Method for removing or attaching platters of hard disk drives and platter protecting tool

Abstract

To provide a method for removing or attaching a platter of a hard disk drive capable of preventing a screw that fixes the platter to a spindle from falling onto the platter and scratching a surface of the platter, and a platter protection tool.SOLUTION: A top of a platter 102 is covered with a covering portion 2 of a platter protection tool 1, and a fixing screw 104 on a top of a spindle 103 that fixes the platter 102 is removed or attached through an opening portion 3 opened in a part of the covering portion 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for removing or installing a platform of a hard disk drive and a protective jig used in that method. [Background technology]

[0002] Because hard disk drives are precision devices, even minor malfunctions can make it impossible to read data stored on the platters properly. To deal with such physical malfunctions, the top cover is opened to remove and repair the platters, or defective parts such as the magnetic head inside the case are replaced, and the data is then read from the platters and transferred to another hard disk drive (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-188178 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, in a hard disk drive, the platter is fixed to a spindle, and when removing the platter from the spindle, it is necessary to remove the screws that secure the platter to the spindle. If the removed screws fall onto the platter, they can cause minute scratches on the surface of the platter, making it difficult to retrieve data from the platter.

[0005] In order to solve such problems, the present invention aims to provide a method for removing or installing a platter of a hard disk drive and a platter protection jig that can prevent the screws that secure the platter to the spindle from falling onto the platter and scratching the platter surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive of the present invention comprises the steps of: The top of the platter is covered with a cover, and a screw is removed or installed on the top of the spindle that fixes the platter through an opening in a part of the cover. It is characterized by the following. According to this feature, the top of the platter is covered with a cover, and the screw on the top of the spindle is removed or installed through an opening in a part of the cover, thereby preventing the screw from falling onto the platter and scratching the surface of the platter.

[0007] The method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive of the present invention comprises the steps of: A cover over the top of the platter is positioned in a portion of the hard disk drive case. It is characterized by the following. This feature facilitates alignment of the opening formed in the cover with the spindle.

[0008] The method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive of the present invention comprises the steps of: A cover covering the top of the platter is positioned against the outer surface of the case. It is characterized by the following. This feature allows alignment of the spindle with the opening in the enclosure without contacting the platter.

[0009] The method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive of the present invention comprises the steps of: A cover covering the top of the platter is disposed above the platter and spaced apart from the platter. It is characterized by the following. This feature makes it possible to prevent the cover from coming into contact with the platter and scratching the surface of the platter.

[0010] The platter protection jig of the present invention comprises: A platter protection tool used in the above-mentioned method for removing or installing a platter of a hard disk drive, comprising: a cover covering an upper portion of the platter; The cover has an opening formed in the center and a positioning piece formed on the side. It is characterized by the following. According to this feature, the top of the platter is covered with a cover, and the screw on the top of the spindle is removed or installed through an opening in a part of the cover, thereby preventing the screw from falling onto the platter and scratching the surface of the platter.

[0011] The platter protection jig of the present invention comprises: The cover that covers the top of the platter is made of a transparent material. It is characterized by the following. This feature allows the shroud to be placed on top of the platter while still being able to see the position of the platter through the shroud.

[0012] The platter protection jig of the present invention comprises: The cover covering the top of the platter has a notch formed at a position corresponding to the magnetic head. It is characterized by the following. This feature makes it possible to prevent the surface of the platter from being scratched by contact with the magnetic head. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a platter protection jig according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a bottom view of a platter protection jig according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a platter protection jig and a hard disk drive according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a platter protection jig and a hard disk drive according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5]4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, and FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a spindle and a platter mounted on a hard disk drive. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a spindle and a platter mounted on a hard disk drive. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a usage state of a platter protection jig according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the platter protection jig in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the method for attaching or removing a platter to or from a hard disk drive according to the present invention and a platter protection jig used in these methods will be described with reference to examples. EXAMPLES

[0015] [About the configuration of the platter protection jig] An example of the configuration of a platter protection jig used in a method for installing or removing a platter from a hard disk drive according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figures 1(a) and 1(b) are external perspective views of the platter protection jig according to this embodiment. Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are plan and bottom views of the platter protection jig according to this embodiment.

