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A door trim assembly comprises a handle coupler, spindle driver, clutch, motor, and clutch driver assembly. The clutch is configured to selectively engage and disengage the handle coupler to the spindle driver. When engaged, the spindle driver rotates with the handle. When disengaged, the handle rot

A door trim assembly comprises a handle coupler, spindle driver, clutch, motor, and clutch driver assembly. The clutch is configured to selectively engage and disengage the handle coupler to the spindle driver. When engaged, the spindle driver rotates with the handle. When disengaged, the handle rotates freely of the spindle driver. The clutch driver assembly includes an escapement spring positioned coaxially with the motor shaft and held between first and second spring seats. A motor is operable to rotate the first spring seat. The second spring seat carries a pin or cam to operate the clutch and is biased by legs of the escapement spring to rotate with the motor. If the second spring seat is blocked from rotating, then rotation of the first spring seat winds the escapement spring.

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1. A door trim assembly with a clutch mechanism for operating a door latch, the door trim assembly comprising: a handle coupler configured to be coupled to and rotated with an outside door handle/lever, the handle coupler having a first coupling contact area;a spindle driver with a second coupling c

1. A door trim assembly with a clutch mechanism for operating a door latch, the door trim assembly comprising: a handle coupler configured to be coupled to and rotated with an outside door handle/lever, the handle coupler having a first coupling contact area;a spindle driver with a second coupling contact area;a movable coupler operative to selectively couple the handle coupler to, and decouple the handle coupler from, the spindle driver when the first and second coupling contact areas are aligned to seat the movable coupler, wherein: when the handle coupler and spindle driver are aligned, the movable coupler is operable to move between coupling and decoupling configurations in which the handle coupler is respectively coupled to, and decoupled from, the spindle driver;when the movable coupler is in the coupling configuration, rotation of the outside handle/lever results in unisonant rotation of the handle coupler and spindle driver to retract the door latch;when the movable coupler does not couple the handle coupler to the spindle driver, rotation of the outside handle/lever rotates the handle coupler rotates freely of the spindle driver;a motor; anda drive linkage operated by the motor to drive the movable coupler between the coupling and decoupling configurations;wherein the drive linkage comprises a spring coupled with the motor for being turned and loaded by the motor;wherein the motor is operable to load the spring when the first and second coupling contact areas are not aligned; andwherein when the first and second coupling contact areas are realigned, the spring, when loaded, is operable to drive the movable coupler into the coupling configuration via pivotal movement of the moveable coupler. 2. The door trim assembly of claim 1, wherein the driver linkage comprises a spring leg saddle and a tab that rotate about a common axis with the motor shaft, and wherein opposite legs of the spring straddle the spring leg saddle and tab. 3. The door trim assembly of claim 2, wherein: in a first condition, the spring leg saddle is aligned with the tab and the driver linkage is operable to rotate the spring leg saddle synchronously with the tab; andin a second condition, the tab is blocked from rotating, and the drive linkage is operable to rotate the spring leg saddle away from the tab, thereby loading the spring. 4. The door trim assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive linkage further comprises a carousel, a pin or a cam, and a rocker or pivot arm, wherein the carousel is operative to turn the pin or cam to move the rocker or pivot arm to drive the movable coupler into the coupling or decoupling configuration. 5. The door trim assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pin-carrying or cam-carrying carousel that converts motor-driven rotary motion into linear motion, wherein the drive linkage is configured to store energy in the spring when non-alignment of the handle coupler to the spindle driver blocks the carousel from rotating, and to release energy from the spring by rotating the carousel. 6. The door trim assembly of claim 5, further comprising a slip clutch mounted to the motor that causes a connection between the motor shaft and the carousel to slip when an amount of torque that the motor applies exceeds a threshold. 7. A door trim assembly with a clutch mechanism for operating a door latch, the door trim assembly comprising: a handle coupler configured to be coupled to and rotated with a door handle/lever;a spindle driver;a movable coupler configured to selectively couple the handle coupler to the spindle driver so that they rotate in unison together, and the movable coupler selectively decouple the handle coupler from the spindle driver so that the handle coupler rotates freely of the spindle driver;a pivot arm adapted to be attached to the movable coupler so that the pivot arm pivots to carry the moveable coupler between coupling and non-coupling configurations; anda motor that drives a link attached to the pivot arm to pivot the pivot arm and the moveable coupler it carries between the coupling and non-coupling configurations. 8. The door trim assembly of claim 7, further comprising an escutcheon with an outside face, wherein the movable coupler is moved into the coupling configuration by positioning the link a maximum distance from the outside face of the escutcheon. 