Shift device

Abstract

This shift device comprises: an operating body whose shift position is changed when a gripping portion is gripped and operated; a transparent member having a decorative face on one side and a rear face on the opposite side; a placement portion in which the transparent member is disposed with the rear face in surface contact with a placement surface provided in the gripping portion and facing the rear face of the transparent member; and a buffer portion that forms a part of the placement surface and is made of a buffer member having a hardness lower than that of a material forming the placement portion, the buffer portion being capable of absorbing a load input from the transparent member.

Description

Shift device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shift device whose shift position is changed when an operating body is operated.

[0002] In the specification of Chinese Utility Model No. 214146540, a cover plate and a decorative plate are provided on a handle body. A material such as crystal is used for the cover plate, the cover plate has light permeability, and a plurality of shaped curves are formed on a surface of the cover plate. In the handle body, a concave groove is formed at a bottom portion of the cover plate, a protrusion of the decorative plate is fitted into the concave groove, and the cover plate is connected to the decorative plate by a double-sided adhesive.

[0003] By the way, in shift devices, designability is improved by arranging a transparent member such as a glass body on an operating body using an adhesive or the like. However, glass bodies are prone to damage such as cracking or breakage when subjected to impacts such as falling weight impacts from falling objects. For this reason, in vehicle shift devices, prevention of damage to glass bodies is desired.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a shift device in which the occurrence of damage or the like to a transparent member arranged on an operating body is suppressed.

[0005] A shift device according to a first aspect includes: an operating body whose shift position is changed when a grip portion is gripped and operated; a transparent member having one surface serving as a decorative surface and a surface opposite to the decorative surface serving as a back surface; an arrangement portion where the transparent member is arranged with the back surface in surface contact with an arrangement surface provided facing the back surface of the transparent member in the grip portion; and a buffer portion that is formed of a buffer member having a lower hardness than a material forming the arrangement portion, forms a part of the arrangement surface, and is capable of absorbing a load input from the transparent member.

[0006] A shift device according to a second aspect, in the first aspect, includes that the transparent member is formed in a block shape elongated in one direction, the decorative surface is one side surface in a direction intersecting the one direction, the decorative surface and the back surface are curved such that the decorative surface side is convex, and the transparent member is arranged in the arrangement portion with one side in the one direction facing upward.

[0007] The shift device according to the third embodiment includes, in the second embodiment, a positioning section provided in the arrangement section for positioning the upper and lower parts of the transparent member that is arranged on the arrangement surface.

[0008] The shift device according to the fourth embodiment includes, in the third embodiment, that the positioning portion uses a non-cushioning member with higher hardness than the cushioning member.

[0009] The shift device according to the fifth embodiment includes, in the third or fourth embodiment, that the buffer member is positioned between the upper positioning portion and the lower positioning portion.

[0010] The shift device according to the sixth embodiment includes, in any one of the second to fifth embodiments, that the buffer portion is arranged in a range facing upward on the arrangement surface.

[0011] The seventh embodiment of the shift device further includes, in any one of the first to sixth embodiments, a frame surrounding the arrangement portion excluding the decorative surface side of the transparent member of the arrangement portion; a decorative member arranged around the frame to decorate the grip portion; and a base portion formed on the frame between the frame and the decorative member, wherein a cushioning member with a lower hardness than the material forming the frame is used.

[0012] In the shift device according to the first embodiment, the shift position is changed by gripping the gripping part and operating the operating body. The gripping part is provided with a placement section for which a transparent member is placed. One side of the transparent member is a decorative surface, and the side opposite the decorative surface is the back surface. The placement section also has a placement surface that faces the back surface of the transparent member, and the transparent member is placed on the placement surface with its back surface in contact with it.

[0013] Here, a buffer is placed in the placement area, and a buffer is made of a material with lower hardness than the material forming the placement area. The buffer forms a part of the placement surface, and when a load is applied to the placement surface from the transparent material, the buffer can absorb the applied load.

[0014] This allows the buffer to absorb the load applied from the transparent member to the mounting surface when an impact load or other load is applied from the surface side of the transparent member, thereby suppressing damage such as cracks or breakage to the transparent member.

[0015] In the shift device according to the second embodiment, the transparent member is in the shape of a block that is long in one direction, and one side in the direction intersecting the one direction is a decorative surface, and the decorative surface and the back surface are curved so that the decorative surface side is convex.

