JP3855864B2 - Head-mounted display device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device suitable for visually recognizing an output image of a wearable computer or a personal computer, a television image, various images for performing various operations, and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art A head-mounted display device is known that includes a head holding holder, a display unit disposed in front of either the left or right eye, and a connecting mechanism that connects the display unit to the holder. In such a head-mounted display device, it is difficult to visually recognize an image unless the display unit is properly arranged with respect to the eyes. Therefore, conventionally, the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes has been adjusted by changing the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when changing the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head, fine adjustment of the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes has been difficult. In particular, when adjusting the vertical tilt of the display unit with respect to the eyes, it is difficult to change the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head because the length of the head in the front-rear direction is usually larger than the length in the left-right direction. It was. Further, when the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes is adjusted by changing the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head from the appropriate state, the holder is easily displaced with respect to the head even by slight vibration caused by moving the head. Therefore, the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes is shifted from the appropriate position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a head-mounted display device that can solve the above problems.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The head-mounted display device of the present invention includes a head-holding holder, a display unit disposed in front of either the left or right eye, a coupling mechanism that couples the display unit to the holder so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction, A rotation prevention mechanism for releasably preventing rotation of the display unit with respect to the holder.
According to the head-mounted display device of the present invention, the display unit arranged in front of either the left or right eye can be rotated around the vertical direction. Thereby, the arrangement of the display unit around the eyes in the vertical direction can be adjusted without changing the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head from the appropriate state.
[0005]
The connecting mechanism has a guide surface along a spherical surface, and the display unit is connected to the holder through the guide surface, passes through the center of the spherical surface, passes through the axis along the vertical direction, and passes through the center of the spherical surface. It is preferable that the display unit is rotatably connected to the holder around an axis along the left-right direction.
Thereby, it is possible to adjust not only the vertical arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes but also the horizontal arrangement of the display unit. In addition, since the arrangement can be adjusted around an axis passing through one spherical center, the structure can be simplified.
[0006]
It is preferable that the display unit is connected to the holder so as to be rotatable at least 180 degrees around the axis passing through the center of the spherical surface and along the front-rear direction, and the holder can be used upside down.
Accordingly, the display unit can be arranged outside the field of view when not in use by rotating the display unit around the front and rear directions. Since the rotation about the front-rear direction can be performed around the axis passing through the one spherical center, the structure can be simplified. Furthermore, the display unit can be rotated 180 degrees in the front-rear direction with respect to the holder, and the holder can be used upside down, so that the display unit is placed in front of the left and right eyes and placed in front of the left and right eyes. Can be changed to the state to be used.
[0007]
The connection mechanism includes a support member attached to the holder and a receiving member attached to the display unit, and the guide surface is provided on the support member, and the rotation prevention mechanism is configured to prevent rotation on the reception member. A pressing member that is mounted so as to be relatively displaceable between the position and the rotation prevention release position, and an elastic member that acts on the guide surface to cause the elastic member to be positioned at the rotation prevention position by pressing the pressing member. It is preferable that the member is displaceable to the rotation prevention release position against the elasticity by being pressed with a finger.
Accordingly, the rotation of the display unit with respect to the holder can be prevented only by pressing the pressing member against the guide surface with elasticity, and the rotation prevention mechanism can be configured with a simple structure. In addition, it is possible to easily displace the rotation prevention with one hand simply by pinching and pressing the pressing member with a finger, so that the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes can be easily adjusted.
[0008]
Preferably, the coupling mechanism is attached to the holder so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and includes a movement blocking mechanism that releasably blocks the movement of the coupling mechanism relative to the holder in at least two positions.
Accordingly, the display unit can be disposed close to the eye when the spectacles are not used, and separated from the eye when the spectacles are used. In addition, the position of the display unit can be adjusted so that the user can easily see.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The monocular head-mounted display device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 includes a head holding holder 2, a display unit 3 disposed in front of either the left or right eye E, and the display unit 3. A connection mechanism 4 that is connected to the holder 2 so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction, and a rotation prevention mechanism 5 that releasably prevents the display unit 3 from rotating relative to the holder 2 are provided. Note that the front, back, top, bottom, left and right directions of the head-mounted display device 1 in this specification are based on an upright user wearing the head-mounted display device 1.
