Steering handle

Abstract

To provide a steering wheel which has a simple configuration and can be stably operated.SOLUTION: A steering wheel 1 comprises: a boss part 5; a grip part 10; and an operation lever part 50R disposed in a region between the boss part and the grip part. The operation lever part is pivotally supported by a rotation shaft part 43R provided on the boss part side, and when the grip part is gripped, the operation lever part enables two operations of a depression operation such that the operation lever part is pushed downward, and a pull-up operation such that the operation lever part is raised upward, thereby allowing an accelerator operation and a brake operation to be input. On the grip part side separated from the rotation shaft part, at a position between a grip surface 13a in the grip part and an upper surface 6a of a pad 6 disposed so as to cover an upper surface side of the boss part, a depression operation surface 62R in the operation lever part is disposed substantially along the grip surface. The rotation shaft part is disposed at a position above a lower end surface 13b of the grip part so as to be covered with the pad.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steering handle having a configuration including a boss portion arranged on the center side of rotary steering, a grip portion arranged around the boss portion to be gripped during rotary steering, and an operating lever portion arranged in the area between the boss portion and the grip portion. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a steering handle having an operating lever section disposed between a boss section and a grip section, through which accelerator and brake operations can be input (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional steering handle, the operating lever section is operable when the grip section is gripped, and is configured to have a first operating section operable on the upper surface side of the grip section, and a second operating section operable on the lower surface side of the grip section. In addition, the first operating section has a pressing surface disposed on the upper surface side of the grip section so as to be substantially aligned with the upper surface of the grip section, and is pivotally supported by a rotating shaft disposed on the boss section side so as to be rotatable so as to press the pressing surface downward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-270410 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional steering handle, the second operating part is rotatably operated by a rotating shaft part different from the first operating part, and the operating lever part has two rotating shaft parts, so the configuration is not simple. Also, in the conventional steering handle, the pressing surface formed on the first operating part is arranged at a position that is approximately above the rotating shaft part for rotating the first operating part. Therefore, in the conventional steering handle, for example, when the pressing surface is pressed in an area above the rotating shaft part, it is difficult to press down the first operating part, and it is not possible to stably press it down.

[0005] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a steering handle that is simply configured and can be stably operated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A steering handle according to the present invention is a steering handle including a boss portion disposed on the center side of a rotary steering wheel, a grip portion disposed around the boss portion and gripped during rotary steering, and an operating lever portion disposed in a region between the boss portion and the grip portion, The operating lever portion is pivotally supported by a rotating shaft portion provided on the boss portion side, and when the grip portion is gripped, two operations, a push-down operation of pushing the lever downward and a pull-up operation of lifting the lever upward, are possible, and the operating lever portion is configured to input an accelerator operation and a brake operation, a depression operation surface of the operating lever portion is disposed on the grip portion side separated from the rotation shaft portion, between a grip surface having an upper surface that is approximately perpendicular to the rotation steering central axis of the grip portion and an upper surface of a pad disposed so as to cover an upper surface side of the boss portion, and disposed so as to approximately follow the grip surface; The rotating shaft is characterized in that it is arranged at a position above the lower end surface of the grip portion so as to be covered by the pad.

[0007] In the steering wheel of the present invention, the operation lever section used for the accelerator operation and the brake operation is configured to be operable when the grip section is gripped, and two operations, a push-down operation to push it downward and a pull-up operation to lift it upward, are performed by rotating a single rotating shaft section provided on the boss section side. Therefore, compared with the operation lever section of a conventional steering wheel having two rotating shaft sections, the configuration can be simplified. In addition, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the push-down operation surface for pushing the operation downward is not arranged across the rotating shaft section, but is arranged on the grip section side separated from the rotating shaft section, so that the push-down operation can be performed stably regardless of which area of ​​the push-down operation surface is pressed. Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the push-down operation surface is arranged between the grip surface of the grip section and the upper surface of the pad, and the rotating shaft section is arranged at a position above the lower end surface of the grip section so as to be covered by the pad. That is, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the rotation radius of the pressing operation surface during pressing (rotating) is relatively large, and the pressing operation surface is disposed approximately to the side of the rotating shaft. The direction of the pressing force input when pressing down the pressing operation surface is approximately along the tangential direction of the trajectory during the rotating operation centered on the rotating shaft, but in the steering wheel of the present invention, the direction of the pressing force input can be approximated to a direction approximately perpendicular to the grip surface, and by pressing the pressing operation surface approximately directly downward, the operating lever part can be operated to be pressed downward. Therefore, the operating lever part can be easily pressed downward without pressing down the pressing operation surface with a strong force. Furthermore, in the steering wheel of the present invention, since the pressing operation surface is configured to be disposed in a position close to the grip, the pressing operation surface can be operated to be pressed down by the part near the base of the thumb of the driver's hand holding the grip (the part of the ball of the palm).That is, in the steering wheel of the present invention, the pressing surface can be pressed down stably with a wide surface of the palm near the ball of the foot, so that the operability is good, and since it is easier to apply force to the area near the ball of the foot compared to pressing with the fingertips, the pressed state can be stably maintained for a predetermined period of time, so that the brake or accelerator can be stably operated by pressing the brake or accelerator.

[0008] Therefore, the steering handle of the present invention has a simple structure and can be operated stably.

[0009] Furthermore, in the steering handle of the present invention, if the rotating shaft portion is configured to be positioned at a position higher than approximately the vertical center of the grip portion, the vertical separation distance between the rotating shaft portion and the depression operation surface can be further reduced, and the direction of the input pressure when pressing down on the depression operation surface (a direction approximately along the tangent direction of the trajectory during rotation operation centered on the rotating shaft portion) becomes more approximate to a direction approximately perpendicular to the grip surface, thereby making it easier to press the operating lever portion downward, which is preferable.

[0010] Furthermore, in the steering handle having the above configuration, the operating lever portion has a push-down operation portion having a push-down operation surface on an upper surface side and arranged so as to be substantially aligned with the grip surface, and a pull-up operation portion arranged on a lower end side extending downward from an end side of the push-down operation portion on the grip portion side, The lifting operation portion is configured so that a lower end surface and a surface on the boss portion side arranged so as to be substantially aligned with the rotation steering central axis at the lower end side are used as lifting operation surfaces, It is preferable that the lifting operation surface be disposed in a region below the lower end surface of the grip portion.

