Apparatus, system, and method for adjusting head-mounted-display straps

• US 10,209,738 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tompkins, Glen Jason, Sullivan, Joseph Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Helvey, Peter
• Application Number:
  US15/586,270
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 224181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus may include a spring with a restoring force that is, within an elastic limit of the spring, substantially disproportional to deflection of the spring. The adjustment apparatus may also include a mount that couples the spring to a head-mounted display. In addition, the adjustment apparatus may include a strap with a distal section coupled to the head-mounted display and a proximal section coupled to the spring such that (1) the strap is extendable, via deflection of the spring, away from the head-mounted display and (2) when a user is wearing the head-mounted display, the restoring force of the spring holds, via the strap, the head-mounted display against the user'"'"'s face. Various other head-mounted-display adjustment devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus comprising:

a spring with a restoring force that is, within an elastic limit of the spring, substantially disproportional to deflection of the spring;

a mount that couples the spring to a head-mounted display; and

a strap comprising a distal section coupled to the head-mounted display and a proximal section coupled to the spring such that;

the strap is extendable, via deflection of the spring, away from the head-mounted display, and

when a user is wearing the head-mounted display, the restoring force of the spring holds, via the strap, the head-mounted display against the user'"'"'s face.

2. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the restoring force of the spring is at least approximately constant over a working deflection of the spring.

3. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the mount comprises a telescoping assembly comprising

a track that is connected to the head-mounted display; and

a slide that moves along the track and is connected to the proximal section of the strap;

the spring comprises a ribbon comprising a rolled portion and a protracted section that extends from the rolled portion;

the protracted section of the ribbon is anchored to the slide; and

the rolled portion of the ribbon is housed by the track such that, when the slide moves along the track and away from the head-mounted display, the ribbon unrolls and the strap extends away from the head-mounted display.

4. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator that controls resistance to the deflection of the spring.

5. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 4, wherein the actuator comprises:

a disk that, when rotated, adjusts the resistance to the deflection of the spring;

a knob that couples the mount to the head-mounted display; and

a cam that couples the knob to the disk in an eccentric manner such that rotation of the disk causes lateral movement of the knob.

6. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the actuator comprises a graspable arm extending from and coupled to a circumference of the disk; and

the graspable arm, when rotated toward or away from the head-mounted display, rotates the disk.

7. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a brake assembly coupled to the disk, wherein:

the disk is dimensioned to, when in a first rotary position, cause the brake assembly to increase the resistance to the deflection of the spring; and

the disk is dimensioned to, when in a second rotary position, cause the brake assembly to decrease the resistance to the deflection of the spring.

8. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the brake assembly comprises:

a brake positioned to apply pressure to the spring in a manner that creates the resistance to the deflection of the spring; and

a spring-loaded shaft comprising a proximal end coupled to the disk and a distal end coupled to the brake, wherein;

a circumference of the disk comprises an arc section and a recessed section,

when the disk is in the first rotary position, the arc section of the disk pushes the spring-loaded shaft toward the spring and causes the brake assembly to increase the resistance to the deflection of the spring, and

when the disk is in the second rotary position, the recessed section of the disk allows the spring-loaded shaft to move away from the spring and cause the brake assembly to decrease the resistance to the deflection of the spring.

9. The head-mounted-display adjustment apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a bearing that couples the proximal end of the spring-loaded shaft to the disk.

10. A head-mounted-display system comprising:

a spring with a restoring force that is, within an elastic limit of the spring, substantially disproportional to deflection of the spring;

a head-mounted display;

a mount that couples the spring to the head-mounted display; and

a strap comprising a distal section coupled to the head-mounted display and a proximal section coupled to the spring such that;

the strap is extendable, via deflection of the spring, away from the head-mounted display, and

when a user is wearing the head-mounted display, the restoring force of the spring holds, via the strap, the head-mounted display against the user'"'"'s face.

11. The head-mounted-display system of claim 10, wherein the distal section of the strap is coupled to the head-mounted display via an additional mount that couples an additional spring to the head-mounted display.

12. The head-mounted-display system of claim 11, wherein:

the spring comprises a constant-force spring;

the additional spring comprises a constant-force spring; and

a tension of the spring at least approximates a tension of the additional spring.

13. The head-mounted-display system of claim 12, wherein:

the mount is connected to a first section of the head-mounted display that is dimensioned to be positioned at a left side of the user'"'"'s head; and

the additional mount is connected to a second section of the head-mounted display that is dimensioned to be positioned at a right side of the user'"'"'s head.

14. The head-mounted-display system of claim 13, wherein the strap comprises a medial section coupled to a third section of the head-mounted display that is dimensioned to be positioned at a forehead of the user.

15. The head-mounted-display system of claim 10, wherein the mount comprises:

a disk that, when rotated, adjusts resistance to the deflection of the spring;

a knob that couples the mount to the head-mounted display; and

a cam that couples the knob to the disk in an eccentric manner such that rotation of the disk causes lateral movement of the knob.

16. The head-mounted-display system of claim 10, wherein:

the mount comprises a telescoping assembly comprising;

a track that is connected to the head-mounted display; and

a slide that moves along the track and is connected to the proximal section of the strap;

the spring comprises a ribbon comprising a rolled portion and a protracted section that extends from the rolled portion;

the protracted section of the ribbon is anchored to the slide; and

the rolled portion of the ribbon is housed by the track such that, when the slide moves along the track and away from the head-mounted display, the ribbon unrolls and the strap extends away from the head-mounted display.