JPH0589626A - Slider for magnetic head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the skew angle dependency of the levitation amount of a slider in a magnetic disk driven by means of a rotary actuator. CONSTITUTION:The surfaces 5 and 6 of pneumatic bearings are formed in circular or nearly circular shapes and step bearing sections 7 which make step bearing actions are formed and arranged around the surfaces 5 and 6 of the pneumatic bearings.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slider having an air bearing for closely holding a magnetic head at predetermined intervals on the surface of a magnetic disk driven by a rotary actuator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 11 is a plan view of an essential part showing a relative positional relationship between a magnetic disk having a rotary actuator and a magnetic head in the related art. Reference numeral 11 denotes a suspension for supporting the slider 1, and the slider 1 on the magnetic disk 12 has a skew angle formed by the rotation of the drive arm 13 between the circumferential velocity direction of the compressed air flow and the longitudinal direction of the slider 1. θ changes. The skew angle θ is generally set to about ± 15 ° with respect to the rotation direction of the magnetic disk.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the relative relationship between the slider 1 and the compressed air flow when the skew angle θ is positive.
Is an air fluid. The conventional slider 1 is formed with two taper portions 3 on the air inflow side and an air bearing surface 4 following the taper portions, and the longitudinal direction of the slider 1 and the inflow direction of the air fluid 2 form an angle θ. Only skew angle is formed.

When the skew angle changes from 0 °,
The compressed air flow due to the wedge bearing action or the step bearing action at the air inflow end flows out from the side of the air bearing surface 4 before giving a sufficient levitating force to the air bearing surface 4. Therefore, the flying height of the slider 1 decreases or the rolling phenomenon of the slider 1 increases, and the magnetic disk 12 and the slider 1 easily contact each other. In the worst case, the slider 1 crashes and the recording surface of the magnetic disk 12 is damaged. It will be destroyed.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a first example of the conventional slider having the above-mentioned structure. The slider 1 has two air bearing surfaces 4 formed separately in the inflow direction of the air fluid 2. Has gained levitation power.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a second example of another conventional slider. A taper portion 3 is provided on the air inflow side, and a groove portion in the slider lateral direction is provided at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the air bearing surface. 14 is provided, and the air bearing surface is divided into the left and right, and the air bearing surface 5 on the air inflow side and the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side are formed separately (G.
D. Hneze, “An air Bearing Minimizing The Effects o
f Side Skew Angle ", IEEE Trans.on Mag.Vol-25.No.5, S
ep.1989, pp.3713-3715).

In this slider 1, since the levitation force acting on the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side does not depend on the compressed air flow from the air inflow end, the change in the flying height due to the change in the skew angle can be reduced. it can.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a third example of the slider disclosed in JP-B-63-19951. In FIG. 15, the slider 1 has a taper portion 3 on the air inflow side, an air bearing surface 5 on the air inflow side following the taper portion 3, and an air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side divided by a groove portion 14 in the lateral direction of the slider. And the groove portion 14 in the slider lateral direction is formed.
A part or all of the above is formed as a step bearing portion.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the air bearing surface 4 and the compressed air flow 8 when the slider 1 shown in FIG. 13 floats above the magnetic disk surface and the skew angle is 0 °. Yes, FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram similarly showing a case where the skew angle is θ °. As can be seen from FIG. 17, when the skew angle is θ °, the compressed air flow 8 only applies a levitation force to a part of the air bearing surface 4, and the flying amount to the slider 1 is 0 when the skew angle in FIG. Lower than in the case of ° and roll occurs.

[0010]

However, the decrease in the pressure applied to the air bearing surface as described above when the skew angle changes from 0 ° becomes larger at the air outflow end. This is because the compressed air due to the wedge bearing action or step bearing action of the air inflow end flows out from the side of the air bearing surface before the portion of the air bearing surface near the air outflow end floats.