[0011] In the steering handle having the above configuration, the pull-up operation part is arranged at the lower end side extending downward from the end side of the grip part side of the push-down operation part having the push-down operation surface, and the pull-up operation surface composed of the lower end surface of the pull-up operation part and the surface of the boss part side at the lower end side is arranged in an area below the lower end surface of the grip part. That is, in the steering handle having the above configuration, the pull-up operation surface is arranged at a position spaced apart vertically from the rotating shaft part compared to the push-down operation surface. The direction of input of the pulling force when pulling up the pull-up operation part is approximately along the tangential direction of the trajectory during the rotation operation centered on the rotating shaft part, similar to the direction of input of the pressing force when pushing down the above-mentioned push-down operation surface, but since the pull-up operation surface is arranged at a position spaced apart vertically from the rotating shaft part compared to the push-down operation surface, the direction of input of the pulling force is along an oblique direction approaching the grip part while inclining with respect to the grip surface. Therefore, by pressing the four fingers (index finger, middle finger, etc.) excluding the thumb of the hand gripping the gripping portion against the lifting operation surface formed on the lower end side of the lifting operation portion and pulling it toward the hand (toward the gripping portion), the operation lever portion can be operated to lift up relative to the gripping portion. As a result, the operability of the operation lever portion when lifting up the gripping portion is improved. In addition, since such a lifting operation can be realized by gripping the lifting operation portion with the fingertips of the hand gripping the gripping portion, the lifted state can be stably maintained for a predetermined time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a steering handle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a steering handle of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the steering handle of the embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a steering wheel of an embodiment, with a pad and a lower cover removed, as viewed from below and in front; [Diagram 5]1 is a schematic plan view of a steering wheel of an embodiment with a pad and a lower cover removed; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction of a steering handle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 2 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a right-side operating lever portion in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a link mechanism used in the steering handle of the embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an operating lever portion used in a steering handle of an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the right operating lever portion. [Figure 11] 2 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operating lever portion is pressed down in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operating lever portion is pulled up in the steering handle of the embodiment. [Figure 13] 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an operating lever portion is pushed down in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an operating lever portion is pulled up in the steering handle of the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment includes a boss portion 5 arranged on the side of the rotary steering central axis C1, a grip portion 10 arranged around the boss portion 5 and gripped during rotary steering, and operation lever portions 50L, 50R arranged in the area between the boss portion 5 and the grip portion 10. As shown in Fig. 1, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the grip portion 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape that is wide on the left and right sides in a straight-ahead steering state, and the operation lever portions 50L, 50R are arranged as a pair on the right and left sides of the boss portion 5. In addition, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the pair of left and right operation lever portions 50L, 50R are configured to synchronize rotational operations by a link mechanism 25 arranged in the boss portion 5. In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, the operation lever sections 50L, 50R are widely arranged in the front-rear direction so as to fill the gap between a pad 6 (described later) arranged on the upper surface side of the boss section 5 and the grip section 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R (described later)), as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. That is, the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is not configured so that the driver's fingers can enter between the main gripping areas 13L, 13R and the operation lever sections 50L, 50R in the grip section 10, but is configured so that the driver's hand (fingers) can enter only the gap between a rear section 10c (hand rest section 16) (described later) in the grip section 10 and the pad 6 (see Fig. 1).

[0014] The steering wheel 1 of the embodiment also has a core material 3 arranged to interconnect the boss portion 5 and the grip portion 10. The core material 3 is made of sheet metal such as an aluminum alloy, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, includes a grip portion-side core material 3a arranged in the region of the grip portion 10, a boss portion-side core material 3b arranged in the region of the boss portion 5, and a connecting member 3c connecting the grip portion-side core material 3a and the boss portion-side core material 3b. In the case of the embodiment, the connecting member 3c is disposed at two locations on the left and right sides so as to connect the rear edge side of the boss portion-side core material 3b to the rear region of the grip portion-side core material 3a (see Figs. 1 and 4).

[0015] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are based on the straight-ahead steering state of the steering wheel 1 when mounted on a vehicle, and the up-down direction is the direction along the rotational steering center axis C1 of the grip portion 10 (see Figure 6), the front-rear direction is the direction perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C1 and roughly along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the rotational steering center axis C1 and roughly along the left-right direction of the vehicle.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the boss portion 5 includes a boss-side core material 3b in the core material 3, a synthetic resin pad 6 that covers the upper part of the boss-side core material 3b, and a synthetic resin lower cover 7 that covers the sides and the lower part of the boss-side core material 3b. Although the lower cover 7 is not illustrated, it is configured to cover the periphery of two connecting members 3c, 3c that connect the boss-side core material 3b and the grip-side core material 3a over substantially the entire surface (see Fig. 1). The boss-side core material 3b is substantially flat and is disposed near the lower end of the boss portion 5 (see Figs. 4 to 6). A boss 3ba is disposed near the center of the boss-side core material 3b, and serves as a connecting portion with a steering shaft (not shown). In addition, in the boss portion 5, an airbag device (not shown) is housed in the area between the boss-side core material 3b and the pad 6 and between pedestal portions 40L and 40R (described later). In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the pad 6 is disposed over substantially the entire area at a position above the gripping surface of the grip portion 10 (specifically, the upper surface 13a of the main gripping areas 13L, 13R that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational steering central axis C1) (see FIG. 6). In other words, the upper surface 6a of the pad 6 is disposed above the gripping surface 13a.

