Patents by Inventor Toshiki Hirano

Toshiki Hirano 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).

  • BACKFLOW STOPPER WITH ACOUSTIC BARRIER
    Publication number: 20170218978
    Abstract: To provide enhanced operation of data storage devices and systems, various systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein. In a first example, a backflow assembly includes a backflow stopper comprising a frame configured to structurally support a fin array when coupled to a fan, the fin array comprising a plurality of flexural deformation elements and associated fin elements arrayed in a radial arrangement to establish a pathway for airflow, each of the flexural deformation elements configured to move an attached fin element responsive to airflow impacting the attached fin element. An acoustic barrier assembly is positioned adjacently to the backflow stopper and configured to attenuate acoustic waves emanating from the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Toshiki Hirano, Jeffrey D. Wilke
  • Feedthrough connector for hermetically sealed electronic devices
    Patent number: 9691434
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is one embodiment of an apparatus that includes a housing that defines an interior cavity. The housing also includes a spring aperture. The apparatus further includes a spring coupled to the housing over the spring aperture, with the spring having a deflection portion and a feedthrough aperture. The apparatus also has an electrical connector coupled to the spring and extending through the feedthrough aperture and the spring aperture. The electrical connector may have a plurality of electrical traces extending from a location external to the housing to a location within the interior cavity of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate
  • VARIED STORAGE MEDIA DENSITY FOR DATA STORAGE DEVICES IN VIBRATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
    Publication number: 20170097877
    Abstract: To provide enhanced operation of data storage devices and systems, various systems, apparatuses, methods, and software are provided herein. In a first example, a data storage system is presented. The data storage system includes data storage devices each configured for storage of data at associated storage media densities. The data storage system includes a control processor configured to vary storage media densities of ones of the plurality of data storage devices based at least on positioning of the plurality of data storage devices within an associated enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Sealed storage canister
    Patent number: 9612629
    Abstract: A sealed storage canister is provided. The sealed storage canister in one example includes a sealed enclosure configured to be substantially hermetically sealed for retaining a predetermined gas or gas mixture, multiple unsealed Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) located within the sealed enclosure, with the multiple unsealed HDDs configured to allow the predetermined gas or gas mixture to move through the multiple unsealed HDDs, at least one mounting element configured to receive the multiple HDDs, and an external connector configured to be externally accessible, with the external connector being directly or indirectly electrically coupled to the multiple unsealed HDDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Michael Stephen Bell, Darya Amin-Shahidi, Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate
  • Low Permeability Electrical Feed-Through
    Publication number: 20170086294
    Abstract: A low permeability electrical feed-through involves a laminated structure having a conductor layer sandwiched between adjacent insulator layers, which are sandwiched between adjacent diffusion control layers, where the laminated structure provides a relatively narrow and long, high aspect ratio diffusion channel to inhibit the leakage of gas from within a sealed device to the external environment. The electrical feed-through may comprise lower and upper electrical connection pads that are positioned within different regions of the feed-through but still electrically connected by way of a first via positioned in a sealed region, the conductor layer, and a second via positioned in an external environment region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas R. Albrecht, Darya Amin-Shahidi, Vipin Ayanoor-Vitikkate, Toshiki Hirano
  • ADHESIVE COVER SEAL FOR HERMETICALLY-SEALED DATA STORAGE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20170053679
    Abstract: A data storage device involves a plurality of continuous sidewalls and corner portions of a tub cover overlapping with and hermetically sealed with a corresponding plurality of sidewalls and corners of an enclosure base using an epoxy adhesive. Base protrusions and/or cover dimples may be used to set a suitable gap between the parts. A robust hermetic seal provides for filling the HDD with a lighter-than-air gas. A tub cover may include corners having a tapered radius that decreases from the top to the bottom edge, and a base may include corners having a constant-radius outer surface and sidewalls having a sloped upper surface, whereby an assembly interference fit between the base and the tub cover is formed by forcing outward each sidewall of the tub cover while forcing inward at least a portion of each corner of the tub cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS R. ALBRECHT, DARYA AMIN-SHAHIDI, TOSHIKI HIRANO, KIRK B. PRICE
  • ADHESIVE COVER SEAL FOR HERMETICALLY-SEALED DATA STORAGE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20170053678
    Abstract: A data storage device involves a plurality of sidewalls of a bent sheet metal cover, either pre-formed or shaped-in-place, overlapping with and hermetically sealed with a corresponding plurality of sidewalls of an enclosure base, using an applied epoxy adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape seal. Base protrusions and/or cover dimples may be used to set a suitable gap between the parts. A robust hermetic seal provides for filling the data storage device with a lighter-than-air gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS R. ALBRECHT, DARYA AMIN-SHAHIDI, TOSHIKI HIRANO, KIRK B. PRICE
