Patent Application
20240329412
The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2023-054841, filed Mar. 30, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a head-mounted display apparatus and an optical module that enable observation of a virtual image, and a manufacturing method of the optical module.
A head-mounted display apparatus has been known in which a unit that houses optical members such as an image forming element and a lens is covered with a housing, and packing is provided between a light-guiding member exposed outside and the housing, in order to ensure dust resistance and water resistance (JP 2009-157291 A).
In the apparatus of the related art described above, since the housing and an elastic encapsulation member such as the packing are required in order to house the optical members in the unit and further to obtain the dust resistance, the apparatus becomes large in order to obtain the dust resistance. Note that when an adhesive material is used instead of the packing, the adhesive material may enter an inside of the housing from between the housing and the light-guiding member. When a photo-curable type adhesive is used as the adhesive material, a portion to which light does not reach is uncured.
A head-mounted display apparatus in an aspect of the present disclosure includes an image forming element, a holder including a supporting member supporting the image forming element and a fixing member coupled to the supporting member, an optical member on which image light from the image forming element is incident, and a case configured to house the optical member and hold the image forming element therein via the holder, wherein the holder includes a transparent portion, the fixing member is fixed to an outside of the case by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is interposed between the transparent portion and the case.
An optical module in an aspect of the present disclosure includes an image forming element, a holder including a supporting member supporting the image forming element and a fixing member coupled to the supporting member, an optical member on which image light from the image forming element is incident, and a case configured to house the optical member and hold the image forming element therein via the holder, wherein the holder includes a transparent portion, the fixing member is fixed to an outside of the case by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is interposed between the transparent portion and the case.
A first embodiment of a head-mounted display apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to
The HMD 200 includes a right-eye first display device 100A, a left-eye second display device 100B, a pair of temple type support devices 100C that support the display devices 100A and 100B, and a user terminal 90 as an information terminal. The first display device 100A alone functions as an HMD, and includes a first display driving unit 102a arranged at an upper portion thereof, and a first combiner 103a that has a spectacle lens shape and covers a front of an eye. The second display device 100B alone functions as an HMD similarly, and includes a second display driving unit 102b arranged at an upper portion thereof, and a second combiner 103b that has a spectacle lens shape and covers a front of an eye. The support devices 100C are mounting members mounted on a head of the wearer US, and support upper end sides of the pair of combiners 103a and 103b via the display driving units 102a and 102b that are integrated in appearance. The first display device 100A and the second display device 100B are optically identical or left-right inverted, and detailed description of the second display device 100B will be omitted.
In the first display device 100A, the first image forming element 11a is an image-light generating device of a self-luminous type. The first image forming element 11a emits the image light ML to the first projection optical system 12a. The first image forming element 11a is housed and supported in the barrel 41 from behind. The first image forming element 11a is, for example, an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display, and forms a color still image or moving image on a two-dimensional display surface 11d. The first image forming element 11a performs display operation by being driven by a display control device 88 including the driving circuit member 80a. The first image forming element 11a is not limited to the organic EL display, and may be replaced with a display device using inorganic EL, an organic LED, an LED array, a laser array, a quantum dot light emission element, or the like. The first image forming element 11a is not limited to the image-light generating device of a self-luminous type, and it may be possible to employ a device including an LCD or other light modulating elements and illuminating the light modulating elements using a light source such as backlight to form an image. As for the first image forming element 11a, it may be possible to use liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS, LCOS is a registered trademark), a digital micro-mirror device, or the like, instead of the LCD. Note that an optical device obtained by excluding the driving circuit member 80a and the display control device 88 from the first display device 100A is also referred to as an optical module 100.
The first display section 20a includes two reflection surfaces, and an optical path is bent, by the see-through mirror 23 and the prism mirror 22. The first display section 20a is an off-axis optical system OS. The projection lens 21, the prism mirror 22, and the see-through mirror 23 are disposed to be non-axisymmetric. In this first display section 20a, by bending an optical axis AX in an off-axis surface parallel to a YZ plane which is a reference surface, the optical elements 21, 22 and 23 are arrayed along the off-axis surface (that is, the reference surface). Specifically, in the off-axis surface parallel to the YZ plane and corresponding to a plane of paper, an optical path portion P1 from the projection lens 21 to a reflection surface 22b, an optical path portion P2 from the reflection surface 22b to the see-through mirror 23, and an optical path portion P3 from the see-through mirror 23 to the pupil position PP are arranged so as to be bent in a Z shape in two stages.
In the first display section 20a, the optical path portion P1 from the projection lens 21 to the reflection surface 22b extends in a slightly obliquely upward direction or a direction nearly parallel to the Z direction toward a back side with respect to a viewpoint. The optical path portion P2 from the reflection surface 22b to the see-through mirror 23 extends obliquely downward toward a front side. With a horizontal plane direction (XZ plane) as a reference, an inclination of the optical path portion P2 is larger than an inclination of the optical path portion P1. The optical path portion P3 from the see-through mirror 23 to the pupil position PP extends slightly obliquely upward or in a direction nearly parallel to the Z direction toward the back side. In the illustrated example, a portion of the optical axis AX corresponding to the optical path portion P3 corresponds to about −10°, with a downward direction toward the +Z direction as negative. That is, a see-through mirror 23 reflects the image light ML with the optical axis AX or the optical path portion P3 directed upward by a predetermined angle, that is, upward by about 10°. As a result, an exit optical axis EX obtained by extending a portion of the optical axis AX that corresponds to the optical path portion P3 extends so as to be tilted downward by approximately 10° relative to a central axis HX parallel to the +Z direction at the front.