[0017] The grip portion 10 is in a substantially rectangular ring shape that is wide in the left and right directions in the straight-ahead steering state, and in detail, the outside of the front center portion in a plan view is covered from the upper side to the front side and the lower side by the pad 6 and the lower cover 7 (see Figs. 1 to 3). The grip portion 10 is configured by disposing a cover layer 11 made of a soft synthetic resin having cushioning properties around the grip portion side core material 3a that is in a substantially rectangular ring shape. The grip portion side core material 3a is in a long plate shape, and in the case of the embodiment, is disposed so that the width direction is substantially perpendicular to the rotary steering central axis C1 (i.e., so that the width direction is substantially aligned with the grip surface 13a) (see Figs. 6 and 7). The cover layer 11 is formed of a soft foam material such as polyurethane foam. The grip portion 10 is in a substantially left-right symmetrical shape in the straight-ahead steering state.

[0018] The gripping portion 10 is configured with a left side portion 10a and a right side portion 10b arranged approximately along the front-rear direction in a straight-ahead steering state as main gripping regions 13L, 13R that are primarily gripped during steering. The main gripping regions 13L, 13R are approximately symmetrical and have an approximately elliptical cross section (see Figs. 1, 5, and 6). As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the lower end surfaces 13b of the main gripping regions 13L, 13R are formed with recesses 14L, 14R that are slightly recessed upward. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the recesses 14L, 14R are formed continuously over substantially the entire area of ​​the main gripping areas 13L, 13R, and are portions for the fingertips Fa of the four fingers MF other than the thumb of the driver's hand MH gripping the main gripping areas 13L, 13R when the operating lever parts 50L, 50R are not operated or are in a state of being pressed down (not being pulled up) (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). In detail, the recesses 14L, 14R are formed so as to be inclined upward toward the inside of the main gripping areas 13L, 13R (so as to increase the amount of recession of the inner area of ​​the main gripping areas 13L, 13R). By providing such recesses 14L, 14R, the position of the fingertips Fa of the hand MH gripping the main gripping areas 13L, 13R can be stabilized, and the gripping state can be stabilized. Each main gripping area 13L, 13R is curved so that, when viewed from the top-bottom side, the vicinity of the front-to-back center (more specifically, a position slightly rearward of the front-to-back center) is positioned outward on the left and right.

[0019] In the gripping portion 10, the rear portion 10c, which is disposed approximately along the left-right direction at the rear end side during straight-ahead steering, constitutes a hand rest portion 16 for placing and resting the hands removed from the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R, etc.) when the vehicle is stopped, etc., and is wider vertically than the main gripping areas 13L, 13R (formed to protrude upward from the main gripping areas 13L, 13R, see Fig. 3), and as shown in Fig. 2, the front surface 16a side is flat so that the hands can be easily rested. A recess 17 is formed in the approximate center of the left and right of the hand rest portion 16, which is partially recessed from the upper end side. At the front end side of the gripping portion 10 during straight-ahead steering, the left front portion 10d and the right front portion 10e disposed to the left and right of the pad 6 (between the front ends of the main gripping regions 13L, 13R and the pad 6) have recesses 19L, 19R formed in the upper surface side as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Specifically, the recesses 19L, 19R are formed in the portions adjacent to the main gripping regions 13L, 13R. The recesses 19L, 19R are formed continuously from the rear surface to the front surface in the left front portion 10d and the right front portion 10e, and although detailed illustration is omitted, the thumb can be accommodated in the recesses 19L, 19R when gripping the front portions of the main gripping regions 13L, 13R.

[0020] The operation levers 50L, 50R are pivotally supported by the rotating shafts 43L, 43R provided on the boss 5 side, and are configured to allow two operations, a push-down operation of pushing downward and a pull-up operation of lifting upward, when the grip portion 10 (main gripping regions 13L, 13R) is gripped, to input an accelerator operation and a brake operation. The steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is configured to input an accelerator operation when pushed down and a brake operation when pulled up. As will be described in detail later, the operation levers 50L, 50R are configured to be pushed down by the region on the thumb MT side of the driver's hand MH gripping the main gripping regions 13L, 13R, and pulled up by the region on the other fingers MF side other than the thumb MT. When the operating lever sections 50L, 50R are not operated or are pulled up (i.e., not pressed down), the thumb MT is pressed against the upper surface 13a of the main gripping areas 13L, 13R, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1, and when the operating lever sections 50L, 50R are not operated or are pushed up (i.e., not pressed up), the fingertips Fa of the fingers MF other than the thumb MT are pressed against the lower end surface 13b of the main gripping areas 13L, 13R (inside the recesses 14L, 14R), as shown by the dotted line in Figure 7.

[0021] In the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the left and right operating levers 50L, 50R are configured to synchronize their rotational movements by the link mechanism 25. For example, if one operating lever 50R is pulled up while gripping the main gripping area 13R, the other operating lever 50L rotates so as to be lifted upward even if the hand is released. The link mechanism 25 capable of synchronizing the rotational movements of the left and right operating levers 50L, 50R is disposed within the front end area of ​​the boss portion 5 as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, and is attached to a mounting bracket 34 attached to the pedestal portions 40L, 40R to be described later on which the operating levers 50L, 50R are attached. The mounting bracket 34 is disposed substantially along the vertical direction so as to connect the pedestal portions 40L, 40R to each other on the front side of the pedestal portions 40L, 40R (see Figs. 4 and 6).

[0022] As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the link mechanism 25 includes a cam unit 26, a pair of links 36L, 36R extending from the cam unit 26 and connected to the operation levers 50L, 50R, and connecting rods 37L, 37R connecting the links 36L, 36R and the operation levers 50L, 50R, and is disposed at a position lower than the grip surface 13a in the embodiment. The cam unit 26 is supported by a rotating shaft 32 arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the rotary steering central axis C1 and substantially along the front-rear direction, and is connected to the mounting bracket 34. The mounting bracket 34 is formed with an insertion tube 34a into which the rotating shaft 32 can be inserted, protruding forward (see Figs. 4 and 8). The cam unit 26 includes a cam member 27, a pusher 28, and a cam holder 29. Pusher 28 is attached so as to be unrotatable relative to rotating shaft portion 32, and has a compression coil spring (not shown) disposed therein. Cam member 27 and cam holder 29 are rotatable relative to rotating shaft portion 32. Cam holder 29 connects cam member 27 to links 36L, 36R, and is rotatable integrally with cam member 27 relative to rotating shaft portion 32. In this embodiment, cam holder 29 is journaled near the center by rotating shaft portion 32.

