Patent ID: 7505228
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A head comprising: a slider which has a facing surface opposed to a surface of a rotatable recording medium and is flown by an air current produced between the recording medium surface and the facing surface as the recording medium rotates; and a head portion which is provided on the slider and records and reproduces information to and from the recording medium, the facing surface of the slider having a longitudinal direction extending in the direction of the air current, a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the slider having a negative-pressure cavity which is formed in the facing surface and generates a negative pressure, a leading step portion which is raised from a bottom surface of the negative-pressure cavity and is situated on an upstream side of the air current with respect to the negative-pressure cavity, and a leading pad which is provided on the leading step portion and faces the recording medium, the leading pad having an inlet end edge which is situated on the upstream side of the air current and extends throughout a length of the leading step portion in the transverse direction and a plurality of recesses which individually open in the inlet end edge and extend in the longitudinal direction from the inlet end edge, the recesses including a center recess on the central axis and side recesses, at least one on each side of the central axis, and the side recesses being situated flush with each other with respect to the longitudinal direction and being staggered toward the downstream side of the air current with respect to the center recess.