U.S. patent application number 09/259270 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-06 for mounting mechanism and head mounted apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Klock, Brian L. Invention is credited to SAITO, YOSHIHIRO.
Application Number | 20010047693 09/259270 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 16916041 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010047693 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SAITO, YOSHIHIRO |
December 6, 2001 |
MOUNTING MECHANISM AND HEAD MOUNTED APPARATUS
Abstract
This invention relates a mounting apparatus, mounted at a
predetermined portion, e.g., the head portion of the user, for
holding an apparatus at a predetermined position and, more
particularly, to a mounting mechanism which allows easy adjustment
of the holding position after the apparatus is mounted. The
mounting mechanism presses against at least two points of a target
portion, e.g., the head portion of the user, with at least one
holding means (3), so as to detachably mount an apparatus (1)
connected to the holding means (3) on the target portion. The
holding means (3) includes a roller (10) which allows easy position
adjustment after the apparatus is mounted. When position adjustment
is to be performed after the apparatus is mounted, e.g., when the
apparatus (1) is heavy, and the skin of the user sags or the
apparatus is mounted at a position deviating from a predetermined
position, the roller is rotated after the apparatus (1) is moved
upward. The moving (rotating) direction of the roller (10) is
limited by a one-way clutch or the like. The roller can rotate in
only in the direction in which the apparatus moves upward. This
obviates the necessity to mount the apparatus again from the
beginning when position adjustment is to be performed or to mount
the apparatus upon predicting the amount of sag of the skin due to
the weight of the apparatus.
Inventors: |
SAITO, YOSHIHIRO; (TOKYO,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Assignee: |
Klock, Brian L
|
Family ID: |
16916041 |
Appl. No.: |
09/259270 |
Filed: |
March 1, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
74/159 ;
248/291.1; 74/531 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 74/1582 20150115;
G02B 27/0176 20130101; Y10T 74/2066 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
74/159 ; 74/531;
248/291.1 |
International
Class: |
F16H 027/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 17, 1998 |
JP |
10-230961 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mounting mechanism for pressing against at least two points of
a target portion with at least one holding means to detachably
mount an apparatus connected to said holding means on the target
portion, comprising: moving means for moving said apparatus in only
substantially one direction relative to the target portion and/or
said holding means.
2. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means is
set at least at one point at which said holding means presses
against the target portion.
3. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means is
rotating means mounted on a shaft which moves together with said
holding means.
4. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means
also serves as support means which is set to be movable relative to
said holding means and supports said apparatus.
5. The mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the relative moving
direction includes an anti-gravity direction component.
6. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means
includes a one-way clutch.
7. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means
includes a ratchet.
8. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said moving means is
a mechanism using a frictional force.
9. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a
display, and the target portion is a head portion.
10. The mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said holding means
presses against the entire head portion.
11. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the target portion
is a head portion, said holding means includes forehead portion
press means which presses against at least a portion of the
forehead portion, and said moving means functions as said holding
means.
12. A head mounted apparatus comprising said mounting mechanism
defined in claim 1.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said apparatus to
be mounted is display means.
14. A head mounted apparatus having a mechanism for pressing
against at least two points of a head portion with at least one
holding means and press means connected to said holding means to
detachably mount an apparatus connected to said holding means on
the head portion, comprising: an arrangement which allows main
press means, of said press means, which transmits most of a weight
of said apparatus to the head portion when said apparatus is worn,
to move relative to the head portion.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said main press
means presses against a forehead portion.
16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said main press
means rotates to make the relative movement.
17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the relative
movement exhibits a larger load in movement in a gravity gravity
direction than an anti-in direction.
18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising
limiting means for limiting the relative movement to movement in
the anti-gravity direction.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said limiting
means includes a one-way clutch.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said limiting
means includes a ratchet.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said limiting
means functions only in a mounted state of said apparatus.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting mechanism for a
detachable apparatus such as a head mounted display (to be referred
to as an HMD hereinafter) and, more particularly, to a position
adjustment mechanism therefor.
[0002] A conventional mounting mechanism of this type is comprised
of a belt-like fastening means and a member having spring
characteristics. An arbitrary apparatus connected to the mounting
mechanism is mounted on a target portion (on which the apparatus is
to be mounted) by fastening the mechanism around the target portion
or pressing against a plurality of portions of the target
portion.
