Patent ID: 8746759

Claim:
A method of assembling a handle assembly attachable to a door of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing the handle assembly comprised of a backplate, a handle and a torsion spring, the backplate having a concave portion adapted to be mounted in a door aperture formed in the door and including a handle aperture and a pair of pivot mounts, each pivot mount including a cylindrical void and an assembly slot interconnecting the handle aperture to the cylindrical void, the handle includes a pair of pivot pins, a spring post, and a spring locator having a slot with a ramp portion and a retention pocket, each pivot pin having a guide segment and a cylindrical pivot segment, the torsion spring having a coiled segment and first and second end segments; positioning the coiled segment of the torsion spring around the spring post of the handle; placing the first end segment of the torsion spring through the slot of the spring locator in the handle and sliding the first end segment along the ramp portion until it is retained in the retention pocket; inserting the handle through the handle aperture in the concave portion of the backplate at an angle generally perpendicular to the backplate to define an assembly position of the handle relative to the backplate; aligning the guide segments of the pivot pins within the assembly slots of the pivot mounts; moving the handle relative to the backplate while maintaining the assembly position therebetween for sliding the guide segments of the pivot pins through the assembly slots of the pivot mounts until the cylindrical pivot segments of the pivot pins are located within the cylindrical voids of the pivot mounts; engaging the second end segment of the torsion spring against the concave portion of the backplate adjacent to an edge of the handle aperture to place the torsion spring under load and bias the handle from its assembly position into a non-actuated position whereat the guide segments of the pivot pins are inhibited from sliding through the assembly slots of the pivot mounts; and wherein the step of positioning the coiled segment of the torsion spring around the spring post of the handle occurs prior to sliding the guide segments of the pivot pins through the assembly slots of the pivot mounts.