An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric with openings that are illuminated by a light source. The openings may form symbols or other shapes and may serve as labels for keyboard keys or other components. The fabric may be formed from transparent strands of material that are coated with opaque material or may be formed from opaque strands of material in which openings are formed by laser drilling. The openings may be covered with a transparent coating layer such as a translucent polymer coating. Translucent material on the fabric may be patterned to form parts of the labels or other shapes created by the illuminated openings.

A veneer may be configured to be secured to a backlit button of a control device. A plate portion of the veneer may have one or more indicia machined therethrough. The indicia may define an open portion, a floating portion, and one or more ribs that suspend the floating portion. The one or more ribs may be configured to create an optical illusion that conceals the ribs from view relative to a user of the control device. The rib may define an upper surface that is recessed relative to a front surface of the veneer, and may define opposed sides that extend from a base of the rib to the upper surface. The sides may be tapered between the base and the upper surface, such that the upper surface is narrower than the base. The sides and the upper surface of the rib may be unfinished.

A display device includes a substrate on which at least one light source is disposed; a display plate disposed to face the substrate; a tubular panel that surrounds and holds a periphery of the substrate and a periphery of the display plate; and a lens disposed between the substrate and the display plate and guides light emitted from the at least one light source; wherein the tubular panel has at least one rib protruding from an inner peripheral surface thereof, and the lens has at least one slide groove in which the at least one rib is movable forward and backward when the lens is assembled into the tubular panel and has at least one claw portion disposed adjacent to the at least one slide groove, and the at least one claw portion is positioned between the at least one rib and the display plate in an assembled state.

A control device includes at least one button, a veneer secured to an outer surface of the button, and at least one light source configured to backlight the button. The veneer includes indicia defining an open portion exposing a portion of a body of a respective button, a floating portion, and at least one rib that suspends the floating portion. The rib has an upper surface recessed relative to a front surface of the veneer, and opposed sides extending from a base of the rib to the upper surface. The opposed sides are tapered between the base and the upper surface, such that the upper surface is narrower than the base.

An illumination structure for an electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a housing mounted on a printed circuit board. The housing has a plurality of light pipes and at least one separator disposed therein. The at least one separator is positioned between adjacent light pipes of the plurality of light pipes.

A light assembly for a vehicle design element includes a light guide, the light guide including a plurality of light receiving surfaces; and a plurality of light sources, the light sources being arranged adjacent to and directed towards respective light receiving surfaces, where the light guide is shaped to define an annular base lying in a first plane and at least one circumferential flange or cylinder disposed generally orthogonal, or inwardly or outwardly splayed to the first plane, the flange or cylinder extending away from the annular base towards a viewable annular light exit, the base including a plurality of shaped elements extending away from the first plane, each shaped element defining one of the light receiving surfaces for receiving incident light from a respective adjacent light source, where a plurality of the light receiving surfaces are orientated substantially transverse to the base.

A control element includes a carrier element, a luminous foil in which or on which at least two optoelectronic components for generating light along a first main radiation direction as well as contact lines connected thereto are arranged, a diffuser layer downstream of the at least two optoelectronic components with respect to the first main radiation direction, a structured symbol element which is not in front of the diffuser layer with respect to the first main radiation direction and designed to form at least one symbol when the at least two optoelectronic components are operated and in a top view of the diffuser layer when viewed along the first main radiation direction, and a tactile sensor adapted to detect contact or pressure exerted along or opposite to the first main radiation direction to generate an electrical signal.

A display switching apparatus, switching display images by switching irradiation of lights from light sources (7), includes: a lens array (6) in which lenses are arranged; a display part including pixel regions arranged to include regions through which a light formed by condensing each light emitted from the light sources with each lens of the lens array passes; and a housing (9) holding the display part. A transmittance in each pixel region is set corresponding to a predetermined static pattern, a shape of the display part as viewed in a direction perpendicular to a display surface of the display part is an irregular shape that is not rectangular, and a shape of the housing when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the display surface is the same as or similar to the shape of the display part as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the display surface.

A panel for an electronic device, with a front side, and a back side. The panel including a sign, suitable to be viewed from the panel's front side, wherein the sign has an annular shape. The sign has 3 indicia mit light, each being an annular segment of the annular shape, each with an angular length, and further each two adjacent indicia mechanisms are spaced by an angular gap alpha, and wherein 0<=alpha is <=20.

A light assembly for a vehicle design element includes a light guide, the light guide including a plurality of light receiving surfaces; and a plurality of light sources, the light sources being arranged adjacent to and directed towards respective light receiving surfaces, where the light guide is shaped to define an annular base lying in a first plane and at least one circumferential flange or cylinder disposed generally orthogonal, or inwardly or outwardly splayed to the first plane, the flange or cylinder extending away from the annular base towards a viewable annular light exit, the base including a plurality of shaped elements extending away from the first plane, each shaped element defining one of the light receiving surfaces for receiving incident light from a respective adjacent light source, where a plurality of the light receiving surfaces are orientated substantially transverse to the base.