[0016] As a result, when impact loads or other loads are applied to the surface of the transparent component by falling objects, the cushioning part can absorb the load, effectively suppressing damage such as cracks or breakage to the transparent component caused by falling objects.

[0017] In the shift device according to the third embodiment, a positioning unit is provided in the placement unit, and the upper and lower parts of the transparent member placed on the placement surface are positioned in the placement unit. This allows the transparent member to be accurately placed in the buffer portion of the placement surface, effectively suppressing damage.

[0018] In the shift device according to the fourth embodiment, a non-cushioning member with higher hardness than the cushioning member is used in the positioning part, so that the transparent member can be placed stably on the placement surface.

[0019] In the shift device according to the fifth embodiment, a buffer member is positioned between the upper positioning portion and the lower positioning portion to form a buffer, so that the transparent member can be stably positioned relative to the buffer, and damage to the transparent member can be effectively suppressed.

[0020] In the shift device according to the sixth embodiment, a buffering member is arranged in the area facing upward on the mounting surface to form a buffering section, so that damage to the transparent member can be effectively suppressed by loads applied to the surface from above by falling objects, etc.

[0021] In the shift device according to the sixth embodiment, a frame is provided on the gripping portion, and the frame surrounds the transparent member of the placement portion, excluding the decorative surface side. Furthermore, a decorative member is provided on the frame to decorate the gripping portion, and the decorative member is arranged around the frame to decorate the gripping portion.

[0022] Furthermore, the frame is constructed using a cushioning material with lower hardness than the material forming the frame, which forms the base for the decorative member. This allows elasticity to be imparted to the decorative member, resulting in a comfortable feel when gripping the frame that forms the gripping part.

[0023] This is a perspective view showing the main parts of the shift device according to this embodiment. This is an exploded perspective view showing the main parts of the shift device, illustrating its schematic configuration. This is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the shift device. This is a perspective view showing the surface of the glass plate. This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the back surface of the glass plate.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the main part of the shift device 10 according to this embodiment. In the drawing, the front of the shift device 10 in the front-rear direction is indicated by arrow FR, the left side in the left-right direction (width direction) is indicated by arrow LH, and the top in the up-down direction is indicated by arrow UP.

[0025] In this embodiment, the shift device 10 is installed on a console (not shown) of the vehicle (automobile), and the front, left, and top of the shift device 10 are directed towards the front, left, and top of the vehicle, respectively.

[0026] The shift device 10 includes a lever (not shown) that constitutes an operating body. The lever is roughly columnar in shape, with its longitudinal direction being vertical. The lever is rotatable (or movable) in the front-rear direction around its lower end, which serves as a reference point. The upper end of the lever protrudes from the console and is movable within a predetermined range on the console.

[0027] In the vehicle, the shift device 10 is electrically connected to a transmission (not shown). In the vehicle, when the lever of the shift device 10 is rotated forward, the shift position of the transmission is changed to the N (neutral) position, and then to the R (reverse) position. Also in the vehicle, when the lever of the shift device 10 is rotated backward, the shift position of the transmission is changed to the N position, and then to the D (drive) position.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the shift device 10 is equipped with a knob 12 that constitutes an operating body, and the knob 12 is located at the upper end of the lever. In the shift device 10, the knob 12 can be grasped by the vehicle occupants (especially the driver), and when the knob 12 is grasped and rotated, the lever is rotated, and the shift position of the transmission is changed.

[0029] The knob 12 comprises a knob body 14 as a gripping portion, and a glass plate 16 as a transparent member positioned on the knob body 14. In this embodiment, a glass plate 16 is used, but the transparent member (plate) may be made of crystal (quartz), PVC, PMMA, etc. Furthermore, the transparent member only needs to have light transmittance (transparency), and the transparent member does not have to be colorless but may be colored.

[0030] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the knob 12 from the front, upper right, and slightly upward, and Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the knob 12 from the left-right direction, and Figure 4A shows an perspective view of the glass plate 16 from the front, upper right, and slightly upward, and Figure 4B shows an perspective view of the glass plate 16 from the rear, lower right, and slightly downward, slightly downward, and slightly upward,

[0031] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the glass plate 16 is curved and has a roughly block-like (roughly strip-like) shape, and the glass plate 16 has a longitudinal direction in one direction. One side of the glass plate 16 in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction (thickness direction) is the surface 16A which is used for decoration, and the other side is the back surface 16B. The glass plate 16 is curved in a roughly bow shape such that the surface 16A side is convex.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the glass plate 16 is positioned on the front side of the knob body 14 such that its longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the vertical direction. The upper end of the surface 16A of the glass plate 16 is directed upward, and the lower end of the surface 16A is directed forward, so that it is positioned in a convex shape that is directed diagonally upward and forward. The glass plate 16 is colorless and transparent, and due to its material properties, the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16 is visible from the surface 16A side.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4A, the glass plate 16 has a smoothly curved surface 16A, with the center in the width direction (left-right direction) being convex, and also a smoothly curved surface in the vertical direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4B, a geometric pattern is formed on the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16.

