Patent Publication Number: US-10789926-B2

Title: Supporting apparatus for kick pad

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-078213, filed Apr. 16, 2018; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present invention relates to, for example, a supporting apparatus designed to attach a kick pad of an electronic drum to an acoustic drum. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, there is an increasing demand for attaching a kick pad of an electronic drum to an acoustic drum. Examples known as this type of kick pad include an apparatus in which a kick pad is attached to a head of a bass drum, and an apparatus in which a kick pad fixed to a stand is placed in front of a head. 
     However, when a kick pad is attached to a head or placed in front of the head, as in the above-described conventional apparatuses, the thickness of the bass drum increases by the thickness of the kick pad, causing the bass drum to jut out forward and increasing the space for installation of the drum set. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a supporting apparatus for a kick pad of an electronic drum that allows the kick pad to be attached to an acoustic drum, without increasing the installation space for the drum set. 
     The supporting apparatus for a kick pad according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a supporting member that supports a kick pad including a sensor that converts a vibration generated by beating with a beater into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal; and a fixation member that fixes the supporting member to an inner surface of a body of a bass drum while a striking surface of the kick pad is arranged in a position beaten by the beater. 
     By using the supporting apparatus for a kick pad according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to attach a kick pad to an inside of a bass drum, thus allowing a kick pad of an electronic drum to be attached to an acoustic drum, without increasing the installation space for the drum set. 
     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an external view of a set of acoustic drums as viewed from the player side; 
         FIG. 2  is an external perspective view showing an assembly in which a kick pad to be installed inside a bass drum shown in  FIG. 1  is attached to a supporting apparatus, according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially-enlarged perspective view showing a fixing member of a hoop of a bass drum shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the assembly shown in  FIG. 2  is attached to the inside of the bass drum; 
         FIG. 5  is an external perspective view showing an assembly in which a kick pad to be installed inside the bass drum shown in  FIG. 1  is attached to a supporting apparatus, according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the assembly shown in  FIG. 5  is attached to the inside of the bass drum; 
         FIG. 7  is a partially-enlarged exploded perspective view showing a lower fixation frame of the supporting apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 , as well as its fixation structure; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing an elastic member shown in  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view showing the elastic member shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an external view of a set  100  of acoustic drums (hereinafter referred to as a drum set  100 ) as viewed from the player side (front side). Typically, the drum set  100  includes a snare drum  101 , a bass drum  102 , a high tom  103 , a low tom  104 , a floor tom  105 , a hi-hat cymbal  106 , a crash cymbal  107 , and a ride cymbal  108 . 
     A stool  100   a  on which a player is seated is set up on the front side of the drum set  100 . Also, a foot pedal  109  that is operated with the foot of the player seated on the stool  100   a  is provided on the front side of the bass drum  102 . The foot pedal  109  includes a beater  109   a  designed to beat a head  102   a  of the bass drum  102 . The foot pedal  109  is attached to a hoop  102   c  on the front side of the bass drum  102 . Since matters such as the configuration of the foot pedal  109  and the method of attaching the foot pedal  109  to the hoop  102   c  are well-known in the art, a detailed description of such matters will be omitted herein. 
     In the bass drum  102 , namely, inside the head  102   a,  an assembly  30  that supports a kick pad  1  of an electronic drum by means of a supporting apparatus  10  according to a first embodiment is arranged.  FIG. 2  is an external perspective view of an assembly  30 . In  FIG. 1 , illustration of the assembly  30  is omitted. The kick pad  1  is arranged in a position beaten by the beater  109   a  via the head  102   a,  using the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment. 
     With the kick pad  1 , the bass drum  102  functions as an electronic drum. Accordingly, the head  102   a  on the player side, which is required in an acoustic drum, can be omitted. That is, it is also possible to directly beat the striking surface of the kick pad  1  with the beater  109   a.    
     However, when the head  102   a  is provided, as in the present embodiment, the same tension as would be applied when the bass drum  102  is used an acoustic drum will not be applied to the head  102   a.  That is, it is desirable that the head  102   a  is attached under a tension that does not cause the head  102   a  to apply a bounce-back force to the beater  109   a  when the kick pad  1  is beaten with the beater  109   a.  Alternatively, the head  102   a  may be formed of a mesh material against which the beater  109   a  weakly bounces back, and attached in a loosely stretched state. 
     Alternatively, the head  102   a  may be formed of a plastic film or genuine leather and provided on the front side of the bass drum  102 . In this case, the head  102   a  may be held under the same tension as that of an acoustic drum, if the striking sound of the beater  109   a  may become louder. In either case, it is desirable that the head  102   a  is provided in proximity to or in contact with the striking surface of the kick pad  1 . 
     The bass drum  102  as an acoustic drum includes front and back heads  102   a  (only the front head  102   a  is shown in  FIG. 1 ), a cylindrical shell (body)  102   b,  and front and back circular hoops  102   c.  The head  102   a  is in the form of a rounded sheet, and is attached to fill in an opening portion on the front side of (or on the back side of) the shell  102   b.  An outer rim of the head  102   a  is pressed against the edge of the shell  102   b  by the hoop  102   c.  In this state, the hoop  102   c  is fixedly fastened to the shell  102   b  at a plurality of portions along the rim of the shell  102   b,  using a plurality of fixing members  102 A shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     When the head  102   a  is attached to the shell  102   b,  the hoop  102   c  is attached to the shell  102   b  in such a manner that the outer rim of the head  102   a  is interposed between the edge of the shell  102   b  and the hoop  102   c.  Hooks  102   d  of the fixing members  102 A are attached onto a plurality of portions of the hoop  102   c,  key bolts  102   e  are inserted therethrough, and the key bolts  102   e  are screwed into lugs  102   f  fixed to the shell  102   b . The lugs  102   f  are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the shell  102   b,  and are fixed to the shell  102   b  by screws (not shown in the drawings) that penetrate the shell  102   b.    
     The bass drum  102  as an acoustic drum is tuned using a tuning key (not shown in the drawings). That is, the key bolt  102   e  of each of the fixing members  102 A attached along the hoop  102   c  is turned by a tuning key to adjust the tightness of the head  102   a.  It is thereby possible to change the pitch of the sound produced by the bass drum when beaten with the beater  109   a.  The tuning with the tuning key is performed by tightening the key bolts  102   e  equally and uniformly. 
