Customized single-spring musical instrument flute head manufactured based on additive material technology and manufacturing method of customized single-spring musical instrument flute head
The production of clarinet musical instrument flute heads through additive technology has solved the problems of long R&D cycle, low personalization and poor tone in traditional processes, and achieved more free design and personalized production, improving the tone and performance experience of flute heads.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411804620.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-21
AI Technical Summary
In the production of clarinet musical instrument flute heads, traditional subtractive manufacturing processes have problems such as long R&D cycle, low level of personalization, poor tone and limited design innovation.
Using additive technology, customized clarinet musical instrument flute heads are produced through 3D printing. The design process includes determining the length of the flute head, generating embryo bodies, cutting tooth beds, flat rail surfaces and air outlet surfaces, forming bores and connection ports, and using 3D printing materials and technologies to achieve more free design and personalized production.
A smoother and free design is achieved, special bore paths can be created, and the possibility of personalized production is provided, avoiding the problems that are difficult to meet in traditional craftsmanship, while improving the tone and performance experience.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of musical instrument manufacturing, and relates to a single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece, and in particular to a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece manufactured based on additive technology and a preparation method thereof. Background Art
[0002] The traditional production process of mouthpieces for single-reed instruments relies mainly on subtractive manufacturing technology, which involves precision cutting of the original mold and subsequent injection molding. This production method has historically played a key role in the large-scale manufacturing of instruments such as clarinets. It ensures product consistency and cost-effectiveness, which is very suitable for commercial environments that require mass production.
[0003] However, this traditional subtractive manufacturing process also has some obvious limitations. First, from the perspective of new product development, since each step requires precise calculations and manual operations, the entire R&D cycle is often long, which is a challenge for companies pursuing rapid market response. Secondly, since the molds and tools used in the production process are standardized, this leads to a low degree of personalization of the final product, which is difficult to meet the growing customization needs of consumers. Furthermore, the cutting tools used in the subtractive manufacturing process will leave subtle marks or unevenness inside the mouthpiece. Although these defects are minor, they may significantly affect the tone and playing experience for professional performers. In addition, due to the limitations of existing production technology and materials, design innovation is also subject to certain constraints, and many designers' ideas cannot be fully realized, especially when trying to create a more ergonomic design or a mouthpiece with unique acoustic properties.
[0004] In summary, although subtractive manufacturing plays an important role in the production of single-reed instrument mouthpieces, some of its inherent problems also limit further development in this field. With the advancement of technology and changes in consumer demand, exploring new production processes and technologies has become the key to improving product quality, shortening R&D cycles, increasing personalized options, and promoting design innovation. Summary of the invention
[0005] The present invention provides a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece manufactured based on additive technology and a manufacturing method thereof, so as to overcome the defects of the prior art.
[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:
[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive technology, comprising the following steps:
[0008] S1. Designing a mouthpiece, including: determining the length of the mouthpiece, and generating an embryonic body consisting of a tail and a main body accordingly; trimming the tail of the embryonic body according to the connection form of the mouthpiece and the musical instrument; cutting the upper side of the embryonic body main body to form a tooth bed; cutting the lower side of the embryonic body main body to form a flat rail surface for fitting with the reed and an air port surface for opening the air port of the reed; the air port surface is located at one side of the end and warps upward along the direction from the flat rail surface to the end; cutting the inside of the embryonic body from the flat rail surface and the air port surface to form a bore; cutting the end of the embryonic body main body to form a top end surface fitting with the top curvature of the reed; cutting the inside of the embryonic body from the end surface of the tail of the embryonic body to form a connection port with the musical instrument; opening the bore and the connection port;
[0009] S2, 3D printed mouthpiece.
[0010] Optionally, in S1, the method for determining the length of the flute head is: first determine the musical instrument to which the flute head belongs; and then determine the length of the flute head according to the inherent acoustic frequency characteristics of the musical instrument and traditional data.
[0011] Optionally, in S1, the embryo body is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the junction between the tail and the main body is the largest, and gradually decreases toward both ends.