[0023] A pair of links 36L, 36R are disposed corresponding to each of the operating lever sections 50L, 50R, and are arranged so that one end (end 36a) is connected to the longitudinal ends 29a, 29b of the cam holder 29, the center of which is supported by the rotary shaft section 32, and extend leftward or rightward in a point-symmetrical manner about the rotary shaft section 32 (see Figs. 6 and 8). The connecting rods 37L, 37R connecting the links 36L, 36R and the operating lever sections 50L, 50R are arranged so as to extend rearward from the other end (end 36b) of the links 36L, 36R, and have the end 37a connected to the lower ends 57a of connecting pieces 57L, 57R formed on the mounting base members 51L, 51R of the operating lever sections 50L, 50R (described later) (see Figs. 4 and 6). When the operating lever portions 50L, 50R are in a non-operated state (neutral state), the cam holder 29 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is roughly aligned in the vertical direction, and at this time, the links 36L, 36R are configured to extend from the vertical ends 29a, 29b (above and below the rotating shaft portion 32) of the cam holder 29 (see Figure 6).

[0024] 11, when the operating lever section 50R is pressed down, the link 36R moves with the rotation of the operating lever section 50R, and the cam holder 29 rotates leftward around the rotating shaft section 32 together with the cam member 27. At this time, even if only the right operating lever section 50R is pressed down, the link 36L connecting the left operating lever section 50L also moves rightward with the rotational movement of the cam holder 29, so that the left operating lever section 50L is also pushed down in synchronization. During this pressing operation, a compression coil spring (not shown) arranged inside the pusher 28 is compressed with the rotational movement of the cam member 27. Conversely, when the operating lever section 50R is pulled up as shown in Fig. 12, the link 36R moves with the rotation of the operating lever section 50R, causing the cam holder 29 to rotate rightward around the rotating shaft section 32 together with the cam member 27. At this time, even if only the right operating lever section 50R is pulled up, the link 36L connecting the left operating lever section 50L also moves leftward with the rotational movement of the cam holder 29, so that the left operating lever section 50L is also pulled up in synchronization. Even during this pulling up operation, a compression coil spring (not shown) arranged inside the pusher 28 is compressed with the rotational movement of the cam member 27. The operating states (push-down operation and pull-up operation) of the operating lever sections 50L and 50R are restored to the non-operated state when the hands are released. At this time, due to the restoration of the compression coil spring housed inside the pusher 28, the cam member 27 and the cam holder 29 rotate and move so as to return to the neutral state.

[0025] The operating lever portions 50L, 50R are attached to the base portions 40L, 40R arranged inside the boss portion 5, and include mounting base members 51L, 51R and lever bodies 60L, 60R. In the embodiment, the operating lever portion 50R and base portion 40R arranged on the right side are taken as an example and described in detail. The operating lever portion 50L and base portion 40L on the left side are substantially symmetrical to the operating lever portion 50R and base portion 40R on the right side, so the same reference numerals are used with an "L" suffix and detailed description is omitted.

[0026] The base 40R to which the operating lever 50R is attached is made of metal and is formed to extend upward from the boss core 3b. More specifically, it is disposed to the right of the boss 3ba so as to be generally along the front-rear direction, and has a mounting portion 41R at the upper end that protrudes toward the main gripping area 13R (right side, left and right outward) (see Figs. 5 to 7). In the embodiment, the mounting portion 41R is configured so that the upper surface 41a is disposed at a position that is generally aligned with the gripping surface 13a (see Fig. 7). The mounting portion 41R is provided with a rotating shaft portion 43R that axially supports the operating lever 50R. The rotating shaft portion 43R is inserted into a bearing portion 54R formed in the mounting base material 51R of the operating lever 50R to axially support the operating lever 50R, and in the embodiment, it is disposed so as to be generally along the front-rear direction while being generally along the gripping surface 13a (see Figs. 5 and 7). That is, the rotating shaft portion 43R is disposed within the area of ​​the boss portion 5. More specifically, the rotating shaft portion 43R is disposed at a position slightly lower than the gripping surface 13a, in other words, the rotating shaft portion 43R is disposed at a position above the approximate center in the vertical direction of the gripping portion 10 (specifically, the main gripping region 13R) so as to be covered by the pad 6. More specifically, the axis C2 of the rotating shaft portion 43R is disposed at a position that is approximately 1 / 6 of the vertical width of the main gripping region 13R from the top (see FIG. 7). A stopper 45R that restricts the rotation angle of the operating lever portion 50R during operation is disposed on the base side (left side, center side in the horizontal direction) of the rotating shaft portion 43R in the mounting portion 41R. The stopper 45R is disposed so as to cover the upper and lower sides of a tip portion 55R tapered in the vertical direction at the tip 53a side of a horizontal rod portion 53R described later in a mounting base material 51R journaled on the rotating shaft portion 43R, and has an upper contact surface 45a and a lower contact surface 45b that can contact the upper surface 55a or the lower surface 55b of the tip portion 55R, respectively (see Figs. 7, 11, and 12). The upper contact surface 45a and the lower contact surface 45b are formed inclined so as to be able to contact the upper surface 55a and the lower surface 55b of the tapered tip portion 55R with a wide surface.

[0027] The mounting base 51R of the operation lever portion 50R is made of metal and has a generally inverted L-shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction, and includes a vertical rod portion 52R arranged generally along the front-rear direction and a horizontal rod portion 53R arranged generally along the left-right direction so as to protrude leftward (left-right center side) from the rear end of the vertical rod portion 52R (see FIG. 9). The vertical rod portion 52R is arranged in a front region of the lever body 60R, specifically, in a region forward of a protruding end 60a (to be described later) in the pressing operation portion 61R of the lever body 60R. The horizontal rod portion 53R extending from the rear end of the vertical rod portion 52R protrudes leftward (left-right center side) from near the front-rear center of the lever body 60R, specifically, arranged so as to protrude leftward from a portion near the protruding end 60a of the lever body 60R. A bearing portion 54R is formed on the tip 53a side of the horizontal rod portion 53R so that the rotating shaft portion 43R can be inserted therethrough. In the horizontal rod portion 53R, the tip portion 55R, which is closer to the tip 53a side than the bearing portion 54R, is tapered in the vertical direction as described above, and the upper surface 55a and the lower surface 55b of this tip portion 55R are configured to be able to abut against the stopper 45R provided on the base portion 40R. In addition, a connecting piece 57R is formed on the tip 53a side of the horizontal rod portion 53R in a region approximately directly below the bearing portion 54R, so as to extend downward, and the end portion 37a of the connecting rod 37R is connected to the lower end 57a side of the connecting piece 57R at a position approximately directly below the bearing portion 54R as described above (see Figs. 4 and 7).