     First Embodiment 
     Hereinafter, a supporting apparatus  10  according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 4 .  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an assembly  30  including a kick pad  1  attached to the supporting apparatus  10  is provided inside a bass drum  102 . In the description that follows, the direction in which a beater  109   a  beats the kick pad  1  (head  102   a ) will be referred to as a back side (or a rear side). The direction opposite thereto will be referred to as a front side (or an anterior side). 
     The supporting apparatus  10  includes a bottom plate  11  formed by a substantially rectangular metal plate. The bottom plate  11  includes two ribs  11   a,  which are configured in such a manner that two edge portions provided along its longer-side direction are bent upward (as shown in the drawing) at a substantially right angle. By providing the ribs  11   a , the stiffness of the bottom plate  11  is increased. The bottom plate  11  is arranged in a substantially horizontal attitude inside the bass drum  102  to face the inner surface at the bottom of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , in such a manner that the two ribs  11   a  are respectively arranged on the front side and the back side, and are oriented upward. 
     The bottom plate  11  includes four slits  11   b.  Through each of the slits  11   b,  a screw  13  designed to attach two attachment legs  12 , which will be described later, to the lower surface side of the bottom plate  11  is inserted. The bottom plate  11  (i.e., the supporting apparatus  10 ) is fixed to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  via the two attachment legs  12 . The two attachment legs  12  function as fixing members of the supporting apparatus  10 . 
     Each slit  11   b  is provided between the two ribs  11   a,  so as to penetrate the bottom plate  11  and extend along the longer-side direction (left-right direction as viewed from the player) of the bottom plate  11 . To attach the two attachment legs  12  in such a manner that they are distanced from each other as viewed in the left-right direction (as shown in the drawing), the four slits  11   b  are respectively provided near four corner portions of the bottom plate  11  so as to be distanced from each other as viewed in the longer-side direction of the bottom plate  11 . 
     By attaching attachment legs  12  to the bottom plate  11  using screws  13  inserted through the four slits  11   b,  intervals of the attachment legs  12  as viewed in the longer-side direction (left-right direction as shown in the drawing) of the bottom plate  11  can be adjusted. By means of screws (not shown in the drawings) designed to fixedly fasten the lugs  102   f  of the fixing member  102 A to the shell  102   b,  the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment is fixedly fastened to the shell  102   b,  together with the lugs  102   f,  via attachment holes  102   g  ( FIG. 4 ) of the shell  102   b.  Thus, by making the attachment legs  12  movable relative to the bottom plate  11  in the left-right direction (as shown in the drawing), the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment can be attached to the shell  102   b,  regardless of the intervals at which the lugs  102   f  are attached along the circumferential direction of the shell  102   b.    
     Each of the two attachment legs  12  includes an upper plate  12   a  on the side of the bottom plate  11  and a lower plate  12   b  on the side of the shell  102   b.  The two attachment legs  12  have the same configuration. The two attachment legs  12  are provided on the lower surface side of the bottom plate  11 , near both ends as viewed in the longer-side direction of the bottom plate  11 . The attachment legs  12  extend along the shorter-side direction of the bottom plate  11 . In other words, the attachment legs  12  extend along the axial direction of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  so as to be distanced from each other in the circumferential direction of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 . 
     The upper plate  12   a  of each of the attachment legs  12  is formed of a belt-like metal plate with both of its ends as viewed in the longer-side direction bent downward (as shown in the drawing) at a substantially right angle. The upper plate  12   a  is arranged in an orientation that allows the upper plate  12   a  to be aligned with the two slits  11   b  arranged along the shorter-side direction of the bottom plate  11 . The upper plate  12   a  includes two screw holes (not shown in the drawings) through which the screws  13  are to be inserted. The two screw holes of the upper plate  12   a  are respectively provided in positions that allows the two screw holes to be aligned with the two slits  11   b  of the bottom plate  11 . A coupling hole (not shown in the drawings) designed to rotatably couple the lower plate  12   b  to the upper plate  12   a  is provided in each of the bent ends of the upper plate  12   a.    
     When the upper plate  12   a  is attached to the bottom plate  11 , the upper plate  12   a  is overlapped with the bottom plate  11  so as to face its lower surface. At this time, both ends of the upper plate  12   a  are oriented in a direction (downward direction as shown in the drawing) distant from the bottom plate  11 , and the upper plate  12   a  is arranged in an attitude that brings the longer-side direction of the upper plate  12   a  along the shorter-side direction of the bottom plate  11 . Also, at this time, the upper plate  12   a  is positioned with respect to the bottom plate  11  in such a manner that two screw holes of the upper plate  12   a  are aligned with the two slits  11   b  of the bottom plate  11 . 
     By inserting the screws  13  into screw holes of the upper plate  12   a  and the slits  11   b  of the bottom plate  11 , which are overlapped on one another, the upper plate  12   a  is fixedly fastened to the bottom plate  11  using a nut (not shown in the drawings). At this time, the upper plate  12   a  may be attached at a desired position along the longer-side direction of the bottom plate  11 , in accordance with the positions of the lugs  102   f,  within the range of the length of the slits  11   b.    
     The lower plate  12   b  is formed of a belt-like metal plate with both of its ends as viewed in the longer-side direction bent at a substantially right angle upward (as shown in the drawing). The lower plate  12   b  is coupled to the upper plate  12   a  in such an attitude that the bent ends are oriented toward the upper plate  12   a.  The bent ends of the lower plate  12   b  are, for example, overlapped with the outer side of the bent ends of the upper plate  12   a.  A coupling hole (not shown in the drawings), which is aligned with the above-described coupling hole of the upper plate  12   a,  is also provided at each of the bent ends of the lower plate  12   b.    
