Patents by Inventor Kohji Takahashi

Kohji Takahashi 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: 8958179
    Abstract: Approaches to reducing the natural frequency of a voice coil motor (VCM) in a hard disk drive include configuring one or both of the yokes with at least one mating structure that comprises a step feature that partitions the mating structure into a contact surface and a recessed surface, where the contact surface is toward the outer area of the mating structure and contacts a corresponding mating structure of the other yoke and the recessed surface is toward the inner area of the mating structure and does not contact with the corresponding mating structure of the other yoke. Consequently, the distance between the fixed points is increased, which reduces the natural frequency and thus the resonance of the VCM assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Michio Ueha, Takeshi Saito, Kohji Takahashi, Hiroki Kitahori
  • Patent number: 8804269
    Abstract: A HDD including a temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature in the HDD, a spindle motor comprising a fluid dynamic bearing; and a controller configured for adjusting a rotational speed of the spindle motor based on the measured ambient temperature while a rigidity of the fluid dynamic bearing is maintained, and reducing power consumption of the HDD based on the adjusting the rotational speed of the spindle motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takao Suzuki, Kohji Takahashi, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Toshihisa Kiyonaga
  • Patent number: 8526141
    Abstract: A disk drive comprising a guide member configured to guide a strip-shaped flexible wiring board, wherein the strip-shaped flexible wiring board has one end attached to a side portion of a carriage that is rotatably supported, in such a way that another end thereof is oriented toward a mounting position. A U-shaped component of the guide member comprises a pair of edge components and is formed into a U-shape, wherein the U-shaped component is inserted between two projecting components comprising a front-side projecting component and a rear-side projecting component which are arranged to a front and a rear portion of the carriage respectively and are provided on a side portion of the carriage, and the pair of edge components come into contact with the two projecting components, respectively, wherein the U-shaped components is elastically deformed in such a way that the pair of edge components come closer together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsumura, Takao Suzuki, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Kohji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20130141815
    Abstract: A HDD including a temperature sensor for sensing ambient temperature in the HDD, a spindle motor comprising a fluid dynamic bearing; and a controller configured for adjusting a rotational speed of the spindle motor based on the measured ambient temperature while a rigidity of the fluid dynamic bearing is maintained, and reducing power consumption of the HDD based on the adjusting the rotational speed of the spindle motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Takao Suzuki, Kohji Takahashi, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Toshihisa Kiyonaga
  • Patent number: 8320085
    Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes: a head for accessing a data recording area of a disk; an actuator for pivoting to move the head; a voice coil motor; and, a latch configured to lock the actuator from pivoting toward the data recording area in response to an external force. The voice-coil motor includes a voice coil, a magnet, and a yoke. The latch is positioned at a closed position when the actuator is positioned at a stand-by position, and is configured to pivot by application of a magnetic bias force with pivoting of the actuator from the stand-by position into proximity with the data recording area such that the latch is configured to stop at an open position. The yoke includes a protrusion which protrudes toward the magnetic body at the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takao Suzuki, Nobuyuki Okunaga, Hiroki Kitahori, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8179641
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention allow a resin member accommodating therein a trace, to have a small thickness. An HDD according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a resin accommodation member fixed to a side surface of arms. Part of a trace is accommodated in a slit formed in the accommodation member. Accommodating part of the trace in the slit helps suppress fluttering of the trace and improve head positioning accuracy. A corrugated surface structure is formed on each of surfaces of the arms and the accommodation member in abutment with each other. The corrugated surface structure is used to position the accommodation member in a pivot direction. The accommodation member, having the corrugated surface structure for positioning on the surface being fixed, can be made to have a thin wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takahisa Okada, Kohji Takahashi, Takeshi Saito, Tomoki Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 8169747
    Abstract: For cushioning a shock to prevent problems such as a reading error, a ramp for a magnetic disc apparatus is made of a resin material for forming a ramp main body and a material having higher rigidity than the resin material, disc facing surfaces in the disc insertion portion for inserting a magnetic disc is provided with disc contact portions made of the high rigidity material, a bottom surface portion of a concave portion of the disc insertion portion is constructed by a combination of a bottom surface portion made of the resin material and a bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material, and a step structure is provided by arranging the bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material at a position moved rearward in a depth direction of the concave portion in comparison with the bottom surface portion made of the resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignees: Nippon Mektron, Ltd., Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Shota Seki, Shuichi Kiyomoto, Nobuyuki Oka, Michiya Totoki, Teruhiro Nakamiya, Takeji Sumiya, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8069734
