Motor vehicle door lock with elastically deflectable coupling element

A motor vehicle door lock comprising;

• a lock latch;
• a detent pawl for blocking said lock latch in a closed position;
• and
• a lock mechanism including:
• a trigger mechanism for actuating said detent pawl;
• an actuation mechanism for actuating said trigger mechanism;
• a one piece coupling element for coupling said actuation mechanism to said detent pawl;
• a displacement mechanism for moving said one piece coupling element from a coupled position into an uncoupled position when said actuation mechanism is not actuated and for moving said one piece coupling element from said uncoupled position into a storage position intermediate said uncoupled position and said coupled position when said actuation mechanism is actuated;
• and
• a spring mechanism for moving said one piece coupling element from said storage position into said coupling position when said displacement mechanism is not actuated;
• wherein said on piece coupling element comprises a plastic spring lever having a fixed coupling point at one end, a coupling pin positioned at a distance away from said coupling point at another end, and a spring elastic section between the fixed coupling point and the coupling pin, said spring elastic section extending sideways relative to an axis defined by the coupling point and the coupling pin;
• wherein the spring mechanism is formed by said spring elastic section of the one piece coupling element so that the coupling pin is elastically deflectable relative to the coupling point, and in the coupled position, engages said trigger mechanism;
• and wherein said coupling pin is movably guided in an elongated slot of said actuation mechanism in direction away from the fixed coupling point by a contact surface of the trigger mechanism, said contact surface having an edge at which the coupling pin is release to spring back into the coupled position engaging said trigger mechanism.