Patent ID: 7036857

Claim:
A vehicle inside door handle assembly comprising: a mounting bracket configured and dimensioned to be mounted within a vehicle door; a handle pivotally mounted to the mounting bracket about a pivot axis between a latching position and a latch releasing position, the handle having an operating portion with a first mass disposed on a first side of the pivot axis and a counterweight portion with a second mass disposed on a second side of the pivot axis, the operating portion being configured and arranged relative to the mounting bracket to be operated from within a vehicle; and a biasing element operatively disposed between the handle and the mounting bracket to urge the handle from the latch releasing position to the latching position, the second mass of the counterweight portion being configured and arranged relative to the first mass of the handle to counteract pivoting of the handle when a lateral force is applied to the handle in a plane substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis and substantially opposite to an urging force by the biasing element on the operating portion of the handle, the mounting bracket including a door mounting portion lying in a non-perpendicular mounting plane relative to the pivot axis, and a handle mounting portion lying in a substantially perpendicular plane to the pivot axis, the door mounting portion including first and second door attachment points located on the first and second sides of the pivot axis along the mounting plane, respectively, and the operating portion of the handle having a free end located further from the pivot axis than the first door attachment point as measured in a direction parallel to the mounting plane.