[0028] The lever body 60R is made of synthetic resin, and in the embodiment, is disposed so as to substantially fill the gap between the pad 6 and the main gripping region 13R of the gripping portion 10 when the steering wheel 1 is viewed from the vertical direction. In detail, the lever body 60R is disposed over substantially the entire area from the front to the rear of the main gripping region 13R so as to extend in the front-rear direction substantially along the main gripping region 13R when viewed from the vertical direction (see Figs. 1 and 2). More specifically, the lever body 60R is curved so that a middle portion from the front to the rear (more specifically, a portion slightly rearward of the center from the front to the rear) protrudes outwardly to the left and right (to the right) when viewed from the vertical direction so as to substantially follow the curved shape of the main gripping region 13R. The lever body 60R has a push-down operation portion 61R that is arranged so as to roughly follow the gripping surface 13a, and a pull-up operation portion 75R that is arranged to extend downward from the end portion 61b of the push-down operation portion 61R on the gripping portion 10 (main gripping area 13R) side, and has a roughly inverted L-shaped cross section (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0029] The pressing operation unit 61R is disposed at a position close to the gripping unit 10 (main gripping region 13R) so as to extend substantially along the gripping surface 13a and substantially along the gripping unit 10 (main gripping region 13R) in the front-rear direction. In the embodiment, as described above, the pressing operation unit 61R is disposed over substantially the entire area from front to rear of the main gripping region 13R. The pressing operation unit 61R is adjacent to the left side of the main gripping region 13R (inside the gripping unit 10) with a small gap therebetween. A pressing operation surface 62R is formed on the upper surface 61a side of the pressing operation unit 61R. As shown in FIGS. 5, 9, and 10, the pressing operation surface 62R includes an operation surface main body 63R and an inclined surface 70R formed on the edge portion 63a (outer edge) of the operation surface main body 63R on the gripping unit 10 side. The operation surface main body 63R includes a ceiling surface 64R disposed in the front-rear intermediate portion, a front inclined portion 65R formed on a front edge 64a side of the ceiling surface 64R, and a rear inclined portion 66R formed on a rear edge 64b side of the ceiling surface 64R. The inclined surface 70R is disposed so as to be inclined with respect to the operation surface main body 63R so as to approach the grip portion 10 side (main gripping area 13R side) while descending from the operation surface main body 63R. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the inclined surface 70R is formed in a region of the operation surface main body 63R excluding the outer side (right side) of the front inclined portion 65R (the outer side (right side) region of the ceiling surface 64R and the rear inclined portion 66R).

[0030] The ceiling surface 64R of the operation surface main body 63R is disposed so as to substantially follow the grip surface 13a at a position between the upper surface 6a of the pad 6 and the grip surface (the upper surface 13a of the main grip area 13R) (see Figs. 6 and 7). In detail, in the case of the embodiment, the ceiling surface 64R is slightly inclined with respect to the grip surface 13a so as to be slightly downward toward the inclined surface 70R side (the main grip area 13R side). The front side inclined portion 65R of the operation surface main body 63R is disposed so as to be inclined with respect to the ceiling surface 64R at the front edge 64a side of the ceiling surface 64R so as to be downward from the ceiling surface 64R and approach the grip portion 10 (specifically, the right front portion 10e) (see Fig. 10). In the case of the embodiment, the front side inclined portion 65R is formed in an area of ​​about 1 / 5 of the total length from front to back of the pressing operation surface 62R in a plan view (see Fig. 1). In the embodiment, the front inclined portion 65R is formed to be gently connected to the inclined surface 70R (specifically, the front portion 71R of the inclined surface 70R) formed on the outer edge (right edge) 64c side of the ceiling surface 64R. The front portion 71R of the inclined surface 70R and the front inclined portion 65R are configured to position the edge (outer edge 71a, front edge 65a) on the gripping portion 10 side at a position substantially equal to the gripping surface 13a (see FIG. 10). The rear inclined portion 66R is disposed on the rear edge 64b side of the ceiling surface 64R at an incline with respect to the ceiling surface 64R (i.e., the gripping surface 13a) so as to approach the gripping portion 10 (specifically, the hand rest portion 16) while descending from the ceiling surface 64R. The rear inclined portion 66R is formed in a region that is wide in the front-rear direction in a plan view and is about 2 / 5 of the total length of the front-rear direction of the pressing operation surface 62R. Specifically, it is formed in a region on the rear side from the protruding end 60a that protrudes most to the right in the lever body 60R (see Figs. 1 and 9). In the inclined surface 70R, the rear portion 72R disposed on the outer side (right side) of the rear inclined portion 66R is formed so as to converge toward the rear end 72a side, as shown in Fig. 10. In addition, the rear inclined portion 66R is configured so that the rear edge 66a on the gripping portion 10 side is positioned lower than the gripping surface 13a (see Fig. 10). Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the rear edge 66a of the rear inclined portion 66R is positioned at a position that is about 1 / 3 of the main gripping area 13R in terms of the vertical width dimension from the top (see Fig. 10).In addition, in the embodiment, the inclination angle α of the front portion 71R of the inclined surface 70R relative to the gripping surface 13a is set to approximately 45° (see Figure 7), the inclination angle β of the front inclined portion 65R relative to the gripping surface 13a is set to approximately 20°, and the inclination angle γ of the rear inclined portion 66R relative to the gripping surface 13a is set to approximately 30° (see Figure 10).

