Acoustic Instrument Humidity Sensor via String Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to accurately measure environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature, within the sound hole of wooden acoustic instruments during storage, especially when stored in closely conforming instrument cases.
Innovation Solution
An environmental sensing system is designed to be positioned near or within the sound hole, supported by the instrument's strings, featuring a planar body and support face configuration that fits within the sound hole, equipped with sensors and a display for real-time monitoring of environmental data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an environmental sensor is placed inside the sound hole to measure environmental conditions accurately, then measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is nested within the sound hole cavity of the instrument. The sensor housing fits inside the existing sound hole space, utilizing the instrument's own structure as part of the mounting system. This eliminates the need for external mounting structures and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining measurement precision inside the sound hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument's sound hole structure serves dual purposes: it provides the acoustic function of the instrument and simultaneously serves as the mounting structure for the environmental sensor. The sound hole cavity itself becomes the housing for the sensor, eliminating the need for separate mounting brackets or external attachments.
2Reliability
If a sensor system is added to monitor environmental conditions, then reliability of instrument storage is improved, but the string stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting system is extracted from the string structure itself. Instead of attaching the sensor directly to the strings or using strings as mounting points, the sensor is mounted independently within the sound hole cavity using the instrument's body structure, completely separating the sensor system from the string tension system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sound hole cavity acts as an intermediary space between the sensor and the instrument body. The sensor is positioned within this cavity and mounted to the instrument's internal structure rather than directly to the strings, using the cavity space as a buffer that prevents direct mechanical coupling between the sensor weight and the string tension system.
3Ease of operation
If the sensor body is made larger to accommodate display and electronics, then ease of operation is improved, but the sound hole fit becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is segmented into functional modules: the sensing element, the display unit, and the control electronics. The display is positioned on the upper portion of the sound hole cavity where it is accessible for viewing, while the sensitive measurement components are positioned lower within the cavity. This segmentation allows the system to provide easy operation through display visibility while maintaining a compact overall form factor that fits within the sound hole dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The display is oriented to face upward toward the instrument's exterior, utilizing the vertical dimension of the sound hole cavity. Rather than expanding the sensor body horizontally, the display extends in the vertical direction along the cavity depth, allowing users to view the display from above while keeping the horizontal footprint small enough to fit within the sound hole opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for enabling measurement of desired environmental criteria of an instrument during storage, including in some situations storage within a closely conforming instrument case. A humireader includes a planar body forming a âTâ with a support face. The support face enables a user to suspend and support the body between a pair of adjacent strings allowing the body to extend through a sound hole. An environment sensing system disposed within the body collects environment data of the instrument and presents it to the user using an output system (e.g., a display) that is part of the support face.