[0012] Optionally, in S1, the cutting of the tooth bed includes determining: a tooth bed cutting start surface, a tooth bed cutting end surface and a tooth bed cutting path; the tooth bed cutting start surface and the tooth bed cutting end surface are both residual circles with a convex arc bottom edge; the tooth bed cutting start surface is located at the end surface of the embryo body, and the tooth bed cutting end surface is located in the middle part of the embryo body; the curvature of the bottom edge of the tooth bed cutting start surface matches the curvature of the user's upper teeth; the difference in curvature of the bottom edges of the tooth bed cutting start surface and the tooth bed cutting end surface does not exceed 15°; the tooth bed cutting path is a downwardly concave arc; cutting from the tooth bed cutting start surface along the tooth bed cutting path to the tooth bed cutting end surface forms a tooth bed.
[0013] Optionally, in S1, the rifling cutting includes determining: a rifling cutting start surface and a rifling cutting end surface; the rifling cutting start surface extends from the flat rail surface to the tuyere surface; the rifling cutting end surface is circular and located inside the main body of the blank; cutting from the rifling cutting start surface to the rifling cutting end surface forms the rifling.
[0014] Optionally, in S1, the cutting of the connection port includes determining: a connection port cutting start surface and a connection port cutting end surface; the connection port cutting start surface and the connection port cutting end surface are both circular, the connection port cutting start surface is located on the end surface of the tail of the embryo body, and the connection port cutting end surface is located inside the embryo body.
[0015] Optionally, in S2, the 3D printing method is FDM fused deposition modeling 3D printing or SLA light-curing 3D printing; the 3D printing material is PLA-CF, PLA, ABS, PPA or nylon.
[0016] Optionally, the flute head is a solid structure, a mesh hollow structure or a metal composite structure; the mesh hollow structure is preferably a hexagonal mesh hollow structure; the metal composite structure refers to a composite structure in which metal materials are embedded on the surface or inside of the flute head.
[0017] Optionally, after the mouthpiece is 3D printed, the top end surface, flat rail surface and tail end surface are respectively smoothed: for the top end surface, sandpaper polishing is used for smoothing; for the flat rail surface and tail end surface, heating and ironing are used first, and then sandpaper polishing is used for smoothing; the heating and ironing method is: heat the steel plate to 180-200°C, and then gently place the flat rail surface / tail end surface of the mouthpiece on the steel plate for ironing, and after vertically ironing it flat, immediately rinse it with cold water to cool it down, and remove the mouthpiece from the steel plate after cooling down. When sandpaper polishing, it is preferably combined with more sophisticated processing methods such as polishing paste to improve the processing effect and quality.
[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece manufactured using the above-mentioned preparation method and based on additive technology.
[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention provides a method for preparing a customized single-reed instrument mouthpiece based on additive technology, which adopts a new three-dimensional technology, that is, a single-reed instrument mouthpiece is produced by 3D generation technology. The use of additive manufacturing allows for greater freedom in design, and the inner bore can be designed to be smoother. That is, on the one hand, a smoother and freer design can be achieved, and at the same time, some special inner bore paths that are difficult to manufacture by traditional processes can be designed, and the feasibility of filling different materials inside the inner bore during the production process is created. At the same time, due to the personalized production and 3D printing characteristics, the inconvenience of adjustment in the later stage of mold production is avoided, providing a good space and platform for customized production. On this basis, the three-dimensional scanning or measurement technology used to obtain data can assist in the production of customized products, so as to provide different customers with the most suitable products. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Figure 1 This is a comparison photo of a customized single-reed instrument mouthpiece made by the present invention based on additive technology (right) and a mouthpiece made by traditional technology (left);
[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram of an embryo during the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the embryo after the tail portion is trimmed during the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0023] Figure 4 It is a diagram of a cutting tooth bed in the production of a flute head of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 5 It is a diagram of the cutting flat rail surface and the air outlet surface in the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 6 It is a cutting muzzle diagram in the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 7 is an end view of the cutting top in the production of the mouthpiece of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 8 It is a diagram of the cutting connection port in the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0028] Fig. 9 It is a diagram of opening the bore and the connection port in the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0029] Fig.10 It is a cutting tail diagram in the production of the flute head of the present invention;
[0030] Fig.11 It is a picture of a flute head with a hexagonal mesh hollow structure;
[0031] Fig.12 It is a picture of the mouthpiece of the metal composite structure;
[0032] Fig.13 These are photos of the top end face (left), flat rail face (middle), and tail end face (right) after smoothing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] The specific implementation of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece manufactured based on additive technology, and the preparation method thereof comprises the following steps:
[0035] S1. Design the mouthpiece, including:
[0036] S1.1, determine the length of the flute head, and generate the embryo 1 consisting of the tail 12 and the main body 11 accordingly, such as Figure 2 shown.
