New Apple patent introduces removable headband design for Vision Pro

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(XR Navigation Network January 30, 2024）苹果VisionProThe Apple Vision Pro is designed with detachable headbands that are secured by a single mechanism, making it easy to change sizes and shapes. In a patent application titled "Devices with detachable headbands," the company describes the technical details of the invention.

Apple notes that the headband of the headset is removable for ease of replacement, as well as to allow for different users, thus accommodating different head sizes or updating the shape of the headband being used through different headsets.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end of the headband 26 may have a coupling mechanism, such as a pin 30 or other protruding opening configured to receive the member 24 or other housing structure.

A releasable pin mechanism may be used to help secure the end of the headband 26 to the member 24. for example, a first removable pin may be used to removably couple the left end of the headband 26 to a left pin in the left member 24 on the left side of the housing 12, and a second removable pin may be used to removably couple the right end of the headband 26 to a right pin in the right member 24 on the right side of the housing 12.

If desired, the user may flip the headband such that the first removable pin couples the end of the headband 26 previously coupled to the left pin to the right pin, and such that the second removable pin couples the end of the headband 26 previously coupled to the right pin to the left pin.

A pin-based coupling mechanism can help allow a user to removably attach the headband 26 to the member 24, thereby removably attaching the headband 26 to the housing 12.

The headband 26 may have a soft flexible portion and a rigid portion. As an example, the center portion of the headband 26 may be formed from a stretchable fabric. The left and right end portions of the headband 26 may be coupled to opposite ends of the center portion. As an example, said left end and right end portions may have a reinforcing structure.

FIG. 2 shows an end of an illustrative headband 26 and a corresponding end of an illustrative member 24. Member 24 may have a protruding pin such as pin 30. The headband 26 may have a corresponding opening 32.

The opening 32 may be a through-hole opening having a shape that matches the contour of the pin 30. In this example, the pin 30 and opening 32 have an elongated shape when viewed end-to-end. The elongated shape can help resist rotational movement between the longitudinal axis 34 of the headband 26 and the longitudinal axis 36 of the member 24. This helps prevent the headband 26 from sliding upward or downward along the rear surface of the user's head during use.

As shown in FIG. 3, member 24 may have a main portion 24M. main portion 24M may serve as a support for pins 30 and may be formed from rigid polymers, metals, fabrics, carbon fiber composites, and/or other materials. The pins 30 may be attached to the main portion 24M and may protrude inwardly from the portion 24M.

The pin 30 may be formed from a metal, a rigid polymer, other material, or a combination. The pin 30 may have a main portion 30C that protrudes from the surface of the portion 24M. The pin 30 may also have a peripheral protrusion such as a peripheral protruding portion 30P. As an example, portion 30P may run along the periphery of pin 30 and may protrude radially outward from main portion 30C.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the protruding portion 30P has a beveled angle to facilitate entry of the pin 30 into the opening 32 of the headband 26 in the direction 54 and to facilitate removal of the pin 30 from the opening 32 in the opposite direction when separating the headband 26 from the member 24.

The through-hole opening 32 may be formed by cutting or otherwise forming an opening in the portion 44. The periphery of the opening 32 may be reinforced using a pair of mating ring members 40. The members 40 may be interconnected using laser welding and/or other joining mechanisms. Adhesives may optionally be used to help secure the members to the band 44.

When the members 50 are connected to each other, an annular groove is formed, such as groove 52. spring 42 may have an annular shape around opening 32. A gap 48 may be formed on one side of the ring 42. as shown in the top view of the spring 42 of FIG. 4, when the pin 30 is inserted within the opening 32 and the beveled surface of the protruding portion 30P presses radially outwardly against the spring 42, the presence of the gap 48 causes the spring 42 to expand outwardly in the direction 56.

Once the pin 30 is inserted into the opening 32 sufficiently to allow the part 30P to protrude and pass through the spring 42, the spring 42 may contract inwardly into the main part 30C, thereby securing the pin 30 within the opening 32 and securing the headband 26 to the member 24. when it is necessary to remove the headband 26, the headband 26 may be pulled away from the member 24. Upon removal of the headband, the beveled corners on the member 30P compress the spring 42 and radially extend the spring 42, thereby permitting removal of the pin 30 from the opening 32.

A spring-based headband securing mechanism allows the headband 26 to be attached and detached from the member 24. If desired, a pin-based mechanism can be used to secure and release the headband 26.This arrangement is shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in the example of FIG. 5, the system 22 may include a latch mechanism such as a latch 62. The pins 62 may be opened and closed using magnets, springs, sliding components, switching components, rotating components, or other pin structures manipulated by a user. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the pins of the headband 26 have removable pinner components that engage the pins 30 when the pins 30 are disposed within the openings 32 and have an associated release mechanism.

