Patent ID: RE39004

Claim:
A negative pressure air bearing slider, comprising: a slider body for flying above a surface of a recording disc during relative rotation of the disc, the slider body having a principal surface for confronting the surface of the disc, said principal surface having a lead portion, a rear portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the lead portion is spaced upstream of the rear portion relative to a longitudinal direction of said slider body which is coincident with a tangential rotational direction of the recording disc, and wherein the first side portion is spaced from the second side portion relative to a lateral direction of said slider body; first and second projections extending from said lead portion of said principal surface of said slider body to define first and second air bearing surfaces, said first and second air bearing surfaces spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of said slider body; a U-shaped projection extending from said principal surface of said slider body, said U-shaped projection including an arcuate front wall portion at least partially located between said first and second air bearing surfaces, said U-shaped projection further including first and second side wall portions extending from opposite ends of said arcuate front wall rearwardly toward said rear portion and outwardly toward said first and second side portions of said principal surface for defining a negative pressure cavity therein, said first and second wall portions terminating at said rear portion of said principle principal surface of said slider body for defining third and fourth air bearing surfaces, said third and fourth air bearing surfaces spaced apart from each other along said lateral direction of said slider body and spaced apart from said first and second air bearing surfaces along said longitudinal direction of said slider body; a fourth projection extending from said rear portion of said principal surface of said slider body, said fourth projection interposed between said third and fourth air bearing surfaces and generally aligned with said longitudinal direction of said slider body; and a transducer mounted on a rear edge of said fourth projection for establishing pseudo contact with the disc surface while said slider body is flying above said disc surface.