Many van type vehicles are provided with a sliding door on the one side of the vehicle for convenient passenger entrance and egress. Such doors slide in a guided track between a closed position wherein the sliding door covers and seals against the opening provided in the van body, and an open position wherein the sliding door is moved away from the opening in the van body. A rear latch means is supported on the door adjacent its rearwardmost edge for latching the door in the closed position. An interior actuator handle movably extends from an interior surface of the door to actuate the rear latch means and thereby unlatch the door from the closed position. Similarly, an exterior actuator handle movably extends from the exterior surface of the door and is operative to unlatch the rear latch means to permit movement of the door from the closed position. A mechanism consisting of several push rod linkages extends from the respective handles to the rear latch means for controlling the rear latch means in response to movement inputs from the respective interior and exterior actuator handles. Further, a locking mechanism is provided so that, when engaged, the interior and exterior actuator handles are incapable of unlatching the door from the closed position. This is typically accomplished by providing an interior lock button and an exterior lock cylinder, each with corresponding push rod linkages extending to the rear latch means. In all, a typical van sliding door includes six to eight push rod linkages disposed therein for controlling the rear latch means, with each such linkage requiring individual installation, support and adjustment on the assembly line.
It will be readily appreciated that such construction adds to vehicle weight and expense for parts. Furthermore, the installation procedures necessary to string the various push rod linkages within the van door, along with the necessary length adjustments and installation of supporting and guiding structure, require time consuming and tedious operations which detracts from production efficiency and adds to vehicle costs.
The present invention answers to the above with new and improved construction which eliminates the push rod linkages and the difficulties and costs associated therewith and provides a straight forward light-weight and advanced latch actuator assembly for actuating the rear latch means of a sliding van door.