Patent ID: 6966410

Claim:
An arrangement for automatically disengaging a manual operator for an electrical parking brake for an automotive vehicle, said parking brake operated by an electric motor, gearing driven in either direction by said electric motor, and a mechanism responsive to driving of said gearing causing setting or releasing of said brake, said manual operator including manual operator gearing engaged with said electric motor driven gearing, and a flex cable having one end positioned to allow a flex cable core to be rotated by a manual tool, and another end drivingly connectable to said manual operator gearing, said arrangement for automatically disengaging said manual operator including a movable coupling interposed between said manual operator gearing and said another end of said flexible cable core; said coupling having one drive feature drivingly connectable to said another end of said flexible cable core, and another drive feature drivingly connectable to said manual operator gearing, said another end of said flexible cable core having a rotational driving connection with said manual operator gearing only when both said coupling features are drivingly connected to said another end of said flexible cable core and manual operator gearing respectively; said coupling being shiftable from a normal position whereat both said features are drivingly connected to a position whereat both of said features are not connected; a solenoid positioned adjacent said coupling to cause shifting movement away from said normal position whereat said coupling features are both engaged upon energization of said solenoid to disconnect at least one of said coupling features; and a solenoid power circuit energizing said solenoid only when said electric motor is energized, whereby said flexible cable core is disconnected from said manual operator gearing whenever said electric drive is energized.