Fastener with gear usage for tray install and eject

A system comprising:

• a computer chassis having bays, each bay configured to receive and secure an input/output (I/O) module having a gear rack;
• and
• fastening assemblies, each fastening assembly including:
• a fastener configured to receive an external rotational force from a user;
• a thread mechanism having first and second portions, the first portion of the thread mechanism being rotatably fixed to the fastener, the first portion having a first axis of rotation;
• and
• a gear rotatably fixed to the second portion of the thread mechanism, the gear having a second axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to the first axis of rotation, the gear being configured to engage the gear rack,
• wherein, upon receiving the external rotational force, the thread mechanism causes (a) the gear to rotate and (b), in turn, linear movement of the gear rack to (c) secure or unsecure the I/O module relative to the computer chassis.

A method of securing an input/output (I/O) module in a bay of a computer chassis, the method comprising:

• inserting the I/O module in the bay of the chassis such that a gear rack coupled to the I/O module comes into contact with a gear, the gear being configured to engage the gear rack, wherein the I/O module is movable in a translational direction along the bay relative to the computer chassis;
• applying an external rotational force to a fastener, the fastener being rotatably fixed to a first portion of a thread mechanism, the first portion having a first axis of rotation, wherein a second portion of the thread mechanism is rotatably fixed to the gear, the gear having a second axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to the first axis of rotation, wherein, upon receiving the external rotational force, the thread mechanism causes (a) the gear to rotate and (b), in turn, linear movement of the gear rack to (c) secure or unsecure the I/O module relative to the computer chassis;
• and
• removing the external rotational force from the fastener in response to the I/O module being secured.