A head support device is thin and assures excellent flexibility and shock
resistance while applying a sufficient load to a head. A disk drive uses
the head support device. The head support device comprises a support arm,
a head disposed at one end of the support arm, which is mounted on a head
slider so as to be opposed to a recording medium, an elastic member such
as a plate spring which provides the support arm an activating force in a
direction perpendicular to the recording medium when the support arm
comes to a rotational center in vertical rotation against the recording
medium, and a holder connected to the elastic member. When an external
impact force is applied to the head slider, with a distance from an
action point of load that activates the head slider toward the recording
medium to an immovable point in the rotation of the head slider in a
direction of pitch being Lo, and a length of head slider in a direction
of air flow being Ls, then 0.5