    Abstract: A multi-vortex flowmeter includes a vortex type detection device including a measurement tube provided in a flow channel to allow a fluid to be measured to pass, a vortex generator provided in the measurement tube to face a flow of the fluid to be measured, and a vortex detector for detecting a change based on a Karman vortex generated by the vortex generator. The flowmeter also includes a thermal type detection device including a temperature sensor and a heating temperature sensor, each protruding into the flow channel, and a flow rate converter, in which a pressure gauge for measuring a pressure in a pipe wired together with the vortex detector and the thermal detection device is provided integrally with the flow rate converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Oda, Kenichi Takai, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7986496
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent data error occurrence in a hard disk drive by reducing the generation of dust caused by friction between a magnetic disk and a ramp. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive comprises an enclosure, a motor for rotating a magnetic disk, an actuator for supporting a head slider for accessing the disk, and a ramp for loading/unloading the head slider disposed in the enclosure. The ramp comprises a tab slide formed of a resin material having a sliding characteristic to slide a tab at a tip end of the actuator at a specific velocity, and a slit on which a reinforcement made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Ohta, Kohji Takahashi, Satoshi Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20110141627
    Abstract: A disk drive comprising a guide member configured to guide a strip-shaped flexible wiring board, wherein the strip-shaped flexible wiring board has one end attached to a side portion of a carriage that is rotatably supported, in such a way that another end thereof is oriented toward a mounting position. A U-shaped component of the guide member which comprises a pair of edge components and is formed into a U-shape, wherein the U-shaped component is inserted between two projecting components comprising a front-side projecting component and a rear-side projecting component which are arranged to a front and a rear portion of the carriage respectively and are provided on a side portion of the carriage, and the pair of edge components come into contact with the two projecting component, respectively, wherein the U-shaped component is elastically deformed in such a way that the pair of edge components come closer together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsumura, Takao Suzuki, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Kohji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20110109997
    Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes: a head for accessing a data recording area of a disk; an actuator for pivoting to move the head; a voice coil motor; and, a latch configured to lock the actuator from pivoting toward the data recording area in response to an external force. The voice-coil motor includes a voice coil, a magnet, and a yoke. The latch is positioned at a closed position when the actuator is positioned at a stand-by position, and is configured to pivot by application of a magnetic bias force with pivoting of the actuator from the stand-by position into proximity with the data recording area such that the latch is configured to stop at an open position. The yoke includes a protrusion which protrudes toward the magnetic body at the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Takao Suzuki, Nobuyuki Okunaga, Hiroki Kitahori, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7895904
    Abstract: A multi-vortex flowmeter includes a vortex flowmeter for measurement by volume flow rate and a thermal flowmeter for measurement by mass flow rate to selectively use the two flowmeters according to the flow rate of fluid to be measured flowing through a flow channel. The multi-vortex flowmeter has a switching point between two flowmeters based on the mass flow rate. A mass flow rate Qm at the switching point in a range larger than the minimum flow rate of a vortex flowmeter and smaller than the maximum flow rate of a thermal flowmeter is determined by: Qm=K3*?P. Alternatively, a volume flow rate Q at the switching point in a range larger than the minimum flow rate of a vortex flowmeter and smaller than the maximum flow rate of a thermal flowmeter is determined by: Q=K1/?P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Oval Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Matsubara, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7768745
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention prevent contact between a peripheral edge of a magnetic disk and a counter surface of a ramp when the magnetic disk is displaced. In one embodiment, a ramp is disposed near the peripheral side surface of a magnetic disk. The ramp has magnetic disk retainers each having slide surfaces and counter surfaces respectively facing the recording surfaces of the magnetic disk. Grooves or recesses are formed in the counter surfaces to define relief spaces. When the peripheral side surface of the magnetic disk is displaced toward the counter surface by shocks exerted on the magnetic disk drive, the relief space prevents the peripheral edge from coming into contact with the counter surface. Thus the amount of particles produced by the collision of the magnetic disk with the ramp can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takahisa Okada, Tomoki Hiramatsu, Kohji Takahashi, Katsuya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7729090