[0010]
The holder 2 has a front part 2a along at least a part of the frontal head, a rear part 2b along at least a part of the back of the head, and a side part 2c along one of the left and right side heads. The front part 2a and the rear part 2b are continuous via the side part 2c on one side of the left and right side heads. The front part 2a and the rear part 2b are spaced apart from each other on the other side of the left and right heads so that at least a part of the other of the left and right heads is not held by the holder 2. Moreover, the front part 2a is supposed to be along only a part of the forehead so that a part of the forehead is not held by the holder 2. The rear part 2b is along the left region and the right region of the center position of the back of the head. Thereby, the holder 2 is made into the substantially C shape which lacked a part of ellipse by planar view. The curvature radius of the front part 2a in the holder 2 is preferably about 40 to 90 mm, and the curvature radius of the rear part 2b is preferably about 60 to 100 mm. Pads 41a, 41b, and 41c made of an elastic material such as urethane sponge, elastomer, and rubber are attached to the inner periphery of the holder 2.
[0011]
Thereby, since at least a part of the left or right head part and a part of the frontal part are not held by the holder 2, a feeling of pressure on the head part can be reduced. Moreover, since the rear part 2b of the holder 2 is along the left region and the right region at the center position of the back of the head, the holder 4 can be prevented from being displaced from the head. The holder 2 is substantially C-shaped, and the display unit 3 is a monocular type in which the display unit 3 is arranged in front of either the left or right eye, thereby reducing weight and size.
[0012]
The holder 2 of the present embodiment has first to fifth members 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The first member 11 is formed of a synthetic resin material and constitutes a part of the front part 2a and the side part 2c. The second member 12 is formed by a leaf spring that can be elastically deformed in the left-right direction of the head, and constitutes a part of the side portion 2c. The third member 13 is formed of a synthetic resin material and constitutes a part of the side portion 2c. The fourth member 14 is formed of a synthetic resin material and constitutes a part of the rear part 2b and a part of the side part 2c. The fifth member 15 is formed of a synthetic resin material and constitutes a part of the rear portion 2b. One end side of the leaf spring forming the second member 12 is fixed to the first member 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the other end side of the leaf spring is inserted into the third member 13 so as to be movable back and forth. The third member 13 is connected to a portion constituting the side portion 2 c of the fourth member 14 by a screw 16 together with a leaf spring constituting the second member 12. The axis of the screw 16 is along the lateral direction. The fourth member 14 and the fifth member 15 are connected via a hinge 17. The axis of the hinge 17 extends in the vertical direction. The leaf spring constituting the second member 12 can be easily elastically deformed according to individual differences in the shape of the head to reliably prevent displacement with respect to the head. The first, third to fifth members 11, 13, 14, 15 other than the second member 12 are also made of synthetic resin, so that they can be elastically deformed along the head shape. .
[0013]
The side part 2c can be expanded and contracted so that the distance between the front part 2a and the rear part 2b of the holder 2 can be adjusted. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of holes 12 a into which the screws 16 can be inserted are formed so as to be parallel to the leaf springs forming the second member 12 at equal intervals in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the mechanism which expands / contracts the side part 2c by changing the attachment position with respect to the 3rd, 4th members 13 and 14 of the 2nd member 12 via the screw | thread 16 is comprised. Thereby, the space | interval of the front part 2a and the rear part 2b of the holder 2 can be adjusted according to the individual difference of head shape, and the prevention with respect to a head can be performed reliably. An image signal is sent from the computer (not shown) or the like to the display unit 3 through the cable 9 inserted through the third member 13. The cable 9 may be exposed to the outside of the holder 2.
[0014]
The rear portion 2b of the holder 2 has a hinge axis extending in the vertical direction between the left region and the right region of the back of the head by connecting the fourth member 14 and the fifth member 15 via the hinge 17 as described above. It can be folded. The fourth member 14 and the fifth member 15 do not rotate relative to each other in the opening direction as compared with the state shown in FIG. 1 by being in contact with each other. The holder 2 has a third member 13 and a fourth member 14 that can rotate 180 degrees relative to each other around the lateral axis of the screw 16 at the side 2c. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear portion 2b of the holder 2 can be folded when not in use, and the third member 13 and the fourth member 14 constituting the side portion 2c can be rotated 180 degrees relative to each other to be compact.
[0015]
The third member 13 and the fourth member 14 are slightly rotated with respect to each other around the axis of the screw 16, and the holder 2 is attached to the head with the rear portion 2b slightly inclined with respect to the front portion 2a. May be.
[0016]
7 and 8 show modifications of the mechanism for expanding and contracting the side portion 2c. In this modification, the screw 16 is not used. The cylindrical member 13a formed on the third member 13 of the holder 2 is press-fitted into the recess 14a formed in the portion constituting the side portion 2c of the fourth member 14, so that the third member 13 is the fourth member. 14. Through the outer periphery of the convex part 13a and the inner periphery of the concave part 14a, the third member 13 and the fourth member 14 can rotate 180 degrees with respect to each other around the horizontal axis. A compression coil spring 18 is inserted into the third member 13. The spring 18 is sandwiched between the inner circumferential step 13 b of the third member 13 and the bent portion 12 b at the end of the leaf spring constituting the second member 12. The spring 18 generates elasticity that pushes the second member 12 backward relative to the third member 13, that is, elasticity that reduces the side 2 c of the holder 2. When the holder 2 is mounted on the head, the front portion 2a and the rear portion 2b of the holder 2 are pressed against the front and back heads by the elasticity of the spring 18, respectively. Thereby, the shift | offset | difference of the holder 2 with respect to a head can be prevented by elasticity. Further, when not in use, the side portion 2c of the holder 2 can be reduced by elasticity to be compact.
