# US 8,465,064 B2 · Vehicle door latching assembly including latch rod decoupling mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,064 B2 - Document ID: US8465064B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/162,875 - Filed: 2005-09-27 - Published: 2007-03-29 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-27 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam - Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465064B2 ## CPC - E05B 79/12: using connecting rods - E05B 77/04: Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision - Y10T 292/0908: Emergency operating means - Y10T 292/1047: Closure - Y10T 292/57: Operators with knobs or handles - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A vehicle door latch assembly includes a latch rod coupled to a latch mechanism and operable by a door handle to unlatch the latch mechanism. The latch assembly may include a release clip operably connected to the latch mechanism for releasably connecting the latch rod to the latch mechanism. A latch rod release bracket may be mounted to an inner surface of a vehicle door, and include an extension having 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. Also provided is a method of releasing a latch rod from a latching mechanism in a vehicle door during a side impact event, with the method using the latch rod release bracket described above. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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; and 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A vehicle door latch assembly according to claim 1, said assembly further comprising 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. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A vehicle door latch assembly according to claim 1, said assembly further comprising 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. ### Claim 4 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vehicle door latch assembly according to claim 1, said latch rod release bracket further comprising a base for mounting said latch rod release bracket to the inner surface of the vehicle door, said extension being disposed at an angle relative to the base for engagement with the detent during the side impact event. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A vehicle door latch assembly according to claim 1, said extension further comprising a wing disposed adjacent said wedge-shaped area for preventing said latch rod release bracket from moving past the release clip without disengaging the release clip during the side impact event. ### Claim 7 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. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 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. ### Claim 10 A method of providing a latch rod releasable from a latching mechanism in a vehicle door, 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 a side impact event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of providing said extension with a wedge-shaped area adjacent a lower portion thereof and engageable with the detent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing said assembly with 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing said assembly with 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. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of providing said latch rod release bracket with a base for mounting said latch rod release bracket to an inner surface of the vehicle door, said extension being disposed at an angle relative to the base for engagement with the detent during the side impact event. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing said extension with a wing disposed adjacent said wedge-shaped area for preventing said latch rod release bracket from moving past the release clip without disengaging the release clip during the side impact event.