Patents by Inventor Kei Hirata

Kei Hirata 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: 8427790
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive element having a recording-medium-facing-surface which is to be faced with a magnetic recording medium; a magnetic bias layer located on a side opposite to the recording-medium-facing-surface of the magnetoresistive element, and applying a bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistive element in a direction orthogonal to the recording-medium-facing-surface; and a resistive film pattern having the recording-medium-facing-surface, the resistive film pattern being located side by side with the magnetoresistive element in a track-width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Hirata, Kazuki Sato, Yohei Koyanagi, Takayasu Kanaya, Takeo Kagami
  • Publication number: 20120320474
    Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole; a trailing shield, a main coil for causing the main magnetic pole to generate a perpendicular recording field, at least one secondary coil for generating an in-plane alternate-current (AC) magnetic field with a frequency in a microwave band from a magnetic recording gap between the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield, nonmagnetic films formed on magnetic recording gap facing surfaces that are defined by the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield, the main magnetic pole and the trailing shield being configured with first soil magnetic films, and second soft magnetic films formed further on the surfaces of the nonmagnetic films. The second soft magnetic films have larger anisotropy fields than the first soft magnetic films have.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Soeno, Kei Hirata, Tsutomu Aoyama, Isamu Sato
  • Patent number: 8325570
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes: a medium facing surface; a magnetic pole; a waveguide including a core and a cladding; a plasmon generator; and a protruding member. The protruding member is disposed between the medium facing surface and a front end face of the core facing toward the medium facing surface. The protruding member has a first end face located in the medium facing surface, and a second end face facing toward the front end face of the core and receiving light having propagated through the core and passed through the front end face. The protruding member is formed of a metal different from both a material forming the magnetic pole and a material forming the plasmon generator. The protruding member is heated and expanded by the light received at the second end face, so that the first end face gets protruded toward a magnetic recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Tetsuya Roppongi, Kei Hirata, Susumu Aoki, Takahiko Izawa, Makoto Isogai, Keita Kawamori, Takeshi Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8300359
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head includes: a magnetic pole; a pair of side shields on both sides, in a write-track width direction, of the magnetic pole with respective side gaps in between; a trailing shield on a trailing side of the magnetic pole and the pair of side shields with a trailing gap in between. Each of the magnetic pole, the side shield, the trailing shield, the side gap, and the trailing gap has an end face exposed on an air bearing surface. The trailing gap has a first regional part and a second regional part. The first regional part separates a trailing edge of the magnetic pole from the trailing shield, and the second regional part separates the pair of side shields from the trailing shield. All or a part of the second regional part has a thickness larger than a thickness of the first regional part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Hirata, Katsuki Kurihara, Kenkichi Anagawa, Takeo Kagami
  • Patent number: 8295015
    Abstract: The invention is devised to provide a magnetoresistive element that is hardly susceptible to harmful influence of unnecessary magnetic fields and noise of heat even when reduction in size is achieved to be adaptable to higher recording density, and therefore that is excellent in operational reliability. The magnetoresistive element includes a stacked structure including, in order: a magnetically pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed in a given direction; a non-magnetic layer; a magnetically free layer whose magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field; and an antiferromagnetic bias layer exchange-coupled with the magnetically free layer. The exchange-coupling magnetic field between the magnetically free layer and the antiferromagnetic bias layer is smaller than a saturation magnetic field of the magnetically free layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Ohta, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Kosuke Tanaka, Takayasu Kanaya, Kei Hirata
  • Publication number: 20120236431
    Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes: a recording medium provided with a plurality of write tracks; a magnetic write head including a magnetic pole, side shields, and a leading shield, a distance from the magnetic pole to each of the side shields being maintained to be uniform with a gap layer therebetween, and a distance from the magnetic pole to the leading shield being maintained to be uniform with a gap layer therebetween; and a control section rotating the recording medium, and allowing magnetic information to be recorded on the recording medium while allowing the magnetic write head to travel in a direction from an inner write track toward an outer write track or in a direction from the outer write track toward the inner write track, across write tracks in the recording medium. With such a configuration, format efficiency may be improved, and a width of an erase band on a magnetic disk may be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei HIRATA, Hiroshi KIYONO, Osamu NAKADA, Kenkichi ANAGAWA
  • Patent number: 8270871
