# US 7,608,768 B2 · Injection molded saxophone > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,768 B2 - Document ID: US7608768B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/038,982 - Filed: 2008-02-28 - Published: 2008-08-28 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-28 - Inventors: Piyapat Thanyakij - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608768B2 ## CPC - G10D 9/08: Material for manufacturing wind musical instruments; Treatment of the material - G10D 7/08: Saxophones - 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 An injection molded saxophone. A main frame of the saxophone comprises a number of injection molded parts. The injection molded parts are namely a neck, an upper body, a main body, a left bell and bow and a right bell and bow. The injection molded parts are preferably made from a substantially plastic polymer. The neck comprises an octave vent for allowing moisture removal. At least one of the injection molded parts has a number of holes formed therein. A keyworks assembly is couplable to the main frame. The keyworks assembly comprises a number of tone hole cover structures, a number of keys and a number of rods. Each tone hole cover structure comprises a lid shaped for covering its corresponding hole. Each tone hole cover structure has an end ring with an end hole that is shaped and dimensioned to fit with an external profile of one of the number of rods. Operation of the rod varies at least one hole between the open state and the closed state to thereby vary pitch of generated sound. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A saxophone comprising: an injection molded main frame defining a bore and having a plurality of tone holes formed therein, each tone hole having a predetermined shape and dimension, the main frame comprising a plurality of intercouplable injection molded parts; an injection molded detachable neck couplable to the injection molded main frame and comprising a plastic polymer; and a substantially injection molded keyworks assembly couplable to the main frame, the keyworks assembly comprising: a plurality of rods, each of the plurality of rods having an off-circular length transverse cross-sectional shape; and a plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures couplable to the plurality of rods, each of the plurality of tone hole cover structures comprising: a lid having a shape and dimension corresponding to a tone hole; and an end ring having a hole which shape matches the transverse cross-sectional shape of at least one of the plurality of rods, wherein a displacement of one of the plurality of rods can displace a lid within the plurality of tone hole cover structures to vary a tone hole between an open state and a closed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of intercouplable injection molded parts is made substantially from one of a plastic polymer, a metal and a heat-resistant synthetic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein the injection molded detachable neck comprises a crook and an octave vent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein the substantially injection molded keyworks assembly further comprises: a plurality of keys, each of the plurality of keys being couplable to at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures one of directly and via one of the plurality of rods and displaceable for controlling displacement of the at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures, wherein at least one of the plurality of keys is biased to a rest state to thereby bias the at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures in one of towards and away from at least one of the plurality of holes corresponding thereto. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures is of a plastic polymer blend that substantially comprises polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein the hole of the end ring of at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures shape matches the cross-sectional shape of the at least one of the plurality of rods to restrict free rotation of the at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures about a length of the at least one of the plurality of rods when the at least one of the plurality of rods is fitted within the hole of the end ring of the at least one of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein the end hole of the end ring of each of the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures is substantially one of triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal and heptagonal in shape and the cross-sectional shape of the at least one of the plurality of rods is substantially one of triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal and heptagonal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of rods is made substantially from one of a metal, an alloy, a non-metallic material and a metal reinforced material having heat resistant properties. ### Claim 9 A method for manufacturing a reed instrument, the method comprising: injection molding a plurality of reed instrument frame parts; assembling the plurality of reed instrument frame parts to form a main frame, the main frame defining a bore and having a plurality of tone holes formed therein for fluid communicating with the bore; injection molding a detachable neck comprising a plastic polymer that is couplable to the main frame; injection molding a plurality of tone hole cover structures comprising a plastic polymer, the tone hole cover structures corresponding to the tone holes on the main frame; providing a keyworks comprising: a plurality of rods, each rod within the plurality of rods having an off-circular length transverse cross-sectional shape; and a plurality of tone hole cover structures, each of the plurality of tone hole cover structures comprising an end ring having a hole shape matched to a transverse cross-sectional shape of at least one of the plurality of rods; coupling the end rings of the tone hole cover structures to a rod within