JP4517904B2 - Head mounted display - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a head-mounted display that is mounted on a head and displays an image and information on a combiner positioned in front of the wearer's eye, and displays an external scene superimposed on the image and information.

In general, a head-mounted display is installed in front of a user's eyes, and an image display device that is fixed to a housing such as a helmet and emits an image or information in front of the user's eyes and an image displayed on the image display device. And an optical system that forms an image in front of the combiner, and displays an image from the image display device in combination with the outside scene light. For example, Patent Document 1 filed by the present applicant is disclosed.
Japanese Patent No. 2952858

  However, the conventional head-mounted display including the above-described conventional invention has a structure in which the combiner arm portion is integrally fixed to the frame of the image display device. Incidentally, in the above-described conventional invention, the combiner is fixed to the helmet by the support member. As another example, as shown in FIG. 8, a structure in which a combiner 10 is fixed to a frame 12 of an image display device by a combiner arm 11 is known.

  Therefore, in these conventional means, since the combiner protrudes from the housing, when the head mounted display is removed from the head and the combiner is faced down and placed on a plane, the impact and the head mounted display itself There was a risk that the combiner was damaged due to the concentrated load being applied to the combiner due to the load. Further, when the head mounted display is worn, the combiner always hangs down in front of the eyes, so that the front view is obstructed when the combiner is not used.

  Therefore, the present invention can secure a good field of view by jumping up to a user's front upper jump position by a simple operation when a combiner is not required while wearing the head mounted display. Provides a head-mounted display that can be relaxed to the position where the combiner is naturally folded to the position close to the lower surface of the flame when the combiner is removed from the head and placed on a flat surface It is the main purpose to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following technical means. That is, in the present invention, a housing that is mounted on the user's head, an image display device that is fixed to the housing and emits information in front of the user's eyes, and an image displayed on the image display device. In a head mounted display having an optical system for forming a virtual image in front of a combiner installed in front of the user's eyes, the combiner is lifted up from the folding position close to the frame lower surface of the image display device. A combiner holding means for holding the frame so that it can be rotated to a position, a spring for urging the combiner toward the jumping position, and a combiner stopped at the use position against the spring for lifting. And a release mechanism for releasing the stopper mechanism, and the posture of the combiner at the use position is It has a structure which is the acute angle inclined attitude relative Flame lower surface of an image display device. The frame lower surface of the image display device is a surface substantially parallel to the grounding surface of the housing when the head mounted display is removed from the head and placed on a horizontal plane.

  Since the head-mounted display of the present invention is configured as described above, when the combiner is not required when the head-mounted display is worn, the front view is opened by jumping the combiner to the front upper jump position of the user. Thus, it is possible to eliminate the hindrance to the visibility caused by the conventional combiner. Also, when the head-mounted display is removed from the head and placed on a plane with the combiner facing downward, the frame of the image display device naturally resists the jumping spring due to the load applied to the tip due to the tilted posture of the combiner. It can be rotated to the folding position close to the bottom surface and folded, thereby reducing the impact on the combiner and preventing the combiner from being damaged by avoiding concentrated loads on the combiner. There is a remarkable effect of being able to.

(Means and effects for solving other problems)
In the above invention, the combiner holding means includes a movable shaft attached to the arm holder fixed to the frame of the image display device so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the base end of the combiner arm holding the combiner on the movable shaft It is good to have a structure where the part is pivotally supported. The stopper mechanism includes an engaging protrusion provided on the combiner arm, and a stopper provided on the arm holder to be detachably engaged with the engaging protrusion, and the stopper releasing means includes the movable shaft. A compression spring that presses in the axial direction together with the combiner arm to force the engagement protrusion and the stopper to engage with each other is provided. By sliding the movable shaft with the combiner arm against the compression spring, the stopper is separated from the engagement protrusion. It is preferable to form the combiner so as to rotate to the jumping position by the jumping spring.
As a result, when the combiner is not required, just push the movable shaft against the compression spring in the axial direction, and rotate the combiner to the jumping position with one touch to escape from the user's eyes and get a good field of view. Can be secured.

