Universal joint and image display unit

• US 8,089,511 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scalar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scalar Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/814,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 351/158, 351/57, 351/41, 348/115, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 348/207.99, 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/333.07
• US Class Current: 348/115
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• 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: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32041 Universal

Abstract

Provided is a universal joint capable of freely regulating a mounting angle of one member with respect to the other member, and an image display unit using the same. The image display unit (1) includes an image display unit main body (100) having a convex surface (101) forming a part of a specific spherical surface, and an intermediate member (200). The intermediate member (200) includes a guide member (220) having a concave surface (221) that is a curved surface corresponding to the convex surface (101) and is supposed to come into contact with the convex surface (101) when the image display unit main body (100) and the intermediate member (200) are fixed to each other, and a magnet (230) provided at a position substantially the center of the guide member (220) and capable of being fixed to the convex surface (101) by attraction. When this convex surface (101) is allowed to slide on the concave surface (221), a mounting angle of the image display unit main body (100) with respect to the intermediate member (200) can be regulated.

Claims

1. A universal joint, comprising:

a first member; and

a second member which is detachable with respect to the first member and a mounting angle of which with respect to the first member can be adjusted,

wherein the first member has a convex surface constituting a part of a predetermined substantially spherical surface, and is generally formed in a thin plate-like configuration having a small thickness in a radial direction of the substantially spherical surface forming the convex surface,

wherein the second member has;

a guide member of a magnetic permeability higher than that of air having a concave surface substantially corresponding to the convex surface and supposed to come into contact with the convex surface when the first member and the second member are fixed to each other, one of the convex surface and the concave surface being slidable with respect to another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the concave surface and the convex surface being held in contact with each other; and

a magnet provided at a position substantially the center of the guide member and capable of being detachably fixed to at least a part of the convex surface by attraction, and

wherein, by sliding one of the convex surface and the concave surface with respect to the another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the magnet being fixed to the convex surface by attraction, it is possible to adjust the mounting angle of one of the first member and the second member with respect to another one of the first member and the second member.

2. A universal joint according to claim 1,

wherein the guide member included in the second member is a substantially cylindrical member one end of which has the concave surface, and

wherein the magnet is provided substantially in the axis of the guide member.

3. A universal joint according to claim 2,

wherein the substantially cylindrical member has a bottom portion, and

wherein the magnet is fixed to the convex surface by attraction at a position substantially the center of the bottom portion.

4. A universal joint according to claim 1,

wherein the convex surface comprises a convex curved surface constituting a part of a predetermined spherical surface, and

wherein the concave surface comprises a concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface.

5. A universal joint according to claim 4, wherein the magnet has a concave curved surface which corresponding to the convex curved surface and which is supposed to come into contact with the convex curved surface when the first member and the second member are fixed to each other.

6. A universal joint according to claim 1,

wherein the convex surface comprises a surface having a truncated-cone-shaped outer side configuration, and

wherein the concave surface comprises a surface corresponding to the convex surface.

7. An image display unit, which is attached to an eyeglass lens, which is a lens of an eyeglass which is worn by a user, to be used, comprising:

an intermediate member that can be fixed to a smooth surface of the eyeglass lens; and

an image display unit main body which is situated in front of one eye of the user when the image display unit is in use, including;

a display means which guides image light of a predetermined image to the one eye to make it possible to watch the image with the one eye in a state in which the image exists within a display range that is a part of a field of vision of the one eye; and

a fixing means enabling the image display unit main body to be detachably fixed to the intermediate member,

wherein the intermediate member comprises one of the first member and the second member according to claim 1, and

wherein the fixing means comprises another one of the first member and the second member according to claim 1.

8. An image display unit, which is attached to an eyeglass lens, which is a lens of an eyeglasses which is worn by a user or to an eyeglass frame which is a frame of the eyeglasses, to be used, comprising:

an intermediate member that can be detachably fixed to a peripheral edge portion of the eyeglass lens or to at least a part of the eyeglass frame; and

an image display unit main body which is situated in front of one eye of the user when the image display unit is in use, including;

a display means which guides image light of a predetermined image to the one eye to make it possible to watch the image with the one eye in a state in which the image exists within a display range that is a part of a field of vision of the one eye; and

a fixing means enabling the image display unit main body to be detachably fixed to the intermediate member,

wherein the intermediate member comprises one of the first member and the second member according to claim 1, and

wherein the fixing means comprises another one of the first member and the second member according to claim 1.

