Flexible mounting configurations for data storage drives in information handling systems

1. A system, comprising:

a chassis having at least one keeper and first and second retainers, the first and second retainers being spaced apart to receive a storage drive carrier between the first and second retainer;

where a first opening is defined in the first retainer and a second opening is defined in the second retainer, the first opening being configured to receive a first pin extending outward from a first side of the storage drive carrier at the same time that the second opening receives a second pin extending outward from an opposite second side of the storage drive carrier; and

where the keeper is configured to engage a latch having a profile defined by a ramp and a step supported on a flexible arm extending from the storage drive carrier with the keeper engaging the step of the latch at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings and with the flexible arm biasing the latch to maintain the step of the latch engaged by the keeper to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the storage drive carrier mechanically secured to the chassis between the first and second retainers with the first pin of the storage drive carrier received in the first opening of the chassis, the second pin of the storage drive carrier received in the second opening of the chassis and defining a pivot axis with the first pin, and the keeper of the chassis extending in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis to receive the latch and engage the step of the storage drive carrier.

3. The system of claim 2 , where the chassis further comprises at least one stabilizer contacting at least one side of the secured storage drive carrier and preventing freedom of movement of the secured storage drive carrier relative to the chassis.

4. The system of claim 1 , where the first and second retainers are spaced apart to interchangeably receive either a plastic tool-less storage drive carrier or a sheet metal tooled storage drive carrier between the first and second retainers with the first opening receiving the first pin extending outward from the first side of either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier at the same time that the second opening receives the second pin extending outward from the opposite second side of the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier, and with the keeper engaging the latch extending from either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier with the flexible arm biasing the latch to maintain the step of the latch engaged by the keeper at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings to mechanically secure either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier to the chassis.

5. A system, comprising:

a chassis having at least one keeper and first and second retainers, the first and second retainers being spaced apart to receive a storage drive carrier between the first and second retainers,

where a first opening is defined in the first retainer and a second opening is defined in the second retainer, the first opening being configured to receive a first pin extending outward from a first side of the storage drive carrier at the same time that the second opening receives a second pin extending outward from an opposite second side of the storage drive carrier, and

where the keeper is configured to engage a latch extending from the storage drive carrier at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis; and

further comprising the storage drive carrier mechanically secured to the chassis between the first and second retainers with the first pin of the storage drive carrier received in the first opening of the chassis, the second pin of the storage drive carrier received in the second opening of the chassis and defining a pivot axis with the first pin, and the keeper of the chassis extending in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis to engage the latch of the storage drive carrier;

where the storage drive carrier further comprises first and second latches and has opposing proximal and distal ends, each of the first and second sides of the storage drive carrier extending from the proximal end of the storage drive carrier to the distal end of the storage drive carrier; where the storage drive carrier further comprises first and second arms extending from the storage drive carrier adjacent the proximal end of the storage drive carrier, a distal end of the first arm supporting the first latch and a distal end of the second arm supporting the second latch; where the first pin and the second pin extend outward from the respective first and second sides of the storage drive carrier adjacent the distal end of the storage drive carrier; and

where the chassis comprises a first keeper engaging the first latch and a second keeper engaging the second latch with the first and second pins of the storage drive carrier received by the respective first and second openings of the chassis to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising at least one data storage drive received within and mounted to the storage drive carrier.

7. The system of claim 5 , where the first and second latches each have a profile defined by a ramp and a step that is engaged by a respective one of the first and second keepers to secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis; where each of the first and second arms are flexible between a first position in which the step of its latch is not engaged by a respective one of the first and second keepers and a second position in which the step of its latch is engaged by the respective one of the first and second keepers; and where each of the flexible first and second arms biases its respective first or second latch toward the second position to maintain its respective step engaged by the respective one of the first and second keepers.

8. The system of claim 7 , where the chassis further comprises a first substrate, the first keeper and the second keeper provided on the first substrate with a first opening defined in the first substrate adjacent and contiguous with the first keeper, and a second opening defined in the first substrate adjacent and continuous with the second keeper; where the first arm is received by the first opening with the first keeper engaging the step of the first latch and where the second arm is received by the second opening with the step of the second keeper engaging the second latch.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a key extending from a position adjacent the proximal end of the storage drive carrier between the first arm and second arm, and a third opening defined in the substrate of the chassis between the first keeper and the second keeper, the key of the storage drive carrier being received within the third opening of the substrate.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a tab extending from a position adjacent the distal end of the storage drive carrier between the first and second pins, and a protrusion comprising resilient material that is mounted to the chassis between the first and second retainers, the tab mechanically contacting the protrusion.

11. The system of claim 8 , where the chassis further comprises a second substrate oriented in perpendicular relationship to the first substrate, the second substrate supporting the first and second retainers.

