# US 2019/0169883 A1 · Vehicle door latch assemblies

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- Number: US 2019/0169883 A1
- Document ID: US20190169883A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/829,321
- Filed: 2017-12-01
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Inventors: James D. Cunningham
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169883A1

## CPC

- E05B 77/06: by means of inertial forces
- E05B 77/04: Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision
- E05B 85/12: Inner door handles
- Y10S 292/22: Inertia operated
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A door latch assembly includes a handle bezel, a rotatable handle coupled to the handle bezel, and a bezel cap. The handle bezel includes a main body portion and a rib extending from the main body portion. The rotatable handle includes a handle lever extending through the main body portion of the handle bezel, wherein the handle lever extends alongside the rib of the handle bezel. The bezel cap is positioned in a first position at an end of the rib so as to provide clearance for the handle lever of the rotatable handle to rotate thereby. The bezel cap is configured to move along the rib toward the main body portion of the handle bezel to interfere with a rotation of the handle lever during a side impact condition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A door latch assembly comprising:
a handle bezel comprising a main body portion and a rib extending from the main body portion;
a rotatable handle coupled to the handle bezel comprising a handle lever extending through the main body portion of the handle bezel, wherein the handle lever extends alongside the rib of the handle bezel; and
a bezel cap positioned in a first position at an end of the rib so as to provide clearance for the handle lever of the rotatable handle to rotate thereby, wherein the bezel cap is configured to move along the rib toward the main body portion of the handle bezel to interfere with a rotation of the handle lever during a side impact condition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The door latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the rib of the handle bezel extends outward a distance beyond the handle lever of the rotatable handle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The door latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the bezel cap comprises one or more sidewalls, wherein a portion of the one or more sidewalls is configured to extend into a path of the handle lever of the rotatable handle during the side impact condition.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The door latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the bezel cap comprises one or more sidewalls comprising a first position coupling structure and the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The door latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the bezel cap comprises:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall positioned parallel to the first sidewall, the first and second sidewalls defining a bezel rib receiving channel therebetween; and
a back stop coupled to each the first and second sidewalls.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The door latch assembly of claim 5, wherein:
at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprises a first position coupling structure; and
the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.

### Claim 7

A vehicle comprising:
a body; and
a door movably coupled to the body, wherein the door comprises:
an outer door panel; and
a door latch assembly positioned inboard of the outer door panel and comprising:
a handle bezel comprising a main body portion and a rib extending from the main body portion;
a rotatable handle coupled to the handle bezel comprising a handle lever extending through the main body portion of the handle bezel, wherein the handle lever extends alongside the rib of the handle bezel; and
a bezel cap positioned in a first position at an end of the rib so as to provide clearance for the handle lever of the rotatable handle to rotate thereby, wherein the bezel cap is configured to move along the rib toward the main body portion of the handle bezel to interfere with a rotation of the handle lever during a side impact condition.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle of claim 7, wherein contact between the outer door panel and the bezel cap during the side impact condition causes the bezel cap to slide from the first position to a second position where the bezel cap blocks the rotation of the handle lever.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the rib of the handle bezel extends outward a distance beyond the handle lever of the rotatable handle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The vehicle door of claim 7, wherein the bezel cap comprises a sidewall, wherein a portion of the sidewall is configured to extend into a path of the handle lever of the rotatable handle during the side impact condition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the bezel cap comprises one or more sidewalls comprising a first position coupling structure and the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the bezel cap comprises:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall positioned parallel to the first sidewall, the first and second sidewalls defining a bezel rib receiving channel therebetween; and
a back stop coupled to each the first and second sidewalls.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle of claim 12, wherein:
at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprises a first position coupling structure; and
the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.

### Claim 14

A method of inhibiting rotation of a door handle of a vehicle door from a latched configuration to an unlatched configuration, the method comprising:
connecting a bezel cap to a door latch assembly in a first position, the door latch assembly comprising:
a handle bezel comprising a main body portion and a rib extending from the main body portion, wherein the bezel cap is coupled to an end of the rib in the first position; and
a rotatable handle coupled to the handle bezel comprising a handle lever extending through the main body portion of the handle bezel, wherein the handle lever extends alongside the rib of the handle bezel, wherein the bezel cap in the first position provides clearance for the handle lever of the rotatable handle to rotate thereby; and
moving the bezel cap along a length of the rib from the first position to a second position, wherein the bezel cap blocks rotation of the handle lever of the rotatable handle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising contacting the bezel cap with an outer door panel of the vehicle door, wherein contact between the bezel cap and the outer door panel causes the bezel cap to move along the length of the rib of the handle bezel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the rib of the handle bezel extends outward a distance beyond the handle lever of the rotatable handle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the bezel cap comprises a sidewall, wherein a portion of the sidewall is configured to extend into a path of the handle lever of the rotatable handle when in the second position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the bezel cap comprises one or more sidewalls comprising a first position coupling structure and the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the bezel cap comprises:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall positioned parallel to the first sidewall, the first and second sidewalls defining a bezel rib receiving channel therebetween; and
a back stop coupled to each the first and second sidewalls.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall comprises a first position coupling structure; and
the rib comprises a receiving structure so as to couple the bezel cap to the rib of the handle bezel in the first position.