[0003] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of a
conventional HMD. Reference numeral 1 denotes a display; and 2, a
base on which the display is mounted. The display 1 is rotatably
supported on a shaft 8 mounted on an arm portion 2a extending from
the base 2 with a predetermined frictional load. The display 1 is
therefore supported on the shaft 8 as a support shaft at an
arbitrary rotational position. Reference numerals 3 denote press
members each having spring characteristics. One end of each press
member 3 is fixed to the base 2. A sponge-like pad 5 to be pressed
against the temporal portion of a user is detachably mounted on the
other end of each of the press members 3 through a pad mount member
3a such as a surface fastener.
[0004] These press members 3 and pads 5 are symmetrical with
respect to the base 2, as shown in FIG. 12.
[0005] Reference numeral 6 denotes a press member having spring
characteristics and extending upward from the middle portion of the
base 2. One end of the press member 6 is fixed to the base 2. A
sponge-like pad 7 to be pressed against the parietal portion of the
user is detachably mounted on the other end of the press member 6
through a pad mount member 6a such as a surface fastener. Reference
numeral 101 denotes a sponge-like pad, which is detachably mounted
on the base 2 through a mount member (not shown) like the remaining
pads.
[0006] When the user wants to wear the HMD, he/she inserts his/her
head portion into the mounting mechanism while spreading out the
press members 3 and 6. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in
which the HMD is mounted on the head portion. The two pads 5 press
against temporal portions 50b, the pad 7 presses against a parietal
portion 50c, and the pad 101 presses against a forehead portion
50a, thereby holding the display 1 at a predetermined position on
the head portion.
[0007] As shown in FIG. 14A, when the user takes his/her hands off
the head mounted display after holding the display with his/her
hands and setting it at a position where he/she can easily see it,
the skin sags (50d) due to the weight of the display 1, as shown in
FIG. 14B. As a result, the display 1 rotates clockwise about the
pads 5 on the temporal portions and slips down.
[0008] The user then raises the display to reset it. Since the pad
101 is pressing against the skin, the positional relationship
between the skin and the pad 101 does not change when the display
is simply moved upward. For this reason, at the instant when the
user takes his/her hands off the display, the display returns to
the previous position, and its position cannot be properly
adjusted, as shown in FIG. 14B. To adjust the position of the
display, the pad 101 must be moved upward with respect to the skin.
To do this, the user must take his/her hands off the display at a
position slightly higher than a desired position expecting the
movement of the display due to the sag of the skin, or must move
the display upward exceeding the expected sag of the skin and shift
it downward while removing the sag of the skin. In this manner,
cumbersome operation is required to adjust the position of the
display.
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
mounting mechanism which allows easy adjustment of the position of
an apparatus after it is mounted.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
head mounted apparatus having a mounting mechanism which allows
easy adjustment of the position of an apparatus after it is
mounted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a mounting mechanism for pressing against at least two
points of a target portion with at least one holding means to
detachably mount an apparatus connected to the holding means on the
target portion, comprising moving means for moving the apparatus in
only substantially one direction relative to the target portion
and/or the holding means.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a head mounted apparatus including a mounting mechanism
for pressing against at least two points of a target portion with
at least one holding means to detachably mount an apparatus
connected to the holding means on the target portion, including
moving means for moving the apparatus in only substantially one
direction relative to the target portion and/or the holding
means.
[0013] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a head mounted apparatus having a mechanism for
pressing against at least two points of a head portion with at
least one holding means and press means connected to the holding
means to detachably mount an apparatus connected to the holding
means on the head portion, comprising an arrangement which allows
main press means, of the press means, which transmits most of a
weight of the apparatus to the head portion when the apparatus is
worn, to move relative to the head portion.
[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters
designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of an
apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a base 2;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of end
portions of a frictional roller and clutch holder;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing the arrangement
of a stepped shaft and mount portion of the base;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a mounted state of the
apparatus;
[0020] FIGS. 6A to 6C are side views showing a main part to explain
the operation of the first embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of the
main part of an apparatus according to the second embodiment of the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a line G-G in FIG.
7;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a view showing the strength of a compression
spring while the apparatus is not mounted;
[0024] FIGS. 10A to 10C are side views showing a main part to
explain the operation of the second embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the main part of the
arrangement of the third embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of the
arrangement of a conventional HMD;
[0027] FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example of how the
conventional HMD is mounted; and
[0028] FIGS. 14A and 14B are side views showing a positional shift
caused when the conventional HMD is mounted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The present invention will be described in more detail below
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of an
HMD according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The
same reference numerals in FIG. 1 denote the same parts as in FIG.