12. A method, comprising:

positioning a storage drive carrier between first and second retainers of a chassis, a first opening defined in the first retainer and a second opening defined in the second retainer;

simultaneously positioning a first pin extending outward from a first side of the storage drive carrier into the first opening and a second pin extending outwardly from an opposite second side of the storage drive carrier into the second opening, the first and second pins defining a pivot axis therebetween; and

pivoting the storage drive carrier about the pivot axis to engage a latch having a profile defined by a ramp and a step supported on a flexible arm extending from the storage drive carrier with a keeper of the chassis by flexing the flexible arm between a first position in which the step is not engaged by the keeper and a second position in which the step is engaged by the keeper at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings and with the flexible arm biasing the latch to maintain the step of the latch engaged by the keeper to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis.

13. The method of claim 12 , where the first and second retainers are spaced apart to interchangeably receive either a plastic tool-less storage drive carrier or a sheet metal tooled storage drive carrier between the first and second retainers with the first opening receiving the first pin extending outward from the first side of either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier at the same time that the second opening receives the second pin extending outward from the opposite second side of the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier, and with the keeper engaging the latch extending from either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier with the flexible arm biasing the latch to maintain the step of the latch engaged by the keeper at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings to mechanically secure either the tool-less or tooled storage drive carrier to the chassis.

14. A method, comprising:

positioning a storage drive carrier between first and second retainers of a chassis, a first opening defined in the first retainer and a second opening defined in the second retainer;

simultaneously positioning a first pin extending outward from a first side of the storage drive carrier into the first opening and a second pin extending outwardly from an opposite second side of the storage drive carrier into the second opening, the first and second pins defining a pivot axis therebetween; and

pivoting the storage drive carrier about the pivot axis to engage a latch extending from the storage drive carrier in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis with a keeper of the chassis at the same time that the first and second pins are received by the respective first and second openings to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis;

where the storage drive carrier comprises first and second latches and has opposing proximal and distal ends, each of the first and second sides of the storage drive carrier extending from the proximal end of the storage drive carrier to the distal end of the storage drive carrier; where the storage drive carrier further comprises first and second arms extending from the storage drive carrier adjacent the proximal end of the storage drive carrier, a distal end of the first arm supporting the first latch and a distal end of the second arm supporting the second latch; where the first pin and the second pin extend outward from the respective first and second sides of the storage drive carrier adjacent the distal end of the storage drive carrier; and

where the method further comprises engaging the first latch of the storage drive carrier with the first keeper of the chassis and engaging the second latch of the storage drive carrier with the second keeper of the chassis at the same time that the first and second pins of the storage drive carrier are received by the respective first and second openings of the chassis to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising positioning at least one data storage drive in mounted position within the storage drive carrier prior to the positioning of the storage drive carrier between first and second retainers of a chassis.

16. The method of claim 14 , where the first and second latches of the storage drive carrier each have a profile defined by a ramp and a step; and where the method further comprises:

flexing each of the flexible first and second arms between a first position in which the step of its latch is not engaged by a respective one of the first and second keepers and a second position in which the step of its latch is engaged by a respective one of the first and second keepers to secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis; and

using each of the flexible first and second arms to bias its respective first or second latch toward the second position to maintain its respective step engaged by the respective one of the first and second keepers.

17. The method of claim 16 , where the chassis further comprises a first substrate, the first keeper and the second keeper provided on the first substrate with a first opening defined in the first substrate adjacent and contiguous with the first keeper, and a second opening defined in the first substrate adjacent and continuous with the second keeper; where the method further comprises:

simultaneously positioning the first arm in the first opening to engage the step of the first latch with the first keeper and positioning the second arm in the seconds opening to engage the step of the second latch with the second keeper.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising positioning a key of the storage drive carrier within a third opening defined in the substrate of the chassis between the first keeper and the second keeper; where the key extends from a position adjacent the proximal end of the storage drive carrier between the first arm and second arm, and the third opening defined in the substrate of the chassis between the first keeper and the second keeper.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising mechanically contacting a tab of the storage drive carrier with a protrusion mounted to the chassis between the first and second retainers while the storage drive carrier is secured to the chassis; where the tab extends from a position adjacent the distal end of the storage drive carrier between the first and second pins; and

where the protrusion of the chassis comprises resilient material that is mounted to the chassis between the first and second retainers.

20. A storage drive carrier, comprising:

a first pin extending outward from a first side of the storage drive carrier, and a second pin extending outward from an opposite second side of the storage drive carrier to define a pivot axis therebetween, each of the first and second sides of the storage drive carrier extending from a proximal end of the storage drive carrier to a distal end of the storage drive carrier; and

at least one latch having a profile defined by a ramp and a step supported on a flexible arm extending from the storage drive carrier;

where the step of the latch is configured to be engaged by a keeper of a chassis to secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis at the same time that the first and second pins are received by respective first and second openings of the chassis, with the flexible arm being flexible between a first position in which the step of the latch is not engaged by the keeper and a second position in which the step of the latch is engaged by the keeper, and with the flexible arm biasing the latch toward the second position to maintain the step engaged by the keeper to mechanically secure the storage drive carrier to the chassis.