Lever lock device

Abstract

To provide a lever lock device which can prevent improper operation of a lifter lever with simple and rational configuration.SOLUTION: A lever lock device L1, which regulates a lever operation of a lifter lever 8 provided outside a seat side shield 7, has: a manual switch 1 which serves as a regulation / release switching operation part provided on the seat side shield 7; a regulation part 2 which is movably provided between a projection position projecting outward with respect to the seat side shield 7 and a retracted position retracting inward with respect to the projection position; and a power transmission part 3 which transmits a switching operational force of the switch 1 to the regulation part 2 as a force for switching between the projection position and the retracted position. The regulation part 2 is switched to the projection position by operation of the switch 1 thereby being engaged with the lifter lever 8 so as to regulate the lever operation, and is switched to the retracted position thereby being retracted with respect to the lifter lever 8 so as to permit the lever operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lever lock device, and more particularly to a lever lock device that restricts the lever operation of a lifter lever provided on the outer side of a seat side shield. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a lever lock device that can restrict the lever operation of a lifter lever provided on the outer side of a seat cushion. The lever lock device restricts the lever operation of the lifter lever so that the lifter lever will not be pushed down even if the thigh of a human body unintentionally hits the lifter lever when getting on or off the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication number 07-023301 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the lever lock device has a complex and large configuration consisting of a combination of a gear mechanism and a link mechanism built into the lifter lever. Therefore, the present invention provides a lever lock device that can prevent erroneous operation of the lifter lever with a simple and rational configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a means for solving the above problems, the lever lock device of the present invention employs the following means.

[0006] In other words, the first invention of the present invention is a lever lock device that restricts the lever operation of a lifter lever provided on the outside of a seat side shield, and includes a manual switch that serves as a restriction / release switching operation unit provided on the seat side shield, a restricting unit that is movable between a protruding position that protrudes outward from the seat side shield and a retracted position that is retracted inward from the protruding position, and a power transmission unit that transmits the switching operation force of the switch to the restricting unit as a force to switch between the protruding position and the retracted position, wherein the restricting unit engages with the lifter lever to restrict lever operation when switched to the protruding position by operation of the switch, and is retracted to allow lever operation of the lifter lever when switched to the retracted position.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the restriction / release of the lever operation of the lifter lever can be switched by an interlock mechanism having a manual switching operation structure provided on the seat side shield. In this way, by providing the mechanism for engaging and disengaging with the lifter lever on the seat side shield, a simple and rational configuration can be obtained that does not complicate or enlarge the lifter lever, and that can prevent erroneous operation of the lifter lever.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a lever lock device according to the first aspect, wherein the regulating portion engages with a handle portion provided at a tip portion away from a rotation center of the lifter lever.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the restricting portion can efficiently apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever.

[0010] The third invention of the present invention is a lever lock device according to the first or second invention, wherein the regulating portion is rotatably connected to the seat side shield, the power transmission portion has a rack which is a flat gear provided on the switch, and a pinion which is a cylindrical gear provided on the regulating portion so as to mesh with the rack, and the rack and pinion convert the linear movement of the switch into rotational movement of the regulating portion.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the power transmission section can have a simple and rational configuration consisting of only a combination of a rack provided on the switch and a pinion provided on the regulating section.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the lever lock device according to the third aspect, wherein an axis that rotatably connects the restricting portion to the seat side shield is oriented to extend in the seat height direction.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the restricting portion is configured to engage with and retract from the lifter lever by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the lever operation direction, and therefore the restricting portion can apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever.

[0014] The fifth invention of the present invention is a lever lock device according to the first or second invention, wherein the switch is provided on an upper surface of the seat side shield and switches between restricted and released states by sliding the switch in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat along the upper surface.

