Vehicular switch operation mechanism

Abstract

Operation switches, which a passenger operates with his/her fingers, are disposed on the front end of the upper portion of a console box, and a palm rest on which the passenger rests his/her palm is set rearward of the operation switches. An operation knob that releases the locked state of the console box is disposed on a lower portion of the palm rest in a range where the passenger can reach the operation knob with his/her fingers. Consequently, when the passenger wishes to adjust the front-rear position of the palm rest, the passenger can move the console box by simply lifting up the operation knob with one hand to release the locked state, and without having to conduct an operation such as opening a lid or the like.

1 . A vehicular switch operation mechanism configured to include an operation portion that is disposed on an operation portion installation disposed adjacent to a vehicular seat and which a passenger operates with his/her fingers and a palm rest that is disposed rearward of the operation portion and on which the passenger rests his/her palm when the passenger operates the operation portion with his/her fingers, the vehicular switch operation mechanism including: 
 palm rest moving means for moving the palm rest in a vehicle front-rear direction, a vehicle width direction, or a vehicle diagonal direction;    locking means that retains the palm rest in the position after movement; and    release means that is disposed in a range where the passenger can reach the release means with his/her fingers when the passenger rests his/her palm on the palm rest and is for releasing the locked state by the locking means.    
   
   
       2 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the palm rest moving means is configured by a palm rest moving mechanism that moves the palm rest relative to the operation portion installation, and    the locking means is configured by a palm rest locking mechanism that retains the palm rest in the position to which the palm rest has been moved by the palm rest moving mechanism.    
   
   
       3 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein 
 the palm rest moving means is configured by an operation portion installation moving mechanism that moves the operation portion installation integrally with the palm rest with respect to a vehicle body floor in the vehicle front-rear direction, the vehicle width direction, or the vehicle diagonal direction, and    the locking means is configured by an operation portion installation locking mechanism that retains the operation portion installation in the position to which the operation portion installation has been moved by the operation portion installation moving mechanism.    
   
   
       4 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the palm rest moving means further includes an operation portion installation moving mechanism that moves the operation portion installation integrally with the palm rest with respect to a vehicle body floor in the vehicle front-rear direction, the vehicle width direction, or the vehicle diagonal direction, and    the locking means further includes an operation portion installation locking mechanism that retains the operation portion installation in the position to which the operation portion installation has been moved by the operation portion installation moving mechanism.    
   
   
       5 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the release means is configured by 
 a first release portion for releasing the locked state of the palm rest by the palm rest locking mechanism, and    a second release portion for releasing the locked state of the operation portion installation by the operation portion installation locking mechanism.    
   
   
       6 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 1 , further including 
 an upper lid member that can close an inner compartment inside the operation portion installation and with which the palm rest is integrally disposed, and    rotating means for rotating the upper lid member,    wherein the locked state of the palm rest by the locking means is released by the release means and the palm rest is moved to a predetermined rotation position by the palm rest moving means, whereby the rotation of the upper lid member via the rotating means is enabled, such that the inner compartment is openable/closeable.    
   
   
       7 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the release means is disposed on a lower portion or a side portion of the palm rest.  
   
   
       8 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein the palm rest moving means is configured to move the palm rest in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the operation portion installation.  
   
   
       9 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 3 , wherein the palm rest moving means is configured to move the operation portion installation integrally with the palm rest with respect to the vehicle body floor in the vehicle front-rear direction.  
   
   
       10 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicular switch operation mechanism is configured such that the movement of the palm rest by the palm rest moving means is conducted stepwise.  
   
   
       11 . A vehicular switch operation mechanism configured to include an operation portion that is disposed on an operation portion installation disposed adjacent to a vehicular seat and which a passenger operates with his/her fingers and a palm rest that is disposed rearward of the operation portion and on which the passenger rests his/her palm when the passenger operates the operation portion with his/her fingers, the vehicular switch operation mechanism including: 
 an operation portion installation moving mechanism that moves the operation portion installation integrally with the palm rest relative to a vehicle body floor;    an operation portion installation locking mechanism that retains the operation portion installation in the position to which the operation portion installation has been moved by the operation portion installation moving mechanism; and    a release portion that is disposed in a range where the passenger can reach the release portion with his/her fingers when the passenger rests his/her palm on the palm rest and is for releasing the locked state of the operation portion installation by the operation portion installation locking mechanism.    
   
   
       12 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 11 , further including a palm rest moving mechanism that moves the palm rest relative to the operation portion installation, a palm rest locking mechanism that retains the palm rest in the position to which the palm rest has been moved by the palm rest moving mechanism, and 
 another release portion that is disposed in a range where the passenger can reach the release portion with his/her fingers when the passenger rests his/her palm on the palm rest and is for releasing the locked state by the palm rest locking mechanism.    
   
   
       13 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 12 , further including 
 an upper lid member that can close an inner compartment inside the operation portion installation and with which the palm rest is integrally disposed, and    rotating means for rotating the upper lid member,    wherein the locked state of the palm rest by the palm rest locking mechanism is released by the other release portion and the palm rest is moved to a predetermined rotation position by the palm rest moving mechanism, whereby the rotation of the upper lid member via the rotating means is enabled, such that the inner compartment is openable/closeable.    
   
   
       14 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 11 , wherein the release portion is disposed on a lower portion or a side portion of the palm rest.  
   
   
       15 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the vehicular switch operation mechanism is configured such that the movement of the palm rest by the palm rest moving mechanism is conducted stepwise.  
   
   
       16 . A vehicular switch operation mechanism configured to include an operation portion that is disposed on an operation portion installation disposed adjacent to a vehicular seat and which a passenger operates with his/her fingers and a palm rest that is disposed rearward of the operation portion and on which the passenger rests his/her palm when the passenger operates the operation portion with his/her fingers, the vehicular switch operation mechanism including: 
 palm rest moving means for moving the palm rest in a vehicle front-rear direction;    locking means that retains the palm rest in the position after movement; and    release means that is disposed in a range where the passenger can reach the release means with his/her fingers when the passenger rests his/her palm on the palm rest and is for releasing the locked state by the locking means,    wherein the palm rest moving means, the locking means and the release means are configured to allow the palm rest to be moved in the vehicle front-rear direction via the palm rest moving means when the passenger places his/her palm on the palm rest and releases the locked state by the locking means via the release means.    
   
   
       17 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein 
 the palm rest moving means is configured by a palm rest moving mechanism that moves the palm rest relative to the operation portion installation, and    the locking means is configured by a palm rest locking mechanism that retains the palm rest in the position to which the palm rest has been moved by the palm rest moving mechanism.    
   
   
       18 . The vehicular switch operation mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein 
 the palm rest moving means is configured by an operation portion installation moving mechanism that moves the operation portion installation integrally with the palm rest with respect to a vehicle body floor in the vehicle front-rear direction, and    the locking means is configured by an operation portion installation locking mechanism that retains the operation portion installation in the position to which the operation portion installation has been moved by the operation portion installation moving mechanism.