Elastomeric Sealing Means for Plastic Wind Instrument Reed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plastic reeds for wind instruments fail to achieve the sound quality of wooden reeds due to differences in vibration behavior, despite attempts to improve sound behavior through design modifications such as recesses and inserts.
Innovation Solution
The use of sealing means with a lower Shore A hardness than the plastic reed material on contact surfaces between the reed and the mouthpiece, applied along lateral boundary surfaces and the shank section, to precisely interrupt or release air flow during vibration, simulating the sound properties of a moistened wooden reed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a plastic reed is used instead of a wooden reed, then service life and manufacturing cost are improved, but sound quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing means made of elastomeric material is introduced as an intermediary between the plastic reed and the mouthpiece. This sealing means mediates the interaction between the rigid plastic reed and the mouthpiece, providing the necessary damping and sealing properties that plastic alone cannot achieve, thereby improving sound quality while maintaining the durability of plastic reeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system becomes a composite structure combining plastic reed material with elastomeric sealing material. The plastic reed provides structural integrity and durability, while the elastomeric sealing means provides damping and sealing properties, creating a composite system that achieves both the durability of plastic and the sound quality characteristics previously associated with wood.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the impact surface of the plastic reed is reduced by recesses, then vibration behavior is improved, but sound quality still deteriorates compared to wooden reeds
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing means acts as an intermediary that provides the missing damping property. While recesses modify the vibration behavior of the plastic reed, the elastomeric sealing means introduces the viscoelastic damping characteristics of wooden reeds, thereby achieving the desired sound quality without compromising the improved vibration behavior from the recess design.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing means changes the boundary conditions and interaction parameters between the reed and mouthpiece. By introducing an elastomeric material with specific hardness properties (Shore A 10-50), the system alters the vibration transmission and damping parameters, enabling plastic reeds to achieve sound quality comparable to wooden reeds while maintaining their inherent vibration advantages.
3Manufacturing precision
If sealing means with lower Shore A hardness are applied on contact surfaces, then sound quality is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing means is pre-applied to the mouthpiece contact surfaces during manufacturing, before the reed is installed. This preliminary action integrates the sealing function into the mouthpiece itself, eliminating the need for separate sealing components or complex assembly procedures, thereby improving sound quality without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is merged with the mouthpiece structure by applying the elastomeric material directly to the contact surfaces. This combination eliminates the need for separate sealing components, integrating multiple functions (sealing, damping, and structural support) into a single unified structure, thereby improving sound quality while minimizing increases in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly enhances sound quality, combining the durability and cost-effectiveness of plastic reeds with the sound characteristics of high-quality wooden reeds, while maintaining the reed's movement and vibration characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
sealing means are formed by a sealing material with a lower Shore A hardness than the plastic material of the reed
Implementation Method 2
the Shore A hardness of the sealing material being between 10 and 50, preferably between 15 and 30, in particular essentially 20
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for a wind instrument, comprising a mouthpiece (1) which encloses a sound chamber (12) and which has a window (2) connected to the sound chamber (12) and comprising a reed (6) which has a plastic material, a shaft portion (8) connected over its surface to a support (5) of the mouthpiece (1), and a movable free end portion (9) that can be placed on bordering surfaces (4; 4', 4'', 4''') of the window (2). The reed (6) has sealing means (14) on a support surface (10) facing the boundary surfaces (4; 4', 4'', 4''') of the window (2) and/or the mouthpiece (1) has sealing means on at least one of the boundary surfaces (4; 4', 4'', 4''') of the window (2) in order to seal an air flow between the reed (6) and the mouthpiece (1). The invention also relates to a mouthpiece (1) and a reed (6) for such a device.