[0017]
The display unit 3 is connected to the front part 2 a of the holder 2. A known display unit 3 can be used, for example, an image display light generating means such as a liquid crystal display, and an aspheric lens system that guides the image display light to the eye E so that an image is formed on the retina. It is comprised by the optical system.
[0018]
As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the coupling mechanism 4 includes a support member 21 attached to the holder 2 and a hollow receiving member 22 attached to the display unit 3. The support member 21 has a prism portion 21a and a spherical portion 21b integrated at one end of the prism portion 21a, and the outer periphery of the spherical portion 21b is a guide surface 21c along a spherical surface. The display unit 3 is connected to the holder 2 through the guide surface 21c. That is, the prism portion 21 a is inserted into the front portion 2 a of the holder 2 so as not to rotate relative thereto, and the spherical portion 21 b is covered with the receiving member 22. The display unit 3 is fixed to the lower surface of the receiving member 22. A receiving surface 22a is formed in the receiving member 22 so as to contact the guide surface 21c so as to be relatively slidable. The receiving member 22 is configured by, for example, bonding two upper and lower members. Accordingly, the display unit 3 can rotate in the direction of the arrow A (yaw direction) in FIG. 9 about the axis along the vertical direction while passing through the center of the spherical surface constituting the guide surface 21c with respect to the holder 2. The rotation range is, for example, about ± 10 °. Further, the display unit 3 can rotate with respect to the holder 2 in the arrow B direction (pitch direction) in FIG. The rotation range is, for example, about ± 15 °.
[0019]
By rotating the display unit 3 about the vertical direction with respect to the holder 2 through the guide surface 21c, the arrangement of the holder 2 with respect to the head is not changed from an appropriate state, and the eye E of the display unit 3 is not affected. The arrangement around the vertical direction can be adjusted. Further, by rotating the display unit 3 in the left-right direction with respect to the holder 2, the display unit 3 is arranged in the left-right direction with respect to the eyes E of the display unit 3 without changing the arrangement of the holder 2 with respect to the head from the appropriate state. Can be adjusted.
[0020]
Furthermore, the display unit 3 can rotate at least 180 degrees with respect to the holder 2 around the axis passing through the center of the spherical surface constituting the guide surface 21c and along the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the display unit 3 can rotate 360 degrees. . Accordingly, the display unit 3 can be arranged outside the field of view when not in use by rotating the display unit 3 around the front-rear direction. In addition, since the display unit 3 can be rotated about the vertical direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction with respect to the holder 2 around an axis passing through one spherical center, the structure can be simplified. Furthermore, the holder 2 can be used upside down. As a result, the display unit 3 is rotated 180 degrees around the holder 2 in the front-rear direction, and the holder 2 is turned upside down, so that the display unit 3 is placed in front of the left and right eyes and used in the other direction. It can be changed to a state where it is placed and used in front of the eyes.
[0021]
The prismatic part 21a is inserted into a connecting hole 19 formed in the holder 2 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, whereby the connecting mechanism 4 is attached to the holder 2 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. A movement blocking mechanism is provided for blocking the forward and backward movement of the connecting mechanism 4 with respect to the holder 2 so as to be releasable at two positions. In the present embodiment, the prism portion 21 a is provided with a protrusion 21 d that protrudes from the outer periphery, and grooves 19 a and 19 b are provided at two positions on the inner periphery of the connection hole 19 that are spaced apart from each other. The protrusions 21d are fitted in the grooves 19a and 19b, whereby the connecting mechanism 4 is prevented from moving back and forth with respect to the holder 2. The protrusion 21d is made of, for example, an elastic material, and is elastically deformed by a longitudinal force of a certain level or more and is extracted from the grooves 19a and 19b. This prevents the forward and backward movement of the coupling mechanism 4 relative to the holder 2 from being released. The The distance between the grooves 19a and 19b corresponds to the difference in the distance between the eye E and the display unit 3 when the glasses are used and when they are not used. As a result, the display unit 3 can be arranged close to the eye E when the glasses are not used and away from the eye E when the glasses are used. In addition, the position of the display unit 3 can be adjusted so that the user can easily see. Instead of the protrusion 21d, the ball may be protruded from the prism portion 21a by the elasticity of the spring, and the ball may be immersed in the prism portion 21a by elastic deformation of the spring by a predetermined longitudinal force. Moreover, the position which prevents the back-and-forth movement may be three or more positions.
