Shield arrangement for a control lever of a vehicle sliding-door lock

A vehicle comprising:

• a center-pillarless body
• a rear door slidingly connected to said body, said rear door having an inner panel, a front face connected at an interior edge to a front edge of said inner panel and disposed substantially transverse to said inner panel, and an outer panel connected at a forward edge to an exterior edge of said front face and disposed substantially transverse to said front face and substantially parallel to said inner panel;
• a lock mechanically coupled to said door and arranged to prevent opening of said door when said lock is in a locked state;
• a lever mechanically coupled to said lock for controlling said lock, said lever being arranged to project from an aperture in said front face;
• and
• a shield having a first section connected to said inner panel and projecting past said front edge of said inner panel adjacent and substantially parallel to said lever, and a second section supported by said first section and arranged parallel and opposed to said front face so that access to said lever is blocked by said shield when said door is closed.

A child-proof lock for a rearwardly sliding door of a vehicle comprising:

• a lock mechanism structured to be disposed within said door;
• a lever mechanically coupled to said lock mechanism and structured to project from an aperture in a front face of said door;
• a shield having a first substantially flat section and a second section connected to and substantially transverse to said first section;
• and
• means for attaching said shield to an inner panel of said door, for positioning said first section to project past said front edge of said door at a level corresponding to said aperture in said front face of said door, and for positioning said second section substantially parallel said front face and opposed to said aperture.