HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100073262A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,344,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

A head mounted display device has a frame. The frame includes a front portion mountable on a nose of a user, and extending to a right side edge of the front portion, and to a left side edge of the front portion, in front of at least one eye of the user, a connection portion connected to an edge portion of at least one of the right and left side edge, and the connection portion extends rearward from the edge portion, and a temple portion configured to be mountable on an ear of the user, rotatably connected to the connection portion, and rotates around a rotation axis. The head mounted display also has an image display unit having an optical system, for generating an image to be displayed at a position viewable by the user, and a retaining mechanism to hold the image display unit within the connection portion.

Claims

1. A head mounted display device comprising:

a frame, the frame comprising;

a front portion configured to be mountable on a nose of a user, and extending in a first direction to a right side edge of the front portion, and extending in a second direction to a left side edge of the front portion, in front of at least one eye of the user;

a connection portion connected to at least one edge portion of at least one of the right side edge and the left side edge, wherein the connection portion extends in a rearward direction from the at least one edge portion; and

a temple portion configured to be mountable on an ear of the user, and rotatably connected to the connection portion, and configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending perpendicularly to the first and second directions;

an image display unit comprising an optical system and configured to generate an image to be displayed at a position viewable by the user; and

a retaining mechanism configured to detachably hold the image display unit at the connection portion.

2. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises:

a first engagement portion connected to the connection portion;

a second engagement portion positioned adjacent to the image display unit and configured to removably engage the first engagement portion; and

a pressing portion positioned on the temple portion and configured to press the second engagement portion into the first engagement portion when the first and second engagement portions are engaged, and the temple portion is mounted on the ear of the user.

3. The head mounted display device according to claim 2, wherein the first engagement portion comprises:

an extending portion positioned adjacent to the connection portion and having a first side surface and a second side surface that each extend in a forward direction from a rear edge portion of the connection portion; and

a guide groove extending along at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface of the extending portion, and wherein the second engagement portion comprises;

a first holding portion configured to hold the first side surface of the extending portion, by contacting the first side surface of the extending portion; and

a second holding portion configured to hold the second side surface of the extending portion, by contacting the second side surface of the extending portion,

wherein at least one of the first and second holding portions is configured to fit the guide groove,

wherein the temple portion comprises a temple connection portion rotatably connected to the rear edge portion of the connection portion surrounding the rotation axis, and

wherein the pressing portion extends in the forward direction from the connection portion and is configured to press the at least one of the first and second holding portions into the guide groove.

4. The head mounted display device according to claim 3, wherein the first holding portion is configured to fit the guide groove, and the head mounted display device further comprises:

an engaging bump; and

an engaging hollow configured to engage the engaging bump, wherein the engaging bump and the engaging hollow are formed between the second holding portion and the second side surface of the extending portion.

5. The head mounted display device according to claim 4, wherein the engaging bump is formed on the second holding portion, the engaging hollow is formed on the particular surface of the extending portion, and the second holding portion is elastic.

6. The head mounted display device according to claim 3, wherein the guide groove is formed on the first side surface and the second side surface of the extending portion, and the guide groove comprises an opening portion positioned on a front edge portion of the extending portion, and

wherein the first holding portion and the second holding portion fit within the opening portion, and the guide groove is configured to guide the first holding portion and the second holding portion.

7. The head mounted display device according to claim 2, wherein the second engagement portion is configured to be separated from the image display unit.

8. The head mounted display device according to claim 7, wherein the second engagement portion has a plurality of fitting holes formed therein, and the image display device comprises a boss, and wherein the plurality of fitting holes are positioned at different positions throughout the second engagement portion, and the boss is configured to selectively fit into any one of the plurality of fitting holes.

9. The head mounted display device according to claim 8, wherein when the second engagement portion engages with the first engagement portion, the plurality of fitting holes are disposed at different positions in an upward and a downward direction.

10. The head mounted display device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion has a pressing surface, and the first engagement portion and second engagement portion have an engagement area at which the first and second engagement portions engage, and an area of the pressing surface is larger than the engagement area.

