Abstract: A door latch assembly has a housing defining a mouth. A detent fork is pivotally mounted within the housing to cooperate with the mouth to pivot between an open and closed condition for receiving, engaging and cinching a keeper of a striker. The detent fork is biased in the open condition. A pivotally mounted pawl is biased into engagement with the detent fork for retaining the detent fork in the closed condition. A pivotally mounted inside release lever is movable between a stand-by position and a release position and biased to the stand-by position. A pivotally mounted outside release lever is movable between a stand-by position and a release position, and biased to the stand-by position. A pivotally mounted locking cam operably engages the pawl for positioning the pawl to selectively engage the release levers.

Abstract: A flexible link connects a release pawl of a latch to key cylinder. The link has a connector at each end thereof for connecting to the release pawl at one end and for connecting to the key cylinder at the opposite end. The link has a flexing section intermediate of the ends. The flexing section has a bias for deflecting in a predetermined direction.