    Abstract: An accommodating container includes: a container main body that has an opening at a part thereof; a cap member; and a seal member, wherein the seal member includes a plurality of seal abutment pieces that abut on a wall surface of the cap member or a wall surface of the container main body, and are elastically deformable, and at least one of the seal abutment pieces is arranged in non-contact with the wall surface of the cap member or the wall surface of the container main body in a first state before the cap member is attached to the container main body, and is arranged in contact with the wall surface of the cap member or the wall surface of the container main body in a second state where the cap member has been attached in an attachment position of the container main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Murase, Kei Hirata
  • Patent number: 8254215
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The main pole has a front end face including first and second ends that are opposite in a track width direction. An arbitrary cross section of the main pole that passes through an arbitrary point on the front end face and is perpendicular to a medium facing surface and to the track width direction has a length in a direction perpendicular to the medium facing surface. When the arbitrary point on the front end face is located at a center of the front end face in the track width direction, the length of the arbitrary cross section is smaller than that when the arbitrary point is located at the first end and that when the arbitrary point is located at the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Susumu Aoki, Kei Hirata, Makoto Isogai
  • Patent number: 8233237
    Abstract: A main magnetic-pole layer is provided with, at the tip end portion thereof, a trailing shied on the trailing side via a non-magnetic gap layer, and the non-magnetic gap layer includes therein one or more magnetic layers. This magnetic layer appropriately controls the amount of magnetic fluxes coming from the tip end portion of the main magnetic-pole layer for capturing into the trailing shield because the magnetic fluxes coming from the tip end portion of the main magnetic-pole layer go through the magnetic layer before being captured into the trailing shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenkichi Anagawa, Katsuki Kurihara, Takeo Kagami, Kei Hirata, Minoru Ota
  • Patent number: 8213841
    Abstract: A container includes: a container body that is to be inserted into the device, and that has a port; and a pair of support members arranged so that the support members face each other across the port, that supports a cover for covering the port, the cover including: a covering portion that covers the port; a pair of supported members that are supported by the support members; and a pair of connecting portions arranged so that the connecting portions face each other, that connects the covering portion and the supported members, and at least one of the connecting members being configured so that the connecting member becomes narrow as an outside surface of the connecting member tapers towards its inside surface at an end of the container body inserted into the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitagawa, Kei Hirata, Kouji Fukumuro
  • Patent number: 8208220
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer and a yoke layer. The main magnetic pole layer generates a magnetic flux of a recording magnetic field and includes a magnetic pole front part and a magnetic pole rear part. The yoke layer is disposed at the magnetic pole rear part and includes a yoke front part and a yoke rear part. The magnetic pole front part extends on a magnetic medium-facing surface side of the magnetic pole rear part with a width in a track width direction being smaller than that of the magnetic pole rear part. The yoke front part extends on the magnetic medium-facing surface side of the yoke rear part with a width in the track width direction being larger than that of the magnetic pole rear part and that of the yoke rear part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Ota, Kei Hirata, Kenkichi Anagawa
  • Publication number: 20120140361
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer and a yoke layer. The main magnetic pole layer generates a magnetic flux of a recording magnetic field and includes a magnetic pole front part and a magnetic pole rear part. The yoke layer is disposed at the magnetic pole rear part and includes a yoke front part and a yoke rear part. The magnetic pole front part extends on a magnetic medium-facing surface side of the magnetic pole rear part with a width in a track width direction being smaller than that of the magnetic pole rear part. The yoke front part extends on the magnetic medium-facing surface side of the yoke rear part with a width in the track width direction being larger than that of the magnetic pole rear part and that of the yoke rear part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru OTA, Kei Hirata, Kenkichi Anagawa
  • Patent number: 8170447
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: an image carrier; an exposure member that exposes the image carrier and forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing member that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; and a contact-retracting unit that rotates the developing member taking a predetermined position as the rotational center, and brings the developing member in contact with or proximity to the image carrier or retracts the developing member from the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Kubo, Kei Hirata, Tomio Onuki, Takeshi Okoshi, Toshikazu Tsumita, Taiyou Uehara, Takashi Sakamoto, Naoya Iwata, Hirohisa Kohno, Akihide Kawamura, Kazunori Koshimori
  • Patent number: 8164946
    Abstract: A magnetic memory element includes a pair of electrodes, a junction layer, at least one carbon nanotube, and at least one nanowire. The at least one nanowire is made of a ferromagnetic material and extends through a hole of each the at least one carbon nanotube with both ends being electrically connected to the pair of electrodes, respectively. The junction layer is made of a non-magnetic material and disposed between one of the pair of electrodes and one end of each the at least one nanowire. The one of the pair of electrodes is made of a ferromagnetic material. Magnetization of the at least one nanowire is reversed by spin injection performed through the junction layer with the one of the pair of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Hirata
