Snap Ring Facial Interface Attachment for HMDs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) face frequent wear and tear issues due to direct facial contact, leading to higher replacement rates of their facial interfaces compared to other components.

Innovation Solution

The integration of snap rings onto the eyecup assembly within HMDs, which secure the facial interface to the front body using protrusions and grooves, providing rigidity and a secure attachment mechanism, allowing for easy detachment and reattachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the facial interface is directly attached to the front body without additional securing components, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability and durability of the facial interface attachment deteriorates due to frequent wear and tear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedurability of facial interface attachmentVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment system is segmented into distinct functional components: the facial interface, the snap ring with grooves, and the eyecup assembly with protrusions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide secure attachment, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The snap ring serves as an intermediary component between the facial interface and the eyecup assembly. It mediates the attachment process through its grooves that receive the protrusions, providing a reliable connection without requiring direct attachment between the facial interface and front body, thus improving reliability while maintaining acceptable complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the facial interface is secured with a rigid fixed attachment, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation for detachment and reattachment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity of facial interfaceVSAvoidease of detachment and reattachment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment system transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic snap-fit mechanism. The snap ring can be easily compressed to release the protrusions from the grooves, allowing for simple detachment and reattachment operations while maintaining secure attachment during use, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the snap ring uses a simple friction fit, then the device complexity is reduced, but the force required to detach deteriorates and may damage the facial interface

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment mechanism complexityVSAvoidforce required for detachment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment mechanism replaces simple friction fit with a positive mechanical interlocking system using protrusions and grooves. This substitution provides controlled detachment force that can be managed through the snap ring's elastic deformation, preventing damage to the facial interface while maintaining secure attachment, thus resolving the contradiction between complexity and force requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10591736B1Snap ring for attaching facial interface

Publication Date: 2020.03.17 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A Head-Mounted-Display (HMD) has snap rings assembled onto the eyecup assembly. The HMD includes a front body with an outer case and an eyecup assembly. At least a portion of the eyecup assembly is enclosed in the outer case at a rear portion of the front body. The HMD includes a facial interface of a specific shape and dimension to interface with a user's face at the rear portion of the front body. The HMD includes at least one snap ring assembled onto the eyecup assembly with a front portion of the facial interface between the snap ring and the front body to secure the facial interface to the front body.