Patents by Inventor Koichi Shimokawa

Koichi Shimokawa 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: 20180268853
    Abstract: A magnetic disk of is provided, the magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate. In an embodiment, the lubrication layer a film formed by a lubricant having a perfluoropolyether compound A having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure and also having a hydroxyl group at the end and a compound C obtained from a reaction between a compound B expressed by: [Chemical formula 1] CF3(—O—C2F4)m-(O—CF2)n-OCF3 [m and n in the formula are natural numbers.] and aluminum oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: KOICHI SHIMOKAWA, KATSUSHI HAMAKUBO, KAE ITOH
  • Patent number: 9984715
    Abstract: A magnetic disk of is provided, the magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate. In an embodiment, the lubrication layer a film formed by a lubricant having a perfluoropolyether compound A having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure and also having a hydroxyl group at the end and a compound C obtained from a reaction between a compound B expressed by: [Chemical formula 1] CF3(—O—C2F4)m-(O—CF2)n-OCF3 [m and n in the formula are natural numbers.] and aluminum oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Patent number: 9558778
    Abstract: A lubricant compound is contained in a lubrication layer of a magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially provided on a substrate, and the lubricant compound contains a component A represented by Chemical formula 1 and a component B represented by Chemical formula 2: wherein X in Chemical formula 1 represents OH wherein X in Chemical formula 2 represents OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH, and the lubricant compound further contains a component C made of a specific compound having a phosphezene ring in the structure thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Suzuki, Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Publication number: 20160055874
    Abstract: A magnetic disk of is provided, the magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate. In an embodiment, the lubrication layer a film formed by a lubricant having a perfluoropolyether compound A having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure and also having a hydroxyl group at the end and a compound C obtained from a reaction between a compound B expressed by: [Chemical formula 1] CF3(—O—C2F4)m-(O—CF2)n-OCF3 [m and n in the formula are natural numbers.] and aluminum oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Koichi SHIMOKAWA, Katsushi HAMAKUBO, Kae ITOH
  • Patent number: 9177586
    Abstract: A magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate. The lubrication layer is a film formed by a lubricant that contains two types of compounds having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure, a molecular weight distribution of the two types in total being within a range of 1 to 1.2. The two types of compounds include a compound a having a hydroxyl group at the end and a compound b having a number average molecular weight smaller than the number average molecular weight of the compound a and not more than 1500. A content of the compound b in the two types of compounds is not more than 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Patent number: 8999534
    Abstract: A lubricant for a magnetic disk that is excellent in heat resistance and is suitably used in a magnetic disk to be mounted on a magnetic recording device of a thermally assisted magnetic recording system and a magnetic disk provided with a lubricant layer containing this lubricant. The lubricant for a magnetic disk contains a compound where perfluoropolyether groups each having a perfluoropolyether main chain in its structure and a phosphazene ring at an end are linked to each other through a linking group. The linking group is an aliphatic group or a phosphazene ring. In a magnetic disk having at least a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer on a substrate, the lubricant layer contains the lubricant for a magnetic disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo
  • Patent number: 8999533
    Abstract: Provided is a magnetic disk comprising a lubricating layer formed of a lubricant. The lubricant constituting the lubricating layer has excellent properties, for example, excellent fluidity, surface energy, and CFT properties. By virtue of the excellent properties, the magnetic disk has a high level of reliability despite a low flying height of a magnetic head due to a recent rapid increase in recording density and a very severe environment resistance requirement due to diversification of applications. The magnetic disk comprises a substrate and at least a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubricating layer provided in that order over the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 8920872
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially formed on a substrate is provided. The method comprises forming a film of a lubricant composition on the protective layer, the lubricant comprising a lubricant compound having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the molecular structure and an aromatic group or a phosphazene ring. The method further comprises forming the lubrication layer, and subjecting the magnetic disk to ultraviolet irradiation under a nitrogen gas or an inert gas atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 5 volume % or less by adjusting an atmospheric temperature to a range of 50 to 180° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kae Itoh, Katsushi Hamakubo, Koichi Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 8846137
    Abstract: On manufacturing a magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer (60), a protective layer (70), and a lubricating layer (80) formed in this order over a substrate (10), the lubricating layer is formed by using a coating solution in which a perfluoropolyether compound having a perfluoropolyether main chain and a hydroxyl group in a structure thereof is dispersed and dissolved in a fluorine-based solvent having a boiling point of 90° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Patent number: 8794196
    Abstract: A cooling fan includes: a hub; a plurality of cooling vanes provided along an outer circumference of the hub; and an annular connector for connecting the cooling vanes. The hub is provided with a through hole that axially penetrates the hub. A first cover on a case for covering an outward side of the cooling fan is provided with a first outer-air intake. A second cover for partitioning between the cooling fan and a crankcase and for covering an inward side of the cooling fan is provided with a second outer-air intake. With this arrangement, even when one outer-air intake (for instance, the first outer-air intake) adjacent to where the cooling vanes are provided is clogged by a large amount of dust generated during operations, the cooling vanes can breathe from the non-clogged other outer-air intake (for instance, the second outer-air intake) through the through hole, thereby restraining reduction in air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Kiminobu Sato
  • Patent number: 8697262
    Abstract: A magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and the lubrication layer are sequentially provided on a substrate, the lubrication layer contains a lubricant compound for a magnetic disk, having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the molecular structure and a structure indicated as follows at a position close to the center of the molecule: -0-CH2—CH(OH)—CH2—CH2—CH(OH)—CH2-0- or -0-CH2—CH(OH)—CH(OH)—CH2-0-.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh, Koichi Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 8492011
