Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080239571 | Integrated silicon micro-actuator slider - An integrated microactuator slider. The microactuator includes a substrate having a fixed portion and a moveable portion. The microactuator also includes a slider communicatively integrated within the moveable portion of the substrate. The slider includes a read/write head for reading data from or writing data to a data storage device. The microactuator further includes a force generator communicatively integrated within the substrate. The force generator is for causing movement of the moveable portion of the substrate. | 10-02-2008 |
20080260309 | System and method for improving lubrication in a fluid dynamic bearing near the contact region - A system and method for improving lubrication in a fluid dynamic bearing are disclosed. A fluid dynamic bearing is formed. The fluid dynamic bearing comprises a shaft having an axis of rotation and a surface comprising a first groove at a first depth and a second groove at a second depth, wherein the first and second grooves are for supporting a film of lubricating fluid. The fluid dynamic bearing further includes a hub having an axis coincident to the axis of rotation and a complimentary surface juxtaposed to the shaft which is conducive to supporting the lubricating fluid such that the shaft is rotatably retained. | 10-23-2008 |
20090046390 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR AN INDEPENDENT FLEXIBLE CABLE DAMPER FOR REDUCING FLEXIBLE CABLE FATIGUE IN A HARD DISK DRIVE - A hard disk drive has a flexible cable and a flexible cable damper positioned adjacent to but separate from the flexible cable. The damper is a thin film loop with a damper patch that is completely independent of the flexible cable. The damper strip is a non-signal carrying substrate and has the constraint layer attached to it opposite the flexible cable. Both the damper and flexible cable extend in an arcuate configuration from the base to an integrated lead suspension tail extending from the actuator. | 02-19-2009 |
20090059435 | Voice coil damper - A voice coil for a voice coil motor of a hard disk drive comprises an inner surface of the voice coil, which bounds a central space of the voice coil. A first outer surface of the voice coil is substantially parallel to a second outer surface of the voice coil. A constrained layer damper is attached to the inner surface of the voice coil by a coupler. The constrained layer damper comprises a first constraining layer coupled to a first surface of a viscoelastic damping layer. A second constraining layer is coupled to a second surface of the viscoelastic damping layer. The constrained layer damper is curved in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first outer surface of the voice coil and the second outer surface of the voice coil. | 03-05-2009 |
20090063764 | Designed roughness and surface treatments for capillary buffer of fluid dynamic bearings - A contoured region is disposed within a capillary buffer of a Fluid Dynamic Bearing. In one embodiment, the contoured region comprises at least one defined edge for arresting the displacement of a lubricant within the capillary buffer. | 03-05-2009 |
20090086378 | Pure rotary microactuator - A pure rotary microactuator comprising a spring assembly etched within a silicon substrate is disclosed. A first piezoelectric device is coupled with a first portion of the spring assembly and a second piezoelectric device coupled with a second portion of the spring assembly. The first piezoelectric device changes shape in response to an electrical input signal, and this change in shape provides a first push force to the first portion of the spring assembly in a first direction. The second piezoelectric device also changes shape in response to the electrical input signal, and this change in shape provides a second push force to the second portion in a second direction, which is different from the first direction. The combination of the first and the second push forces rotates the spring assembly with respect to the silicon substrate. | 04-02-2009 |
20090147407 | Integrated flexure tongue micro-actuator - An integrated flexure tongue micro-actuator is disclosed. One embodiment provides a first arm on a first side of the flexure tongue, the first arm approximately perpendicular with the flexure tongue. In addition, a second arm is provided on a second side of the flexure tongue, the second arm approximately parallel with the first arm. At least one piezoelectric device is coupled with either the first arm or the second arm and a slider is disposed between and coupled with the first am and the second arm. | 06-11-2009 |
