Patent ID: 7012786

Claim:
A magnetic head for magnetically recording and/or reproducing data from magnetic disk media, comprising: a head slider for approaching or contacting said magnetic disk media; rails or pads formed on said head slider; and head elements provided on said rails or said pads; wherein a plurality of said head elements are provided on one of said rails or said pads at intervals along a track arrangement direction of said magnetic disk media, said plurality of head elements being operative to simultaneously record and/or reproduce data from multiple locations of said magnetic disk media; wherein said magnetic head further comprises a head arm including a suspension member and a gimbal mounted at a tip of said suspension member, said gimbal holding said magnetic head slider; wherein said rails or pads are tapered so that the thicknesses thereof decrease toward one of the ends thereof; said head elements are provided in the vicinity of the end of said rails or said pads opposite said tapered ends thereof; and said head slider is held by said gimbal so that said magnetic head element is positioned at the opposite end thereof from said head arm; wherein said head slider is provided with two rails; and each of said rails is provided with said magnetic head elements.