[0016] In the following description, the vertical direction in FIG. 1(a) is the up-down direction, the lower right side in FIG. 1(a) is the front, the lower left side is the left, the upper right side is the right, and the upper left side is the rear.

[0017] The platter protection jig 1 according to this embodiment is used when removing or installing an internal platter with the top cover (not shown) of a hard disk drive opened. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the jig is used when removing or installing a platter 102 (see FIG. 3) of a 3.5-inch hard disk drive 100 (see FIG. 3).

[0018] The platter protection jig 1 is molded from transparent acrylic resin, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is composed of a substantially circular, plate-shaped covering portion 2, a plate-shaped right side abutment piece 5 extending downward from the right side connecting piece 4 and connected via a right side connecting piece 4 extending rightward from the right end of the covering portion 2, a plate-shaped left side abutment piece 7 extending downward from the left side connecting piece 6 and connected via a left side connecting piece 6 extending leftward from the left end of the covering portion 2, and a plate-shaped front abutment piece 9 extending downward from the front connecting piece 8 and connected via a front connecting piece 8 extending forward from the front end of the covering portion 2.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear upper end of the right-side abutment piece 5 is connected to the right end of the right connecting piece 4, the rear upper end of the left-side abutment piece 7 is connected to the left end of the left connecting piece 6, the central upper end of the front abutment piece 9 is connected to the front end of the front connecting piece 8, and both left and right side ends of the front abutment piece 9 are connected to the front end of the right-side abutment piece 5 and the front end of the left-side abutment piece 7, respectively, and the covering part 2, the right-side abutment piece 5, the left-side abutment piece 7, and the front abutment piece 9 form a box-like shape that is open below and to the rear.

[0020] In this embodiment, the platter protection jig 1 is made of transparent acrylic resin, but it may be made of a resin other than transparent acrylic, transparent glass, or even opaque resin or metal such as aluminum.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5(a), the inner surface of the right-side abutment piece 5 and the inner surface of the left-side abutment piece 7 are spaced apart slightly wider (about 1 to 2 mm) than the left-right width of the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100, making it possible to position the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100 between the inner surface of the right-side abutment piece 5 and the left-side abutment piece 7.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a circular opening 3 having approximately the same diameter as the top surface shape of the spindle 103 (see Figure 3) of the hard disk drive 100 (top surface shape of the fixing member 103b described later) is formed in the center of the covering portion 2, and a notch 12 is formed at the rear.

[0023] As shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), when the platter protection jig 1 is placed on the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100 and the side of the case 101 is abutted against either the right-side abutment piece 5 or the left-side abutment piece 7, or the front abutment piece 9, the position at which the opening 3 is formed in the covering portion 2 is such that the inner edge of the opening 3 is approximately flush with the outer edge of the platter 102 in the vertical direction.

[0024] The opening 3 is a circle with a diameter substantially the same as the top surface shape of the spindle 103 of the hard disk drive 100, but may be smaller in diameter than the top surface shape of the spindle 103, or may be polygonal, as long as the head of the fixing screw 104 screwed into the screw hole 103i (see FIG. 6) on the top surface of the spindle 103 of the hard disk drive 100 is exposed. The number of places on the top surface of the spindle where the fixing screws are fixed varies depending on the manufacturer, such as a type where the fixing screws are fixed at one place, a type where the fixing screws are fixed at four places, or a type where the fixing screws are fixed at six places, but it is preferable that the size of the opening 3 is such that the heads of all the fixing screws of the manufacturer with the most fixing places are exposed. The opening 3 may be larger in diameter than the top surface shape of the spindle 103, but it is preferable that the gap between the outer diameter of the upper part of the spindle 103 and the opening 3 is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the screw shaft of the fixing screw 104.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 8, the notch 12 is formed from a position toward the left rear of the covering portion 2 to a position toward the right rear of the covering portion 2 so as not to interfere with the magnetic head 105 described later when the platter protection jig 1 is placed in the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100.

