Apple has been granted a patent (11714453 B1) for nosepiece for a head-mountable device — the device being the upcoming Vision Pro is comfortable for users.
The Vision Pro is Apple’s US$3,499 (and up) “spatial computer.” It’s due in early 2024, though it will apparently only be available in limited quantities at first.
About the patent
In the patent Apple notes that a head-mountable device can contact a nose of a user, in addition to other areas of the user’s head so it would be good to maximize the fit and comfort on the user. However, due to variations in nose features across different users, a given head-mountable device may require adjustment to accommodate different users. For example, different users can have noses with different depths, widths, and lengths.
Accordingly, a nosepiece of a particular shape may have a different effect and/or fit on different users. In particular, the distribution of forces may be uneven and/or focused on a small area, such as the bridge on the top of the nose. A greater proportion of the weight can be distributed, for example, to the sides of the nose so that the user does not fatigue for use of the head-mountable device.
Apple says that, additionally, what’s needed is for a nosepiece to provide a proper fit to ensure alignment of the Vision Pro with the head of the user, including the eyes for observation of the display elements of the head-mountable device. Finally, the company says it would also be desirable for a nosepiece to facilitate sealing so that light from an external environment does not enter into the region between the display elements and the eyes of the user.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A head-mountable device can include a nosepiece that distributes forces away from a top of the nose to the sides of the nose. The nose contact elements of such nosepieces can be slideably and/or rotationally biased to apply forces to the sides of the nose when the head-mountable device is worn by a user. Such distribution allows forces to be spread across a greater area, which improves overall comfort, positioning, and light sealing of the head-mountable device.”
