Patent ID: 8573086

Claim:
A lever operation device comprising: at least one operation member including a rotating knob attached to an outer peripheral portion of a cylindrical operation lever, the rotating knob being rotatable along a circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion, the rotating knob having a lead thread portion provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof; a circuit board disposed in the operation lever so as to extend along an axial direction of the operation lever; a magnetic sensor mounted on the circuit board; a transmission gear driven by the lead thread portion of the rotating knob, the transmission gear rotating in a plane parallel to the circuit board; a speed-increasing gear driven by the transmission gear, the speed-increasing gear rotating in the plane parallel to the circuit board; and a permanent magnet fixed to the speed-increasing gear so as to face the magnetic sensor in a vicinity thereof, wherein the rotating knob rotates the speed-increasing gear via the transmission gear such that the permanent magnet rotates with respect to the magnetic sensor while maintaining a constant distance therebetween.