Denso International America, Inc.

Denso Corporation

Denso Corpora Tion

Christopher Levay

Christopher Guzman

Javon Tucker

Jesse John Moellers

Murali Daruri

Yuki Matsumoto

Gareth Webb

Michael Lozano

Cary Horvath

Marc Arceo

Spenser Pawlik

Praveenkumar Hanakuntimath

Shunji Yamauchi

Homare Shirai

Brian Steele

A toggle switch system for a vehicle control panel includes a first electrical switch, a toggle body, and a rocker arm. The first electrical switch is configured to activate a first vehicle function. The toggle body has a proximal end and a distal end. The toggle body is configured to pivot along an axis that is between the proximal and distal ends. The toggle has upper and lower surfaces that define a slot that extends inward from the distal end. The rocker arm has a protrusion that extends into the slot between the upper and lower surfaces. The rocker arm also has a heel that is configured to rotate, engage, and activate the first electrical switch in response to the toggle body moving in a first direction to engage the protrusion with the toggle body within the slot.

Toggle switch

A vehicle toggle switch includes a toggle button body configured to move and to correspond to a toggle up position or a toggle down position, the toggle up position corresponds to activation of a first vehicle function, and the toggle down position corresponds to activation of a second vehicle function, a mating portion of the toggle button body that includes an end, and a potentiometer connected to the end of the mating portion and is configured to rotate in response to the movement of the toggle button body and to output a voltage in response to the rotation of the potentiometer.

Potentiometer toggle switch

A push button for a control panel. The push button includes a button body and a reflector molded as a single, monolithic piece with links extending between the button body and the reflector. A divider of the button body is between a first light source of a printed circuit board and an indicator light guide of the button body. The divider restricts light from the first light source from illuminating the indicator light guide.

Control panel push button

A border assembly includes a semi-tubular reflector segment and a semi-tubular diffuser segment in front of the reflector segment. The reflector segment includes an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall, and a cavity therebetween. The cavity includes a backspace midway along the reflector segment and a front exit spaced therefrom. The reflector segment is configured, in relation to light emanated from the backspace, to discharge light originating from the emanated light through the front exit all along the reflector segment with a regular intensity, with the discharged light including reflections of the emanated light off the outer sidewall. The diffuser segment includes a back face positioned over the front exit and a front face spaced therefrom. The diffuser segment is configured to diffusively transmit the discharged light, resulting in the front face casting a glow.

Reflector-based illumination for a glow casting border

A control dial for inputting commands to a human-machine interface (HMI). The control dial includes a base dial mounted to a base configured to support the base dial at a neutral position, a first tilted position tilted in a first direction from the neutral position, and a second tilted position tilted in a second direction from the neutral position. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. An outer dial is rotatably mounted to the base dial such that the outer dial is rotatable to enter commands to the HMI at each one of the neutral position, the first tilted position, and the second tilted position.

Tilt and turn dial

A toggle button assembly for a human-machine interface (HMI). The toggle button assembly includes a circuit board. A first switch and a second switch are mounted to the circuit board. A toggle body is rotatable about a toggle body rotation axis. A first switch actuator is between the toggle body and the first switch, and a second switch actuator is between the toggle body and the second switch. Upon actuation of the toggle body from a center position to a first position, the toggle body rotates about the toggle body rotation axis and presses the first switch actuator against the first switch to actuate the first switch. Upon actuation of the toggle body from the center position to a second position, the toggle body rotates about the toggle body rotation axis and presses the second switch actuator against the second switch to actuate the second switch.

Toggle button

A display assembly including a first display surface in a first plane and a second display surface in a second plane. The second plane overlaps and is vertically offset from the first plane. A control device is mounted over the first display surface and includes the second display surface. The display assembly is configured to simultaneously project images onto both the first display surface and the second display surface.

Projected display in control dial

The present disclosure includes a rotary dial assembly having a holder and a dial portion rotatably coupled to the holder. A plurality of dial magnets are fixed to the dial portion. A holder magnet is on a side of the holder opposite to the dial portion. The holder magnet is configured to attract or repel the plurality of dial magnets as the dial portion is rotated to resist rotation of the dial portion.

Magnetic rotary dial

A rotary dial assembly including a dial portion and a base portion. The dial portion has a knob extending from a first side of the dial portion. An outer detent profile and an inner detent profile are on a second side of the dial portion that is opposite to the first side. The inner detent profile is closer to a center of the dial portion than the outer detent profile. The outer detent profile includes a plurality of outer detents, and the inner detent profile includes a plurality of inner detents. The base portion includes an outer detent engaging member movable to selectively engage the outer detent profile, and an inner detent engaging member movable to selectively engage the inner detent profile.

Control dial having multiple torque and detent profiles

A knob device includes a knob body, a graphic plate, and a light source. The knob body has a hollow space and has an end equipped with a screen. The graphic plate has multiple graphic windows including graphic symbols, respectively. The light source is configured to emit light through both at least one of the graphic windows and the hollow space to project at least one of the graphic symbols on the screen. The graphic plate is movable to switch the at least one of the graphic symbols to another of the graphic symbols.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Christopher Levay