JPH10123455A - Head mounted display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an optical element and an arm from being broken at the time of colliding with an obstacle on a front side at a head mounted display device provided with the optical element attached at the front end of the arm extended from one side of an observer to a front side. SOLUTION: A holding means holding a picture displaying means 2 and also attachable to the head part of the observer A is provided. Picture display light emitted to the front side of the observer A is led to the pupil of the observer A by changing an optical path by the optical element 7 attached at the front end of the arm 5a extended from one side of the observer A to the front side. The optical element 7 is connected with the arm 5a in a displaceable state so as to escape from external force applied from the front side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device (head mounted display (HMD)) capable of mounting an image display means on an observer's head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A head-mounted display device having image display means and holding means which holds the image display means and can be mounted on the observer's head has been conventionally used.

[0003]

When information for supporting various operations is displayed as an image by such a head-mounted display device, when the image is displayed over the entire visual field of the observer, the image is displayed. However, it gets in the way of work.
Further, it is desired that such a head mounted display device is as small and lightweight as possible.

Therefore, as an image display means, a display for emitting image display light toward the front of the observer, an arm extending forward from one side of the observer, and an optical element attached to the front end of the arm A monocular-view head-mounted display device has been considered which has an optical element that changes the optical path of image display light by the optical element and guides the light to the pupil of the observer. As a result, a display image can be formed at a position far in front of one pupil of the observer, so that the display image does not disturb the work, and the size and weight of the apparatus can be reduced.

However, in this configuration, since an optical element for changing the optical path of the image display light is disposed in front of the observer, when an obstacle in front collides with the optical element, an external force that damages the optical element and the arm is obtained. Works.

An object of the present invention is to provide a head-mounted display device that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises image display means, and holding means for holding the image display means and being attachable to the observer's head. Means for emitting image display light toward the front, an arm extending forward from one side of the observer, and an optical element attached to the front end of the arm, and changing the optical path of the image display light by the optical element A head-mounted display device for guiding to an observer's pupil, wherein the optical element is displaceably connected to the arm so as to escape from an external force acting from the front.

According to the structure of the present invention, when an optical element collides with a front obstacle and an external force acts on the optical element from the front, the optical element is displaced so as to escape from the external force. And the arm can be prevented from being damaged.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A head mounted display 1 of the monocular type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an image display unit 2 and a holding unit 3 for the display unit 2.

The display unit 2 includes a housing 5 disposed on one side of the observer A, an image display (not shown) incorporated in the housing 5, and a display unit 2 disposed in front of the observer A from the housing 5. It has an arm 5a extending in the opposite direction, and a combiner (optical element) 7 attached to the front end of the arm 5a.

The image display can be constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display with a backlight. The image display is connected to a source of a video signal via a cable 8 and emits image display light toward the front of the observer A.

The combiner 7 is disposed in front of the observer A, and the image display device changes the optical path of the image display light L emitted toward the front of the observer A as shown by a dashed line in FIG. Leads to one eye of person A. This allows
A virtual image of the observation target is formed in front of the observer A. Light from the front of the combiner 7 passes through the combiner 7 and reaches one eye of the observer A, so that the observer A can visually recognize both the virtual image and the real object in front. The combiner 7 can be configured by, for example, a half mirror that changes the optical path of the image display light L by reflection, or a hologram element that changes by diffraction. It is preferable that the optical path changing surface of the combiner 7 be a curved surface that makes the virtual image of the observation target an imaging position far in front of the observer A than the flat surface.

The holding portion 3 is detachably mounted on the head of the observer A, and includes a support member 11 and first to fourth abutment members 12a, 12a and 12b connected to the support member 11.
b, 12c and 12d.

The support member 11 comprises a right support 21 and
It has a left support 22 and a connector 23 connected to both supports 21, 22. The connecting body 23 includes both supports 2
It is made elastically deformable so that the left-right distance between the first and the second 22 can be elastically widened. The two supports 21, 22
Is smaller than the left-right distance of the head of the observer A when the elastic deformation of the connecting body 23 is released. The connection position between each of the supports 21 and 22 and the connection body 23 can be changed up and down. Although the display unit 2 is attached to the right support 21 in the illustrated example, it can be attached to and detached from each of the supports 21 and 22 so as to be attached to the left support 21 as shown in FIG. You may. Thereby, the display unit 2 can be held on both the right and left sides of the head by the holding unit 3 according to the effect of the observer A and the state of the eyes. Can be removed. Further, the display unit 2 is attached to each of the supports 21 and 22 via a spherical seat (not shown) so as to be able to move along the spherical surface so that the direction of the virtual image of the observation target with respect to the observer A can be freely changed. Is also good.

