Head-mounted picture display device

• US 6,351,252 B1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Yoshihiro, Atsumi, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US09/287,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7-9, 349/62, 351/153, 351/158
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

The present invention provides a head-mounted picture display device including a picture display system, a housing body, left and right supporting frames, and joint members. The picture display system includes picture display elements for producing pictures represented by a supplied video signal, and prisms for introducing beams transmitting the pictures produced by the picture display elements to the observer'"'"'s eyes. The housing body accommodates the picture display system while the left and right supporting frames are adapted to be worn are on the observer'"'"'s left and right ears for supporting the housing body in an observable position. The joint members link the housing body and the left and right supporting frames.

Claims

1. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising:

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by a supplied video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the pictures produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable position; and

joint members for linking the housing body and the left and right supporting frames,

wherein the housing body is realized by a back housing body joined to a front housing body, wherein the back housing body occupies a position closer to the observer'"'"'s face relative to the front housing body when the display is mounted on the observer'"'"'s head,

wherein the joined surfaces of the back and front housing bodies have upper and lower parts defined with respect to an aperture formed along the joined surfaces, the upper and lower parts of the joined surfaces being displaced from each other in terms of their back-to-front positions at the aperture, and

wherein the joint members are fitted into the housing body at the aperture on each side of the housing body.

2. A head-mounted picture display device according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the left and right supporting frames have cord retaining portions for, when the observer wears the head-mounted picture display device, but does not place the earphones in his/her ears, retaining cords over which a voice signal is supplied to the earphones.

3. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising:

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by a supplied video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the pictures produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable position;

joint members for linking the housing body and the left and right supporting frames; and

earphones for supplying sound to the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears,

wherein one or both of the left and right supporting frames have earphone holding mechanisms for holding the earphones at predetermined regions thereof and which are adapted to be placed near the observer'"'"'s ears when the display device is worn, and

wherein the earphone holding mechanisms each include

a holding portion for holding an earphone in a normal position while enclosing a predetermined range of the outer surface of the earphone substantially along the contour of the earphone,

an intermediate portion for permitting the earphone to be freed from the held state in a substantially upward direction upon the application of a relatively small manipulating force, and

a receptor portion for hindering the earphone from being freed in any other direction.

4. A head-mounted picture display device according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the holding portion of the earphone holding mechanisms is formed of an elastic material.

5. A head-mounted picture display device according to claim 3, wherein when the earphones are retained in the normal positions, the holding portions of the earphone holding mechanisms have the diaphragms thereof opposed to the wearer'"'"'s ears.

6. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising:

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by a supplied video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the picture produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable position;

joint members for linking the housing body and the left and right supporting frames;

earphones for supplying sound to the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears,

wherein the joint members are each secured to a boss extending inside the housing body by means of a single screw that penetrates through a through-hole bored in a fastening portion of the joint member at a position at which the fastening portion is embedded in an associated concave part of the housing body; and

relay contact chips extending from the inside of the housing body and the joint members, respectively, for transmitting sound signals, are firmly pressed against each other upon securing the joint members to the housing body by the screw.

7. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising;

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by supply video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the picture produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable position;

joint members for linking the housing body in the left and right supporting frames;

earphones for supplying sound to the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears,

wherein the joint members are each secured to a boss extending inside the housing body by means of a single screw that penetrates through a through-hole board in a fastening portion of the joint member at a position at which the fastening portion is embedded in an associated concave part of the housing body; and

relay contact chips extending from the inside of the housing body and the joint members, respectively, for transmitting sound signals, are firmly pressed against each other upon securing the joint members to the housing body by the screw; and

,

wherein the through-holes of the joint members are shaped so that when the screw has not been penetrated through the through-hole, a portion of the inner circumferential wall of the through-hole relatively near the inside of the housing body will project inward, the projecting portion being designed to deform so as to withdraw due to pressure from the outer circumference of the screw upon penetration of the screw, and the joint members are thus pressurized firmly towards the inside of the housing body due to the pressure.

8. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising:

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by supply video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the pictures produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable position;

joint members for linking the housing body and the left and right supporting frame;

earphones for supplying sound to the observer'"'"'s left and/or right ears,

wherein one or both of the left and right supporting frames have earphone holding mechanisms for holding the earphones at predetermined regions thereof and which are adapted to be placed near the observer'"'"'s ears when the display device is worn, and

wherein the earphone holding mechanisms each include

a holding portion for holding an earphone in a normal position while enclosing a predetermined range of the outer surface of the earphone substantially along the contour of the earphone,

an intermediate portion for permitting the earphone to be freed from the held state in a substantially upward direction upon the application of a relatively small manipulating force, and

a receptor portion for hindering the earphone from being freed in any other direction; and

,

wherein the earphones each have a cord over which a voice signal is supplied to each earphone and which has a stretch and contracting tolerating portion for tolerating stretching of the cord while producing tension toward the direction in which the cord is contracted;

the holding portions of the earphone holding mechanism are each molded as a concave part formed to substantially correspond to the contour of each earphone at a position near the back end of each supporting frame, such that when each earphone is retained in a normal position, the cord is extended along the respective frame so that the stretch and contraction tolerating portion will be tensioned.

9. A head-mounted picture display device, comprising:

a picture display system including picture display members for producing pictures represented by a supplied video signal and prisms for introducing beams which transmit the pictures produced by the picture display members to an observer'"'"'s eyes;

a housing body accommodating the picture display system;

left and right supporting frames adapted to be placed on the observer'"'"'s left and right ears for thus supporting the housing body in an observable posture; and

joint members for linking the housing body and the left and right supporting frames,

wherein the supporting frames are molded using a compound containing a polycarbonate resin and polyester resin.