Operation structure

Abstract

To suppress an outer material from being damaged.SOLUTION: An operation structure 50 is configured so that a knob 16 of a lever 14 is turned to turn the lever 14. An outer side surface of the knob 16 is constituted of a crystal layer 22, and the crystal layer 22 is transparently formed, where a coating part 56B coats an upper side of the crystal layer 22 while being separated from the crystal layer 22. This enables the coating part 56B to suppress a falling object from falling from the upper side of the crystal layer 22 onto the crystal layer 22, which can suppress the crystal layer 22 from being damaged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating structure in which an operating body of an operating body is operated to move the operating body. [Background technology]

[0002] In the shifter described in Patent Document 1 below, the shift lever is moved by operating the ball body of the shift lever. The outer surface of the ball body is formed by a cover plate, and the cover plate is made transparent.

[0003] Here, it is preferable that such a shifter can suppress damage to the cover plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Utility Model No. 214146540 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an operating structure that can suppress damage to external materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The operating structure of the first aspect of the present invention includes an operating body provided with an operating main body, which is operated and moved, an outer material that forms the outer surface of the operating main body and is made transparent, and a covering part that covers the upper side of the outer material while being spaced apart from the outer material.

[0007] An operation structure of a second aspect of the present invention is the operation structure of the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the covering portion covers the upper side of the entire range of movement of the external material caused by operation of the operation main body.

[0008] An operation structure of a third aspect of the present invention is the operation structure of the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the space between the operation main body and the covering portion is open to the operator side of the operation main body.

[0009] An operating structure according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the operating structure according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, further comprising an illumination unit that illuminates the external material.

[0010] An operation structure of a fifth aspect of the present invention is the operation structure of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the illumination portion is provided on the covering portion.

[0011] An operation structure of a sixth aspect of the present invention is the operation structure of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein the illumination unit illuminates the external material to project an image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the operation structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the operation body of the operation unit is operated to move the operation unit. The outer surface of the operation body is made of an external material, and the external material is transparent.

[0013] Here, the covering portion covers the upper side of the external material while being spaced apart from the external material, so that the covering portion can prevent objects from falling onto the external material from the upper side, thereby preventing damage to the external material.

[0014] In the operating structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the covering part covers the upper side of the entire range of movement of the external material caused by the operation of the operating body, so that the covering part can effectively prevent objects from falling onto the external material from above, thereby effectively preventing damage to the external material.

[0015] In the operation structure of the third aspect of the present invention, the space between the operation body and the covering portion is open to the operator of the operation body, which allows the operator to easily operate the operation body.

[0016] In the operation structure according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the lighting unit illuminates the exterior material, thereby improving the design of the exterior material.

[0017] In the operation structure of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the illumination part is provided on the covering part, which makes it possible to easily provide the illumination part.

[0018] In the operation structure according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the illumination unit illuminates the external material and projects an image, which allows the operator to view the image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an operation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the rear right. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the operation structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the right. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shift device of the operating structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the rear right. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an operating structure 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the rear diagonally right, and Fig. 2 shows a side view of the operating structure 50 as seen from the right. In the drawings, the front of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow FR, the left of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow LH, and the top of the vehicle is indicated by an arrow UP.

[0021] 1 and 2, an operating structure 50 according to this embodiment is applied to a passenger compartment 52 of a vehicle (automobile). A console 54 is provided as an installation portion in the passenger compartment 52, and the console 54 extends in the front-to-rear direction between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. A rectangular opening 54A is formed through the upper wall of the console 54, and the opening 54A opens the interior of the console 54 upward.

[0022] An instrument panel 56 having a T-shape in front view is provided at the front end of the passenger compartment 52. The left-right central portion of the instrument panel 56 extends downward and is continuous with the front end of the console 54. A concave open space 56A is formed below the left-right central portion of the instrument panel 56, and the open space 56A is open to the rear, left, and right sides. The upper surface of the open space 56A is disposed vertically in the up-down direction, and the peripheral surface other than the upper surface of the open space 56A is curved to have a generally arc-shaped cross section. The lower end surface of the open space 56A is continuous with the upper surface of the console 54. The portion of the instrument panel 56 above the open space 56A in the left-right central portion is a covered portion 56B, which is disposed above the opening 54A of the console 54.