[0034] The geometric pattern on the back surface 16B is a three-dimensional pattern in which polygons (triangles in this embodiment) that make up the pattern are arranged and combined, and recesses are provided. The glass plate 16 has a recess 20 formed in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the back surface 16B, and a geometric pattern is formed thereon.

[0035] Furthermore, the glass plate 16 may have a geometric pattern formed on its surface 16A, and it is preferable that the geometric pattern on the surface 16A has a larger constituent pattern and less unevenness compared to the constituent pattern on the back surface 16B. Also, the geometric pattern on the surface 16A may have a different constituent pattern from the constituent pattern on the back surface 16B.

[0036] The glass plate 16 has a reference surface 22 formed on the upper part of its back surface 16B, which serves as a reference in the vertical direction. The glass plate 16 also has a reference surface 24 formed on the lower part of its back surface 16B, which serves as a reference in the front-to-back direction. Both reference surfaces 22 and 24 are flat, and the glass plate 16 is oriented with the reference surface 22 facing downwards and the reference surface 24 facing backwards. Furthermore, the glass plate 16 has a recess 20 formed on its back surface 16B between the reference surface 22 and the reference surface 24, which is convex toward the front surface 16A.

[0037] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the knob 12 has a knob body 14 that includes a base 30 and a decorative part 32 as a placement area, and the base 30 and the decorative part 32 are each made of resin (for example, a non-cushioning material such as nylon for the cushioning material described below). The knob body 14 may be an integral part of the base 30 and the decorative part 32.

[0038] The base 30 comprises a bottom plate 34 and an outer wall portion 36 erected from the bottom plate 34. The bottom plate 34 has a roughly semicircular shape with an arc shape at the rear, and a semicircular notch portion 38 is formed in the front of the bottom plate 34, opening to the front. The lower end of the receiving portion 52 of the decorative portion 32 of the knob 12 is fitted into the notch portion 38 of the base 30.

[0039] The outer wall portion 36 is erected on the rear side and the left and right peripheral edges of the base plate 34, and the outer wall portion 36 is formed continuously from one side on the left or right to the rear side and across to the other side on the peripheral edge of the base plate 34. Furthermore, both the left and right sides of the outer wall portion 36 protrude in front of the base plate 34, and the outer wall portion 36 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the front when viewed from above.

[0040] The base 30 is curved such that, when viewed from the left or right (for example, from the right), the rear surface of the outer wall portion 36 is convex toward the front. Furthermore, when viewed from the left or right, the base 30 is curved such that the height dimension of the upper end of the outer wall portion 36 decreases from the rear to the front.

[0041] The base 30 has a support portion 40 on which the decorative portion 32 is placed. On the base 30, ribs 42 are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides on the upper inner surface of the outer wall portion 36. Each of the ribs 42 protrudes forward from the inner surface of the outer wall portion 36, and its front end extends upward, with a flat plate 44 whose upper surface serves as the support portion 40 being placed across the extended end to form an integral part.

[0042] Furthermore, the base 30 has guide portions 46 formed therein for attaching and positioning the decorative portion 32. The guide portions 46 are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides at the front end of the bottom plate 34, and the guide portions 46 have openings facing each other and guide grooves 46A that extend vertically. The knob body 14 is attached to the base 30 by fitting the rail portion (not shown) formed on the decorative portion 32 into the guide grooves 46A of the guide portions 46 on the base 30.

[0043] The decorative portion 32 includes a frame body 50 molded using nylon as a non-cushioning member, and a receiving portion 52 (see FIG. 3). The receiving portion 52 is disposed within the frame body 50 and is integrally formed with the frame body 50. A fitting hole 52A is formed in the receiving portion 52, and the fitting hole 52A has a closed bottom and opens downward. In the knob body 14, the upper end of the lever is fitted into the fitting hole 52A of the receiving portion 52 of the decorative portion 32, whereby the decorative portion 32 is positioned and attached to the lever, and the base 30 is attached to the lever via the decorative portion 32. Note that the non-cushioning member is not limited to nylon, and various resins (hard resins) can be applied.

