Answers.Body: <p>There is definitely a worm gear and a clutch inside, as reported by the (now defunct, but luckily <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211130095423/http://www.technicbricks.com/2008/07/tbs-techreview-02-technic-pf-linear.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">archived</a><sup>*</sup>) TechnicBricks blog:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qX3GT.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qX3GT.png" alt="exploded view of a linear actuator" /></a></p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/rbiIa.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/rbiIa.png" alt="view of the surfaces between the orange and white parts" /></a></p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qVqDb.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qVqDb.png" alt="closeup view of the metallic worm gear on the end of the shaft" /></a></p>
  <p>The orange part is the input and engages with its serrated surface the pins of the white cylinder. The flexibility of these pins allows the rotation of the input axle while the actuator shaft is blocked - providing the clutch functionality.</p>
  <p>The inside of the white cylinder has grooves in it which then engage and drive the worm gear structure of the actuator shaft - provided the end of the shaft is prevented from rotating. Otherwise the cylinder and shaft just rotate together.</p>
  <p>The Eurobricks forum has a <a href="https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/47084-inside-the-new-la/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">thread</a> detailing the differences between the various iterations of the linear actuator, with the following images of the internal components as they got updated based on customer feedback:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/d8Qsh.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/d8Qsh.png" alt="comparison of the old and new shaft ends" /></a></p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xgx8e.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xgx8e.png" alt="comparison of the old and new orange clutch component" /></a></p>
  <hr />
  <p><sup>* Have you considered <a href="https://archive.org/donate/?origin=wbwww-HomeDonateButton" rel="nofollow noreferrer">donating</a> to the Internet Archive?</sup></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-01-10T16:02:00.783Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-01-10T16:55:20.233Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-01-10T16:55:20.233Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Body: <p>The two linear actuators that I know, <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=61927c01" rel="noreferrer">61927c01 Linear Actuator</a> and <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=92693c01" rel="noreferrer">92693c01 Linear Actuator Mini</a>, have a built-in clutch (that makes a <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/9034/linear-actuator-clicking">clicking sound</a> when feeding the actuator torque when it's fully retracted or fully extended).</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/429s2.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/429s2.png" alt="Linear actuator" /></a>
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PyRAm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PyRAm.png" alt="Linear actuator mini" /></a></p>
  <p>What's inside the actuators? Is there a worm gear inside? How does the internal clutch work?</p>
  
Tags: <technic><piece-information><disassembly>
Title: What's inside a linear actuator?
UserDisplayName: IvanSanchez
ThreadText: # What's inside a linear actuator?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-09)
  
  The two linear actuators that I know, [61927c01 Linear Actuator](http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=61927c01) and [92693c01 Linear Actuator Mini](http://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=92693c01), have a built-in clutch (that makes a [clicking sound](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/9034/linear-actuator-clicking) when feeding the actuator torque when it's fully retracted or fully extended).
  
  [![Linear actuator](https://i.sstatic.net/429s2.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/429s2.png)
  [![Linear actuator mini](https://i.sstatic.net/PyRAm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/PyRAm.png)
  
  What's inside the actuators? Is there a worm gear inside? How does the internal clutch work?
  
  **Tags:** technic, piece-information, disassembly
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-10. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  There is definitely a worm gear and a clutch inside, as reported by the (now defunct, but luckily [archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211130095423/http://www.technicbricks.com/2008/07/tbs-techreview-02-technic-pf-linear.html)\*) TechnicBricks blog:
  
  [![exploded view of a linear actuator](https://i.sstatic.net/qX3GT.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/qX3GT.png)
  
  [![view of the surfaces between the orange and white parts](https://i.sstatic.net/rbiIa.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/rbiIa.png)
  
  [![closeup view of the metallic worm gear on the end of the shaft](https://i.sstatic.net/qVqDb.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/qVqDb.png)
  
  The orange part is the input and engages with its serrated surface the pins of the white cylinder. The flexibility of these pins allows the rotation of the input axle while the actuator shaft is blocked - providing the clutch functionality.
  
  The inside of the white cylinder has grooves in it which then engage and drive the worm gear structure of the actuator shaft - provided the end of the shaft is prevented from rotating. Otherwise the cylinder and shaft just rotate together.
  
  The Eurobricks forum has a [thread](https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/47084-inside-the-new-la/) detailing the differences between the various iterations of the linear actuator, with the following images of the internal components as they got updated based on customer feedback:
  
  [![comparison of the old and new shaft ends](https://i.sstatic.net/d8Qsh.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/d8Qsh.png)
  
  [![comparison of the old and new orange clutch component](https://i.sstatic.net/xgx8e.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/xgx8e.png)
  
  ---
  
  \* Have you considered [donating](https://archive.org/donate/?origin=wbwww-HomeDonateButton) to the Internet Archive?
  
  
  ---
  
  