12, and a description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment,
a friction roller 10 replaces the pad 101 in FIG. 12. The friction
roller 10 can rotate in the direction indicated by an arrow A in
FIG. 1 but cannot rotate in the direction indicated by an arrow
B.
[0031] The friction roller 10 that is a characteristic feature of
this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
2 to 4. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a base 2. The
friction roller 10 is made of a sponge-like material and integrally
mounted on the outer peripheral portion of a metal core 11. Holes
11b and 11c are formed in the end faces of the metal core 11.
Projections 11a are formed on the end face on the hole 11b side. A
shaft 13 formed on a side surface portion of the base 2 is
rotatably supported in the hole 11b. A stepped shaft 15 is
rotatably supported in the hole 11c. The projections 11a fit in a
groove 12a of a clutch holder 12. With this structure, the rotation
of the friction roller 10 is restricted in only one direction by
the effect of a one-way clutch 14 and the friction roller 10 can be
attached/detached by temporarily pressing it in the direction
indicated by an arrow F against the biasing force of a spring
16.
[0032] The shaft 13 is integrally mounted on one side surface 2c of
the base 2. The one-way clutch 14 is mounted on this shaft 13 to be
rotatable in only one direction. The one-way clutch 14 is
integrally incorporated in the clutch holder 12.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the shapes of the end
faces of the clutch holder 12 and friction roller 10 which are to
fit with each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the clutch holder 12 has
the groove 12a, which fits with the two projections 11a formed on
the end face of the metal core 11.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows the mount structure of the friction roller 10
on the other side surface 2b side of the base 2. Holes 2f and 2e
are formed in a boss 2d extending from the side surface 2b of the
base 2. The stepped shaft 15 having a stopper portion 15a is
mounted in these holes to be slidable in the axial direction. The
stepped shaft 15 is biased in the direction indicated by an arrow E
by the spring 16.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows a mounted state of the HMD according to this
embodiment. The display is fixed on the head of a user 50 by
respectively pressing the friction roller 10, pads 5, and pads 7
against the forehead portion, the right and left temporal portions,
and the parietal portion.
[0036] Position adjustment in this embodiment will be described
next with FIGS. 6A to 6C.
[0037] When the user is to wear the HMD, he/she first sets the HMD
at a position where information displayed on a display 1 can be
easily seen (a state in which a position C of the line of sight of
the user coincides with an optical axis D of the display; FIG. 6A)
while holding the HMD with his/her hands. When the user takes
his/her hands off the HMD in this state, the forehead portion
receives the weight of the display 1 through the friction roller
10. At this time, the friction roller 10 does not rotate in the
direction indicated by the arrow B owing to the effect of the
one-way clutch 14, and hence the skin is pulled downward by the
frictional force produced by the friction roller 10. Owing to the
sag of the skin, the display rotates clockwise almost about the
pads 5 pressed against the temporal portions. As a result, as shown
in FIG. 6B, the display moves downward, and the position C of the
line of sight shifts from the optical axis D.
[0038] The user then holds the display with his/her hands and moves
it upward (in the direction indicated by an arrow U in FIG. 6B)
while the friction roller 10 stays in contact with the forehead
portion of the user. At this time, the friction roller 10 rotates
in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and only the display
moves upward while sag 50d of the skin remains the same and the
skin is pulled downward, as shown in FIG. 6C. Since the friction
roller 10 does not rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow B
owing to the effect of the one-way clutch 14, the friction roller
10 is held at an arbitrary position owing to the frictional force
of the friction roller 10.
[0039] The skin sags downward from the first mount position of the
display 1 in FIG. 6A to the position in FIG. 6B owing to the weight
of the display 1, and a downward tension is acting on the skin.
Since this state is maintained while the display moves upward, the
display does not move downward because of the sag of the skin even
if the user takes his/her hands off the display in the state shown
in FIG. 6C. Therefore, the display 1 can be fixed at a position
where the display can be easily seen, i.e., the line of sight C
coincides with the optical axis D.
