Patents by Inventor Masashi Shiraishi

Masashi Shiraishi 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).

  • Head arm assembly and disk drive apparatus with the head arm assembly
    Publication number: 20040042123
    Abstract: An HAA includes a head slider having at least one head element, a high-stiffness arm member for supporting the head slider at one end section, an actuator, mounted to the other end section of the arm member, for rotationally moving the arm member in a direction substantially parallel with a recording medium surface around a horizontal rotation axis of the arm member, and a resilient plate spring for generating a load, the plate spring having one end section fixed to the arm member and the other end section provided with a load point for energizing the head slider in a direction to the recording medium surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD.
    Inventors: Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Thin-film magnetic head with inductive write head element
    Publication number: 20040043253
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes an insulation gap, first and second yoke layers with one ends and the other ends, respectively, one ends constituting magnetic poles separated with each other by the insulation gap, the other ends being magnetically coupled with each other, and a coil conductor constituted by a plurality of single layer turns, for generating magnetic field and applying the generated magnetic field into the first and second yoke layers. Each turn of, the coil conductor includes a first section, a second section with one end coupled with one end of the first section, and a third section with one end coupled with the other end of the second section. The first section travels to pass between the first and second yoke layers in parallel with surfaces of the first and second yoke layers, and to extend over the first and second yoke layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD
    Inventors: Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Thin-film magnetic head with inductive write head element
    Publication number: 20040042119
    Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes an insulation gap, a pair of yoke layers with one ends and the other ends, respectively, the one ends constituting magnetic poles separated with each other by the insulation gap, the other ends being magnetically coupled with each other, a coil conductor wound around at least one of the pair of yoke layers, first and second trace conductors with one ends electrically connected to both ends of the coil conductor, respectively, and first and second connection bumps electrically connected to the other ends of the first and second trace conductors, respectively. The first trace conductor includes a lower conductor layer and an upper conductor layer connected in parallel with each other, the second trace conductor including a lower conductor layer and an upper conductor layer connected in parallel with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD .
    Inventors: Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Etched multi-layer suspension assembly
    Patent number: 6700745
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a new kind of multi layer suspension and a method for making this. The multi-layer suspension of the present invention is comprised of a rectangular base plate section, a load beam and a flexure. The load beam can be further divided into a bending area adjacent to the base plate and a rigid area contiguous to the bending section. The suspension assembly is made up of three layers, wherein an adhesive layer is sandwiched between two stainless steel layers with parts of one of the stainless steel layers being etched off. The structure of the multi-layer suspension of the present invention overcomes the problems of etching variations and misalignment that exist in the traditional production of the suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: SAE Magnetice (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Shiraishi
  • PRECISE POSITIONING ACTUATOR FOR HEAD ELEMENT, HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY WITH THE ACTUATOR, DISK DRIVE APPARATUS WITH THE HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY, MANUFACTURING METHOD OF ACTUATOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY
    Patent number: 6700749
    Abstract: A precise positioning actuator to be fixed to a head slider provided with at least one head element and to a support, for precisely positioning the at least one head element, includes a pair of movable arms formed by a metal plate. These movable arms are capable of displacing in response to a drive signal applied to the actuator along a direction crossing a plate plane of the movable arms, and catch the head slider in a space between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Tamon Kasajima
  • Suspension design for the co-located PZT micro-actuator
    Publication number: 20040037008
    Abstract: A micro-actuator that reduces suspension tongue stiffness and a method of manufacturing the micro-actuator are disclosed. In one embodiment, the micro-actuator has a base piece with two arms extending from the base piece. The electric contact pads for the arms are situated on the exterior of the arms at the end opposite the base piece. In one embodiment, the electric contact pads are electrically coupled to the same connection plate that the magnetic read/write head is coupled to, reducing the number of connection traces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yi Ru Xie
  • Method and mechanism of the PZT micro-actuator application for the magnetic head gimbal assembly of the hard disk driver
    Publication number: 20040037009
    Abstract: A system and method using a framing assembly to provide support for a micro-actuator and allow the micro-actuator to be connected to a suspension assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the framing assembly consists of a base with two arms attached. In a further embodiment a crosspiece connects the two arms. In a further embodiment, the framing assembly is metal and have strips of piezoelectric material attached to the arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yi Ru Xie
  • Method and apparatus for improved attachment of a micro-actuator to a slider device
    Publication number: 20040027722
    Abstract: A system and method for improving the process of attaching a hard disk micro-actuator to a slider device with a bonding agent such as epoxy, the slider having design characteristics to avoid various problems associated with bonding said components with a bonding agent such as epoxy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Suspension, head gimbal assembly and manufacturing method of head gimbal assembly
    Patent number: 6690547
    Abstract: An HGA includes a magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element, a resilient flexure made of a stainless steel, supporting the magnetic head slider, a load beam made of a stainless steel, supporting the flexure, for applying a predetermined load to the magnetic head slider, a drive IC chip with a circuit for the at least one thin-film magnetic head element, a lead conductor member on which the drive IC chip is mounted, and a high-thermal-conductivity member made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than that of the stainless steel and inserted between the lead conductor member and the load beam in a region containing at least a section on which the drive IC chip is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignees: TDK Corporation, SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Wada, Norikazu Ota, Takashi Honda, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Precise positioning actuator for head element, head gimbal assembly with the actuator, disk drive apparatus with the head gimbal assembly and manufacturing method of head gimbal assembly
    Patent number: 6690551