In the first display section 20a, the projection lens 21 includes a first lens 21o, a second lens 21p, and a third lens 21q. The projection lens 21 receives the image light ML emitted from the first image forming element 11a and causes the image light ML to be incident on the prism mirror 22. The projection lens 21 focuses the image light ML emitted from the first image forming element 11a into a state close to a parallel luminous flux. Optical surfaces of the first lens 21o, the second lens 21p, and the third lens 21q constituting the projection lens 21, that is, incident surfaces and emission surfaces of these lenses are free form surfaces or aspherical surfaces. The incident surfaces and the emission surface of the first lens 21o, the second lens 21p, and the third lens 21q are each asymmetric with respect to a longitudinal direction parallel to the YZ plane and intersecting the optical axis AX with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween, and are each symmetric with respect to the lateral direction or the X direction with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween. The first lens 21o, the second lens 21p, and the third lens 21q are made of, for example, resin, but may also be made of glass. An antireflection film can be formed at each of the optical surfaces of the first lens 21o, the second lens 21p and the third lens 21q constituting the projection lens 21.
The prism mirror 22 is an optical member having a refractive reflection function that is a mixture of a mirror function and a lens function, and refracts and reflects the image light ML from the projection lens 21. The prism mirror 22 includes an incident surface 22a arranged on the light emission side of the first optical member 2a, the reflection surface 22b for bending the optical axis AX, and an emission surface 22c facing the reflection surface 22b and arranged in a direction symmetrical to the incident surface 22a. The prism mirror 22 emits the image light ML incident from the front side, at which the projection lens 21 is disposed, with the image light ML bent in a direction inclined downward with respect to a direction reverse to an incident direction (a direction of a light source as seen from the prism mirror 22). The incident surface 22a, the reflection surface 22b, and the emission surface 22c which are the optical surfaces constituting the prism mirror 22 are asymmetrical to the longitudinal direction parallel to the YZ plane and intersecting the optical axis AX with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween, and are symmetrical to the lateral direction or the X direction with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween. The optical surfaces of the prism mirror 22, that is, the incident surface 22a, the reflection surface 22b and the emission surface 22c are, for example, free form surfaces. The incident surface 22a, the reflection surface 22b and the emission surface 22c are not limited to the free form surfaces, and may be aspherical surfaces. The prism mirror 22 may be made of, for example, resin, but may also be formed of glass. The reflection surface 22b is not limited to one that reflects the image light ML by total reflection, and may be a reflection surface constituted by a metal film or a dielectric multilayer film. In this case, a reflection film formed of a single layer film or multilayer film formed of metal such as Al or Ag is formed above the reflection surface 22b by vapor deposition or the like, or a sheet-shaped reflection film formed of metal is affixed thereto. Although detailed illustration is omitted, an antireflection film can be formed above the incident surface 22a and the emission surface 22c.
The emission surface 22c of the prism mirror 22 is a concave surface as a whole, is a concave surface on the off-axis plane that is parallel to the YZ plane and through which the optical axis AX passes, that is, on the plane of paper, and is also a concave surface in a cross-section CS perpendicular to the YZ plane and passing through a center of the emission surface 22c. The emission surface 22c of the prism mirror 22 is exposed at an emission opening 410 of the barrel 41, thus by being formed as the concave surface, contact with an external object can be easily avoided and occurrence of damage can be suppressed. The emission surface 22c of the prism mirror 22 is arranged near an intermediate image IM and is arranged at a position where a light flux cross-section of the image light ML is narrowed, thus an area thereof can be made relatively small. By making the area of the emission surface 22c of the prism mirror 22 relatively small, it is also possible to suppress damage occurring in the emission surface 22c.
The see-through mirror 23, that is, the first combiner 103a is a curved plate-shaped reflective optical member that functions as a concave surface mirror, and partially reflects the image light ML from the prism mirror 22, and partially transmits outside light OL. The see-through mirror 23 reflects the image light ML from the prism mirror 22 toward the pupil position PP. The see-through mirror 23 includes a reflection surface 23a and an outer surface 230. The see-through mirror 23 is a concave mirror that covers the pupil position PP at which the eye EY or the pupil is arranged, has a concave shape toward the pupil position PP, and has a convex shape toward the outside. The pupil position PP or an opening PPa thereof is referred to as an eye point or an eye box, and corresponds to an emission pupil EP of the first display section 20a including the see-through mirror 23. The see-through mirror 23, as the concave mirror having positive power, enables enlarged viewing of the intermediate image IM formed by the first image forming element 11a and re-imaged by the first projection optical system 12a.
The see-through mirror 23 has a structure in which a transmissive reflective film 23a is formed above a back surface of a plate-shaped body 23b. The reflection surface 23a of the see-through mirror 23 is asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal direction parallel to the YZ plane and intersecting the optical axis AX, with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween, and is symmetric with respect to the lateral direction or the X direction with the optical axis AX interposed therebetween. The reflection surface 23c of the see-through mirror 23 is, for example, a free form surface. The reflection surface 23c is not limited to the free form surface, and may be an aspherical surface.
