Patent ID: 7360808

Claim:
A handle apparatus provided in a compartment of a vehicle to a door of the vehicle, comprising: a handle lever that enables a releasing operation of a latch mechanism so as to allow the door to be opened; a locking knob that is movable between a lock position and an unlock position and comprises a lock operational unit that is disposed in a specific region, said lock operational unit being manually rotatable in a first direction to an unlocked position and in a second direction to a locked position wherein the locking knob is operative for switching a locking mechanism to a lock state when in the lock position, thereby imposing a predetermined restriction on the releasing operation of the latch mechanism, while switching the locking mechanism to an unlock state when in the unlock position, thereby canceling the restriction on the releasing operation of the latch mechanism; and a cover member that covers at least a rear region of said specific region in which the lock operational unit can move, wherein when the locking knob is in the lock position, the lock operational unit is located adjacent to the cover member, and when the locking knob is moved to the unlock position in such a manner that the lock operational unit separates from the cover member, a protruding amount of the lock operational unit into the vehicle interior is gradually reduced.