[0026] 1 and 2, an opening 10 is formed in the area surrounded by the outer periphery on the right front side of covering part 2, the right contact piece 5, and the front contact piece 9, and an opening 11 is formed in the area surrounded by the outer periphery on the left front side of covering part 2, the left contact piece 7, and the front contact piece 9. That is, the openings 10 and 11 are formed in the area of ​​the front region other than the right connecting piece 4, left connecting piece 6, and front connecting piece 8 that connect covering part 2 to the right contact piece 5, left contact piece 7, and front abutment piece 9, so that when platter protection jig 1 is placed in case 101 of hard disk drive 100, platter protection jig 1 does not interfere with protrusions 106a and 106b that protrude above the top surface of case 101, as shown in FIG.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1(b) and 2(b), the undersides of the right connecting piece 4, the left connecting piece 6 and the front connecting piece 8 are formed with two protrusions 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15 that protrude downwardly from each connecting piece, and as shown in Figure 5, when the platter protection jig 1 is placed in the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100, a gap is formed between the underside of the covering portion 2 and the upper surface of the platter 102.

[0028] In this embodiment, two protruding pieces are formed on each connecting piece, but it is also possible to have a configuration in which one protruding piece is formed on each connecting piece, or a configuration in which three or more protruding pieces are formed.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a platter protection jig 1 for use when removing the platter 102 from a 3.5-inch hard disk drive 100 has been described; however, by changing the size of the covering portion 2, the opening 3, the separation width between the right-side abutment piece 5 and the left-side abutment piece 7, etc., a platter protection jig for use when removing a platter from a 2.5-inch or 1.8-inch hard disk drive may also be used.

[0030] [Hard disk drive configuration] Next, the configuration of a hard disk drive 100 using the platter protection jig 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the hard disk drive 100 in a state where the platter protection jig 1 is not arranged, and Figure 4 is an external perspective view of the hard disk drive 100 in a state where the platter protection jig 1 is arranged.

[0031] In the hard disk drive 100, the upper area of ​​the box-shaped case 101, which is normally open at the top, is closed by a top lid (not shown). Figures 3 and 4 show a state in which the top lid has been removed, and a plurality of platters 102 fixed to a spindle 103 are housed near the front of the case 101 in a stacked state with a certain interval between them in the vertical direction. In addition, a magnetic head 105 that reads and writes data from each platter 102 is disposed near the rear of the case 101. A magnetic head 105 is provided for each platter 102, and the magnetic head 105 is capable of moving horizontally above the corresponding platter 102 by swinging about a shaft 105a.

[0032] Furthermore, protrusions 106a, 106b are provided on the left and right sides, respectively, at the front of case 101, and when the top cover is open, as shown in FIG.

[0033] [Platter mounting structure] Next, the mounting structure of the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the spindle 103 and the platter 102, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the platter 102 mounted on the spindle 103. Note that in this embodiment, a hard disk drive of the type in which the platter 102 is fixed to the spindle 103 using six fixing screws 104 for six screw holes 103i and screw holes 103g as described below is exemplified, but the number of fixing locations may be one to five, or seven or more.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, the spindle 103 is composed of a spindle body 103a, a fixing member 103b, and a spacer 103c. The spindle body 103a is composed of a base portion 103d having a circular shape when viewed from above, and a columnar portion 103e having a smaller diameter than the base portion 103d, and a protruding portion 103f protruding upward is formed at the center of the columnar portion 103e. In addition, six screw holes 103g are formed at equal intervals around the protruding portion 103f on the upper surface of the columnar portion 103e.

[0035] The fixing member 103b has a circular shape with the same diameter as the base portion 103d when viewed from above, and has a through hole 103h in the center with the same diameter as the protrusion portion 103f when viewed from above. Around the fixing member 103b, screw holes 103i are formed at positions corresponding to the screw holes 103g when the protrusion portion 103f is inserted through the through hole 103h.

[0036] The spacer 103c has a circular shape with the same diameter as the base portion 103d when viewed from above, and has a through hole 103j in the center with the same diameter as the columnar portion 103e when viewed from above.

[0037] The platter 102 is a disk-shaped member, and has a through hole 102a formed in the center, the through hole 102a having the same diameter as the columnar portion 103e when viewed from above.

