US Patent 10953793 Haptic function leather component and method of making the same

A functional vehicle component and related methods include a functional leather assembly fixed over a vehicle component. The functional leather assembly includes a leather sheet, a flexible electronic circuit arranged on a first surface of the leather sheet that faces away from the vehicle component to thereby define an outermost surface of the leather sheet, and including a piezoelectric switch that can be actuated to make or break a conductive path in the circuit; and a pigmented coating arranged over the circuit. Upon actuation of the piezoelectric switch to make or break the conductive path in the circuit, the piezoelectric switch provides a haptic signal that indicates the actuation of the piezoelectric switch.