[0022]
The rotation prevention mechanism 5 includes a pair of pressing members 31a and 31b and elastic members 32a and 32b that apply elasticity to the pressing members 31a and 31b. Each pressing member 31a, 31b is attached to the receiving member 22 so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction through a support shaft 33 having an axial center in the vertical direction inside the receiving member 22. One end of each of the pressing members 31 a and 31 b is constituted by rubber pads 31 a ′ and 31 b ′, and the other end is an operation portion 31 a ″ and 31 b ″ protruding outside the receiving member 22. The pressing members 31a and 31b are relatively displaced between the rotation prevention position and the rotation prevention release position by rotation around the vertical direction. Each elastic member 32a, 32b is constituted by a torsion spring, and exerts an elastic force to be positioned at the rotation preventing position by pressing each pressing member 31a, 31b against the guide surface 21c. The pressing members 31a and 31b located at the rotation prevention position press the guide surface 21c, whereby the display unit 3 is prevented from rotating with respect to the holder 2. By pressing both pressing members 31a and 31b with fingers, the pressing members 31a and 31b can be moved away from the guide surface 21c by being displaced to the rotation prevention release position against the elasticity of the elastic members 32a and 32b. . When the pressing members 31a and 31b are separated from the guide surface 21c, the rotation prevention of the display unit 3 with respect to the holder 2 is released. Thereby, the rotation with respect to the holder 2 of the display unit 3 can be prevented only by pressing the pressing members 31a and 31b against the guide surface 21c with elasticity, and the rotation prevention mechanism 5 can be configured with a simple structure. In addition, since the rotation prevention can be easily released with one hand by simply pressing the pressing members 31a and 31b with a finger and the rotation prevention can be easily released with one hand, the arrangement of the display unit 3 with respect to the eyes can be easily adjusted. The pressing member may be single.
[0023]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is sufficient that the display unit is connected to the holder so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction by the connecting mechanism, and the rotation can be releasably prevented by the rotation preventing mechanism.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the head-mounted display device of the present invention, it is possible to easily adjust the arrangement of the display unit with respect to the eyes in a state where the arrangement of the holder with respect to the head is properly maintained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a head-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the head-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the head-mounted display device in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial plan sectional view of the head-mounted display device in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the head-mounted display device in the embodiment of the present invention when not in use. FIG. 7 is a partial plan sectional view of the head-mounted display device in a modification of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a partial sectional side view of a head-mounted display device according to a modified example. FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view of a coupling mechanism and a rotation prevention mechanism of the head-mounted display device according to a modified example of the present invention. Sectional view of coupling mechanism and rotation prevention mechanism of head mounted display device in FIG. Front sectional view of the connection mechanism and the rotation preventing mechanism of the head-mounted display device according to a modification of the present invention Description of Reference Numerals]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head-mounted display apparatus 2 Holder 3 Display unit 4 Connection mechanism 5 Anti-rotation mechanism 19a, 19b Groove 21 Support member 21c Guide surface 21d Protrusion 22 Receiving member 31a, 31b Pressing member 32a, 32b Elastic member

Claims (3)

A head holding holder;
A display unit arranged in front of either the left or right eye;
A connection mechanism for connecting the display unit to the holder so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction;
A rotation prevention mechanism for releasably preventing rotation of the display unit relative to the holder,
The coupling mechanism has a guide surface along a spherical surface, a support member attached to the holder, and a receiving member attached to the display unit,
The support member is provided with the guide surface,
The display unit is connected to the holder through the guide surface,
The display unit is rotatably connected to the holder around an axis that passes through the center of the spherical surface and extends along the vertical direction, and an axis that passes through the center of the spherical surface and extends along the horizontal direction.
The rotation prevention mechanism includes a pressing member that is attached to the receiving member so as to be relatively displaceable between a rotation prevention position and a rotation prevention release position, and an elastic force that is positioned at the rotation prevention position by pressing the pressing member against the guide surface. An elastic member that acts on
A head-mounted display device in which the pressing member can be displaced to a rotation prevention release position against elasticity by being pressed by a finger. The coupling mechanism is attached to the holder so as to be movable in the front-rear direction,
The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising a movement blocking mechanism that releasably blocks movement of the coupling mechanism relative to the holder in at least two positions. The display unit is connected to the holder so as to be rotatable at least 180 degrees around an axis along the longitudinal direction passing through the center of the spherical surface.
The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the holder can be used upside down.

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