US 6,982,851 B2
Flying head slider and disk storage apparatus using the same
Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Kanagawa (Japan); Kazutoshi Yamamoto, Tokyo (Japan); Koji Fukumoto, Kanagawa (Japan); and Toshio Mamiya, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, (Japan)
Filed on Oct. 22, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/689,593.
Claims priority of application No. P2002-325791 (JP), filed on Nov. 08, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2004/0090708 A1, May 13, 2004
Int. Cl. G11B 17/32 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 360—235.8 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flying head slider that is incorporated in a disk storage apparatus, which records and reproduces information to and from a disk-shaped storage medium, wherein
a face of said flying head slider, which faces said storage medium, comprises three types of surfaces, which are a positive pressure generating surface; a step that has a lower height than said positive pressure generating surface; and a recess that has a lower height than said step, wherein
said positive pressure generating surface comprises:
a U-shaped leading pad that comprises a projection on an air inflow side and is positioned at a front part of said slider;
two side pads that are positioned behind said leading pad and to the right and the left side; and
a center pad that comprises a recess on the air inflow side and is positioned between said two side pads and behind said leading pad; said step comprises:
a leading step that extends from a front edge of said leading pad to a front edge of said slider;
two side steps that extend from the behind of said leading pad and to the right and the left and to connect to said two side pads, respectively; and
a center step that comprises a projection on the air inflow side and extends forward from a front edge of said center pad;
said recess is formed at the peripheries of said center pad and of said center step, which are surrounded by said leading pad and said side steps;
said side steps extend from side parts of said side pads to the side edges of said slider; form a width of said leading pad narrower than a total width of said slider; said leading step and said side steps are joined at the side parts of the slider and extend to the side edges of said slider;
said side steps are wider at the rear;
the rear edge of said center pad is positioned further behind the rear edges of said side pads; and
a head is positioned near the rear edge of said center pad.