Patent ID: 7468479

Claim:
A pad adapted to close a tone hole of a musical instrument, the pad comprising: a backer having a backer outer radial extent and a backer thickness, the backer having a backer inner face and a backer outer face, the backer comprising a rigid material defining a backer side wall, the backer side wall including sloping side wall portion; and a contact layer situated adjacent to the backer, the contact layer having a contact layer outer radial extent and a contact layer thickness, the contact layer having a contact layer inner face and a contact layer outer face; wherein the contact layer inner face is directly bonded to the backer inner face at a plane of contact between the contact layer and the backer; wherein the backer outer radial extent and the contact layer outer radial extent extend substantially to an outer most radial extent of the pad; wherein no portion of the contact layer extends towards the backer outer face beyond the plane of contact between the contact layer inner face and the backer inner face; wherein the contact layer is adapted to seal a tone hole upon contacting the tone hole.