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, even if the upper surface of the seat side shield is narrow, a wide range of motion for switching the switch can be ensured, and as a result, the restriction / release of the lever operation can be switched more appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a lever lock device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a rear view of a seat cushion illustrating a state in which a human thigh hits a lifter lever when getting on or off the vehicle. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lifter lever detached from the seat side shield. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lifter lever as seen from the back side of the lever. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a lever lock device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the lever lock device in an unlocked state taken along line XX in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the lever lock device is switched from FIG. 10 to a locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] First Embodiment (Schematic configuration of lever lock device L1) First, the configuration of a lever lock device L1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the following description, when directions such as front, back, up, down, left and right are indicated, they refer to the respective directions shown in each figure. In addition, in the following description, when a specific reference figure is not indicated or when there is no reference number corresponding to a reference figure, any of Figures 1 to 7 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the lever lock device L1 according to this embodiment is a device for restricting the lever operation of a lifter lever 8 provided on a seat S constituting the left seat of an automobile. The seat S includes a seat back SB for a seated occupant to rest against, and a seat cushion SC for a seating position. A door for getting on and off (not shown) is provided to the left of the seat S.

[0020] The lifter lever 8 is provided on the left side of a resin seat side shield 7 that covers the left side of the seat cushion SC. The lifter lever 8 passes through the seat side shield 7 from the inside to the outside in the seat width direction. After passing through the outside of the seat side shield 7, the lifter lever 8 extends along the outer surface of the seat side shield 7 toward the front of the seat.

[0021] A resin handle 8A is attached to the portion of the lifter lever 8 that extends toward the front of the seat along the outer surface of the seat side shield 7. The lifter lever 8 passes through the inside of the seat side shield 7 and extends toward the rear of the seat, and is connected to a drive unit of a seat lifter (not shown).

[0022] Due to the above connection, the lifter lever 8 can be rotated in both a lifting direction and a pushing direction from the neutral position shown in Fig. 1 around its rear end portion connected to a drive unit (not shown). This rotation allows the lifter lever 8 to transmit its operating force to a drive unit (not shown) connected to its rear end portion, thereby adjusting the height of the seat cushion SC.

[0023] Specifically, in the initial state before operation, the lifter lever 8 is held in the neutral position shown in Fig. 1 by the biasing force of a spring (not shown). When the user pulls up the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8 from the neutral position, the operating force is transmitted to a drive unit (not shown) to raise the height of the seat cushion SC.

[0024] When the user presses down the handle 8A from the neutral position, the lifter lever 8 transmits the operating force to a drive unit (not shown) to lower the height of the seat cushion SC. When the lifting or pressing down operation of the handle 8A is released, the lifter lever 8 is returned to the neutral position shown in FIG. 1 by the biasing force of a spring (not shown).

[0025] 2, since the lifter lever 8 is provided on the left side of the seat cushion SC, it is assumed that the thighs of the human body may unintentionally hit the handle portion 8A from above when getting on or off the vehicle, exerting a force on the handle portion 8A. If the lifter lever 8 is pushed down from the neutral position by the hit with the human body, there is a risk of causing an inconvenience in that the height of the seat cushion SC is unintentionally lowered.

[0026] 1, however, a lever lock device L1 can be used to restrict unintentional lever operation of the lifter lever 8. The lever lock device L1 is provided on a resin seat side shield 7 that covers the left side surface of the seat cushion SC.

[0027] The lever lock device L1 has an interlock mechanism that engages with the lifter lever 8 from inside the seat by sliding a switch 1 provided on the upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7. The engagement of this interlock mechanism restricts the lever operation of the lifter lever 8 in the up and down directions from the neutral position.

[0028] (Each part configuration) The specific configuration of each part of the lever lock device L1 will be described in detail below. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the lever lock device L1 has a manual switch 1 provided on an upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7, and a restricting part 2 that is moved so as to be engaged with or disengaged from a lifter lever 8 by a sliding operation of the switch 1. The lever lock device L1 also has a power transmitting part 3 for transmitting the operating force of the switch 1 to the restricting part 2.

