Automotive manufactures are looking to reduce the cost of vehicle components. One way to reduce costs is to reduce the number of parts used in a component, simplifying both component assembly and supply chain management. Another way is to engineer the component so that it can be assembled more quickly and without expensive equipment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,366 to Lewis teaches a handle assembly that includes an escutcheon plate sized to fit in the door aperture; a handle pivotally mounted on the escutcheon plate via an axial pin; a threaded fastener device secured to the escutcheon plate and extending inwardly; and a clip of U-configuration. Once the door handle assembly has been installed in the aperture of a vehicle door skin, the door handle assembly may be mounted simply by tightening the threaded fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,948 to Spitzley teaches a method of mounting a motor vehicle door handle assembly on a skin of a door assembly where the handle assembly includes a handle member and a base plate defining a planar surface. A plurality of individual, spaced lug apertures and a separate spaced clip aperture are provided in the door skin. Lugs are provided on the handle base plate, each sized to pass through a respective lug aperture in the door skin to retain the handle assembly on the door skin. The handle includes a depending hook that extends through an aperture in the base plate and is operable to be connected to a cable to actuate a latch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,329 to Spitzley teaches a method of mounting a motor vehicle door handle assembly to a vehicle door consisting of locating a pre-assembled handle assembly within a door skin aperture, and actuating the handle assembly to fixedly mount the handle assembly.
While the above-mentioned patents all describe handle assemblies that can be mounted to a door more quickly, it is still desirable to provide a reduced-cost handle assembly and mounting method.
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