Air bearing magnetic slider with wishbone-shaped rails

A substantially rectangular air bearing magnetic head slider having leading and trailing edges and substantially parallel sides comprising:

• a nonmagnetic substrate having an air bearing surface;
• first and second side rails formed along said sides of said surface, said first and said second side rails projecting out from said air bearing surface and having top surfaces;
• a wishbone-shaped rail configuration formed between said rails on said substrate surface and projecting out from said air bearing surface, said wishbone shaped rail configuration having spaced first and second branching segments extending substantially parallel to said first and said second side rails, said wishbone shaped rail configuration extending for a portion of the distance between said trailing edge and said leading edge, said first and second branching segments having top surfaces, said wishbone shaped rail configuration having third and fourth branching segments disposed at an angle relative to said substantially parallel first and second sides of said first and second branching segments, said third and fourth branching segments being connected respectively to said first and second branching segments;
• a narrow trunk portion having a leading edge taper projecting out from said air bearing surface and extending from said leading edge for connection to the junction of said third and fourth branching segments of said wishbone rail configuration;
• including first and second leading edge tapers located at said leading edges of said first and second side rails respectively, and projecting out from said air bearing surface;
• wherein said wishbone-shaped rail configuration includes first and second segments that form a V geometry with a closure at one end of each of said first and second segments, a third segment extending from said closure towards said leading edge, fourth and fifth segments extending from the other end of each of said first and second segments towards said trailing edge, a subambient pressure region between said first, second, fourth and fifth segments,
• wherein said wishbone rail configuration is offset relative to the central longitudinal axis of said slider.

A substantially rectangular air bearing magnetic head slider having leading and trailing edges and substantially parallel sides comprising:

• a nonmagnetic substrate having an air bearing surface;
• first and second side rails formed along said sides of said surface, said first and said second side rails projecting out from said air bearing surface and having top surfaces;
• a wishbone-shaped rail configuration formed between said rails on said substrate surface and projecting out from said air bearing surface, said wishbone shaped rail configuration having spaced first and second branching segments extending substantially parallel to said first and said second side rails, said wishbone shaped rail configuration extending for a portion of the distance between said trailing edge and said leading edge, said first and second ranching segments having top surfaces, said wishbone shaped rail configuration having third and fourth branching segments disposed at an angle relative to said substantially parallel first and second sides of said first and second branching segments said third and fourth branching segments being connected respectively to said first and second branching segments;
• a narrow trunk portion having a leading edge taper projecting out from said air bearing surface and extending from said leading edge for connection to the junction of said third and fourth branching segments of said wishbone rail configuration;
• including first and second leading edge tapers located at said leading edges of said first and second side rails respectively, and projecting out from said air bearing surface;
• wherein said wishbone-shaped rail configuration includes first and second segments that for, a V geometry with a closure at one end of each of said first and second segments, a third segment extending from said closure towards said leading edge, fourth and fifth segments extending from the other end of each of said first and second segments towards said trailing edge, a subambient pressure region between said first, second, fourth and fifth segments,
• including a third leading edge taper located at the leading edge of said third segment.

A substantially rectangular air bearing magnetic head slider having leading and trailing edges and substantially parallel sides comprising:

• a nonmagnetic substrate having an air bearing surface;
• first and second tapers formed at said slider leading edge adjacent to said sides of said slider and projecting out from said air bearing surface;
• first and second pads joined to and extending from said tapers respectively and projecting out from said air bearing surface;
• a wishbone-shaped rail configuration formed with two branching arms extending from said trailing edge toward said leading edge, said arms having first and second side rail portions extending from said trailing edge and projecting out from said air bearing surface, said side rail portions being spaced from said pads, angled rail portions extending from said side rail portions, a V-shaped portion to which said angled portions are joined, a central taper extending from said leading edge, and a rectangular portion disposed between said central taper and said V-shaped portion.