Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a future Head-Mounted Display device and more particularly, an adjustment mechanism that will provide users with a customized facial fit.

Head-mounted displays (HMD) are electronic devices that display graphics to a user wearing the head-mounted display, for example, when participating in activities related to computer-generated, augmented, virtual, and/or mixed realities. The head-mounted display may be worn by a user for extended durations, so comfort and fit are a high priority for a user. Existing head-mounted displays can be attached to or include comfort headbands, for example, comprised of elastic and/or silicone material, but many sizing options are required for this type of headband to sufficiently cover the spectrum of head sizes of users wearing the head-mounted display.

Additionally, different users will position a headband in different orientations to achieve a comfortable fit for the head-mounted display, changing forces experienced along various portions of the headband when the different users wear the head-mounted display in different orientations. The variety of forces experienced by the various portions of the headband can change both performance and comfort of the headband.

A head-mounted display unit includes a display assembly and a head support coupled to the display assembly that supports the head-mounted display unit worn on a head of a user. The head support includes a band and an adjustment mechanism coupled to the band to lengthen the head support and keep the band in tension during extension and retraction of the head support. There are castellations disposed within band, and the castellations define openings through which a portion of the adjustment mechanism is routed through the band.

A head-mounted display unit includes a display assembly and a head support coupled to the display assembly that supports the head-mounted display unit worn on a head of a user. The head support includes a band and an adjustment mechanism coupled to the band to lengthen the head support. The adjustment mechanism includes a base, a spool rotatably coupled to the base, a spring rotatably coupled at a first end to the base and fixedly coupled at a second end to the spool, and a cord that extends through the band and is fixedly coupled at a first end to the spool. The spring applies torque to the spool to maintain the cord in tension.

A head-mounted display unit includes a display assembly and a head support coupled to the display assembly that supports the head-mounted display unit worn on a head of a user. The head support includes a band and an adjustment mechanism coupled to the band to lengthen the head support. The adjustment mechanism includes a base, a spool coupled to the base, a tape that extends from the adjustment mechanism through the band, and springs rotatably coupled at first ends to the spool and fixedly coupled at second ends to the tape. The springs apply force to the tape to maintain the tape in tension during expansion and retraction of the band.

Apple's patent FIG. 5 below is a side view of another head-mounted display unit in a retracted state and an expanded state (dashed lines); FIG. 6 is a top view of the head-mounted display unit of FIG. 5 in the retracted state and the expanded stated (dashed lines).

Apple's patent FIG. 8A below is a cross-sectional view of an adjustment mechanism of the head-mounted display unit of FIG. 5 taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 6; FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of an adjustment mechanism of the head-mounted display unit of FIG. 5 taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 6.

For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11,181,748. Apple has been working on this for a few years now. Patently Apple has covered two other patents covering this subject matter (01 and 02). Apple has different teams working on this solution and they'll choose one or a combination of ideas for the final design.