    Abstract: A precise positioning actuator to be fixed with a head slider with at least one head element and with a support, for precisely positioning the at least one head element, including a pair of movable arms capable of displacing in response to a drive signal applied to the actuator. The head slider is caught in a space between the movable arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Tamon Kasajima
  • Dual stage actuator systems for high density hard disk drives using annular rotary piezoelectric actuators
    Publication number: 20040021404
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is disclosed including an annular piezoelectric element and a base. There is a gap along the radial direction of the annular piezoelectric element. One of the two ends, i.e., the fixed end of the said annular element, is connected to the base, while the other end is free. The base is made of piezoelectric materials. Furthermore, the annular element is divided into two or more annular parts along the direction of its circumference by the electrode patterns applied on its two opposite surface and/or its polarization directions. When driving voltages are applied, the actuator can generate roughly a rotary motion around the center of the annular piezoelectric element. The annular rotary actuator could be either a single plate or with multilayer structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Zhihong Wang, Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi, Ping Shang, Kai Wu
  • Head gimbal assembly with piezoelectric microactuator
    Patent number: 6680826
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device comprises an integral body of piezoelectric material having a length and width greater than its thickness; wherein the device further includes, in contact with the body, respective pairs of electrodes, wherein the electrodes of each pair are opposed in the thickness direction, wherein the body deflects along said transverse direction when a voltage is applied to the electrode pair. The present invention further provisdes a disk drive suspension and a head gimbal assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Tamon Kasajima, Kai Wu, Zhihong Wang, Weiguang Zhu, Xi Yao
  • Head arm assembly, disk apparatus with head arm assembly and manufacturing method of head arm assembly
    Patent number: 6680824
    Abstract: An HAA has at least one HGA, each including a head slider with at least one head element, a suspension for supporting the head slider, and a lead conductor member electrically connected with the at least one head element, and a main body including at least one actuator arm for supporting the at least one HGA. The main body of the HAA is made of a metal material, and a surface of the main body is coated by a DLC film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Kamigama, Ichiro Yagi, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Head suspension assembly with a precise positioning micro-cap actuator composed of a piezoelectric material
    Patent number: 6680810
    Abstract: A HSA includes a magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element, an actuator fixed to the magnetic head slider for performing precise positioning of the at least one thin-film magnetic head element, an IC chip having a first circuit for the thin-film magnetic head element and a second circuit for driving the actuator, and a suspension for supporting the actuator and the IC chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Takeshi Wada, Takashi Honda, Haruyuki Morita, Mitsuyoshi Kawai, Norikazu Ota
  • Collocated metal frame PZT micro-actuator with a lower stiffness suspension design
    Publication number: 20040001288
    Abstract: A framing assembly with lower stiffness design and a method of manufacturing that framing assembly are disclosed. In one embodiment, a framing assembly pattern is cut from a piece of a thin planar material, such as metal. The pattern is then bent to form a framing assembly with a base piece, two arms, and supports for a connection plate. In an alternate embodiment, the base piece includes a rear support and a support base. In a further embodiment, excess material surrounding the pattern is cut away so as to allow the most efficient use of the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Ming-Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yi-Ru Xie
  • Precise positioning actuator for head element, head gimbal assembly with the actuator and manufacturing method of head gimbal assembly
    Patent number: 6671131
    Abstract: A precise positioning actuator to be fixed to a head slider provided with at least one head element and to a support, for precisely positioning the at least one head element includes a pair of movable arms and a coupling section. Each movable arm is formed by a metal plate to be substantially in parallel with a side surface of the head slider. Top end sections of the pair of movable arms are capable of displacing in response to a drive signal applied to the actuator along a direction crossing planes of the metal plate. The coupling section is connected between the top end sections of the pair of movable arms and formed by a metal plate to be substantially in parallel with a first surface of the head slider. This first surface is opposite to an air bearing surface (ABS) of the head slider. The first surface of the head slider is to be fixed to the coupling section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H. K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Head gimbal assembly having a flexible printed circuit
    Patent number: 6667857
    Abstract: A head gimbal assembly includes a magnetic head slider with at least one thin-film magnetic head element, a support with a top end section fixed to the magnetic head slider, and a FPC member with trace conductors. One ends of the trace conductors are electrically connected to terminal electrodes of the at least one thin-film magnetic head element. The FPC member further includes a resin layer intimately fixed to a surface of the support with an adhesive, which resin layer has a thickness of 12.7 &mgr;m or less, and a trace conductor layer formed on the resin layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Kamigama, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Magnetic head apparatus with IC chip mounted on suspension for increased heat diffusion and magnetic disk apparatus having magnetic head apparatus
    Patent number: 6665148
    Abstract: A magnetic head apparatus including a magnetic head slider having at least one thin film magnetic head element, a suspension mounting the magnetic head slider on one face thereof, an IC chip mounted with a circuit for the thin film magnetic head element and a support arm fixedly supporting the suspension in which the IC chip is mounted on the one face of the suspension and is thermally coupled to the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Takeshi Wada, Mitsuyoshi Kawai, Takashi Honda, Norikazu Ota, Takao Matsumoto, Atsushi Hirose
  • System and method for preventing operational and manufacturing imperfections in piezoelectric micro-actuators
    Publication number: 20030227235
    Abstract: A system and method for preventing operational and manufacturing imperfections in piezoelectric micro-actuators by physically and electrically isolating conductive layers of the piezoelectric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Minggao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • System and method for damage prevention by improving the shock resistance of a hard disk actuator arm
    Publication number: 20030227719
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for improving the vibration/mechanical shock-resistance of a hard disk actuator arm. A guide block is located behind the actuator arm's angular range of motion, preventing over-flexure/vibration during operation, and/or the drive's actuator screw head diameter is increased to minimize arm vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Minggao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yiru Xie