Automobile door assembly having a door locking device

Abstract

An automobile door assembly having a door locking device wherein the door locking device can be installed only from the outside of the door outer panel. The door assembly includes a door outer panel having an outer and inner surfaces and formed with an attachment opening, a spring retainer adapted to be mounted on the door outer panel at the opening thereof, said spring retainer including a flange having a seat surface adapted to be seated on the outer surface of the door outer panel around the attachment opening and at least a pair of legs extending from said flange through the attachment opening beyond the inner surface of the door outer panel, each of said legs having a free end portion formed with a pawl, a retaining spring engaged with said pawls of the legs and being in contact with the inner surface of the door outer panel, a door locking device including a lock body inserted through the opening of the door outer panel and the spring retainer and engaged with the retaining spring to be held in position, said door locking device having a rotatable shaft which is connected through a connecting lever to a lock actuating member of a door locking mechanism, the connecting lever being removably connected at one end with the rotatable shaft of the door locking device. A method is also disclosed for installing a door lock device on the door outer panel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.