Patent ID: 7192066

Claim:
A device for releasing a latch comprising: a housing having a recessed region and a tubular mount extending from the center of the recessed region; an electric motor mounted in the housing; a worm operatively coupled to the motor for driving rotation of the worm about an axis in a first rotational direction; a worm gear, in meshing engagement with the worm and rotatably mounted to the tubular mount and being mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis substantially orthogonal to the worm axis; a camshaft mounted on the worm gear and having a rotation axis coincident with the gear axis, the camshaft having a distal end extending to the exterior of the housing; a cam affixed at said distal end of the camshaft, having a surface for engaging the latch to move the latch from a closed position to a release position as the gear rotates in a first direction from a first position to a second position under control of the motor; and wherein the worm gear is biased against the rotation from the first position to the second position by a spring connected between the gear and the housing such that energy is transferred from the motor to the spring as the gear rotates from said first position to said second position under control of the motor and, when the motor is powered down, the energy stored in the spring causes the gear to rotate in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from the second position to the first position.