Hands-Free Elk Call With External Diaphragm Sound Modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional game calls are difficult to learn, unsuitable for users with a strong gag reflex, and create visibility issues due to hand movement, especially when used for hunting or photography, as they require hands to operate.
Innovation Solution
A hands-free game call design that is held in the user's mouth with an inner end inside and an outer end between the teeth and lips, operated by inhaling to produce sound and modulated by adjusting tooth pressure on a flexible diaphragm, allowing for realistic and consistent sound production without hand movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a diaphragm call is used entirely inside the user's mouth, then hands-free operation is achieved, but the call becomes difficult to learn, unsuitable for users with a strong gag reflex, and causes discomfort due to mouth shape variations
Solution Approach 1:
The call is divided into two parts: a mouthpiece portion that fits inside the mouth and an external portion that extends outside. This segmentation allows the call to be operated hands-free while reducing the complexity of the intraoral component, making it easier to learn and more comfortable for users with different mouth shapes and gag reflexes.
Solution Approach 2:
The call extends from the oral cavity into the external space, utilizing a third dimension (outside the mouth) to reduce the functional burden on the intraoral portion. This dimensional extension allows for easier operation while maintaining hands-free capability.
2Ease of operation
If external calls are used outside the mouth, then ease of operation is improved, but hand-held operation is required which creates visibility and movement issues
Solution Approach 1:
The call is segmented into an intraoral portion for operation and an external portion for sound projection. This allows the user to operate the call hands-free (eliminating hand movement detection) while the external portion remains stationary and less likely to spook animals.
3Ease of operation
If the diaphragm is placed entirely inside the mouth, then hands-free operation is achieved, but the diaphragm becomes covered by fluid from the mouth causing it to stick and reducing sound quality
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is extracted from the entirely intraoral position and placed in a position where it extends outside the mouth. This extraction prevents the diaphragm from being covered by oral fluids, eliminating the sticking problem and maintaining consistent sound quality while preserving hands-free operation.
4Ease of operation
If conventional diaphragm calls are used entirely inside the mouth, then hands-free operation is achieved, but all user mouth shapes and sizes create fitting issues
Solution Approach 1:
The call is segmented into a smaller intraoral portion and an external portion. This segmentation reduces the size of the intraoral component, making it more adaptable to different mouth shapes and sizes while maintaining hands-free operation capability.
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
Enables hands-free operation, reduces visibility, and provides easy, high-quality sound production, mimicking natural animal sounds, suitable for hunting or photography without the need for hand-held operation.
Implementation Method 1
a reed-type member, preferably a flexible diaphragm, that moves/vibrates upon air being forced across the diaphragm
Implementation Method 2
to produce sound and by the user adjusting/changing the force/pressure of his/her teeth against the housing to modify/modulate the sound
Data Source
AI summary
An animal call for hands-free use may mimic a cow elk and attract both cow and bull elk. The call is inserted partially into the user's mouth, with an inner end inside the user's mouth between the user's front teeth, and with the outer end extending from the teeth and lips to be outside the user's mouth. The call may be operated by: 1) inhaling air into and through the call and into the user's mouth, for example, at various strengths/volumes, to create the call sound, and 2) changing the user's front teeth pressure against the housing to modify/modulate the sound to be realistic and life-like. Changes in the teeth pressure compress the game call body to various extents, pushing a tongue-like structure inside the call up to engage the diaphragm to various extents, thereby modifying and varying the sounds produced.