Magnetic head air bearing slider

Claim 1

A magnetic disk recording system comprising: a magnetic recording medium having a recording surface; a magnetic transducer and an air bearing slider supporting said transducer; head arm means for supporting said air bearing slider with said magnetic transducer closely adjacent to the recording surface of said magnetic recording medium; accessing means for supporting said head arm means and for moving said head arm means relative to the recording surface of said magnetic recording medium; said air bearing slider having leading and trailing ends and an air bearing surface; side rails disposed along the sides of said air bearing surface of said air bearing slider, said side rails being substantially coplanar and extending from the leading end of said slider part way to the trailing end of said slider, said side rails having a tapered section formed on the air bearing surface at said leading end, each said side rail having a width measured normal to the leading to trailing dimension of said slider which does not substantially exceed the width of said side rails at said leading end of said slider; and a center rail disposed along the central region of said air bearing surface, said center rail being separated from said side rails by recessed. Areas which extend from said leading end to said trailing end of said slider, said center rail having a taper section at said leading end, said center rail having a width measured normal to the leading to trailing dimension of said slider which is small at said leading end and which is greatest at said trailing end of said slider whereby said slider is positioned adjacent said magnetic recording medium in an orientation having a predetermined pitch angle and a predetermined spacing with respect to said moving magnetic recording medium in which the minimum spacing between said slider and said magnetic medium occurs at the trailing end of said slider.