Second Embodiment
[0040] The second embodiment of the present invention will be
described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a vertical
sectional view showing another arrangement of the HMD according to
the present invention. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a
line G-G in FIG. 7. Although FIGS. 7 and 8 show only a base portion
as a characteristic feature of this embodiment and its peripheral
portion, other portions can be formed in the same manner as in the
first embodiment.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, reference numeral 31 denotes a
sponge-like pad having a predetermined elastic force and frictional
force and detachably mounted on a pad mount member 32 through a
surface fastener or the like (not shown). Pins 32a and 32b are
integrally formed on the two sides of the pad mount member 32.
These pins fit in an elongated hole 33a of a pad support member
33.
[0042] The pad support member 33 is rotatably mounted on a shaft
30a integrally mounted on a base 30. Reference numeral 34 denotes a
torsional coil spring that is mounted on the shaft 30a serving as a
support shaft while one end is hooked on a pin 32c formed on the
pad mount member 32, and the other end is hooked on a pin 33b
formed on the pad support member 33. The pad mount member 32, i.e.,
the pad 31, is biased upward along the elongated hole 33a of the
pad support member 33 by the torsional coil spring 34.
[0043] This upward biasing force produces a force which is smaller
than the frictional force produced between the pad 31 and the
forehead portion of the user when he/she wears the HMD, and which
is larger enough to move the pad mount member 32 upward along the
pad support member 33 when a friction roller 36 is separated from a
surface 32d.
[0044] In addition, the pad support member 33 is biased to rotate
clockwise about the shaft 30a by a compression spring 39. As shown
in FIG. 9, while the DMD is not worn (the pad 31 can freely rotate
about the shaft 30a), the rotation amount of the pad support member
33 is restricted by a stopper (not shown) to maintain a Constance
gap e between the friction roller 36 and the surface 32d of the pad
mount member 32. The biasing force of the compression spring 39 is
set to be smaller than the holding force produced by pads 5 pressed
against the temporal portions by press members 3.
[0045] Reference numeral 36 denotes the friction roller having a
predetermined frictional force. This roller is mounted on a shaft
38 integrally formed on the base 30 through a one-way clutch
37.
[0046] The one-way clutch 37 is mounted in a direction in which it
rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow K but does not
rotate in the direction indicated by an arrow J.
[0047] The operation to be performed when the user wears the HMD of
this embodiment will be described next with FIGS. 10A to 10C.
[0048] FIGS. 10A to 10C are sectional views showing the operation
of the base 30 when the user wears the HMD. Although FIGS. 10A to
10C show only the base portion which is a characteristic feature of
this embodiment, other portions (e.g., a mechanism for pressing the
HMD against the temporal and parietal portions of the user) may be
the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0049] When the user wants to wear the apparatus having the above
arrangement, he/she holds the head mounted display with his/her
hands and sets it at a position where he/she can easily see the
display, and then presses the pad 31 against the forehead with a
predetermined force (FIG. 10A).
[0050] The compression spring 39 keeps the friction roller 36
separated from the pad mount member 32 by a space e until the pad
31 is pressed against the forehead portion. Therefore, the pad
mount member 32 is lifted from the pad support member 33 by the
biasing force of the torsional coil spring 34, and the pin 32a
formed on the pad mount member 32 is in contact with the upper side
of the elongated hole 33a.
[0051] While the user wears the head mounted display, the friction
roller 36 is pressed against the surface 32d of the pad mount
member 32 with a predetermined force by the holding force of the
pads 5 pressed against the temporal portions by the press members 3
and the elastic force of the pad 31.
[0052] When the user takes his/her hands off the display in this
state, the weight of the display acts on the forehead portion
through the pad 31, and the overall display including the pad 31
and the pad mount member 32 moves downward owing to the sag (50d)
of the forehead portion, as shown in FIG. 10B.
[0053] When the user lifts the display with his/her hands in this
state, the friction roller 36 moves upward while rotating on the
surface 32d of the pad mount member 32 in the direction indicated
by the arrow K. That is, the pad 31 and the pad mount member 32 do
not move, but only the display moves upward while the skin is
pulled downward, as shown in FIG. 10C.
[0054] When the user takes his/her hands off the display at a
position where the optical axis of the display 1 coincides with the
line of sight, since the friction roller 36 does not rotate in the
direction indicated by the arrow J, the display 1 is held at that
position by the frictional force between the surface 32d of the pad
mount member 32 and the friction roller 36 without moving downward
due to the sag of the skin.
