Abstract: A disk drive including a negative pressure type head slider having a transducer for reading/writing data from/to a disk having a plurality of tracks, and an actuator for moving the head slider across the tracks of the disk. The actuator includes an actuator arm rotatably mounted on a base of the head slider, a suspension fixed at a base end portion thereof to a front end portion of the actuator arm, and the head slider mounted on a front end portion of the suspension. The head slider includes a front pad having a raised surface and a step surface lower in level than the raised surface, the transducer formed near the air outlet end, and a first groove for generating a negative pressure by expanding air once compressed at the front pad. The bottom surface of the first groove is formed with a plurality of second grooves continuously extending from the downstream side of the front pad to the air outlet end. The second grooves are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of the head slider.

Abstract: With a view to providing a head slider which can suppress the adhesion of dust particles to a flying surface of the head slider when the head slider flies and a disk drive employing the same head slider, a head slider in which at least an air bearing portion and a land portion for forming a vacuum area on the flying surface are provided on the flying surface of the head slider, the land portion being formed in such a manner as to have a difference in level so as to be closer by a step to a disk medium than an end surface of the slider base, wherein the water repellency of an end surface of the land portion and the water repellency of the end surface of the slider base are made higher than the water repellency of the air bearing portion.

Abstract: A disk drive including a negative pressure type head slider having a transducer for reading/writing data from/to a disk having a plurality of tracks, and an actuator for moving the head slider across the tracks of the disk. The actuator includes an actuator arm rotatably mounted on a base of the head slider, a suspension fixed at a base end portion thereof to a front end portion of the actuator arm, and the head slider mounted on a front end portion of the suspension. The head slider includes a front pad having a raised surface and a step surface lower in level than the raised surface, the transducer formed near the air outlet end, and a first groove for generating a negative pressure by expanding air once compressed at the front pad. The bottom surface of the first groove is formed with a plurality of second grooves continuously extending from the downstream side of the front pad to the air outlet end. The second grooves are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of the head slider.

Abstract: A disk device rotates a disk-like storage medium, and accesses the storage medium, and a slider floats over a storage medium by the action of an airflow caused by rotation of the storage medium and can float stably despite of an environmental change. An inner rail formed on a floating surface of the slider has a first step part located on an air inlet side and a second step part located adjacent to the first step part on the air outlet side and having a height greater than that of the first step part, and the first step part and the second step part are separated by a wall along a first segment extending from an inner side toward an outer side and a second segment extending from the outer-side end of the first segment toward the outer side with being slanted toward the air inlet side.

Abstract: With a view to providing a head slider which can suppress the adhesion of dust particles to a flying surface of the head slider when the head slider flies and a disk drive employing the same head slider, a head slider in which at least an air bearing portion and a land portion for forming a vacuum area on the flying surface are provided on the flying surface of the head slider, the land portion being formed in such a manner as to have a difference in level so as to be closer by a step to a disk medium than an end surface of the slider base, wherein the water repellency of an end surface of the land portion and the water repellency of the end surface of the slider base are made higher than the water repellency of the air bearing portion.

Abstract: A disk drive including a negative pressure type head slider having a transducer for reading/writing data from/to a disk having a plurality of tracks, and an actuator for moving the head slider across the tracks of the disk. The actuator includes an actuator arm rotatably mounted on a base of the head slider, a suspension fixed at a base end portion thereof to a front end portion of the actuator arm, and the head slider mounted on a front end portion of the suspension. The head slider includes a front pad having a raised surface and a step surface lower in level than the raised surface, the transducer formed near the air outlet end, and a first groove for generating a negative pressure by expanding air once compressed at the front pad. The bottom surface of the first groove is formed with a plurality of second grooves continuously extending from the downstream side of the front pad to the air outlet end. The second grooves are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of the head slider.

