Patent ID: 6978870

Claim:
A parking brake actuator mechanism for setting and releasing an automotive parking brake comprising: a reversible drive motor having a rotary output gearing; a pivot member driven by said drive motor output gearing and mounted to be pivoted about a rotary support in an actuator housing in either direction; a cable wind up wheel rotatably supported in said housing and having a cable adapted to be connected to an automotive parking brake wrapped onto a perimeter of said wind up wheel to be wound up thereon upon rotation in one direction to set an automotive parking brake and unwound therefrom upon rotation in an opposite direction to release an automotive parking brake; a clutch establishing a driving connection between said pivot member and said wind up wheel upon rotation of said motor output gearing in both a brake apply and release direction; said clutch including a disengagement feature and said actuator mechanism including a disengagement feature located to engage said clutch disengagement feature and cause consequent disengagement of said clutch upon continued rotation of said pivot member in a release direction past a predetermined point whereat release of a connected parking brake would occur thereby disconnecting said driving connection between said wind up wheel and said pivot member.