Third Embodiment
[0055] FIG. 11 shows the third embodiment of the present invention.
In the third embodiment, a rachet replaces the friction roller and
the one-way clutch in the second embodiment. More specifically, a
sawtoothed portion 32e.multidot.is formed on a surface 32d of a pad
mount member 32, and a pawl 40 having a spring portion 40a is
integrally mounted on a stay 30b formed on a base 30. This
structure allows a display 1 to move upward with respect to the pad
mount member 32.
[0056] In this embodiment, the strength of a compression spring 39
is adjusted to ensure a predetermined space between the sawtoothed
portion 32e and the pawl 40 while the HMD is not worn (the pad 31
can freely rotate about a shaft 30a) and cause the sawtoothed
portion 32e to mesh with the pawl 40 due to the holding power of
the pads 5, forced to the temporal portion by the press members 3,
and the elasticity power of the pad 31 when the HMD is worn. In
this embodiment, the amount of rotation of the pad mount member 32
is limited by a stopper (not shown) as in the second
embodiment.
[0057] According to the second and third embodiments, since the
area of the portion in contact with the skin can be made larger
than the roller-like pad in the first embodiment, the user can wear
the HMD more comfortably, and can move the display upward more
stably.
[0058] In the third embodiment, a ratchet mechanism comprised of
the sawtoothed portion 32e and the pawl 40 is used. However, any
member having enough frictional power can be used as substitutes
for the sawtoothed portion 32e and the pawl 40. In this case, the
display can be adjusted upward by lifting up the display slightly
to make a space between friction members, adjusting the display to
an appropriate position and causing the friction members to move in
contact again by lowering the display. This process provide the
display to maintain a predetermined position and prevents the
display from slipping.
[0059] The present invention can be applied most effectively to a
pad that transmits most of the weight of the apparatus the user is
wearing to the body portion supporting it but is not necessarily
limited to any specific portion. In this embodiment, the present is
applied to the pad on the support portion of the display which is
to be pressed against the forehead portion of the user. Obviously,
however, the present invention can be applied to any portion. For
example, the present invention may be applied to the pads on the
holding portions, e.g., the pads 5, which come into contact with
the temporal portions or the like.
[0060] The effect of the present invention is noticeable when fine
adjustment is required after the user wears the apparatus or when a
positional shift tends to occur due to the weight of the apparatus
after the user wears it as in the embodiments described above. The
body portion on which the user wears the apparatus or the apparatus
to which the present invention is applied are not limited the head
portion and the display. The present invention can be applied to a
mounting mechanism for allowing the user to wear an arbitrary
apparatus on an arbitrary portion.
[0061] Although a one-way moving means is preferably used, the
present invention is not limited to this as long as a positional
shift does not occur when the user wears the apparatus. For
example, the above embodiments may use a rotating mechanism having
a sufficiently heavy load in downward movement as compared with
upward movement. In addition, as a one-way moving means, any means
such as a combination of a ratchet and a press pawl may be used.
This one-way moving means may be set at any position where the
display and the body portion on which the user wears the apparatus
can move relative to each other.
[0062] As described above, the mounting mechanism, which is used to
detachably mount the apparatus connected to the holding means on a
portion where the user wears the apparatus by pressing at least two
points of the portion using at least one holding means, includes
the moving means for the apparatus in only one direction relatively
and substantially with respect to the portion where the user wears
the apparatus and/or the holding means. With this structure, even
if the apparatus shifts from the position where the apparatus is
mounted at first, the position of the apparatus can be easily
adjusted.
[0063] According to the head mounted type apparatus to which the
present invention is applied, and more specifically the HMD, even
if the skin sags due to the weight of the HMD, and display shifts
downward, the display can be easily moved to an optimal position by
only moving the display upward while the pad for holding the
display is kept in tight contact with the skin. In addition, the
amount by which the display is moved upward corresponds to the sag
of the skin and hence is small. Therefore, there is no need to
perform tedious operation as in the prior art, i.e., moving the
display upward by an amount larger than the amount by which the
display moves downward due to the sag of the skin, pressing the pad
against the skin from above to eliminate the influence of the sag
of the skin, and moving the display to an optimal position while
removing the sag of the skin.
[0064] As many apparently widely different embodiments of the
present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in
the appended claims.
* * * * *