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).

  • Patent number: 7551405
    Abstract: A Head Gimbal Assembly (HGA) of the invention includes a slider; a micro-actuator to adjust the position of the slider; and a suspension to support the slider and the micro-actuator. The micro-actuator includes two side arms; a load plate for supporting the slider, which is connected with at least one of the side arms; a pair of piezoelectric (PZT) elements connected with the side arms; and a support shaft coupled with the suspension, the support shaft being connected with the side arms and positioned between the PZT elements. The invention also discloses a disk drive unit using such a HGA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7542242
    Abstract: A suspension includes a flexure constituted by a metal plate member, for supporting a head slider provided with at least one head element, a load beam provided with a top end section and constituted by a metal plate member, for supporting the flexure at the top end section, and an individual FPC member attached to the flexure and the load beam and provided with trace conductors to be electrically connected to the at least one head element of the head slider. The FPC member includes a plurality of via holes provided with metal fillers filled therein, the metal fillers in the respective via holes are welded to the flexure and/or the load beam, and the FPC member is fixed to the flexure and/or the load beam at least by means of the welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Shiraishi, Hiroyoshi Nakajima, Ichiro Yagi
  • Patent number: 7535681
    Abstract: A micro-actuator of the invention includes a support base having two actuator side arms and a rotatable bottom plate positioned between the actuator side arms; wherein at least one of the actuator side arms having a back-turned extension in a first end thereof; a pair of connection elements that connects the rotatable bottom plate to the actuator side arms in a second end thereof, respectively; at least one PZT elements bonded to the actuator side arms in its length and the back-turned extension. The rotatable plate rotates in a first direction when the at least one PZT elements expand, and a second direction when the at least one PZT elements contract. The invention also discloses a HGA and disk drive unit with such a micro-actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magentics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Publication number: 20090121605
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tubular carbon molecule capable of regularly aligning a carbon nanotube with a finer spacing is provided. A catalyst is arranged on a material substrate (10) made of a semiconductor such as silicon (Si) and including iron (Fe) as a catalyst through the use of melting according to a modulated heat distribution (11). The heat distribution (11) is formed, for example, through diffracting an energy beam (12) by a diffraction grating (13). As a method of arranging the catalyst, for example, iron may be deposited in a planar shape or a projection shape in a position corresponding to the heat distribution (11), or the deposited iron may be used as a master to be transferred to another substrate. A carbon nanotube is grown through the use of the arranged catalyst. The grown carbon nanotube can be used as a recording apparatus, a field electron emission device, an FED or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Dharam Pal Gosain, Hisashi Kajiura, Ryuichiro Maruyama, Masashi Shiraishi, Houjin Huang, Koji Kodono, Shigeaki Wachi, Masafumi Ata
  • Patent number: 7525763
    Abstract: A HGA includes a slider, a suspension to load the slider, and a particle filter device to fix in leading side of the slider. The particle filter device is made of power material or porous material. The HGA further comprise a micro-actuator to connect with the slider. Because the particle filter device is positioned on the leading edge of the slider that is a passage of the particles, so the particles generating from the components in the disk drive unit, such as the HGA will be catched by the particle filter device. Thus the particles will be prevented from flying on the disk and deposited on ABS of the slider, this will ensure the slider to read from/write to data information to the disk successfully and eliminate a possibility to damage the slider/the disk. A disk drive unit with such an HGA is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sae Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7525769
    Abstract: A thin film piezoelectric (PZT) micro-actuator is disclosed. Two thin film pieces of PZT are couple to a slider support frame. The slider support frame has a slider support connected by a leading beam to a base. The two thin film pieces of PZT connect the slider support to the base. Applied voltage causes the thin film pieces of PZT to contract or expand, moving the slider support in relation to the base. The thin film pieces of PZT can be single or multiple layers. The thin film PZT micro-actuator can be coupled to the suspension by anisotropic conductive film, with the thin film pieces of PZT between the slider support frame and the suspension. Alternately, the thin film PZT micro-actuator can be coupled to the suspension with the thin film pieces of PZT exterior to the slider support frame and the suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7522383
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Minggao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yiru Xie
  • Patent number: 7508634
    Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a disk drive unit that includes a micro-actuator, a slider and a suspension to load the slider and the micro-actuator. The micro-actuator is provided with a vibration canceller that counteracts forces generated by activation of the micro-actuator when making fine head position adjustments. The vibration canceller incorporates PZT elements that generate counteracting forces in the bottom plate of the micro-actuator to cancel the vibration generated by the micro-actuator, thereby providing improved resonance performance for a disk drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Publication number: 20090075407
    Abstract: A microelectronic device and a method for producing the device can overcome the disadvantages of known electronic devices composed of carbon molecules, and can deliver performance superior to the known devices. An insulated-gate field-effect transistor includes a multi-walled carbon nanotube (10) having an outer semiconductive carbon nanotube layer (1) and an inner metallic carbon nanotube layer (2) that is partially covered by the outer semiconductive carbon nanotube layer (1). A metal source electrode (3) and a metal drain electrode (5) are brought into contact with both ends of the semiconductive carbon nanotube layer (1) while a metal gate electrode (4) is brought into contact with the metallic carbon nanotube layer (2). The space between the semiconductive carbon nanotube layer (1) and the metallic carbon nanotube layer (2) is used as a gate insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Maruyama, Masafumi Ata, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7501737
    Abstract: A fixture with a shaped molding may hold a first micro-actuator part and a second micro-actuator part in place for coupling while maintaining the structure of the first micro-actuator part. The first micro-actuator part and the second micro-actuator part may be a frame or a strip of piezoelectric material. A vacuum nozzle system embedded in the fixture may hold the first micro-actuator part in place. A mobile vacuum nozzle system may hold the second micro-actuator in place and positions the second micro-actuator part relative to the first micro-actuator part. A camera system may monitor the process. A dispense may apply epoxy between the first and second micro-actuator part. An ultraviolet source may provide ultraviolet radiation for curing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, Yi Ru Xie
