Patent ID: 8182004

Claim:
A vehicle door latch apparatus comprising: a meshing mechanism unit that is configured to engage with and disengage from a striker provided on a vehicle body; and an operating mechanism unit that is configured to operate the meshing mechanism unit, wherein the operating mechanism unit comprises: a gearwheel comprising a pinion on one side thereof; a motor configured to rotate the gearwheel; a sector gear, which is pivotally supported by a pivot, which meshes with the pinion, and which is configured to be rotated by the pinion of the gearwheel; a switch lever connected to the sector gear, wherein the switch lever is shiftable to: an unlocking position where engagement between the meshing mechanism unit and the striker is releasable; and a locking position where the engagement between the meshing mechanism unit and the striker is unreleasable; and a key sub-lever pivotally supported on the pivot, wherein the key sub-lever is rotatable in an unlocking direction and a locking direction in synchronism with operations of an operation key cylinder provided on an external side of a door, wherein the sector gear and the key sub-lever are pivotally supported on the pivot such that the key sub-lever rotates independently of the sector gear, wherein the sector gear comprises an abutment portion extending in an axial direction of the pivot, and wherein the key sub-lever is configured to be brought into abutment with the abutment portion of the sector gear so as to rotate the sector gear to an unlocking position by being rotated in the unlocking direction and a locking position by being rotated in the locking direction.