Replacement door handle for vehicle

A method of replacing and existing door handle of a vehicle with a flush mounted, vehicle door handle, comprising:

• removing an existing door handle from a vehicle door;
• cutting a hole in a door panel of the vehicle door proximately where the existing door handle was located;
• attaching a replacement handle assembly to the hole, the replacement handle assembly comprising;
• a housing having an outer wall defining an aperture defining an inner contour of the outer wall;
• a handle defining an outer contour and positioned at least partially within the aperture of the outer wall, the outer contour similar to the inner contour of the outer wall, the handle having a first elongate portion configured for grasping and lifting and a second portion configured for depressing;
• a pivot assembly coupled to the housing, the handle coupled to the pivot assembly with the first portion of the handle on one side of a fulcrum of the pivot assembly and the second portion on the other side of the fulcrum of the pivot assembly;
• a first back wall attached to a back side of the housing providing an abutment surface for limiting pivotal movement in one direction of the first portion of the handle relative to the housing such that a top surface of the handle is relatively flush with an outer surface of the door panel when the handle is in a resting position;
• a second back wall coupled to a back side of the handle proximate the second portion having a contour similar to a portion of the inner contour of the outer wall proximate the second portion to cover a portion of the aperture proximate the second portion when the handle is in the resting position;
• and
• positioning the second back wall relative to a latch mechanism of the vehicle door so that when the handle is pivoted about the pivot assembly from the resting position to a second position the first portion is lifted out of the housing and the second portion and the second back wall inwardly pivot relative to the housing to release the latch mechanism so that the vehicle door can be opened.

A method of replacing and existing door handle of a vehicle with a flush mounted, vehicle door handle, comprising:

• removing an existing door handle from a vehicle door;
• cutting a hole in a door panel of the vehicle door proximately where the existing door handle was located;
• attaching a replacement handle assembly to the hole, the replacement handle assembly comprising;
• a housing having an outer wall defining an aperture defining an inner countour of the outer wall;
• a handle defining an outer contour and positioned at least partially within the aperture of the outer wall, the outer contour similar to the inner contour of the outer wall, the handle having a first elongate portion configured for grasping and lifting and a second portion configured for depressing;
• a pivot assembly coupled to the housing, the handle coupled to the pivot assembly with the first portion of the handle on one side of a fulcrum of the pivot assembly and the second portion on the other side of the fulcrum of the pivot assembly;
• a first back wall attached to a back side of the housing providing an abutment surface for limiting pivotal movement in one direction of the first portion of the handle relative to the housing such that a top surface of the handle is relatively flush with an outer surface of the door panel when the handle is in a resting position;
• a second back wall coupled to the second portion and covering at least a portion of the aperture, wherein the second back wall moves along with the handle when the handle is pivoted;
• and
• positioning the second back wall relative to a latch mechanism of the vehicle door so that when the handle is pivoted about the pivot assembly from the resting position to a second position the first portion is lifted out of the housing and the second portion and the second back wall inwardly pivot relative to the housing to release the latch mechanism so that the vehicle door can be opened.

A vehicle door handle for replacing an existing door handle of a vehicle, comprising:

• a handle having a first elongate portion configured for grasping and lifting and a second portion configured for depressing;
• a housing comprised of an outer wall defining an aperture defining an inner contour of the outer wall similar to an outer contour of the handle, the first and second portions of the handle being at least partially received within the housing when the handle is positioned in a resting position;
• a pivot assembly coupled to the housing proximately between the first portion and the second portion, the handle coupled to the pivot assembly with the first elongate portion on one side of a fulcrum of the pivot assembly and the second portion on the other side of the fulcrum;
• a first back wall attached to the housing providing an abutment surface for limiting pivotal movement in one direction of the first portion of the handle relative to the housing;
• a second back wall coupled to the second portion and covering at least a portion of the aperture, wherein the second back wall moves along with the handle when the handle is pivoted;
• and
• an abutment on a back of the second portion of the handle configured to engage and actuate a door latch mechanism of a vehicle door when the handle is pivoted about the pivoting assembly and the second portion at least partially retreats into the housing.