20090268335 | NEUTRALIZING FLYING HEIGHT SENSITIVITY OF THERMAL POLE-TIP PROTRUSION OF MAGNETIC SLIDER - A method for neutralizing the flying height sensitivity associated with thermal pole-tip protrusion (T-PTP) of an air bearing slider comprises creating head material data and air bearing surface (ABS) compensation data, based on which a head/ABS design is created. The head material data comprises at least one material property that is dependent on the manner in which the material is fabricated, such as the coefficient of thermal expansion of a material deposited using a certain deposition process. The ABS compensation data comprises data about how respective ABS features affect air bearing pressure and, therefore, ABS compensation. A protrusion profile is determined for the head/ABS design, and whether or not this protrusion profile meets particular design criteria is then determined. The head/ABS creating and determining process can be iterated if necessary to arrive at a head/ABS design which provides neutral flying height sensitivity to a range of operational temperatures. | 10-29-2009 |
20100007976 | PROTECTING MAGNETIC HEAD ELEMENTS - A magnetic head is described herein. A method for manufacturing the magnetic head comprises determining a protective distance for a protective structure to extend beyond an element in a direction toward a disk, layering the protective structure, and removing material from the protective structure to obtain approximately the protective distance. The protective distance is from an element end to a protective structure end. The protective distance is determined based on a magnetic head profile. The thickness of the protective structure is based on pole-tip recession. | 01-14-2010 |
20100027165 | SYMMETRICALLY TAPERED CONSTRAINED LAYER DAMPER FOR A FLEX CABLE ASSEMBLY FOR A HARD DISK DRIVE - A flex cable assembly for a head stack assembly of a hard disk drive comprises a flex cable for conducting data signals from the head stack assembly to a connector. The flex cable has a dynamic loop section between a termination for the head stack assembly and the connector. The flex cable has a constrained layer damper for attenuating random transient vibration. The constrained layer damper has a symmetrically tapered shape for reducing stress concentration and is coupled with the dynamic loop section of the flex cable adjacent to an area of the flex cable configured for receiving a coupler for coupling the flex cable assembly with the head stack assembly. | 02-04-2010 |
20100027166 | REDUCING FLEX CABLE OSCILLATION - A method of reducing oscillation at the read write element of a hard disk drive, is described. In one embodiment, a flex cable for conducing data signals from a head stack assembly to a connector is provided. One or more weights are then coupled with the flex cable at one or more predetermined locations. The one or more predetermined locations are selected based upon mass distribution along the flex cable. | 02-04-2010 |
20100067357 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH ROTATIONAL VIBRATION COMPENSATION HAVING ADAPTIVE OPTIMIZATION OF VIBRATION SENSOR GAINS - A disk drive and a method for operating the disk drive compensates for rotational vibration (RV) by adaptively modifying the gains of two separate linear vibration sensors so the sensor gains are optimal under any given condition. The two sensors provide two signals S | 03-18-2010 |
20100149679 | BULK ERASER INCLUDING AT LEAST THREE MAGNETS CONFIGURED FOR ERASING RECORDED INFORMATION - A bulk eraser for erasing recorded information on a magnetic-recording disk. The bulk eraser includes at least three magnets and a structure magnetically coupled with the at least three magnets to produce magnetic-flux density in a gap. The gap has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, such that a first magnet and a second magnet are disposed with opposing end poles across the first portion. The at least three magnets and the structure are configured to produce a magnetic-flux density in the second portion sufficient to erase recorded information from a portion of at least one magnetic-recording disk in a disk-stack when a hard-disk drive is inserted into the second portion. In addition, the at least three magnets and the structure are configured to direct the magnetic-flux density in a substantially radial direction of the portion of the magnetic-recording disk in the second portion. | 06-17-2010 |
20100232051 | COMBINED BULK THERMAL-ASSISTER AND BULK ERASER - A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser. The bulk thermal-assister is configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when the hard-disk drive is disposed in the bulk eraser. The temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of the magnetic-recording disk. The bulk eraser is configured to erase recorded information from the magnetic-recording disk at the second temperature. The second temperature lowers a coercivity of the magnetic-recording disk so that, when recorded information is erased from the magnetic-recording disk at the second temperature, recorded information on the magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of the magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on the magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from the magnetic-recording disk at the first temperature. | 09-16-2010 |
