Pseudo contact negative pressure air bearing slider with divided negative pressure pockets

摘要

A pseudo contact NPAB head slider configured for supporting a transducer proximate to a rotating disc. The slider includes two side rails extending almost to the trailing edge and a central air bearing island at the trailing edge, which form air bearing surfaces that develop positive lifting forces as the disc rotates beneath the slider. Two negative pressure air cavities are created, one proximate to each of the side rails in a central portion of the slider body, separated from each other by curved cross rails. In addition, two more negative pressure air cavities are created forward of the central negative pressure air cavities. The central and forward negative pressure air cavities on each side of the slider are divided by narrow central air bearing rails segments, which safely maintain the stable trapped drawing or suction forces in the cavities regardless of large skew angle variations while the disc drive is operating.