Patent ID: 6212032
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A negative pressure air bearing slider, comprising:a slider body for flying above a surface of a recording disc during relative rotation of the recording disc, the slider body having a principal surface for confronting the disc surface, the principal surface having a lead edge, a rear edge, a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein the lead edge is spaced upstream of the rear edge relative to a longitudinal direction of the slider body which is coincident with a tangential rotational direction of the recording disc, and wherein the first side edge is spaced from the second side edge relative to a lateral direction of the slider body;first and second projections extending from a lead portion of the principal surface of the slider adjacent to said lead edge, wherein the first and second projections are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the slider body, the first and second projections defining first and second central negative pressure air cavities respectively, and first and second forward negative pressure air cavities respectively for the slider body, the first forward negative air pressure cavity extending between the first projection and the first side edge, and the second forward negative air pressure cavity extending between the second projection and the second side edge;a third projection extending from a rear portion of the principal surface of the slider body adjacent to said rear edge at a position centrally located in the lateral direction of the slider body; anda transducer mounted on a rear edge of the third projection so as to establish pseudo contact with the disc surface while the slider body is flying above the disc surface.