[0029] The switch 1 is attached to the seat side shield 7 so as to be slidable in the seat front-rear direction along its upper surface 7A. Specifically, the switch 1 is incorporated inside the seat side shield 7 so as to be exposed to the outside from an opening A1 formed in the upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7. The switch 1 is arranged in a position where it is aligned side by side with the lifter lever 8 so as to overlap with the position in the seat front-rear direction. More specifically, the switch 1 is arranged in a position where it is aligned side by side with a portion of the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8 that is closer to the front end than the center in the seat front-rear direction.

[0030] In this way, by arranging the switch 1 in a position close to the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8, it is possible to make the user easily recognize that the switch 1 is an operating part related to the lifter lever 8. Furthermore, since the switch 1 is configured to be slid in a direction perpendicular to the operating direction of the lifter lever 8, it is possible to make the user easily recognize that the switch 1 is an operating part that regulates the lever operation of the lifter lever 8.

[0031] The switch 1 operates to engage and disengage the regulating part 2 with respect to the lifter lever 8 when a user moves a knob exposed from an opening A1 in an upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7 in the seat front-rear direction. Specifically, the switch 1 operates to cause the regulating part 2 to protrude leftward from the seat side shield 7 by sliding the knob toward the front of the seat within the opening A1 (locking operation: see FIG. 4). As a result, the regulating part 2 is fitted into the handle part 8A of the lifter lever 8 from the inside of the seat.

[0032] In addition, by sliding the knob of the switch 1 toward the rear of the seat within the opening A1, the restricting portion 2 is retracted from the protruding position to a retracted position where it is flush with the left side surface of the seat side shield 7 (release operation). This causes the restricting portion 2 to be disengaged from the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8. As a result, the restricting portion 2 does not interfere with the lever operation of the lifter lever 8.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 5, the lifter lever 8 has a handle portion 8A whose inner surface is recessed so as to bulge from the inside of the seat (right side) to the outside (left side). The inner surface of the handle portion 8A is recessed in a recessed shape, and a plurality of ribs A2 are formed on the recessed inner surface of the handle portion 8A, protruding like upright plates so as to divide the inside of the recess in the front-rear direction of the seat. Of these ribs A2, the second rib A2 from the front is formed with a hollowed-out portion A3 that is partially hollowed out from the inside of the seat. This hollowed-out portion A3 forms a recessed fitting portion into which the regulating portion 2 shown in Fig. 4 can be fitted when the regulating portion 2 is protruded.

[0034] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the power transmission unit 3 is configured with a gear mechanism including a rack 3A, which is a flat gear provided integrally with the switch 1, and a pinion 3B, which is a cylindrical gear provided integrally with the regulating unit 2 so as to mesh with the rack 3A. The rack 3A is disposed so that its tooth surface, on which multiple teeth are arranged in the seat front-rear direction, faces leftward. The pinion 3B is rotatably connected to the seat side shield 7 by an axis B1 extending in the seat height direction.

[0035] 6, the restriction portion 2 is formed so as to protrude radially outward from the pinion 3B. In the power transmission portion 3 configured in this manner, when the switch 1 is slid in the seat front-rear direction, the rack 3A is moved integrally with the switch 1 in the seat front-rear direction.

[0036] As a result, the pinion 3B meshing with the rack 3A is rotated about the axis B1 in accordance with the movement of the rack 3A, and the restriction portion 2 is rotated integrally with the pinion 3B so as to be switched between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0037] The regulating part 2 rotates integrally with the pinion 3B to engage with and retract from the handle part 8A (thinned part A3) of the lifter lever 8 in a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the lever operation direction (up-down direction). Therefore, even if the thinned part A3 of the lifter lever 8 into which the regulating part 2 enters is formed so that the heightwise gap with respect to the regulating part 2 is narrow, the regulating part 2 can be smoothly engaged and disengaged.

[0038] As a result, the restricting portion 2 can restrict the lever operation of the lifter lever 8 so that it does not rattle significantly in the up and down direction. In addition, the restricting portion 2 is configured to rotate laterally but not in the height direction, so that it can apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever 8. In addition, the restricting portion 2 is engaged with a portion of the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8 near the front end, which is the side farthest from the center of rotation, so that it can efficiently apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever 8.