[0037] The method for determining the length of the mouthpiece is: first determine the instrument to which the mouthpiece belongs, such as clarinet, saxophone (including soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, bass saxophone, etc.), etc. Then determine the length of the mouthpiece based on the inherent acoustic frequency characteristics of the instrument and traditional data.
[0038] The embryo body 1 is cylindrical in shape, and the outer diameter is the largest at the junction of the tail 12 and the main body 11, and gradually decreases toward both ends.
[0039] S1.2. According to the connection form between the mouthpiece and the musical instrument, the tail portion 12 of the embryo 1 is trimmed.
[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, a hexagonal tail 12 socket design is required, so a hexagonal socket design is performed on the basis of the embryo 1.
[0041] S1.3. Cut the upper side of the main body 11 of the embryo 1 to form the tooth bed 2.
[0042] Specifically, Figure 4 As shown, the cutting of the tooth bed 2 includes determining: a tooth bed cutting start surface 21, a tooth bed cutting end surface 22, and a tooth bed cutting path 23. The tooth bed cutting start surface 21 and the tooth bed cutting end surface 22 are both residual circles with a convex arc bottom. The tooth bed cutting start surface 21 is located at the end surface of the main body 11 of the embryo 1, and the tooth bed cutting end surface 22 is located in the middle part of the main body 11 of the embryo 1. The curvature of the bottom edge of the tooth bed cutting start surface 21 matches the curvature of the user's upper teeth. The difference in curvature of the bottom edge of the tooth bed cutting start surface 21 and the tooth bed cutting end surface 22 does not exceed 15°. Both the cutting start surface and the cutting end surface are larger than the cross-section of the main body 11 of the embryo 1. The tooth bed cutting path 23 is a downwardly concave arc, and the specific curvature is determined according to the required curvature of the cutting surface of the tooth bed 2. Cutting from the tooth bed cutting start surface 21 along the tooth bed cutting path 23 to the tooth bed cutting end surface 22 forms the tooth bed 2. The tooth bed 2 is designed mainly to meet ergonomics and ensure the comfort of people biting the flute head with their mouths.
[0043] S1.4, cutting the lower side of the main body 11 of the embryo 1 to form a flat rail surface 31 for fitting with the reed and an air outlet surface 32 for opening the air outlet of the reed, such as Figure 5 The tuyere surface 32 is located at one side of the end, and warps upward along the direction from the flat track surface 31 to the end. The angle at which the tuyere surface 32 warps is related to the size of the air port.
[0044] S1.5. Cutting is performed from the flat rail surface 31 and the tuyere surface 32 toward the inside of the embryonic body 1 to form a bore 4.
[0045] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, the cutting of the rifling 4 includes determining: a rifling cutting start surface 41 and a rifling cutting end surface 42. The rifling cutting start surface 41 extends from the flat rail surface 31 to the tuyere surface 32. The rifling cutting end surface 42 is circular and is located in the main body 11 of the blank 1. The rifling 4 is formed by cutting from the rifling cutting start surface 41 to the rifling cutting end surface 42.
[0046] S1.6, if Figure 7As shown, the end of the main body 11 of the embryo 1 is cut to form a top end surface that fits the curvature of the top of the reed, and the curvature can be customized according to the user's habits.
[0047] S1.7, such as Figure 8 As shown, the end surface of the tail portion 12 of the embryo 1 is cut toward the inside of the embryo 1 to form a connection port 5 for the musical instrument.