     That is, a rotation axis  14  is inserted through the coupling hole of the upper plate  12   a  and the coupling hole of the lower plate  12   b,  which are aligned with each other, and the lower plate  12   b  is coupled to the upper plate  12   a  so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis  14 . The rotation axis  14  between the upper plate  12   a  and the lower plate  12   b  extend along the axial direction of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 . Accordingly, the lower plate  12   b  is swingable in the circumferential direction of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , relative to the upper plate  12   a.    
     The lower plate  12   b  includes a slit  15  that faces the attachment holes  102   g  designed to attach the fixing member  102 A of the shell  102   b.  The attachment holes  102   g  of the shell  102   b  are provided in such a manner that two attachment holes  102   g  are provided for each of the lugs  102   f.  The two attachment holes  102   g  constituting a pair are aligned so as to be distant from each other as viewed in the axial direction of the shell  102   b.  The slit  15  of the lower plate  12   b  has a length greater than the interval between the two attachment holes  102   g,  and the position where the lower plate  12   b  is fixed to the shell  102   b  can be adjusted along the axial direction of the shell  102   b.    
     When the lower plate  12   b  is attached to the shell  102   b,  the lugs  102   f  are arranged outside the shell  102   b  so as to face the attachment holes  102   g  of the shell  102   b,  and the slit  15  of the lower plate  12   b  is arranged inside the shell  102   b  so as to face the same attachment holes  102   g  in alignment therewith. Screws (not shown in the drawings) are threadably driven into the lugs  102   f  via the slit  15  and the attachment holes  102   g  from inside the shell  102   b.  Thereby, the lower plate  12   b  of the attachment leg  12  is fixedly fastened to the shell  102   b,  together with the lugs  102   f.    
     According to the present embodiment, since the lower plate  12   b  is swingable relative to the upper plate  12   a,  the lower plate  12   b  can be adjusted to a desired angle, thus allowing the attachment angle of the lower plate  12   b  to be adjusted in accordance with the curvature of the inner surface of the shell  102   b.  That is, according to the present embodiment, the attachment angle of the attachment leg  12  with respect to the shell  102   b  can be adjusted to a given angle, and the supporting apparatus  10  can be fixed to the shell  102   b  reliably and stably, regardless of the size (radius of curvature) of the bass drum  102 . 
     Also, according to the present embodiment, since the length of the slit  15  of the lower plate  12   b  is made greater than the interval between the two attachment holes  102   g  of the shell  102   b,  the attachment position of the supporting apparatus  10  with respect to the shell  102   b  can be adjusted in the front-back direction. For example, the supporting apparatus  10  is fixed in a position that allows a striking surface cover  2   a  (which will be described later) of the kick pad  1  to be in contact with or in proximity to the head  102   a  on the front side of the bass drum  102 . 
     On the upper surface side (as shown in the drawing) of the bottom plate  11 , two main frames (supporting poles)  16  are vertically provided. The two main frames  16  are formed of, for example, metal pipes, and extend upward from the bottom plate  11  substantially parallel to each other. At the lower ends of the main frames  16 , screw holes (not shown in the drawings) are coaxially provided. At portions of the bottom plate  11  that face the lower ends of the main frames  16 , screw insertion holes (not shown in the drawings) that face the screw holes of the main frames  16  are provided. 
     When two main frames  16  are fixed to the bottom plate  11 , screws  17  ( FIG. 2 ) are inserted therethrough via the screw insertion holes of the bottom plate  11 , and are threadably driven into the screw holes provided at the lower ends of the main frames  16 . Thereby, the lower ends of the two main frames  16  are fixedly fastened to the bottom plate  11 . The kick pad  1  is attached to upper ends (as shown in the drawing) of the two main frames  16 . 
     A sub frame  18  is bridged between the two main frames  16 . The sub frame  18  is formed of, for example, a metal plate. Supporting frames  20  are respectively provided on the back side of the main frames  16 . The supporting frames  20 , each of which is formed of an elongated belt-like metal plate, are bent so as to be tilted in a direction toward each other in the vicinity of the upper ends thereof. The upper end of each of the supporting frames  20  is attached to the corresponding main frame  16  so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis  19  relative to the main frame  16 , at a position where the sub frame  18  is connected. 
     A stopper pin (not shown in the drawings), which is stuck in an inner surface of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  to prevent movement of the supporting apparatus  10  relative to the shell  102   b,  may be provided at a lower end of each of the supporting frames  20 , so as to be protrudable therefrom. A connection frame  21  that connects the two supporting frames  20  is attached in the vicinity of the lower ends of the two supporting frames  20 . Thereby, the two supporting frames  20  are made integrally rotatable around the rotation axis  19 , relative to the main frame  16 . 
     A beam frame  22  is provided between each of the two supporting frames  20  and the corresponding main frame  16 . One end  22   a  of the beam frame  22  is rotatably attached to the supporting frame  20  via the rotation axis  23 . A slidable sleeve  24  is rotatably attached to the other end  22   b  of the beam frame  22 . The slidable sleeve  24  is attached so as to be slidable and rotatable around the main frame  16 . 
     A winged screw  25 , which is threadably driven into a screw hole that penetrates the slidable sleeve  24 , is attached to the slidable sleeve  24 . A bushing  24   a  is provided between the slidable sleeve  24  and the main frame  16 . When the winged screw  25  is fastened, a distal end (not shown in the drawings) of the winged screw  25  pushes the bushing  24   a  toward the main frame  16 , and the bushing  24   a  is deformed and pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the main frame  16 , thereby fixing the slidable sleeve  24  to the main frame  16 . 
     When the slidable sleeve  24  is slid in an up-down direction along the main frame  16 , the supporting frame  20  can be rotated around the rotation axis  19 , allowing the lower end of the supporting frame  20  to be swung. That is, the distance between the lower end of the supporting frame  20  and the inner surface of the shell  102   b  can be varied by adjusting the position where the slidable sleeve  24  is fixed to the main frame  16 . 