  • ADHESIVE COVER SEAL FOR HERMETICALLY-SEALED DATA STORAGE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20170053680
    Abstract: A method of assembling a data storage device comprises forming an enclosure by overlapping each of a plurality of sidewalls of a cover with a corresponding sidewall of a base part, dispensing a liquid adhesive between the respective sidewalls of the cover and base part in such a quantity at each of a plurality of locations to promote capillary flow of the liquid adhesive to form a continuous film of liquid adhesive between the sidewalls, and curing the continuous film of liquid adhesive to form a hermetic seal between the cover and the base part. Embodiments may include surface treating the sidewall surface(s), which can help promote the capillary flow of the liquid adhesive. The hermetic seal provides for a lighter-than-air gas to be held therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: THOMAS R. ALBRECHT, DARYA AMIN-SHAHIDI, TOSHIKI HIRANO, KIRK B. PRICE
  • Shaped backplane for receiving electrical components
    Patent number: 9513677
    Abstract: A backplane configured to receive electrical components is provided. The backplane in one example includes a substantially planar substrate comprising an at least partially flexible material and formed in a non-rectangular shape, a series of alternating connector islands formed along two substantially parallel axes, wherein each connector island is able to move independently of other connector islands, a plurality of backplane traces extending from the series of alternating connector islands to a backplane connector region of the substrate, with a number of backplane traces increasing closer to the backplane connector region, and one or more spring elements bridging between a particular connector island and the substrate, with the one or more spring elements allowing the particular connector island to flex with respect to the substrate and absorb vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lidu Huang, Toshiki Hirano, Jeffrey Wilke, Jin Hui Ou-Yang
  • FEEDTHROUGH CONNECTOR FOR HERMETICALLY SEALED ELECTRONIC DEVICES
    Publication number: 20160336044
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is one embodiment of an apparatus that includes a housing that defines an interior cavity. The housing also includes a spring aperture. The apparatus further includes a spring coupled to the housing over the spring aperture, with the spring having a deflection portion and a feedthrough aperture. The apparatus also has an electrical connector coupled to the spring and extending through the feedthrough aperture and the spring aperture. The electrical connector may have a plurality of electrical traces extending from a location external to the housing to a location within the interior cavity of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate
  • FLEXURE BACK-FLOW STOPPER
    Publication number: 20160327062
    Abstract: A compact back-flow stopper using an elastic flexure mechanism for a cooling fan is shown and described. The backflow stopper assembly comprises a frame configured to structurally support a fin array when coupled to a fan. The fin array comprises a plurality of flexural deformation elements and associated fin elements arrayed in a radial arrangement to establish a pathway for airflow, each of the flexural deformation elements configured to move an attached fin element responsive to airflow impacting the attached fin element. Flex limiter elements are coupled to the frame and configured to limit flexure of the fin elements beyond a predetermined flexure in relation to the frame to stop backflow of air through the fin array. A fan assembly with a backflow stopper is shown and described. Also, a data storage assembly using fan assemblies with backflow stoppers is also shown and described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Michael Stephen Bell, Toshiki Hirano, Neale Marvin Jones, Jeffrey David Wilke
  • Low permeability electrical feed-through
    Patent number: 9490620
    Abstract: A low permeability electrical feed-through involves a laminated structure having a conductor layer sandwiched between adjacent insulator layers, which are sandwiched between adjacent diffusion control layers, where the laminated structure provides a relatively narrow and long, high aspect ratio diffusion channel to inhibit the leakage of gas from within a sealed device to the external environment. The electrical feed-through may comprise lower and upper electrical connection pads that are positioned within different regions of the feed-through but still electrically connected by way of a first via positioned in a sealed region, the conductor layer, and a second via positioned in an external environment region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas R. Albrecht, Darya Amin-Shahidi, Vipin Ayanoor-Vitikkate, Toshiki Hirano
  • Feedthrough connector for hermetically sealed electronic devices
    Patent number: 9431759
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is one embodiment of an apparatus that includes a housing that defines an interior cavity. The housing also includes a spring aperture. The apparatus further includes a spring coupled to the housing over the spring aperture, with the spring having a deflection portion and a feedthrough aperture. The apparatus also has an electrical connector coupled to the spring and extending through the feedthrough aperture and the spring aperture. The electrical connector may have a plurality of electrical traces extending from a location external to the housing to a location within the interior cavity of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Vipin A. Vitikkate
  • Magnetic recording disk drive with position error signal (PES) blocks in the data tracks for compensation of track misregistration
    Patent number: 9412403
