Patent ID: 7430940

Claim:
A shift lever device comprising: a stationary member fixed to a vehicle body; a shift lever turnably fitted at a base end thereof to the stationary member; an engaging member provided through the shift lever, which is movable relative to the shift lever, toward the base end of the shift lever to engage with the stationary member and toward a distal end of the shift lever to disengage from the stationary member, the engaging member having a first engaging part on the side of the distal end of the shift lever; a knob to be fitted on the distal end of the shift lever, the knob comprising a knob body provided with a fitting hole into which the distal end of the shift lever is inserted together with the first engaging part of the engaging member, wherein the knob is attached to the shift lever with the distal end of the shift lever at an attachment position in the fitting hole, a button pivoted on the knob body, to be operated for moving the engaging member, and a link lever connected to the button, having a second engaging part to be engaged with the first engaging part of the engaging member, the link lever movable between a first position where the second engaging part is out of the fitting hole and a second position where the second engaging part crosses the fitting hole, as the button is operated, wherein the distal end of the shift lever is inserted into the fitting hole as the link lever is in the first position, and, with the distal end of the shift lever at a predetermined position in the fitting hole other than the attachment position, the button is operated to move the link lever from the first position to the second position and to have the second engaging part engaged with the first engaging part; and a detection mechanism configured to detect the predetermined position by changing insertion resistance of the distal end of the shift lever to the fitting hole of the knob body.