A dial plate is provided with a mark layer having translucency, the mark layer including numbers of linear grooves formed on a surface of the mark layer, and a reflective layer that is arranged on a back face side of the mark layer, and reflects light incident from the mark layer side. The reflective layer includes a light transmission area that allows the light emitted from a light source arranged on the back face side to transmit therethrough to a front face side, and displays a display design by the light transmitting through the light transmission area when the light source is turned on. In the reflective layer, at least the light transmission area is composed of pearl ink.

An instrument cluster, in particular for a vehicle, has a dial with a plurality of graphic areas, which are backlit by a device provided with at least one light source, with a front light-guiding element having a front face at least partially covered by a back surface of the dial, and with a rear light-guiding element; the latter has a receiving portion facing said light source and a transmitting portion, which transmits and guides the light received by the receiving portion and is spaced apart from and faces a rear face of the front light-guiding element; the rear face of the front light-guiding element has an optical compensation system, having curved convex or curved concave lens surfaces, for varying the intensity of the light transmitted from said transmission portion to the different graphic areas.

A meter includes at least one meter unit, a visor provided around the meter unit; and a light-emitting part. The light-emitting part includes a light-guiding ring, a light source and a prism provided between the light guiding ring and the light source. The light-emitting part is annularly provided so as to cover an outer periphery of a dial panel of the meter unit. The light guiding ring is composed of a light guiding body and a light shielding body. The light shielding body is integrally formed with the light guiding body so as to cover the light guiding body. The light guiding ring is fixed to a mounting part provided in a proximity of an end part of the visor.

A meter device includes an instrument panel, a coaxial motor, a central light source, a peripheral light source, and units. The coaxial motor includes rotation shafts which rotate around a single axis perpendicular to the instrument panel. The central light source is disposed near the rotation shafts. The peripheral light source is disposed more distantly from the rotation shafts than the central light source. The units rotate together with the rotation shafts, respectively. The units includes indicator parts, respectively. Each of the indicator parts guides light to emit the light, thereby indicating a surface of the instrument panel. The units include a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes a light path which guides light from the central light source to the indicator part. The second unit includes a light path which guides light from the peripheral light source to the indicator part, and a non-light guide part that prevents the light of the central light source from being guided to the indicator part.

A panel device includes a panel unit, a light source, and a light-blocking layer. The panel device includes a light attenuation layer, or a tinted layer, to blacken the panel unit. The light attenuation layer is located between the light source and the light-blocking layer, specifically, on the rear surface of the light-blocking layer.

A panel device includes a concealing portion that allows light to pass and blurs the edge of an opening in a light-blocking layer. The light-blocking layer is arranged at the rear side of a panel unit and forms the black background of the panel unit. The concealing portion of the panel device blurs the contour of the opening in the light-blocking layer when light is emitted from the rear side of the panel device and a representation is displayed on the panel unit.

A light guide device that performs uniform brightness transmitted light illumination regardless of a distance from an incident portion is provided. Light that is emitted from a light source, and enters from an incident portion of a light guide member (light guide body) made of a translucent member formed along an outer edge portion of a decorated portion, travels in the light guide portion while repeating total reflection by an inner surface of the light guide member. In the light-guiding portion, the light is guided in the decorated portion made of a translucent member from the inside of the light guide member, and is emitted outside by being scattered by the inside of the decorated portion, and in the non-light-guiding portion, the light that travels in the light guide member is prevented from traveling in the decorated portion.

A dial plate being nonopaque is in a disc shape. A slit member has slits each extending through the slit member in a thickness direction. A light source is located on an opposite side of the slit member from the dial plate. The light source is configured to emit light through the slits of the slit member toward the dial plate to project images on the dial plate.

A display device includes a liquid crystal panel providing a display surface where an image is displayed, a backlight emitting light to the liquid crystal panel from behind, a real object placed between the liquid crystal panel and the backlight and visible through the liquid crystal panel, and a controller controlling the liquid crystal panel such that a specific pixel region of the display surface behind which the real object is positioned is higher in light transmittance than another pixel region of the display surface.

Compact, multi-function rotational controllers or switches that allow an operator of a vehicle to simultaneously view the status of a plurality of related functions, and to easily change or toggle the status of each of the functions. A multi-function controller of the present disclosure may include a rotatable central control dial that is at least partially surrounded by a visual indicator panel that indicates a current status for the functions that are controlled by the multi-function controller. The multi-function controller may include a selected function indicator that indicates which of the plurality of related functions is currently selected, control input hardware that receives operator input, and control circuitry that toggles the state of the selected function responsive to such operator input. The multi-function controller may include an “all functions off” function that allows the operator to simultaneously turn all of the related functions off via a single input action.