[0044] The decorative portion 32 is disposed such that the lower surface of the frame body 50 faces the upper end surface of the outer wall portion 36 of the base 30. The frame body 50 includes a side plate portion 54 corresponding to the right portion of the outer wall portion 36, a rear plate portion 56 corresponding to the rear portion of the outer wall portion 36, and a side plate portion 58 corresponding to the left portion of the outer wall portion 36. In the frame body 50, the side plate portion 54, the rear plate portion 56, and the side plate portion 58 are continuous. The frame body 50 has a shape curved along the outer wall portion 36 of the base 30 in a top view, and has a substantially U-shape opening forward in the top view.

[0045] The side plate portions 54 and 58 each have a shape extending forward from the upper portion of the right outer wall portion 36 and the left outer wall portion 36 respectively, and the front portions of the side plate portions 54 and 58 are each disposed on the front side of the outer wall portion 36.

[0046] In the decorative portion 32, a placement portion 60 where the glass plate 16 is disposed inside the frame body 50 is formed. Further, leather 62 (see FIG. 1) serving as a decorative member is used for the decorative portion 32, and the outer surface of the frame body 50 is covered and decorated by the leather 62. For the leather 62, synthetic leather or genuine leather such as cowhide can be used. In the present embodiment, genuine leather, which is superior in touch, durability and stretchability compared to synthetic leather, is applied.

[0047] The leather 62 is disposed so as to cover substantially the entire outer surface of the frame body 50. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the leather 62 is wrapped around the inner surface side of the frame body 50 at peripheral edges such as the upper end and the lower end of the frame body 50, and is joined to the frame body 50 using a required adhesive or the like.

[0048] On the other hand, the right side, rear side and left side of the placement portion 60 are surrounded by the frame body 50, and the glass plate 16 placed in the placement portion 60 is exposed from the frame body 50 at the upper side and the front side. The knob 12 is decorated by the glass plate 16 disposed within the frame body 50 of the decoration portion 32.

[0049] The placement portion 60 is provided with a positioning portion 64 for an upper portion of the glass plate 16, a positioning portion 66 for a lower portion of the glass plate 16, and a placement surface 68 opposed to a back surface 16B of the glass plate 16.

[0050] A support plate 70 is disposed at an upper rear portion of the frame body 50, and the support plate 70 protrudes forward from an upper inner surface of a rear plate portion 56 and is stretched between side plate portions 54 and 58. A rib 72 is projectingly formed on an upper surface of the support plate 70, and the rib 72 extends forward from the rear plate portion 56 on the support plate 70. An upper surface of the rib 72 serves as a positioning surface in the positioning portion 64, and the reference surface 22 of the glass plate 16 is placed on the rib 72, thereby enabling positioning of the glass plate 16 in the vertical direction.

[0051] Further, a bridging plate 74 having an upper surface serving as the placement surface 68 is disposed on the frame body 50, and the bridging plate 74 is bridged between the side plate portion 54 and the side plate portion 58 of the frame body 50 and integrally formed with the frame body 50. The bridging plate 74 extends from an upper rear side to a lower front side in the frame body 50, and is formed to be gradually inclined downward from the rear side toward the front side. The bridging plate 74 has an upper surface shape serving as the placement surface 68 that conforms to the unevenness of the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16. Accordingly, when the glass plate 16 is placed on the bridging plate 74, the back surface 16B can be brought into surface contact with the upper surface (placement surface 68) of the bridging plate 74.

[0052] Furthermore, the frame 50 has a roughly block-shaped support portion 76 formed below the transponder 74, and the support portion 76 is integrally formed with the lower part of the transponder 74. The front surface of the support portion 76 is a flat surface, and the front surface of the support portion 76 serves as the positioning surface in the positioning portion 66. The positioning portion 66 allows the glass plate 16 to be positioned in the front-rear direction by positioning the lower reference surface 24 of the glass plate 16 on the front surface of the support portion 76.

[0053] On the other hand, the decorative portion 32 has a soft portion 80 formed on at least a part of its placement surface 68, which serves as a cushioning portion. The soft portion 80 is made of a material that is less hard (has elasticity) than the nylon that forms the frame 50, which is a non-cushioning material, and acts as a cushioning member. Soft polyvinyl chloride (soft PVC) can be used as a cushioning material that is less hard and more elastic than nylon for such a soft portion 80.

