Patent ID: 8678452

Claim:
A vehicle door latch device comprising: a latch configured to engage with a striker of a vehicle body to keep a vehicle door closed; a ratchet configured to engage with the latch so as to maintain engagement of the latch with the striker, a casing: a cover closing the casing; an inside operating lever disposed between the casing and the cover and configured to move from a neutral position in an opening direction to open a door of a vehicle by operating an inside handle in a vehicle, the inside operating lever also being configured to move between an assembling position and the neutral position, the assembling position being located relative to the neutral position in a direction opposite to the opening direction, the inside operating lever having a control opening; a connecting lever disposed between the casing and the cover and transmitting motion of the inside operating lever for opening the door, the connecting lever having an elongate hole; a childproof lock mechanism disposed between the casing and the cover and moving between an unlocking state where the motion of the inside operating lever to open the door can be transmitted to the connecting lever and a locking state where the motion cannot be transmitted; and a holding unit holding the childproof lock mechanism in the locking state or in the unlocking state when the inside operating lever is in the assembling position, the childproof lock mechanism not being held in the locking state or in the unlocking state when the inside operating lever is in the neutral position, the holding unit comprising a floating member that passes through the control opening of the inside operating lever and through the elongate hole of the connecting lever, wherein, when the childproof lock mechanism is in the unlocking state, movement of the inside operating lever, caused by operation of the inside handle of the vehicle, is transmitted to the connecting lever by the floating member, the movement of the connecting lever being transmitted to the ratchet and disengaging the ratchet from the latch, the disengagement of the ratchet from the latch allowing the latch to disengage from the striker which allows the door to open.