9. The door trim assembly of claim 8, wherein the the movable coupler is maintained in the non-coupling configuration by positioning the link a minimum distance from the outside face of the escutcheon. 10. The door trim assembly of claim 7, further comprising a spring seated on first and second spring seats that are positioned between the motor and the link, wherein energy is stored in the spring or released from the spring by rotating the first spring seat relative to the second spring seat. 11. The door trim assembly of claim 10, wherein in a first condition, the second spring seat is blocked from rotation and the first spring seat is operative to rotate and store energy in the spring while the second spring seat is blocked. 12. The door trim assembly of claim 11, wherein in a second condition, the second spring seat is free to rotate and the spring's stored energy, if any, is operative to move the pivot arm into the coupling configuration. 13. A door trim assembly with a clutch mechanism for operating a door latch, the door trim assembly comprising: a handle coupler configured to be coupled to and rotated with a door handle/lever, the handle coupler having a first coupling contact area;a spindle driver operable to drive a spindle to retract the door latch, the spindle driver having a second coupling contact area;a movable coupler configured to selectively couple the handle coupler to, and decouple the handle coupler from, the spindle driver when the first and second coupling contact areas are aligned, wherein when coupled, the spindle driver rotates in unison with the handle coupler, wherein when decoupled, the handle coupler rotates freely of the spindle driver, and wherein non-alignment of the first and second coupling contact areas blocks the movable coupler from coupling the handle coupler to the spindle driver;a motor-operated driver assembly comprising: a spring mounted between first and second spring seats;a motor operable to rotate the first spring seat;the second spring seat being coupled to the movable coupler;the second spring seat being biased by legs of the spring to be rotated with the spring to urge the movable coupler to couple the handle coupler to, and decouple the handle coupler from, the spindle driver via pivotal movement of the moveable coupler; andthe first spring seat being operable to load the spring when the second spring seat is blocked from rotating;wherein stored energy of the spring is operable to rotate the second spring seat when the first spring seat is no longer blocked from rotating. 14. The door trim assembly of claim 13, wherein a cam is eccentrically positioned on the second spring seat, the cam operating to convert rotary motion of the second spring seat into substantially linear movement of the movable coupler. 15. The door trim assembly of claim 13, wherein a pin is eccentrically positioned on the second spring seat, the pin operating to convert rotary motion of the second spring seat into substantially linear movement of the movable coupler. 16. The door trim assembly of claim 13, wherein opposite legs of the spring straddle a spring leg saddle of the first spring seat. 17. The door trim assembly of claim 13, further comprising an escutcheon, wherein the handle coupler comprises a disk mounted for coaxial rotation with the spindle and a guide or slot for linearly guiding a cam or pin mounted on the second spring seat in an axial direction between a first position closest to an outside face of the escutcheon and a second position farthest from the outside face of the escutcheon. 18. The door trim assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second coupling contact areas are slots operable to be aligned with each other to receive the movable coupler to engage the spindle driver to the handle coupler. 19. A door trim assembly with a clutch mechanism for operating a door latch, the door trim assembly comprising: an escutcheon;a handle coupler configured to be coupled to and rotated with a door handle/lever, the handle coupler having a first slot;a spindle driver operable to drive a spindle to retract the door latch, the spindle driver having a second slot;a movable coupler configured to selectively bridge the first and second slots when the first and second slots are aligned, wherein when the slots are bridged, the spindle driver rotates in unison with the handle coupler, wherein when the slots are not aligned, the handle coupler rotates freely of the spindle driver, and the movable coupler is blocked from moving from a de-coupling to a coupling configuration;a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the escutcheon;the pivot arm including an arcuate rail configured to carry the movable coupler and guide the connecting link for radial movement along the arcuate rail;a motor-operated driver assembly comprising: a spring mounted between first and second spring seats;a motor operable to rotate the first spring seat;the second spring seat being coupled to the pivot arm;the second spring seat being biased by legs of the spring to move the pivot arm to couple the handle coupler to, and decouple the handle coupler from, the spindle driver; andthe first spring seat being operable to load the spring when the second spring seat is blocked. 20. The door trim assembly of claim 19, wherein the offset pin, pivot arm, and spring are respectively arranged so that if the spindle driver rotates from a position in which the spindle driver slot is not aligned with the connecting link to a position in which the spindle driver slot is aligned with the connecting link, the biasing of the spring pushes the connecting link into the spindle driver slot.