    Abstract: In a magnetic disk that has at least a magnetic layer, a carbon-based protective layer, and a lubricating layer formed in this order over a substrate, the lubricating layer contains a lubricant compound including a compound which has a perfluoropolyether main chain in a structure thereof, an aromatic group located at a position except each end of a molecule thereof, and a polar group at each end of the molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kae Itoh, Katsushi Hamakubo, Koichi Shimokawa
  • Publication number: 20120276417
    Abstract: A lubricant for a magnetic disk that is excellent in heat resistance and is suitably used in a magnetic disk to be mounted on a magnetic recording device of a thermally assisted magnetic recording system and a magnetic disk provided with a lubricant layer containing this lubricant. The lubricant for a magnetic disk contains a compound where perfluoropolyether groups each having a perfluoropolyether main chain in its structure and a phosphazene ring at an end are linked to each other through a linking group. The linking group is an aliphatic group or a phosphazene ring. In a magnetic disk having at least a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer on a substrate, the lubricant layer contains the lubricant for a magnetic disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: WD MEDIA (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo
  • Publication number: 20120225217
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially formed on a substrate is provided. The method comprises forming a film of a lubricant composition on the protective layer, the lubricant comprising a lubricant compound having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the molecular structure and an aromatic group or a phosphazene ring. The method further comprises forming the lubrication layer, and subjecting the magnetic disk to ultraviolet irradiation under a nitrogen gas or an inert gas atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 5 volume % or less by adjusting an atmospheric temperature to a range of 50 to 180° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: WD MEDIA (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: KAE ITOH, KATSUSHI HAMAKUBO, KOICHI SHIMOKAWA
  • Publication number: 20120148875
    Abstract: A magnetic disk with which further reduction of magnetic spacing can be realized and which has high reliability under such circumstances of a lower floating amount of a magnetic head involved in the recent rapid increase in recording density and of extremely severe environmental resistance involved in diversification in use applications is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: WD MEDIA (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh, Koichi Shimokawa
  • Publication number: 20120127599
    Abstract: A magnetic disk is provided which is excellent in durability of the magnetic disk or particularly in LUL durability and CFT characteristics and has high reliability under a decreased floating amount of the magnetic head accompanying the recent rapid increase in a recording density and extremely severe environmental resistance accompanying diversification of the applications. The magnetic disk of the present invention is a magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate, and the lubrication layer is a film formed by a lubricant that contains two types of compounds having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure, a molecular weight distribution of the two types in total being within a range of 1 to 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: WD MEDIA (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Publication number: 20120127601
    Abstract: A lubricant compound for a magnetic disk is provided which can realize further reduction of the magnetic spacing and moreover, has high reliability under a lower floating amount of the magnetic head involved with the recent rapid increase in the recording density and under extremely severe environmental resistance involved with diversification of the applications. A lubricant compound is contained in a lubrication layer of a magnetic disk in which at least a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubrication layer are sequentially provided on a substrate, and the lubricant compound contains a component A and a component B expressed by the following chemical formula: [Chemical formula] 1 Component A: X=OH Component B: X=OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH and a component C made of a specific compound having a phosphezene ring in the structure thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: WD MEDIA (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Kota Suzuki, Koichi Shimokawa, Katsushi Hamakubo, Kae Itoh
  • Patent number: 8178480
    Abstract: A lubricant for magnetic disks which can form a lubricating layer having a reduced thickness while attaining a high coverage and is excellent in heat resistance and adhesion to a protective layer. The lubricant for magnetic disks comprises a perfluoropolyether compound in which the relationship between the number-average molecular weight and the standardized value of the number of hydroxy groups contained in the molecule satisfies the following: the number-average molecular weight is in the range of 1,000-6,000; the standardized value of the number of hydroxy groups contained in the molecule is 180 or higher; and the compound is in a region located below the line connecting the point where the number-average molecular weight is 1,000 and the standardized value of the number of hydroxy groups in the molecule is 400 to the point where the number-average molecular weight is 6,000 and the standardized value of the number of hydroxy groups in the molecule is 1,600.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsushi Hamakubo, Koichi Shimokawa, Kota Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8062778
    Abstract: In order to obtain a magnetic recording disk that exhibits high reliability even if the flying height of a magnetic head becomes very narrow, a lubricant is specified in terms of both molecular structure and quantitative data. That is, a lubricating layer 14 of the magnetic recording disk 1 is formed by a lubricant which contains perfluoropolyether compounds represented by the following chemical formula (Chemical Formula 1) and which has a first component content of 71.7%, a second component content of 15.7%, a third component content of 11.7%, a fourth component content of 0.3%, and a fifth component content of 0.6%: X—OCH2CF2—(CF2O)m(C2F4O)n—CF2OCH2O—X??(Chemical Formula 1) m, n=9 to 11 first component: X=X1=CH2CH(OH)CH2OH second component: X=X2=CH2CH(OH)CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH third component: X=X3=H fourth component: X=X4=CF3 fifth component: X=X5=CF2Cl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: WD Meida (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Suzuki, Koichi Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 8012920
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lubricant for forming a lubricating layer which is useful in preventing fly and stiction and/or corrosion at an extremely small flying height of 10 nm or less, which is prevented from migrating at a high rotational speed of 5400 rpm or more, which has high adhesion, and which is suitable for a load/unload method. A crude lubricant containing at least one perfluoropolyether is degassed and then purified. Alternatively, a liquid crude lubricant containing at least one perfluoropolyether is purified by vaporizing the crude lubricant and then liquefying the vapor of the perfluoropolyether within a distance less than the mean free path of molecules of the perfluoropolyether. A magnetic disk is prepared in such a manner that a carbonaceous protective layer is formed above a substrate and a lubricating layer is formed on the protective layer using of the lubricant. The lubricant contains the perfluoropolyether and has a molecular weight distribution of 1.3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: WD Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Shimokawa