A brake controller has a control dial with a series of full color LEDs arranged around the dial. The dial with its LEDs is in a module mounted on the dash of the towing vehicle and connected by a cable to a main module mounted out of sight. The dial is a rotary encoder pushbutton mounted on the same circuit board as the LED chips. Status information is output using the LEDs primarily based on color. Substantially all setting input is provided solely by user manipulation of the dial, pushing the dial in to change setting input mode, with the value of the input reflected in the number of LEDs being lit in a color corresponding to the brake controller setting being changed, as the user rotates the dial either clockwise or counterclockwise to change setting values.

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 switch apparatus for an automobile with a reduced size by installing a touch type switch apparatus inside a dial switch apparatus is provided. A switch apparatus for an automobile according to the present disclosure includes a main body which has an open lower side, a cover body which is inserted into the open lower side of the main body and is coupled to the main body, a dial switch apparatus which is installed on the main body and has an annular wheel knob rotatable with a virtual rotation axis disposed in a vertical direction as a rotation center, a touch type switch apparatus which is installed on the main body and has a capacitive touch pad which is touched by a user and pressed in an up-down direction, a main PCB which is coupled to the cover body to be disposed in the main body and into which a switch signal is input from the dial switch apparatus and the touch type switch apparatus, and a case body which is coupled to the main body and has a hole, through which the wheel knob and the capacitive touch pad are exposed, on an upper side, in which the capacitive touch pad is disposed inside the wheel knob.

A clear decoration body includes a character display area and an indicator display area that light up and display a design pattern by transmitting light. A first partition layer is laminated on a carbon style irregular surface, shields light, and forms a first partition boundary of the character display area. A carbon colored layer is laminated on the carbon style irregular surface, shields light, and forms a first partition boundary of the indicator display area. The character display area of the clear decoration body is provided with a projecting flat part that at least projects relative to a bottom part of irregularities of a decoration surface toward a side opposite to a viewing side, and that is formed in a flat shape.

A human machine interface with light sensing contact activation includes an operating panel and a display unit, where the operating panel includes at least one or more of a transparent or translucent substrate provided with at least one key area and at least one illumination source which can emit light into the substrate, and the display unit provides at least one information section at least temporarily displaying information on at least one function, which can be contact activated via the at least one key area of the operating panel. A rearview device and a motor vehicle may include such a human machine interface.

An ambient light device for a dial type shifting apparatus is provided. The ambient light device includes a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to a main housing, a light source fixed to the PCB, a light guide coupled to the main housing and configured to deliver light of the light source, and a light emitting mechanism provided in a shift dial coupled rotatably with respect to the main housing and configured to reflect the light of the light source delivered through the light guide to emit it outside of the shift dial in an ambient light form.

A brake controller has a control dial with a series of full color LEDs arranged around the dial. The dial with its LEDs is in a module mounted on the dash of the towing vehicle and connected by a cable to a main module mounted out of sight. The dial is a rotary encoder pushbutton mounted on the same circuit board as the LED chips. Status information is output using the LEDs primarily based on color. Substantially all setting input is provided solely by user manipulation of the dial, pushing the dial in to change setting input mode, with the value of the input reflected in the number of LEDs being lit in a color corresponding to the brake controller setting being changed, as the user rotates the dial either clockwise or counterclockwise to change setting values.

A display device for a vehicle includes: a display unit; a light guide plate disposed on a viewing side of the display unit and having translucency; and a light source unit that causes a light source light to enter inside of the light guide plate through an outer peripheral portion of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes a reflecting portion having a plurality of reflecting elements to reflect the light source light from the light source unit to the viewing side. The reflecting element has a reflective curved surface formed in a curved surface shape to face the outer peripheral portion where the light source light is incident.

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle instrument device including a dial plate, and an illumination casing disposed on the back side of the dial plate. A least the dial plate includes an indicator needle shaft hole. The illumination casing includes a tubular wall which fits the indicator needle shaft hole. The illumination casing is provided with ribs which are longer than a contact length of the tubular wall relative to the dial plate. The dial plate is provided with rib receiving holes to which the ribs are inserted.

A display device for a vehicle includes: a dial plate having an indicator portion corresponding to vehicle information on a viewing side; an image display panel disposed on a back side of the dial plate opposite to the viewing side to luminescently display an image; and a light transmissive display plate that includes a reflective portion disposed on the viewing side of the dial plate to reflect a light from a light source to the viewing side. A region of the dial plate, which faces the image display panel, is set to have a light transmission property to transmit the image of the image display panel through the region of the dial plate.