Abstract: A slider body configuration, or slider, for carrying a data transducer in cooperative relationship with a rotating data storage disc. The slider includes a plurality of landing pads which serve to minimize the contact area between the slider and the discs when the heads are parked in contact with the discs, and the landing pads project from surfaces which are farther removed from the disc surface than the air bearing surfaces, thus minimizing the size and strength of any liquid miniscus formed between the slider and the disc when the slider and disc are in contact. By recessing the bases of the landing pads from the air bearing surfaces, the effect of the landing pads on the separation between the data transducer and the discs is minimized.

Abstract: A mounting system attaches head suspensions to actuator head mounting arms of a disc drive actuator. The mounting system includes head suspension mounting plates and features on both the head suspension mounting plates and on the actuator head mounting arms that facilitate snap-fitting or press-fitting of the mating components, as well as features that ensure both accurate alignment and maintenance of the position of the mounted head suspensions in and about the major orthogonal axes.

Abstract: A slider with contact interface features for contact starts and stops. Contact interface features include elevated leading edge contact interface features including elevated contact pads, ribs or protective layer. In addition, the invention includes a slider with a trailing edge contact interface at the bearing surface having a relatively rough surface structure including textured or rough surface patterns.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for a disc drive has an overcoat localized on the air bearing surface to provide a continuous covering over a leading portion of the air bearing surface. The overcoat terminates in a trailing cut-off line, and a trailing portion of the air bearing surface is not covered by overcoat. The overcoat also covers the pole tips of the transducer at a pole tip recession from the air bearing surface. The leading portion covered by the overcoat includes all of the air bearing surface that contacts the disc during contact/start/stop, which is protected by a uniform continuous overcoat layer. The trailing cut-off line is disposed at an angle to expose the trailing corners of the air bearing surface, such that all of the overcoat is elevated above the lowermost portion of the air bearing surface through pitch and roll angles of flying at inner and outer radii. Methods of applying the localized overcoat include subtractive and additive photolithographic deposition processes.

Abstract: A slider with contact interface features for contact starts and stops. Contact interface features include elevated leading edge contact interface features including elevated contact pads, ribs or protective layer. In addition, the invention includes a slider with a trailing edge contact interface at the bearing surface having a relatively rough surface structure including textured or rough surface patterns.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a base, a disk rotably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly moves the transducer to selected areas of the disk where information reprexentative of data is to be written or read. The actuator assembly maintains the transducer in a transducing relationship with the disk. The actuator assembly also parks the transducer or unloads the transducer to a park position. A portion of the actuator assembly rides over a ramp to a park position. The ramp includes a mechanism for increasing the coefficient of friction on the surface of the ramp. The coefficient of friction on the surface of the ramp is increased to help retain the actuator in its parked position. This helps maintain the actuator assembly in a parked position in the event of shock loading from dropping a computer or a disk drive. This in turn helps prevent head crashes or failure of the disk drive and possible data loss.

Abstract: A reader portion (150) of a magnetoresistive head is disclosed. The reader portion (150) includes a magnetoresistive read element (156) for reading information from a magnetic media (216) and a non-magnetic element (153) to detect and cancel thermal changes in the read head. A spacer (155) is positioned between the magnetoresistive read element (156) and the non-magnetic element (153). A plurality of electrical contacts (166, 167, 168) connect the magnetoresistive read element (156) and the non-magnetic element (153) to external circuitry.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a base, a disk stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. A ramp assembly includes a set of ramps for loading and unloading the transducing elements to and from the disks in the disk stack. The ramp assembly is attached to the base. The ramp assembly has a series of fixed ramps which are either formed as one integral unit or formed of separate portions. The actuator assembly includes a set of arms. Attached to each arm is a suspension. Attached near the free end of each of the suspensions is a transducer. Also attached to the suspension is a load tang. The load tang rides over the surface of the ramp when the transducers are loaded to or unloaded from a disk surface. The load tang includes a plastically deformable portion which may be irreversibly deformed during assembly of the drive and more particularly, deformed when all of the heads are unloaded from the disk to the ramp assembly for the first time.

Abstract: A mounting system attaches head suspensions to actuator head mounting arms of a disc drive actuator. The mounting system includes head suspension mounting plates and features on both the head suspension mounting plates and on the actuator head mounting arms that facilitate snap-fitting or press-fitting of the mating components, as well as features that ensure both accurate alignment and maintenance of the position of the mounted head suspensions in and about the major orthogonal axes.

Abstract: An asperity sensing head is used for detecting asperities on the surface of a disc while the disc is rotated. The asperity sensing head includes a slider body having a first rail and an air bearing surface. A first asperity sensor is carried by the slider body in the first rail. A second asperity sensor is also carried by the slider body in the first rail wherein the first and second asperity sensors are separated by a groove in the first rail.