     Thus, when the supporting apparatus  10  is attached to the inside of the bass drum  102  for use, as shown in  FIG. 4 , it is possible not only to adjust the attachment angle of the attachment legs  12 , as described above, but also to adjust the rotation angle of the supporting frames  20 . Accordingly, even if the distance between the bottom plate  11  and the inner surface of the shell  102   b  is varied in accordance with the attachment angle or attachment interval of the attachment legs  12 , the lower ends of the supporting frames  20  can be made to abut on the inner surface of the shell  102   b,  thereby allowing the supporting apparatus  10  to be attached to the shell  102   b  in a stable state. The kick pad  1  has a configuration in which a pad main body  2  is attached to the anterior side of the case  4 . The kick pad  1  of the present embodiment is formed in the shape of a horizontally long, substantially rectangular block, in accordance with a twin pedal (not shown in the drawings) including two beaters  109   a,  which are respectively provided on the right and left. 
     The pad main body  2  has a configuration in which a stack of a plurality of foamed sheets and sponge sheets (not shown in the drawings) is covered with a striking surface cover  2   a.  The material, the thickness, the number, and the order of arrangement of the foamed sheets and sponge sheets may be suitably varied in accordance with the sound absorption properties and the response properties of the kick pad  1  that are required when the striking surface cover  2   a  of the pad main body  2  is beaten with the beater  109   a . The material, the thickness, etc. of the striking surface cover  2   a  is selected to achieve a desired rebound when the beater  109   a  beats the striking surface cover  2   a.    
     In addition to the above, the pad main body  2  includes a piezoelectric element (not shown in the drawings) inside. The piezoelectric element is an example of a sensor that converts vibration generated by the beater  109   a  by beating the kick pad  1  into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal. An acceleration sensor or a force sensor, for example, may also be used as a sensor that converts the vibration generated by beating the kick pad  1  into an electric signal. 
     The case  4  includes two opening portions  4   a  through which the upper ends of the two main frames  16  are inserted. The opening portions  4   a  are provided on the lower surface side of the case  4 . The opening portions  4   a  are designed to have a size that does not allow the main frame  16  to contact the case  4  of the kick pad  1  when the kick pad  1  is attached to the supporting apparatus  10 . 
     The case  4  is attached to upper ends of the two main frames  16  via four impact-absorbing members  6 . The four impact-absorbing members  6  extend in a direction intersecting with the direction of beating of the beater  109   a.  That is, one end of each of the impact-absorbing members  6  is fixed near the upper end of the main frame  16 , and the other end is fixed to a sidewall of the case  4 . The impact-absorbing members  6  are configured in such a manner that two impact-absorbing members  6  are assigned for the two main frames  16 . That is, in the present embodiment, the kick pad  1  is attached to the supporting apparatus  10  via the four impact-absorbing members  6 , instead of directly fixing the kick pad  1  to the supporting apparatus  10 . 
     The four impact-absorbing members  6  absorb an impact when the kick pad  1  is beaten by the beater  109   a,  while permitting a subtle movement of the kick pad  1 . At this time, the movement of the striking surface (i.e., the striking surface cover  2   a ) of the kick pad  1  is similar to the movement of the head  102   a  when a bass drum  102  as an acoustic drum is beaten. In other words, by attaching the kick pad  1  to the supporting apparatus  10  via a plurality of impact-absorbing members  6 , as in the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment, it is possible to have a striking sensation close to that of an acoustic drum. 
     Also, by attaching the kick pad  1  to the supporting apparatus  10  via a plurality of impact-absorbing members  6 , it is possible to reduce the impact sound generated when the kick pad  1  is beaten by the beater  109   a,  thereby reducing the noise. The bottom plate  11 , the main frames  16 , the sub frame  18 , the supporting frames  20 , the connection frame  21 , the beam frames  22 , the slidable sleeves  24 , and the four impact-absorbing members  6  function as a supporting member that supports the kick pad  1 . 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to attach a kick pad  1  of an electronic drum to the inside of a bass drum  102  of an acoustic drum, thereby preventing the thickness of the bass drum  102  from increasing in the front-back direction. It is thus possible in the present embodiment to attach the kick pad  1  to an acoustic drum without causing the bass drum  102  from jutting out forward by the thickness of the kick pad  1  and increasing the installation space for the drum set  100 . 
     In the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment, each of the attachment legs  12 , which fix the bottom plate  11  to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , includes a lower plate  12   b,  which rotates relative to the upper plate  12   a  in accordance with the curvature of the shell  102   b.  It is thus possible in the present embodiment to fix the kick pad  1  reliably and stably to the curved inner surface of the shell  102   b.    
     Also, according to the present embodiment, since the bottom plate  11  includes a slit  11   b  designed to fix the attachment legs  12 , it is possible to adjust the attachment positions of the attachment legs  12  along the circumferential direction of the shell  102   b . Accordingly, the attachment legs  12  can be aligned with the positions of the lugs  102   f  of the shell  102   b,  allowing the supporting apparatus  10  to be fastened together with the lugs  102   f,  using the fixation screws of the lugs  102   f.    
     That is, according to the present embodiment, since the attachment holes  102   g  designed to fix the lugs  102   f  to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  are used to fix the attachment legs  12  of the supporting apparatus  10 , the lugs  102   f  and the attachment legs  12  can be fastened together to the shell  102   b  using two screws. 
     This eliminates the necessity to provide, in the bass drum  102 , a new attachment hole designed to attach the kick pad  1  to the acoustic drum, and the kick pad  1  can be easily attached to the existing bass drum  102 . Moreover, since the screws that fix the attachment legs  12  can also be used as the screws that fix the lugs  102   f,  it is possible to reduce the number of components, resulting in reduction in the manufacturing cost of the apparatus. 
     Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the lower plate  12   b  of each of the attachment legs  12  includes a slit  15  extending in the axial direction of the shell  102   b,  the attachment position of the supporting apparatus  10  can be adjusted along the axial direction of the shell  102   b.  Thus, by using the supporting apparatus  10  of the present embodiment, it is possible to arrange the striking surface of the kick pad  1  in a position that faces the head  102   a  of the bass drum  102 . 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 5  is an external perspective view showing an assembly  60  in which a kick pad  1  is attached to a supporting apparatus  40 , according to the second embodiment.  FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the assembly  60  shown in  FIG. 5  is attached to the inside of a bass drum  102 . In the explanation that follows, the same reference numerals will be added to the constituent elements that function in a manner similar to the above-described first embodiment, and a detailed explanation may be omitted. 
