Adjustable Thumb Rest for Saxophone via Curved Slot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Woodwind musicians, particularly saxophone players, often experience hand fatigue, finger tension, wrist pain, and other discomforts due to the rigid and one-size-fits-all design of traditional thumb rest pieces, which fail to accommodate varying hand sizes, finger lengths, and wrist postures.
Innovation Solution
A mechanically adjustable thumb rest piece system for woodwind instruments, featuring a curved hole slot that allows for rotation and adjustment along the saxophone body tube, enabling accommodation of different hand sizes, finger lengths, and wrist positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional fixed thumb rest pieces are used, then the instrument structure remains simple, but the player experiences hand fatigue, finger tension, and wrist pain due to inability to accommodate varying hand sizes and postures
Solution Approach 1:
The rest piece is designed with a curved hole slot that allows it to rotate and adjust to different positions along the instrument body tube. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the rest piece to adapt to various hand sizes, finger lengths, and wrist postures, resolving the contradiction between playing comfort and structural simplicity by introducing minimal mechanical mobility to a traditionally fixed component
Solution Approach 2:
The rest piece's position parameter is made variable through the curved hole slot mechanism. By allowing the rest piece to rotate and settle at different angular positions along the body tube, the system changes the geometric parameters of hand contact points to accommodate different player anatomies, thereby improving ease of operation without significantly complicating the device structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional thumb hooks are used, then the device complexity remains low, but the adaptability to different hand sizes and grip lengths is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The rest piece incorporates a curved hole slot that enables rotational movement, allowing the same rest piece to adapt to different hand sizes and grip lengths. Players with smaller hands can position it closer to the mouthpiece, while those with larger hands can position it farther down the body tube, providing versatility without requiring multiple different rest pieces or complex adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The curved hole slot design allows a single rest piece to serve multiple functions by accommodating various hand sizes, finger lengths, and wrist postures. This universal design eliminates the need for different rest piece variants, making one component adaptable to diverse player anatomies while maintaining simple construction
3Ease of operation
If fixed rest pieces are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the player cannot adjust for different wrist positions and grip lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The curved hole slot is integrated into the rest piece during manufacturing, allowing the component to be produced as a single piece with built-in adjustment capability. The slot's geometry is designed to guide the rest piece to specific rotational positions, providing adjustability for different wrist positions and grip lengths while maintaining relatively simple fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
The curved hole slot effectively segments the rest piece's functional range into discrete positioning zones along the body tube. This segmentation allows the rest piece to be manufactured with a predetermined adjustment path, balancing ease of manufacture with the ability to accommodate different player anatomies through simple rotational adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a support system for holding a woodwind musical instrument via varied hand grip sizes, shapes, and posture. In one aspect the system includes a rest piece having a curved hole slot through which mounting or fastening devices can travel along the curved hole slot to allow extreme adjustment of the rest piece for varied hand grip needs.