The reflection surface 23c of the see-through mirror 23 transmits a part of light when the image light ML is reflected. Thus, because the outside light OL passes through the see-through mirror 23, see-through view of the outside is enabled, and a virtual image can be superimposed on an outside image. At this time, when the plate-shaped body 23b has a thickness of less than or equal to approximately a few millimeters, a change in magnification of the outside image can be curbed to be small. A reflectance of the reflection surface 23c with respect to the image light ML and the outside light OL is set to from 10% to 50% in a range of an incident angle of the assumed image light ML from the viewpoint of ensuring a brightness of the image light ML and facilitating observation of the outside image by see-through. The plate-shaped body 23b which is a base material of the see-through mirror 23 is formed of, for example, resin, and may also be formed of glass. The plate-shaped body 23b is formed of the same material as a support plate 61 that supports the plate-shaped body 23b from the surrounding thereof, and has the same thickness as the support plate 61. The transmissive reflective film 23a is formed of, for example, a dielectric multilayer film configured of a plurality of dielectric layers having an adjusted film thickness. The transmissive reflective film 23a may be a single-layer film or a multilayer film of metal such as Al or Ag of which a film thickness has been adjusted. The transmissive reflective film 23a may be formed by laminating using deposition, for example, and may also be formed by affixing a sheet-shaped reflection film. An antireflection film is formed at the outer surface 230 of the plate-shaped body 23b.
The optical path will be described. The image light ML from the first image forming element 11a enters the projection lens 21 and is output from the projection lens 21 in a substantially collimated state. The image light ML that has passed through the projection lens 21 is incident on the prism mirror 22, passes through the incident surface 22a while being refracted by the incident surface 22a, is reflected by the reflection surface 22b with a high reflectance close to 100%, and is refracted again by the emission surface 22c. The image light ML from the prism mirror 22, after once forming the intermediate image IM, is incident on the see-through mirror 23 and is reflected by the reflection surface 23c with a reflectance of about 50% or less. The image light ML reflected by the see-through mirror 23 is incident on the pupil position PP at which the eye EY or pupil of the wearer US is placed. The outside light OL that has passed through the see-through mirror 23 and the support plate 61 therearound is also incident on the pupil position PP. In other words, the wearer US wearing the first display device 100A can observe a virtual image of the image light ML in a state where it is superimposed on an external image.
Referring to
The first imaging optical system 120a includes the first projection optical system 12a and the first combiner 103a in an integrated state, and the second imaging optical system 120b includes a second projection optical system 12b and the second combiner 103b in an integrated state. In the barrel 41 housing the first projection optical system 12a, an upper end 61g of the first combiner 103a is fixed to the barrel 41 by adhesion or the like in a positioned state. The barrel 41 supporting the first combiner 103a includes a space for housing the first image forming element 11a in addition to the first projection optical system 12a, and supports the first image forming element 11a and the like in a positioned state with respect to the projection lens 21 and the like illustrated in
A structure of the barrel 41, that is, the case CA, will be described with reference to
The barrel 41 or the case CA includes a barrel body 41a and the barrel cover 41u, houses the first optical member 2a and holds the second optical member 2b. The barrel body 41a and the barrel cover 41u are made of a resin material such as polycarbonate resin to which a black pigment is added to provide light-shielding properties. The barrel body 41a is a bathtub-shaped vessel with an open top, and includes the emission opening 410 at a part of a bottom. The barrel cover 41u is fixed so as to cover the barrel body 41a from above. The barrel body 41a includes two side plate members 41c, a bottom plate member 41d, a front plate member 41e and two protruding portions 41f and 41g (see
At an inside of the side plate member 41c on one side, guide convex portions 45a, 45b, 45c and 45d each having steps, as protrusions for supporting the first lens 21o, the second lens 21p and the third lens 21q constituting the first optical member 2a, and the prism mirror 22 of the second optical member 2b are formed. Note that although not illustrated, guide convex portions similar to the guide convex portions 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d are also formed at an inner surface of the side plate member 41c on another side (see
The barrel cover 41u is disposed on an opposite side of the bottom plate member 41d and covers an inside of the barrel body 41a to form a housing space IS. The barrel cover 41u includes a top plate 41x and a rear plate 41y. The top plate 41x extends parallel to the XZ plane, and the rear plate 41y is arranged to be inclined so as to cover an outside of the reflection surface 22b of the prism mirror 22 of the second optical member 2b. In the barrel cover 41u, a positioning holder pedestal 41s lowered by a predetermined height from a periphery is formed at the front +Z side, and an insertion opening 41z is formed in front of the holder pedestal 41s. The holder pedestal 41s provided at the barrel cover 41u faces a base plate 31b of the holder 31 for the first image forming element 11a. The base plate 31b is fixed to the barrel 41 while covering a part or all of the insertion opening 41z. An inner surface 41m of the rear plate 41y is inclined with respect to the XZ plane and the XY plane, and extends along the reflection surface 22b of the prism mirror 22 to the vicinity of the reflection surface 22b. A uniform gap GA is formed between the outside of the reflection surface 22b and the inner surface 41m of the rear plate 41y.
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
In the above description, a combination of the sealing members SM1 and SM2 is referred to as a dust-proof structure DP1 of the optical members 2a and 2b. The dust-proof structure DP1 is formed of, for example, a photo-curable resin, and secures a dust-proof property of the barrel 41 or the case CA while maintaining a state where the optical members 2a and 2b are positioned with respect to the barrel 41.
