Patents by Inventor Lance Thoresen

Lance Thoresen 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).

  • Diversion of tangential airflow in a disc drive
    Patent number: 7057851
    Abstract: A disc drive includes a housing surrounding a voice coil in a voice coil cavity, and a disc in a disc cavity. The disc has data tracks and an outer diameter. The disc rotates to induce an airflow along the outer diameter. The voice coil actuates an actuator arm in the disc cavity to access the data tracks. An air dam is in the disc cavity upstream of the actuator arm. The airflow includes a straight line tangent airflow portion along a straight edge of a shroud that is free of obstructions and upstream of the air dam. The straight line airflow portion extends from an arc airflow portion around the outer diameter to the voice coil cavity along a straight line path tangent to the outer diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xiaohong Sun, Lance Thoresen, Xu Zuo
  • Endcap for reducing airflow excitation of head gimbal assembly
    Publication number: 20050157430
    Abstract: An endcap for use on an actuator arm carrying a single head gimbal assembly, the endcap comprising a body, and a shielding feature extending from the body for reducing windage excitation of the head gimbal assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kurt Korkowski, Lance Thoresen, Xiaohong Sun
  • Straight airflow path in a disc drive
    Publication number: 20040252405
    Abstract: A disc drive includes a housing surrounding a voice coil in a voice coil cavity, and a disc in a disc cavity. The disc has data tracks and an outer diameter. The disc rotates to induce an airflow along the outer diameter. The voice coil actuates an actuator arm in the disc cavity to access the data tracks. An air dam is in the disc cavity upstream of the actuator arm. The airflow includes a straight line tangent airflow portion along a straight edge of a shroud that is free of obstructions and upstream of the air dam. The straight line airflow portion extends from an arc airflow portion around the outer diameter to the voice coil cavity along a straight line path tangent to the outer diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Xiaohong Sun, Lance Thoresen, Xu Zuo