John Algis Ycas
Engineers in Boulder, CO

7538982, May 26, 2009

Sep 7, 2006

11/516997

John Ycas - Boulder CO, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 21/24

3602912

An example embodiment provides for an apparatus, for use in a tape drive system, that facilitates adjustment of azimuth and zenith orientations of a magnetic tape head. The apparatus includes a top and bottom plate located above and below an actuator assembly that includes a magnetic head. Also included are first and second ball-ended guide rods that each have ends that mate with corresponding top and bottom plate sockets. Azimuth and zenith adjustment is provided for via at least one azimuth adjustment screw and at least one zenith adjustment screw. Various aspects of the apparatus include independent adjustment of the zenith and azimuth, where adjustments to one does not affect the other. Another aspect includes the top plate remaining in a substantially horizontal plane when either the azimuth or the zenith is adjusted.

5657183, Aug 12, 1997

May 11, 1995

8/439000

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO
Stefan J. Malek - Boulder CO
Wayne G. Soderfelt - Westminster CO

Fujitsu Limited - Kanagawa

G11B 5012

360 9701

A rotary disk storage system is provided for use with portable or laptop computers which is designed to achieve an overall maximum height ("Z-height") not greater than 17 mm. In attaining this result, the top cover and lower base plate of the housing of this rotary disk storage system are sealed by a pressure sensitive adhesive which permits the top cover to "float" on the lower base plate. Moreover, the reduced overall height is attained by forming the spin motor which rotates the magnetic disks integrally with the lower base plate. Further, IC chips are mounted on the printed circuit board to provide signal processing to a host computer, these IC chips being mounted on one side of the printed circuit board to face the lower base plate of the disk storage system. When the rotary disk storage system of the present invention is assembled, each of these IC chips is accommodated within differentially-sized pockets formed in the bottom surface of the lower base plate.

5673157, Sep 30, 1997

May 11, 1995

8/439113

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO
Stefan J. Malek - Boulder CO
Wayne G. Soderfelt - Westminster CO

Fujitsu Limited - Kanagawa

G11B 1700

360 9701

A rotary disk storage system is provided for use with portable or laptop computers which is designed to achieve an overall maximum height ("Z-height") not greater than 17 mm. In attaining this result, the top cover and lower base plate of the housing of this rotary disk storage system are sealed by a pressure sensitive adhesive which permits the top cover to "float" on the lower base plate. Moreover, the reduced overall height is attained by forming the spin motor which rotates the magnetic disks integrally with the lower base plate. Further, IC chips are mounted on the printed circuit board to provide signal processing to a host computer, these IC chips being mounted on one side of the printed circuit board to face the lower base plate of the disk storage system. When the rotary disk storage system of the present invention is assembled, each of these IC chips is accommodated within differentially-sized pockets formed in the bottom surface of the lower base plate.

7679864, Mar 16, 2010

Aug 17, 2006

11/506968

Ashok Nayak - Glendora CA, US
John Ycas - Boulder CO, US
Turguy Goker - Solana Beach CA, US
Ming-chih Weng - Los Angeles CA, US
James Mark Decot - Fountain Valley CA, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 5/55

3602611

A servo-controlled, head actuator design that has low profile characteristics in both the height and width dimensions. The low height allows the actuator to fit into a half-high tape drive form factor. Additionally, in some implementations, the actuator comprises a smaller, concentrated moving mass coupled with a flexure construction having a narrowed width with added ribs for torsional stiffness. These aspects of the actuator provide a higher second mode of vibration compared to the flexure designs of the prior art. The actuator includes a coarse actuator assembly for larger movements of the head, and a fine actuator, including a Voice coil motor, responsive to analysis of servo signals. In some embodiments, the voice coil motor of the fine actuator and the coarse actuator shafts are in line. Since the centerlines of the shafts are in-line with the voice coil motor, the resonance response of the shaft spring-mass system is reduced.

