Dynamic Display Seals for Focus Adjustment and Moisture Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-resolution display devices, such as wearable head-mounted displays, require internal seals that allow for adjustment of components while maintaining protection from water, moisture, and debris, posing challenges due to limited space and the need for durable, low-force seals with high cycle-to-failure characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The use of deformable seals with various configurations, including J-shaped, U-shaped, bellows, and sinusoidal designs, that connect between the internal housing and display module, allowing for relative movement while inhibiting the ingress of foreign materials and accommodating large ranges of motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid seal is used to protect internal components from water and moisture, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the seal cannot accommodate component movement and requires higher adjustment forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane seal that can deform elastically to accommodate movement of the display panel and lens components. The membrane is configured to seal the internal compartment while allowing controlled deformation during focus adjustment, thereby maintaining protection against water and moisture ingress without requiring high adjustment forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible membrane that can change its shape and configuration in response to component movement. The membrane's elastic properties enable it to dynamically adapt to the changing spatial relationships between components during focus adjustment while maintaining the sealed environment.
2Ease of operation
If a flexible seal is used to allow component movement, then ease of adjustment is improved, but protection against foreign materials deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane seal maintains its integrity as a continuous barrier while deforming to accommodate component movement. The membrane's elastic properties allow it to return to its original configuration after deformation, ensuring continuous protection against foreign materials ingress while enabling the required range of motion for focus adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane seal is pre-configured with elastic compliance that cushions the movement of components during adjustment. This pre-engineered flexibility allows the seal to accommodate component displacement without creating gaps or openings that would compromise protection, effectively cushioning both the mechanical movement and the sealing function.
3Reliability
If the seal is made highly durable to resist fatigue from repeated adjustments, then reliability is improved, but the seal may become too stiff to allow sufficient range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane seal is constructed from elastomeric materials that inherently provide both durability and flexibility. The material selection and thickness are engineered to provide sufficient elastic compliance for the required range of motion while maintaining high fatigue resistance through the material's inherent elasticity and ability to recover from repeated deformations.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal's mechanical properties are optimized by adjusting parameters such as material composition, thickness, and geometric configuration. These parameter changes enable the seal to achieve the desired balance between durability and flexibility, allowing sufficient range of motion for focus adjustment while maintaining high resistance to fatigue from repeated adjustments.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the internal compartment is completely sealed to protect delicate components, then protection effectiveness is improved, but adjustment mechanisms become overly taxed due to friction
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane seal reduces friction between the moving components and the sealed compartment by eliminating rigid contact surfaces. The membrane's compliance allows it to deform smoothly during component movement, minimizing frictional forces and reducing the load on the actuator while maintaining the sealed environment for delicate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These seals provide effective protection against water, moisture, and debris while enabling precise adjustments, reducing strain on the actuator and increasing the usable life of the display system by allowing for controlled deformation and minimizing stress concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
a seal that extends between the internal housing and the display module so as to permit relative movement between the lens and the display module
Implementation Method 2
the arcuate segment may include a series of corrugations to facilitate controlled deformation of the seal during relative movement between the lens and the display module
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable display system includes a housing, a display module positioned within the housing and including a lens and a display panel, and a seal extending between the housing and the display module. The seal is configured to allow relative movement between the lens and the display panel to adjust focus of the display panel. In one aspect, the seal includes first and second segments with generally linear configurations and a third segment with an arcuate configuration that is positioned between the first and second segments. In another aspect, the seal includes a first portion with an arcuate configuration and a second portion with a linear configuration and a bellows portion. In another aspect, the seal includes corrugations to facilitate controlled deformation of the seal during relative movement of the display module.