A musical timepiece includes a gong fastened to a structure or a resonator of a watch case, the resonator rigidly assembled to the structure around a chamber, by lugs allowing vibration of the resonator within a determined frequency range, the chamber enclosing a sealing element forming with the lugs the only mechanical connection between the structure and the resonator. The structure or the resonator includes a groove receiving a gasket in contact with the structure and the resonator The structure structure or the resonator or the sealing element includes a rigid protruding relief portion compressing a gasket in its groove, with a hardness less than 20 Shore A, for minimum damping of the vibration of the resonator.

A musical timepiece includes a gong fastened to a structure or a resonator of a watch case, the resonator rigidly assembled to the structure around a chamber, by lugs allowing vibration of the resonator within a determined frequency range, the chamber enclosing a sealing element forming with the lugs the only mechanical connection between the structure and the resonator. The structure or the resonator includes a groove receiving a gasket in contact with the structure and the resonator The structure structure or the resonator or the sealing element includes a rigid protruding relief portion compressing a gasket in its groove, with a hardness less than 20 Shore A, for minimum damping of the vibration of the resonator.

A bicycle bell includes a fixing seat on a pipe clamp, a bell cover, and an elastic support. The elastic support has two curved arms and a horizontal section. The two curved arms extend upward from two ends of the horizontal section. The two curved arms have engaging ends extending outwardly and laterally. The horizontal section is mounted to the fixing seat. The engaging ends are connected to the bell cover in a snap-on manner. In the bicycle bell, the fixing seat and the bell cover are assembled through the elastic support. The elastic support is a relatively flexible medium with poor energy conductivity, so that to the vibration amplitude of the bell cover is large, the energy loss is small, and the vibration is longer and louder.

A bell and method of tuning a bell with its lowest frequency partials at f.sub.1=f and f.sub.2=3f=2, The simultaneous presence of physical tones at these partial frequencies yields a difference tone, perceived by the listener, at f.sub.2f.sub.1=3f=2f=f=2. The difference tone is subharmonic, in that its perceived frequency (f=2) is below the frequency of the fundamental (f). Preferably, the bell has one or more additional partials at frequencies f.sub.n=(n+1)f=2, with n 2 f3; 4; 5 : : : g, strengthening the listener's perception of the difference tone at f=2. The hell thus yields a strike tone at f=2 but has a characteristic dimension (e.g. height or diameter) equal to that of conventional bells with a strike tone at f, providing art eightfold savings in bell mass.

A musical instrument includes a plurality of sound tubes that reduces the pitch of low-order harmonics included in the sound generated by the sound tube. Each sound tube can include a tubular sounding body and a cap weighing within a range inclusive from 210-300 g disposed at one end of the tubular sounding body.

A wind chime including a series of individual chime tubes suspended below a base, and a striker suspended below the base and movable into contact with the plurality of chime tubes. The wind chime further includes an accelerometer positioned within each of the chime tubes and operable to generate an accelerometer signal upon contact between the striker and the chime tube. A chime control unit is included which is in communication with each of the accelerometers to receive the accelerometer signals and wirelessly transmit the accelerometer signals away from the location of the wind chime. A receiving station is located remotely from the chime control unit and is operable to receive the accelerometer signals and convert the accelerometer signals to a tone signal. The wind chime includes a playback device operable to audibly transmit the tone signals.

A wind chime including a series of individual chime tubes suspended below a base, and a striker suspended below the base and movable into contact with the plurality of chime tubes. The wind chime further includes an accelerometer positioned within each of the chime tubes and operable to generate an accelerometer signal upon contact between the striker and the chime tube. A chime control unit is included which is in communication with each of the accelerometers to receive the accelerometer signals and wirelessly transmit the accelerometer signals away from the location of the wind chime. A receiving station is located remotely from the chime control unit and is operable to receive the accelerometer signals and convert the accelerometer signals to a tone signal. The wind chime includes a playback device operable to audibly transmit the tone signals.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for chime damping. A chime includes a suspension element from which hangs a sound generating element, such as one or more chime tubes or a side wall of a bell chime. A cord retractor is affixed to the suspension element and a center cord is secured to the cord retractor to be windable and unwindable between retracted and extended positions. A damper, a clapper, and/or a windcatcher are affixed to the center cord. Moving the center cord between retracted and extended positions alters the relative position of the damper, the clapper, and/or the windcatcher with respect to the suspension element and the sound generating element to cause noise generation or noise damping.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for chime damping. A chime includes a suspension element from which hangs a sound generating element, such as one or more chime tubes or a side wall of a bell chime. A cord retractor is affixed to the suspension element and a center cord is secured to the cord retractor to be windable and unwindable between retracted and extended positions. A damper, a clapper, and/or a windcatcher are affixed to the center cord. Moving the center cord between retracted and extended positions alters the relative position of the damper, the clapper, and/or the windcatcher with respect to the suspension element and the sound generating element to cause noise generation or noise damping.

The acoustic radiating membrane is provided to equip a musical watch or a striking watch. The dome-shaped membrane comprises an active central portion, a lateral wall and a peripheral edge portion for holding the membrane in a watch case. The central part is configured in a convex shape or a conical shape and with dimensions devised to amplify a first vibration mode of one or more notes within a frequency range of between 500 Hz and 3.5 kHz.