The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2004
Charles Mathew Mate, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert N. Payne, San Jose, CA (US);
Charles Mathew Mate, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert N. Payne, San Jose, CA (US);
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, NL;
Abstract
A magnetic recording disk drive has a negative-pitch slider in near-contact or continuous-contact with the disk during reading and writing of data. When the disk is rotating at its operating speed, the slider has its upstream or leading portion located closer to the disk surface than its downstream or trailing portion. Both the leading and trailing portions have air-bearing surfaces that enable the slider to be partially supported above the disk surface. A contact pad that provides no substantial air-bearing support is located at the leading portion and supports or contains the magnetic elements of the read/write head. The contact pad protrudes beyond the air-bearing surface of the leading portion and is in contact with the disk. For near-contact recording the contact pad partially wears away during an initial wear-in period. For continuous-contact recording the contact pad is wear-resistant and remains in substantially continuous contact with the disk during reading and writing of data.