[0031] The lifting operation part 75R is disposed on the lower end side extending downward (i.e., approximately along the rotation steering central axis C1) from the end 61b (outer end, right end) side of the pressing operation part 61R which is the grip part 10 (main gripping region 13R), and is configured so that the lower end 75a is positioned lower than the lower end surface 13b (specifically, the outer lower end surface 13c) of the grip part 10 (main gripping region 13R) (see Figs. 6 and 7). Specifically, the lifting operation part 75R is configured such that the operation main body 76R is a thin, approximately plate-shaped region extending approximately along the vertical direction on the lower end 75a side extending from the pressing operation part 61R. As shown in Fig. 7, this operation main body 76R is configured so that the entirety is positioned lower than the tip surface (i.e., the inner lower end surface 13d) of the recess of the recess 14R in the main gripping region 13R. The operation body 76R is formed on the outer edge 60b side of the lever body 60R at a position approximately directly below the inclined surface 70R of the depression operation surface 62R. A curved portion 77R is formed on the lower end 76a side of the operation body 76R so as to protrude toward the right side (outside) which is the main gripping area 13R side. The operation body 76R is configured such that the surface on the boss portion 5 side (inner surface 76b) to the lower end surface 77a of the curved portion 77R serves as a pull-up operation surface 78R. In detail, the pull-up operation surface 78R is formed at a position approximately directly below the boundary between the ceiling surface 64R and the inclined surface 70R (i.e., a position on the left and right outside of the ceiling surface 64R) (see FIG. 7). In the embodiment, the vertical separation distance between the lifting operation surface 78R and the axis C2 of the rotating shaft portion 43R (specifically, the separation distance H1 between the approximate vertical center of the lifting operation surface 78R and the axis C2, see FIG. 7) is greater than the vertical separation distance H2 between the ceiling surface 64R of the pressing operation surface 62R and the axis C2 of the rotating shaft portion 43R, specifically, set to about 8 / 3 of this separation distance H2. Also, the lifting operation portion 75R (operation main body 76R) is formed continuously over approximately the entire area in the front and rear of the lever main body 60R (see FIG. 4). That is, the lifting operation portion 75R is disposed over approximately the entire area in the front and rear of the main gripping region 13R so as to extend approximately along the main gripping region 13R.4, 7, and 9, an extension portion 80R is provided on the front end 75b of the lifting operation portion 75R so as to extend toward the boss portion 5 (leftward, toward the center between the left and right sides). In the embodiment, the extension portion 80R is formed so as to extend an area of ​​about the lower half of the operation main body 76R, and is formed so as to cover substantially the entire area in the width direction of the lever main body 60R.

[0032] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the maximum depression angle θ1 of the pushing operation part 61R and the maximum lifting angle θ2 of the lifting operation part 75R are both set to about 15° (see Figs. 11 and 12). The pushing operation part 61R is configured to position the ceiling surface 64R below the gripping surface 13a when fully pushed down, as shown in Fig. 11, and the lifting operation part 75R is configured to provide a small gap between the operation body 76R and the main gripping area 13R when fully lifted, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0033] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating lever sections 50L, 50R used for accelerator operation and brake operation are configured to be operable when the grip section 10 is gripped, and two operations, a push-down operation of pushing downward and a pull-up operation of lifting upward, are performed by rotating a single rotating shaft section 43L, 43R provided on the boss section 5 side. Therefore, compared with the operating lever section of a conventional steering wheel having two rotating shaft sections, the configuration can be made simpler. Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R of the operating lever portions 50L, 50R, which are operated by pressing them downward, are not arranged across the rotating shaft portion, but are arranged on the side of the grip portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R) separated from the rotating shaft portions 43L, 43R, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Therefore, no matter which area of ​​the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R is pressed, a stable depression operation can be performed.

[0034] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R (specifically, the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R of the operation surface main bodies 63L, 63R) are disposed at a position between the grip surface 13a of the grip portion 10 and the upper surface 6a of the pad 6, and the rotation shaft portions 43L, 43R are disposed at a position above the lower end surface 13b of the grip portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R) so as to be covered by the pad 6. That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the rotation radius r1 at the time of depression operation (at the time of rotation operation) of the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) is relatively large (see FIG. 11), and the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) are disposed approximately to the side of the rotation shaft portions 43L, 43R. The input direction of the pressing force F1 when pushing down the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R is a direction substantially along the tangential direction D1 of the trajectory R1 during the rotation operation around the rotation shafts 43L, 43R, but in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the input direction of the pressing force F1 can be approximated to a direction substantially perpendicular to the grip surface 13a as shown in Fig. 11, and by pushing down the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R substantially directly downward, the operating lever parts 50L, 50R can be operated to be pushed downward. Therefore, the operating lever parts 50L, 50R can be easily pushed downward without pushing down the pushing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) with a strong force.

[0035] Furthermore, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) are arranged in a position close to the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R), so that the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) can be pressed down by a part (part of the ball of the thumb TB of the palm) of the driver's hand MH holding the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R). That is, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) can be pressed down stably with a wide surface near the ball of the thumb TB of the palm, so that the operability is good, and further, since it is easier to apply force to such a part near the ball of the thumb TB compared to pressing with a fingertip, the pressed state can be stably maintained for a predetermined time. As a result, the brake operation or accelerator operation by such a pressing operation can be performed stably.

[0036] Therefore, the steering handle 1 of the embodiment has a simple configuration and can be stably operated.

[0037] In addition, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the rotating shafts 43L, 43R are arranged at a position above the approximate vertical center of the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R). Therefore, the vertical separation distance between the rotating shafts 43L, 43R and the depression operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) can be further reduced, and the input direction of the pressing force F1 when pressing down the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R (the direction approximately along the tangential direction D1 of the locus R1 during the rotation operation around the rotating shafts 43L, 43R) becomes more approximate to the direction approximately perpendicular to the gripping surface 13a, and the operability of the downward depression operation of the operating levers 50L, 50R becomes more improved. In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, since the separation distance t1 between the start point and the end point of the pressing operation along the grip surface 13a is small (see FIG. 11), the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R can be easily pressed down to the maximum pressing state by pressing them almost directly down. If this point is not taken into consideration, the rotating shaft part may be configured to be located at a position lower than the approximate center of the top and bottom of the grip part.

