Abstract: Disclosed is a head slider having excellent shock resistance, a head supporter, as well as a disk drive using the head slider. The head slider is characterized in a form of its opposite-to-disk surface, such that a fixed point is set at a position located outwardly of a rear end portion of the head slider and at a predetermined distance from a load application point, which load urges the slider toward a disk. When a shock force is externally applied to the head slider, the head slider is rotated about this fixed point such that at least one of pitch angle and roll angle is maintained positive. Because of this structure, a disk drive excellent in shock resistance can be provided.

Abstract: A Head slider 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a disk-facing surface adapted to oppose a disk 400, as well as a head 22 disposed on the disk-facing surface for performing record/reproduce operations. The disk-facing surface has a cross rail 261 disposed at a predetermined distance from an upstream edge portion 36 perpendicular to the rotating direction of disk 400, and an upstream-side intermediate-level surface 32 formed to be lower than cross rail 261 and extended from the forward edge of cross rail 261 to upstream edge portion 36. A step depth H at a stepped portion 38 between cross rail 261 and intermediate-level surface 32 is set to be within a range of 5 nm to 100 nm. Thus, a disk drive is provided that is capable of record/reproduce operations while maintaining stable flight of head slider 20 when the relative speed between the head slider and disk is low and that has good shock resistance.

Abstract: In a head slider, when the distance between the upstream position and the downstream position in a direction parallel to the surface of the recording medium is L, and the amount of flying in a vertical direction from the recording medium at the downstream position is Xh, and the angle formed by the surface to be opposed to the recording medium of the head slider against the recording medium in stable flying of the head slider is ?p, then the relation of (L tan ?p/Xh)?((Kt/Kl)?1) is satisfied for membrane rigidities Kl and Kt. By such configuration of a head slider, when inertia force caused by external impact or the like is applied to the head slider, air layer formed between the air bearing surface of the head slider and the recording medium surface acts as an air spring while the head slider rotates in the pitch direction.

Abstract: A Head slider 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a disk-facing surface adapted to oppose a disk 400, as well as a head 22 disposed on the disk-facing surface for performing record/reproduce operations. The disk-facing surface has a cross rail 261 disposed at a predetermined distance from an upstream edge portion 36 perpendicular to the rotating direction of disk 400, and an upstream-side intermediate-level portion 32 formed to be lower than cross rail 261 and extended from the forward edge of cross rail 261 to upstream edge portion 36. A step depth H at a stepped portion 38 between cross rail 261 and intermediate-level portion 32 is set to be within a range of 5 nm to 100 nm. Thus, a disk drive is provided that is capable of record/reproduce operations while maintaining stable flight of head slider 20 when the relative speed between the head slider and disk is low and that has good shock resistance.

Abstract: The head slider of the present invention is characterized in that, when an inertia force is generated, at an upstream position spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the direction of air inflow end from a position where the inertia force is applied to the head slider, and at a downstream position spaced apart by same distance in the direction of air outflow end from a position where the inertia force is applied, the membrane rigidities of air spring layer formed between the head slider and a recording medium are Kl and Kt respectively; and the distance between the upstream position and the downstream position in a direction parallel to the surface of the recording medium is L, and the amount of flying in a vertical direction from the recording medium at the downstream position is Xh, and the angle formed by the surface to be opposed to the recording medium of the head slider against the recording medium in stable flying of the head slider is &thgr;p, then the relation of

Abstract: A head slider having excellent shock resistance and a head supporter, as well as a disk drive, using the head slider. The head slider is characterized in the form of its opposite-to-disk surface having a fixed point set at a position located outwardly of the rear end portion of the slider and at a predetermined distance from a point of application of a load to urge the slider toward the disk, whereby the slider, when a shock power is externally applied to the slider, is rotated such that at least one of pitch angle and roll angle is kept positive. Owing to this structure, a disk drive excellent in shock resistance can be provided.