[0039] In this way, by providing the lever lock device L1, which engages and disengages with the lifter lever 8, on the seat side shield 7, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of the lifter lever 8 with a simple and rational configuration that does not complicate or enlarge the lifter lever 8 itself.

[0040] To summarise the above, the lever lock device L1 according to this embodiment has the following configuration: In the following, the reference characters in parentheses correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0041] That is, the lever lock device (L1) is a lock device that restricts the lever operation of the lifter lever (8) provided on the outside of the seat side shield (7). The lever lock device (L1) has a manual switch (1) that serves as a restrict / release switching operation unit provided on the seat side shield (7). The lever lock device (L1) also has a restricting unit (2) that is provided movably between a protruding position where it protrudes outward from the seat side shield (7) and a retracted position where it retracts inward from the protruding position.

[0042] The lever lock device (L1) also has a power transmission unit (3) that transmits the switching force of the switch (1) to the regulating unit (2) as a switching force between the extended position and the retracted position. The regulating unit (2) engages with the lifter lever (8) to regulate the lever operation when switched to the extended position by operation of the switch (1). The regulating unit (2) is retracted to allow the lifter lever (8) to be operated.

[0043] According to the above configuration, the restriction / release of the lever operation of the lifter lever (8) can be switched by an interlock mechanism having a manual switching operation structure provided on the seat side shield (7). By providing the mechanism for engaging and disengaging with the lifter lever (8) on the seat side shield (7) in this manner, a simple and rational configuration that does not complicate or increase the size of the lifter lever (8) can be obtained, thereby preventing erroneous operation of the lifter lever (8).

[0044] In addition, the restricting portion (2) engages with the handle portion (8A) provided at the tip portion away from the rotation center of the lifter lever (8). According to the above-described configuration, the restricting portion (2) can efficiently apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever (8).

[0045] In addition, the regulating portion (2) is rotatably connected to the seat side shield (7). The power transmission portion (3) has a rack (3A), which is a flat gear provided on the switch (1), and a pinion (3B), which is a cylindrical gear provided on the regulating portion (2) so as to mesh with the rack (3A). The power transmission portion (3) converts the linear movement of the switch (1) into the rotational movement of the regulating portion (2) by the rack (3A) and the pinion (3B). According to the above configuration, the power transmission portion (3) can be made to have a simple and rational configuration consisting only of a combination of the rack (3A) provided on the switch (1) and the pinion (3B) provided on the regulating portion (2).

[0046] In addition, the shaft (B1) that rotatably connects the regulating portion (2) to the seat side shield (7) is oriented to extend in the seat height direction. According to the above configuration, the regulating portion (2) engages with and retracts from the lifter lever (8) by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the lever operation direction. Therefore, the regulating portion (2) can apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever (8).

[0047] In addition, the switch (1) is provided on the upper surface (7A) of the seat side shield (7), and is switched between restricted and released by sliding the switch (1) in the front-rear direction along the upper surface (7A). With the above configuration, even if the upper surface (7A) of the seat side shield (7) is narrow, a wide range of motion for switching the switch (1) can be ensured. As a result, the lever operation can be more appropriately switched between restricted and released.

[0048] Second Embodiment Next, the configuration of a lever-lock device L2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. As shown in Figs. 8 to 9, in the lever-lock device L2 according to this embodiment, the manual switch 4 provided on the upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7 has a push-button type operation structure. In the lever-lock device L2, when the push-button type switch 4 is pressed down, the restricting portion 5 provided on the seat side shield 7 is pushed leftward from the seat side shield 7 and engaged with the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8.

[0049] 10 and 11, the restricting portion 5 is connected so as to be movable in the seat width direction between a protruding position where it protrudes leftward relative to the seat side shield 7 and a retracted position where it is retracted to a position flush with the left side surface of the seat side shield 7. The restricting portion 5 is constantly in a state where a force is applied to retract it to the right relative to the seat side shield 7 by the biasing force of a spring (not shown).

