Apple has been granted a patent (number US 11733529 B1) for a “load-distributing headband for a head-mounted device.” The device would be the upcoming Vision Pro.
The US$3,499 (and up) Vision Pro was previewed at June’s Worldwide Developer Conference. However, it won’t be available until early 2024 — and, then, apparently only in limited quantities.
About the patent
As Apple notes in the patent, computer-generated reality experiences are typically displayed to a user by a device that is worn on the user’s head. These devices typically include a housing the supports the components that display the computer-generated reality content.
Headband-type support structures are typically used to hold the device on the user’s head. However, Apple notes that they can often be uncomfortable. The company doesn’t want this to be the case with eh Vision Pro.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A head-mounted device includes a device housing and a facial interface. The facial interface has an upper portion and a lower portion. A headband is connected to a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the device housing and extends around a head of a user to support the device housing with respect to the user.
“The headband is configured to apply a moment to the device housing in a direction that urges the upper portion of the facial interface toward a head of user so that a first loading that is applied to the head of the user by the upper portion of the facial interface is higher than a second loading that is applied to the head of the user by the lower portion of the facial interface.”
