Patents by Inventor Takashi Kouno

Takashi Kouno 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: 20150009591
    Abstract: Approaches to improving head positioning accuracy in a hard disk drive, by reducing air pressure fluctuations that would otherwise cause unwanted coil torsion in a voice coil actuator, include a voice coil actuator having a streamlined structure configured to affect the flow of air acting upon a coil-supporting arm. The streamlined structure comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, where the upper surface is sloped downward toward the lower surface and the lower surface is sloped upward toward the upper surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Akiko Kagatsume, Taisuke Sugii, Yoshiyuki Hirono, Hajime Eguchi, Takashi Kouno
  • Publication number: 20140300988
    Abstract: Approaches to improving head positioning accuracy in a hard disk drive, by suppressing airflow disturbances that would otherwise cause unwanted component vibration, include a voice coil motor having a sidewall spanning a gap between the VCM upper yoke and lower yoke. This VCM sidewall also serves as the inner wall of a bypass channel, for diverting airflow away from the actuator arm and associated components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hajime Eguchi, Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 8854771
    Abstract: Approaches to improving head positioning accuracy in a hard disk drive, by suppressing airflow disturbances that would otherwise cause unwanted component vibration, include a voice coil motor having a sidewall spanning a gap between the VCM upper yoke and lower yoke. This VCM sidewall also serves as the inner wall of a bypass channel, for diverting airflow away from the actuator arm and associated components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hajime Eguchi, Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 8723935
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a change-between-images calculating unit that calculates an amount of change between images in time-series images sequentially obtained, the amount of change between images indicating an amount of change between each of the time-series images and a close image temporally close to the each of the time-series images; a primary-digest-image-group extracting unit that extracts a group of primary digest images from the time-series images on the basis of the amount of change between images; a change-in-section calculating unit that calculates an amount of change between time-series sections of the time-series images, each of the time-series sections being defined by each image of the group of primary digest images; and a digest-image-group extracting unit that extracts a group of digest images from the time-series images on the basis of both the amount of change between images and the amount of change between time-series images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 8705202
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent leakage of low-density gas during low-density gas injection into a disk drive device and to perform low-density gas injection efficiently. In a hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention, an injection hole filter with a valve function is attached to a helium injection hole in order to inject helium gas in an enclosure. The injection hole filter has a valve member configured to operate in an open state or closed state. The open state is a state while the helium gas is being injected and the closed state is a state after the helium gas has been finished to be injected. The valve member is in the open state if the outside pressure is higher than the inside pressure and is in the closed state if the inside pressure is higher than the outside pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Hirono, Kouki Uefune, Takashi Kouno, Takako Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8570682
    Abstract: In order to effectively reduce disk flutter in a disk drive by using simple structures and efficient manufacturing techniques, a disk drive, in one embodiment, includes a base, a spindle motor coupled to the bottom of the base, a disk coupled to and rotated by a rotational shaft of the spindle motor, an airflow reduction plate coupled inside the base and positioned opposite to and away from a main plane of the disk, and a sidewall section inside the base which is positioned opposite to an outer edge of the disk and has a form along the outer edge of the disk. A first gap between at least one half of a part positioned opposite to the sidewall section in an outer edge of the airflow reduction plate and the sidewall section is smaller than a second gap between the sidewall section and the outer edge of the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Ichikawa, Takashi Kouno, Kouki Uefune, Takako Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8564900
    Abstract: In a disk drive device having a double cover structure with low-density gas enclosed therein, embodiments of the present invention help to securely perform leak inspection on an outer cover and to prevent defects caused in joining the outer cover. According to one embodiment, a hard disk drive (HDD) comprises a flow amount adjuster on a base-facing side of its inner cover. Helium gas in an enclosure goes out through a ventilation hole via diffusion channel of a flow amount adjuster. The emitted helium gas remains in the space between the inner cover and an outer cover. This achieves easier detection of the leakage of helium gas from the joining section of the outer cover and prevention of emission of too much helium gas from the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Hirono, Takashi Kouno, Kouki Uefune
