Clutch for door lock

A door lock comprising:

• a housing;
• a deadbolt lock configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;
• a deadbolt lock handle operatively coupled to the deadbolt lock so that the deadbolt lock handle may be rotated to move the deadbolt lock between the retracted position and the extended position;
• an output gear including a plurality of inner detents, wherein the output gear is operatively coupled to the deadbolt lock handle such that rotation of the output gear rotates the deadbolt lock handle;
• an actuator including an output shaft;
• a lag plate rotatable relative to the output gear and housing, wherein the lag plate is configured to generate frictional force when the lag plate rotates relative to the housing;
• an input cam configured to be coupled to the output shaft of the actuator, wherein the input cam is configured to switch between an engaged state and a disengaged state;
• and
• a ball bearing configured to:
• when the input cam is in the engaged state, engage one of the plurality of inner detents to operatively couple the input cam to the output gear, and
• when the input cam is in the disengaged state and the output gear is rotated by an external force, disengage from the plurality of inner detents under frictional force generated by the lag plate.

A method of operating a door lock, the method comprising:

• rotating an input cam in a first direction from a disengaged state to an engaged state, wherein rotating the input cam from the disengaged state to the engaged state moves a ball bearing into one of a plurality of inner detents of an output gear;
• rotating the input cam in the first direction to correspondingly rotate the output gear in the first direction;
• and
• rotating the input cam in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the input cam from the engaged state to the disengaged state, wherein moving the input cam to the disengaged state allows the ball bearing to disengage from the plurality of inner detents.