Vehicle door latching assembly including latch rod decoupling mechanism

A vehicle door latch assembly comprising:

• a latch rod coupled to a latch mechanism and operable by a door handle to unlatch the latch mechanism;
• a release clip operably connected to the latch mechanism for releasably connecting the latch rod to the latch mechanism;
• a latch rod release bracket mounted to an inner surface of a vehicle door, said latch rod release bracket including an extension, said extension including a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof engageable with a detent on the release clip to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod during a side impact event;
• and
• a protrusion adjacent an upper portion of said extension for engaging the latch rod during the side impact event and moving the latch rod away from the release clip.

A vehicle door latch assembly for releasing a latch rod from a latching mechanism during a side impact event, said assembly comprising:

• a latch rod release bracket mounted to a vehicle door, said latch rod release bracket including an extension engageable with a detent on a release clip for grasping the latch rod to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod from the latching mechanism during the side impact event;
• wherein said extension including a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof and engageable with the detent;
• and
• a U-shaped hook adjacent an upper portion of said extension for engaging the latch rod during the side impact event and lifting the latch rod away from the release clip.

A vehicle door latch assembly for releasing a latch rod from a latching mechanism during a side impact event, said assembly comprising:

• a latch rod release bracket mounted to a vehicle door, said latch rod release bracket including an extension engageable with a detent on a release clip for grasping the latch rod to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod from the latching mechanism during the side impact event;
• wherein said extension including a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof and engageable with the detent;
• and
• a U-shaped hook adjacent an upper portion of said extension for engaging the latch rod during the side impact event and moving the latch rod away from the release clip.

A vehicle door latch assembly for releasing a latch rod from a latching mechanism during a side impact event, said assembly comprising:

• a latch rod release bracket mounted to a vehicle door, said latch rod release bracket including an extension engageable with a detent on a release clip for grasping the latch rod to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod from the latching mechanism during the side impact event;
• wherein said extension including a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof and engageable with the detent;
• and
• a protrusion adjacent an upper portion of said extension for engaging the latch rod during the side impact event and moving the latch rod away from the release clip.

A method of providing a latch rod releasable from a latching mechanism in a vehicle door during a side impact event, said method comprising the step of:

• mounting a latch rod release bracket to the vehicle door, said latch rod release bracket including an extension engageable with a detent on a release clip for grasping the latch rod to disengage the release clip and thereby release the latch rod from the latching mechanism during the side impact event;
• providing said extension with a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof and engageable with the detent;
• and
• providing said assembly with a protrusion adjacent an upper portion of said extension for engaging the latch rod during the side impact event and moving the latch rod away from the release clip.