, such as enabling a dual stage actuator (DSA) to be used with a single layer flex with a reduced amount of crosstalk. An integrated lead suspension comprises a tail end having a plurality of conductive pads positioned thereat. The plurality of conductive pads includes a first and second dual stage actuator (DSA) pad. The first and second DSA pads are electrically coupled to a conductive member by way of conductive vias. The conductive member may be a stainless steel island. The first DSA pad conducts a signal to a first terminal at each of a plurality of dual stage actuators, while a second terminal at each of the plurality of dual stage actuators is connected to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: John Contreras, Nobumasa Nishiyama, Bijan Rafizadeh, Eiji Soga, Hiroyasu Tsuchida, Yiduo Zhang
  • Patent number: 8174788
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hard disk drive is described. The method includes providing a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising a stationary portion and a rotatable portion for rotating a magnetic disk with respect to said stationary portion and providing a base for receiving the motor assembly. The method further includes providing an adhesive for mounting the motor assembly to said base wherein the adhesive is electrically conductive and mounting the stationary portion of the motor assembly to the base utilizing the adhesive such that the adhesive provides a low resistance path between the base and the motor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: John Contreras, Klaas B. Klaassen
  • Publication number: 20120033319
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for extending a read bandwidth and increasing a high-frequency signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a front-end of a read path of a hard disk drive (HDD) by introducing a high impedance section at the front-end of the read path. The high impedance section may mitigate capacitive effects found at the front-end of the read path, thereby improving signal transfer by extending the read bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: John Contreras, Tatemi Ido, Nobumasa Nishiyama, Xinzhi Xing
  • Patent number: 8049984
    Abstract: In a method of biasing a slider, a bias voltage is generated for biasing a slider. The bias voltage is integratedly coupled to a conductive body of the slider via an existing signal path of the slider such that the slider is biased with the bias voltage. The existing signal path is primarily used for conveying another signal to or from the slider but at least sometimes conveys the bias voltage to the conductive body in an integral fashion along with another signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: John Contreras, Luiz Franca-Neto, Bernhard Knigge
  • Publication number: 20110258773
    Abstract: A rotational mechanism for extending a sofa sleeper from an upright sitting position to a fully reclining and fully extended sleep position, having: a first rotatable member configured to rotate about a first axis; a second rotatable member configured to rotate about a second axis; a link mechanism attached to both the first and second rotatable members, the link mechanism being moveable along a length of both of the first and second rotatable members; and a drive mechanism configured to position the moveable link at positions along the length of at least one of the rotatable members such that movement of the link mechanism causes both the first and second rotatable mechanisms to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: Elite Leather Company
    Inventors: John A. Contreras, Michael A. Galardo
  • Patent number: 8045297
    Abstract: A flex cable comprises a base film, a first adhesive layer coupled with the base film, and at least two signal traces coupled with the first adhesive layer. The flex cable comprises a second adhesive layer coupled with the signal traces and the first adhesive layer, and a cover film coupled with the second adhesive layer. The flex cable comprises an electrically conductive layer adjacent to the signal traces, and parallel with the base film and the cover film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: John Contreras, Luiz M. Franca-Neto, Jr-Yi Shen
  • Publication number: 20110157736
    Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) including a slider. The slider includes a resistive temperature detector (RTD) configured to detect a temperature generated by one or more of slider spacing and contact with a media of said HDD. HDD also includes a slider signal controller configured to control bias signal of a slider with respect to a media potential, a real-time media-disk fly-height and contact detector configured to detect one or more of temperature generated by real-time media-disk slider spacing and real-time media-disk contact, and a real-time relative fly-height determiner configured to detect real-time relative fly-height of the slider based on analysis of a modulated portion of a high-frequency signal coupled to an element of the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: John CONTRERAS, Bernhard E. Knigge
  • Publication number: 20110141618
    Abstract: Approaches for implementing a conductive gasket comprising carbon nanotubes for deployment within a sensitive environment, such as an environment containing equipment whose operation may be affected by airborne particles or electromagnetic energy. For example, a hard-disk drive (HDD) comprises an enclosure that is formed by coupling a first component, such as a cover, to a second component, such as a base, using one or more gaskets. The one or more gaskets may be constructed using a material that includes carbon nanotubes. The composition of the material used to construct the gaskets may be selected to achieve a desired electromagnetic conductivity for the gaskets. In this way, the gaskets of the enclosure of the HDD do not render the enclosure vulnerable to external electromagnetic energy and are constructed in a manner that does not introduce any harmful airborne contaminants within the protective enclosure of the HDD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Albert Wallash, Ravinder Ajmani, John Contreras, Ryan Davis
  • Publication number: 20110017079
    Abstract: A collapsible food tray heater is disclosed wherein the food tray heater has solid sidewalls to block wind from blowing out a fire source when the collapsible food tray heater is used outdoors especially during windy conditions. Additionally, the solid walls of the collapsible food tray heater retain the heat within the heater to keep the food in the food tray hotter compared to prior art chafing dishes. The collapsible food tray heater may be collapsed such that the collapsed food tray heaters may be stacked upon each other for convenient storage and transport.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Lloyd LeRoy Wall, Richard Eugene Miller, Robert John Contreras
  • Patent number: 7830634
