Closure latch assembly with a power release mechanism and an inside handle release mechanism

A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

• a latch mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl, the ratchet being moveable between a striker release position and a striker capture position, the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl holds the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl permits the ratchet to move to its striker release position;
• a power release mechanism including a power release motor, a power release gear driven by the power release motor, and an actuator lever, the actuator lever having a first drive member and being moveable between a non-actuated position whereat the pawl is maintained in its ratchet holding position and an actuated position whereat the actuator lever causes the pawl to move to its ratchet releasing position, the power release gear being rotatable in a releasing direction from a central-home position to a released position for causing the actuator lever to move from its non-actuated position into its actuated position, and the power release gear being rotatable in an unlocking direction from its central-home position to an unlocked position;
• and
• an inside handle release mechanism including an emergency lever and a link lever having a second drive member, the emergency lever being operatively connected to an inside door handle and is moveable between a home position and a pulled position in response to movement of the inside door handle between a rest position and an actuated position, the link lever being operatively connected to the emergency lever and moveable between an uncoupled position when the power release gear is located in its central-home position and a coupled position when the power release gear is located in its unlocked position, wherein the second drive member of the link lever is disconnected from the first drive member of the actuator lever when the link lever is located in its uncoupled position, and wherein the second drive member on the link lever drivingly engages the first drive member on the actuator lever when the link lever is located in its coupled position.

A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

• a latch mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl, the ratchet being moveable between a striker release position and a striker capture position, the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl holds the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl permits the ratchet to move to its striker release position;
• a power release mechanism including a power release motor, a power release gear driven by the power release motor and having a release cam and a link lever cam, and an actuator lever, the actuator lever being moveable between a non-actuated position whereat the pawl is maintained in its ratchet holding position and an actuated position whereat the actuator lever causes the pawl to move to its ratchet releasing position, the power release gear being rotatable in a releasing direction from a central-home position to a released position for causing the release cam to move the actuator lever from its non-actuated position into its actuated position, and the power release gear being rotatable in an unlocking direction from its central-home position to an unlocked position;
• and
• an inside handle release mechanism including an emergency lever and a link lever, the emergency lever being operatively connected to an inside door handle for movement between a home position and a pulled position in response to movement of the inside door handle between a rest position and an actuated position, the link lever being operatively connected to the emergency lever and moveable between an uncoupled position when the power release gear is located in its central-home position and a coupled position when the power release gear is located in its unlocked position, wherein the link lever cam is configured to move the link lever between its uncoupled and coupled positions in response to rotation of the power release gear between its central-home and unlocked positions, and wherein the link lever is disconnected from the actuator lever when located in its uncoupled position and the link lever is connected to the actuator lever when located in its coupled position.