  • Patent number: 8482878
    Abstract: A spoiler of a hard disk drive including a body portion coupled with a housing of the hard disk drive and adjacent to a hard disk, and an end portion coupled with the body portion, the end portion comprising a fan-shape, the spoiler extending radially with respect to the hard disk and parallel to a surface of the hard disk, wherein the fan-shape expands outward toward the tip end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Naoshi Mizumoto, Takashi Kouno, Masaki Ootsuka, Takaaki Deguchi
  • Patent number: 8427776
    Abstract: A hard disk drive including a housing, at least one disk mounted to the housing, an actuator mounted to the housing and being movable relative to the at least one disk, a conductive component support coupled with the actuator and extending the first surface, the conductive component support having a support wall attaching the conductive component support to the actuator, and a boss coupled with a first surface of the actuator and the support wall, the boss having a first end facing a flat coil side of the actuator and a second end facing a head gimbal assembly side of the actuator, wherein the first end extends further toward the flat coil side than the conductive component entrance portion of the conductive component support such that a portion of the boss overlaps a portion of the conductive component support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takaaki Deguchi, Takashi Kouno, Takeshi Chawanya, Kenji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8363360
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a head for accessing a disk, a suspension for supporting the head, a carriage coupled to the suspension, a pivot-bearing assembly, an adhesive, and an adhesion inhibitor. The pivot-bearing assembly is housed in a hole of the carriage that is configured to rotate in such a way that the carriage is configured to oscillate. The adhesive is disposed between the pivot-bearing assembly and an inner circumferential surface of the hole for bonding the pivot-bearing assembly with the carriage. The adhesion inhibitor is disposed on the same surface as the adhesive for controlling a region of adhesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: HGST, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kouki Uefune, Takashi Kouno, Takako Hayakawa, Kazuhide Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20120170148
    Abstract: A hard disk drive including a housing, at least one disk mounted to the housing, an actuator mounted to the housing and being movable relative to the at least one disk, a conductive component support coupled with the actuator and extending the first surface, the conductive component support having a support wall attaching the conductive component support to the actuator, and a boss coupled with a first surface of the actuator and the support wall, the boss having a first end facing a flat coil side of the actuator and a second end facing a head gimbal assembly side of the actuator, wherein the first end extends further toward the flat coil side than the conductive component entrance portion of the conductive component support such that a portion of the boss overlaps a portion of the conductive component support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventors: Takaaki Deguchi, Takashi Kouno, Takeshi Chawanya, Kenji Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120162817
    Abstract: A spoiler of a hard disk drive including a body portion coupled with a housing of the hard disk drive and adjacent to a hard disk, and an end portion coupled with the body portion, the end portion comprising a fan-shape, the spoiler extending radially with respect to the hard disk and parallel to a surface of the hard disk, wherein the fan-shape expands outward toward the tip end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Naoshi Mizumoto, Takashi Kouno, Masaki Ootsuka, Takaaki Deguchi
  • Publication number: 20120162816
    Abstract: A hard disk drive including a base portion, a motor-hub assembly to which at least one disk is coupled, the motor-hub assembly coupled with the base portion and an airflow shroud coupled with the base portion. The airflow shroud including an airflow inlet oriented parallel to the disk and an airflow outlet oriented perpendicular to the disk. In so doing, the airflow shroud reduces vibration of a rotating disk in a hard disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Jiro Kaneko, Naoshi Mizumoto, Takeshi Chawanya, Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 8179631
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to achieve a solder joining structure having high reliability, in which even if a componential material of a flange of a feed-through of a sealed magnetic disk drive is an iron-based material such as Kovar™, and a componential material of a base of the drive is an aluminum-based alloy, leakage of low-density gas is dramatically reduced. According to one embodiment, a base has a stepped portion in the inside of a periphery of an opening, and an inclined surface extending to the outside of the base is formed at an edge of a surface of the stepped portion, on which a flange of a feed-through is placed, thereby when the stepped portion of the base is joined by soldering with the flange of the feed-through, a solder fillet is formed not only in the inside of the base, but also in the outside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Akihiko Aoyagi, Teruhiro Nakamiya, Takashi Kouno, Hitoshi Shindo, Tetsuya Nakatsuka