    Abstract: In a method of head-disk contact detection in a hard disk drive, a Radio Frequency (RF) carrier signal is injected into a slider which is flying above a surface of a disk in a hard disk drive. A modulated version of the RF carrier signal is received from the slider. The modulated version of the RF carrier signal is demodulated to achieve a demodulated signal. A signal spectrum of a range of frequencies in the demodulated signal is monitored for activity indicative of a contact between a head of the slider and the surface of the disk. An occurrence of the contact is determined based upon an occurrence of the activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: Martin Yu-Wen Chen, John Contreras, Luiz M. Franca-Neto, Bernhard E. Knigge
  • Publication number: 20100157454
    Abstract: In a method of head-disk contact detection in a hard disk drive, a Radio Frequency (RF) carrier signal is injected into a slider which is flying above a surface of a disk in a hard disk drive. A modulated version of the RF carrier signal is received from the slider. The modulated version of the RF carrier signal is demodulated to achieve a demodulated signal. A signal spectrum of a range of frequencies in the demodulated signal is monitored for activity indicative of a contact between a head of the slider and the surface of the disk. An occurrence of the contact is determined based upon an occurrence of the activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Martin Yu-Wen CHEN, John Contreras, Luiz M. Franca-Neto, Bernhard E. Knigge
  • Publication number: 20100142096
    Abstract: In a method of biasing a slider, a bias voltage is generated for biasing a slider. The bias voltage is integratedly coupled to a conductive body of the slider via an existing signal path of the slider such that the slider is biased with the bias voltage. The existing signal path is primarily used for conveying another signal to or from the slider but at least sometimes conveys the bias voltage to the conductive body in an integral fashion along with another signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: John Contreras, Luiz Franca-Neto, Bernhard Knigge
  • Publication number: 20100128397
    Abstract: A flex cable comprises a base film, a first adhesive layer coupled with the base film, and at least two signal traces coupled with the first adhesive layer. The flex cable comprises a second adhesive layer coupled with the signal traces and the first adhesive layer, and a cover film coupled with the second adhesive layer. The flex cable comprises an electrically conductive layer adjacent to the signal traces, and parallel with the base film and the cover film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: John CONTRERAS, Luiz M. FRANCA-NETO, Jr-Yi SHEN
  • Patent number: 7667914
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a mixed-mode amplifier for amplifying signals in data storage devices such as disk drives. In one embodiments, a circuit for amplifying data signals comprises a magnetoresistive sensor having a bias voltage applied thereto; a signal amplifier which amplifies a signal detected by the magnetoresistive sensor having the bias voltage applied thereto; a feedback control block which is coupled to an output of the signal amplifier and outputs a feedback current used to vary a loop gain of the circuit; a bias setting circuit which outputs a bias setting current; and a transimpedance amplifier which receives the bias setting current from the bias setting block and the feedback current from the feedback control block and generates the bias voltage applied to the magnetoresistive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: John Contreras, Klaas Klaassen
  • Publication number: 20090190253
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hard disk drive is described. The method includes providing a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising a stationary portion and a rotatable portion for rotating a magnetic disk with respect to said stationary portion and providing a base for receiving the motor assembly. The method further includes providing an adhesive for mounting the motor assembly to said base wherein the adhesive is electrically conductive and mounting the stationary portion of the motor assembly to the base utilizing the adhesive such that the adhesive provides a low resistance path between the base and the motor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: John Contreras, Klaas B. Klaassen
  • Patent number: 7545608
    Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) read head structure has the MR read head located between first and second shields (S1, S2) on a substrate with a shunt resistor R1 connecting S1 to the substrate and a shunt resistor R2 connecting S2 to the substrate, with R1 and R2 being approximately equal. Because R1 and R2 are close enough in value there is no significant interference pickup in the low frequency region. The shunt resistors can be formed from high-resistivity metal nitrides or cermets. The spacing between the substrate and S1 may be selected to make the capacitance between S1 and the substrate approximately equal to the capacitance between S2 and the substrate to substantially reduce interference pickup in the high frequency region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Satoru Araki, John Contreras, Klaas Berend Klaassen, Ramona Marie Patterson, David John Seagle, Howard Gordon Zolla
  • Patent number: 7417209
    Abstract: A system and method for preventing crosstalk noise from being superimposed on a read signal due to noise from a heater line for a slider in a recording disk drive is disclosed. A heater line pair to the slider is not grounded but is in a floating state with respect to an actuator support structure. A heater driver allows a heater current to flow between a positive power supply voltage and a negative power supply voltage. The heater line pair is not grounded, so an impedance is high as viewed from a magnetic disk. Thus, it is possible to effectively suppress a noise transmitted from the magnetic disk and read signal quality is kept from deteriorating due to the crosstalk from the heater line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV
    Inventors: John Contreras, Takashi Ikeda, Yumi Nagano, Nobumasa Nishiyama, Toyomi Ohsawa, Mike Suk
  • Publication number: 20080100970
    Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) read head structure has the MR read head located between first and second shields (S1, S2) on a substrate with a shunt resistor R1 connecting S1 to the substrate and a shunt resistor R2 connecting S2 to the substrate, with R1 and R2 being approximately equal. Because R1 and R2 are close enough in value there is no significant interference pickup in the low frequency region. The shunt resistors can be formed from high-resistivity metal nitrides or cermets. The spacing between the substrate and S1 may be selected to make the capacitance between S1 and the substrate approximately equal to the capacitance between S2 and the substrate to substantially reduce interference pickup in the high frequency region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: HITACHI GLOBAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Satoru Araki, John Contreras, Klaas Berend Klaassen, Ramona Marie Patterson, David John Seagle, Howard Gordon Zolla
  • Patent number: D572916
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Elite Leather Company
    Inventors: Michael F Galardo, John Contreras
  • Patent number: D626377
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Inventors: Robert John Contreras, Richard Eugene Miller, Lloyd LeRoy Wall