Abstract: A protector protuberance is formed on a head slider incorporated in a recording medium drive such as a hard disk drive. The protector protuberance is allowed to collide against a contamination on a recording medium in front of a head element mounted on the head slider. The head element can be protected from collision against the contamination behind the protector protuberance. The protector protuberance is located as close to the head element as possible. Even with a smaller protector protuberance, the front and rear support protrusions contact the recording medium so as to hold the slider body above the surface of the recording medium. An increase can be prevented in the adsorption acting between the slider body and a lubricant agent spreading over the surface of the recording medium. A smaller protector protuberance enables the head element to approach the recording medium as close as possible upon read/write operations.

Abstract: A protection film is layered over the trailing or outflow end surface of a slider body in a head slider for a recording medium drive. A head element is embedded within the protection film. The head element generates heat in response to the supply of an electric current. The heat causes thermal expansion of the protection film. The tip end of the head element thus excessively approaches the recording disk beyond the medium-opposed surface of the head slider. The flying height of a protection protuberance is set smaller than a flying height of the head element even when the protection film suffers from thermal expansion. The protection protuberance is allowed to trace an orbit closer to the recording medium than the orbit of the head element. The protection protuberance is allowed to collide against obstacles on the recording medium in front of the head element.

Abstract: A head slider having an air inlet end and an air outlet end includes a rail having a flat air bearing surface for generating floating force when the disk rotates, the rail being disposed on a disk-facing surface, and an electromagnetic transducer disposed near the air outlet end where the rail is positioned. The head slider has a cavity on the air outlet end near the electromagnetic transducer.

Abstract: With a view to providing a head slider which can suppress the adhesion of dust particles to a flying surface of the head slider when the head slider flies and a disk drive employing the same head slider, a head slider in which at least an air bearing portion and a land portion for forming a vacuum area on the flying surface are provided on the flying surface of the head slider, the land portion being formed in such a manner as to have a difference in level so as to be closer by a step to a disk medium than an end surface of the slider base, wherein the water repellency of an end surface of the land portion and the water repellency of the end surface of the slider base are made higher than the water repellency of the air bearing portion.

Abstract: A protection film is layered over the trailing or outflow end surface of a slider body in a head slider for a recording medium drive. A head element is embedded within the protection film. The head element generates heat in response to the supply of an electric current. The heat causes thermal expansion of the protection film. The tip end of the head element thus excessively approaches the recording disk beyond the medium-opposed surface of the head slider. The flying height of a protection protuberance is set smaller than a flying height of the head element even when the protection film suffers from thermal expansion. The protection protuberance is allowed to trace an orbit closer to the recording medium than the orbit of the head element. The protection protuberance is allowed to collide against obstacles on the recording medium in front of the head element.

Abstract: A protector protuberance is formed on a head slider incorporated in a recording medium drive such as a hard disk drive. The protector protuberance is allowed to collide against a contamination on a recording medium in front of a head element mounted on the head slider. The head element can be protected from collision against the contamination behind the protector protuberance. The protector protuberance is located as close to the head element as possible. Even with a smaller protector protuberance, the front and rear support protrusions contact the recording medium so as to hold the slider body above the surface of the recording medium. An increase can be prevented in the adsorption acting between the slider body and a lubricant agent spreading over the surface of the recording medium. A smaller protector protuberance enables the head element to approach the recording medium as close as possible upon read/write operations.

Abstract: A disk drive including a negative pressure type head slider having a transducer for reading/writing data from/to a disk having a plurality of tracks, and an actuator for moving the head slider across the tracks of the disk. The actuator includes an actuator arm rotatably mounted on a base of the head slider, a suspension fixed at a base end portion thereof to a front end portion of the actuator arm, and the head slider mounted on a front end portion of the suspension. The head slider includes a front pad having a raised surface and a step surface lower in level than the raised surface, the transducer formed near the air outlet end, and a first groove for generating a negative pressure by expanding air once compressed at the front pad. The bottom surface of the first groove is formed with a plurality of second grooves continuously extending from the downstream side of the front pad to the air outlet end. The second grooves are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of the head slider.