2007017, Jul 26, 2007

Jan 20, 2006

11/336020

John Ycas - Boulder CO, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 5/55

360261100

A high-frequency tape head actuator has a positioning coil mounted close to a tape read/write head and between two thin flexures, which are flexible in a plane of flexion but stiff in other planes. One end of each flexure is attached to a fine positioner that holds the coil and the tape head. The other end of each flexure is attached to a base, such as a coarse positioner, which moves in the plane of flexion transversely to the length of a magnetic tape to read and write data on the tape. The base includes a magnet, which produces a magnetic field to precisely move the fine positioner in the plane of flexion. The position of the coil close to the center of mass of the fine positioner allows the fine positioner to operate at high frequencies, thereby allowing increased tracking precision and greater data storage capacities.

5717541, Feb 10, 1998

Mar 1, 1995

8/396864

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO
Wayne G. Soderfelt - Westminster CO
Shoji Samma - Kawasaki, JP
Gary Kelsic - Longmont CO

Fujitsu Limited - Kanagawa

G11B 2102, G11B 548

360 9701

A flexlead circuit assembly is provided for use in a rotary disk storage system and is designed so that the inherent bias force exerted by the flexible circuit on the actuator arm of the disk storage system is negated. The flexlead circuit herein is split into two sets of flexlead conductors: one to supply power and ground to the actuator VCM and other to transmit signals to and from the read/write heads. The end of each of these flexlead conductors opposite to the end mounted to the actuator arm is integrally formed with and provides signal communication with a printed circuit mounted within the housing. The printed circuit is formed on a substrate which is snap-fit to the lower plate of the disk drive housing to thereby not only support the printed circuit within the housing, but also to provide mechanical support for the flexlead circuit.

4775908, Oct 4, 1988

Apr 24, 1987

7/042281

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO

MiniScribe Corporation - Longmont CO

G11B 555, G11B 2110

360106

A moving magnet rotary actuator is provided for use in a memory device of the type having a magnetic memory disk upon which data may be stored and read. The actuator includes a rotary body coupled to one or more elongated arms which support read/write transducer heads. A permanent magnet, driven by the magnetomotive forces which are generated by the energization of a stationary coil mounted opposite and adjacent to the magnet, is mounted on and moves with the body. Rotation of the body moves the heads from track to track on the magnetic memory disk. The direction of movement is determined by the polarity of the current through the coil; and the speed and distance of actuator travel is determined by the magnitude of the current.

2007027, Dec 6, 2007

Jun 2, 2006

11/445546

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 5/55

3602611

In one example, a drive head actuator includes a base, a positioner, and a planar coil. The positioner includes a frame movably attached to the base and having a data transducer head and at least one permanent magnet fixed thereto. The planar coil is fixed to the base and has a major surface disposed adjacent the at least one permanent magnet and substantially parallel to support surface of the data transducer head. The frame is operable to move relative to the base and planar coil in response to energizing the planar coil. Additionally, the positioner may be attached to the base via two flexures, which are relatively flexible in a plane of flexion and stiff in other planes.

2009000, Jan 1, 2009

Jun 29, 2007

11/824562

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 23/087

242342

A magnetic tape guiding apparatus located in a position associated with a head element for guiding magnetic tape in a tape drive is provided. A body of the tape guiding apparatus has a first end and a second end and sides. There are at least two protrusions of the tape guiding apparatus associated with one side of the body. A magnetic tape medium passes between the at least two protrusions and the head element such that the at least two protrusions and the head element contact the magnetic tape medium. A first flange is associated with the first end of the body, and a second flange is associated with the second end of the body. Each flange projects beyond the at least two protrusions. Both flanges limit movement of the magnetic tape medium.

7600709, Oct 13, 2009

Apr 5, 2007

11/784513

John A. Ycas - Boulder CO, US

Quantum Corporation - San Jose CA

G11B 15/46

2423346, 360 71, 360 7712

A tension sensor within a tape drive for measuring tension of a magnetic tape medium is provided. The tension sensor comprises a guide pin connected to a top plate for guiding the magnetic tape medium; at least two flexure structures connected to the top plate and a base such that the at least two flexure structures are in a parallel configuration; and at least one magnetic field density sensor associated with the guide pin for detecting lateral motion of the guide pin. In some embodiments, the guide pin is a tape guiding roller.