[0023] The shift device 10 (see FIG. 3) is installed on the console 54, and the front, left and upper sides of the shift device 10 face the front, left and upper sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0024] The shift device 10 is provided with a plate 12 in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box as a housing, and the plate 12 is fixed inside the console 54. A through-hole (not shown) that is rectangular in top view is formed in the upper wall of the rear portion of the plate 12, and the through-hole is located below the opening 54A of the console 54. The through-hole passes through the upper wall of the plate 12 in the up-down direction, and the through-hole opens the interior of the plate 12 to the upper side.

[0025] A generally columnar lever 14 serving as an operating body is housed within the rear portion of the plate 12, and the lever 14 is elongated in the vertical direction. The lever 14 is supported in the plate 12 at a vertically intermediate portion so as to be rotatable (movable), and the lever 14 is rotatable within a predetermined range in the front-rear direction around a central axis O parallel to the left-right direction. The lever 14 rotatably passes through a through-hole in the plate 12 and an opening 54A in the console 54, and an upper portion of the lever 14 protrudes above the console 54 (into the passenger compartment 52).

[0026] A substantially rectangular parallelepiped knob 16 serving as an operating body (grip) is provided on the upper portion of the lever 14, and the lever 14 is rotated by a vehicle occupant (driver, operator) gripping and rotating the knob 16. The lever 14 is disposed in an H position (home position) as a shift position, and when the lever 14 is moved forward from the H position, the lever 14 is disposed in an R position (reverse position) as a shift position, and when the lever 14 is moved rearward from the H position, the lever 14 is disposed in a D position (drive position) as a shift position.

[0027] A covering portion 56B of the instrument panel 56 is disposed above the knob 16, and the entire upper portion of the rotation range of the knob 16 is covered by the covering portion 56B. The covering portion 56B is spaced upward from the knob 16, which allows an occupant to insert their hand between the knob 16 and the covering portion 56B and grasp the knob 16.

[0028] A decorative body 18 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is provided at the middle portion of the knob 16 in the left-right direction.

[0029] An approximately rectangular parallelepiped inner material 20 is provided inside the decorative body 18, and the inner material 20 is colored or colorless and opaque or transparent.

[0030] The outer surfaces (front, top, rear, left, and right surfaces) of the internal material 20 are covered with a crystal layer 22 as an external material, and the outer surfaces (front, top, and rear surfaces) of the crystal layer 22 form the outer surfaces (design surfaces) of the knob 16. The crystal layer 22 is made of acrylic (PMMA resin) and is formed by lamination molding onto the outer surfaces of the internal material 20. The crystal layer 22 is colorless or colored and transparent, allowing the internal material 20 to be seen from outside the crystal layer 22. A pattern 22A is formed on the outer surface (from the front surface through the top surface to the rear surface) of the crystal layer 22, and the pattern 22A is a geometric pattern in which polygons (triangles in this embodiment) that are constituent patterns are arranged and combined, and unevenness is provided to form a three-dimensional pattern.

[0031] Side plates 24 having an approximately rectangular shape are fixed to the left and right surfaces of the decorative body 18 (crystal layer 22), and the left and right side plates 24 cover the left and right surfaces of the decorative body 18, respectively, and are colored and opaque.

[0032] A generally rectangular plate-shaped slide cover 26 is integrally provided below the knob 16, and the lever 14 passes through the slide cover 26, which extends to the front, rear, left, and right sides from the knob 16. The slide cover 26 is disposed above the plate 12 and below the opening 54A of the console 54, so that regardless of the rotational position of the lever 14, the slide cover 26 always covers the entire through-hole of the plate 12 from above and the entire opening 54A of the console 54 from below.