In the second conventional example shown in FIG. 14, since compressed air flows out from the groove 14 in the lateral direction of the slider, the change in the levitation force due to the change in the skew angle of the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side. Decreases. However, the pressure applied to the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side changes depending on the angle of attack α of the compressed air flow on the air bearing surface 6,
As the angle of attack α decreases, the pressure applied to the air bearing surface 6 also decreases. When the skew angle changes from 0 °,
Since the angle of attack α decreases, the levitation force decreases.

Further, in the third conventional example shown in FIG.
It is formed shallower than the groove portion 14 of the second example shown in FIG. Therefore, the step difference between the air bearing surfaces 5 and 6 is small, and due to the step bearing action of the groove portion 14,
The amount of compressed air flowing out from the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side changes depending on the skew angle and the levitation force changes. However, the change in the levitation force due to the change in the attack angle α is larger than that in the slider of FIG. Is also small.

An object of the present invention is to provide a slider for a magnetic head, which alleviates the problem that the flying height of the slider depends on the skew angle in the conventional magnetic disk.

[0014]

According to the present invention, in a slider for a magnetic head used for a magnetic disk using a rotary actuator, a groove portion in the lateral direction of a slide for dividing an air bearing surface into an air inflow side and an air outflow side, and each of the above-mentioned each. At least on each side of the air bearing surface of the divided air bearing surface,
A step bearing portion, which has a circle or a part of a circle, or an air bearing surface formed as an ellipse or a part of an ellipse, is arranged on a slider surface as a target, and which has a step bearing action on the circumferential surface of the air bearing surface. Is formed.

[0015]

According to the present invention, the air bearing surface is formed into a circle, a part of a circle close to a circle, an ellipse, or a part of an ellipse, and the air bearing surface is surrounded by
Since the step bearing portion is provided, the relative position of the air bearing surface and the compressed air flow does not change even if the skew angle changes, and the dependence on the skew angle of the slider is greatly reduced. Also, since all the divided air bearing surfaces generate positive pressure due to the compressed air flow, even if the angle of attack of the air bearing surface with respect to the compressed air flow changes, the change in the levitation force of the slider is small, and therefore the magnetic force is Stable information can be exchanged with the disc.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the shape of the air bearing surface of the slider of FIG.

First, in FIG. 1, the slider 1 is provided with two air bearing surfaces 5 on the air inflow side and two air bearing surfaces 6 on the air outflow side.
As shown in the plan view of FIG. 1, all are formed in a perfect circle, and the step bearing portions 7 concentric with the perfect circle are formed and arranged around each of them. Further, a magnetic conversion element 10 forming a magnetic head is arranged on the air outflow side of the air bearing surface 6. Reference numeral 14 designates a groove portion in the lateral direction of the slider formed in the longitudinal middle portion of the slider 1 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the air bearing surface and the compressed air flow when the slider 1 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 floats above the magnetic disk and the skew angle is 0 °.

Similar to FIG. 3, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relative position between the air bearing surface and the compressed air flow when the skew angle of the slider 1 is θ.

It can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the compressed air flow imparts the same levitation force to the entire surface of the air bearing surface regardless of the change in the skew angle. Therefore, the levitation force applied to the slider 1 is constant, and the occurrence of roll is extremely small.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the shape of the air bearing surface of the slider of FIG.

5 and 6, the slider 1 has a groove portion 14 in the lateral direction of the slider 1, two taper portions 3 on the air inflow side, and two planar air bearing surfaces 5 following the taper portions. And two circular air bearing surfaces 6 on the air outflow side and a step bearing portion 7 around the air bearing surfaces, and only the air bearing surface 6 of the four air bearing surfaces 5, 6 is provided. It is formed in a circular shape.

In the conventional slider of the second example shown in FIG. 14, the decrease in the positive pressure when the skew angle is attached is remarkable on the air outflow side. 5 is formed in a circular shape as shown in FIG. 5, the dependency of the flying height of the slider on the skew angle can be reduced.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the shape of the air bearing surface of the slider in FIG. In both of these figures, the slider 1 forms a taper portion 3 on the air inflow side, an air bearing surface 5 following the taper portion, a cross rail 15, a step bearing portion 7 and an air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side. And 9 constitutes a negative pressure generating portion.