     The supporting apparatus  40  includes a right supporting frame  41  arranged on the right side of the kick pad  1  as viewed from the player, a left supporting frame  42  arranged on the left side of the kick pad  1 , an upper beam frame  43  arranged above the kick pad  1 , and a lower beam frame  44  arranged below the kick pad  1 . The right supporting frame  41 , the left supporting frame  42 , the upper beam frame  43 , and the lower beam frame  44  function as a supporting member that supports the kick pad  1  in cooperation with the four impact-absorbing members  6 . The kick pad  1  is arranged in a space surrounded by the four frames  41 - 44 . 
     The impact-absorbing members  6  are arranged between the sidewall on the right side (as shown in the drawing) of the case  4  of the kick pad  1  and the right supporting frame  41 , and between the sidewall on the left side (as shown in the drawing) of the case  4  and the left supporting frame  42 . In contrast to the above-described first embodiment, in which the impact-absorbing members  6  are arranged inside the case  4 , the impact-absorbing members  6  are arranged outside the case  4  in the present embodiment. The four impact-absorbing members  6  extend in the left-right direction intersecting with the direction of beating of a beater  109   a.  One end of the impact-absorbing members  6  is fixed to one of the right and left supporting frames  41  and  42 , and the other end is fixed to the sidewall of the case  4 . The four impact-absorbing members  6  function in a manner similar to those of the above-described first embodiment. 
     The supporting apparatus  40  includes a lower fixation frame  51  designed to fix the lower ends (as shown in the drawing) of the right supporting frame  41  and the left supporting frame  42  (hereinafter collectively referred to as supporting frames  41  and  42  as well) to the inner surface of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , and an upper fixation frame  52  designed to fix the upper ends (as shown in the drawing) of the supporting frames  41  and  42  to the inner surface of the shell  102   b.  That is, the supporting apparatus  40  of the present embodiment is configured in such a manner that both of its ends as viewed in the up-down direction are fixed to the inner surfaces of the shell  102   b,  so as to connect the inner surfaces of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  that radially face each other. 
     The lower fixation frame  51  functions as a first fixing member that fixes one end of the supporting frames  41  and  42  to the inner surface of the shell  102   b,  in cooperation with two elastic members  8 , which will be described later. The upper fixation frame  52  functions as a second fixing member that fixes the other ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42  to the inner surface of the shell  102   b,  in cooperation with the two elastic members  8 , which will be described later. The lower fixation frame  51 , the upper fixation frame  52 , and the four elastic members  8  function as a fixing member that fixes the lower ends and upper ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42  to the inner surfaces of the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 . 
     The right supporting frame  41  is formed of an elongated metal plate with a predetermined width in a shape bent at a plurality of portions. The right supporting frame  41  integrally and continuously includes, from bottom to top as shown in the drawing, a leg portion  41   a,  a lower tilted portion  41   b,  a supporting portion  41   c,  an upper tilted portion  41   d,  and an upper end portion  41   e.    
     The leg portion  41   a  extends in the up-down direction (as shown in the drawing), and includes, near its lower end (as shown in the drawing), an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  61 R is inserted. The upper end of the leg portion  41   a  extends to the proximity of the bottom portion of the kick pad  1 . The length of the leg portion  41   a  is determined in accordance with the height of the position at which the beater  109   a  beats the kick pad  1 . The lower tilted portion  41   b  is tilted outward (diagonally upward right) from the upper end (as shown in the drawing) of the leg portion  41   a,  and extends to the outside of the sidewall of the kick pad  1 . The lower tilted portion  41   b  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  62 R is inserted. 
     The supporting portion  41   c  extends upward (as shown in the drawing) from the upper end of the lower tilted portion  41   b,  along the sidewall of the kick pad  1 . The supporting portion  41   c  includes four attachment holes  41   f  designed to attach the impact-absorbing members  6 . Two of the four attachment holes  41   f  are used to attach two impact-absorbing members  6 . The other two attachment holes  41   f  are used when the attachment position of the kick pad  1  is moved up and down. In  FIG. 5 , the bottommost attachment hole  41   f  and the third attachment hole  41   f  from the bottom are used to attach the impact-absorbing members  6 . When the second attachment hole  41   f  from the bottom and the uppermost attachment hole  41   f  are used to attach two impact-absorbing members  6 , the kick pad  1  can be provided at a position slightly above the height shown in the drawing. 
     The upper tilted portion  41   d  is tilted inward (diagonally upward left) from the upper end (as shown in the drawing) of the supporting portion  41   c,  and extends above the kick pad  1 . The upper tilted portion  41   d  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  63 R is inserted. The upper end portion  41   e  extends upward from the upper end of the upper tilted portion  41   d.  The upper end portion  41   e  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  64 R is inserted. The insertion hole of the upper end portion  41   e  may be in the shape of an oval that is vertically long. The length of the upper end portion  41   e  is varied in accordance with the diameter of the bass drum  102 . 
     The left supporting frame  42  is formed of an elongated metal plate with a predetermined width in a shape bent at a plurality of portions. The left supporting frame  42  integrally and continuously includes, from bottom to top as shown in the drawing, a leg portion  42   a,  a lower tilted portion  42   b,  a supporting portion  42   c,  an upper tilted portion  42   d,  and an upper end portion  42   e.  The left supporting frame  42  has a shape that is bilaterally symmetrical to the right supporting frame  41 . 
     The leg portion  42   a  extends in the up-down direction (as shown in the drawing), and includes, near its lower end (as shown in the drawing), an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  61 L is inserted. The upper end of the leg portion  42   a  extends to the proximity of the bottom portion of the kick pad  1 . The length of the leg portion  42   a  is determined in accordance with the height of the position at which the beater  109   a  beats the kick pad  1 . The lower tilted portion  42   b  is tilted outward (diagonally upward left) from the upper end (as shown in the drawing) of the leg portion  42   a,  and extends to the outside of the sidewall of the kick pad  1 . The lower tilted portion  42   b  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  62 L is inserted. 
