Patent attributes
A sealed actuator with internal clutching assembly including an output shaft, output detent ring, moving detent ring, and a wave spring, which is fit inside a sealed housing. The moving detent ring is able to move axially to the output shaft and the output detent ring is able to rotate on the output shaft. Intermeshing ramped teeth of these rings are held together by a wave spring and allow the output shaft to rotate and transmit torque of a motor through a main gear operably coupled to an output gear mounted on the output shaft to the outside of the housing. During predetermined high loads, the output and moving detent rings ramped teeth create an axial force that overcomes the load from the wave spring, which allows moving detent ring to disengage and output shaft to rotate freely to help prevent damage to the actuator.