Drum with Continuous Rail for Customizable Tensioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional drums, such as snare drums, toms, and bass drums, lack the ability to produce highly personalized and differentiated sounds, with existing designs limiting customization options and requiring expensive solutions like multiple toms that pose space and cost issues.

Innovation Solution

The drum features a continuous rail system allowing tie rods to be positioned and engaged at any point on the circumference, enabling customizable tensioning for each skin, with grooves and hooks or sliders for secure connection, allowing users to adjust the number and placement of tie rods for unique sound production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional drums use fixed positions for tie rods on the drum circumference, then the drum structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the sound customization capability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound customization capabilityVSAvoiddrum structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the tie rod positioning dynamic by replacing fixed positions with a continuous rail system that allows the tie rods to be moved to any position around the drum circumference. This enables the drum structure to adapt to different sound customization needs while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The continuous rail system serves multiple functions: it provides a guide for tie rod positioning, acts as a support structure, and enables various tensioning configurations. This universal component replaces the need for multiple fixed mounting points, simplifying the overall structure while enhancing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple toms are used to achieve differentiated sounds, then sound variety is improved, but cost and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound varietyVSAvoidnumber of drums required
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the drum into multiple functional zones along the rail, allowing different sections to be tuned independently with different numbers and positions of tie rods. This creates sound variety within a single drum, replacing the need for multiple toms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different zones of the drum can have different local characteristics by positioning tie rods at specific locations along the rail. This allows each section of the drum skin to produce different sounds, providing sound variety without requiring multiple drums.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If tie rods are positioned at fixed determined points on the drum, then manufacturing is simplified, but sound personalization is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound personalizationVSAvoiddrum manufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The continuous rail acts as an intermediary element between the drum body and the tie rods. It provides a standardized, easy-to-manufacture component that simultaneously enables flexible tie rod positioning, bridging the gap between manufacturing simplicity and operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3642829B1Drum, particularly a drum kit tom-tom
Publication Date: 2022.01.19 ASBA
  • EP3642829B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1A
  • EP3642829B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

This drum (1) comprises a cylindrical shell (2), batter (3) and resonant heads (4), two hoops (5) connected on the periphery of the heads (3, 4), and tension rods (6) making it possible to pull each hoop (5) in an opposite direction from the corresponding end of the cylindrical shell (2), in order to exert tension on the head (3, 4). According to the invention: -each hoop (5) forms a first tension rod (6) support area (10), which is continuous along the entire circumference of the hoop (5); - the cylindrical shell (2) has at least one rail (15) attached to the exterior, extending along the circumference of the cylindrical shell (2), which forms at least one second tension rod (6) support area (16), which is continuous along the entire length of the rail; and -each tension rod (6) has first and second engaging ends (11), capable of engaging with the first and second engaging areas (10, 16) formed by the hoop (5) and the rail (15), on any point of the circumference of said hoop and said rail.