US 6,583,959 B1Granted

Read write head assembly having air bearing features for contaminant control in flexible media head-disk interface

AssigneeIomega Corporation

InventorDavid L. Hall

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Abstract

An improved head assembly having air bearing features for contaminant control in flexible media high contact-pressure zone. The head assembly having one or more air bearing features for improving the performance of the heads by controlling a flow of contaminants away from the head sensor and the high contact-pressure zone. The improved head assembly having air bearing features allows the head to keep contaminants out of the high contact-pressure zone proximate the head disk interface where the sensor communicates (e.g., contacts) the flexible media. The head assembly of the present invention includes a shaped slot air bearing feature formed in the rail having the sensor that directs the flow of contaminants away from the high contact-pressure zone and therefore, away from the sensor. This helps to prevent problems associated with head spacing and also damage to the head, the disk, and/or both. In addition, the present invention can also include an additional shaped slot air bearing feature positioned by the sensor. In another embodiment of the present invention, the head assembly has a shaped rail air bearing feature for controlling a flow of contaminants from entering the high contact-pressure zone and away from the sensor.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A head assembly for interfacing with a storage medium of a disk cartridge, comprising:

a first slider, comprising:
(i) a first rail, extending longitudinally along said first slider, and having an air bearing feature that extends across an entire width of said first rail, wherein said air bearing feature comprises at least one shaped slot having:
at least one angled entrance point on an inside edge of said first rail angled toward a leading edge of said first slider;
at least one angled entrance point on an outside edge of said first rail angled toward said leading edge of said first slider;
at least one angled exit point on said inside edge of said first rail angled toward a trailing edge of said first slider;
at least one angled exit point on said outside edge of said first rail angled toward said trailing edge of said first slider;
(ii) a second rail, extending longitudinally along said first slider;
(iii) a sensor disposed in a trailing end of said first rail of said first slider for communicating with said storage medium;
and
a second slider aligned with said first slider, comprising
(i) a first rail, extending longitudinally along said second slider and having an air bearing feature that extends across an entire width of said first rail of said second slider, wherein said air bearing feature comprises at least one shaped slot having:
at least one angled entrance point on an inside edge of said first rail angled toward a leading edge of said second slider;
at least one angled entrance point on an outside edge of said first rail angled toward said leading edge of said second slider;
at least one angled exit point on said inside edge of said first rail angled toward a trailing edge of said second slider;
at least one angled exit point on said outside edge of said first rail angled toward said trailing edge of said second slider, said first rail of said second slider being aligned with said second rail of said first slider;
(ii) a second rail, extending longitudinally along said second slider, said second rail of said second slider being aligned with said first rail of said first slider;
(iii) a sensor disposed in a trailing edge of said first rail of said second slider for communicating with said storage medium;
and
wherein said air bearing feature acts to control a flow of contaminants away from said sensors.

16 more elements

A disk drive for receiving a disk cartridge that has a storage medium that has a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

an actuator for communicating with said cartridge and said storage medium;
a head assembly mounted on said actuator, comprising:
a first slider, comprising:
(i) a first rail, extending longitudinally along said first slider, and having an air bearing feature that extends across an entire width of said first rail, wherein said air bearing feature comprises one or more X-shape slots having at least two angled exit points and two angled entrance points;
(ii) a second rail, extending longitudinally along said first slider;
(iii) a sensor disposed in a trailing end of said first rail of said first slider;
and
a second slider aligned with said first slider, comprising
(i) a first rail, extending longitudinally along said second slider and having an air bearing feature that extends across an entire width of said first rail of said second slider, wherein said air bearing feature comprises one or more X-shape slots having at least two angled exit points and two angled entrance points, said first rail of said second slider being aligned with said second rail, of said first slider;
(ii) a second rail, extending longitudinally along said second slider, said second rail of said second slider being aligned with said first rail of said first slider;
(iii) a sensor disposed in a trailing edge of said first rail of said second slider;
and
wherein said disk cartridge is inserted so that said first surface of said storage medium is proximal to said first slider and said second surface of said storage medium is proximal to said second slider, said air bearing feature in each of said first rails functioning to control a flow of contaminants away from a high contact-pressure zone defined where said sensor communicates with said storage medium when said storage medium is rotated between said first and said second sliders.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.