Frederick Frank Kazmierczak

6347021, Feb 12, 2002

Dec 11, 2000

09/735391

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - San Jose CA
Michael John Raffetto - Scotts Valley CA
Michael Kenneth Andrews - Santa Cruz CA
Michael Alan Maiers - San Jose CA

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 1702

360 9702, 277640, 277648

Method for the removable sealing of a component housing, and apparatus to practice the method using an elastic or conformable sealing band. The present invention teaches a sealing band, preferably elastic, to apply a horizontal seal to the horizontal seam defined by vertically assembled component case elements. The seal is maintained in position over the seam by an alignment element disposed on at least one of the seal and the case. The sealing band is rendered electrically conductive by admixing therewith a conductive material, or by plating thereon a conductive coating. A retaining element may be further added to at least one of the sealing band and the case to minimize tampering with the sealing band once installed.

6473270, Oct 29, 2002

Feb 29, 2000

09/515576

Ted Randal McDonald - Louisville CO
Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - Erie CO
Ryan Andrew Sievers - Longmont CO
Jeff Gerard Barina - Loveland CO
Robert Terry Haas - Longmont CO
Russel Edward Rock - Longmont CO
Bruce L. Blakeslee - Golden CO

Seagate Technologies LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2108

3602651

An apparatus and method for reducing deflection of an actuator assembly within a head disc assembly in a disc drive during a mechanical shock event. A snubber is fastened to a stationary portion of the head disc assembly and has a snubber body and two or more snubber arms connected to the snubber body. The adjacent snubber arms form slots therebetween. A portion of the actuator assembly may be inserted into each of the slots whereby the snubber arms will reduce the deflective movement of the actuator assembly during a mechanical shock event.

6549379, Apr 15, 2003

Nov 20, 2000

09/717515

Frederick F. Kazmierczak - San Jose CA
Sharon M. Jenness - Livermore CA

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 555

3602648

A disc drive is disclosed that incorporates a voice coil motor pole into the drive cover. The disc drive has an actuator assembly mounted adjacent the storage disc that carries a trasducer at one end for transferring data to and from the disc, and a voice coil motor for rotating the actuator arm to position the transducer. The voice coil motor has a movable coil fastened to an opposite end of the actuator arm and a pair of stationary magnets positioned adjacent the voice coil in a side-by-side relation. A cover on the baseplate encloses the actuator assembly and the data storage disc and a portion of magnetically permeable material of the cover forms a top pole for the pair of magnets.

6549380, Apr 15, 2003

Apr 17, 2001

09/836800

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - San Jose CA

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 555

3602648, 310 13

A data handling system having a voice coil motor having a first magnetically permeable plate and a second magnetically permeable plate is disclosed. The first magnetically permeable plate is coupled to a permanent magnet pair and the second magnetically permeable plate includes a raised plate portion directly opposite the permanent magnet pair. Planar surfaces of the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion are substantially parallel to each other and are spaced by an air gap. A voice coil is positioned in the air gap and moves in response to a magnetic interaction between a magnetic field produced by a controlled current through the coil and a magnetic field between the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion. The planar surfaces of the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion may be substantially identical in shape and surface area.

6577474, Jun 10, 2003

Nov 29, 2000

09/726366

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - San Jose CA
Michael Alan Maiers - Longmont CO

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2108

3602649

The present invention relates to a integrated voice coil motor assembly in a head disc assembly of a disc drive, the head disc assembly having a base plate and the top cover enclosing a data storage disc rotatably mounted on a drive motor, and an actuator arm for transferring data to and from the disc. The voice coil motor has a bottom pole attached to the base plate and a top pole integrated with the top cover. A permanent magnet set is positioned between the bottom pole and a top cover and generates a magnetic field between the bottom pole and the top cover. The top pole rests within a recess in an outer surface of the top cover above the bottom pole and provides a return path for the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet set. A voice coil is attached to the actuator arm and positioned within the magnetic field between the bottom pole and the top cover.

6639749, Oct 28, 2003

Oct 28, 1999

09/429393

Frederick F. Kazmierczak - Erie CO
T. Jay Cameron - Corralitos CA

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2102

360 75

A system and method for unloading a transducer assembly to a ramp positioned outside an outer diameter of a disc in a disc drive system directs current generated from the back EMF (electromotive force) of a spindle motor to supplement current provided by a power supply to a positioning coil. The combined current yields increased torque to park the transducer assembly without requiring unnecessary power consumption during normal disc drive operation. The current generated from the back EMF of the spindle motor is enhanced by accelerating the rotation of the spindle motor to exceed the normal operational rotational velocity of the disc drive system. A position detector provides a trigger signal to control the timing of the switch that combines the current from the back EMF and the current from the power supply to the positioning coil. A modified voice coil motor configuration optimizes the magnetic flux density along the length of the voice coil motor magnets so as minimize unnecessary power consumption while optimizing the magnetic flux density in the region corresponding to the disc surface.

6690541, Feb 10, 2004

Apr 17, 2001

09/836907

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - San Jose CA

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 17038

360 9808, 360 9912

An apparatus and method for securing an information storage disc within a disc drive incorporates a rotatable spindle hub and a clamping ring. The clamping ring is positioned between an inner edge of the information storage disc and the rotatable spindle hub. The clamping ring is a strip of resilient sheet material and defines a series of serpentine shaped curves that alternatively contact the inner edge of the information storage disc and a sidewall of the rotatable spindle hub. The clamping ring applies a radial force to the information storage disc. In some cases the clamping ring may define a series of equally spaced apart, radially extending, tabs from the top and bottom edges of the clamping ring. The tabs from the top edge contact the top surface of the information storage disc at an inner diameter of the information storage disc. The tabs from the bottom edge contact the bottom surface of the information storage disc at an inner diameter of the information storage disc.

6724567, Apr 20, 2004

Apr 6, 2000

09/544849

Frederick Frank Kazmierczak - San Jose CA, 95120
Michael John Raffetto - Scotts Valley CA, 95066

G11B 17038

360 9808, 360 9912

A disc mounting system for mounting the discs of a disc drive in a fixed radial relationship to the hub of a spindle motor. The disc mounting system includes curved spring elements, having a substantially C-shaped cross section, which are curved on a radius greater than the radius of the central opening of the discs. One or more spring elements are utilized with each disc, and assembly tooling is used to bend the spring elements so that the discs, with the opening of the C-shaped springs engaging the inner diameter of the discs, can fit over the hub of the spindle motor. The assembly tooling is then removed to allow the spring elements to partially straighten, firmly engaging the discs relative to the spindle motor hub in the radial direction. In a first embodiment of the invention, alternative mechanisms are disclosed for establishing the axial positions of the discs. In a second embodiment, a plurality of annular grooves are provided in the spindle motor hub and the spring elements engage both the discs and annular grooves in the spindle motor hub to fixedly locate the discs relative to the spindle motor hub in both the radial and axial directions.