Abstract: A head assembly for an information storage device that includes a head slider with a read/write element for reading/recording information to/from a disk and a suspension for supporting the head slider. The suspension includes a generally planar sheet that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to second end and an arm attaching portion located near the first end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension. The arm attaching portion is adapted to be attached to a head arm. The suspension also includes a slider attaching portion positioned near the second end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension, where the slider attaching portion extends generally in the longitudinal direction and is surrounded by a generally U-shaped opening in the generally planar sheet. The slider attaching portion faces a securing surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A head assembly which can prevent an increase in the frictional force between the head and the recording medium, even if the spindle motor is rotated in the reverse direction during start-up of the disk drive. The head assembly includes a suspension having a roundedly bent portion for generating a spring load and a gimbal located on the suspension. A head slider is mounted on the gimbal. The head slider has an air bearing surface, an air inlet end, and an air outlet end. The spring load of said suspension is applied to the head slider at a load point that is offset from a center of gravity of said head slider. Preferably, the offset load point is located between the center of gravity of the head slider and its air inlet end. Additionally, the head slider preferably includes several pads extending from its air bearing surface, and the offset load point can be located at the center of gravity of the pads (as opposed to the center of gravity of the head slider in its entirety).

Abstract: An air bearing slider capable of reducing to the utmost variations in its flying height, irrespective of its movement along the radial direction of the storage disk. A larger positive pressure (or lift) can be generated at the air bearing surface when the air bearing surface receives an air stream running along the front raised surface and the front wall during rotation of the storage disk. Even when the air stream approaches from different directions, it still reaches the air bearing surface through the constant area of the front raised surface and the front wall. Accordingly, variations in the direction of the air stream fail to cause variations in the positive pressure at the air bearing surface, so that variations in the flying height of the slider can be reduced to the utmost irrespective of its radial movement along the storage disk.

Abstract: A head assembly for an information storage device that includes a head slider with a read/write element for reading/recording information to/from a disk and a suspension for supporting the head slider. The suspension includes a generally planar sheet that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to second end and an arm attaching portion located near the first end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension. The arm attaching portion is adapted to be attached to a head arm. The suspension also includes a slider attaching portion positioned near the second end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension, where the slider attaching portion extends generally in the longitudinal direction and is surrounded by a generally U-shaped opening in the generally planar sheet. The slider attaching portion faces a securing surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A head assembly for an information storage device that includes a head slider with a read/write element for reading/recording information to/from a disk and a suspension for supporting the head slider. The suspension includes a generally planar sheet that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to second end and an arm attaching portion located near the first end of the generally planar sheet of said suspension. The arm attaching portion is adapted to be attached to a head arm. The suspension also includes a slider attaching portion positioned near the second end of the generally planar sheet of the suspension, where the slider attaching portion extends generally in the longitudinal direction and is surrounded by a generally U-shaped opening in the generally planar sheet. The slider attaching portion faces a securing surface of the head slider.

Abstract: A head assembly which can prevent an increase in the frictional force between the head and the recording medium, even if the spindle motor is rotated in the reverse direction during start-up of the disk drive. The head assembly includes a suspension having a roundedly bent portion for generating a spring load and a gimbal located on the suspension. A head slider is mounted on the gimbal. The head slider has an air bearing surface, an air inlet end, and an air outlet end. The spring load of said suspension is applied to the head slider at a load point that is offset from a center of gravity of said head slider. Preferably, the offset load point is located between the center of gravity of the head slider and its air inlet end. Additionally, the head slider preferably includes several pads extending from its air bearing surface, and the offset load point can be located at the center of gravity of the pads (as opposed to the center of gravity of the head slider in its entirety).

Abstract: A flying head slider comprises a flying surface opposed to the surface of the magnetic disk. Inner and outer rails are formed on the flying surface. Air bearing surfaces (ABS) are defined on the inner and outer rails. A magnetic head element is embedded in the outer rail at the protection layer attached to the end surface of the slider body. A splay is formed on the air bearing surface (ABS) of the outer rail. When the head slider takes off from the surface of the magnetic disk, the head slider takes a slant attitude with the protection layer nearest to the surface of the magnetic disk. The splay in the outer rail serves to avoid the protection layer from colliding with the surface of the magnetic disk even when the head slider rolls. The head slider is capable of making the magnetic head element thereon approach the surface of the magnetic disk as much as possible even if the head slider is expected to change its attitude.