[0033] 2, an illumination unit 28 is provided on the underside of the covering portion 56B of the instrument panel 56, and the illumination unit 28 is disposed above the knob 16. The illumination unit 28 is capable of emitting light downward, thereby illuminating the knob 16 (including the crystal layer 22) and projecting an image of the pattern 22A of the crystal layer 22 onto the peripheral surface of the open space 56A of the instrument panel 56.

[0034] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] In the operating structure 50 configured as described above, the knob 16 of the lever 14 in the shift device 10 is rotated to rotate the lever 14. The outer surface of the knob 16 is formed by the crystal layer 22 of the decorative body 18, and the crystal layer 22 is transparent.

[0036] Here, the covering portion 56B of the instrument panel 56 covers the upper side of the knob 16 (including the crystal layer 22) while being spaced apart from the knob 16. Therefore, the covering portion 56B can prevent objects from falling onto the crystal layer 22 from above, thereby preventing damage (cracks and scratches) to the crystal layer 22.

[0037] Moreover, covering portion 56B covers the entire upper side of the rotation range of knob 16 (including the rotation range of crystal layer 22) when knob 16 is rotated. Therefore, covering portion 56B can effectively prevent objects from falling onto crystal layer 22 from above, and damage to crystal layer 22 can be effectively prevented.

[0038] Furthermore, the open space 56A of the instrument panel 56 (including the space between the knob 16 and the covering portion 56B) is open to the rear, left, and right sides (including the passenger side), so that the passenger can easily insert their hand between the knob 16 and the covering portion 56B and easily turn the knob 16.

[0039] Furthermore, the lighting section 28 of the covering section 56B emits light downward to illuminate the knob 16 (including the crystal layer 22). This allows the design of the crystal layer 22 to be improved.

[0040] Furthermore, the lighting unit 28 illuminates the crystal layer 22, and an image of the pattern 22A of the crystal layer 22 is projected onto the peripheral surface of the open space 56A of the instrument panel 56. Therefore, the image of the pattern 22A can be seen by the occupants.

[0041] Furthermore, the illumination unit 28 is provided on the covering portion 56B, which makes it possible to easily provide the illumination unit 28.

[0042] In this embodiment, the lighting unit 28 is provided in the covering portion 56B and illuminates the crystal layer 22 from the outside. However, the lighting unit 28 may be provided inside the crystal layer 22 (for example, in the inner material 20) and illuminate the crystal layer 22 from the inside.

[0043] In this embodiment, the pattern 22A is provided on the outer surface of the crystal layer 22. However, the pattern 22A may be provided on the inner surface of the crystal layer 22.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pattern 22A of the crystal layer 22 is a geometric pattern and a three-dimensional pattern. However, the pattern 22A of the crystal layer 22 may be any of figures, letters, etc., or may be a two-dimensional pattern.

[0045] In this embodiment, the operating body is the lever 14 of the vehicle's shift device 10. However, the operating body may be provided on a device other than the vehicle's shift device 10, or may be provided on a device other than the vehicle (for example, a joystick for operating an aircraft or a ship). [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 14···Lever (operating body), 16···Knob (operating body), 20···Inner material, 20A···Inner pattern, 22···Crystal layer (outer material), 28···Illumination unit, 50···Operating structure, 56B···Coating unit

Claims

1. an operating body provided with an operating main body, the operating main body being operated and moved; an outer material that forms the outer surface of the operating body and is made transparent; a covering portion that covers the upper side of the external material while being spaced apart from the external material; An operating structure comprising:

2. The operating structure according to claim 1, wherein the covering portion covers the upper side of the entire range of movement of the external material caused by operation of the operating body.

3. 2. The operating structure according to claim 1, wherein the space between the operating body and the covering portion is open to the operator side of the operating body.

4. 2. The operating structure according to claim 1, further comprising an illumination unit for illuminating the exterior material.

5. 5. The operating structure according to claim 4, wherein the illumination portion is provided on the covering portion.

6. 5. The operating structure according to claim 4, wherein the illumination unit illuminates the exterior member to project an image.

Images