Reed mouthpiece for musical instrument with piezoelectric transducer

Claim 2

A mouthpiece for a musical instrument, said mouthpiece comprising: a vibratile reed; means including an air passage, and further including a surface for engaging one extremity of said reed for projection of the opposite extremity of said reed across said air passage for development of vibratile movements of said reed by a stream of air moving past said reed; transducer means having a portion in said surface for engagement by said reed, said portion being deformable to provide electrical output signals corresponding to the character of the deformation; and means for urging said reed toward said surface and into engagement with said portion whereby said portion is deformable essentially only by said reed during said development of said vibratile movement of said reed.

Claim 3

A mouthpiece according to claim 1 wherein said surface is the lay of said mouthpiece.

Claim 4

A mouthpiece according to claim 1 wherein said portion includes a face mounted generally flush with said surface of said first-mentioned means.

Claim 5

A mouthpiece according to claim 1 wherein said portion of said transducer means is piezoelectric material compressible in a thickness mode in response to said vibratile movements.

Claim 6

A mouthpiece according to claim 4 wherein said surface includes a recess, said piezoelectric material is disposed in said recess in spaced relation to the edge margins and in spaced relation to the base of said recess, and including filler material disposed within the space between said piezoelectric material and said base and between said piezoelectric material and said edge margins.

Claim 7

A mouthpiece according to claim 5 wherein said filler material in said space between said piezoelectric material and said base is relatively unyieldable to afford an abutment against which said piezoelectric material is compressible by said vibratile movements.

Claim 8

A mouthpiece according to claim 5 wherein said piezoelectric material is relatively thick and thereby relatively unbending and unresponsive to any bending of said surface of said first-mentioned means.

Claim 9

A mouthpiece for a musical instrument, said mouthpiece comprising: a vibratile reed; a body adapted for attachment to a musical instrument and including an air passage, a recess defined by walls and a base, and further including a surface for engaging one extremity of said reed for projection of the opposite extremity of said reed across said air passage for development of vibratile movements of said reed by a stream of air moving past said reed; piezoelectric material located in said recess in spaced relation to said walls and said base and having a face substantially flush with said surface of said body for subjection of said face to deformations by said reed during said vibratile movements, said material being deformable to provide electrical output signals corresponding to the character of said deformations, said material being relatively highly deformable in compression compared to bending whereby said material provides said signals responsive primarily only to said deformations; filler material disposed in the space between said piezoelectric material and said walls and said base of said recess; and a ligature for clamping said reed against said surface of saId body.

Claim 10

A mouthpiece for a musical instrument, said mouthpiece comprising: a vibratile reed; a body adapted for attachment to a musical instrument and including an air passage, a recess defined by walls and a base, and further including a surface for engaging one extremity of said reed for projection of the opposite extremity of said reed across said air passage for development of vibratile movements of said reed by a stream of air moving past said reed; piezoelectric material located in said recess in spaced relation to said walls and said base and having a face substantially flush with said surface of said body for subjection of said face to deformations by said reed during said vibratile movements, said material being deformable to provide electrical output signals corresponding to the character of said deformations, said material being relatively highly deformable in compression compared to bending whereby said material provides said signals responsive primarily only to said deformations; filler material disposed in the space between said piezoelectric material and said walls and said base of said recess; and a ligature for clamping said reed against said surface of saId body.

Claim 11

A mouthpiece according to claim 8 and including electrical leads connected to said piezoelectric material and terminating externally of said body for connection to an external electrical circuit for utilization of said electrical output signals.