     The supporting portion  42   c  extends upward (as shown in the drawings) from the upper end of the lower tilted portion  42   b,  along the sidewall of the kick pad  1 . The supporting portion  42   c  includes four attachment holes  41   f  designed to attach the impact-absorbing members  6 . Two of the four attachment holes  41   f  are used to attach two impact-absorbing members  6 . The other two attachment holes  41   f  are used when the attachment position of the kick pad  1  is moved up and down. In  FIG. 5 , the bottommost attachment hole  41   f  and the third attachment hole  41   f  from the bottom are used to attach the impact-absorbing members  6 . 
     The upper tilted portion  42   d  is tilted inward (diagonally upward right) from the upper end (as shown in the drawing) of the supporting portion  42   c,  and extends above the kick pad  1 . The upper tilted portion  42   d  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  63 L is inserted. The upper end portion  42   e  extends upward from the upper end of the upper tilted portion  42   d.  The upper end portion  42   e  includes an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) through which a screw  64 L is inserted. The insertion hole of the upper end portion  42   e  may be in the shape of an oval that is vertically long. The length of the upper end portion  42   e  is varied in accordance with the diameter of the bass drum  102 . 
     The upper beam frame  43  is formed of an elongated metal plate having the same width as the supporting frames  41  and  42  and having a bent shape. The upper beam frame  43  is provided above the kick pad  1  to extend in the left-right direction (as shown in the drawing). The right and left ends of the upper beam frame  43  are in a shape bent downward (as shown in the drawing) at an obtuse angle. The bend angle of bent portions  43 R and  43 L at the right and left ends of the upper beam frame  43  is set to the same angle as the tilt angle of the upper tilted portions  41   d  and  42   d  of the supporting frames  41  and  42 . 
     The right and left bent portions  43 R and  43 L of the upper beam frame  43  are respectively arranged on the inner side of the upper tilted portions  41   d  and  42   d  of the supporting frames  41  and  42  so as to be stacked thereon. The right and left bent portions  43 R and  43 L of the upper beam frame  43  respectively have insertion holes (not shown in the drawings) through which screws  63 R and  63 L are inserted. 
     When the upper beam frame  43  is attached to the supporting frames  41  and  42 , the insertion hole of the upper tilted portion  41   d  of the right supporting frame  41  and the insertion hole of the right bent portion  43 R of the upper beam frame  43  are aligned to allow the screw  63 R to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is threadably fastened thereto. Also, the insertion hole of the upper tilted portion  42   d  of the left supporting frame  42  and the insertion hole of the left bent portion  43 L of the upper beam frame  43  are aligned to allow the screw  63 L to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is threadably fastened thereto. Thereby, the right end of the upper beam frame  43  is fixedly fastened to the upper tilted portion  41   d  of the right supporting frame  41 , and the left end of the upper beam frame  43  is fixedly fastened to the upper tilted portion  42   d  of the left supporting frame  42 . 
     The lower beam frame  44  is formed of an elongated metal plate having the same width as the supporting frames  41  and  42  and having a bent shape. The lower beam frame  44  is provided below the kick pad  1  so as to extend in the left-right direction (as shown in the drawing). The right and left ends of the lower beam frame  44  are in a shape that is bent upward (as shown in the drawing) at an obtuse angle. The bend angle of bent portions  44 R and  44 L at the right and left ends of the lower beam frame  44  is set to the same angle as the tilt angle of the lower tilted portions  41   b  and  42   b  of the supporting frames  41  and  42 . 
     The right and left bent portions  44 R and  44 L of the lower beam frame  44  are respectively arranged on the inner side of the lower tilted portions  41   b  and  42   b  of the supporting frames  41  and  42  so as to be stacked thereon. The right and left bent portions  44 R and  44 L of the lower beam frame  44  respectively has insertion holes (not shown in the drawings) through which screws  62 R and  62 L are inserted. 
     When the lower beam frame  44  is attached to the supporting frames  41  and  42 , the insertion hole of the lower tilted portion  41   b  of the right supporting frame  41  and the insertion hole of the right bent portion  44 R of the lower beam frame  44  are aligned to allow the screw  62 R to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is threadably fastened thereto. Also, the insertion hole of the lower tilted portion  42   b  of the left supporting frame  42  and the insertion hole of the left bent portion  44 L of the lower beam frame  44  are aligned to allow the screw  62 L to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is threadably fastened thereto. Thereby, the right end of the lower beam frame  44  is fixedly fastened to the lower tilted portion  41   b  of the right supporting frame  41 , and the left end of the lower beam frame  44  is fixedly fastened to the lower tilted portion  42   b  of the left supporting frame  42 . 
     As described above, by bridging the upper beam frame  43  and the lower beam frame  44  between the right and left supporting frames  41  and  42  and fixing the ends thereof, it is possible to increase the stiffness against torsion in the frame structure of the supporting apparatus  40 . By attaching the upper beam frame  43  by bridging the upper tilted portions  41   d  and  42   d  of the right and left supporting frames  41  and  42 , and attaching the lower beam frame  44  by bridging the lower tilted portions  41   b  and  42   b  of the supporting frames  41  and  42 , as in the present embodiment, the orientations of the screws  62 R,  62 L,  63 R, and  63 L provided in the fixation portions of each frame can be varied, thus further increasing the stiffness of the frames against torsion. 
     The kick pad  1  of the present embodiment has a laterally long shape for compatibility with a twin pedal. Thus, a force that is biased toward the right or left side is apt to act on the kick pad  1 , causing a torsional stress to be applied. By adopting a torsion-resistant frame as in the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a supporting apparatus  40  of a kick pad  1  adapted for a twin pedal. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view showing a lower fixation frame  51  designed to fix the lower ends (as shown in the drawing) of the supporting frames  41  and  42  to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , as well as its fixation structure. The lower fixation frame  51  is formed of an elongated metal plate having the same width as the supporting frames  41  and  42  and having a curved and bent shape. The lower fixation frame  51  integrally and continuously includes a right fixation portion  51 R at the right end (as shown in the drawing) of the curved portion  51   a,  and integrally and continuously includes a left fixation portion  51 L at the left end (as shown in the drawing) of the curved portion  51   a.  The curved portion  51   a  of the lower fixation frame  51  is curved so as to be downwardly convex, in accordance with the curvature of the shell  102   b.  The right and left fixation portions  51 R and  51 L extend upward toward the lower ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42  from the right and left ends of the curved portion  51   a.    
