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US 11,776,515 B1Granted
Reinforced solid wood block idiophone
OwnerMichael Lenzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid wood block idiophone having slit reinforcement plates mounted against the sides of the idiophone's wood block is described. Advantageously, the reinforcement plates act to increase the durability of the wood having one or more open faced resonant chambers with chamber sidewall slits by preventing the wood from fracturing to and from the open woodgrain ends terminated at the sidewall slits.
Claims20
An idiophone comprising:
- a solid wood block having (i) a chamber formed therein having at least one open end, (ii) opposing first and second sidewalls defined by the chamber, the first and second sidewalls having respective first and second exterior sidewall surfaces, (iii) first and second block slits extending through the respective first and second sidewalls from the at least one open end extending downwardly therefrom a predetermined distance and terminating at respective first and second slit ends, (iv) first and second inlay pockets formed into the respective first and second sidewalls on the respective first and second exterior sidewall surfaces with the inlay pockets surrounding a substantial portion of the edges of the respective first and second slits including the first and second slit ends;
- and
- first and second reinforcement plates received and adhesively secured in the respective first and second inlay pockets, the first and second reinforcement plates having respective first and second reinforcement slits that extend from open end at a top edge of the respective reinforcement plate to a reinforcement slit end proximate a bottom edge of the respective reinforcement plate wherein the first and second reinforcement slits correspond and align with the respective first and second block slits, the reinforcement plate being comprised of a crack resistant material.
The method claim of 17, wherein the fibrous reinforcing material comprises one or more of long and short fiber glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and polyethylene fibers.
An idiophone comprising:
- a solid wood block having (i) a chamber formed therein having at least one open end, (ii) opposing first and second sidewalls defined by the chamber, the first and second sidewalls having respective first and second exterior sidewall surfaces, and (iii) first and second block slits extending through the respective first and second sidewalls from the at least one open end extending downwardly therefrom a predetermined distance and terminating at respective first and second slit ends;
- and
- first and second reinforcement plates adhesively secured to the respective first and second sidewalls, the first and second reinforcement plates having respective first and second reinforcement slits that extend from open end at a top edge of the respective reinforcement plate to a reinforcement slit end proximate a bottom edge of the respective reinforcement plate wherein the first and second reinforcement slits correspond and align with the respective first and second block slits, the reinforcement plate being comprised of a crack resistant material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.