An input apparatus for a vehicle includes: a housing mounted on the vehicle; a substrate disposed inside the housing; a push button device disposed in the housing to be pressed; a dial device arranged and configured to be rotated about the push button device, being non-peristaltic when the push button device is pressed, and maintained in a posture with respect to the housing, a first sensing device disposed on the substrate to sense pressing of the push button device; and a second sensing device disposed on the substrate to sense rotation of the dial device.

A switching device including a frame, a roll element, a control shaft, a drive system and a roll spring. The control shaft is adapted to control rotation of the roll element such that rotating the control shaft from an ON-position to an OFF-position carries out an opening event in which the roll element transfers from a first position to a second position. The drive system includes an actuator and an actuator spring. The drive system is adapted to rotate the roll element during the opening event to an intermediate position located between the first position and the second position. The roll spring is connected between the frame and the roll element, and is adapted to rotate the roll element to the second position during the opening event.

A rotary operating device includes an operation part that is rotatable according to an operation by an operator, a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle of the operation part, a torque applier that applies application torque to the operation part along a rotation direction of the operation part, a frictional force applier that applies a frictional force to the operation part, and a processor programmed to change the application torque and the frictional force according to the rotation angle.

An activation device for transmitting a user input to a control device has an engaging element that forms a first housing part and a feeding element that forms a second housing part. The engaging element has a push magnet, whose magnetic field extends into the feeding element and the feeding element has a push magnet that can be displaced without contact through exposure to the magnetic field. The engaging push magnet can be displaced in the direction of the feeding element by pressure-activating the activation device, and is set up to exert a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding push magnet. The engaging element and feeding element each have at least one rotating magnet that can be displaced parallel to an intermediate plane running between them. The engaging rotating magnet of the engaging element exerts a magnetic force on a corresponding feeding rotating magnet of the feeding element.

A electrical pole unit includes an actuator shaft that is rotatable about a switch axis to switch the pole unit between open and closed conditions. The actuator shaft is configured to mate coaxially with another actuator shaft in another pole unit to transmit rotation from one actuator shaft to another without a fastener to interconnect the shafts.

There is provided a lens barrel from which stable operation feeling of an operation ring is obtained regardless of part accuracy. A stop ring (6) is provided with a ring-shaped multipolar magnet (12) that is magnetized to have multiple poles at regular angular intervals in a circumferential direction. A stationary frame (7) is provided with a sheet metal part (13). The sheet metal part (13) includes a body portion (24A) and a protrusion portion (13B). The body portion (24A) is disposed on a flange (8) of the stationary frame (7), and the protrusion portion (13B) is disposed on the outer periphery of the stationary frame (7). The stop ring (6) is click-stopped at regular angular intervals by a magnetic attractive force acting between the multipolar magnet (12) and the protrusion portion (13B) of the sheet metal part (13). Further, the stop ring (6) is attracted to the flange (8) of the stationary frame (7) by the magnetic attractive force acting between the multipolar magnet (12) and the body portion (24A) of the sheet metal part (13), so that backlash is removed.

A pole unit has an actuator shaft that is rotatable about a switch axis to switch the pole unit between open and closed conditions. A linkage is configured to rotate the actuator shaft in response to movement of the handle pivotally about the orthogonal axis. The linkage includes a panel configured to rotate the actuator shaft upon sliding movement of the panel. The linkage further includes links that are pivotally coupled in series between the handle and the panel to slide the panel in response to pivotal movement of the handle.

A multi-directional input device includes an operation knob, a plurality of direction setting switches, and a sensation generation unit. The operation knob is configured to be operable in multiple operation directions. The plurality of direction setting switches are configured to be turned on by being pressed when the operation knob is operated. The sensation generation unit is configured to generate different operation sensation from operation sensation generated by the direction setting switches. Sensation is generated by the sensation generation unit after at least one of the plurality of direction setting switches has been turned on in a predetermined operation direction out of the multiple operation directions.

A multi-directional input device includes an operation knob, a plurality of direction setting switches, and a sensation generation unit. The operation knob is configured to be operable in multiple operation directions. The plurality of direction setting switches are configured to be turned on by being pressed when the operation knob is operated. The sensation generation unit is configured to generate different operation sensation from operation sensation generated by the direction setting switches. Sensation is generated by the sensation generation unit after at least one of the plurality of direction setting switches has been turned on in a predetermined operation direction out of the multiple operation directions.

A knob device for vehicle includes a knob unit and a locking unit. The knob unit includes a rotating cover with an open end, a rotary shaft mounted to the open end, and a motor fixed to the rotating cover for driving the rotating cover to vibrate. The locking unit includes a rotary wheel which includes a main body fixed to the rotary shaft and latching teeth formed at a periphery of the main body and distributed in a ring around a central axis of the rotary wheel, a gap being defined between two neighboring teeth, an iron core configured to be inserted into the gap to limit rotation of the rotary wheel, and a solenoid connected to the iron core for driving the iron core to move. The knob device can realize locking of the rotary wheel clockwise and counter-clockwise, meeting requirement of diverse use.