Further, in the present invention, when the combiner is rotated from the jumping position toward the use position, the stopper or the engagement protrusion gets over the engagement protrusion or the stopper and is engaged at the use position. It is preferable to form the engaging portion by the stopper with directivity.
As a result, when the combiner is desired to be used again, the combiner can be simply returned to the use position with a single touch with good position reproducibility by simply rotating the combiner from the jumping position toward the use position. In particular, since the position reproducibility affects the display position accuracy of an image or the like displayed on the combiner (for example, a cross mark image that displays the position), it is preferable that the combiner can be returned accurately.

In the above invention, it is preferable that a push button for pushing the movable shaft in the axial direction against the compression spring is provided at the exposed end of the movable shaft.
Accordingly, the operation of releasing the stopper mechanism, that is, the operation of pushing the movable shaft against the compression spring in the axial direction can be easily performed.

Hereinafter, a head mounted display according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a head mounted display according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the front portion thereof, and FIG. 3 is a view when the head mounted display of FIG. 4 is a right side view for explaining each state of the combiner and the stopper mechanism in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a front view of the combiner and the stopper mechanism as viewed from the EE direction in FIG. 3, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which released the stopper mechanism in FIG.
1 to 3, a symbol A is a housing to be mounted on the user's head, and an image display device B is attached to the front portion of the housing, and a combiner C made of a light transmitting material is attached to the image display device B. Is held via the combiner holding means D.

  The image display device B includes a CRT B1 and an optical system (optical member) B2 including a combination of a plurality of lenses, and projects an image display from the CRT B1 onto the combiner C via the optical system B2. A virtual image of the image is formed in front of the combiner. In addition, it may replace with CRT and may display an image with a liquid crystal panel and a backlight.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the combiner C allows the combiner holding means D to rotate from a folding position close to the lower surface of the frame 1 of the image display device B to a jumping position at the upper front of the user. To the frame 1 of the image display device B. The combiner holding means D includes a movable shaft 3 slidably mounted in an axial direction with respect to an arm holder 2 fixed to the frame 1 of the image display device B, and a combiner arm that holds the combiner C on the movable shaft 3. Four base ends are pivotally supported.

  In addition, the movable shaft 3 is provided with a spring 5 for urging the combiner C toward the position where it is always raised (FIGS. 5 and 6). A stopper mechanism 6 for stopping C at the use position and a release means 7 for releasing the stopper mechanism 6 are provided.

  As shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, the stopper mechanism 6 includes an engaging projection 6 a provided on the combiner arm 4 and a stopper provided on the arm holder 2 and detachably engaged with the engaging projection 6 a. 6b. The stopper releasing means 7 includes a compression spring 7a that presses the movable shaft 3 together with the combiner arm 4 in the axial direction (right direction in FIG. 5) to force the engagement between the engaging projection 6a and the stopper 6b. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper 6b can be separated from the engaging projection 6a by sliding the movable shaft 3 together with the combiner arm 4 against the compression spring 7a. Further, the engaging projection 6a is formed in a directional form such as a ratchet tooth as shown in FIG. That is, when one side surface of the engaging protrusion 6a facing the direction opposite to the combiner jumping direction is formed as a gently inclined surface 6a ′, the combiner C is rotated from the jumping position toward the use position. Directivity is imparted to the engaging portion of the engaging protrusion 6a and the stopper 6b so that the engaging protrusion 6a gets over the stopper 6b and engages at the use position indicated by the phantom line in FIG.

  In this embodiment, a push button 8 for pushing the movable shaft 3 in the axial direction against the compression spring 7 a together with the combiner arm 4 is provided at the exposed end of the movable shaft 3.

  The use position of the combiner C in the present invention is a posture in front of the right eye of the user and inclined at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface 1a of the frame 1 of the image display device B, in this embodiment, about 45 degrees. It is. Moreover, the folding position of the combiner is an attitude close to the lower surface 1 a of the frame 1, and the jumping position is an attitude raised substantially vertically above the frame 1. The frame lower surface 1a of the image display device is a surface substantially parallel to the grounding surface of the housing A when the head-mounted display is removed from the head and placed on a horizontal plane.