20100232060 | DISK STACK ASSEMBLY WITH SPINDLE MOTOR HUB HAVING IMPROVED DISK-SUPPORTING FLANGE - An improved disk stack assembly for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a generally cylindrical hub with flange having a downward sloping conical flange surface. The conical flange surface is defined between a radially inner circular ridge and a radially outer circular edge. The bottom disk in the stack is in contact with the flange inner circular ridge. The disk stack assembly also includes a disk clamp with a contact surface having a contact rim that is in contact with either the radially inner portion of the top disk in the stack or a spacer ring. The clamp contact rim is located at approximately the same radial distance from the hub's central cylindrical axis as the flange circular ridge so that the clamping force is applied to the disks close to the area where the disk stack is supported on the conical flange surface. | 09-16-2010 |
20110085260 | DISK DRIVE AND SERVO CONTROL METHOD FOR THE DISK DRIVE THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO VIBRATION - A disk drive. The disk drive includes an acceleration sensor, a servo controller, a detection determiner, and a handling processor. The acceleration sensor has an associated resonant frequency. The servo controller is configured to perform servo control for head positioning using frequency components that are obtained by cutting off frequency components including the resonant frequency from output of the acceleration sensor. The detection determiner is configured to detect a frequency band including the resonant frequency from the output of the acceleration sensor to determine whether a magnitude of a voltage amplitude of the frequency band is outside of a specified range. The handling processor is configured to execute a corresponding handling operation if the detection determiner determines that the magnitude of the voltage amplitude of the frequency band is outside of the specified range. | 04-14-2011 |
20120002314 | THERMAL READ/WRITE OFFSET COMPENSATION - A HDD comprising a temperature sensor disposed inside the HDD configured to periodically measure temperature inside of said hard disk drive; a magnetic disk; a read head; a write head; memory for storing RWO data. The RWO data is a function of a distance between the read head and the write head. The HDD also includes a RWO data adjustor configured to adjust the RWO data in response to a change in temperature of the HDD to compensate for a change in the distance between the read head and the write head based on the change in temperature. | 01-05-2012 |
20120008233 | Extended Cavity VCSEL Mounted to Substrate with Electrical and Thermal Contact to Substrate and Optical Power Directed Toward Substrate - A system according to one embodiment includes a slider adapted for use in a hard disk drive; and a laser coupled to a slider, wherein electrical contacts of the laser are positioned towards or face the slider, wherein light from the laser is emitted towards the slider, wherein the slider acts as a heat sink for the laser. | 01-12-2012 |
20120063026 | BASEPLATE WITH RECESSED REGION IN A HARD-DISK DRIVE (HDD) - Approaches for a hard-disk drive (HDD) baseplate comprising a recessed region that provides additional clearance for a disk. The protective enclosure of the HDD comprises a baseplate. The surface of the baseplate, which opposes a magnetic-recording disk, comprises a recessed region near the outer diameter (OD) of the magnetic-recording disk. The recessed region prevents the disk from being damaged through inadvertent physical contact with the baseplate, which may arise when the HDD receives a mechanical shock. The recessed region may be designed to minimize the damage to the disk if physical contact between the disk and the baseplate does occur. The recessed region may have a variety of shapes, such as a circular indentation or one or more non-contiguous regions in the baseplate where physical contact between the disk and the baseplate is deemed likely to occur. | 03-15-2012 |
20120099223 | CONICAL FLUID DYNAMIC BEARINGS HAVING IMPROVED STIFFNESS FOR USE IN HARD-DISK DRIVES - Approaches for a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system for use within a hard-disk drive. A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system may comprise an upper conical bearing and a lower conical bearing that are both disposed along a stationary shaft on which a magnetic-recording disk is rotatably mounted. The upper conical bearing and the lower conical bearing may have different cone angles, diameters, and/or lubricants to produce a desired difference in stiffness between the first conical bearing and the second conical bearing. By adjusting characteristics of the fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) system to achieve the desired bearing stiffness ratio, the tendency for the magnetic-recording disks to experience a sustained vibration when the hard-disk drive receives a mechanical shock is reduced. By preventing the magnetic-recording disks from sustained vibration after a mechanical shock, data may be written to and read from the magnetic-recording disks with greater reliability. | 04-26-2012 |
