Patent ID: 8342581
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A vehicle door latch assembly, comprising: a release lever pivotally secured to the latch assembly for movement between a locked position and an unlatched position and a neutral position between the locked and unlatched position, wherein the release lever is spring biased into the neutral position; a pendulum stop pivotally secured to the release lever for movement between a blocking position and an unblocking position, wherein the release lever is prevented from moving to the locked position from unlatched position when the pendulum stop is in the blocking position; a spring for biasing the pendulum stop into the unblocking position wherein the pendulum stop is configured such that movement of the release lever from the unlatched position towards the neutral position will cause the pendulum stop to move from the unblocking position to the blocking position such that movement of the release lever from the unlatched position to the locked position is prevented without the release lever first stopping at the neutral position; a locking lever pivotally mounted to the latch assembly for movement between a first position, wherein an intermediate lever of the latch assembly is coupled to a detent lever, and a second position wherein the intermediate lever is uncoupled from the detent lever by pivoting the intermediate lever from a coupling position to an uncoupling position, the locking lever being moved from the first position to the second position by the release lever as it is moved from the neutral position to the locked position, wherein the intermediate lever is only moved linearly when the release lever is moved between the neutral position and the unlatched position.