Patent ID: 8414038

Claim:
A vehicle door latch structure comprising: an inner door panel; an outer door panel; a door latch mechanism located between the inner door panel and the outer door panel, the door latch mechanism including a latch release lever that is movably arranged between a rest position and a release position unlatching the door latch mechanism; and a door latch engagement bracket defining an opening that is aligned with and spaced apart from the latch release lever while the latch release lever is in the rest position and while the door latch engagement bracket is in an installed state between the inner door panel and the outer door panel, wherein the latch release lever being arranged relative to the opening of the door latch engagement bracket to extend through the opening upon movement of the door latch engagement bracket from the installed state to a restricted state caused by deformation of the outer door panel toward the inner door panel such that the door latch engagement bracket prevents movement of the latch release lever from the rest position to the release position while the latch release lever is extending through the opening in the door latch engagement bracket.