Patent ID: 7703818

Claim:
A striker assembly for use with a vehicle door latch comprising: a generally U-shaped strap having a base plate adapted to mount to a vehicle structure, a pin support arm spaced from and extending generally parallel to the base plate, and an intermediate arm extending between the base plate and the pin support arm; the base plate including a first pin hole and a stiffening bead having a first end surrounding the first pin hole, the base plate also having a front surface facing the pin support arm, an opposed back surface adapted to be secured against the vehicle structure, an edge extending between the front surface and the back surface, a coined edge extending partially around a perimeter of the base plate between the back surface and the edge wherein the coined edge includes at least one contoured portion where a width of the coined edge is reduced, and a water drain channel recessed in the back surface and extending from the coined edge to first end of the stiffening bead; the pin support arm having an inner surface facing the base plate and an opposed outer surface, and the pin support arm including a second pin hole coaxial with the first pin hole, with the second pin hole including a countersunk pocket adjacent to the outer surface; and the countersunk pocket including an entrance portion adjacent to the inner surface having a first diameter, an exit portion adjacent to the outer surface having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and a radiused tapered portion extending between the entrance portion and the exit portion, with the radiused portion having a convex curvature facing into the pocket; and a striker pin made of a 10B21 boron steel alloy having a Rockwell C hardness less than 35, the striker pin having a generally cylindrical shank portion located between a base head and a pin neck, the base head engaged by the base plate, and the pin neck having a peened portion filling the countersunk pocket and a peen head extending out of the countersunk pocket and engaging the outer surface adjacent to and radially outward from the second pin hole.