Operating lever, seat device and operating section structure

• US 9,630,528 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Takei, Hirotaka, Hoshino, Hiroyuki, Izawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): GABLER, PHILIP F
• Application Number:
  US14/443,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20150306983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1635 characterised by the drive mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/165 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/167 Ratchet mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/168 and provided with braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/04 Controlling members for hand actuation by pivoting movement, e.g. levers
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/00 Means for preventing, limiting or returning the movements of parts of a control mechanism, e.g. locking controlling member G05G17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

An operating lever includes a fixing portion, a handle, and an interface. The fixing portion is to be fixed to a power transmitter. The handle is to be gripped by a user. The interface connects the fixing portion and the handle. The fixing portion, the handle, and the interface are integrally formed. The interface has a weak portion at a portion other than the outer periphery of the interface, the weak portion being weaker than other portions.

Claims

1. An operating lever comprising:

a fixing portion to be fixed to a power transmitter;

a handle to be griped by a user; and

an interface connecting the fixing portion and the handle, wherein

the fixing portion, the handle, and the interface are integrally formed;

the interface has a weak portion at a portion other than an outer periphery of the interface, the weak portion being weaker than other portions,

the interface includes;

an interface main body along a plane orthogonal to a rotary shaft of the power transmitter;

an interface upper flange erected from an upper edge of the interface main body;

an interface lower flange erected from a lower edge of the interface main body; and

a rib residing between the interface upper flange and the interface lower flange, the rib extending from an end of the interface on a side nearer to the fixing portion to a middle of the interface,

multiple holes are formed next to each other in the rib, whereby the weak portion is formed in the vicinity of an end of the multiple holes on a side nearer to the handle, and

the holes on a side of the interface upper flange are located nearer to the handle than the holes on a side of the interface lower flange.

2. The operating lever according to claim 1, wherein:

the fixing portion, the handle and the interface are composed of resin; and

an end of the rib on a side nearer to the interface upper flange is more apart from a vertical line extending through the rotary shaft of the power transmitter than an end of the rib on a side nearer to the interface lower flange.

3. The operating lever according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises:

a handle main body continuous from the interface main body, the handle main body being along the plane orthogonal to the rotary shaft of the power transmitter;

a handle upper flange continuous from the interface upper flange, the handle upper flange being erected from an upper edge of the handle main body;

a handle lower flange continuous from the interface lower flange, the handle lower flange erected from a lower edge of the handle main body; and

an auxiliary flange extending from a lower end of the handle lower flange and being substantially parallel with the handle main body.

4. The operating lever according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion comprises a first wall surrounding the entire circumference of the power transmitter and a second wall surrounding the entire circumference of the first wall, and

wherein multiple ribs are provided between the first wall and the second wall at predetermined intervals and continuous from the first wall and the second wall.

5. An operational structure, comprising:

an operating lever;

a cover covering a side of a seat body; and

multiple projections residing on a front surface of the cover, wherein

the operating lever includes;

a fixing portion to be fixed to a power transmitter;

a handle to be griped by a user; and

an interface connecting the fixing portion and the handle,

the fixing portion, the handle, and the interface are integrally formed;

the interface has a weak portion at a portion other than an outer periphery of the interface, the weak portion being weaker than other portions,

the operating lever is mounted on the cover and is movable vertically along the front surface of the cover; and

the operating lever overlaps with the multiple projections when viewed from a side of the cover and the operating lever.

6. The operational structure according to claim 5,

wherein the operating lever extends forwardly along the front surface of the cover from a fulcrum of a vertical movement of the operating lever, and

wherein the multiple projections comprise:

a first projection disposed on the front surface of the cover forward of the fulcrum and extending vertically; and

a second projection disposed on the front surface of the cover forward of the first projection and extending vertically.

7. The operational structure according to claim 6,

wherein an upper end of the first projection is vertically offset from an upper end of the second projection.

8. The operational structure according to claim 7, wherein

the operating lever is curved upward while extending forwardly;

and

the upper end of the second projection is above the upper end of the first projection.

9. The operational structure according to claim 6,

wherein a lower end of the first projection is vertically offset from a lower end of the second projection.

10. The operational structure according to claim 5, wherein

the operating lever extends forwardly along the front surface of the cover from a fulcrum of a vertical movement of the operating lever;

the operating lever is movable vertically from an original position and is urged so as to return to the original position;

the multiple projections extend vertically; and

the operating lever hides at least one of the multiple projections and partially exposes the at least one of the multiple projections extending below the operating lever at the original position of the operating lever.

11. The operational structure according to claim 5, wherein

the operating lever extends forwardly along the front surface of the cover from a fulcrum of a vertical movement of the operating lever;

the operating lever is movable vertically from an original position;

the multiple projections extend vertically; and

the operating lever overlaps with at least one of the multiple projections even at the highest position of the operating lever when viewed from the side of the cover and the operating lever.

12. The operational structure according to claim 5, wherein

the operating lever extends forwardly along the front surface of the cover from a fulcrum of a vertical movement of the operating lever;

the operating lever is movable vertically from an original position;

the multiple projections extend vertically; and

the operating lever overlaps with at least one of the multiple projections even at the lowest position of the operating lever when viewed from the side of the cover and the operating lever.

13. A seat device comprising:

a seat body; and

the operational structure according to claim 5.