Adjustable facial-interface systems for head-mounted displays

• US 10,496,130 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Yee, Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/652,550
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 351148, 351 83, 351 84, 351 86
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 1/00 Devices for securing together, or preventing relative movement between, constructional elements or machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A facial-interface system for a head-mounted display may include (1) a facial interface, (2) a facial-interface mounting member, and (3) a facial-interface adjustment apparatus disposed between the facial interface and the facial-interface mounting member. The facial-interface adjustment apparatus may include (1) an adjustment base that includes a contact surface and (2) an adjustment protrusion that protrudes along an extension axis from the adjustment base to a protrusion end portion of the adjustment protrusion opposite the adjustment base. The adjustment protrusion may include an adjustment surface that is adjacent to the contact surface of the adjustment base. The adjustment protrusion may be rotatable relative to the adjustment base about the extension axis to move the adjustment protrusion axially along the extension axis between a plurality of holding positions relative to the adjustment base. Various other systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A facial-interface system for a head-mounted display comprising:

a facial interface;

a facial-interface mounting member; and

a facial-interface adjustment apparatus disposed between the facial interface and the facial-interface mounting member, the facial-interface adjustment apparatus comprising;

an adjustment base comprising a contact surface; and

an adjustment protrusion that protrudes along an extension axis from the adjustment base to a protrusion end portion of the adjustment protrusion opposite the adjustment base, the adjustment protrusion comprising an adjustment surface that is adjacent to the contact surface of the adjustment base;

wherein;

the extension axis is not normal to the contact surface of the adjustment base or to the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion; and

the adjustment protrusion is rotatable relative to the adjustment base about the extension axis to move the adjustment protrusion axially along the extension axis between a plurality of holding positions relative to the adjustment base.

2. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the facial-interface adjustment apparatus further comprises a spring that biases the adjustment protrusion toward the adjustment base.

3. The facial-interface system of claim 2, wherein:

the facial-interface adjustment apparatus further comprises a spring holding member that is coupled to the adjustment base and that extends into an adjustment-protrusion recess defined within the adjustment protrusion; and

the spring is disposed between a spring holding surface of the spring holding member and an internal biasing surface of the adjustment protrusion.

4. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the facial-interface adjustment apparatus further comprises a coupling magnet disposed at the protrusion end portion.

5. The facial-interface system of claim 4, further comprising a mounting magnet attached to the facial-interface mounting member or the facial interface, wherein the mounting magnet is magnetically coupled with the coupling magnet of the facial-interface adjustment apparatus.

6. The facial-interface system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting recess defined in the facial-interface mounting member or the facial interface, wherein the adjustment protrusion is at least partially disposed within the mounting recess.

7. The facial-interface system of claim 6, wherein:

the facial-interface mounting member or the facial interface comprises a mounting recess end surface defining an end portion of the mounting recess; and

the protrusion end portion of the adjustment protrusion abuts the mounting recess end surface.

8. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the facial interface is disposed at a separate one of a plurality of locations relative to the facial-interface mounting member when the adjustment protrusion is held at each of the plurality of holding positions.

9. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion is substantially parallel to the contact surface of the adjustment base when the adjustment protrusion is held at a contracted holding position of the plurality of holding positions.

10. The facial-interface system of claim 9, wherein the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion is not parallel to the contact surface of the adjustment base when the adjustment protrusion is held at a holding position of the plurality of holding positions other than the contracted holding position.

11. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment protrusion comprises a cylindrical peripheral surface extending between the adjustment surface and the protrusion end portion.

12. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment protrusion comprises a non-cylindrical peripheral surface extending between the adjustment surface and the protrusion end portion.

13. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment protrusion further comprises a shaft portion that extends into a shaft holding recess defined in the adjustment base.

14. The facial-interface system of claim 13, wherein the shaft portion is rotatable within the shaft holding recess about the extension axis.

15. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein:

a detent recess is defined in the adjustment base adjacent to the contact surface; and

a portion of the adjustment protrusion is disposed in the detent recess when the adjustment protrusion is held at an extended holding position of the plurality of holding positions.

16. The facial-interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustment protrusion comprises a detent surface adjacent to the adjustment surface, the detent surface extending at a different angle than the adjustment surface; and

the detent surface abuts the contact surface of the adjustment base when the adjustment protrusion is held at an extended holding position of the plurality of holding positions.

17. A head-mounted-display device comprising:

a facial interface;

a head-mounted-display housing;

a facial-interface mounting member coupled to the head-mounted-display housing; and

a facial-interface adjustment apparatus disposed between the facial interface and the facial-interface mounting member, the facial-interface adjustment apparatus comprising;

an adjustment base comprising a contact surface; and

an adjustment protrusion that protrudes along an extension axis from the adjustment base to a protrusion end portion of the adjustment protrusion opposite the adjustment base, the adjustment protrusion comprising an adjustment surface that is adjacent to the contact surface of the adjustment base;

wherein;

the extension axis is not normal to the contact surface of the adjustment base or to the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion; and

the adjustment protrusion is rotatable relative to the adjustment base about the extension axis to move the adjustment protrusion axially along the extension axis between a plurality of holding positions relative to the adjustment base.

18. The head-mounted-display device of claim 17, wherein the facial-interface adjustment apparatus further comprises a spring that biases the adjustment protrusion toward the adjustment base.

19. The head-mounted-display device of claim 17, wherein the facial interface is disposed at a separate one of a plurality of locations relative to the facial-interface mounting member when the adjustment protrusion is held at each of the plurality of holding positions.

20. A method comprising:

coupling an adjustment protrusion comprising an adjustment surface to an adjustment base comprising a contact surface such that;

the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion is adjacent to the contact surface of the adjustment base and the adjustment protrusion protrudes along an extension axis from the adjustment base to a protrusion end portion of the adjustment protrusion opposite the adjustment base;

the extension axis is not normal to the contact surface of the adjustment base or to the adjustment surface of the adjustment protrusion; and

the adjustment protrusion is rotatable relative to the adjustment base about the extension axis to move the adjustment protrusion axially along the extension axis between a plurality of holding positions relative to the adjustment base; and

positioning the adjustment protrusion between a facial interface and a facial-interface mounting member.