In the barrel 41, the first image forming element 11a supported by the holder 31 is inserted into a space ISa facing the front plate member 41e from above through the insertion opening 41z and fixed in a positioned state. In this case, the first image forming element 11a is arranged in the barrel 41 and is less likely to be affected by impact from outside, and a situation in which misalignment occurs in position adjustment due to an operation error in a manufacturing process is less likely to occur.
In the display unit DU illustrated, the first image forming element 11a and an associated light shielding plate 33 are fixed to the holder 31 and are mutually positioned.
The first image forming element 11a includes a plate-shaped main body portion 11k and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) portion 11f that is coupled to an upper portion of the main body portion 11k and extends upward. In these portions, the main body portion 11k includes a silicon substrate SS in which a drive circuit 11j is formed and that forms an exterior of the main body portion 11k, a light-emitting layer 11e which is an organic EL element containing an organic EL material and generates light of a color needed for the image light ML, and a protective glass GG for encapsulation that seals the light-emitting layer 11e in cooperation with the silicon substrate SS. Here, the light-emitting layer 11e corresponds to the display surface 11d. The first image forming element 11a emits the image light ML toward the protective glass GG side by performing light emission operation in accordance with a drive signal received from the FPC portion 11f. An elastic heat dissipation sheet 11s can be attached to a back surface SSa of the silicon substrate SS. The heat dissipation sheet 11s is made of graphite, for example, and is bonded to the back surface SSa of the silicon substrate SS using an adhesive having high thermal conductivity. Although not illustrated, the heat dissipation sheet 11s is fixed to the first frame 52 made of metal (see
The holder 31 is a member formed of, for example, a resin having optical transparency, and has an outer shape in a T-shape in side view. The holder 31 includes a support frame 31a that supports the first image forming element 11a, and the base plate 31b that is coupled to an upper portion of the support frame 31a and extends in a direction intersecting (specifically an orthogonal direction) the support frame 31a. The support frame 31a corresponds to a supporting member MM1, and the base plate 31b corresponds to a fixing member MM2. Although details will be described later, the holder 31 includes a transparent portion TT, and the base plate 31b of the holder 31 is fixed to the outside of the case CA with an adhesive material AM. The adhesive material AM is interposed between the transparent portion TT and the case CA. In the embodiment, the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b are separate members. With this, it is possible to facilitate manufacturing and assembly of members including the transparent portion TT among the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b.
The support frame 31a is inserted into the barrel 41 via the insertion opening 41z (see
The support frame 31a includes a transparent component TE and a light shielding member SE. The transparent component TE is the transparent portion TT, and corresponds to the flat plate portion 31s and the frame portion 31t. The light shielding member SE corresponds to the light shielding plate 33. Although details will be described later, the transparent portion TT or the transparent component TE can prevent the adhesive material AM that enters into the case CA out of the adhesive material AM that fixes the holder 31 from being uncured. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material AM from adhering to the first image forming element 11a attached to the support frame 31a. The light shielding member SE can prevent image deterioration caused by reflection, transmission, diffusion, or the like of a light beam emitted from the first image forming element 11a at the transparent portion TT or the transparent component TE.
The base plate 31b has a rectangular flat plate exterior, and a lower surface 31j extends in parallel with the XZ plane. The base plate 31b is placed at the holder pedestal 41s formed at the barrel cover 41u of the barrel 41, and is fixed to the holder pedestal 41s after positioning (see
The base plate 31b includes a first member 31ba extending to a front side which is the light emission side or the −Z side of the first image forming element 11a and a second member 31bb extending to a rear side which is an opposite side to the light emission side or the +Z side of the first image forming element 11a. The first member 31ba is supported, in the holder pedestal 41s, on the −Z side of the insertion opening 41z (see
The base plate 31b as a whole includes the transparent component TE which is the transparent portion TT. As a result, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material AM from being uncured in the entire base plate 31b. The base plate 31b is about 1 mm thick.
The light shielding plate 33 is fixed to the support frame 31a of the holder 31 by using an adhesive or a sticky material. The light shielding plate 33 is a flare stop provided with a rectangular opening 33p, and is formed of metal, resin, or the like having light-shielding properties. The light shielding plate 33 can suppress stray light generated when a light beam emitted from the first image forming element 11a is reflected, transmitted, diffused, or the like by the transparent portion TT or the transparent component TE, thereby preventing image deterioration. The effective image light ML emitted from the display surface 11d of the first image forming element 11a passes through the opening 33p without being shielded by the light shielding plate 33. When the light shielding plate 33 is fixed, four protrusions 31q formed at the support frame 31a can be used for positioning. The four protrusions 31q grasp protruding portions 33c formed on left and right sides of the light shielding plate 33 from above and below, and a light-shielding plate 33 is appropriately positioned with respect to the support frame 31a. The light shielding plate 33 can be permanently fixed to the support frame 31a by using an adhesive.
Note that instead of the light shielding plate 33, the flat plate portion 31s of the support frame 31a may be subjected to processing such as black coating or black tape attachment. By painting out the flat plate portion 31s in black, light reflected by an edge of a lens or the like is prevented.
The FPC unit 11f and the heat dissipation sheet 11s extend outward the barrel 41 through a hole 31h formed at the second member 31bb. An adhesive can be applied and filled around the hole 31h for the purpose of ensuring dust-proofing and water-proofing.