The third embodiment is a slider for a magnetic head which uses negative pressure, and is provided between two air bearing surfaces 5.
The cross rail 15 is provided, only the air bearing surface 6 on the air outflow side is formed in a circular shape, and the step bearing portion 7 is formed around it. By forming in this way, even in a slider that uses negative pressure, the decrease in positive pressure when a skew angle is formed is significant on the air outflow side, so the dependence of the flying height of the slider on the skew angle is improved. It

In the figure, the peripheral step bearing portion 7 is
Although it is not formed concentrically with the air bearing surface, the dependence of the flying height of the slider 1 on the skew angle can be improved more than in the conventional example. Of course, if it is formed concentrically with the air bearing surface 6, It goes without saying that the degree of improvement will increase.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention can be modified to some extent without departing from the above idea.

That is, FIG. 9 is a plan view of an air bearing surface showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The divided air bearing surface is formed like a part of a circle like a, most of it is round like b, elliptical like c, part of an ellipse like d. Alternatively, even if a large part like e is formed into an elliptical shape, substantially the same effect as described above can be obtained. Needless to say, the shape of the surrounding step bearing portion 7 can be changed in the same manner as above.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the skew angle may be given to the slider 1 by displacing the relative positions of the air bearing surface 4 and the step bearing portion 7.

[0030]

As described above, in the magnetic head slider of the present invention, the air bearing surface is provided with the groove portion substantially in the middle of the air bearing surface in the longitudinal direction, and the air bearing surface is formed into a circular shape or a shape close to a circular shape. Since the step bearing is formed around the magnetic disk, it is possible to reduce the dependency of the flying height of the slider on the skew angle, and even if the skew angle is formed by the operation of the magnetic disk, the flying height of the slider is reduced. Almost never, and the roll does not increase. Therefore, according to the present invention, a magnetic disk capable of stable reading and writing can be constructed, and the magnetic disk and the slider do not come into contact with each other, or the slider does not fall to destroy the recording surface of the magnetic disk.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a compressed air flow on an air bearing surface when the skew angle in FIG. 1 is 0 °.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a compressed air flow on an air bearing surface when the skew angle in FIG. 1 is θ °.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an air bearing surface showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another example of the air bearing surface and the step bearing portion in the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a main portion showing a relative positional relationship between a conventional magnetic disk and a magnetic head.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a relative relationship between a slider and a compressed air flow when a skew angle is generated.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a first example of a conventional slider.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a second example of a conventional slider.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a third example of a conventional slider.

FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically showing the relative position between the air bearing surface and the compressed air flow when the skew angle of the conventional slider is 0 °.

FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically showing the relative position of the air bearing surface and compressed air when the skew angle of the conventional slider is θ °.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Slider, 2 ... Air fluid, 3 ... Tapered part, 4
... Air bearing surface, 5 ... Air inflow end side air bearing surface, 6 ... Air outflow side air bearing surface, 7 ... Step bearing portion, 8 ... Compressed air flow, 9 ... Negative pressure generating portion,
10 ... Magnetic conversion element, 11 ... Suspension, 12 ... Magnetic disk, 13 ... Drive arm, 14 ... Groove portion in the lateral direction of slider, 15 ... Cross rail.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a slider for a magnetic head used for a magnetic disk using a rotary actuator, at least a groove portion in a slider lateral direction dividing an air bearing surface into an air inflow side and an air outflow side, and at least each of the divided air bearing surfaces. On each surface on the air outflow side, place an air bearing surface formed as a circle or a part of a circle, or an ellipse or a part of an ellipse on the slider surface as a target, and step on the peripheral surface of the air bearing surface. A slider for a magnetic head, wherein a step bearing portion that acts as a bearing is formed.