[0054] Furthermore, the soft portion 80 is not limited to a combination of nylon as a non-cushioning material and soft polyvinyl chloride as a cushioning material; any combination of materials in which the soft portion 80 has lower hardness (softer) than other parts that the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16 contacts is acceptable.

[0055] The flexible portion 80 is integrally formed with the transfer plate 74 by two-color molding of resin and forms a part of the placement surface 68. The flexible portion 80 also protrudes from the transfer plate 74 on the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16, facing the recess 20. As a result, in the placement portion 60, when the glass plate 16 is placed on the placement surface 68, the flexible portion 80 fits into the recess 20 formed on the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16.

[0056] The area on the connecting plate 74 where the flexible portion 80 is provided is the region where the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16 is in surface contact, and is a region that can be seen when viewed from above. Furthermore, the flexible portion 80 is formed between the positioning portion 64 and the positioning portion 66. In other words, the flexible portion 80 is positioned on the surface (region) on the arrangement surface 68 between the positioning portion 64 and the positioning portion 66 that faces diagonally upward towards the front.

[0057] Furthermore, in the decorative section 32, a soft section 82 is formed on the outer surface of the frame 50, which is covered with leather 62. Similar to the soft section 80, the soft section 82 uses a resin with lower hardness than the surrounding area (an elastic resin). The soft section 82 is integrally molded onto the outer surface of the frame 50 by two-color molding. In the decorative section 32, the soft section 82 forms the base for the leather 62.

[0058] In the shift device 10 configured in this way, the knob body 14 of the knob 12 uses a base 30 and a decorative part 32. The decorative part 32 has an outer surface of a frame 50 covered with leather 62, and the leather 62 is wrapped around the inside of the frame 50 at its periphery.

[0059] Furthermore, the frame 50 is provided with a placement section 60, and the glass plate 16 is positioned with its back surface 16B facing the placement surface 68 of the placement section 60. In the frame 50, the space between the left and right side plates 54 and 58 of the placement section 60 is narrowed by the leather 62 wrapped around the upper end. As a result, when the glass plate 16 is positioned in the placement section 60, its movement in the left-right direction and upward and backward is restricted by the leather 62 wrapped around the side plates 54 and 58 and the rear plate 56.

[0060] Furthermore, the glass plate 16 has its reference surface 22 in contact with the upper surface of the rib 72 in the positioning part 64, and its reference surface 24 in contact with the front surface of the support part 76 in the positioning part 66. As a result, the glass plate 16 is positioned in the vertical and horizontal directions and placed in the placement part 60, and its back surface 16B is in surface contact with the placement surface 68 and bonded to it. For bonding the back surface 16B of the glass plate 16 to the placement surface 68, a one-component moisture-curing elastic adhesive whose main component is a silyl group-containing special polymer can be used. Such an adhesive is preferable because its initial tackiness eliminates the need for temporary fixing, and its elasticity provides good stress relaxation against vibration and shock.

[0061] Furthermore, the knob body 14 is attached to the lever of the shift device 10 by assembling the decorative part 32 to the base 30 and fitting the upper end of the lever into the fitting hole 52A of the receiving part 52 of the decorative part 32. At this time, the knob 12 (knob body 14) is fitted into the notch 38 of the base 30 by the receiving part 52 of the decorative part 32, and the lower surface of the connecting plate 74 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the flat plate 44 of the support part 40 of the base 30 and bonded together.

[0062] As a result, the knob 12 has a glass plate 16 placed on the decorative part 32, and the decorative part 32 is covered with leather 62 so as to surround the glass plate 16. The glass plate 16 has a geometric pattern formed on its back surface 16B, so that light incident from the front surface 16A is reflected back towards the front surface 16A at the inner interface of the back surface 16B. As a result, the design of the knob 12 is improved by the leather 62, and further improved by the glass plate 16.

[0063] By the way, in the shift device 10, the surface 16A of the glass plate 16 placed on the knob 12 may be subjected to impact from falling objects, etc., and the glass plate 16 may be damaged as a result of the impact on its surface 16A.

