Catch for door latch detent lever

Abstract

A door latch for latching the vehicle door in the closed position includes a fork bolt pivotally mounted on the latch housing for movement between the latching position engaging a striker in an unlatching position to unlatch from the striker and permit opening of the door. A detent lever is pivotally mounted on the latch housing for movement between an engaging position engaging the fork bolt in its latching position and a disengaging position disengaged from the fork bolt to permit pivoting of the fork bolt to its unlatching position. A spring acts between the detent lever and the latch housing to urge the detent lever to the engaged position. A catch member is provided to retain the detent lever in the disengaged position and block pivoting movement of the detent member to the engaging position in response to absence of the spring. The catch member is preferably provided by a plastic housing carried by the door latch and having a catch member integrally molded therewith and having an integral sensing arm normally engaging with the detent spring to establish the catch member in its releasing position. The catch member is self-biased into sensing contact with the detent spring so that absence of the spring enables the catch member to move to the catching position in which a hook is provided on the catch member which engages with the detent lever.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.