Positive pressure optical slider having trailing end side pads

An optical recording slider comprising:

• a slider body comprising a leading slider edge, a trailing slider edge and a center line extending from the leading slider edge to the trailing slider edge;
• first and second longitudinal rails positioned on the slider body and each terminating prior to the trailing rail edge and comprising inside and outside rail edges, a leading section, a leg section, a waist section and a trailing section, wherein the inside and outside rail edges extend parallel to the center line along the leading section, from the leading slider edge to the leg section of the first and second rails, diverge from the center line along the leg section, from the leading section to the waist section of the first and second rails, and then extend parallel to the center line along the waist section, from the leg section to the trailing section of the first and second rails, and wherein the inside rail edges diverge from the center line along the trailing section, from the waist section toward the trailing rail edges of the first and second rails;
• a third longitudinal rail positioned along the center line, between the first and second longitudinal rails, terminating prior to the trailing rail edges of the first and second rails, and comprising first and second lateral rail edge, a trailing rail edge, a leading section, a waist section and a maximum rail width, wherein the lateral side edges extend parallel to the center line along the leading section, from the leading slider edge to the waist section of the third rail, diverge from the center nline along the waist section, from the leading section of the third rail to a portion of the third rail having the maximum rail width, extend parallel to the center line along the portion having the maximum rail width and then converge toward the center line from the portion having the maximum rail width toward the trailing rail edge of the third rail;
• an optical head positioned along the center line, between the trailing rail edge of the third rail and the trailing slider edge;
• a first raised side pad positioned between the first rail and the trailing edge and rearward of the optical head;
• and
• a second raised side pad positioned between the second rail and the trailing edge and rearward of the head, the first and second raised side pads being discrete from the first, second and third longitudinal rails.

An optical disc drive comprising:

• a housing;
• a spindle motor;
• a disc rotatably coupled to the spindle motor;
• an actuator assembly mounted to the housing;
• and
• an optical recording slider carried by the actuator assembly for communication with the disc, the slider comprising:
• a slider body comprising a leading slider edge, a trailing slider edge and a center line extending from the leading slider edge to the trailing slider edge;
• an optical head carried by the slider body along the center line, forward of the trailing slider edge;
• first, second and third longitudinal rail means positioned on the slider body and shaped for generating air expansion regions adjacent the optical head;
• a first raised side pad positioned between the first longitudinal side rail and the trailing slider edge and rearward of the head;
• and
• a second raised side pad positioned between the second longitudinal side rail and the trailing slider edge and rearward of the head, the first and second raised side pads being discrete from the first, second and third longitudinal rails.