Locking assembly with spring mechanism

A method of operating an electronic locking assembly, the method comprising:

• providing the electronic locking assembly in a locked configuration, the electronic locking assembly including an exterior assembly with an actuating mechanism and an input device, the electronic locking assembly also including a latch assembly with a latch bolt configured to extend and retract therefrom, the latch assembly selectively coupled to the exterior assembly via a coupling assembly and a torque blade rotatable around a first axis, wherein the locked configuration is defined by the actuating mechanism being disengaged with the torque blade by a movable pin of the coupling assembly;
• receiving an input at the input device;
• determining if the input is a valid input;
• in response to the valid input, actuating a drive assembly disposed within the exterior assembly, wherein the drive assembly includes a motor, a spindle, a spring engaged by a lateral projection on the spindle to move in an axial direction of the spindle and selectively apply a biasing force to a flange, the spindle rotatable via the motor around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and the flange slidable along the axial direction based on a position of the spring relative to the spindle;
• and
• engaging the actuating mechanism with the torque blade via the coupling assembly based on the flange sliding in the axial direction away from the motor and contacting the pin such that the electronic locking assembly is in an unlocked configuration, wherein once the electronic locking assembly is in the unlocked configuration, the actuating mechanism is configured to retract the latch bolt.