Patent ID: 6115329
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An air bearing slider configuration for supporting optical elements adjacent a rotating disc and supported on an actuator to selectively move the optical elements from an inner diameter to an outer diameter of said disc with a flat fly height profile over the surface of the disc,wherein the actuator supports said slider to have a substantially symmetrical skew angle with respect to air flow generated by rotation of said disc about a center track of said disc, the slider having a disc confronting surface comprising at least one slider pad, projecting from said surface,each said slider pad having a leading edge which is a first edge to contact said air flow generated by said disc, a trailing edge and an inner side which is more closely adjacent to said inner diameter of said disc and an outer side which is closer to said outer diameter track of said disc,each said slider pad having a primary air flow surface facing said disc for supporting said slider to fly over said surface of said disc, andeach said slider pad further having a cavity in a corner of said pad and opening into a portion of said leading edge of said pad and said inner side of said pad and being generally rectangular in shape the bottom of the cavity ending above the main surface of the slider body.