[0048] Specifically, the cutting of the connection port 5 includes determining: a connection port cutting start surface 51 and a connection port cutting end surface 52. The connection port cutting start surface 51 and the connection port cutting end surface 52 are both circular, the connection port 5 cutting start surface is located on the end surface of the tail 12 of the embryo 1, and the connection port cutting end surface 52 is located in the body 11 of the embryo 1. The diameter of the connection port 5 matches the connection part of the musical instrument, and the tightness of the connection between the connection port 5 and the musical instrument can be changed by adjusting the diameter of the connection port 5.
[0049] S1.8, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the bore 4 and the connecting port 5 are opened up by means of lofting and cutting.
[0050] S1.9, such as Fig.10 As shown, the tail portion 12 can be cut at an angle according to the user's preference. The angle cutting can reduce the part of the mouthpiece that needs to resist the gravity during the printing production process.
[0051] S2, 3D printed mouthpiece. The 3D printing method is FDM fused deposition modeling 3D printing or SLA light-curing 3D printing. The materials for 3D printing are PLA-CF, PLA, ABS, PPA or nylon. The base material of this material is polylactide, which is a biodegradable material. It has good thermal stability, and the processing temperature range is between 170 and 230 ° C, which provides a more suitable temperature condition for production and processing. In terms of material properties, it has excellent solvent resistance and can maintain stable performance in various complex environments. The material can be processed by a variety of processes such as extrusion, spinning, biaxial stretching and injection blow molding to meet different production needs. The composite material uses chopped carbon fiber. The addition of this material has brought significant changes to the base material, making the base material have higher toughness and better able to withstand the impact and stretching of external forces. At the same time, it also greatly improves the mechanical properties, making the mouthpiece more durable during use, and providing a reliable material basis for the production of the mouthpiece.
[0052] The interior of the mouthpiece is a solid structure, a lightweight mesh hollow structure, or a metal composite filling structure. Fig.11 As shown, the mesh hollow structure is preferably a hexagonal mesh hollow structure, which can achieve a lighter weight and have good acoustic performance. Fig.12As shown in the figure, the metal composite structure refers to a composite structure in which metal materials are embedded on the surface or inside of the mouthpiece. For example, a cavity is designed inside the mouthpiece during the design stage, and the printing is paused when 3D printing reaches the top of the cavity. A metal piece of the right size is placed inside the mouthpiece to change the center of gravity of the mouthpiece. Different metals have different densities. For example, tungsten is heavier, while copper and aluminum are relatively lighter. Using different metals can adjust the center of gravity of the mouthpiece. When placing the metal piece, the 3D printing material is slightly dissolved by preheating, so that the metal piece and the 3D printing material are better connected. The change of the center of gravity can be affected by composite metal pieces, which in turn affects the tone, and ultimately achieves customized needs.
[0053] S3. Smooth the top end face, flat rail surface and tail end face respectively.
[0054] In the processing of the top end surface, due to the requirement of fineness, the method of manual grinding with sandpaper is adopted. This method can ensure that the curvature of the top surface is smooth and delicate, which can better fit the reed, thereby improving the sound effect of the instrument.
[0055] In the processing of the flat rail surface, a very high degree of flatness is required to perfectly fit the reed, so a steel plate with good heat resistance is used. When the steel plate is placed on a welding brick and heated to about 180-200°C, the flat rail surface of the mouthpiece is gently placed on the steel plate for ironing. After ironing, immediately rinse with cold water to cool it down. After cooling down, the mouthpiece is removed from the steel plate and finely polished. This treatment method can ensure the flatness of the flat rail surface and provide a stable foundation for the installation of the reed.
[0056] The processing of the tail end surface is similar to that of the flat rail surface. It also goes through the process of heating and cooling, but it is manually polished on this basis to remove possible rough marks, making the tail end surface smoother and more beautiful, while also improving the quality of the entire mouthpiece.
[0057] Fig.13 The top end face, flat rail surface and tail end face of the processed mouthpiece are shown respectively. The top of the mouthpiece has been processed to present a smooth arc, which can better fit the reed, ensure the smooth flow of airflow, and provide a stable foundation for the sound of the instrument. The flat rail part has also become flatter and smoother, providing an accurate position for the installation of the reed, ensuring a good fit between the reed and the mouthpiece. After the tail is processed, it not only looks more beautiful, but also eliminates possible rough edges to avoid unnecessary interference to the performer during use. The fine processing of these three parts has greatly improved the quality and user experience of the mouthpiece.
