Patent ID: 8720299

Claim:
A tiltable steering wheel apparatus for a work vehicle, comprising: a rotationally operable steering wheel including an annular grip portion to be rotatable about a rotational axis of the steering wheel; and a tilting mechanism provided under the grip portion including: a steering wheel support member for supporting the steering wheel to be tiltable about a pivotal axis extending along a transverse direction of a vehicle body; a control lever switchable between a tilting allowing mode for allowing tilting movement of the steering wheel and a tilting preventing mode for preventing tilting movement of the steering wheel, the control lever being pivotable about a swing axis extending along the transverse direction of the vehicle body, the control lever having a first extension extending radially from the swing axis toward the grip portion and a second extension extending radially from the swing axis at an incremental distance from the first extension the first extension having a manual control portion at a distal end thereof for allowing a driver holding the grip portion of the steering wheel to operate the control lever with fingers of the driver; the second extension having an operative portion for the tilting mechanism; and a lever support member for pivotably supporting the control lever, wherein the manual control portion is provided within a space defined by an inner periphery of the steering wheel in the direction of the rotational axis; and wherein the control lever pivots within a swing range thereof defined between a first swing angle position about the swing axis providing the steering wheel with the tilting allowing mode and a second swing angle position about the swing axis providing the steering wheel with the tilting preventing mode, and a swing locus described b the manual control portion extends closer to the grip portion of the steering wheel than to the swing axis.