Swivel Elbow Support for Musicians With Raised-Arm Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Musicians playing instruments that require elevated arm positions, such as flutes, experience strain and fatigue leading to postural and musculoskeletal issues like neck, back, and shoulder pain due to sustained abduction and flexion, which existing solutions like instrument modifications compromise sound quality.
Innovation Solution
A musical instrument support system featuring a harness with a rib plate and elbow support that includes swivel joints allowing adjustable positioning to alleviate strain, distributing weight and reducing movement, while maintaining proper instrument alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the flute is held in an elevated arm position, then the musician can play the instrument, but strain and fatigue occur in the shoulder, neck, and back
Solution Approach 1:
An elbow support device acts as an intermediary between the musician's body and the instrument. The device includes an elbow rest positioned at the musician's side, connected via an articulated arm with pivot joints to a support structure that attaches to the instrument or instrument case. This intermediary structure bears the weight of the instrument and transmits it to the elbow rest, eliminating the need for the musician's shoulder and arm muscles to sustain the elevated position, thereby reducing strain on the shoulder, neck, and back while allowing continuous playing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If instrument modifications such as a curved head joint are used, then the instrument can be held in a lower position, but sound quality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The solution separates the function of holding the instrument from the function of producing sound. The elbow support device handles the mechanical support function, allowing the instrument to be positioned in a ergonomically favorable location near the musician's elbow. The instrument itself remains unmodified, preserving its acoustic properties. The segmentation of support function (handled by the external device) from playing function (handled by the instrument) resolves the contradiction between reduced strain and maintained sound quality.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the arm is held in a sustained elevated position, then the instrument can be played, but muscle fatigue and nerve compression occur
Solution Approach 1:
The elbow support device provides a counterbalancing support structure that opposes the force of gravity acting on the instrument. The articulated arm with pivot joints and the elbow rest create a mechanical system that counterweights the instrument's mass, allowing it to be held in a lowered position without muscular effort. This eliminates the sustained muscle contraction required in elevated arm positions, preventing muscle fatigue and nerve compression while enabling extended playing duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A musical instrument support system provides support to a musician's elbow when the musician's arm is in a raised position, thus alleviating fatigue and strain on the musician's shoulder, neck, back and arms. The support system includes a harness worn on the musician's torso, a rib plate supported by the harness that is worn along the musician's torso, an elbow support that receives the musician's elbow, and a swivel joint that joins the elbow support to the rib plate and permits the elbow plate to rotate and angulate about a vertical axis and move laterally from the rib plate in all directions within a horizontal plane.