A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.

A trunk switch module for a vehicle includes: a housing, of which a rear side is partially inserted into a trunk lid of the vehicle, having a mounting space at a front side of the housing; a trunk switch disposed in the mounting space to selectively open the trunk lid according to an operation of a user; a cover assembly attached to a front edge of the housing to close the opened front side of the housing, the cover assembly having a button sealing unit which corresponds to the trunk switch; a protection film attached to the front surface of the cover assembly; and an emblem mounted on the cover assembly at a front side of the protection film.

A system for changing the shape of a vehicle component includes one or more actuators coupled to the vehicle component and a processor coupled to the one or more actuators. The processor is configured to determine that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode and cause the one or more actuators to transition a surface of the vehicle component from a first shape associated with the first mode to a second shape associated with the second mode.

A powered running board assembly includes a running board and an actuator to displace the running board between a stowed position and a deployed position. That actuator includes a housing and a telescoping arm oriented along a first axis oblique to the running board. A related method of operating a running board is also disclosed.

A drive device (9) drivably controls linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) by inputting respective drive signals to one-side ends (5a) of the linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) via a connector (Co) and wires (Ha). Other-side ends (5b) of the linear solenoid valves (SL1 to SL5) are connected to respective wires (56). The wires (56) are connected to the connector (Co) while being integrally commonalized by the common wire (57). This allows reducing the number of ground terminals gt of the connector (Co), whereby the connector (Co) can be downsized.

A vehicle includes a three-axis accelerometer attached to a door and in communication with a processor. A speaker is in communication with the processor. Operation of the door toward a closed position is measured by the accelerometer to define a corresponding door acceleration. The processor determines a corresponding door-operating event based on the corresponding door acceleration and the speaker delivers a corresponding audio signal in response to the corresponding door-operating event.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.

In an inhibiter switch, a detent plate may be rotated on one side around a rotational shaft to be assembled in a pole board, and a stopper may be provided in the pole board to define a rotation range of the detent plate on the one side. An interference portion may be provided on a movement track of a movable contact piece when the detent plate rotates around the rotational shaft, wherein the interference portion may interfere with the movable contact piece to become resistance to rotation of the detent plate to the other side around the rotational shaft.

A vehicle includes a three-axis accelerometer attached to a door and in communication with a processor. A speaker is in communication with the processor. Operation of the door toward a closed position is measured by the accelerometer to define a corresponding door acceleration. The processor determines a corresponding door-operating event based on the corresponding door acceleration and the speaker delivers a corresponding audio signal in response to the corresponding door-operating event.

A component for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a rigid supporting body, made of plastic material, an outer upholstery skin, made of plastic material, and a padding body made of foamed plastic material, which is set between the rigid body and the outer upholstery skin. The rigid body and the outer skin have portions formed by a polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers, which have respective inner surfaces facing the padding body, which include one or more paths where said polymeric material with carbon-based nanofillers has been rendered electrically conductive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical circuits, and one or more piezoresistive areas where the polymeric material has been rendered piezoresistive by laser irradiation to define one or more electrical switches, which can be activated by exerting a localized pressure on the outer upholstery skin.