  • Patent number: 8164853
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic write head is provided with a magnetic pole and a pair of side shields disposed on both sides of the magnetic pole in a cross track direction with side gaps in between. Each of the pair of side shields is configured in such a manner that a saturation magnetic flux density thereof increases as a distance from the magnetic pole in the cross track direction increases. Such a configuration allows unwanted divergence component of magnetic flux in a recording magnetic field to be captured while avoiding any excessive capturing of the recording magnetic field, and while preventing any intensity reduction of the recording magnetic field in its entirety. As a result, the recording magnetic field is maintained to have an adequate intensity and spreading of the recording magnetic field is suppressed, so that the recording capabilities are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Hirata, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Masaya Kato, Hideyuki Ukita, Kenkichi Anagawa, Minoru Ota
  • Publication number: 20120090124
    Abstract: An arm piece of a wiper arm, which has a connecting portion connected to a connecting pin through a connecting member received in an opening of a main lever, extends from the connecting portion toward a base end side portion of the main lever such that the arm piece overlaps with an upper surface of the main lever. The main lever is formed by runnerless injection molding. A gate trace, which is left on the main lever in the runnerless injection molding, is formed in an arm accommodation portion of the main lever, which is opposed to the arm piece in a top-to-bottom direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: ASMO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichirou AMANO, Hiroki Oohashi, Kei Hirata
  • Patent number: 8160481
    Abstract: A storage container includes a container body that stores a supplementary material and is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus; a discharge port that is provided at a bottom of the container body; two protrusions that protrude from the container body toward both sides; and an opening-closing member that is movably supported by a guide frame surrounding the discharge port, wherein a rearward movement of the opening-closing member is restricted by stoppers while the container body is mounted on the mounting unit, the protrusions come in contact with the stoppers and push the stoppers laterally to release the restriction of the opening-closing member while the container body is pulled out of the image forming apparatus, and a width, in an attaching/detaching direction of the container body, of one protrusion of the protrusions is smaller than that of the other protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitagawa, Kei Hirata, Kouji Fukumuro
  • Patent number: 8135312
    Abstract: There is provided a development apparatus including: a first developer storage container and a second developer storage container that store developer, having a first a and second openings, respectively; a first transport member provided within the first developer storage container, and that causes the developer to move to the second developer storage container via the first opening; a second transport member provided within the second developer storage container, and that causes the developer to move to the first developer storage container via the second opening; a developer holding member that performs development by causing the developer to move to a position facing an image holding body on which a latent image is formed; and a moving member provided so as to fit between an inner wall face of the second developer storage container and an outer edge of the second transport member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hirohisa Kohno, Kazunori Koshimori, Kei Hirata, Akihide Kawamura, Naoya Iwata, Keisuke Kubo, Takashi Sakamoto, Taiyou Uehara, Toshikazu Tsumita, Takeshi Okoshi, Tomio Onuki
  • Publication number: 20120026629
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic head, a manufacturing method therefor, a head assembly, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. According to the present invention, it includes a magnetic pole layer, a non-magnetic layer, a trailing gap layer, and a trailing shield layer. The magnetic pole layer has a pole tip exposed on a magnetic medium-facing surface. The non-magnetic layer is laid on the magnetic pole layer. The trailing shield layer is exposed on the magnetic medium-facing surface and laid over the magnetic pole layer and the non-magnetic layer with the trailing gap layer between. The magnetic pole layer and the non-magnetic layer have a continuous tapered face opposed to a lower side of the trailing shield layer. Moreover, the tapered face extends from a trailing edge of the pole tip at a constant inclination angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei HIRATA, Kenkichi Anagawa, Michitaka Nishiyama, Hideyuki Yatsu, Shin Narushima, Hisayoshi Watanabe, Tatsuhiro Nojima
  • Patent number: RE44172
    Abstract: An accommodating vessel, which is detachably attached to a vessel receiving part of a casing of an image forming device to accommodate an image forming material, the accommodating vessel including: a vessel main body that includes a tubular part; a cover member that includes a fitted part; at least one positioned protrusion; and at least one positioned positioning protrusion, wherein the at least one positioned protrusion includes: a guide protrusion that extends in a rotating direction of the cover member; and a plurality of rotation stop protrusions that extends in opposite directions to each other relative to the guide protrusion along a pushing and pulling direction of the cover member, and Wherein the positioning protrusion includes a stop wall that abuts on the guide protrusion and the plurality of rotation stop protrusions of the at least one positioned protrusion to be stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Murase, Kei Hirata