As described above, in the embodiment, the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b constituting the holder 31 include the transparent portion TT or the transparent component TE. The holder 31 is a transparent member as a whole except the light shielding plate 33. The transparent component TE is, for example, an optical transparent member that transmits ultraviolet light or an ultraviolet ray. In other words, the transparent component TE is transparent for a specific wavelength of an ultraviolet ray. Here, “transparent” means that a transmittance at a wavelength from 300 nm to 450 nm is 20% to 30%.
As a material of the transparent component TE, for example, polycarbonate is used in view of heat resistance and strength. Since polycarbonate has a high refractive index and a large total reflection angle, light entering the transparent component TE does not easily escape and is guided to an inside of the transparent component TE. Polycarbonate readily absorbs an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 365 nm. Therefore, when polycarbonate is used for the transparent component TE, a wavelength of irradiation light for curing the adhesive material AM is set to 385 nm. A curing time of the adhesive material AM depends on an illuminance of an ultraviolet ray, but is about 20 to 30 seconds. Note that the wavelength of the irradiation light varies depending on the material of the transparent component TE and a type of the adhesive material AM.
Note that although not illustrated, when the base plate 31b includes the transparent component TE in the holder 31, a light shielding member may be provided at an upper portion of the base plate 31b. For example, as the light shielding member, a metal plate may be provided at the upper portion of the base plate 31b. Further, the upper portion of the base plate 31b may be subjected to processing such as black coating or black tape attachment.
A fixing method of the display unit DU to the barrel 41 will be described with reference to
A step S1 is formed at an edge portion 41r on left, right and back sides of the holder pedestal 41s formed at the top plate 41x of the barrel cover 41u, which is the upper surface of the barrel 41. That is, a height of an initial abutment surface 49p which is the upper surface or the bearing surface 41n of the holder pedestal 41s is less than a height of an upper surface 49c of the top plate 41x. The step S1 of the holder pedestal 41s and a vicinity thereof hold an adhesive AM1 as the adhesive material AM that couples the holder 31 and the barrel 41. As described above, the adhesive AM1 is a photo-curable type adhesive and is, for example, an acrylic ultraviolet curable resin. The adhesive AM1 is cured after positioning of the holder 31 described later.
When an end portion 31e which is a lower end of the support frame 31a of the holder 31 of the display unit DU is inserted from the insertion opening 41z and the entire support frame 31a is caused to enter the barrel 41 together with the first image forming element 11a, the first image forming element 11a is housed in the space ISa and the base plate 31b is placed so as to be fitted into the recessed holder pedestal 41s. At this time, most of the insertion opening 41z is closed by the base plate 31b, thereby preventing dust and dirt from entering the holder 31. Further, when the base plate 31b is placed on the holder pedestal 41s, the initial abutment surface 49p, which is the bearing surface 41n of the holder pedestal 41s, and an initial abutment surface 39p, which is the lower surface 31j of the base plate 31b, abut on each other to bring about an initial positioning state in which a center of the display surface 11d of the first image forming element 11a is located at the same position as the optical axis AX toward the first lens 21o of the first optical member 2a or is lowered by a predetermined distance. That is, at the time of adjustment after the initial stage, the holder 31 can be moved in the upward +Y direction with respect to the barrel 41, and precise positioning in the Y direction can be performed by fine adjustment of a movement amount of the holder 31 in the +Y direction.
The base plate 31b of the holder 31 includes a thin portion 35t at an edge portion on the left, right and back sides. The thin portion 35t serves as a step S2 facing the step S1 of the holder pedestal 41s. As a result, a trench TR is formed by the step S1 provided at the holder pedestal 41s of the barrel cover 41u and the step S2 provided at the thin portion 35t of the holder 31. The trench TR is a part of an adhesive application portion AA, and has a role of holding the adhesive AM1 around the thin portion 35t of the base plate 31b to prevent unintended diffusion. That is, the steps S1 and S2 can be said to be diffusion prevention walls. When positioning the holder 31, which will be described later, the holder 31 is slightly displaced. With such displacement of the holder 31, an application state of the adhesive AM1 becomes coarse or dense, and at a dense position, the adhesive AM1 may protrude to a periphery of the holder 31 (that is, the upper surface 31u) or the adhesive AM1 may protrude outside the holder pedestal 41s, which may hinder subsequent adjustment or handling. In order to prevent this, the trench TR is provided so as to stop the adhesive AM1 in a necessary region.
The adhesive AM1 applied to the trench TR enters a gap G2 between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s. Accordingly, a part of the adhesive AM1 is interposed between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s. A thickness of the adhesive AM1 between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s is from 0 mm to 0.5 mm. A viscosity of the adhesive AM1 is about 10,000 MPa·s, and the adhesive AM1 easily enters the gap G2.
