Patent ID: 7909405

Claim:
An arrangement of an operation unit in a seat back, said seat back comprising: one upper corner portion having a predetermined outer shape; a seat back frame including an upper corner frame region disposed corresponding to an upper corner of said seat back; a padding; and a trim cover assembly covering said padding, wherein said operation unit includes an operating lever operatively provided therewith, wherein said padding has a bore formed therein at a point corresponding to said one upper corner portion of the seat back, and said trim cover assembly has an opening formed therein at a point corresponding to said one upper corner portion of the seat back, wherein a body of said operation unit is disposed within said bore of said padding, and said operating lever is disposed so as to project outwardly from said opening of said trim cover assembly, wherein said trim cover assembly includes a connecting area defined near to said opening thereof, and wherein said operation unit further comprises: a connecting bracket of substantially U-shaped configuration, said connecting bracket having a backward side and an opening defined in the backward side, said connecting bracket being fixed to said one corner frame region of said seat back frame; said connecting bracket further having a projected portion formed therewith, and a space defined inwardly thereof; a housing accommodating a part of said operating lever therein, said housing being arranged such that substantially an entirety of the housing is disposed in said space of said connecting bracket, said housing further having a projected portion formed therewith; a shape retaining bracket so configured to contact and retain a peripheral edge region of said opening of said trim cover assembly in a shape conforming to said predetermined outer shape of said one corner portion of said seat back, said shape retaining bracket being securely connected with said connecting bracket and having an inward opening region smaller in size than a substantially circular region circumscribed by said peripheral edge region of said opening associated with said trim cover assembly; a bezel, said bezel having has an outer contour smaller in size than said inward opening region of said shape retaining bracket, said bezel being adapted for covering a space between said shape retaining bracket and said operating lever, wherein said peripheral edge region of said opening of said trim cover assembly is inserted between said bezel and said shape retaining bracket, and wherein said projected portion of said connecting bracket, said projected portion of said housing and said connecting area of said trim cover assembly are securely connected with one another.