     Two attachment holes (not shown in the drawings), which are distanced from each other as viewed in the left-right direction, are provided in the curved portion  51   a.  Insertion holes  51 Ra and  51 La, through which the screws  61 R and  61 L are inserted, are respectively provided in the right and left fixation portions  51 R and  51 L. When the lower fixation frame  51  is fixed to the lower ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42 , the right and left fixation portions  51 R and  51 L of the lower fixation frame  51  are respectively arranged on the inner side of the right and left supporting frames  41  and  42  so as to be stacked thereon. Then, an insertion hole  51 Ra of the right fixation portion  51 R of the lower fixation frame  51  and an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) provided at the lower end of the leg portion  41   a  of the right supporting frame  41  are aligned to allow the screw  61 R to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is fastened thereto. Also, the insertion hole  51 La of the left fixation portion  51 L of the lower fixation frame  51  and an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) provided at the lower end of the leg portion  42   a  of the left supporting frame  42  are aligned to allow the screw  61 L to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is fastened thereto. 
     Elastic members  8  are attached as shown in the drawings, so as to fit in the respective attachment holes provided in the curved portion  51   a.  The elastic members  8  are formed of, for example, rubber.  FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the elastic member  8 , and  FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the elastic member  8 . The elastic member  8  includes, at its center, an insertion hole  8   a  through which a screw  66  is inserted. The elastic member  8  is rotationally-symmetrical about the insertion hole  8   a.  The elastic member  8  integrally includes a small-diameter portion  81  and a large-diameter portion  82 , which are distanced from each other along the insertion hole  8   a.  A circular attachment groove  83  is provided between the small-diameter portion  81  and the large-diameter portion  82 . In other words, the elastic member  8  includes an attachment groove  83  along the outer periphery of an intermediate portion  84  connecting the small-diameter portion  81  and the large-diameter portion  82 , and includes an insertion hole  8   a  inside the intermediate portion  84 . That is, the outer peripheral surface  84   a  of the intermediate portion  84  becomes a bottom surface of the attachment groove  83 . 
     The small-diameter portion  81  includes a circular tapered surface  81   a  at a distal end distanced from the large-diameter portion  82 . The large-diameter portion  82  has a diameter that is large enough to not allow passage through an attachment hole (not shown in the drawings) of the curved portion  51   a.  The outer diameter of the intermediate portion  84  is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the attachment hole of the curved portion  51   a.  When the elastic member  8  is attached into the attachment hole, the small-diameter portion  81  is pressed into the attachment hole from above the curved portion  51   a.  At this time, the tapered surface  81   a  of the small-diameter portion  81  slidably contacts the edge of the attachment hole, thus reducing the diameter of the small-diameter portion  81 . After the small-diameter portion  81  has passed through the attachment hole, the small-diameter portion  81  returns to its original size, and the attachment groove  83  fits in the edge of the attachment hole. In this state, the small-diameter portion  81  protrudes toward the lower surface side of the curved portion  51   a  of the lower fixation frame  51 . 
     When the lower fixation frame  51  with the two elastic members  8  attached thereto is attached to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , screws  66  are inserted through attachment holes (not shown in the drawings) provided in advance in the shell  102   b,  from outside the shell  102   b.  At this time, the screws  66  are inserted through washers  67  arranged on the outer surface side of the shell  102   b,  and then the screws  66  are inserted through the attachment holes. The screws  66  are then inserted through the insertion holes  8   a  of the elastic member  8  fit in the attachment holes (not shown in the drawings) of the lower fixation frame  51  arranged on the inner surface side of the shell  102   b.  On the inner side of the curved portion  51   a,  washers  68  are fit onto the screws  66  protruding via the insertion hole  8   a,  and nuts  69  are threadably fastened thereto. Thereby, the lower fixation frame  51  is fixed to the shell  102   b  via the two elastic members  8 . 
     In this state, the tapered surface  81   a  of the small-diameter portion  81  of the elastic member  8  is pressed against the rim of the attachment hole from inside the attachment hole of the shell  102   b.  The attachment hole (not shown in the drawings) of the shell  102   b  has a diameter slightly greater than the smallest diameter at the distal end side of the small-diameter portion  81 , and is slightly smaller than the largest diameter of the small-diameter portion  81 . Thus, a halfway portion of the tapered surface  81   a  of the small-diameter portion  81  fits in the edge of the attachment hole, forming a small gap between the lower surface of the curved portion  51   a  and the inner surface of the shell  102   b.  This gap permits a subtle movement, which involves elastic deformation of the elastic member  8 , of the supporting apparatus  40  relative to the shell  102   b.  That is, the supporting apparatus  40  elastically supports the kick pad  1  relative to the shell  102   b.    
     The upper fixation frame  52  has a configuration in which the lower fixation frame  51  is flipped upside down. The upper fixation frame  52  is formed of an elongated metal plate having the same width as the supporting frames  41  and  42  and having a curved and bent shape. The upper fixation frame  52  integrally and continuously includes a right fixation portion  52 R at the right end (as shown in the drawing) of the curved portion  52   a , and integrally and continuously includes a left fixation portion  52 L at the left end (as shown in the drawing) of the curved portion  52   a.  The curved portion  52   a  of the upper fixation frame  52  is curved so as to be upwardly convex, in accordance with the curvature of the shell  102   b.  The right and left fixation portions  52 R and  52 L extend downward toward the upper ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42  from the right and left ends of the curved portion  52   a.    
     Two attachment holes (not shown in the drawings), which are distanced from each other as viewed in the left-right direction, are provided in the curved portion  52   a.  Insertion holes (not shown in the drawings), through which the screws  64 R and  64 L are inserted, are respectively provided in the right and left fixation portions  52 R and  52 L. When the upper fixation frame  52  is fixed to the upper ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42 , an insertion hole of the right fixation portion  52 R of the upper fixation frame  52  and an insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) of the upper end portion  41   e  of the right supporting frame  41  are aligned to allow the screw  64 R to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is fastened thereto. Also, the insertion hole of the left fixation portion  52 L of the upper fixation frame  52  and the insertion hole (not shown in the drawings) provided at the upper end portion  42   e  of the left supporting frame  42  are aligned to allow the screw  64 L to be inserted therethrough, and a nut  65  is fastened thereto. 
