Anthony Pascal Sannino

6392842, May 21, 2002

Jun 22, 2001

09/887588

Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN
Jorge Vicente Hanchi - Minneapolis MN
Andreas Argyros Polycarpou - Eden Prairie MN
Thomas Roy Pitchford - Bloomington MN
Anthony Pascal Sannino - Shakopee MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 560

3602366, 3602358

An air bearing slider designed for operation at ultra-low flying heights. The air bearing slider has an air bearing surface having portions which are constructed from a low-friction, high-wear-resistance material.

6462909, Oct 8, 2002

Aug 28, 2000

09/649754

Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN
Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Jorge V. Hanchi - Minneapolis MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 560

3602358, 3602356, 3602357, 360236, 3602361

A disc head slider for supporting a transducer relative to a data storage disc includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface with a leading slider edge and a trailing slider edge. First and second rails are disposed on the disc-facing surface about a central recess and form first and second bearing surfaces, respectively, which terminate prior to the trailing slider edge. First and second wear-resistant pads are formed on the disc-facing surface between respective ones of the first and second bearing surfaces and the trailing slider edge. The first and second wear-resistant pads are raised from the central recess and are recessed from the first and second bearing surfaces to provide transitions in the disc-facing surface that generate vibration-dampening pressure gradients while limiting contact between the pads and the data storage disc during operation.

6490135, Dec 3, 2002

Aug 23, 2000

09/644737

Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Michael D. Mundt - Longmont CO
Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN
Jason W. Riddering - Prior Lake MN
Mary C. Hipwell - Minneapolis MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2121

3602358, 3602363, 360 9701

A disc drive assembly includes a housing, a disc, an actuator, a ramp and a slider. The ramp is positioned along an edge of the disc to engage a portion of the actuator when the actuator is in a parked position. The slider is supported over the disc by the actuator and includes first and second elongated rails. Each rail has a leading bearing surface, a trailing bearing surface, and a recessed area extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. Each channel includes a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed area, non-divergent channel side walls and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow and forward of a localized region of the respective trailing bearing surface.

6501606, Dec 31, 2002

Nov 30, 2000

09/726906

Zine Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN
Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Derek A. Lewis - Minneapolis MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 502

360 25, 360 75, 360 53, 3602919, 360 7809

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a fly height of a read/write head in a disc drive is actively controlled as the read/write head is positioned over a rotating disc with a patterned media. The patterned media includes ridges and grooves in servo wedges in the patterned media. According to another embodiment of the present invention, an estimated fly height of the read/write head is compared with a desired fly height to generate a control signal. The control signal is used to apply a voltage difference across a piezoelectric layer joining the read/write head to a slider to move the read/write head relative to the slider and adjust the fly height of the read/write head. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a map of ridges and grooves in the patterned media is generated and the fly height of the read/write head is actively controlled based on information in the map.

6504682, Jan 7, 2003

Apr 13, 2000

09/549424

Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2121

3602358, 3602361, 3602362, 3602363

A disc head slider includes a cavity dam, a subambient pressure cavity and first and second elongated rails. The first and second rails are disposed about the subambient pressure cavity. Each of the rails has a rail width measured from an inner rail edge to an outer rail edge, a leading bearing surface, a trailing bearing surface, and a recessed area extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces. The recessed area is recessed from the bearing surfaces and raised from the cavity floor, across the rail width. First and second convergent channels are recessed within the trailing bearing surfaces of the first and second rails, respectively. Each channel has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed area, non-divergent channel side walls and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow and forward of a localized region of the respective trailing bearing surface.

6510027, Jan 21, 2003

Aug 10, 2000

09/637271

Mark A. Chapin - Boulder CO
Michael D. Mundt - Longmont CO
James M. Murphy - Boulder CO
Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2121

3602358, 3602357, 3602363

A disc head slider includes a slider body having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a slider length measured from the leading edge to the trailing edge, a central-recess floor and a plurality of raised rails. Each raised rail forms a respective bearing surface. At least one of the raised rails has a recessed rail surface, which is recessed from the respective bearing surface and raised from the central recess floor. At least twenty isolated bearing pads are positioned on the recessed rail surface and together form at least part of the respective bearing surface. Each bearing pad has a pad length and a pad width, which are at least one percent of the slider length.

6515831, Feb 4, 2003

Apr 13, 2000

09/548148

Anthony P. Sannino - Shakopee MN
Jorge V. Hanchi - Minneapolis MN
Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 2121

3602356, 3602358, 360236, 3602361, 3602362, 3602363

A disc head slider includes a leading slider edge, a cavity dam, a subambient pressure cavity, which trails the cavity dam and has a cavity floor, and first and second rails disposed about the subambient pressure cavity. Each rail has leading and trailing bearing surfaces and a recessed surface extending between the leading and trailing bearing surfaces, which is recessed from the bearing surfaces and raised from the cavity floor, across the rail width. Recessed leading channels are positioned near the leading slider edge and have a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the leading slider edge, non-divergent channel side walls, and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow. A trailing channel is recessed within each of the trailing bearing surfaces and has a leading channel end open to fluid flow from the respective recessed surface, non-divergent channel side walls, and a trailing channel end closed to the fluid flow.

6560071, May 6, 2003

Sep 25, 2001

09/962299

Mark A. Chapin - Louisville CO
Michael D. Mundt - Longmont CO
Anthony P. Sannino - Longmont CO
Deborah S. Schnur - Minneapolis MN
Scott E. Ryun - Prior Lake MN
Zine-Eddine Boutaghou - Vadnais Heights MN

Seagate Technology LLC - Scotts Valley CA

G11B 1732

3602357, 3602361, 3602362

A disc head slider includes a slider body having a disc-opposing face with leading and trailing slider edges, a slider length measured between the leading and trailing slider edges, a bearing surface, a recessed area, an inlet and a convergent channel. The recessed area is recessed from the bearing surface. The inlet has a leading channel end, which is open to air flow from the leading slider edge, channel side walls and a trailing channel end. The convergent channel has a leading channel end, which is open to fluid flow from the inlet, channel side walls and a trailing channel end, which is closed to the fluid flow. The trailing channel end of the convergent channel is located along the slider length rearward of at least a portion of the recessed area and forward of at least a portion of the bearing surface.