[0064] In the knob 12, a flexible portion 80 is positioned on the positioning portion 60, and the flexible portion 80 forms a part of the positioning surface 68. The flexible portion 80 can withstand the load applied to the glass plate 16. Therefore, in the knob 12, when the glass plate 16 is subjected to impact by a falling object, the flexible portion 80 allows the glass plate 16 to undergo elastic deformation, thereby absorbing the impact (load) applied to the glass plate 16. As a result, the flexible portion 80 in the knob 12 can prevent cracks or damage from occurring in the glass plate 16.

[0065] Furthermore, the soft portion 80 protrudes so as to fit into the recess 20 of the glass plate 16. As a result, in the knob 12, the soft portion 80 that protrudes toward the glass plate 16 on the placement surface 68 can bear the load from the glass plate 16, effectively suppressing damage to the glass plate 16. In addition, in the knob 12, because the soft portion 80 protrudes toward the glass plate 16 on the placement surface 68, displacement of the glass plate 16 can be suppressed, further effectively suppressing damage to the glass plate 16.

[0066] Furthermore, the soft portion 80 is positioned on the mounting surface 68 in a location that can be viewed from above. As a result, even if an object falls onto the glass plate 16, the soft portion 80 of the knob 12 can absorb the impact of the object, effectively preventing damage to the glass plate 16 caused by the object.

[0067] Furthermore, the glass plate 16 is positioned and held at its upper side by the rib 72 in the positioning part 64, and at its lower side by the support part 76 in the positioning part 66. In addition, non-cushioning material is used for the rib 72 and the support part 76, and deformation is suppressed compared to the soft part 80. As a result, the glass plate 16 is held in a state in which movement is suppressed between the positioning part 64 and the positioning part 66, so that the soft part 80 can stably receive impact, and damage such as cracks and breakage to the glass plate 16 is suppressed.

[0068] On the other hand, in the knob 12, a soft part 82 (base part) is formed as a base for the leather 62. Therefore, when the knob body 14 (frame 50 of the decorative part 32) covered with leather 62 is gripped, the occupant can feel that the soft part 82 is superimposed on the softness of the leather 62. As a result, even though the frame 50 of the knob 12 is made of a non-cushioning material, the feeling of hardness when gripped is suppressed, and a comfortable gripping sensation can be felt.

[0069] In this way, the knob 12 can prevent damage to the glass plate 16. Furthermore, the knob 12 can prevent the occupant from feeling hardness when gripping the knob body 14, providing a comfortable grip.

[0070] In the embodiment described above, a soft portion 80 is formed on a part of the placement surface 68. However, the buffer portion may be formed on the front surface of the placement surface between the upper positioning portion and the lower positioning portion. In this case, by using non-buffering members on each of the upper and lower positioning portions, the transparent member can be held stably on the placement surface while suppressing damage to the transparent member.

[0071] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the knob 12 was rotated in the front-rear direction. However, the operating body gripped by the gripping portion may be slid or rotated around its central axis.

[0072] In this embodiment, the shift device 10 is installed on the console. However, the shift device may be installed in a part other than the console, such as the instrument panel or steering column.

[0073] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-054561, filed on 27 March 2025, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0074] All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A shift device comprising: an operating body whose shift position is changed when the gripping portion is gripped and operated; a transparent member having one surface as a decorative surface and the opposite surface as a back surface; a placement portion on the gripping portion where the transparent member is placed so that the back surface is in surface contact with a placement surface provided opposite to the back surface of the transparent member; and a buffer portion formed by using a buffer material with lower hardness than the material forming the placement portion, thereby forming a part of the placement surface and enabling the absorption of load input from the transparent member.

2. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member is in the shape of a block that is long in one direction, the decorative surface is one of the surfaces in a direction intersecting the one direction, the decorative surface and the back surface are curved such that the decorative surface side is convex, and the one side in the one direction is positioned upwards and placed in the placement area.

3. The shift device according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement portion is provided with a positioning portion for positioning the upper and lower parts of the transparent member that is arranged on the arrangement surface.

4. The shift device according to claim 3, wherein the positioning portion uses a non-cushioning member with higher hardness than the cushioning member.

5. The shift device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the buffer member is disposed between the upper positioning portion and the lower positioning portion.

6. The shift device according to claim 2, wherein the buffer portion is arranged in a range facing upward on the arrangement surface.

7. The shift device according to claim 1, further comprising: a frame surrounding the arrangement portion excluding the decorative surface side of the transparent member of the arrangement portion; a decorative member arranged around the frame to decorate the grip portion; and a base portion formed on the frame between the frame and the decorative member, wherein a cushioning member with a lower hardness than the material forming the frame is used.

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