[0050] 10, when the switch 4 is in an operating position where it protrudes upward from the seat side shield 7, the restricting portion 5 is held in a retracted position where it is flush with the left side surface of the seat side shield 7 by the biasing force of the spring. Also, as shown in FIG 11, when the switch 4 is pushed down from the protruding position, the restricting portion 5 is pushed leftward against the biasing force of the spring via the power transmission portion 6 provided between the restricting portion 5 and the switch 4.

[0051] The power transmission unit 6 is composed of an abutment structure of a right-downward inclined surface 6A formed on the bottom surface of the switch 4 and a right-downward inclined surface 6B formed on the right surface of the regulation part 5. The power transmission unit 6 converts the downward movement caused by pressing down the switch 4 into a movement in the sheet width direction that pushes the regulation part 5 to the left as the inclined surfaces 6A, 6B abut against each other.

[0052] The switch 4 is incorporated inside the seat side shield 7 so as to be exposed to the outside from an opening A1 formed in an upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7. The switch 4 is connected to the seat side shield 7 so as to be slidable in the seat height direction along a heart-cam-shaped groove (not shown). As a result, every time the upper surface 7A of the switch 4 is pressed down, the switch 4 is alternately switched and held between an operating position where it is pressed close to the upper surface 7A of the seat side shield 7 (see FIG. 11) and an operating position where it protrudes upward from the seat side shield 7 (see FIG. 10).

[0053] 10, with the above-mentioned configuration, the lever lock device L2 is configured so that the switch 4 does not press the restricting portion 5 to the left when the switch 4 is in the operating position where it protrudes upward from the seat side shield 7. Therefore, the restricting portion 5 is held in the retracted position retracted to the right.

[0054] However, as shown in Fig. 11, when the switch 4 is pushed downward from the protruding position, the inclined surfaces 6A, 6B of the lever lock device L2 come into contact with each other and push the restricting portion 5 to the left. This causes the restricting portion 5 to fit into the handle portion 8A of the lifter lever 8 from the inside of the seat. Then, when the switch 4 is in the pushed-in position, the restricting portion 5 is engaged with a recess at the tip of a heart-cam-shaped groove (not shown), and is maintained in a state of being fitted into the handle portion 8A.

[0055] As a result, the lifter lever 8 is held in a state where lever operation in both the lifting direction and the pushing direction is restricted by engagement with the restricting portion 5. Since the configuration other than the above is the same as the configuration shown in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0056] To summarise the above, the lever lock device L2 according to this embodiment has the following configuration: In the following, the reference characters in parentheses correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0057] That is, the lever lock device (L2) is a lock device that restricts the lever operation of the lifter lever (8) provided on the outside of the seat side shield (7). The lever lock device (L2) has a manual switch (4) that serves as a restrict / release switching operation unit provided on the seat side shield (7). The lever lock device (L2) also has a restriction unit (5) that is provided movably between a protruding position where it protrudes outward from the seat side shield (7) and a retracted position where it retracts inward from the protruding position.

[0058] The lever lock device (L2) also has a power transmission unit (6) that transmits the switching force of the switch (4) to the regulating unit (5) as a switching force between the extended position and the retracted position. The regulating unit (5) engages with the lifter lever (8) to regulate the lever operation when switched to the extended position by operation of the switch (4). The regulating unit (5) is retracted to allow the lifter lever (8) to be operated.

[0059] According to the above configuration, the restriction / release of the lever operation of the lifter lever (8) can be switched by an interlock mechanism having a manual switching operation structure provided on the seat side shield (7). By providing the mechanism for engaging and disengaging with the lifter lever (8) on the seat side shield (7) in this manner, a simple and rational configuration that does not complicate or increase the size of the lifter lever (8) can be obtained, thereby preventing erroneous operation of the lifter lever (8).