  • Patent number: 7474512
    Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a support frame including a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support. The leading beam includes weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use. A first PZT element is mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and a second PZT element is mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports. The first and second PZT elements are excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi, YiRu Xie
  • Patent number: 7468869
    Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a support frame integrated with a suspension flexure of the head gimbal assembly, a block, and a pair of PZT elements. The support frame includes a bottom support, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the bottom support and the top support. The side arms extend vertically from respective sides of the bottom support and the top support. The block is mounted to the bottom support to provide resonance balance. Each PZT element is mounted to a respective side arm of the support frame and a respective side of the block. The PZT elements are excitable to cause selective movement of the side arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Publication number: 20080295621
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for using a test slider to test the resonance performance of a head gimbal assembly. The test slider has a two-stripe air-bearing surface to allow the test slider to glide above a surface and a block with a mass equal to the combined mass of the electrical slider and the micro-actuator. The leading edge of the slider is tapered and has a main air groove to facilitate gliding. A back step on the side of the test slider opposite the air bearing surface maintains a parallel gap between the slider and the suspension tongue of the head gimbal assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD.
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7446970
    Abstract: To realize stable reading/writing of data by making a positioning control of a magnetic head slider highly accurate. There are provided a magnetic head assembly including: a magnetic head slider for reading/writing of data with respect to a rotating magnetic disk; a suspension for supporting the magnetic head slider; and an air flow regulating device for regulating the air flow amount flown in between the magnetic disk and the magnetic head slider along with the rotation of the magnetic disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Nakajima, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7440216
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microactuator comprising a movable structure having a symmetric axis about which the movable structure are divided into two parts which can produce the same movement but in opposite directions; two active arms built with piezoelectric material; two stationary structures to connect the two active arms at their two ends, respectively. The invention also relates to a disk drive suspension which is incorporated with the microactuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Kai Wu, Tamon Kasajima, Masashi Shiraishi, Ping Shang
  • Patent number: 7433159
    Abstract: A HGA of the invention includes a slider, a micro-actuator for adjusting the position of the slider; a suspension to load the slider and the micro-actuator; and a vibration canceller interposed between the micro-actuator and the suspension. The micro-actuator includes a first base-part plate, a pair of actuator side arms extending from the first base-part plate in a first direction, and at least one of side arms has a piezoelectric element thereon. The vibration canceller includes a second base-part plate to connect with the micro-actuator and the suspension; and at least one canceling arm extending from the second base-part plate in the first direction or in a second direction, wherein at least one of canceling arms has a piezoelectric element thereon. The invention also discloses a disk drive with the vibration canceller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7420770
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive apparatus includes a housing member with at least one opened face, a cover member for covering the at least one opened face of the housing member, a head gimbal assembly including a magnetic head slider and a suspension for supporting the magnetic head slider, a support arm for supporting the head gimbal assembly, a magnetic disk to which the magnetic head slider opposed, a motor for rotating the magnetic disk, a first wiring member with one end electrically connected to the motor and the other end electrically connected to a first connection section, and a second wiring member with one end electrically connected to a second connection section and the other end electrically connected to an external connection connector. The magnetic disk, the motor, the first connection section and the first wiring member are attached to the housing member, and the support arm, the second connection section and the second wiring member are fixed to the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yiu Sing Ho, Takehiro Kamigama, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7417831
    Abstract: A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a metal frame including a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension, a top support adapted to support a slider, and a pair of side arms that interconnect the bottom and top supports. The side arms extend vertically from respective sides of the bottom and top supports. A PZT element is mounted to each of the side arms. Each PZT element includes two PZT portions supported by a PI substrate base. The PI substrate base includes one or more bridges that physically and electrically couple the two PZT portions. The bridges are bendable so that the two PZT portions sandwich the respective side arm when mounted thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7408745
    Abstract: A micro-actuator of the invention includes a support frame having a base, a moving plate, a leading beam to connect the base with the moving plate; and two slider holding arms extending from both sides of the moving plate; at least one piezoelectric element bonding to the support frame to connect a free end of the base with the moving plate; wherein the moving plate sways in a first direction or in a second direction when the at least one piezoelectric element is actuated. The invention also discloses a head gimbal assembly and a disk drive unit using the micro-actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: MingGao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7377190
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for using a test slider to test the resonance performance of a head gimbal assembly. The test slider has a two-stripe air-bearing surface to allow the test slider to glide above a surface and a block with a mass equal to the combined mass of the electrical slider and the micro-actuator. The leading edge of the slider is tapered and has a main air groove to facilitate gliding. A back step on the side of the test slider opposite the air bearing surface maintains a parallel gap between the slider and the suspension tongue of the head gimbal assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.), Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Gao Yao, Masashi Shiraishi