Apparatus, system, and method for partitioning a storage-system chassis
A multi-purpose storage-system partition may include (1) a bottom having a keyhole fastener configured to (a) interlock with a keyhole opening of a removable drive-plane board having front storage-drive connectors and rear storage-drive connectors and (b) retain the removable drive-plane board within a storage-system chassis, (2) a front having front storage-drive contact points configured to (a) retain front carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis and (b) align the front carrierless storage drives with the front storage-drive connectors, (3) a rear having rear storage-drive contact points configured to (a) retain rear carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis and (b) align the rear carrierless storage drives with the rear storage-drive connectors, (4) and a side having a fastener-retaining member configured to engage a fastener that couples the multi-purpose storage-system partition to a side of the storage-system chassis. Various other systems and methods for partitioning a storage-system chassis are also disclosed.
1. A multi-purpose storage-system partition comprising:
a bottom comprising a keyhole fastener that is configured to:
interlock with one of a plurality of keyhole openings of a removable drive-plane board having a front plurality of storage-drive connectors and a rear plurality of storage-drive connectors;
retain the removable drive-plane board within a storage-system chassis having an open bottom, the keyhole fastener being oriented downward relative to the storage-system chassis; and
enable, while the multi-purpose storage-system partition is coupled to the storage-system chassis, the removable drive-plane board to be installed to and removed from the storage-system chassis via the open bottom of the storage-system chassis;
a front comprising a front plurality of storage-drive contact points configured to:
retain a front plurality of carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis; and
align the front plurality of carrierless storage drives with the front plurality of storage-drive connectors;
a rear comprising a rear plurality of storage-drive contact points configured to:
retain a rear plurality of carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis; and
align the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives with the rear plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a side comprising a fastener-retaining member configured to engage a fastener that couples the multi-purpose storage-system partition to a side of the storage-system chassis.
2. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein:
the front plurality of storage-drive contact points are configured to dampen movements of the front plurality of carrierless storage drives relative to movements of the storage-system chassis; and
the rear plurality of storage-drive contact points are configured to dampen movements of the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives relative to the movements of the storage-system chassis.
3. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein:
the front of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the front plurality of storage-drive contact points are formed from the synthetic rubber portion.
4. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein:
the rear of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the rear plurality of storage-drive contact points are formed from the synthetic rubber portion.
5. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein:
the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the keyhole fastener is formed from the substantially rigid plastic portion.
6. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises:
an injection-molded part; and
a metal bracket coupled to the injection-molded part and configured to stiffen the multi-purpose storage-system partition.
7. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein:
the storage-system chassis comprises a front through which air is able to pass and a rear through which air is able to pass;
a fan coupled to the storage-system chassis directs an airflow through the storage-system chassis from the front of the storage-system chassis to the rear of the storage-system chassis; and
the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises at least one opening through which the airflow is able to pass.
8. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 7 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of slits, each of the plurality of slits being located between two of the front storage-drive contact points and configured to allow a portion of the airflow to flow between two of the front plurality of carrierless storage drives and two of the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives.
9. The multi-purpose storage-system partition of claim 1 , wherein the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises an additional plurality of keyhole openings, each of the additional plurality of keyhole openings configured to interlock with a keyhole fastener of a drive-unseating member.
10. A storage-system drawer comprising:
a chassis having an open bottom;
a removeable drive-plane board comprising:
a plurality of keyhole openings;
a front plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a rear plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a multi-purpose storage-system partition coupled to the chassis, the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprising:
a bottom comprising a keyhole fastener that is oriented downward relative to the chassis and configured to:
interlock with one of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board;
retain the removable drive-plane board within the chassis; and
enable, while the multi-purpose storage-system partition is coupled to the chassis, the removable drive-plane board to be installed to and removed from the chassis via the open bottom of the chassis;
a front comprising a front plurality of storage-drive contact points configured to:
retain a front plurality of carrierless storage drives within the chassis; and
align the front plurality of carrierless storage drives with the front plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a rear comprising a rear plurality of storage-drive contact points configured to:
retain a rear plurality of carrierless storage drives within the chassis; and
align the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives with the rear plurality of storage-drive connectors.
11. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the front plurality of storage-drive contact points are configured to dampen movements of the front plurality of carrierless storage drives relative to movements of the chassis; and
the rear plurality of storage-drive contact points are configured to dampen movements of the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives relative to the movements of the chassis.
12. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the front of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the front plurality of storage-drive contact points are formed from the synthetic rubber portion.
13. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the rear of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the rear plurality of storage-drive contact points are formed from the synthetic rubber portion.
14. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a multi-shot injection-molded part, the multi-shot injection-molded part comprising a substantially rigid plastic portion and a synthetic rubber portion; and
the keyhole fastener is formed from the substantially rigid plastic portion.
15. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises:
an injection-molded part; and
a metal bracket coupled to the injection-molded part and configured to stiffen the multi-purpose storage-system partition.
16. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises a side having a fastener-retaining member; and
the storage-system drawer comprises a fastener that is configured to engage the fastener-retaining member and couple the multi-purpose storage-system partition to a side of the chassis.
17. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein:
the chassis comprises a front through which air is able to pass and a rear through which air is able to pass;
the storage-system drawer further comprises a fan coupled to the chassis that directs an airflow through the chassis from the front of the chassis to the rear of the chassis; and
the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises at least one opening through which the airflow is able to pass.
18. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of slits, each of the plurality of slits being located between two of the front storage-drive contact points and configured to allow a portion of the airflow to flow between two of the front plurality of carrierless storage drives and two of the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives.
19. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprises an additional plurality of keyhole openings, each of the additional plurality of keyhole openings configured to interlock with a keyhole fastener of a drive-unseating member.
20. A method comprising:
molding, as part of a multi-shot injection-molding process, a first portion of a multi-purpose storage-system partition from a substantially rigid plastic, the first portion of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprising:
a bottom comprising a keyhole fastener configured to:
interlock with one of a plurality of keyhole openings of a removable drive-plane board having a front plurality of storage-drive connectors and a rear plurality of storage drive connectors;
retain the removable drive-plane board within a storage-system chassis having an open bottom; and
enable, while the multi-purpose storage-system partition is coupled to the storage-system chassis, the removable drive-plane board to be installed to and removed from the storage-system chassis via the open bottom of the storage-system chassis; and a side comprising a fastener-retaining member configured to engage a fastener that couples the multi-purpose-storage-system partition to a side of the storage-system chassis; and
molding, as part of the multi-shot injection-molding process, a second portion of the multi-purpose storage-system partition from a synthetic rubber, the second portion of the multi-purpose storage-system partition comprising:
a front plurality of storage-drive contact points configured to:
retain a front plurality of carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis; and
align the front plurality of carrierless storage drives with the front plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
retain a rear plurality of carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis; and
align the rear plurality of carrierless storage drives with the plurality of storage-drive connectors.