Patent ID: 8553363
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A hard-disk drive, comprising: a head slider having an air bearing surface, wherein the air bearing surface comprises an inner diameter (ID) side rail and an outer diameter (OD) side rail, and wherein the ID side rail is longer in length than the OD side rail; a magnetic-recording disk rotatably mounted on a spindle; a drive motor having a motor shaft attached to the spindle for rotating the magnetic-recording disk; and a voice-coil motor configured to move the head to access portions of the magnetic-recording disk, wherein the ID side rail has a geometry that reduces a contact force between the head and the magnetic-recording disk when the head experiences a positive roll static attitude (RSA), and wherein the OD side rail has a geometry that reduces contact force between the head and the magnetic-recording disk when the head experiences a negative RSA, and wherein the geometry of the ID side rail includes a number of layers, and wherein a particular layer, directly underneath a topmost layer in the geometry of the ID side rail in the air bearing surface of the head slider, includes a U-shape feature comprising a leading edge protrusion which extends toward an outer diameter (OD) side of the head slider, an ID side portion, and a trailing edge protrusion closer to a trailing edge of the head slider than the leading edge protrusion and which extends toward the OD side of the head slider.