20120105997 | INDUCTION OF MAGNETIC BIAS IN A MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK - Approaches for inducing a magnetic bias in a magnetic recording disk. A biasing apparatus comprises a soft magnetic material member having a shape comprising two opposing recesses, denoted an upper recess and a lower recess. A first magnet is disposed within the upper recess and a second magnet disposed within the lower recess. An air gap exists between the first magnet and the second magnet. An opening in the soft magnetic material member is sized to accommodate at least a portion of the magnetic recording disk between the first magnet and the second magnet. The magnetic field produced by both the first magnetic and the second magnetic flows (a) in the same direction, and (b) perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic recording disk. Using this approach, magnetic material on the disk, such as magnetic islands of a bit pattern media, may be erased and polarized in the same direction. | 05-03-2012 |
20120149433 | SMART PHONE DISPLAY AND KEYBOARD EXTENSION - A device for providing an external display and keypad for a smart-phone. The device has a port for receiving the smart phone. The device does not have its own computing power, but uses the computing power of the smart phone itself, thereby allowing the device to be smaller, lighter and less expensive than a standard lap-top computer not notebook device. The device is configured with a port for receiving a smart-phone and preferably holds the smart phone so that does not extend above the surface of the device or is flush with the surface of the device. The device can also be configured to allow the smart phone itself to act as a numerical keypad adjacent to the keypad provided on the device. | 06-14-2012 |
20120250178 | MAGNETIC MEDIA WITH THERMAL INSULATION LAYER FOR THERMALLY ASSISTED MAGNETIC DATA RECORDING - A magnetic media for heat assisted magnetic data recording. The magnetic media includes a thermal insulation layer structure formed near the substrate of the media provide more efficient heating of the write layer by allowing less heat dissipation to the substrate. The thermal insulation layer structure can be one or more layers of an oxide such as SiO2 and one or more layers of a material such as NiTa. Increasing the number of oxide layers and NiTa layers increases the thermal insulation of the thermal insulation layer structure thereby further increasing the efficiency of the heat assisted writing. | 10-04-2012 |
20130027814 | FLEXIBLE-PRINTED-CIRCUIT VOICE-COIL ASSEMBLY CONFIGURED FOR INTEGRATION IN A VOICE-COIL MOTOR - A flexible-printed-circuit (FPC) voice-coil assembly configured for integration in a voice-coil motor. The FPC voice-coil assembly includes at least one FPC voice coil. The FPC voice coil includes a coil including at least one coil turn, and a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate is coupled to the coil to form a flexible printed circuit. The FPC voice coil is configured for integration in a voice-coil motor. A voice-coil motor and a disk drive including the FPC voice-coil assembly are also provided. | 01-31-2013 |
20130107390 | TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN A THERMALLY ASSISTED MAGNETIC RECORDING HEAD | 05-02-2013 |
20130107680 | TAR TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAVING FASTER RESPONSE TIME | 05-02-2013 |
20130133182 | THERMALLY ASSISTED RECORDING ASSEMBLY WITH BONDING PADS ON A TOP SURFACE - The present invention generally relates to fabricating a bond pad for electrically connecting a laser diode to a slider and a TAR head in a HDD. The bond pad is deposited on a surface of the head that is perpendicular to the air bearing surface (ABS). The head is diced and lapped to expose the bond pad on a top surface of the head and mounted on a slider. The laser diode and a sub-mount may be coupled to the top surface of the slider—i.e., the surface opposite the ABS—by connecting to the bond pads. Specifically, both the laser diode and the sub-mount have electrodes thereon that are perpendicular to the bond pads. Conductive bonding material is used to bond the laser diode and the sub-mount to the bond pads. | 05-30-2013 |
20130148231 | SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY FORMED WITH A PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE - A magnetic disk drive system that has a suspension assembly that includes a slider having a heating element and a suspension configured with a protective structure that protects the heating element. The heating element of the slider can extend through the suspension to extend from the suspension assembly from a side that is opposite the slider. The protective structure is configured to protect the heating element and to prevent the heating element from contacting the heating element of an adjacent suspension during an event such as a physical shock to the disk drive system. | 06-13-2013 |
20130250451 | MAGNETIC RECORDING DISK DRIVE WITH THREE SENSORS FOR ROTATIONAL AND LINEAR VIBRATION COMPENSATION - A magnetic recording disk drive has three vibration sensors mounted to the disk drive base to provide feedforward vibration compensation signals. First and second spaced-apart sensors are aligned generally parallel to a radius from the disk rotational axis to a head position on the disk between the inside diameter position (h | 09-26-2013 |