11. The head mounted display device according to claim 10, wherein the first engagement portion comprises an extending portion positioned adjacent to the connection portion and having a first side surface and a second side surface that each extend forward from a rear edge portion of the connection portion, and wherein the second engagement portion comprises:

a first holding portion configured to hold the first side surface of the extending portion, by contacting the first side surface of the extending portion; and

a second holding portion configured to hold the second side surface of the extending portion, by contacting the second side surface of the extending portion,

wherein the temple portion comprises a temple connection portion rotatably connected to the rear edge portion of the connection portion surrounding the rotation axis,

wherein the pressing portion extends in the forward direction from the connection portion and is configured to press a pressing surface of the first holding portion into the first side surface, and

an area of the pressing surface of the first holding portion is larger in area than an area of an opposite surface of the first holding portion, wherein the opposite surface is opposite to the pressing portion when the first and second holding portions hold the first and second side surfaces, respectively of the extending portion.

12. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the front portion and the connection portion are both more rigid than the temple portion, and the front portion and the connection portion are configured to reduce deformation when a bending moment around the rotation axis is applied.

13. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein when a height is defined as a direction parallel to the rotation axis, a ratio of width to height of a cross-sectional shape of the front portion and a ratio of width to height of a cross-sectional shape of the connection portion are both larger than a ratio of width to height of a cross-sectional shape of the temple portion.

14. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the image display unit is configured to receive signals from an external apparatus via a cable, and to display an image based on the received signals,

wherein the temple portion further comprises a retaining member attached to the temple portion and configured to retain the cable, and

wherein the retaining member is configured to slide in a forward direction and the rearward direction, along the temple portion.

15. The head mounted display device according to claim 14, wherein the temple portion has an elongated hole formed therein, the elongated hole being elongated in the forward and rearward directions, and wherein the retaining member comprises:

a sliding portion formed to fit within the elongated hole, wherein the sliding portion has a first side surface and a second side surface opposite the first side surface;

a cable retaining portion formed at the first side surface of the sliding portion, and configured to retain the cable; and

a platelike portion formed at the second side surface of the sliding portion, wherein the platelike portion is wider than a width of the elongated hole.

16. The head mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein the temple portion has an aperture opening formed at a rear edge of the elongated hole, wherein the aperture opening is configured to allow the platelike portion to pass through the aperture opening, and

wherein the retaining member is configured to be removably mounted on the temple portion by inserting the platelike portion through the aperture opening.

17. The head mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein the platelike portion has a curved sliding surface configured to contact a side surface of the temple portion, and

wherein the curved sliding surface is curved along a direction of the length of the elongated hole, and the curved sliding surface forms a convex shape with respect to the side surface of the temple portion.

18. The head mounted display device according to claim 17, wherein the side surface of the temple portion is configured to curve when a bending moment is applied around the rotation axis when the temple portion is mounted on the ear of a user, and wherein a curvature radius of the curved sliding surface is smaller than a curvature radius of the side surface of the curved temple portion.

19. The head mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein the temple portion comprises:

a temple body extending in the rearward direction from a temple connection portion rotatably connected to the rear edge portion of the connection portion surrounding the rotation axis;

an ear mounting portion configured to be mountable on the ear of a user and positioned on a rear edge of the temple body, and

a cable retaining groove formed on the ear mounting portion, wherein the cable retaining groove is configured to retain the cable.

20. The head mounted display device according to claim 19, wherein the elongated hole is formed on the temple body, and wherein the ear mounting portion extends in the rearward direction and is connected with the temple body at an area lower than the elongated hole.

21. The head mounted display device according to claim 3, wherein the connection portion has a lower surface from which the extending portion projects, the image display unit has an upper surface from which the first and second holding portions project, and when the first and second holding portions hold the first and second side surfaces, respectively, of the extending portion, the image display unit is positioned at an area lower than both the front portion and the connection portion.

22. A head mounted display device comprising:

a frame, the frame comprising;

a front portion configured to be mountable on a nose of a user, and extending in a first direction to a right side edge of the front portion, and extending in a second direction to a left side edge of the front portion, in front of at least one eye of the user;

a connection portion connected to at least one edge portion of at least one of the right side edge and the left side edge, wherein the connection portion extends in a rearward direction from the at least one edge portion; and

a temple portion configured to be mountable on an ear of the user, and rotatably connected to the connection portion, and configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending perpendicularly to the first and second directions;

a pressing portion extending in a forward direction from the connection portion;

an image display unit comprising an optical system and configured to generate an image to be displayed at a position viewable by the user; and

a retaining mechanism configured to detachably hold the image display unit between the connection portion and the pressing portion when the temple portion is mounted on the ear of the user.