A release mechanism, which may be formed by a strip of flexible material, may be pulled by the user in the direction 64, thereby moving the movable pin member out of engagement with the pin 30. This releases the pin 30 and allows the pin 30 to be removed from the opening 32.

Magnets, spring structures, and/or other biasing structures may be used to close the pinsetter. In one embodiment, member 24 and headband 26 may have magnets that facilitate attachment of headband 26 and member 24. As shown in FIG. 5, pin 30 may have one or more magnets, such as magnet 60. magnet 60 may be used to attract and/or repel corresponding magnets in band 44, thereby assisting in attaching headband 26 to member 24 and/or assisting in closing pin 62.

FIG. 6 is a structure of the pinsetter 62 having a release tab. 62T may be coupled to a slidable pin member 62M. the pin member 62M may move laterally toward the pins 30 in response to a magnetic, spring force, or other biasing force from the biasing mechanism of the pin member such that the tip of the member 62M protrudes below the pins 30. In this way, the pin 30 is retained within the opening 32 until the pin 62 is released.

As shown in FIG. 7, the pin 30 has a magnet 60. the band 44 of the headband 26 has magnets 66, 68, and 70. when the pin 30 is inserted into the opening 32 of the headband 26, the magnet is disposed between the magnet 66 and the magnet 68. In this configuration, the cathode of magnet 60 attracts the anode of magnet 68. Magnet 68 is connected to slidable pin member 62M.

The magnetic attraction between the magnet 60 and the magnet 68 pulls the pin member 62M towards the pin 30 until the tip of the pin member 62M receives the protruding portion 30P of the pin 30. in this position, the pin 62 closes and the pin 30 is retained within the opening 32, i.e. the headband 62 is attached to the member 24.

When the pin 30 is not inserted into the opening 32, the cathode of the magnet 70 attracts the anode of the magnet 68 and vice versa, and when the pin 30 is not present, the magnet 68 is aligned with the magnet 70. The magnet 70 is attached to the band 44 and the magnet 68 is attached to the slidable pin member 62M. Due to the magnetic attraction between the magnet 70 and the magnets 68, 70, the member 62M moves to the open pin position 62M '. This ensures that in the absence of the pin 30, the tip of the member 62M facing the opening 32 does not protrude into the opening 32 and is therefore not visible within the opening 32.

When the user wishes to attach the headband 26 to the member 24, the user places the opening 32 of the headband 26 in close proximity to the pin 30. As the opening 32 is moved toward the pin 30, the cathode of the magnet 66 attracts the anode of the magnet 60 and the anode of the magnet 68 attracts the cathode of the magnet 60, so that the force exhibited at the pin 30 feels balanced. This tends to align the pin 30 with the opening 32 and pull the pin 30 into the opening 32, thereby reducing the need for the user to precisely align the pin 30 with the opening 32.

FIG. 7 illustrates the use of magnetic force for three different functions. First, the magnetic force is utilized to automatically retract the latch member 62M to the 62M ' position while separating the headband 26 and the member 24. This automatic magnetic latch opening mechanism helps to keep latch member 62M out of use while the opening 32 is open.

Second, when the user first attaches the headband 26 to the member 24, magnetic attraction is utilized to guide the pin 30 into the opening 32 without drawing too much attention to the user.

Third, after receiving the pin 30 within the opening 32, the pin member 62M is pulled under the protrusion 30P using magnetic attraction, thereby magnetically closing the pin 62.

As shown in FIG. 8, the pin element 26M may be biased using a biasing member 80. The biasing member 8, may be a spring formed from an elastomeric material, and/or may be formed from other spring structures exhibiting spring force. For example, the component 80 of FIG. 8 may be used to push away from the band 44, thereby pushing the pin member 62M into engagement with the pin 30 when the pin 30 is received within the opening 32. A compression spring or other extended biasing member may be used to move any suitable removable structure associated with the pin 62.

As shown in FIG. 9, biasing member 80 may be used for tension. In the illustrative configuration of FIG. 9, member 80 is pulling member 62M toward opening 32. generally, a tension spring or other tension biasing member may pull on any suitable pin structure in pin 62.

FIGS. 10 and 11 exemplify the use of a spring formed from an elastomeric band. As shown in the top view of FIG. 10, for example, the spring member 80 may extend between a portion of the headband 26 and the locking member 62M. When member 62M moves away from port 32, member 80 stretches. This creates an opposing recovery spring force that may pull member 62M toward opening 32, allowing member 62M to engage pin 30 in opening 32.

A cross-sectional side view of the system 22 of FIG. 11 further illustrates this type of elastomeric band spring biasing mechanism. As shown in FIG. 11, the biasing member 80 may have an annular shape that extends through a portion of the band 44 and through a grooved portion of the pin member 62M.

