Shawn E Casey

US Patent:

6349464, Feb 26, 2002

Filed:

May 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/584837

Inventors:

Raffi Codilian - Irvine CA
Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B 542

US Classification:

2960303, 360 9703, 3602641, 3602642

Abstract:

A method of making a balance-compensated (BC) rotary actuator for use in a rotatable BC head stack assembly (HSA) portion in a disk drive based upon track-follow characteristics of a rotatable test HSA portion is provided. The test HSA portion includes a test rotary actuator having a test actuator weight specification. The test rotary actuator has an actuator body portion, a test pivot axis extending through the actuator body portion and a head connected to the actuator body portion. The test rotary actuator is controlled to rotate about the test pivot axis for positioning the head over a selected disk track. The test rotary actuator has a test rotary actuator center-of-gravity torque vector associated therewith about the test pivot axis. The method provides for vibrating the disk drive at a vibration frequency in order to vibrate the test HSA portion. Position error information is read using the head while performing a track-follow operation during the vibrating of the test HSA portion.

US Patent:

6462914, Oct 8, 2002

Filed:

Oct 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/704188

Inventors:

Kamran Oveyssi - San Jose CA
Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA
Jason T. Weaver - Milpitas CA
Mitchell D. Dougherty - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forrest CA

International Classification:

G11B 555

US Classification:

3602648, 310154

Abstract:

The present invention may be regarded as a disk drive comprising a disk, an actuator arm comprising a head, and a voice coil motor for actuating the actuator arm to position the head radially over the disk. The voice coil motor comprises a first magnet for generating a first magnetic flux, and a rotary voice coil yoke comprising a magnetic flux conductor shaped to form an air gap with respect to the first magnet, the magnetic flux conductor comprising a first end having a first reluctance and a second end having a second reluctance, wherein the first reluctance is substantially lower than the second reluctance such that the magnetic flux conductor guides the first magnetic flux through the air gap and through the first end. A voice coil is wrapped around at least part of the magnetic flux conductor for conducting a current to generate a second magnetic flux such that at least part of the second magnetic flux is within the air gap for interacting with the first magnetic flux.

US Patent:

6502300, Jan 7, 2003

Filed:

Jul 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/630070

Inventors:

Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA
Raffi Codilian - Irvine CA
Roger G. Davis - San Jose CA
Jorge Haro - Stockton CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B 5127

US Classification:

2960303, 2960304, 29901, 29593

Abstract:

An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a method of balancing a rotary actuator for use in a rotatable head stack assembly (HSA) portion in a disk drive. The rotary actuator has a pivot axis, and the rotatable HSA portion has an installed HSA portion center-of-gravity. The method provides for deetermining a desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location for locating the installed HSA portion center-of-gravity along the pivot axis for mitigating acceleration of the rotary actuator about the pivot axis due to external linear acceleration experienced by the disk drive during a track-follow operation. The method further provides for measuring weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to determine an actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity. The method further provides for selectively modifying weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to locate the actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity at the desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location.

US Patent:

6519116, Feb 11, 2003

Filed:

Nov 30, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/728625

Inventors:

Chen-Chi Lin - San Jose CA
Kamran Oveyssi - San Jose CA
Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B 2108

US Classification:

3602656

Abstract:

An aspect of the invention can be regarded as an actuator arm assembly which includes an actuator arm having an actuator bore. The actuator arm is configured to pivot about an axis of rotation. The actuator bore has pivot sleeve contact areas. The actuator arm assembly includes a pivot cartridge which includes a pivot sleeve which is formed to exert compressive force radially from the axis of rotation. The pivot sleeve is formed to locally deform radially relative to the axis of rotation adjacent the pivot sleeve contact areas. The pivot cartridge includes a bearing outer race. The pivot cartridge includes a bearing gap formed between the bearing outer race and the pivot sleeve for inhibiting transfer of force between the pivot sleeve and the bearing outer race.

