Strap assembly with flex circuit for a head mounted display

• US 9,857,596 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Drinkwater, Jared I., Miller, Robin Michael, Magrath, Lesley Ribble, Andersen, Blake Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US14/937,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8, 345158, 345173, 345428, 345419, 345 7, 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

Head mounted displays are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a head mounted display includes a front display module and a strap assembly. The strap assembly includes first and second connector arms coupling the strap assembly to the front display module. The head mounted display further includes a flex circuit for providing power and control to an electronic component coupled to the strap assembly. The flex circuit can deflect to allow the strap assembly to move relative to the front display module without damaging the flex circuit.

Claims

1. A head mounted display for use with a virtual reality system, comprising:

a front display module containing optics, at least one circuit board, and one or more displays coupleable to the virtual reality system, the display module having opposing lateral sides;

an adjustable strap assembly connected to the front display module and having opposing first and second connector arms positioned adjacent to the lateral sides of the front display module, the first and second connector arms being coupled to opposing lateral sides of the display module, and wherein the strap assembly comprises at least one electronic component located thereon; and

a flex circuit contained in the strap assembly and coupled to the circuit board and the electronic component for powering and controlling the electronic component, wherein the flex circuit comprises a serpentine portion configured to allow axial movement of at least a portion of the adjustable strap assembly relative to the front display module, wherein the serpentine portion comprises parallel first, second, and third legs, a first intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second legs, and a second intermediate portion interconnecting the second and third legs, wherein the first and second legs are in a common first plane, and the second and third legs are in a second plane different than the first plane.

2. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second connector arms are coupled to the opposing lateral sides of the display module at first and second respective joints and wherein the flex circuit extends from the front display module through one of the first and second joints into the strap assembly.

3. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the serpentine portion is contained in the first or second connector arm and configured to allow axial movement of the first or second connector arm relative to the front display module without damaging the flex circuit.

4. The head mounted display of claim 3 wherein the serpentine portion comprises one or more orthogonally oriented bends configured to allow the flex circuit to deflect without being damaged when the strap assembly and/or front display module are moved relative to each other.

5. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the first and second planes are orthogonally oriented relative to each other.

6. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the first intermediate portion is a substantially U-shaped portion positioned to allow portions of the first and second legs to move laterally relative to each other and relative to the front display module.

7. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the second intermediate portion is a substantially U-shaped portion positioned to allow portions of the third and second legs to move axially relative to each other and relative to the front display module.

8. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical component comprises an LED module positioned within the strap assembly.

9. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the strap assembly comprises one or more head straps and a channel within the one or more head straps that contains the flex circuit.

10. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the at least one circuit board comprises a first circuit board and a second circuit board, wherein the flex circuit comprises a first circuit portion and a second circuit portion, wherein the first circuit portion couples the first circuit board to the second circuit board, and the second circuit portion couples the second circuit board to the electronic component.

11. The head mounted display of claim 10 wherein the second circuit portion comprises the serpentine portion having multiple bends configured to allow the flex circuit to deflect at least one of laterally or axially without damaging the flex circuit when the portion of the strap assembly is temporarily moved away from the front display module.

12. A head mounted display for use with a virtual reality system, comprising:

a front display module containing optics, one or more circuit boards, and one or more displays coupleable to the virtual reality system; and

a strap assembly having a strap portion, one or more electronic components mounted on the strap portion, and an integral flex circuit operatively interconnecting the one or more electronic components and the one or more circuit boards, wherein the flex circuit comprises a serpentine loop portion configured to allow axial movement of the strap assembly relative to the front mounted display, the serpentine loop portion has parallel first, second, and third legs, a first intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second legs, and a second intermediate portion interconnecting the second and third legs, wherein the first and second legs are in a common first plane, and the second and third legs are in a second plane different than the first plane.

13. The head mounted display of claim 12 wherein the first and second intermediate portions have substantially orthogonally oriented bends.

14. The head mounted display of claim 12 wherein the flex circuit extends from the display module into the strap assembly through a joint coupling a lateral side portion of the display module to the strap assembly.

15. The head mounted display of claim 12 wherein the one or more electronic components comprises an LED module carried by the strap portion and in electrical connection with the flex circuit.

16. The head mounted display of claim 12 wherein the flex circuit includes an elastically deformable material.

17. A strap assembly for a head mounted display of a virtual reality system, wherein the head mounted display has a front display module, comprising:

a head mountable strap portion;

opposing first and second connector arms connected to the head-mountable strap portion and being positionable adjacent to lateral sides of the front display module, the first and second connector arms being coupleable to opposing lateral sides of the front display module;

at least one electronic component connected to the strap portion away from the front display module; and

a flex circuit connected to at least one of the first and second connector arms and electronically interconnecting the at least one electronic component and the front display module, the flex circuit comprises a serpentine portion configured to allow axial movement of at least a portion of the at least one of the first and second connector arms relative to the front display module, the serpentine portion has parallel first, second, and third legs, a first intermediate portion interconnecting the first and second legs, and a second intermediate portion interconnecting the second and third legs, wherein the first and second legs are in a common first plane, and the second and third legs are in a second plane different than the first plane.

18. The strap assembly of claim 17 wherein the serpentine portion is contained in the at least one of the first and second connector arms and configured to allow axial movement of the at least one of the first and second connector arms relative to the front display module without interrupting the electrical connection between the electronic component and the front display module.

19. The strap assembly of claim 18 wherein the first and second intermediate portions of the serpentine portion have substantially orthogonally oriented bends.