The pin 30 may have a protruding portion, such as portion 30P, into which the pin member 62M may be received when the pin 62 is closed. When it is necessary to open the pin 62, a release tab or other release mechanism attached to the member 62M may pull the tip of the pin member 62M out of the recess 82. This will release the protruding portion 30P from the tip of the latch member 62M, thereby unlocking the latch 62 and allowing the pin 30 to be removed from the opening 32.

At the same time, moving the pin member 62M away from the opening 32 tensions the member 80. when it is desired to attach the headband 26 to the member 24, this tension can be used to move the member 62M into the groove 82 so that the member 62M engages the pin 30.

In the illustrative pin arrangement of FIG. 11, the pin member 62M has cam surfaces, such as angled surfaces 84. for example, when the pin 30 is inserted into the opening 32, the portion 30P can bear against the surfaces 84, thereby forcing the pin member 62M away from the pin 30 to open the pin 62. once the portion 30P has moved past all of the surfaces 84, the pin member 62M can be closed under the latching of the pin member 80 biasing force to move into the recess 82.

FIG. 12 shows that the pin member 62M may have both outward and inward cam faces 88. The protrusion 30P may have corresponding outward and inward cam faces 86. with this arrangement, when the vertical pin 30 is inserted into the opening 32, the outward cam face of the protrusion 30P may engage with the inward cam face of the latch member 62M, thereby moving the latch member 62M away from the vertical pin 30, leaving the latch 62 in an open state.

Upon insertion of the riser pin 30 in the opening 32, the biasing mechanism for closing the pin 62 pushes the pin member 62M against the riser pin 30 and engages the protrusion 30P, securing the riser pin 30 in the opening 32. When the user wishes to remove the headband 26 from the member 24, the user may pull the headband 26 away from the member 24 so that the inward camming surface 86 of the protrusion 30P and the outward camming surface 88 of the latch member 62M bear against each other, thereby pushing the latch member 62M into the open position.

In addition to or instead of using a pull-to-release mechanism to release the latch 62, the latch 62 may have one or more of the illustrative latch release mechanisms shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 13, the pin 62 may have a movable pin member, such as a pin member 62M having a cam surface. a biasing mechanism may be used to push the pin member 62M into its closed position, wherein the pin member 62M engages the protruding portion 30P of the pin 30 and secures the member 24 and the headband 26 together.

With this arrangement, the pin 62 is provided with a button. Said button may have a removable button member, such as a button member 90 coupled to the pin 30.When a user wishes to release the pin 62, the user may press the button member 90 inwardly, causing the button member 90 to move inwardly and cause the button member cam surface 92 to engage the cam surface 94 of the pin member 62M. This pushes the pin member 62M away from the pin 30, thereby opening the pin and allowing the pin 30 to be removed from the opening 32.

In another illustrative latch release device, the latch 62 has a toggle release mechanism. As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the toggle lever 96 may be coupled to the latch member 62M via a swivel connection 100 and may be coupled to a structure in the band 44 of the headband 26 via a swivel connection 98. This allows a user to move the latch member 62M to its open position ( by flipping the lever 96.

In yet another illustrative pin release device, a slider mechanism may be used for a pin release operation. As shown in FIG. 13, the slider member 102 may be attached to the pin member 62M. With this arrangement, a user can open the latch 62 by means of the slider member 102 away from the pin 30.

Additional pin releases can be used if required. The pin release device may be used with any suitable pin biasing scheme. There may be a single pin member 62M in the pin 62, or a plurality of pin members 62M may be used in the pin 62.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of headband 26 in an illustrative configuration in which headband 44 has pin member recesses 104. recesses 104 may be formed on opposing sides of openings 32 and may be configured to receive respective pin members disposed on opposing sides of pins 30. With this type of arrangement, the pin member retracts into the pin 30 to open the pin 62 and extends out of the pin 30 into the opening 104 of the headband 44 to close the pin 62.

FIG. 15 is a top view of an illustrative pin for use in member 24, said member 24 having a movable pin insert member 62M for forming a pin 62. in this example, pin 30 has a main portion 30MP to which pin insert member 26M is slidingly coupled. When it is necessary to release the headband 26 from the member 24, the movable pin insert member 26M is placed in a retracted position as shown.

Upon insertion of the pin 30 into the opening 32 of the band 44 of the headband 26, the pin member 26M is movable outwardly in the direction 106. This causes the pin member 62M to move into the opening 104 of the band 44 of FIG. 14, thereby closing the pin and securing the headband 26 to the member 24.

The Apple patent application titled "Devices with detachable headbands" was originally filed in July 2022 and was recently published by the USPTO.