  • Patent number: 8098454
    Abstract: To efficiently manufacture a feedthrough used in a disk drive device having a hermetically sealed enclosure, embodiments of the present invention manufacture a feedthrough used in an HDD having a hermetically sealed enclosure. An embodiment of a manufacturing method of the present embodiment manufactures a columnar body, cuts the columnar body in the direction vertical to the axes of pins, and cuts out a feedthrough. Then, necessary plating is made on the outer surfaces of the cut out feedthrough. The columnar body comprises a hollow tube, a plurality of pins inserted inside the tube, and an insulating sealant filled inside the tube. This manufacturing method achieves efficient manufacture of the feedthrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Takashi Kouno, Akihiko Aoyagi, Kazuhide Ichikawa, Teruhiro Nakamiya
  • Publication number: 20120008235
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent leakage of low-density gas during low-density gas injection into a disk drive device and to perform low-density gas injection efficiently. In a hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention, an injection hole filter with a valve function is attached to a helium injection hole in order to inject helium gas in an enclosure. The injection hole filter has a valve member configured to operate in an open state or closed state. The open state is a state while the helium gas is being injected and the closed state is a state after the helium gas has been finished to be injected. The valve member is in the open state if the outside pressure is higher than the inside pressure and is in the closed state if the inside pressure is higher than the outside pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki HIRONO, Kouki Uefune, Takashi Kouno, Takako Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8094408
    Abstract: A sealing type magnetic disc drive comprising a disc, a spindle motor for rotationally driving the disc, a head for recording or reproducing information on the disc, a base on which an actuator assembly is provided to move the head in the radius direction on the disc, and a cover jointed with the base, and low density gas is filled in the space where the base and the cover are joined, wherein low vapor pressure oil or a low viscosity adhesive is filled in a hole present at the joint of the base and the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kouki Uefune, Takako Hayakawa, Akihiko Aoyagi, Takashi Kouno, Hitoshi Shindo, Kazuhide Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8035923
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a sealed hard disk drive (HDD) with high reliability. According to one embodiment, a HDD is a hermetically sealed HDD. A base has an opening of a through-hole on its bottom; a feedthrough is provided so as to close the opening. A flange of the feedthrough has a larger outline than the opening, and its rim is joined to the base with solder at the solder joint. The solder at the solder joint is mainly composed of Sn and contains 15 atomic percent to 27 atomic percent of indium. This solder reaches the ? phase from ?150° C. to 120° C. Accordingly, even if the HDD has been exposed at low temperature for a long time, the solder joint is not broken so that helium gas does not leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Teruhiro Nakamiya, Takashi Kouno
  • Patent number: 7986490
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to prevent leakage of low-density gas during low-density gas injection into a disk drive device and to perform low-density gas injection efficiently. In a hard disk drive (HDD) according to one embodiment of the present invention, an injection hole filter with a valve function is attached to a helium injection hole in order to inject helium gas in an enclosure. The injection hole filter has a valve member configured to operate in an open state or closed state. The open state is a state while the helium gas is being injected and the closed state is a state after the helium gas has been finished to be injected. The valve member is in the open state if the outside pressure is higher than the inside pressure and is in the closed state if the inside pressure is higher than the outside pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Hirono, Kouki Uefune, Takashi Kouno, Takako Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7957092
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a magnetic disk drive in which the base and the lid are securely welded together, so that the low-density gas sealed therein is protected from leakage. According to one embodiment, the peripheral surface of the rib of the base is machined to form the surface, which is free of electrocoating and weld surface. The outer lid, which completely conforms to the contour of the base, is placed on the rib, and the laser beam is directed onto the outer lid. Thus the position of laser beam irradiation varies within only ±0.05 mm for both the base and the lid. Laser welding in this manner yields the bead invariably, which makes the enclosure completely sealed without helium leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Ichikawa, Takashi Kouno, Akihiko Aoyagi, Takako Hayakawa