Adjustable Waveguide Combiner Mounting for Precise AR Display Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for aligning waveguide combiners in augmented reality displays are intricate, requiring optical jigs, glue, and skilled operators, making them time-consuming, costly, and irreversible.
Innovation Solution
A waveguide combiner assembly with actively adjustable mounting structures allows for spatial adjustment of waveguide combiners relative to a chassis, eliminating the need for external optical jigs and glue, enabling easy, reversible, and cost-effective alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional optical jigs and glue methods are used to align waveguide combiners, then alignment precision is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment functionality from external optical jigs and integrates it directly into the mounting structure itself. The mounting structure includes built-in alignment features such as alignment pins, recesses, and guide surfaces that enable precise positioning of the waveguide combiner without requiring separate optical alignment equipment. This integration eliminates the need for complex external jigs while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure is designed with pre-configured alignment features and positioning elements that establish the correct spatial relationship between components before final assembly. Alignment pins and guide surfaces are built into the mounting structure in advance, allowing the waveguide combiner to be automatically positioned correctly during assembly without requiring subsequent manual alignment operations or complex external alignment equipment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If irreversible glue bonding is used to fix waveguide combiners, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability and ease of repair deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure transitions from static irreversible bonding to dynamic adjustable positioning. The design incorporates movable mounting elements such as clips, latches, or threaded fasteners that allow the waveguide combiner to be securely held in position during use, then easily released and repositioned if needed. This dynamic mounting system provides structural stability during operation while maintaining reversibility for repair or adjustment purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure is divided into separable components that can be independently assembled and disassembled. Instead of using monolithic glue bonding, the design employs multiple discrete mounting elements such as clips, brackets, or threaded fasteners that can be individually installed and removed. This segmentation allows for easy repair and adjustment while maintaining secure attachment during use, as each component can be independently replaced without affecting the entire assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If skilled operators perform manual alignment, then alignment precision is achieved, but productivity and cost-effectiveness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is designed to perform alignment functions automatically during the assembly process without requiring skilled manual intervention. Self-aligning features such as tapered guides, spherical contacts, or precision-machined recesses and protrusions enable the waveguide combiner to self-position correctly as it is installed. This self-service alignment capability eliminates the need for skilled operators to perform complex manual alignment operations, significantly improving productivity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual mechanical alignment procedures with automated mechanical features built into the mounting structure. Instead of requiring skilled operators to manually adjust and align components using external tools, the design incorporates automated alignment mechanisms such as precision-machined guide surfaces, alignment pins that automatically engage, or modular components that snap into place at the correct position. This substitution of manual operations with automated mechanical features dramatically increases alignment speed while maintaining precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
A waveguide combiner assembly for an augmented reality or virtual reality display is disclosed, comprising: a waveguide combiner, having front and rear surfaces which are each substantially parallel to a waveguide plane, the direction normal to the waveguide plane being the waveguide axis, and the distance between the front and rear surfaces along the waveguide axis being the thickness of the waveguide combiner; a chassis including a support arm for supporting the waveguide combiner, the support arm defining a cavity between front and rear walls of the support arm which are spaced along a first direction by a distance greater than the thickness of the waveguide combiner, the waveguide axis and the first direction defining an offset angle between them which may be zero or nonzero, an edge portion of the waveguide combiner extending into the cavity; and at least one actively adjustable mounting structure configured to hold a respective point of the edge portion of the waveguide combiner at a selected position relative to the support arm, thereby enabling adjustment of the offset angle.