Rotated Plectrum Body for Adjustable String Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plectrums lack specificity in use, with limited adaptability to different music styles, playing techniques, and user preferences, leading to suboptimal sound quality and stability issues during performance.
Innovation Solution
A plectrum with a body divided into an attachment portion and a user's gripping portion, featuring a rotated portion with a continuous twist connecting two planar surfaces, allowing for adjustable sliding and release effects on the string based on the angle of rotation and extension ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the plectrum is made thin to reduce weight and improve flexibility, then the plectrum becomes more flexible and easier to handle, but it becomes more prone to breaking during performance
Solution Approach 1:
The plectrum employs non-uniform thickness distribution where the gripping portion is thickened while the attachment portion remains thin. This local quality variation allows the plectrum to be thin enough for flexibility and light weight where needed, while having increased thickness at the gripping portion to prevent breaking and improve stability during performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the plectrum is made uniform in thickness for easy manufacturing, then manufacturing becomes simpler and more cost-effective, but the adaptability to different playing styles and techniques is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The plectrum features localized thickness variations with a thickened gripping portion and a thin attachment portion. This non-uniform structure provides adaptability for different playing styles and techniques while remaining manufacturable through injection molding processes that can accommodate controlled thickness variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces variation in the thickness dimension to create functional zones within the plectrum. By varying thickness from the gripping portion to the attachment portion, the plectrum gains adaptability for different playing techniques while maintaining manufacturability through controlled molding processes.
3Ease of operation
If the gripping portion is made smooth and thin for comfort and flexibility, then the plectrum is more comfortable to hold and flexible, but it escapes from the fingers during performance
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping portion is thickened with a curved surface that conforms to the player's finger anatomy. This local thickening provides enhanced grip stability and prevents the plectrum from escaping during performance, while the curved surface maintains comfort and flexibility for the player's hand.
Data Source
AI summary
Plectrum (1) for string musical instruments, comprising a body (2) divided in an attachment portion (5), a gripping portion (6) made with a rotation along its own longitudinal axis to modify in a desired manner the sliding and release features of the string of the instrument and/or to facilitate the gripping by the user.