Wind Chime Silencer with Slit Base and Tube Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind chimes can be noisy and pose safety risks due to strong winds causing them to ring severely, potentially damaging tubes or nearby property, and existing solutions either damage the chimes or are difficult to install and remove safely while maintaining aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A wind chime silencer and protector comprising a flat base with a slit to secure the striker and vertical holes to hold the tubes in place, made of flexible yet rigid material, allowing easy installation and removal while preventing contact between the striker and tubes or nearby objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rubber band or string is placed around the chime tubes to prevent them from swinging, then the tubes are secured in place, but the tubes are forced to rub against each other causing damage and abrasion over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a silencer component as an intermediary element between the tubes and the striker. This silencer acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact between the tubes and striker while allowing the tubes to hang freely without being forced together, thus eliminating the abrasion problem while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the silencing function into separate components: individual silencers attached to each tube or a central silencer structure. This segmentation allows each tube to be independently secured without forcing other tubes together, preventing the harmful rubbing action while maintaining individual tube stability
2Stability of the object's composition
If heavy wind chimes are left hanging in strong winds, then the chime structure remains in place, but the tubes can contact the striker and nearby property causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The silencer serves as a protective intermediary between the tubes and the striker, creating a buffer zone that prevents direct contact even when heavy winds cause the chime to swing. This mediator absorbs the impact and prevents damage to both the tubes and nearby property
Solution Approach 2:
The silencer is installed beforehand to provide cushioning protection. It creates a protective barrier that absorbs the impact of wind-induced swinging, preventing the tubes from striking the striker or nearby objects with full force
3Reliability
If a rubber band is placed around the chime tubes to prevent swinging, then the tubes are secured, but the tubes hang at an angle which is unsightly and the installation is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The silencer acts as a mediator that secures tubes without requiring them to be forced together. This allows the tubes to maintain their natural vertical hanging position, preserving aesthetic appearance while still providing security against wind-induced swinging
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forcing the tubes together to secure them (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by providing a structure that holds the tubes in their natural position without applying compressive force. This inversion eliminates the aesthetic problem while maintaining security
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment having a flexible base with a plurality of vertical holes near its perimeter, each for housing a wind chime tube, the base further having a slit cut from one of the vertical holes into the middle of the base, allowing the base to be installed in the central portion of a wind chime, thereby effectively silencing the wind chime and protecting the tubes and nearby objects. This article works on the type of chime having multiple vertical resonant tubes that are struck by a striker connected to a sail that is urged by the wind. Other embodiments are described and shown.