Both Apple and Meta have recently filed patents to improve their respective XR headset adjustment straps in an effort to provide their customers with more comfort and the ability to securely keep the headset properly in place to assist in viewing content over long periods of time.  

Patently Apple posted a granted patent on June 25^th titled "Apple wins a patent for a wide variety of possible future Vision Pro Headband mechanisms & configurations for added user comfort." The report noted that some Apple Vision Pro customers had been complaining about the headset being uncomfortable over longer periods time. As a short-term solution Apple was changing the default band for Vision Pro demos at Apple stores from the Solo Loop to the Dual Loop (which many people find far more comfortable), according to Mark Gurman."

Apple's granted patent in June related to possible new headband systems that is designed to allow a user to adjust both the magnitude, location, and direction of forces applied to the face of the user.

Today, the US Patent Office published a new Apple follow-up patent (a continuation patent) with 20 new patent claims to strengthen their invention. You could review the additions and patent 20240302669 in full here.  

Meta Patent

On August 22, 2024, the US Patent Office published a Meta patent on the same theme titled "Pulley-based Adjustable Strap Design for VR Headsets."

Meta's patent abstract states that "The head-wearable device can include a display, a retractable side strap, and a housing. The housing includes an anchor point, an adjustment mechanism configured to change an exposed length of the retractable side strap, and a cable. The cable includes a first end and a second end coupled the cable-spooling portion of the adjustment mechanism and an intermediary portion of the cable that travels around the anchor point and is coupled to the retractable side strap. The cable is maintained at a predetermined tension by at least the adjustment mechanism or the anchor point. When the adjustment mechanism is adjusted, the cable winds/unwinds around the first or second cable-spooling portion of the adjustment mechanism, adjusting the exposed length of the retractable side strap to accommodate for different head sizes for users of the head-wearable device."

Meta's patent FIG.1 below illustrates head-wearable device #100 that includes a new adjustment mechanism coupled with the housing, and one or more retractable side straps #102 coupled to the housing.

Meta's patent FIG-3D-2 above illustrates components inside of the housing of the adjustable strap.

To review the full details of this invention, check out Meta's patent application 20240281029.