US Patent:

6522504, Feb 18, 2003

Filed:

Jan 31, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/773957

Inventors:

Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B 548

US Classification:

3602454

Abstract:

A disk drive includes a head gimbal assembly and a disk that includes a recording surface. The head gimbal assembly comprises a load beam, the load beam including a first load beam surface facing toward the recording surface and a second load beam surface facing away from the recording surface, a plurality of conductors at least partially supported by the first load beam surface, each conductor including a proximal conductive pad, a distal conductive pad and a conductive path between the proximal and distal conductive pads, the proximal conductive pad being closer to a pivot axis than the distal conductive pad, a gimbal coupled to the load beam, the gimbal including a gimbal proximal end that supports the respective distal conductive pads and a gimbal distal end, and a head for flying above the recording surface of the disk while reading magnetic data recorded on the recording surface of the disk as the disk spins in a rotational direction.

US Patent:

6571460, Jun 3, 2003

Filed:

Nov 15, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/295731

Inventors:

Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA
Raffi Codilian - Irvine CA
Roger G. Davis - San Jose CA
Jorge Haro - Stockton CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

H23P 1900

US Classification:

29729, 29737, 29901

Abstract:

An aspect of the invention can be regarded as a method of balancing a rotary actuator for use in a rotatable head stack assembly (HSA) portion in a disk drive. The rotary actuator has a pivot axis, and the rotatable HSA portion has an installed HSA portion center-of-gravity. The method provides for determining a desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location for locating the installed HSA portion center-of-gravity along the pivot axis for mitigating acceleration of the rotary actuator about the pivot axis due to external linear acceleration experienced by the disk drive during a track-follow operation. The method further provides for measuring weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to determine an actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity. The method further provides for selectively modifying weight distribution characteristics of the rotary actuator to locate the actual rotary actuator center-of-gravity at the desired rotary actuator center-of-gravity location.

US Patent:

6710980, Mar 23, 2004

Filed:

Dec 27, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/753280

Inventors:

Serge Hauert - San Jose CA
Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA
Haldun Arin - San Ramon CA

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B 554

US Classification:

3602564

Abstract:

A disk drive comprises a disk, an actuator arm, a head attached to the actuator arm, a voice coil motor, a parking latch for latching the actuator arm in a latched position in order to park the head during a non-operating mode, a post, and an inertial latch for maintaining the actuator arm in the latched position when the disk drive is subjected to a physical shock. The inertial latch comprises a body having a protruding arm and a pivot surface, wherein during the physical shock the body rotates about the pivot surface such that the protruding arm engages the actuator arm. The body of the inertial latch further comprises a strip-spring comprising a first end inserted into a first receptor and a second end inserted into a second receptor such that the strip spring has an initial arc displacement when installed into the body of the inertial latch.

US Patent:

6934126, Aug 23, 2005

Filed:

Dec 23, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/328586

Inventors:

Keith R. Berding - San Jose CA, US
Shawn E. Casey - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Lake Forest CA

International Classification:

G11B033/12
G11B005/54

US Classification:

3602642, 360 9701

Abstract:

A disk drive comprises a housing including a base; a disk rotatably attached to the base; a printed circuit board coupled to the base and including a plurality of circuit board pads; a head stack assembly pivotally coupled to the base about a pivot axis and a flex-to-board connector. The head stack assembly includes a head for reading and writing to the disk and a flex cable assembly that includes a flexible film including a plurality of conductive traces that are electrically coupled to the head. The flexible film includes a connecting portion in which each of the plurality of conductive traces defines a trace pad. Each trace pad is disposed on a surface of the flexible film that is generally parallel to the pivot axis. The flex-to-board connector is attached to the base and is configured to couple to the connecting portion of the flexible film and to maintain the surface of the flexible film on which the trace pads are disposed in an orientation that is generally parallel to the pivot axis. The flex-to-board connector includes a plurality of conductive fingers, each configured to electrically connect one of the trace pads to a corresponding one of the plurality of circuit board pads.