A brake operation portion that allows a manual brake operation is included in a vehicle cabin, the brake operation portion includes a grip portion, and an elbow rest member is provided at, in the vehicle rear side of the grip portion, a position on which an elbow of a driver can abut in a state in which the driver grips the grip portion so as to be capable of operating the grip portion. Thus, even a physically disabled driver may freely perform a driving operation and easily manually perform a delicate brake operation.

To prevent an erroneous operation and improve operability, a button device and a timepiece including the button device are provided. The button device includes: a cylindrical first guide protector 11 protruding from the lateral face of a wristwatch case 1; and a first button 12 disposed in the first guide protector 11 to be slidable inward and outward of the wristwatch case 1. The first button 12 includes a first button head 13 disposed in the first guide protector 11, and a first button shaft 15 passing through a first through hole 14 of the wristwatch case 1. The first button head 13 is inclined obliquely upward relative to the lateral face of the wristwatch case 1. The first guide protector 11 protects the outer periphery of the first button head 13, and this prevents accidental and erroneous operation of the first button 12. The first button head 13 is inclined obliquely upward relative to the lateral face of the wristwatch case 1, and this allows the user to easily place a fingertip on the outer end face of the first button head 13, and so improves the operability of the first button 12.

A haptic operator control device in a motor vehicle, comprises an input unit, wherein the input unit can be moved by an actuator unit coupled to the input unit, wherein the input unit has a surface, wherein the surface can be touched by an input member of an operator, wherein the input unit and the actuator unit are movably mounted in relation to the motor vehicle.

Disclosed is a user interface capable of controlling various functions of a vehicle, and more particularly a vehicle function control system and a control method using a detachable control device. A method of controlling an integrated control unit includes: recognizing a first detachable control device attached to a first attachment position among at least one attachment position provided at an attachment unit; establishing a first data path with the first detachable control device; transmitting information about a first function to be controlled corresponding to the first attachment position to the first detachable control device through the first data path; and when receiving first manipulation information from the first detachable control device, controlling the first function to be controlled based on the first manipulation information.

A vehicle lamp assembly includes a lamp finisher, a knob and a retainer. The lamp finisher defines an exterior housing for a light source of the vehicle lamp assembly. The knob is movable with respect to the lamp finisher to operate the light source between an ON state and an OFF state. The retainer is sandwiched between a portion of the lamp finisher and a portion of the knob. The knob is retained to the lamp finisher by the retainer.

A multi-functional control, a control system, and a method of controlling a system in a vehicle. The multi-functional control includes a base plate, a post extending through a slot in the base plate, and at least two stacked knobs, rotatably and tilt-ably attached to the post. The stacked knobs include a display knob and a base knob. The multi-functional control further includes a plurality of sensors. The sensors include a first touch sensor integrated in the display knob, a second touch sensor integrated in the base knob, a first rotary sensor integrated in the display knob, a second rotary sensor integrated in the base knob, a rocker switch connected to the stacked knobs, and a push-button switch connected to the stacked knobs. The multi-functional control also includes a sliding sensor. The post and stacked knobs are mounted to the sliding sensor.

The invention relates to a switching-operation arrangement for a motor vehicle, having a movable actuating surface. The actuating surface has an extent along a first axis and a second axis, which are located perpendicularly to one another. The actuating surface interacts with a displacement means such that the actuating surface can be moved linearly, in the direction of a third axis (z), by at least one distance from a starting position into an actuating position, the third axis (z) being located perpendicularly to the first and second axes. The actuating position is in the form of a switching position and acts with switching action on a switching element or a sensor. The displacement means includes a guide means for guiding the actuating surface along the first axis and at least one braced-in elastic element for guiding the actuating surface along the second axis.

An operation device includes a support portion, a moving body operated by an operator and movably supported by the support portion, a detection unit that detects movement of the moving body, and contact portions respectively provided on the support portion and the moving body and brought into contact with each other. The contact portion of one of the support portion and the moving body has an elastic region that is first brought into contact with the contact portion of the other when the contact portions are brought into contact with each other and a rigid region provided adjacent to the elastic region and continuously brought into contact with the contact portion of the other following the contact of the elastic region to regulate the movement of the moving body.

A user interface includes a rotatable ring for controlling a function on an associated device, and a support ring for supporting the rotatable ring. The support ring includes a plurality of biasing elements, and a plurality of engagement members rotatably mounted on the biasing elements and configured to engage the rotatable ring so as to preload the biasing elements and thereby (i) biasing the rotatable ring toward a center position in which a central axis of the rotatable ring is coincident with a central axis of the support ring, and (ii) increasing resistance to rotational movement of the rotatable ring.

An operation device according to the present invention includes: a rotation operation unit that is rotatable about a rotation axis and is installed so that an operation site formed on a rotation surface is exposed outside through an opening formed in an operation panel; and a support unit that covers at least part of a separated site of the rotation operation unit located away from the operation site along a rotation axis direction and has a sliding site coming into contact with part of the separated site and slidably supporting rotation of the rotation operation unit. Then, the support unit is configured to form a space part retaining grease applied to the rotation operation unit between the support unit and the separated site located on a side opposite to the operation site of the rotation operation unit with reference to the sliding site.