[0058] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the scientific and technical terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art. In addition, the reagents, materials and operating procedures used herein are reagents, materials and conventional procedures widely used in the corresponding fields.
[0059] It should be noted that the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", etc. cited in the invention are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Changes or adjustments in their relative relationships should be regarded as the scope of implementation of the present invention without substantially changing the technical content.
[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive technology, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Design the mouthpiece, including: Determine the length of the mouthpiece and generate the embryo consisting of the tail and the main body accordingly; According to the connection form between the mouthpiece and the instrument, the tail of the embryo is trimmed; Cutting the upper side of the embryo body to form a tooth bed; The lower side of the main body of the blank is cut to form a flat rail surface for fitting with the reed and an air outlet surface for opening an air outlet of the reed; the air outlet surface is located at one side of the end and warps upward along the direction from the flat rail surface to the end; The flat rail surface and the air inlet surface are cut toward the inside of the blank to form the bore; The end of the embryo body is cut to form a top end surface that fits the top curvature of the reed; Cutting the inside of the embryo body from the end surface of the embryo body's tail to form a connection port with the musical instrument; Open the bore and the connection port; S2, 3D printed mouthpiece.
2. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the method for determining the length of the flute head is: first determine the musical instrument to which the flute head belongs; and then determine the length of the flute head according to the inherent acoustic frequency characteristics of the musical instrument and traditional data.
3. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the embryo body is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the junction between the tail and the main body is the largest, and gradually decreases toward both ends.
4. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the tooth bed cutting includes determining: a tooth bed cutting start surface, a tooth bed cutting end surface, and a tooth bed cutting path; The tooth bed cutting start surface and the tooth bed cutting end surface are both residual circles with the bottom edge being an upward convex arc; the tooth bed cutting start surface is located at the end surface of the embryo body, and the tooth bed cutting end surface is located in the middle part of the embryo body; the curvature of the bottom edge of the tooth bed cutting start surface matches the curvature of the upper teeth of the user; the curvature difference between the bottom edge of the tooth bed cutting start surface and the tooth bed cutting end surface does not exceed 15°; The tooth bed cutting path is a downward concave arc; The tooth bed is formed by cutting from the tooth bed cutting start surface along the tooth bed cutting path to the tooth bed cutting end surface.
5. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the cutting of the rifling includes determining: a rifling cutting start surface and a rifling cutting end surface; The start surface of the rifling cutting extends from the flat rail surface to the tuyere surface; the end surface of the rifling cutting is circular and located inside the main body of the embryo; The rifling is formed by cutting from the rifling cutting starting surface to the rifling cutting ending surface.
6. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S1, the cutting of the connection port includes determining: a connection port cutting start surface and a connection port cutting end surface; The connection opening cutting start surface and the connection opening cutting end surface are both circular, the connection opening cutting start surface is located on the end surface of the embryo body tail, and the connection opening cutting end surface is located in the embryo body.
7. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: In S2, the 3D printing method is FDM fused deposition modeling 3D printing or SLA light-curing 3D printing; The materials for 3D printing are PLA-CF, PLA, ABS, PPA or nylon.
8. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flute head is a solid structure, a mesh hollow structure or a metal composite structure; the mesh hollow structure is preferably a hexagonal mesh hollow structure.
9. The method for preparing a customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece based on additive manufacturing technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the mouthpiece is 3D printed, the top end surface, flat rail surface and tail end surface are smoothed respectively: For the top end surface, sandpaper is used to make it smooth; For the flat rail surface and the tail end surface, they are first heated and ironed, and then sanded to make them smooth; The method of heating and ironing is: heat the steel plate to 180-200℃, then gently place the flat rail surface / tail end surface of the flute head on the steel plate for ironing. After ironing, immediately rinse with cold water to cool it down. After cooling down, remove the flute head from the steel plate.
10. A customized single-reed musical instrument mouthpiece manufactured using additive technology according to the preparation method of any one of claims 1 to 9.