[0060] In addition, the restricting portion (5) engages with the handle portion (8A) provided at the tip portion away from the rotation center of the lifter lever (8). According to the above-described configuration, the restricting portion (5) can efficiently apply a strong rotation restricting force to the lifter lever (8).

[0061] Other embodiments Although the present invention has been described above using two embodiments, the present invention can be embodied in various forms other than the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0062] 1. The lever lock device of the present invention can be applied to seats installed in vehicles other than automobiles, such as trains, and vehicles other than vehicles, such as airplanes and ships. The lever lock device can also be applied to seats installed in various facilities, such as event venues, and seats used for purposes other than vehicles, such as massage seats.

[0063] 2. The lever lock device may be configured to restrict only either the pushing down operation or the pulling up operation of the lifter lever by engaging with the lifter lever. By restricting the pushing down operation of the lifter lever, it is possible to prevent the lifter lever from being pushed down by a human thigh unintentionally hitting the lifter lever when getting on or off. Also, by restricting the pulling up operation of the lifter lever, it is possible to prevent the lifter lever from being pulled up by a human thigh unintentionally hitting the lifter lever when getting on or off.

[0064] 3. The switch may be of a sliding or push button type, or may be of a rotary type. If the switch is of a sliding type, the sliding direction may be in the seat width direction or seat height direction in addition to the seat front-rear direction.

[0065] 4. The power transmission section may consist of a gear mechanism or link mechanism other than a rack and pinion.

[0066] 5. The restricting portion may be any portion that engages with the lifter lever to restrict lever operation by being switched to the protruding position by the operation of a switch. Specifically, the restricting portion may be a portion that engages with the lifter lever by friction or meshing.

[0067] The restricting portion may be fitted to the back side of the lifter lever, or may protrude upward or downward to restrict operation of the lifter lever by contacting the lifter lever in the up-down direction. The retracted position of the restricting portion may be a position retracted inward from the protruding position where the restricting portion engages with the lifter lever, and may be a position protruding outward from the seat side shield. The retracted position of the restricting portion may be a position retracted inward from the seat side shield. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Switch 2. Regulatory Department 3 Power transmission section 3A Rack 3B Pinion B1 axis 4 Switch 5. Regulatory Department 6 Power transmission section 6A Slope 6B Slope 7 Seat side shield 7A Top A1 opening 8 Lifter lever 8A Handle A2 Rib A3 Hollowed out part S Seat SB seat back SC seat cushion L1 Lever lock device L2 Lever lock device

Claims

1. A lever lock device that restricts the lever operation of a lifter lever provided on the outside of a seat side shield, A manual switch that serves as a restriction / release switching operation unit provided on the seat side shield; a restricting portion that is movable between a protruding position where the restricting portion protrudes outward relative to the seat side shield and a retracted position where the restricting portion retracts inward relative to the protruding position; a power transmission unit that transmits a switching operation force of the switch to the restriction unit as a switching force between the protruding position and the retracted position, A lever lock device in which the regulating portion engages with the lifter lever to regulate lever operation when switched to the protruding position by operating the switch, and is retracted to allow lever operation of the lifter lever when switched to the retracted position.

2. 2. The lever lock device according to claim 1, A lever lock device in which the regulating portion engages with a handle portion provided at a tip portion away from the rotation center of the lifter lever.

3. 3. The lever lock device according to claim 1, The restricting portion is rotatably connected to the seat side shield, A lever lock device in which the power transmission unit has a rack, which is a flat gear provided on the switch, and a pinion, which is a cylindrical gear provided on the regulating unit so as to mesh with the rack, and the rack and pinion convert the linear movement of the switch into rotational movement of the regulating unit.

4. 4. The lever lock device according to claim 3, A lever lock device in which an axis that rotatably connects the restricting portion to the seat side shield is oriented to extend in the seat height direction.

5. 3. The lever lock device according to claim 1, The switch is provided on an upper surface of the seat side shield, and a lever lock device is configured to switch between restricted and released states by sliding the switch in the fore-and-aft direction along the upper surface.

Images