9. A universal joint, comprising:

a first member; and

a second member which is detachable with respect to the first member and a mounting angle of which with respect to the first member can be adjusted,

wherein the first member has a convex surface constituting a part of a predetermined substantially spherical surface and is formed of a material attracted to a magnet, and is generally formed in a thin plate-like configuration having a small thickness in a radial direction of the substantially spherical surface forming the convex surface,

wherein the second member has;

a guide member of a magnetic permeability higher than that of air having a concave surface substantially corresponding to the convex surface and supposed to come into contact with the convex surface when the first member and the second member are fixed to each other, one of the convex surface and the concave surface being slidable with respect to another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the concave surface and the convex surface being held in contact with each other; and

a magnet provided at a position substantially the center of the guide member and capable of being detachably fixed to at least a part of the convex surface by attraction,

wherein when the magnet is fixed to the convex surface by attraction, there is formed a closed-loop state of a magnetic flux from the magnet to the convex surface, from the convex surface to the guide member, and from the guide member to the magnet, or a closed-loop state of a magnetic flux from the magnet to the guide member, from the guide member to the convex surface, and from the convex surface to the magnet, and

wherein, by sliding one of the convex surface and the concave surface with respect to the another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the magnet being fixed to the convex surface by attraction, it is possible to adjust the mounting angle of one of the first member and the second member with respect to another one of the first member and the second member.

10. A universal joint, comprising:

a first member; and

a second member which is detachable with respect to the first member and a mounting angle of which with respect to the first member can be adjusted,

wherein the first member has a convex surface constituting a part of a predetermined substantially spherical surface and is formed of a material attracted to a magnet, and is generally formed in a thin plate-like configuration having a small thickness in a radial direction of the substantially spherical surface forming the convex surface,

wherein the second member has a cylindrical magnet which has a bottom surface and whose upper surface substantially corresponds to the convex surface and is a concave surface that can be detachably fixed by attraction to the convex surface when the first member and the second member are fixed to each other, one of the convex surface and the concave surface being slidable with respect to another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the concave surface and the convex surface being held in contact with each other,

wherein when the magnet is fixed to the convex surface by attraction, there is formed a closed-loop state of a magnetic flux from the concave surface of the magnet to the convex surface, from the convex surface to the concave surface of the magnet, from the concave surface of the magnet to the bottom surface of the magnet, and from the bottom surface of the magnet to the concave surface of the magnet, and

wherein, by sliding one of the convex surface and the concave surface with respect to the another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the magnet being fixed to the convex surface by attraction, it is possible to adjust the mounting angle of one of the first member and the second member with respect to another one of the first member and the second member.

11. A universal joint, comprising:

a first member; and

a second member which is detachable with respect to the first member and a mounting angle of which with respect to the first member can be adjusted,

wherein the first member has a convex surface constituting a part of a predetermined substantially spherical surface and is formed of a material attracted to a magnet, and is generally formed in a thin plate-like configuration having a small thickness in a radial direction of the substantially spherical surface forming the convex surface,

wherein the second member has;

a first magnet that is a cylindrical magnet which has a bottom surface and whose upper surface substantially corresponds to the convex surface and is a concave surface that can be detachably fixed by attraction to the convex surface when the first member and the second member are fixed to each other, one of the convex surface and the concave surface being slidable with respect to another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the concave surface and the convex surface being held in contact with each other; and

a second magnet provided at a position substantially the center of the first magnet and capable of being detachably fixed by attraction to a part of the convex surface,

wherein when the first magnet and the second magnet are fixed to the convex surface by attraction, there is formed a closed-loop state of a magnetic flux from the first magnet to the convex surface, from the convex surface to the second magnet, and from the second magnet to the first magnet, or a closed-loop state of a magnetic flux from the first magnet to the second magnet, from the second magnet to the convex surface, and from the convex surface to the first magnet, and

wherein, by sliding one of the convex surface and the concave surface with respect to another one of the convex surface and the concave surface, with the first magnet and the second magnet being fixed to the convex surface by attraction, it is possible to adjust the mounting angle of one of the first member and the second member with respect to another one of the first member and the second member.