Each contact member 12a, 12b, 12c, 12
d is constituted by a shock absorbing pad such as a sponge, and the first contact member 12a and the second contact member 12b are
1 and is pressed against the front and back of the right side of the head of the observer A, and the third abutment member 12c and the fourth abutment member 12d are attached to the left support 22 and separated to the left and right of the head. Pressed into place.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the combiner 7 is attached to the front end of the arm 5a via first and second hinge mechanisms 31, 32. That is,
In the first hinge mechanism 31, a fitting portion 34a extending downward from the upper end of the connecting member 34 is fitted into a concave portion 33 of an upward opening formed integrally with the front end of the arm 5a, and is fitted with the arm 5a. The portion 34a is connected via a hinge shaft 35 having a horizontal axis extending in the left-right direction. The second
In the hinge mechanism 32, a cover 36 fixed to one side of the combiner 7 is fitted to support pieces 34b and 34c extending laterally from the upper and lower ends of the connecting member 34, and the support pieces 34b and 34c and the cover 36 are joined together. They are connected via a hinge shaft 37 having a vertical axis along the vertical direction. Thus, the combiner 7 can be rotationally displaced about the center of the vertical axis and the center of the horizontal axis on the left and right so as to escape from an external force acting from the front. An appropriate frictional force for regulating the rotational displacement of the combiner 7 acts.
Can be positioned at a fixed position.

According to the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, even if the combiner 7 collides with the obstacle S ahead and an external force acts on the combiner 7 from the front, the combiner 7 escapes from the external force. The displacement as shown by the two-dot chain line can prevent the combiner 7 and the arm 5a from being damaged.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the combiner 7 is connected to the arm 5
a, it is rotatably connected to two axial centers along two directions orthogonal to each other by an external force received from the front, but may be rotatably connected to one axial center by the external force, or may be connected to three directions orthogonal to each other. It may be rotatably connected to three axial centers along it, may be movably connected along a spherical surface via a ball joint or the like, or restores the displacement of the combiner 7 by releasing the action of the external force. The connection may be elastically displaceable via a spring or the like. Alternatively, the combiner 7 may be connected to the arm 5a via an elastic member such as rubber so as to be elastically displaceable in an arbitrary direction by the external force. In the above embodiment, the combiner 7 is used to guide the image display light L to the observer A, but a mirror that totally reflects the image display light L may be used.

[0020]

According to the present invention, in a head-mounted display device having an optical element attached to a front end of an arm extending forward from one side of an observer, the optical element and the arm are connected to a front obstacle. Damage can be prevented when a collision occurs.

[0021]

Preferably, the optical element is connected to the arm so as to be rotatable about a plurality of axes along two or more directions perpendicular to each other so as to escape an external force acting from the front. Alternatively, the optical element is preferably movably connected to the arm along a spherical surface so as to escape an external force acting from the front. Thereby, damage of the optical element and the arm can be more reliably prevented.

The optical element is preferably connected to the arm so as to be elastically displaceable so as to escape from an external force acting from the front. Thus, the displacement of the optical element can be restored by releasing the action of the external force.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a head-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a case where the display unit of the head-mounted display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is arranged on the right eye side.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of the head-mounted display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view when the display unit of the head-mounted display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is arranged on the left eye side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Display unit 3 Holder 5a Arm 7 Combiner (optical element) A Observer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image display device comprising: an image display unit; and a holding unit that holds the image display unit and is attachable to a head of an observer. The image display unit emits image display light toward a front of the observer. And an arm extending forward from one side of the observer, and an optical element attached to the front end of the arm. The optical element changes the optical path of the image display light and guides it to the observer's pupil. A head-mounted display device, wherein the optical element is displaceably connected to the arm so as to escape from an external force acting from the front.