Referring to
The protrusion 49s for the initial positioning is not limited to being provided at the edge portion on the −Z side of the holder pedestal 41s, and as illustrated in the region DR2 of
In order to allow a position of the base plate 31b of the holder 31 to be slightly moved in the X direction and the Z direction inside the insertion opening 41z, an outline of the insertion opening 41z in plan view is made larger by one size than an outline of the first image forming element 11a in plan view. That is, the insertion opening 41z has a size including an adjustment margin for allowing the support frame 31a to move in a normal direction of the display surface 11d of the first image forming element 11a and in a lateral direction perpendicular to the normal direction. Accordingly, the space ISa for housing the first image forming element 11a and the support frame 31a is configured to avoid interference with the first image forming element 11a and the like and allow minute movement of the first image forming element 11a and the like. As a result, in a front upper portion of the holder 31, that is, on the front +Z side of a joint between the base plate 31b and the support frame 31a, a state is created in which the gap G1 is formed. Therefore, at the time of applying the adhesive AM1 described above, the adhesive AM2 which is the adhesive material AM is applied so as to close the gap G1, and the adhesive AM2 is cured after positioning of the holder 31 which will be described later. The adhesive AM2 applied to an end portion of the base plate 31b enters the gap G1 between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s (see
When the adhesive AM1 corresponding to the trench TR and the adhesive AM2 corresponding to the gap G1 are combined, a closed shape like four sides of a rectangle is obtained. A combination of both the adhesives AM1 and AM2 is called a dust-proof structure DP2 of the first image forming element 11a. The dust-proof structure DP2 achieves fixation between the holder 31 and the barrel 41 while ensuring dust-proofing between the holder 31 and the barrel 41. The adhesives AM1 and AM2 of the dust-proof structure DP2 extend along a periphery of the base plate 31b and protrude to the holder pedestal 41s. The dust-proof structure DP2 is an encapsulation member EM that is formed of a photocurable resin and maintains a state in which the holder 31 is positioned with respect to the barrel 41. The encapsulation member EM allows the first image forming element 11a to be easily positioned with high accuracy. The adhesives AM1 and AM2 are desirably materials that exhibit little curing shrinkage. Portions (the trench TR and the gap G1) to which the adhesives AM1 and AM2 constituting the dust-proof structure DP2 are applied are the adhesive application portions AA.
Note that as illustrated in the region DR2 of
With reference to
In the optical module 100, a pair of attachment portions 62a and 62b are formed at the upper end 61g of the first combiner 103a so as to protrude inward, that is, to the −Z side. A pair of facing inner surfaces 62s of the pair of attachment portions 62a and 62b are fitted to a pair of outward lateral side surfaces 51s of the barrel 41 so as to sandwich the pair of lateral side surfaces 51s. A pair of rear side surfaces 62t of the pair of attachment portions 62a and 62b abut on a pair of stepped front side surfaces 51r of the barrel 41. Further, a plurality of convex portions 59p protruding from a bottom surface 59j of the pair of protruding portions 41f and 41g abut on a pair of upper surfaces 62j of the pair of attachment portions 62a and 62b. As a result, three-dimensional positioning of the first combiner 103a becomes possible, and fixing of the first combiner 103a to the barrel 41 is completed by supplying an adhesive to an abutting point and a periphery thereof and curing the adhesive with an ultraviolet ray or the like.
The fixing of the first combiner 103a to the barrel 41 is performed before the holder 31 is fixed to the barrel 41. When the fixing of the holder 31 precedes the fixing of the first combiner 103a, the positioning of the holder 31 is performed with respect to the first projection optical system 12a.
A method of assembling the display unit DU to the barrel 41, which is a manufacturing method of the optical module 100, will be described with reference to
The barrel 41 incorporating the optical members 2a and 2b is prepared. First, the first lens 21o, the second lens 21p, the third lens 21q, and the prism mirror 22 are positioned to the barrel body 41a and fixed by adhesion. Thereafter, the barrel cover 41u is airtightly fixed to the barrel body 41a by adhesion. At this stage, the barrel 41 is in a sealed state except for the insertion opening 41z.
In the example illustrated in the region FR1 of
After the initial positioning, the adhesive AM1 is supplied to the step S1 provided at the edge portion on the three sides of the holder pedestal 41s, and the adhesive AM2 is supplied as an encapsulation portion so as to close the gap G1 remaining at the insertion opening 41z of the barrel cover 41u (see
In the above description, the process of supplying the adhesive AM1 to the step S1 of the holder pedestal 41s and supplying the adhesive AM2 so as to close the gap G1 remaining at the insertion opening 41z may be performed before the process of inserting the display unit DU into the barrel 41.
In the process of adjusting the posture of the holder 31, the inside of the barrel 41 is sealed by the adhesives AM1 and AM2, and the first image forming element 11a can be assembled to the optical module 100 in consideration of dust-proofing.
Returning to
By performing the initial positioning of the holder 31, it is possible to reduce a burden when the posture is adjusted with the six axes. In addition, by performing the initial positioning, it is possible to omit adjustment of movement or rotation with respect to an axis having a low influence degree. That is, it is possible to perform simple posture adjustment by reducing the number of adjustment axes from the posture adjustment with the six axes. To be more specific, the adjustment of the rotation around the β-axis or the Y-axis can be omitted by the initial positioning using the two protrusions 49s provided at the barrel 41.
The head-mounted display apparatus of the first embodiment described above, that is, the HMD 200 includes the holder 31 including the image forming element 11a, the supporting member MM1 supporting the image forming element 11a, and the fixing member MM2 coupled to the supporting member MM1, the optical members 2a and 2b on which the image light ML from the image forming element 11a is incident, and the case CA for housing the optical members 2a and 2b, and holding the image forming element 11a therein via the holder 31, wherein the holder 31 includes the transparent portion TT, the fixing member MM2 is fixed to the outside of the case CA by the adhesive material AM, and the adhesive material AM is interposed between the transparent portion TT and the case CA.
In the above-described HMD 200, the holder 31 is bonded and fixed from the outside of the case CA, thus, it is possible to enhance dust resistance while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus. The adhesive material AM interposed between the transparent portion TT of the holder 31 and the case CA is prevented from being uncured. As a result, it is possible to prevent the uncured adhesive material AM from flowing to the image forming element 11a side, and to improve display quality and reliability of the image forming element 11a. By increasing an adhesion area between the holder 31 and the case CA, adhesion strength is improved, and robustness of the apparatus is enhanced.