[0038] Furthermore, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the lifting operation parts 75L, 75R formed in the operation lever parts 50L, 50R are arranged on the lower end side extending downward from the end part 61b side of the grip part 10 (main gripping area 13L, 13R) side of the push-down operation parts 61L, 61R, and the lifting operation surfaces 78L, 78R composed of the lower end surface (lower end surface 77a of the curved part 77) of the lifting operation parts 75L, 75R and the surface (inner surface 76b) of the boss part 5 on the lower end side are arranged in an area below the lower end surface 13b (more specifically, the inner lower end surface 13d) of the grip part 13. That is, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the lifting operation surfaces 78L, 78R are arranged at positions vertically separated from the rotation shaft parts 43L, 43R compared to the push-down operation surfaces 62L, 62R. The input direction of the pulling force F2 when pulling up the lifting operation parts 75L, 75R is the same as the input direction of the pressing force F1 when pushing down the above-mentioned pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R), and is a direction substantially along the tangent direction D2 of the locus R2 during the rotation operation centered on the rotating shaft parts 43L, 43R. However, the lifting operation surfaces 78L, 78R are vertically spaced apart from the rotating shaft parts 43L, 43R than the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R. Since the pull levers 50L and 50R are disposed at positions spaced apart from each other, the input direction (tangential direction D2) of the pulling force F2 is along an oblique direction that approaches the gripping portion 10 while inclining with respect to the gripping surface 13a as shown in Fig. 12 (the separation distance t2 in the direction along the gripping surface 13a at the start and end points of the pull-up operation is larger than the separation distance t1 in the direction along the gripping surface 13a at the start and end points of the press-down operation, see Figs. 11 and 12). Therefore, when the fingertips Fa of the four fingers F (index finger, middle finger, etc.) excluding the thumb are pressed against the pull-up operation surfaces 78L and 78R formed on the lower ends 75a of the pull-up operation parts 75L and 75R in the hand that is gripping the gripping portion 10 (main gripping regions 13L and 13R), and the operation levers 50L and 50R are pulled toward the user (toward the gripping portion 10), the operation levers 50L and 50R can be operated so as to lift the operation levers 50L and 50R relative to the gripping portion 10. As a result, the operability of the operating lever portions 50L, 50R when lifting the grip portion 10 (the main grip areas 13L, 13R) is improved.Furthermore, such a pulling-up operation can be achieved by gripping the pulling-up operation portions 75L, 75R with the fingertips Fa of the hand MH gripping the main gripping areas 13L, 13R (see FIG. 14), so that the pulled-up state can be stably maintained for a predetermined period of time.

[0039] The steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is configured to adjust the speed of the vehicle by pushing down or pulling up the operation levers 50L, 50R. Such a steering wheel 1 is designed to be installed in a vehicle for people with disabilities in the lower limbs, etc. Specifically, the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is configured to input an accelerator operation when the operation levers 50L, 50R are pushed down, and input a brake operation when the operation levers 50L, 50R are pulled up. In both the accelerator operation and the brake operation, the operation state needs to be maintained for a predetermined time in order to change (accelerate or decelerate) the vehicle to a desired speed, and generally, the greater the amount of pushing down or pulling up, the greater the load on the driver's hand. That is, it is necessary to maintain the depressed or pulled state of the operation levers 50L, 50R for a predetermined time with a large force. Generally, the accelerator is operated more frequently than the brake during driving, and the operation time is also longer.

[0040] In the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the accelerator operation is input when the operation levers 50L, 50R are pressed down, and as described above, the pressing operation is performed by pressing the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R (ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R) almost directly downward with the part of the hand MH near the base of the thumb MT (the part of the ball of the palm TB) of the driver's hand MH holding the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R). In addition, the pressing operation surfaces 62L, 62R are provided with inclined surfaces 70L, 70R on the edge of the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R that are actually pressed down on the gripping portion 10 (main gripping areas 13L, 13R) side. Therefore, by using the inclined surfaces 70L, 70R as a guide to push in the vicinity of the ball of the thumb TB of the hand MH gripping the main gripping areas 13L, 13R while shifting it inward (toward the operating levers 50L, 50R), the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R can be pushed down (see FIG. 13), providing good operability. In addition, the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R can be stably pushed down over a wide area by the area near the ball of the thumb TB, where a large force can be easily applied, and the pressed state can be stably maintained for a predetermined period of time. Furthermore, the main gripping areas 13L, 13R have recesses 14L, 14R that are slightly recessed upward on their undersides, so that the four fingers MF other than the thumb MT can hold the main gripping areas 13L, 13R with their fingertips Fa in contact with the inner circumferential surfaces of the recesses 14L, 14R, and thus the main gripping areas 13L, 13R can be stably maintained in their gripping state even if the base of the thumb MT shifts inward during a pressing operation. In other words, by providing such recesses 14L, 14R, the gripping state of the main gripping areas 13L, 13R can be stabilized, and pressing operations can also be stably performed with the area near the base of the thumb MT (the area of ​​the ball of the thumb TB on the palm).