     When the insertion holes provided in the upper end portions  41   e  and  42   e  of the supporting frames  41  and  42  are oval holes that are vertically long, the attachment position of the upper fixation frame  52  may be slightly adjusted as viewed in the up-down direction relative to the upper ends of the supporting frames  41  and  42 . In other words, the length of the supporting apparatus  40  of the present embodiment as viewed in the up-down direction can be slightly varied. Thus, the gap between the curved portion  51   a  of the lower fixation frame  51  and the inner surface of the shell  102   b  and the gap between the curved portion  52   a  of the upper fixation frame  52  and the inner surface of the shell  102   b  can be adjusted while the lower fixation frame  51  and the upper fixation frame  52  are attached to the inner surface of the shell  102   b.  This allows the degree of collapse of the elastic member  8  to be changed, and allows the behavior of the kick pad  1  when beaten with the beater  109   a  to be changed, thereby allowing the striking sensation to be changed. Also, according to the present embodiment, the length of the supporting frames  41  and  42  as viewed in the up-down direction can be varied in accordance with the thickness of the shell  102   b,  and the supporting apparatus  40  can be attached to the shell  102   b  with a different thickness. 
     When the upper fixation frame  52  with the two elastic members  8  attached thereto is attached to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102 , screws  66  are inserted through attachment holes (not shown in the drawings) provided in advance in the shell  102   b,  from outside the shell  102   b.  At this time, the screws  66  are inserted through washers  67  arranged on the outer surface side of the shell  102   b,  and then the screws  66  are inserted through the attachment holes. The screws  66  are then inserted through the insertion holes  8   a  of the elastic member  8  fit into the attachment holes (not shown in the drawings) of the upper fixation frame  52  arranged on the inner surface side of the shell  102   b.  Inside the curved portion  52   a,  the washers  68  are fit onto the screws  66  protruding via the insertion holes  8   a,  and nuts  69  are threadably fastened thereto. Thereby, the upper fixation frame  52  is fixed to the shell  102   b  via the two elastic members  8 . 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to attach a kick pad  1  of an electronic drum to the inside of a bass drum  102  of an acoustic drum, thereby preventing the thickness of the bass drum  102  from increasing in the front-back direction. It is thus possible in the present embodiment to attach the kick pad  1  to an acoustic drum without causing the bass drum  102  from jutting out forward by the thickness of the kick pad  1  and increasing the installation space for the drum set  100 . 
     In the supporting apparatus  40  of the present embodiment, the lower fixation frame  51  is fixed, via the elastic member  8 , to the inner surface of the shell  102   b  with a gap interposed therebetween, and the upper fixation frame  52  is fixed, via the elastic member  8 , to the inner surface of the shell  102   b  with a gap interposed therebetween. It is thus possible in the present embodiment to allow the supporting apparatus  40  to move relative to the shell  102   b.    
     The kick pad  1  is attached to the supporting apparatus  40  in a floating state via a plurality of impact-absorbing members  6 . Thus, the striking sensation of when the kick pad  1  is beaten with the beater  109   a  can be made similar to that of an acoustic drum, and the rebound of the beater  109   a  can be made closer to that of an acoustic drum. 
     Also, according to the present embodiment, the stiffness of the impact-absorbing members  6  that attach the kick pad  1  to the supporting apparatus  40  and the stiffness of a plurality of elastic members  8  that fix the supporting apparatus  40  to the shell  102   b  can be adjusted. For example, when the stiffness of the elastic member  8  is adjusted, it is only required to adjust the tightness of the screws  66 . Thereby, the striking sensation of when the kick pad  1  is beaten with the beater  109   a  can be adjusted, thus improving the user-friendliness. 
     Also, according to the present embodiment, since the curved portion  51   a  of the lower fixation frame  51  of the supporting apparatus  40  and the curved portion  52   a  of the upper fixation frame  52  of the supporting apparatus  40  are fixed to the inner surface of the shell  102   b  using screws  66  at two positions distanced from each other as viewed in the left-right direction, the screws  66  can be attached in a non-parallel manner. It is thus possible to provide an attachment configuration for a torsion-resistant supporting apparatus  40 , and to provide a supporting apparatus  40  of a kick pad  1  adapted for a twin pedal. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the attachment position of the supporting apparatus  10  is adjusted so as to position the striking surface of the kick pad  1  relative to the head  102   a  of the bass drum  102 ; however, the configuration is not limited thereto. The head  102   a  is not an essential element, and the striking surface of the kick pad  1  may be directly beaten by the beater  109   a  without interposing the head  102   a  in between. Alternatively, a mesh head, which does not produce sound when beaten, may be attached to the front side of the shell  102   b,  to make the striking sensation of the beater  109   a  preferable. 
     In the above-described embodiment, explanations have been made with respect to the supporting apparatuses  10  and  40  designed to attach the kick pad  1  to the inside of the bass drum  102 ; however, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that fixes, inside the shell  102   b,  a muter (not shown in the drawings), for example, that is brought into contact with the inner surface of the head  102   a  to mute the sound. In this case, the target to which the muter is to be attached is not limited to a bass drum, and the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that attaches a muter to, for example, a snare drum  101  or toms  103 ,  104 , and  105 . 
     In the above-described embodiment, a case has been explained where the kick pad  1  is fixed to the shell  102   b  of the bass drum  102  via the supporting apparatuses  10  and  40 ; however, the configuration is not limited thereto. The shape of the case  4  of the kick pad  1  may be modified in such a manner that a part of the case  4  is fixed to the inner surface of the shell  102   b.  For example, the case  4  may be provided with a function as a supporting apparatus. In this case, it is desirable that the elastic member  8  is provided between the case  4  and the shell  102   b.    
     Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, a case has been explained where the supporting apparatuses  10  and  40  are configured by a combination of a plurality of frames; however, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the supporting apparatuses  10  and  40  may be integrally formed as one frame.