Stone-Embedded Timepiece Gong for Richer Sound Without Dissonance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing resonant organs for timepiece striking mechanisms struggle to produce harmonious and intense sounds without dissonance, and current methods for tuning gongs are complex or do not achieve desirable sound characteristics.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a stone with a table for impact into the gong notch of a resonant organ, secured by a closed setting, to enhance the sound quality and resonance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a gold gong is used to increase partials in sound vibration, then the sound richness is improved, but dissonance occurs when multiple gongs are tuned or struck successively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by embedding a stone specifically at the impact zone of the gong, rather than changing the entire gong material or structure. This localized modification targets the specific area where the hammer strikes, allowing the stone to modify the vibration characteristics and reduce dissonance while preserving the overall sound richness of the gold gong.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining gold gong material with a embedded stone. This composite approach allows the gold to provide the base sound richness while the stone modifies the vibration patterns to eliminate dissonance, achieving both improved sound quality and elimination of harmful effects.
2Manufacturing precision
If openings are made in gongs to be filled with other material to change sound, then frequency control is improved, but the setting process becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the frequency control function from complex multi-step opening-and-filling processes and implements it through a simpler embedded stone approach. The stone is directly embedded in the gong at the impact zone, eliminating the need for separate openings and filling operations, thus reducing setting complexity while maintaining frequency control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stone is embedded in the gong during the manufacturing process, before the gong is installed in the timepiece. This preliminary action integrates the frequency control feature into the gong structure itself, eliminating the need for complex subsequent setting operations and reducing overall device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If gong length is adjusted or recesses are cut to tune the gong, then the pitch frequency is improved, but all other partials become resultant and uncontrolled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing the stone specifically at the impact zone of the gong, rather than making general adjustments to gong length or cutting recesses throughout the structure. This localized modification allows precise control over the pitch frequency while maintaining control over the partial frequencies, as the stone's position and properties can be optimized to affect specific vibration modes.
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
The stone-embedded gong design results in a more intense and resonant sound with improved perception, increasing the acoustic level by at least 1 dB and emphasizing low-frequency modes.
Implementation Method 1
The vibration of the gong is produced by the impact of at least one hammer... This vibration is made up of several natural frequencies and of partials
Implementation Method 2
capable of producing audible vibrations with a more intense and harmonious sound, with no dissonance, and with a greater resonance over time
Implementation Method 3
said stone comprising a table with an impact surface suitable for being struck by a hammer of the striking mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A resonant organ (100) for a striking mechanism (200) including a gong (110a, 110b) attached to a gong holder (120), wherein the gong (110a, 110b) has a notch (117) in which a stone (1) is embedded and secured, the stone (1) including a table (3) with an impact surface suitable for being struck by a hammer (210a, 210b) of the striking mechanism (200).