Abstract: A slider for a disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, the slider includes an air bearing pad that contains a read/write transducer. This particular air bearing pad is small. High pressures are exerted on this small air bearing pad while the slider is flying in vertically spaced to its corresponding data storage disk. Pressures in excess of 500 psi may exist on this air bearing pad. In any case, this air bearing pad provides a significant portion of the total lifting forces for flying the slider in vertically spaced relation to its corresponding data storage disk or the like. As such, any expansion of the air bearing pad toward the data storage disk during read/write operations does not result in any significant loss of fly height.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider body and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider body has an air bearing surface, an air inflow end, and an air outflow end. The air bearing surface has: a first surface including two portions that extend in a direction of air passage; a second surface including a portion that extends in the direction of air passage, the portion of the second surface being disposed between the two portions of the first surface; a third surface that is located closer to the air outflow end than the first surface is; and a border part located between the first and third surfaces. The first surface and the second surface have such a difference in level that the second surface is located farther from the recording medium than the first surface is. This difference in level varies gradually so as to increase with decreasing distance from the air outflow end.

Abstract: In a cassette for a magnetic tape, which has a housing with a housing wall formed with an access opening for a magnetic head, and a tape-pressure device including a pressure-pad support and, arranged thereon, a pressure pad having an elastic base of a foam material, the foam material has open pores at the surface region which faces the magnetic tape during pressing and a polytetrafluoroethylene layer is anchored in the open pores.