  In the present invention configured as described above, when the combiner C is not required when the head mounted display is worn, the push button 8 is pushed and the movable shaft 3 is pushed against the compression spring 7a in the axial direction to be engaged. When the engagement between the protrusion 6a and the stopper 6b is released, the combiner C is jumped up to the jumping position by the jumping spring 5, thereby allowing the combiner C to escape from the front of the user with one touch. Further, in order to use the combiner again, when the combiner is rotated from the jumping position toward the use position against the jumping spring 5, directivity is imparted to the engaging portion by the engaging protrusion 6a and the stopper 6b. Therefore, the engagement protrusion 6a gets over the stopper 6b and engages at the use position, whereby the combiner can be returned to the use position with one touch.

  In addition, when the head mounted display is removed from the head and the combiner C is placed on a plane with the head facing downward, the combiner C is inclined at about 45 degrees with respect to the lower surface 1a of the frame 1, and the frame Since the lower surface 1a is a surface substantially parallel to the ground surface of the housing A when the head mounted display is removed from the head and placed on a horizontal plane, the combiner naturally jumps up due to the load applied to the tip portion thereof. It is rotated and folded to the folding position close to the flame lower surface 1a of the image display device against the spring 5. As a result, the load due to the impact or load applied to the combiner is eased to prevent the combiner from being damaged.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist of the configuration. For example, the engaging protrusion 6 a and the stopper 6 b in the stopper mechanism may be provided on either the combiner arm 4 or the arm holder 2. Further, the housing A is not limited to a bee-like shape as shown in the embodiment, and may be any shape as long as it can be held on a helmet or other human head. The use position of the combiner C may be in front of the user's left eye.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for all display devices that are worn on the human head and display an image or information superimposed on the outside.

The top view which shows the whole figure of the head mounted display concerning this invention. The expanded perspective view which shows the front part of the head mounted display concerning this invention The left side view of a part showing the state where the head mounted display concerning the present invention was equipped to the human body head. The right view which shows the combiner and stopper mechanism in this invention. The front view along the EE line in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view similar to FIG. 5, showing a released state of the stopper mechanism. The expanded sectional view of the stopper mechanism part in this invention. The side view which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

A Housing B Image display device C Combiner D Combiner holding means 1 Frame 1a of image display device Lower surface 2 of frame 2 Arm holder 3 Movable shaft 4 Combiner arm 5 Lifting spring 6 Stopper mechanism 6a Engaging projection 6b Stopper 7 Release means 7a Compression spring

Claims (5)

  A housing mounted on the user's head, an image display device that is fixed to the housing and emits information in front of the user's eyes, and a virtual image of the image displayed on the image display device is installed in front of the user's eyes In the head mounted display having an optical system that forms an image in front of the combiner, the frame is configured so that the combiner can be rotated from a folding position close to the frame lower surface of the image display device to a jumping position in front of the user. A combiner holding means for holding the combiner at all times, a spring for urging the combiner constantly toward the jumping position, a stopper mechanism for stopping the combiner at the use position against the spring for jumping, and the stopper mechanism Release means for releasing, and the posture of the combiner at the use position is below the frame of the image display device. Head-mounted display, characterized in that has a sharp inclination attitude with respect.   The combiner holding means includes a movable shaft that is slidably mounted in an axial direction with respect to an arm holder fixed to the frame of the image display device, and a base end portion of a combiner arm that holds the combiner on the movable shaft is pivoted. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the head mounted display is supported.   The stopper mechanism includes an engaging protrusion provided on the combiner arm and a stopper provided on the arm holder and detachably engageable with the engaging protrusion, and the stopper releasing means connects the movable shaft to the combiner arm. And a compression spring that forces the engagement protrusion and the stopper to engage with each other by pressing in the axial direction, and the movable shaft slides with the combiner arm against the compression spring to move the stopper away from the engagement protrusion. 3. The head mounted display according to claim 2, wherein the combiner is formed so as to be rotated to a jumping position by a lifting spring.   When the combiner is rotated from the jump-up position toward the use position, the engagement protrusion by the engagement protrusion and the stopper is engaged so that the stopper or the engagement protrusion gets over the engagement protrusion or the stopper and engages at the use position. 4. The head mounted display according to claim 3, wherein directivity is imparted. The head mounted display according to claim 3, wherein a push button for pushing the movable shaft in an axial direction against a compression spring is provided at an exposed end of the movable shaft.

Images