Park lock actuator with manual release and shipping position

1 . A method of manually releasing an actuator having a housing mounted to a vehicle driveline component, the method comprising:

a) manipulating a handle that is mounted to a release shaft between one of at least three positions in which the release shaft is assembled within the housing, which include an actuator installation position, an actuator operating position and an actuator release position, wherein the handle manipulating step includes:

a1) lifting the handle relative to at least one detent from outside the actuator to translate the release shaft along its axis, wherein the lifting step selectively positions an end of the release shaft in a first desired axial position relative to one of a gear train and an output shaft;

a2) rotating the handle relative to at least one detent to rotate the release shaft about its axis to one of the at least three positions; and

a3) releasing the handle to translate the release shaft along its axis and position an end of the release shaft in a second desired axial position relative to the one of the gear train and the output shaft; and

b) maintaining the end of the release shaft in the desired position in the second desired axial position.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step a) is performed directly with a user's hand and without an intervening tool.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step a1) includes pulling the handle away from the actuator housing.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one detent includes first and second detents respectively provided at first and second angular positions that provide different angular clocking of the release shaft than one another, the handle received in the first detent corresponding to a one of the at least three positions, and the handle received in the second detent corresponding to another of the at least three positions, wherein the at least three positions each correspond to different axial positions of the release shaft in which the release shaft is held in place by one of three detents, which include the first, second and third detents.

5 . A method of manually releasing an actuator having a housing mounted to a vehicle driveline component, the method comprising:

a) manipulating a handle that is mounted to a release shaft between one of at least three positions, which include an actuator installation position, an actuator operating position and an actuator release position, wherein the handle manipulating step includes:

a1) lifting the handle relative to at least one detent to translate the release shaft along its axis, wherein the lifting step selectively positions an end of the release shaft in a first desired axial position relative to one of a gear train and an output shaft;

a2) rotating the handle relative to at least one detent to rotate the release shaft about its axis to one of the at least three positions; and

a3) releasing the handle to translate the release shaft along its axis and position an end of the release shaft in a second desired axial position relative to the one of the gear train and the output shaft; and

b) maintaining the end of the release shaft in the desired position in the second desired axial position; and

comprising a step of manually releasing the actuator wherein step a2) includes rotating the handle to a protrusion, and comprising the steps of a2.1) lifting the handle above the protrusion, a2.2) rotating the handle past the protrusion, step a3) includes engaging the one of the gear train and the output shaft with the end of the release shaft, and comprising step c) includes continuing to rotate the handle with the end of the release shaft engaged with the one of the gear train and the output shaft.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the end is selectively engaged with and disengaged from the one of the gear train and the output shaft.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the end is spaced from and disengaged from the one of the gear train and the output shaft in the actuator operating position, wherein a gap is provided between the end and the one of the gear train and the output shaft.

8 . An actuator for a vehicle driveline component, comprising:

a motor;

a housing;

a gear train arranged in the housing and coupled to the motor;

an output shaft arranged in the housing and coupled to the gear train, the output shaft configured to move between multiple positions in response to rotational drive from the motor via the gear train, the output shaft configured to be operatively connected to the vehicle driveline component; and

a manual release assembly comprising at least three positions, including:

an actuator installation position in which the manual release assembly is operatively coupled to the output shaft such that the output shaft is fixed in a clocked orientation to mate with the vehicle driveline component when installing the actuator onto the driveline component;

an actuator operating position in which the manual release assembly is decoupled from the output shaft and the gear train to permit rotation of the output shaft in response to the motor via the gear train;

an actuator release position in which the manual release assembly is operatively coupled to the output shaft to permit rotation of the output shaft via the manual release assembly; and

wherein the first, second and third positions are different than one another; and

wherein the manual release assembly includes:

a head secured to the housing;

a release shaft from an end internal to the housing and an opposing end external to the housing, the release shaft slidably supported by the head for translation along and rotation about an axis of the release shaft; and

a spring arranged between the internal end and the head, the spring configured to bias the internal end toward the one of the gear train and the output shaft.

9 . The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the manual release assembly includes:

a handle supported at the opposing end.

10 . The actuator of claim 9 , wherein the motor has a pinion, and the gear train includes multiple gear reduction sets, the gear train includes a worm, the gear train and the motor are non-back-drivable in response to an input at the output shaft, and the end of the release shaft is configured to selectively cooperate with the worm.

11 . The actuator of claim 8 , comprising first and second seals, wherein the first seal is arranged between and engaging the head and the housing, and the second seal is arranged between and engaging the head and the release shaft.

12 . The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the head is threadingly secured to the housing.

13 . The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the head includes first and second detents located at different angular positions relative to one another with respect to the release shaft axis, the handle seated in the first detent in one of the three positions, and the handled seated in the second detent in another of the three positions.

14 . The actuator of claim 13 , wherein the handle is in neither of the first and second detents in the actuator release position.

15 . The actuator of claim 13 , wherein one of the first and second detents is axially raised relative to the other of the first and second detents.

16 . The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the motor has a pinion, and the gear train includes multiple gear reduction sets, the gear train and the motor are back-drivable in response to an input at the output shaft.

17 . A vehicle driveline including the actuator of claim 8 , wherein the driveline component is an axle.

18 . A vehicle driveline including the actuator of claim 8 , wherein the driveline component is a transmission.