the plurality of rods; and coupling the keyworks assembly to the main flame such that a displacement of a rod within the plurality of rods displaces a tone hole cover structure within the plurality of tone hole cover structures to vary a tone hole between an open state and a closed state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The saxophone as in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of intercouplable injection molded parts and the injection molded detachable neck is made of a plastic polymer blend that substantially comprises polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein providing the keyworks assembly comprises each tone hole cover structure within the plurality of tone hole cover structures comprising: a lid having a shape and dimension corresponding to a tone hole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The saxophone as in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of rods has a hollow defined therein for receiving at least one shaft therewithin, the at least one shaft being made substantially from one of stainless steel, an alloy, a non-metallic material or a metal reinforced material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, further comprising: designing and creating a prototype of the reed instrument, the prototype comprising a plurality of prototype parts, each of the plurality of prototype parts corresponding with one of the plurality of reed instrument frame parts; and fabricating a plurality of molds using the plurality of prototype parts for facilitating formation of the plurality of reed instrument frame parts via injection molding. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, wherein injection molding the plurality of reed instrument frame parts comprises: injecting a substantially molten material into each of the plurality of molds, wherein the injected substantially molten material within each of the plurality of molds thereinafter solidifies to form one of the plurality of reed instrument frame parts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as in claim 14, wherein the substantially molten material is one of a plastic polymer and a heat-resistant synthetic material and wherein each of the plurality of rods is made substantially from one of a metal, an alloy, a non-metallic material and a metal reinforced material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, wherein injection molding the detachable neck comprising comprises: injection molding the detachable neck comprising a crook and an octave vent, the octave vent configured and operable for reducing moisture seepage from within an interior of the mainframe when the detachable neck is coupled thereto. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, coupling the keyworks assembly to the main frame further comprising: inserting and securing the at least one of the plurality of rods through the end hole of at least one of the plurality of tone hole cover structures corresponding thereto; and coupling each of a plurality of keys to at least one of the plurality of tone hole cover structures one of directly and via the at least one of the plurality of rods and operable for controlling displacement of the at least one of the plurality of tone hole cover structures. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, wherein the hole of the end ring of at least one of the plurality of tone hole cover structures shape matches the cross-sectional shape of the at least one of the plurality of rods fined therewithin to thereby restrict free rotation of the at least one of the plurality of tone hole cover structures about a length of the one of the plurality of rods. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, wherein the hole of each end ring of the plurality of tone hole cover structures is substantially one of triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal and heptagonal in shape and the cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of rods is substantially one of triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal and heptagonal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of rods has a hollow defined therein for receiving at least one shaft therewithin, the at least one shaft received in the hollow of the at least one of the plurality of rods being made substantially from one of stainless steel, an alloy, a non-metallic material or a metal reinforced material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 9) The method as in claim 9, further comprising: providing a plastic polymer blend substantially made of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene for use in injection molding at least one of the plurality of reed instrument frame parts, the detachable neck, and the plurality of tone hole cover structures. ### Claim 22 A saxophone comprising: an injection molded main frame defining a bore and having a plurality of tone holes formed therein, each tone hole having a predetermined shape and dimension, the main frame comprising a plurality of intercouplable injection molded parts; an injection molded detachable crooked neck couplable to the injection molded main frame and comprising a plastic polymer; and a substantially injection molded keyworks assembly couplable to the main frame, the keyworks assembly comprising: a plurality of rods, each of the plurality of rods having an off-circular length transverse cross-sectional shape; and a plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures couplable to the plurality of rods, each of the plurality of tone hole cover structures comprising: a lid having a shape and dimension corresponding to a tone hole; and an end ring having a hole which shape matches the transverse cross-sectional shape of at least one of the plurality of rods, wherein at least one of the injection molded main frame, the injection molded detachable neck and the plurality of injection molded tone hole cover structures is made from a plastic polymer blend of substantially polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene.