Patents by Inventor Thomas R. Pitchford

Thomas R. Pitchford 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).

  • Disc head slider having profiled convergent channel features
    Patent number: 6587308
    Abstract: A disc head slider is provided, which includes a slider body having a disc-opposing face with leading and trailing slider edges and a slider length measured between the leading and trailing slider edges. The disc-opposing face has a bearing surface and a recessed area which is recessed from the bearing surface. A convergent channel is recessed within the bearing surface and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the recessed area, channel side walls, a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow, and a channel length measured between the leading and trailing channel ends. The trailing channel end is located rearward of a midpoint along the slider length and the channel floor is vertically contoured relative to the bearing surface along at least a portion of the channel length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony P. Sannino, Thomas R. Pitchford, Zine-Eddine Boutaghou, Scott E. Ryun
  • Disc head slider having profiled convergent channel features
    Publication number: 20020063995
    Abstract: A disc head slider is provided, which includes a slider body having a disc-opposing face with leading and trailing slider edges and a slider length measured between the leading and trailing slider edges. The disc-opposing face has a bearing surface and a recessed area which is recessed from the bearing surface. A convergent channel is recessed within the bearing surface and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the recessed area, channel side walls, a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow, and a channel length measured between the leading and trailing channel ends. The trailing channel end is located rearward of a midpoint along the slider length and the channel floor is vertically contoured relative to the bearing surface along at least a portion of the channel length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Anthony P. Sannino, Thomas R. Pitchford, Zine-Eddine Boutaghou, Scott E. Ryun