A new patent filing shows Apple wants to make the Vision Pro more sweat resistant

A new patent filing (number US 20240069596 A1) shows Apple wants to make the Vision Pro more sweat resistant. It’s dubbed “Electronic Devices With Sweat Mitigation Structures.”

About the patent filing

In the patent filing, Apple says that head-mounted devices can be uncomfortable to wear and may cause a user to sweat. If care isn’t taken, sweat can drip into a user’s eyes or be absorbed into the head-mounted device, leading to odor and bacteria buildup. Apple wants to avoid this with the Vision Pro.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A head-mounted device may include a main housing portion and displays in the main housing portion that provide images to eye boxes. A light seal may be coupled to the main housing portion and may at least partially surround the eye boxes. The head-mounted device may include sweat mitigation structures such as moisture-guiding channels in the light seal to guide sweat and other moisture away from the eye boxes. 

“The moisture-guiding channels may be formed from grooves or moisture-wicking fabric. Control circuitry may adjust a fan based on humidity, temperature, or fog detected by a sensor. The light seal may include a directional pattern of grooves through which moisture is guided away from the eye boxes. A moisture barrier layer may be interposed between an inner foam layer and an outer light-blocking fabric to prevent sweat from penetrating into the foam.”

About the Vision Pro

Demos of the Apple Vision Pro at Apple Stores in the U.S. can be reserved on Apple.com. To reserve a free Vision Pro demo online, go here, then follow the steps to book an appointment at your local Apple Store. 

Pricing for the Vision Pro starts at US$3,499 with 256GB of storage. ZEISS Optical Inserts are available: $99 for reading lens and $149 for prescription lens.