    Abstract: A magnetic recording hard disk drive (HDD) includes, in addition to conventional servo sectors with position error signal (PES) blocks, data position error signal (DPES) blocks that are written into the data sectors when data is written in the data sectors of the data tracks. During readback the PES blocks from the servo sectors are decoded into PES values to allow the head to follow the servo track, while the DPES blocks are decoded to obtain DPES values that are used in the servo control loop to modify the head position so the head follows the center of the data track. In a shingled magnetic recording HDD, wherein the write head is at least two shingled data tracks wide, a DPES block is written in two radially adjacent data tracks when data is written into the data sectors of the shingled data tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Tetsuo Semba, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Magnetic recording disk drive with adjustable data track pitch and compensation for repeatable runout (RRO)
    Patent number: 9349400
    Abstract: A hard disk drive with adjustable data track pitch has repeatable runout (RRO) fields stored in he servo sectors for each servo sector of each servo track, and thus without the need to store the RRO fields in the data tracks. The RRO fields for each servo sector have a radial length of at least two servo tracks (i.e., equal to or greater than twice the servo track pitch). The RRO fields in each servo track are shifted radially from RRO fields in adjacent servo tracks and circumferentially spaced from RRO fields in adjacent servo tracks. The read head reads two different RRO fields from the two servo tracks closest to the data track and the servo electronics interpolates a RRO value from these two RRO values. Thus even if the data track pitch is changed, RRO values can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Tetsuo Semba, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Method and structure for improving performance and storage density in a data storage device
    Patent number: 9324368
    Abstract: A data storage device with improved data storage densities, coupled with lower hard error and write-inhibit events is described. A feed-forward write inhibit (FFWI) method enables data tracks to be written more densely. Alternatively, the FFWI method may reduce the hard error and write inhibit events to improve data storage performance. A concept of virtual tracks enables the FFWI method to be applied to the writing of circular data tracks with non-circular servo tracks, or to the writing of non-circular data tracks with PES data from circular servo tracks—in both cases, improvements to performance and/or storage densities are enabled. The FFWI method may also be applied to the case of both non-circular servo and data tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Tetsuo Semba
  • FEEDTHROUGH CONNECTOR FOR HERMETICALLY SEALED ELECTRONIC DEVICES
    Publication number: 20160111814
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is one embodiment of an apparatus that includes a housing that defines an interior cavity. The housing also includes a spring aperture. The apparatus further includes a spring coupled to the housing over the spring aperture, with the spring having a deflection portion and a feedthrough aperture. The apparatus also has an electrical connector coupled to the spring and extending through the feedthrough aperture and the spring aperture. The electrical connector may have a plurality of electrical traces extending from a location external to the housing to a location within the interior cavity of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Vipin A. Vitikkate
  • Two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR) disk drive with varying servo track pitch
    Patent number: 9286926
    Abstract: A two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR) disk drive has a disk with servo tracks with a track pitch that varies across the radius of the disk. The servo track pitch (STP) is related to the cross-track spacing (CTS) of the multiple read sensors in the TDMR head structure. The CTS is given by the equation: CTS=(CTO)cos ?+(ATO)sin ?, where ? is the skew angle, and CTO is the cross-track spacing and ATO the along-the-track spacing of the read sensors at zero skew angle. The optimal variable STP profile results in track misregistration reduction because it allows each read sensor to read a different servo half-track and thus noise sources not correlated to noise sources read by the other read sensors. The servo tracks may be arranged into a plurality of annular bands, with the STP in each band being fixed and different from the STP in the other bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Tetsuo Semba, Gary Allan Herbst
  • STORAGE CANISTER WITH MULTIPLE STORAGE DEVICE MOUNTING ELEMENTS
    Publication number: 20150359115
    Abstract: A storage canister is provided. The storage canister in one example includes an enclosure, multiple Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) located within the enclosure, a plurality of mounting elements configured to receive the multiple HDDs, wherein each mounting element of the plurality of mounting elements is configured to receive a HDD, a plurality of suspension elements supporting the plurality of mounting elements, with each suspension element of the plurality of suspension elements supporting and providing vibration isolation to a corresponding HDD of the multiple HDDs, and an external connector configured to be externally accessible, with the external connector being electrically coupled to the plurality of mounting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate, Michael Stephen Bell, Darya Amin-Shahidi
  • SEALED STORAGE CANISTER
    Publication number: 20150355685
    Abstract: A sealed storage canister is provided. The sealed storage canister in one example includes a sealed enclosure configured to be substantially hermetically sealed for retaining a predetermined gas or gas mixture, multiple unsealed Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) located within the sealed enclosure, with the multiple unsealed HDDs configured to allow the predetermined gas or gas mixture to move through the multiple unsealed HDDs, at least one mounting element configured to receive the multiple HDDs, and an external connector configured to be externally accessible, with the external connector being directly or indirectly electrically coupled to the multiple unsealed HDDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiki Hirano, Michael Stephen Bell, Darya Amin-Shahidi, Vipin Ayanoor Vitikkate