In the HMD 200 described above, the end portion of the support frame 31a provided at the holder 31 is inserted into the barrel 41 through the insertion opening 41z formed at the barrel 41, and the base plate 31b is fixed to the barrel 41 while covering the insertion opening 41z, thus at the initial stage of attaching the holder 31 to the barrel 41, the insertion opening 41z is closed, and a time during which the first projection optical system 12a and the first image forming element 11a supported by the support frame 31a in the barrel 41 are exposed to an external environment can be shortened, and thus dust-proofing can be easily ensured. In addition, since the first image forming element 11a is housed in the barrel 41 at the initial stage of attachment, a phenomenon in which the first image forming element 11a is displaced by an external load does not occur after the arrangement of the first image forming element 11a is adjusted.
When the adhesive material AM is applied to a boundary between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s, the adhesive material AM enters between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s. This entrance of the adhesive material AM is promoted when the base plate 31b is held and adjusted in position. The gaps G1 and G2 between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 4s are in a shadow of the base plate 31b. Therefore, when a photo-curable resin is used as the adhesive material AM, light is blocked and the adhesive material AM is not cured. The uncured adhesive material AM may drop from a planar portion of the holder pedestal 41s to the first image forming element 11a. That is, there is a possibility that the adhesive material AM flows into the insertion opening 41z of the barrel 41 and flows to the first image forming element 11a. The uncured adhesive material AM that has entered is reflected in an image region or an outside of the image region, thereby causing deterioration in image quality. In the embodiment, the adhesive material AM is cured while being prevented from being uncured by light irradiation through the transparent portion TT, and the barrel 41 is reliably bonded and sealed. This prevents the optical members 2a and 2b from being affected by irregular reflection or the like.
An HMD of a second embodiment will be described below. Note that the HMD of the second embodiment is obtained by modifying a part of the HMD of the first embodiment, and description of common parts to the HMD of the first embodiment will be omitted.
As illustrated in
The light shielding component SC is a member formed of a resin having a light shielding property, and the light shielding component SC has a rectangular outer shape extending from one long side of the insertion opening 41z. The transparent component TE is an optical transparent member similar to that of the first embodiment, and has a frame-like outer shape surrounding an outside of the light shielding component SC. That is, the transparent portion TT or the transparent component TE is disposed so as to surround three sides of the light shielding component SC and another long side of the hole 31h.
A proportion of the transparent component TE or the transparent portion TT in the base plate 31b depends on how the adhesive material AM enters between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s. It is sufficient that the transparent portion TT is disposed in a range in which the adhesive material AM interposed between the base plate 31b and the holder pedestal 41s can be irradiated with light. In the embodiment, ultraviolet light is incident from an upper portion of the transparent component TE, passes through the transparent component TE, and cures the adhesive material AM.
In the base plate 31b, the light shielding component SC and the transparent component TE may be separate members, or may be integrally formed. In a case of an integral formation, for example, two color molding is performed such that the transparent member is partially included.
An HMD of a third embodiment will be described below. Note that the HMD of the third embodiment is obtained by modifying a part of the HMD of the first embodiment, and description of common parts to the HMD of the first embodiment will be omitted.
As illustrated in
Note that in the optical module 100 of the embodiment, a part of the base plate 31b may be used as the light shielding component SC as in the second embodiment.
An HMD of a fourth embodiment will be described below. Note that the HMD of the fourth embodiment is obtained by modifying a part of the HMD of the first embodiment, and description of common parts to the HMD of the first embodiment will be omitted.
As the reflective components RC1 and RC2, a metallic material, a white resin, a resin member on which a reflective film is deposited, a sheet on which a reflective film is deposited, a multilayer film, a white resin film, or the like is used. When the reflective film is deposited, the reflective film is provided at a surface of a resin material or a sheet to be a base material, and the base material and the reflective film are separate bodies. The reflective film is a tape, a dielectric multilayer film, or the like. As illustrated in
The second reflective component RC2 includes a light shielding member SB at a surface opposite to a surface facing the base plate 31b. The light shielding member SB is subjected to processing such as black coating or black tape attachment, for example. Note that an inside of the second reflective component RC2 may be painted in black. This prevents reflection, diffusion, and the like of light at the barrel 41, thus light does not enter the optical members 2a and 2b.
Note that in the base plate 31b, the first reflective component RC1 on the holder pedestal 41s side may be omitted.
An HMD of a fifth embodiment will be described below. Note that the HMD of the fifth embodiment is obtained by modifying a part of the HMD of the first embodiment, and description of common parts to the HMD of the first embodiment will be omitted.
In the embodiment, in a front upper portion of the holder 31, that is, on the front +Z side of a joint between the base plate 31b and the support frame 31a, a state is created in which the insertion opening 41z is partially opened to form the gap G1. Thus, after the holder 31 is positioned and fixed to the barrel 41, the adhesive AM2 as the encapsulation portion is applied to a space between a front end of the insertion opening 41z and the silicon substrate SS of the first image forming element 11a or the heat dissipation sheet 11s so as to fill the space, so as to cover the gap G1, and the adhesive AM2 is cured after the holder 31 is positioned.
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the following modifications are possible.
