Actuator for vehicle latch and vehicle latch with actuator

An actuator for a latch, comprising:

• a motor operatively coupled to a gear train;
• and
• a rack moveably mounted to the actuator for linear movement with respect to a housing of the actuator, wherein the gear train comprises:
• a worm;
• a worm gear and a pinion gear, wherein the pinion gear is rotatably mounted to the worm gear and the pinion gear has a plurality of teeth that engage a portion of the rack, wherein the pinion gear does not meshingly engage the worm gear and wherein the pinion gear has a protrusion that is movably located between a pair of features of the worm gear, the pair of features comprising a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first protrusion being separate from the second protrusion, and wherein an axis of rotation of the worm is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the worm gear and the pinion gear and rotational movement of the pinion gear with respect to the worm gear occurs without a corresponding rotational movement of the worm gear;
• wherein the rack contacts a switch when it is moved from a first position to a second position by the gear train;
• and
• wherein the switch is operatively coupled to a microcontroller that is provided with a state of the switch and the microcontroller operates the motor in opposite directions based upon the state or information received from the switch.