[0038] In this configuration, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the platters 102 are assembled to the spindle 103 by inserting the through-holes 102a of the platters 102 into the columnar portions 103e of the spindle body 103a. When assembling a plurality of platters 102, spacers 103c are attached between the platters. The spacers 103c are attached by inserting the through-holes 103j into the columnar portions 103e of the spindle body 103a. Next, after assembling all the platters 102, the fixing member 103b is placed on the top of the uppermost platter 102 with the through-holes 103h inserted into the protruding portions 103f of the columnar portions 103e, and is arranged so that the screw holes 103i of the fixing member 103b correspond to the screw holes 103g of the columnar portions 103e. Then, by screwing fixing screws 104 into the screw holes 103i from above and fastening the spindle body 103a and fixing member 103b together, as shown in FIG. 7, the periphery of through hole 102a of platter 102 is clamped between the lower surface of fixing member 103b, the upper and lower surfaces of spacer 103c, and the upper surface of base portion 103d of spindle body 103a, so that platter 102 is fixed to spindle 103 and platter 102 is attached integrally to spindle 103.

[0039] On the other hand, when the platter 102 is fixed to the spindle 103, the fixing member 103b can be removed by removing the fixing screw 104 that fastens the spindle body 103a and the fixing member 103b, and by removing the fixing member 103b, the platter 102 can be removed from the spindle 103.

[0040] [How to remove and install the platter] Next, a method for removing and installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 using the platter protection jig 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 4, and Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 4.

[0041] When removing the platter 102 from the hard disk drive 100, first, the top cover (not shown) of the hard disk drive 100 is removed to open the case 101.

[0042] Next, as shown in Fig. 3, the platter protection jig 1 is placed from above the case 101. As a result, the lower surfaces of the protrusions 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15 formed on the lower surfaces of the right connecting piece 4, the left connecting piece 6, and the front connecting piece 8 come into contact with the upper surface of the case 101, and the platter protection jig 1 is placed on the upper surface of the case 101. At this time, because openings 10, 11 are formed in the platter protection jig 1, there is no interference between the platter protection jig 1 and the protrusions 106a, 106b that protrude beyond the upper surface of the case 101, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0043] 5(a) and 5(b), the outer surface of the case 101 is brought into contact with either the right contact piece 5 or the left contact piece 7 and the front contact piece 9 to align the covering part 2. This causes the covering part 2 to cover the top of the platter 102, and the opening 3 is positioned at the top of the spindle 103. At this time, because a notch 12 is formed at the rear of the covering part 2, the magnetic head 105 and the covering part 2 do not interfere with each other, and the covering part 2 does not interfere with the magnetic head 105 and damage the platter 102.

[0044] In addition, the lower surfaces of the right connecting piece 4, the left connecting piece 6, and the front connecting piece 8 are not directly placed on the upper surface of the case 101, but rather the lower surfaces of the protrusions 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15 formed on their lower surfaces are placed on the upper surface of the case 101, thereby forming a gap between the lower surface of the covering part 2 and the upper surface of the platter 102, and the covering part 2 is positioned away from the upper surface of the platter 102 so that the covering part 2 does not come into contact with the upper surface of the platter 102.

[0045] 4, with the top of platter 102 covered by covering part 2 and platter protection jig 1 positioned so that opening 3 is the top of spindle 103, fixing screw 104 on the top of spindle 103 is accessed through opening 3 and fixing screw 104 is removed. At this time, because the top of platter 102 is covered by covering part 2, even if fixing screw 104 falls, it will not damage the surface of platter 102.

[0046] Next, after removing the fixing screws 104, the platter protection jig 1 is removed upward from the case 101, and the fixing members 103b are removed, whereby the platter 102 is removed.

[0047] Next, when installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100, first assemble the platter 102 and spacer 103c to the spindle 103, then insert the through hole 103h of the fixing member 103b into the protrusion 103f, and align the screw hole 103i with the screw hole 103g.

