Today the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application of Apple's that relates to an optical assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a waveguide bumper assembly for smartglasses.

Although Apple's XR smartglasses project has been halted for the time being, today's patent reveals one of the patents stemming from their smartglasses project in general which covers both AI and XR glasses.

In Apple's patent background they note that recent advances in the extended reality (XR) and the electronics industry have enabled glasses assemblies to project digital information onto wearable lenses. Typically, glasses assemblies for XR systems include various components to display the digital information. As such, to incorporate the numerous components in the glasses assembly, the components can be thin and delicate. During use, as glasses are moved, donned, and doffed, the various components can come into contact with each other and other surfaces, such as a floor or other surfaces when dropped or set down. In this way, smartglasses assemblies designed to reduce the impact force on the components from contact with other components and surfaces are needed.

Optical Assembly

Apple's invention relates to a smartglasses assembly. More particularly, it relates to a waveguide bumper within a glasses assembly. Users can inadvertently bump, drop, or otherwise cause inadvertent contact between an electronic glasses device and another object or surface. For example, a user of the glasses assembly can drop the glasses assembly and in response to contacting a floor or similar surface, the components within the glasses assembly can contact each other.

Devices and systems of the present invention can reduce the impact force associated with the components of the glasses assembly contacting each other. During a free fall or other impact scenario, the various examples of the shroud that are described can absorb the impact force to reduce the force that is applied to the components of the device or assembly. In this way, the impact force applied to the components can be reduced sufficiently, thereby increasing durability.

In at least one example, a glasses assembly can include a front cover and a waveguide held by a suspension. The waveguide can project a virtual image. The waveguide can be a thin piece of glass. The front cover and the waveguide can define a gap. The glasses assembly can include a shroud at least partially disposed in the gap and defining a first end and a second end. The shroud and can include an elastomer body and a core coupled with the front cover at the first end of the shroud.

Since the shroud can be at least partially disposed in the gap, the shroud can separate the front cover from the waveguide and can inhibit the front cover from contacting the waveguide in certain impact scenarios. For example, since the first end of the shroud is coupled with the front cover and the shroud has an elastomer body, the shroud can deform in response to an impact force, thereby at least partially absorbing the impact force and reducing the force applied to the waveguide. In this way, the shroud can be a bumper for the waveguide to protect the waveguide from unintended forces caused by the user during operation or manipulation.

The core includes nylon and is bonded via an adhesive with the front cover at an angle greater than about 35 degrees and less than about 55 degrees. The core defining a length decreasing from the first portion to the second portion of the glasses assembly.

The elastomer body defines a length increasing from the first portion to the second portion and defines a substantially flat contact surface at the second end.

The contact surface is configured to contact the waveguide and the elastomer body is configured to flex in response to contacting the waveguide.

In one example, the core is stiffer than the elastomer body and the elastomer body at least partially surrounds the core and is configured to flex in response to contact with the waveguide at the second end.

In one example, the elastomer body at least partially surrounds the core, the elastomer body defining a surface at the second end of the shroud that is substantially flat, the surface configured to contact the waveguide.

The core includes a portion partially exposed at the first end of the shroud, the portion coupled with the front cover. In one example, the elastomer body at least partially surrounds the core, the core includes plastic, and the elastomer body includes silicon having a shore A hardness between about 50 and 90.

In one example, the shroud is unitary and tapered from the first end to the second end. In one example, the shroud is defined by sections of elastomer bodies. In one example, the gap is greater than about 5 millimeters and less than about 25 millimeters.

In at least one example, a glasses frame includes a first lens portion having a first outer side and a first inner side. The glasses frame includes a second lens portion having a second outer side and a second inner side. The glasses frame includes a front cover extending from the first outer side to the second outer side.

The first lens portion includes a waveguide held by a suspension and extending between the first outer side and the first inner side. The front cover and the waveguide defining a gap that increases from the first outer side toward the first inner side.

The first lens portion includes a shroud at least partially disposed in the gap and bonded with the front cover, the shroud extending with decreasing stiffness from the first outer side to the first inner side.

In one example, the gap at the first outer side is greater than about 5 millimeters and less than about 20 millimeters. The gap at the first inner side is greater than about 10 millimeters and less than about 25 millimeters.

For full details, review Apple's patent application 20250044600.

For full details, review Apple's patent application 20250044600.