[0041] In further detail, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the operation surface main body 63L, 63R of the push operation surface 62L, 62R formed on the upper surface 61a side of the push operation portion 61L, 61R has a ceiling surface 64L, 64R arranged in the middle portion between the front and rear, which is aligned approximately along the grip surface 13a, and front inclined portions 65L, 65R and rear inclined portions 66L, 66R are arranged on the front edge 64a side and rear edge 64b side of the ceiling surface 64L, 64R, which descend from the ceiling surface 64L, 64R and approach the grip portion 10 side. Therefore, even when the driver grips the front end or rear end of the main gripping area 13L, 13R away from the front-rear center (the area on the side of the ceiling surface 64L, 64R), the thumb MT can smoothly push down the front inclined portion 65L, 65R or the rear inclined portion 66L, 66R when the hand MH gripping the main gripping area 13L, 13R is shifted toward the inside (the operation lever portion 50L, 50R side). In addition, by providing the front inclined portion 65L, 65R, when the driver grips the front portion of the main gripping area 13L, 13R by touching the tip of the thumb to the recessed portion 19L, 19R formed in the left front portion 10d and the right front portion 10e of the grip portion 10, the base of the thumb comes into contact with the gently inclined front inclined portion 65L, 65R. Furthermore, the rear inclined portions 66L, 66R are configured so that the rear edge 66a on the gripping portion 10 side is positioned below the gripping surface 13a. Therefore, when gripping the rear region of the main gripping regions 13L, 13R, the region near the ball of the foot, which is near the base of the thumb, can be smoothly shifted onto the rear inclined portions 66L, 66R, and the rear inclined portions 66L, 66R can be stably pressed down in the region near the ball of the foot.

[0042] Furthermore, the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment is configured to input a brake operation when the operating levers 50L, 50R are pulled up, and as described above, the driver presses the fingertips Fa of the fingers MF (index finger, middle finger, etc.) other than the thumb MT of the driver's hand MH gripping the gripping portion 10 (main gripping area 13L, 13R) against the pull-up operation surfaces 78L, 78R and pulls the operating levers 50L, 50R toward the driver (toward the gripping portion 10 (main gripping area 13L, 13R)) to lift the operating levers 50L, 50R upward (see FIG. 14). Such a pull-up operation can be realized by gripping the operating bodies 76L, 76R of the pull-up operating portions 75L, 75R with the fingertips Fa of the hand MH gripping the main gripping area 13L, 13R, and thus has good operability. In particular, in the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the pull-up operation surfaces 78L, 78R are disposed at positions vertically distant from the rotating shaft portions 43L, 43R compared to the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R of the push-down operation surfaces 62L, 62R, and are disposed outwardly to the left and right of the ceiling surfaces 64L, 64R. That is, the pull-up operation portions 75L, 75R have a larger rotation radius r2 during operation compared to the rotation radius r1 during operation of the push-down operation portions 61L, 61R (see FIGS. 11 and 12), and the torque during the pull-up operation can be made smaller than the torque during the push-down operation of the push-down operation portions 61L, 61R, so that the pull-up operation can be performed with a smaller pulling force (lighter force) compared to the push-down operation. Furthermore, since the operating bodies 76L, 76R of the lifting operating parts 75L, 75R are formed on the outer edge 60b side of the lever bodies 60L, 60R, they are close to the fingertips Fa of the hand MH gripping the main gripping regions 13L, 13R, and can be easily gripped with the fingertips Fa. As a result, even if the lifting operation is performed with the fingertips of four fingers excluding the thumb, the operability is good and the lifted state can be stably maintained for a predetermined time.

[0043] In addition, in the steering wheel 1 of the embodiment, the operating lever portion 50L, 50R has a push-down operation surface 62L, 62R formed on the upper surface 61a of the push-down operation portion 61L, 61R, as shown in Figures 2, 9 and 10, which is configured so that three sides excluding the pad 6 side (inner side) are inclined downwardly around the periphery of the ceiling surface 64L, 64R that is mainly pushed down. In other words, the three sides excluding the inner edge side are chamfered, so that when the push-down operation portion 61L, 61R is operated in a way that shifts the area near the ball of the foot TB, the operating lever portion 50L, 50R is prevented from partially digging into or partially hitting hard against the driver's hand, allowing for comfortable operation.

[0044] In the steering handle 1 of the embodiment, the accelerator operation is input when the operating levers 50L, 50R are pressed down, and the brake operation is input when the levers are pulled up, but it is also possible to input the brake operation when the levers are pressed down, and the accelerator operation is input when the levers are pulled up. However, because the accelerator operation is performed more frequently than the brake operation and takes longer to operate, and because it is easier to apply a larger force to the press-down operation than to the pull-up operation, it is preferable to input the accelerator operation when the levers are pressed down, and the brake operation is input when the levers are pulled up, as in the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...steering handle, 5...boss portion, 6...pad, 6a...upper surface, 10...gripping portion, 13a...gripping surface, 13b...lower end surface, rotating shaft portion 43L, 43R, 50L, 50R...operating lever portion, 60L, 60R...lever main body, 61L, 61R...push operation portion, 62L, 62R...push operation surface, 75L, 75R...pull-up operation portion, 75a...lower end, 78L, 78R...pull-up operation surface, C1...rotary steering center axis.

Claims

1. A steering handle including a boss portion disposed on a rotary steering center side, a grip portion disposed around the boss portion and gripped during rotary steering, and an operation lever portion disposed in a region between the boss portion and the grip portion, The operating lever portion is pivotally supported by a rotating shaft portion provided on the boss portion side, and when the grip portion is gripped, two operations, a push-down operation of pushing the operating lever portion downward and a pull-up operation of lifting the operating lever portion upward, are possible, thereby allowing an accelerator operation and a brake operation to be input, a depression operation surface of the operating lever portion is disposed on the grip portion side away from the rotation shaft portion, between a grip surface having an upper surface that is approximately perpendicular to the rotation steering central axis of the grip portion and an upper surface of a pad disposed so as to cover an upper surface side of the boss portion, and is disposed so as to approximately follow the grip surface; A steering handle characterized in that the rotation shaft portion is arranged at a position above a lower end surface of the grip portion so as to be covered by the pad.

2. 2. The steering handle according to claim 1, wherein the rotation shaft portion is disposed at a position above substantially the center of the grip portion from the top to the bottom.

3. the operating lever portion has a depression operation portion having the depression operation surface on an upper surface side and arranged so as to be substantially along the grip surface, and a lift-up operation portion arranged on a lower end side extending downward from an end side of the depression operation portion on the grip portion side, The lifting operation portion is configured so that a lower end surface and a surface on the boss portion side arranged so as to be substantially along the rotation steering central axis at the lower end side are used as lifting operation surfaces, 3. The steering handle according to claim 2, wherein the lifting operation surface is disposed in a region below a lower end surface of the grip portion.

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