[0048] Next, in the same manner as when removing the platter 102, the platter protection jig 1 is placed from above the case 101, and as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), the outer surface of the case 101 is brought into contact with either the right contact piece 5 or the left contact piece 7 and the front contact piece 9, thereby aligning the covering part 2. As a result, the upper part of the platter 102 is covered by the covering part 2, and the opening 3 is positioned to be above the spindle 103.

[0049] 4, with the top of the platter 102 covered by covering part 2 and the platter protection jig 1 positioned so that the opening 3 is the top of the spindle 103, the screw hole 103i on the top of the spindle 103 is accessed through the opening 3, and the fixing screw 104 is screwed into the screw hole 103i and the screw hole 103g to fasten the spindle body 103a and the fixing member 103b together, thereby fixing the platter 102 to the spindle 103. At this time, because the top of the platter 102 is covered by covering part 2, even if the fixing screw 104 falls, it will not damage the surface of the platter 102.

[0050] [Actions and Effects] In the method of removing or installing platter 102 of hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment, the top of platter 102 is covered with covering portion 2 which serves as a covering body of platter protection jig 1, and fixing screw 104 on the top of spindle 103 which secures platter 102 is removed or installed through opening 3 formed in part of covering portion 2, thereby preventing fixing screw 104 from falling onto platter 102 and scratching the surface of platter 102.

[0051] In the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment, the covering portion 2 serving as a covering body of the platter protection jig 1 that covers the top of the platter 102 is positioned by a part of the case 101 of the hard disk drive 100, making it easy to align the opening 3 formed in the covering portion 2 with the spindle 103.

[0052] In the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment, the covering portion 2, which serves as a covering body of the platter protection jig 1 covering the top of the platter 102, is positioned by the abutment of the right abutment piece 5, the left abutment piece 7, and the front abutment piece 9 with the outer surface of the case 101, so that the opening 3 formed in the covering portion 2 can be aligned with the spindle 103 without coming into contact with the platter 102.

[0053] In the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment, the covering part 2 serving as a covering body of the platter protection jig 1 that covers the top of the platter 102 is positioned above the platter 102 and spaced apart from the upper surface of the platter 102, thereby preventing the covering part 2 from coming into contact with the platter 102 and scratching the surface of the platter 102.

[0054] The platter protection jig 1 used in the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment has a covering part 2 as a covering body that covers the top of the platter 102, and the covering part 2 has an opening 3 formed in its center, and a right abutment piece 5, a left abutment piece 7, and a front abutment piece 9 formed on its sides as positioning pieces. By covering the top of the platter 102 with the covering part 2 and removing or installing the fixing screw 104 on the top of the spindle 103 through the opening 3 opened in part of the covering part 2, it is possible to prevent the fixing screw 104 from falling onto the platter 102 and scratching the surface of the platter 102.

[0055] The platter protection jig 1 used in the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment has a covering portion 2 that serves as a covering body that covers the top of the platter 102 and is formed from a transparent material.The covering portion 2 can be placed on the top of the platter 102 while the position of the platter 102 can be confirmed through the covering portion 2. Therefore, when the platter protection jig 1 is placed, it is possible to prevent any part of it from coming into contact with the platter 102 and scratching the surface of the platter 102.

[0056] The platter protection jig 1 used in the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment has a notch 12 formed in a position corresponding to the magnetic head 105 of the covering part 2 which serves as a covering that covers the top of the platter 102, thereby preventing the surface of the platter 102 from being scratched by contact of the covering part 2 with the magnetic head 105.

[0057] In the platter protection jig 1 used in the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment, the undersides of the right connecting piece 4, left connecting piece 6 and front connecting piece 8 are not placed directly on the upper surface of the case 101, but rather the undersides of the protrusions 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15 formed on their undersides are placed on the upper surface of the case 101, forming a gap between the underside of the covering part 2 acting as a covering body and the upper surface of the platter 102, and the jig is positioned away from the upper surface of the platter 102, thereby preventing the covering part 2 from coming into contact with the platter 102 and scratching the surface of the platter 102.

