Image display apparatus

• US 8,174,569 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanijiri, Yasushi, Mitsui, Sei, Yamaguchi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US11/804,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 348/115
• US Class Current: 348/115
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

An image display apparatus, which is mounted on a head or face of a wearer attachably and detachably and allows the wearer to view an image and hear sound, includes a long formed temple supported by a temporal region of head or an ear when the wearer is wearing the image display apparatus; a speaker that generates sound, a sound generating face thereof being insertable into the ear at a vicinity of an opening of the ear; and a position adjusting mechanism that holds the speaker, attachably to and detachably from the temple, and movably at least substantially along a surface of the temporal region of the head.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus that is mounted on a head or face of a wearer attachably and detachably and allows the wearer to view an image and hear sound, comprising:

a long formed temple supported by a temporal region of head or an ear when the wearer is wearing the image display apparatus, wherein the temple includes a recession;

a speaker that generates sound, a sound generating face thereof being insertable into the ear at a vicinity of an opening of the ear; and

a position adjusting mechanism that holds the speaker, attachably to and detachably from the temple, and movably at least substantially along a surface of the temporal region of the head, wherein the position adjusting mechanism includes a ball-hinge movable along the recession.

2. An image display apparatus that is mounted on a head or face of a wearer attachably and detachably and allows the wearer to view an image and hear sound, comprising:

a long formed temple that is supported by a temporal region of head or an ear when the wearer is wearing the image display apparatus, wherein a plurality of recessions are formed on a side face of the temple opposite to a side face in contact with the temporal region of the head;

a speaker that generates sound; and

a ball-hinge that supports the speaker, wherein the ball-hinge is supported by any one of the plurality of recessions.

3. The image display apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the speaker support member supports the speaker attachably and detachably, and a sound generating face of the speaker is insertable into the ear at a vicinity of an opening of the ear.

4. The image display apparatus of claim 2, wherein any one of the plurality of recession supports the ball-hinge attachably and detachably.

5. The image display apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a display section that displays an image; and

a light guide unit structure that guides the image displayed on the display section to a pupil of the wearer.

6. An image display apparatus that is mounted on a head or face of a wearer attachably and detachably and allows the wearer to view an image and hear sound, comprising:

a long formed temple that is supported by a temporal region of head or an ear when the wearer is wearing the image display apparatus, wherein a recession is formed on a side face of the temple opposite to a side face in contact with the temporal region of the head;

a speaker that generates sound; and

a ball-hinge that supports the speaker, wherein the ball-hinge is supported by the recession movably along the recession.

7. The image display apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the speaker support member supports the speaker attachably and detachably, and a sound generating face of the speaker is insertable into the ear at a vicinity of an opening of the ear.

8. The image display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the recession supports the ball-hinge attachably and detachably.

9. The image display apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a display section that displays an image; and

a light guide structure that guides the image displayed on the display section to a pupil of the wearer.

10. The image display apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the light guide structure comprises a holographic optical element (HOE).

11. The image display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the speaker is formed in shape of a diameter of more than or equal to 5 mm but less than or equal to 15 mm in a direction perpendicular to the sound generating surface and in a range of at least 5 mm toward a direction opposite to a sound generating direction.

12. The image display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the speaker comprises a grip section configured to support the speaker at a position at least 5 mm toward the outside of the ear from the sound generating surface in a state in which the sound generating surface is inserted into the ear at the vicinity of the opening of the ear.