US 12,030,426 B2
Lever operation device
Yuki Sato, Aichi-ken (JP); Nobuyuki Ishigure, Aichi-ken (JP); Tadashi Usuya, Aichi-ken (JP); Akio Nishiyama, Aichi-ken (JP); Masahiro Kato, Aichi-ken (JP); Shinji Hara, Aichi-ken (JP); Takayuki Aoki, Toyota (JP); Ryusuke Ohta, Toyota (JP); Toshihiko Kosugi, Toyota (JP); and Shinji Matsubara, Toyota (JP)
Assigned to KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO, Aichi (JP); and TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed by KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO, Aichi (JP); and TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed on Jun. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/838,353.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-099123 (JP), filed on Jun. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0396199 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. B60Q 1/14 (2006.01)
CPC B60Q 1/1469 (2013.01) [B60Q 1/1484 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lever operation device, comprising:
an operation lever which rotates integrally with a steering wheel of a vehicle and receives operations at least in both upward and downward directions and around which a predetermined region is set so as to prevent the operation lever from contacting with a leg of a user seated in a driver's seat when the steering wheel is rotated to a maximum steering angle; and
an operation portion that is arranged on the operation lever so as not to be located out of the predetermined region and comprises a plurality of operating positions, each of which is assigned an executable function,
wherein the predetermined region is surrounded by a boundary line that defines a gap between a grip portion of the steering wheel and a front surface of the operation lever, a boundary line to prevent the operation lever from contacting with the leg of the user seated in the driver's seat, and a boundary line to prevent an end portion of the operation lever from contacting with a finger of the user when the user grips the grip portion of the steering wheel.