[0058] The platter protection jig 1 used in the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 in this embodiment has openings 10, 11 formed between the covering part 2, which serves as a covering body, and the right connecting piece 4, left connecting piece 6, and front connecting piece 8, so that there is no interference between the platter protection jig 1 and the protrusions 106a, 106b that protrude above the top surface of the case 101.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8(a) to (c), the positions of the protrusions on cases 101a to 101c vary depending on the manufacturer. For example, the positions of protrusions 106a and 106b made by company A, protrusion 106c made by company B, and protrusions 106d to 106f made by company C are all different. However, in this embodiment, openings 10 and 11 are formed in an area of ​​the front region other than the right connecting piece 4, left connecting piece 6, and front connecting piece 8 which connect the covering portion 2 to the right abutment piece 5, left abutment piece 7, and front abutment piece 9. Therefore, there is no interference between the platter protection jig 1 and the protrusions made by company A, company B, or company C.

[0060] On the other hand, since the front end of the right contact piece 5 and the front end of the left contact piece 7 are connected to both the left and right ends of the front contact piece 9, the rigidity of the platter protection jig 1 can be increased.

[0061] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and it goes without saying that modifications and additions that do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0062] [About modified examples] In the method of removing or installing platter 102 of hard disk drive 100 of the above embodiment, covering portion 2 as a covering body of platter protection jig 1 that covers the top of platter 102 is positioned by a part of case 101 of hard disk drive 100, but it is also possible to position the opening of the covering portion of a platter protection jig that does not have a positioning piece on the top of the platter so that it is visually aligned with the top of spindle 103.

[0063] In the method of removing or installing the platter 102 of the hard disk drive 100 of the above embodiment, the covering portion 2 of the platter protection jig 1 is positioned by abutment between the right side abutment piece 5, the left side abutment piece 7, and the front abutment piece 9 and the outer surface of the case 101, but the covering portion 2 may also be positioned by abutting the positioning pieces formed on the platter protection jig 1 with the inner surface of the case 101, a wall surface inside the case 101, etc.

[0064] The platter protection jig 1 in the above embodiment is configured so that the covering portion 2 is positioned by abutment between the right side abutment piece 5, the left side abutment piece 7, and the front abutment piece 9 and the outer surface of the case 101, but the covering portion 2 may also be positioned by abutting a positioning piece formed on the side of the covering portion 2 with the inner surface of the case 101, a wall surface within the case 101, etc.

[0065] In the platter protection jig 1 of the above embodiment, the front end of the right contact piece 5 and the front end of the left contact piece 7 are connected to both the left and right ends of the front contact piece 9. However, as shown in FIG. 9(a) in a platter protection jig 51, the right and left contact pieces 5 and 7 are connected via a right connecting piece 54 extending rightward from the right end of the covering portion 2, and a plate-shaped right contact piece 55 extending downward from the right connecting piece 54, and a left connecting piece 56 extending leftward from the left end of the covering portion 2, and a plate-shaped right contact piece 55 extending downward from the left connecting piece 56. The covering part 2 is composed of a plate-shaped left abutment piece 57 connected via a front connecting piece 58 extending forward from the front end of the covering part 2 and a plate-shaped front abutment piece 59 extending downward from the front connecting piece 58, and the front end of the right abutment piece 55 and the front end of the left abutment piece 57 are not connected to both the left and right ends of the front abutment piece 59, and the left and right positioning is determined by the front end of the right abutment piece 55 and the left abutment piece 57, and the front abutment piece 59 is positioned in the front-rear direction.

[0066] 9(b), the platter protection jig 61 is connected via a side connecting piece 64 extending to the right or left (right in the figure) from one of the left or right side ends of the covering part 2 (the right end in the figure), and is composed of a plate-shaped side abutment piece 65 extending downward from the side connecting piece 64, a side mounting piece 66 extending to the right or left (left in the figure) from the other of the left or right side ends of the covering part 2 (the left end in the figure) to the side of the case 101, and a front connecting piece 68 extending forward from the front end of the covering part 2, and a plate-shaped front abutment piece 69 extending downward from the front connecting piece 68.The platter protection jig 61 may be configured so that the left-right positioning is determined only by the side abutment piece 65 formed on one of the left or right sides, and the front-rear positioning is determined by the front abutment piece 69. In addition, in such a configuration, the front end of the lateral abutment piece 65 and the end of one of the left or right sides (the right side in the figure) of the front abutment piece 69 may be connected, or as shown in Figure 9(b), the front end of the lateral abutment piece 65 and the end of one of the left or right sides (the right side in the figure) of the front abutment piece 69 may not be connected.

