Saxophone Key Layout for High-Register Fingering Ergonomics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing saxophone designs face challenges in facilitating the playability of high registers, ensuring stable key adjustments, and improving ergonomics during operation.
Innovation Solution
The saxophone's key mechanism is redesigned to optimize the positioning of flap buttons, allowing for closer finger contact and simultaneous operation of multiple keys with a single finger, enhancing ergonomics and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the saxophone is disassembled into separate components for cleaning, then access to internal surfaces is improved, but the number of parts to manage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The saxophone is divided into separable components including body, neck, mouthpiece, and bell sections that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows users to access internal surfaces such as the interior of the body, neck, and bell for cleaning while maintaining a manageable number of discrete parts that can be systematically assembled and disassembled.
2Reliability
If the saxophone uses traditional materials like brass and wood, then acoustic quality is maintained, but resistance to corrosion and damage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The saxophone incorporates a bell made from corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel or plated metals, while maintaining traditional brass or wood materials for the body and neck sections. This composite approach provides corrosion resistance in areas most susceptible to damage (the bell) while preserving the acoustic qualities associated with traditional materials throughout the instrument.
3Ease of operation
If the saxophone has a complex key mechanism, then playability is improved, but the difficulty of cleaning and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The key mechanism is designed as a modular assembly that can be removed as a complete unit from the saxophone body. This extraction allows the key mechanism to be detached entirely for thorough cleaning of internal surfaces and pads, while maintaining the complex playability features when reassembled. The separable design enables systematic cleaning of areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
In the lying position, on the side part of the upper body (1), the uppermost part of the surface of the second button (2), constituting the end of the second lever of the "c" flap is located at the height X ranging from 1.5 to 3 mm, and preferably 2 mm, measured from the uppermost part of the surface of the first button (3), which runs parallel to the horizontal planeconstituting the end of the first lever of the high "e" flap. The uppermost part of the surface of the third button (4), constituting the end of the third lever of the "b" flap is located at the height Y ranging from 12 to 14 mm, and preferably 13 mm, measured from the uppermost part of the surface of the first button (3), which runs parallel to the horizontal plane, constituting the end of the first lever of the high "e" flap. In the lying position, on the side part of the upper body (1), the uppermost part of the surface of the forth button (5), constituting the end of the forth lever of the high"f sharp" flap is located at the height Z ranging from 14 to 16 mm, and preferably 15 mm, measured from the uppermost part of the surface of the first button (3), which runs parallel to the horizontal plane, constituting the end of the first lever of the high "e" flap. The uppermost part of the surface of the fifth button (6), constituting the end of the fifth lever of the "f sharp" chromatic flap is located at the height V ranging from 16 to 18 mm, and preferably 17 mm, measured from the uppermost part of the surface of the first button (3), which runs parallel to the horizontal plane, constituting the end of the first lever of the high "e" flap.