Door handle pin retainer

Abstract

The door handle assembly includes a housing and a lever handle pivotally connected to the front side of the housing by a pin. A pivot plate is pivotally connected to the back side of the housing, which includes a curved channel in which is mounted a compression spring. The pivot plate covers the channel so as to retain or close the spring in the channel. The pivot plate includes an arm which is linked to the door latch. Upon actuation of the handle, the pivot plate is pivoted by a leg of the handle extending through the housing. The pivotal movement of the pivot plate compresses the spring between one end of the channel and an arm on the pivot plate. The linkage between the pivot plate and the door latch releases the latch when the pivot plate is rotated by actuation of the handle. Upon release of the handle, the compression spring biases the pivot plate to its normal at-rest position. A resilient, integrally formed pin retention member extends from the housing for retaining the door handle pin in position. As the pin is inserted in aligned holes in the housing and the handle and the pinhead is pushed beyond the pin retention member so as to be captured thereby in a single step to preclude accident removal or inadvertent loss of the pin from the holes, without the use of additional hardware to retain the pin.