# US 12,763,045 B1 · Clarinet tone hole adapters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,763,045 B1 - Document ID: US12763045B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 19/075,701 - Filed: 2025-03-10 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2025-03-10 - Applicants: Leah M. Kamholz - Inventors: Leah M. Kamholz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763045B1 ## CPC - G10D 9/047: for wood wind instruments - G10D: STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (organs, harmoniums or similar wind musical instruments with associated blowing apparatus G10B; pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards G10C; automatic musical instruments G10F; electrophonic musical instruments in which tones are generated by electromechanical means G10H) ## Abstract Adapters that cover or narrow the apertures of clarinet tone holes may be used to make it easier for players with small fingers or reduced finger mobility to achieve air-tight seals of the tone holes. An adapter may be formed, for example, by a disk that is adhered to a top surface of a tone hole with an air-tight seal. The disk defines a hole through the plane of the disk that reduces the diameter of the clarinet tone hole. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of facilitating clarinet playing, comprising reducing the diameter of one or more tone holes on the clarinet by adhering an adapter to a top surface of a turret of a tone hole of the clarinet with an air-tight seal wherein the adapter consists of a flat disk having rigid or semirigid material and an adhesive on an underside of the disk that adheres the adapter to the top surface of the turret of the tone hole, the disk comprising an aperture defining a central void in the disk. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the disk comprises more than one layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the clarinet is a Boehm system clarinet, and only one tone hole, being a lowest tone hole of the Boehm system clarinet above which a ring is positioned, is reduced in diameter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the disk comprises a top component and a bottom component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the rigid or semirigid material forms one of the top component and the bottom component, and a flexible material forms the other of the top component and the bottom component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adapter is removably adhered by the adhesive to the top surface of the turret of the tone hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the turret comprises a bore wall extending above a main body surface of the clarinet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the bore wall terminates with the top surface of the turret. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the top surface of the turret of the tone hole is flat. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the diameter of only one tone hole is reduced, and the tone hole to which the adapter is adhesively adhered is a lowest tone hole on the clarinet above which a ring is positioned. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the clarinet is a Boehm system clarinet, and the ring positioned above the lowest tone hole is pivotably received in a ring sink surrounding the turret of the lowest tone hole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the disk comprises more than one layer. ### Claim 13 A method of facilitating clarinet playing the method comprising reducing a diameter of a tone hole of the clarinet, wherein the tone hole diameter reduction comprises removably adhering an adapter to a top surface of the tone hole, the adapter consisting of a flat disk and an adhesive on an underside of the flat disk that adheres the adapter to the top surface of the tone hole, and wherein when the adapter is removably adhered to the top surface of the tone hole, a temporary tone hole formed by a central void defined in the adapter is provided for the tone hole. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the disk is configured with a rigid or semi-rigid material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the tone hole is a lowest tone hole on the clarinet above which a ring is positioned. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the tone hole is defined by a circumferential bore wall extending above a main body surface of the clarinet and terminating at the top surface of the tone hole. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the top surface of the tone hole is flat. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive removably adheres the adapter to the top surface of the tone hole with an air-tight seal between the adapter and the top surface of the tone hole to provide the temporary tone hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the disk comprises more than one layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the disk comprises a top component and a bottom component, a rigid or semirigid material forming one of the top component and the bottom component, and a flexible material forming the other of the top component and the bottom component.