Handle returning apparatus and seat lifting apparatus for vehicle

A seat lifting apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

• a link mechanism including a link member that is rotatably provided, the link mechanism supporting a seat at an upper side of the link mechanism via the link member;
• a sector gear integrally rotating with the link member via a common rotation shaft;
• a pinion gear meshed with the sector gear;
• a handle returning apparatus including an input member rotating in conjunction with an operation handle that is operated to rotate in a first direction and a second direction including a neutral position, and a spring member including a plurality of spring portions which is integrally formed, the plurality of spring portions including different spring forces from one another and extending around a support shaft of the input member, each of the plurality of spring portions including first and second spring end portions separating from each other in a circumferential direction of the spring member, each of the plurality of spring portions being configured to generate a returning force for returning the operation handle to the neutral position by being resiliently deformed on a basis of the rotation operation of the operation handle to bias the input member in a state where one of the first and second spring end portions engages with the input member and the other of the first and second spring end portions engages with a fixation member, the plurality of spring portions being selectively switchable therebetween to generate the returning force depending on a condition of the rotation operation of the operation handle;
• and
• a rotation control apparatus disposed between the pinion gear and the operation handle and configured to move the seat upwardly and downwardly by driving to rotate the pinion gear based on a rotation operation input to the operation handle.