Apple patents head-mounted display with rotating face seal
Apple has been granted a patent for a head-mounted device featuring a light seal that fits the face using separate, movable sections. These sections for the forehead, nose, cheeks, and sides can rotate independently to press against the skin, creating a tight seal to block outside light.
In the filing’s own words
A head-mountable device can include adaptable components, which move to comfortably engage the face of the user and to exclude light from an external environment. A head-mountable device can include a light seal element that includes discrete portions that rotate relative to each other and to a user. Such mobility allows the portions to be oriented with respect to corresponding regions of the face, so that an engagement surface of each portion directly engages the corresponding region of the face to maximize the surface area of contact.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A head-mountable device comprising: a frame; a display element supported by the frame; and a light seal element coupled to the frame and comprising: an outer side configured to releasably engage the frame; bridge elements extending from the outer side; a forehead portion configured to engage a forehead of a user, the forehead portion being coupled to the outer side by a first pair of joints configured to provide the forehead portion with rotational movement with respect to the outer side of the light seal element and about a first axis extending through the first pair of joints; a nose portion configured to engage a nose of the user, the nose portion being coupled to the outer side by a second pair of joints configured to provide the nose portion with rotational movement with respect to the outer side of the light seal element and about a second axis extending through the second pair of joints; a first cheek portion configured to engage a first cheek of the user, the first cheek portion being coupled to the outer side by a third pair of the joints configured to provide the first cheek portion with rotational movement with respect to the outer side of the light seal element and about a third axis extending through the third pair of joints, wherein the third pair of the joints includes a first joint of the second pair of joints; a second cheek portion configured to engage a second cheek of the user, the first cheek portion being coupled to the outer side by a fourth pair of joints configured to provide the second cheek portion with rotational movement with respect to the outer side of the light seal element and about a fourth axis extending through the fourth pair of joints, wherein the fourth pair of the joints includes a second joint of the second pair of joints; and a side portion configured to engage a side of a face of the user, the side portion being coupled to the outer side by a fifth pair of joints configured to provide the side portion with rotational movement with respect to the outer side of the light seal element and about a fifth axis extending through the fifth pair of joints, wherein the fifth pair of the joints includes a first joint of the first pair of joints.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Head-mountable device with adaptable fit
- Patent number
- US12769138B2
- Application number
- 18125065
- Filed
- Mar 22, 2023
- Granted
- Oct 20, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 22
Classified under
G02B 27/0176 Physics & computingG02B 27/0172 Physics & computingG02B 2027/0138 Physics & computingG02B 2027/0158 Physics & computingG02B 2027/0169 Physics & computingMore from Apple in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.