Although the HMD 200 includes the first display device 100A and the second display device 100B in the above description, the HMD 200 may be configured such that the single first display device 100A or second display device 100B is supported in front of the eye by the support device 100C.
In the above description, with respect to the holder 31, the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b extend in the directions orthogonal to each other, however, the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b are not limited to being orthogonal to each other, and may be bent to extend in directions intersecting with each other.
The support frame 31a is not limited to one inserted from above, but may be one inserted from a side.
The size of the base plate 31b is about the same as that of the support frame 31a, but may be about half or less of the size of the support frame 31a.
The shape of the base plate 31b is not limited to a rectangle, but may be various shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.
The steps S1 and S2 can be replaced with other structure that can limit movement of the adhesives AM1 and AM2, and can be replaced with, for example, a ridge.
The optical members 2a and 2b of the first projection optical system 12a are not limited to those illustrated in the figures, and for example, the number of the optical elements constituting the first optical member 2a and the shape of the optical surface can be appropriately changed in accordance with the purpose of use of the HMD 200 and the like.
In the holder 31, the support frame 31a and the base plate 31b are separate members, but may be integrated as a composite member.
The vertical light guide optical system has been exemplified, but the optical module 100 may be applied to a horizontal light guide optical system.
A head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect includes an image forming element, a holder including a supporting member supporting the image forming element and a fixing member coupled to the supporting member, an optical member on which image light from the image forming element is incident, and a case configured to house the optical member and hold the image forming element therein via the holder, wherein the holder includes a transparent portion, the fixing member is fixed to an outside of the case by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is interposed between the transparent portion and the case.
In the above-described head-mounted display apparatus, the holder is bonded and fixed from an outside of the case, thus, it is possible to enhance dust resistance while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus. The adhesive material interposed between the transparent portion of the holder and the case is prevented from being uncured. As a result, it is possible to prevent the uncured adhesive material from flowing to the image forming element side, and to improve display quality and reliability of the image forming element. By increasing an adhesion area between the holder and the case, adhesion strength is improved, and robustness of the apparatus is enhanced.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the supporting member is a support frame, the fixing member is a base plate coupled to an upper portion of the support frame and extending in a direction intersecting the support frame, an end portion of the support frame is inserted into the case through an insertion opening formed at the case, and the base plate is fixed to the case in a state of covering the insertion opening. In this case, since the insertion opening is closed at an initial stage of attaching the holder to the case, and a time during which the optical member and the image forming element in the case are exposed to an external environment can be made short, and dust-proofing can be easily ensured.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the case includes a holder pedestal facing the fixing member, and includes an encapsulation member that maintains a state in which the holder is positioned with respect to the case by the adhesive material extending along a periphery of the fixing member and protruding to the holder pedestal. In this case, the encapsulation member allows the image forming element to be easily positioned with high accuracy.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the adhesive material is formed of a photo-curable type adhesive.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the supporting member and the fixing member are separate members. In this case, it is possible to facilitate manufacturing and assembly of a member including the transparent portion out of the supporting member and the fixing member.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the fixing member as a whole includes the transparent portion. In this case, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material from being uncured in the entire fixing member.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the fixing member includes the transparent portion at an outer periphery thereof. In this case, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material from being uncured while securing a light shielding property and an adhesion area.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the supporting member includes the transparent portion and a light shielding member. In this case, the transparent portion can prevent the adhesive material entering the case from being uncured. The light shielding member can prevent image deterioration caused by reflection, transmission, and diffusion of a light beam emitted from the image forming element at the transparent portion.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the supporting member includes a light shielding component. In this case, reflection and diffusion of light can be prevented.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the fixing member includes a first reflective component on the holder pedestal side, and the holder pedestal includes a second reflective component on the fixing member side. In this case, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material interposed between the first reflective component and the second reflective component from being uncured.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the second reflective component includes the light shielding member at a surface on an opposite side of a surface facing the fixing member. In this case, reflection and diffusion of light can be prevented.
In the head-mounted display apparatus in a specific aspect, the case includes a container-shaped main body including a bottom plate member and a side wall, and a cover provided with an insertion opening and configured to cover an inside of the main body to form a housing space, the optical member includes a first optical member arranged on a light emission side of the image forming element, and a second optical member arranged on a light emission side of the first optical member and configured to bend an optical path by a reflection surface, an emission surface of the second optical member is exposed to an emission opening formed at the bottom plate member of the main body, and the case includes a sealing member that seals a coupling portion between the main body and the cover, and seals a gap between the emission opening of the main body and a periphery of the emission surface of the second optical member. In this case, the coupling portion and the emission opening can be protected from dust by the sealing member.
An optical module in a specific aspect includes an image forming element, a holder including a supporting member supporting the image forming element and a fixing member coupled to the supporting member, an optical member on which image light from the image forming element is incident, and a case configured to house the optical member and hold the image forming element therein via the holder, wherein the holder includes a transparent portion, the fixing member is fixed to an outside of the case by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is interposed between the transparent portion and the case.
In the above-described optical module, the holder is bonded and fixed from an outside of the case, thus, it is possible to enhance dust resistance while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus. The transparent portion of the holder makes it possible to prevent the uncured adhesive material from flowing to the image forming element side, and to improve display quality and reliability of the image forming element. By increasing the adhesion area between the holder and the case, the adhesion strength is improved, and the robustness of the apparatus is enhanced.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-054841 | Mar 2023 | JP | national |