[0067] The platter protection jig 1 of the above embodiment is configured to include a right abutment piece 5, a left abutment piece 7, and a front abutment piece 9, and is positioned in the left-right and front-rear directions, but as shown in Fig. 9(c), a platter protection jig 71 may be configured to include a plate-shaped right abutment piece 75 that is connected via a right connecting piece 74 extending rightward from the right end of the covering part 2 and extends downward from the right connecting piece 74, and a plate-shaped left abutment piece 77 that is connected via a left connecting piece 76 extending leftward from the left end of the covering part 2 and extends downward from the left connecting piece 76, without including a front abutment piece, and only left-right positioning may be performed by the right abutment piece 75 and the left abutment piece 77. Also, although not shown, a configuration may be adopted in which only a mounting piece extending to the side of the case 101 is formed without providing one of the left and right abutment pieces, and only left-right positioning is performed by one of the abutment pieces. With these configurations, even when removing or installing platters from different manufacturers, such as 2.5-inch hard disks, where the position from the front side of the case to the spindle is different, it is possible to use a common platter protection tool regardless of the manufacturer.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the platter protection jig 1 has a notch 12 formed in the covering portion 2 at a position corresponding to the magnetic head 105, but when used in a hard disk drive in which the magnetic head is retracted to a position away from the platter, the covering portion 2 may be configured not to have the notch 12.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the platter protection jig 1 is configured so that protrusions are formed on the undersides of the right connecting piece 4, the left connecting piece 6, and the front connecting piece 8, thereby forming a gap between the underside of the covering part 2 and the upper surface of the platter 102. However, as long as a gap is formed between the underside of the covering part 2 and the upper surface of the platter 102 when the undersides of the right connecting piece 4, the left connecting piece 6, and the front connecting piece 8 are abutted against the upper surface of the case 101, a configuration without protrusions is also possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Platter protection jig 2 Covering part (covering body) 3 Opening 4 Right side connection piece 5 Right side contact piece (positioning piece) 6 Left side connection piece 7 Left side contact piece (positioning piece) 8 Front connection piece 9 Front contact piece (positioning piece) 10, 11 Opening 12 Notch 13~15 Protrusion 51 Platter protection jig 55 Right side contact piece (positioning piece) 57 Left side contact piece (positioning piece) 59 Front contact piece (positioning piece) 61 Platter protection jig 65 Side abutment piece (positioning piece) 69 Front contact piece (positioning piece) 71 Platter protection jig 75 Right side contact piece (positioning piece) 77 Left side contact piece (positioning piece) 100 Hard Disk Drives 102 Platter 103 Spindle 103a Spindle body 103b Fixing member 103i screw hole 104 Fixing screw 105 Magnetic Head

Claims

1. 1. A method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive, comprising the steps of: The top of the platter is covered with a cover, and a screw is removed or installed on the top of the spindle that fixes the platter through an opening in a part of the cover.

1. A method for removing or installing a platter in a hard disk drive, comprising:

2. A cover over the top of the platter is positioned in a portion of the hard disk drive case.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the platter is removed from or installed in a hard disk drive.

3. A cover covering the top of the platter is positioned against the outer surface of the case.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the platters of a hard disk drive are removed or installed.

4. A cover covering the top of the platter is disposed above the platter and spaced apart from the platter.

4. The method for removing or installing a platter of a hard disk drive according to claim 1.

5. A platter protection tool used in the method for removing or installing a platter of a hard disk drive according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a cover covering an upper portion of the platter; The cover has an opening formed in the center and a positioning piece formed on the side.

1. A platter protection jig comprising:

6. The cover that covers the top of the platter is made of a transparent material.

6. The platter protection jig according to claim 5.

7. The cover covering the top of the platter has a notch formed at a position corresponding to the magnetic head.

7. The platter protection jig according to claim 5 or 6.

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