Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Fluid bearing head support – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2003-01-14
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Fluid bearing head support
Disk record
C360S236600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507458
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a structure of a head for writing or reading data to or from a disk medium, and more particularly, to a structure of a floating type head for stopping in contact on the disk medium during the non-operating condition and recording or reading data to or from the disk medium while it is floating thereon during the recording/reproducing operation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In disk apparatus for recording or reproducing information to or from a disk medium, a contact&Circlesolid;start&Circlesolid;stop system (CSS system) is often employed, in which the head slider is in contact with the disk surface during the non-operating condition, and floats over the surface of the disk when it rotates during the recording and reproducing operation, in order to avoid wear due to contact between the head slider on which a head element is loaded and the disk surface.
FIG. 1
shows a head slider of the related art. FIG.
1
(
a
) is a plan view of the surface of the head slider opposing the disk, and FIG.
1
(
b
) shows an end surface of the air outgoing side of the head slider.
At a surface
1
a
opposing a disk
50
, a couple of projected stripe type rails
3
are formed in basic material
11
of a head slider
90
. At an air bearing surface
3
a
of the rail
3
, an adsorption preventing pad
5
is formed to prevent adsorption or touching of the air bearing surface
3
a
of rail
3
to the surface of disk
50
. At the air incoming end side of the air bearing surface
3
a
, a tapered portion
6
is formed to easily generate a floating force for the head slider
90
. At the end surface of the air outgoing side of the head slider
90
, an electromagnetic transducer
2
such as an inductive head, magneto-resistive element and/or spin bulb magneto-resistive element is formed.
In disk devices using a CSS system, the head slider
90
is supported by a suspension (not illustrated) having a spring. When the disk
50
is rotating, the head slider
90
floats by receiving the air flow generated by rotation of the disk
50
at its disk confronting surface, and is in contact with the CSS zone
50
a
of the disk
50
(FIG.
1
(
b
)) when the disk
50
is not rotated. During the reading or writing operation, the head slider
90
moves across the surface of the rotating magnetic disk
50
while it is floating therefrom, and the head element
2
mounted to the head slider
90
reads and writes information from and to the predetermined tracks of the disk
50
.
In recent years, with further reduction in the size of magnetic disk devices, such disk devices have been introduced into portable apparatus such as a note-size personal computer as memory. However, the magnetic disk devices are exposed to external shock. Therefore, high durability and shock resistance are required for such magnetic disk apparatus.
In magnetic disk devices using the CSS system, the head slider is in contact with the CSS zone at the surface of the magnetic disk while the disk is not rotated. In this condition, when the magnetic disk apparatus receives shock during transportation or by dropping, the head slider is tilted and an edge
7
of the basic material
111
illustrated in FIG.
1
(
a
) slides on the surface of the magnetic disk
50
. The edge of the head slider is hard and sharp. Therefore, when the edge
7
slides on the surface of the magnetic disk
50
, the disk
50
can become damaged, generating the phenomenon that data is destroyed or data reading or writing is disabled. Thereby, shock resistance of the magnetic disk apparatus is lowered. As a structure for alleviating wear of the magnetic disk and head slider, the edge of the basic material of the head slider could be chamfered. However, this method is not so effective because the amount of chamfering cannot be increased. Moreover, the width of the floating rail up to the side edge of the head slider could be widened in order to chamfer the edge of the rail, but when the width of the floating rail is widened, the floating characteristic changes and the desired floating height cannot be attained.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to enhance the shock resistance of magnetic disk devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a head slider which can alleviate wear caused by the disk.
Moreover, a further object of the present invention is to provide a head slider which has good floating characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The head slider of the present invention has a chamfered pad between the side edge and rail at the surface opposing the disk. In this manner, the pad avoids contact between the edge of the basic material of the head slider and the disk. Contact between the pad and disk can occur, but since the pad is chamfered, the disk is not easily damaged. In comparison with chamfering the basic material and rail, the present invention has less influence on the floating characteristics of the slider, so the amount of chamfering can be increased. Therefore, damage to the disk can be alleviated remarkably and shock resistance of disk apparatus can be much improved.
Moreover, the head slider of the present invention can have a pad formed with a height lower than the height of the slider rail at the side edge at the surface opposing the disk. According to this structure, not only the contact between the edge of the basic material of the head slider and the disk medium can be avoided, but also the pad does not regulate the floating height of the head slider. In this manner, the shock resistance of disk apparatus can be improved, without increasing the floating height of the head slider and thereby high recording density of the disk apparatus can be realized.
Here, it is desirable that the hardness of the pad be lower than the hardness of the basic material. According to this structure, contact between the pad and disk medium is generated but since hardness of the pad is lowered, the disk is not damaged as easily. Therefore, damage to the disk is alleviated and shock resistance can further be improved.
Moreover, the height of the pad can be made equal to the height of the slider rail, and the pad and slider rail can be formed of the same material. According to this structure, the pad and slider rail can be formed by the same process. Accordingly, manufacturing cost can be reduced through reduction of manufacturing processes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6229671 (2001-05-01), Boutaghou et al.
patent: 6252742 (2001-06-01), Kameyama
Fujitsu Limited
Greer, Burns & Crain LTD
Tupper Robert S.
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