    Abstract: Disclosed is an inertia latch mechanism capable of omitting erection of a pin for swinging an inertia lever. An inertia lever for use in the inertia latch mechanism is constituted of: a lever body swinging by inertia when an impact is applied thereto; a fixture fixed to a case of a disk drive device; and a plate spring member for connecting the lever body and the fixture and permitting swing of the lever body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Masataka Hashizume, Shinichi Kimura, Kohji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100061012
    Abstract: For cushioning a shock to prevent problems such as a reading error, a ramp for a magnetic disc apparatus is made of a resin material for forming a ramp main body and a material having higher rigidity than the resin material, disc facing surfaces in the disc insertion portion for inserting a magnetic disc is provided with disc contact portions made of the high rigidity material, a bottom surface portion of a concave portion of the disc insertion portion is constructed by a combination of a bottom surface portion made of the resin material and a bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material, and a step structure is provided by arranging the bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material at a position moved rearward in a depth direction of the concave portion in comparison with the bottom surface portion made of the resin material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shota SEKI, Shuichi KIYOMOTO, Nobuyuki OKA, Michiya TOTOKI, Teruhiro NAKAMIYA, Takeji SUMIYA, Tomoki HIRAMATSU, Kohji TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20090301219
    Abstract: A multi-vortex flowmeter (1) includes vortex type detection means (7) including a measurement tube (4) provided in a flow channel (13) to allow a fluid to be measured to pass, a vortex generator (5) provided in the measurement tube (4) to face a flow of the fluid to be measured, and a vortex detector (6) for detecting a change based on a Karman vortex generated by the vortex generator (5), thermal type detection means (10) including a temperature sensor (8) and a heating temperature sensor (9), each protruding into the flow channel (13), and a flow rate converter (11), in which a pressure gauge (3) for measuring a pressure in a pipe wired together with the vortex detector (6) and the thermal detection means (10) is provided integrally with the flow rate converter (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Shinji Oda, Kenichi Takai, Kohji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090241687
    Abstract: A multi-vortex flowmeter (1) includes a vortex flowmeter for measurement by volume flow rate and a thermal flowmeter for measurement by mass flow rate to selectively use the two flowmeters according to the flow rate of fluid to be measured flowing through a flow channel (13). The multi-vortex flowmeter (1) uses the mass flow rate for a switching point. In other words, the multi-vortex flowmeter (1) has the switching point of two flowmeters based on the mass flow rate. A mass flow rate Qm at the switching point in a range larger than the minimum flow rate of a vortex flowmeter and smaller than the maximum flow rate of a thermal flowmeter is determined by: Qm=K3*?P, (where, P is a pressure of the flow channel (variable), K3 is a constant determined by the area and the vortex differential pressure of the channel (13) and a constant related to the vortex differential pressure, a density at 0° C. and 1 atm, and the pressure at 1 atm).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Naoki Matsubara, Kohji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7488183
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a connector for a data storage device having a sufficient strength, and relate to a data storage device using such a connector. In accordance with one embodiment, a data storage device is provided having a circuit board and a connector for making a connection with an external interface. The connector includes bosses disposed on both sides across a center of a direction orthogonal to a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the circuit board and a direction, in which the connector is connected to the interface. The boss is a protrusion that counteracts a force applied to the connector by being embedded in a hole disposed in the circuit board when the connector is disposed in the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Yoshiroh Amano, Kohji Takahashi, Naoyuki Yamazaki, Shigeru Ohyama, Sumio Obata
  • Publication number: 20080204925
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent data error occurrence in a hard disk drive by reducing the generation of dust caused by friction between a magnetic disk and a ramp. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive comprises an enclosure, a motor for rotating a magnetic disk, an actuator for supporting a head slider for accessing the disk, and a ramp for loading/unloading the head slider disposed in the enclosure. The ramp comprises a tab slide formed of a resin material having a sliding characteristic to slide a tab at a tip end of the actuator at a specific velocity, and a slit on which a reinforcement made of a resin material with higher mechanical strength than the tab slide is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Ohta, Kohji Takahashi, Satoshi Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20070242390
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention allow a resin member accommodating therein a trace, to have a small thickness. An HDD according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a resin accommodation member fixed to a side surface of arms. Part of a trace is accommodated in a slit formed in the accommodation member. Accommodating part of the trace in the slit helps suppress fluttering of the trace and improve head positioning accuracy. A corrugated surface structure is formed on each of surfaces of the arms and the accommodation member in abutment with each other. The corrugated surface structure is used to position the accommodation member in a pivot direction. The accommodation member, having the corrugated surface structure for positioning on the surface being fixed, can be made to have a thin wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takahisa Okada, Kohji Takahashi, Takeshi Saito, Tomoki Hiramatsu