Patent Grant
10964296
The present invention relates to a board for a stringed instrument having a purfling, to an acoustic stringed instrument, and to a method of manufacturing a board for a stringed instrument.
A violin is constructed by holding a rib between a top plate and a back plate. Additionally, a highly decorative member called a “purfling” is provided at peripheral edges of the top plate and the back plate. Non-Patent Document 1 (Johnson, Chris. (April 1998). The Art of Violin Making. (pp. 120-121): Robert Hale Ltd.) discloses a traditional method of manufacturing a violin. According to this manufacturing method, in a conventional purfling for a violin, grooves having a width of about 2 mm to about 3 mm are engraved on peripheral edges of the top plate and the back plate, respectively. Members obtained by bonding three strips are fitted into the grooves, and then the top plate and the back plate are polished. Each of the members used for the fitting has a structure in which the middle strip among the three strips is sandwiched between the other two strips, which are black. Accordingly, after the members are fitted into the grooves, two black lines are formed on each of the top plate and the back plate. Such a method of manufacturing a violin is a traditional manufacturing method that has been practiced for more than 400 years and continues to this day.
The role of the purfling is to improve durability, in addition to a design effect. Since a straight-grained board is often used for the top plate of the violin, the board may crack along a wood grain when a big impact is applied to the violin. It is possible to absorb the impact by the purfling provided on the peripheral edges of the top plate and the back plate.
In recent years, there has been known a violin in which two black lines are printed on the top plate and the back plate instead of the above-described structure of the purfling. This type of violin has an advantage in that manufacturing cost is reduced, because it does not require skilled craftsmanship to form the purfling.
However, in a method of forming two black lines by printing, once a player has the violin in hand, the player will notice that the purfling is not formed by inlaying. Furthermore, in a case in which the two black lines are formed only by printing, since an internal structure of the top plate and the back plate is in line with the grain, there is a problem in that the top plate or the back plate may crack on impact.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. An object of the present invention is to provide an acoustic stringed instrument having decorativeness and impact resistance with a simplified manufacturing process, and a method of manufacturing the same.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a board for a stringed instrument according to one aspect of the present invention, which is used for a top plate or a back plate of an acoustic stringed instrument, includes a groove formed in the board and a resin filled in the groove.
Furthermore, a method of manufacturing a board for a stringed instrument according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a board for a stringed instrument that is used for a top plate or a back plate of an acoustic stringed instrument, where the board has a purfling, the method including forming a groove in the board, filling the groove with a resin, and curing the resin.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, a violin 1 will be described as an example of an acoustic stringed instrument. The violin 1 is merely an example, and the acoustic stringed instrument may be, for example, acoustic bowed stringed instrument such as a cello, a viola, or a contrabass that is similar to a violin.
The top plate 10 is provided with a tailpiece 60 and a bridge 70. One end of each string is fixed to the tailpiece 60. The other end of each string is fixed by means of pegs 52 provided on a neck 50 via a bridge 70. The strings are tightened by winding the pegs 52.
For example, a stacked board is used for the top plate 10. The top plate 10 is formed by bonding a top surface board, a back surface board, and a core board disposed therebetween with an adhesive. A material of a single board for the top surface board, the back surface board, and the core board may be the same or may be different. For example, spruce, maple, pine, cedar, birch, beech, or lauan may be used as the single board. Among them, it is preferable to use spruce, by use of which the top plate is given an excellent functions as a diaphragm. Furthermore, it is preferable that all of the top surface board, the back surface board, and the core board, which constitute the top plate 10, be formed of spruce. The use of spruce for all the materials of the single boards provides a better function as the top plate 10, as a result of which the sound quality of the violin 1 is enhanced (compared to using spruce only in part). Moreover, the top plate 10 according to the embodiment provides a better appearance by using a straight-grained spruce material as the material of the single board forming the top surface board.
Before the top plate 10 is attached to the rib 30, the top plate 10 is formed into the same shape as that after completion of the violin. Alternatively, a top plate 10 that is larger than the completed shape may be prepared, so that the top plate 10 may be fixed to the rib 30, subsequent to which the shape of a peripheral edge of the top plate 10 may be trimmed. A purfling 80 is provided at the peripheral edge of each of the top plate 10 and the back plate 20.
From the viewpoint of facilitating processing, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shapes of the groove 15a and the groove 15b be the same at any position.
Forming the purfling lines 80a and 80b by use of the resin 18 has the following advantages.
In a conventional purfling formed by inlaying, the skill of a skilled craftsman is required, for example, in order to align the purfling line 80a so that the gap is eliminated and the purfling line 80a is continuous in a superposed portion in which the purfling line 80a located in a region X in
Furthermore, in the conventional purfling formed by the inlaying, since a slightly larger member is embedded in the groove, it is necessary to cut out a portion protruding from the groove and then flatten the surface. On the other hand, since the purfling 80 according to the embodiment is formed by filling the groove 15a and the groove 15b with the resin 18, resin 18 that has flowed out of the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be wiped off. Therefore, compared to the conventional purfling that requires cutting, the purfling 80 is easily manufactured.
Furthermore, in the conventional purfling formed by the inlaying, due to a difference in contraction rates between the embedding member, and the top plate 10 or the back plate 20, a gap is formed between the groove and the embedding member. Thus cracks may occur on a surface coating. On the other hand, as will be described later, since the purfling 80 according to the embodiment uses the resin 18 having a degree of elongation greater than that of wood. As a result, it is possible to minimize formation of gaps between the resin 18 and each of the groove 15a and the groove 15b, and thus, prevent cracking of the surface coating.
Furthermore, in a case in which the purfling is formed by printing, a manufacturing process is shortened. However, in the printing of purfling, when an impact is applied to ends of the top plate and the back plate protruding from the rib to the outside, the impact may be transmitted directly to the top plate and the back plate, and cracks may occur along a wood grain.
In contrast, in the purfling 80 according to the embodiment, since the resin 18 serves as a shock absorbing material, the purling 80 absorbs the impact.
Thus, cracking is minimized.
Furthermore, in the case in which the purfling is formed by printing, since the grooves are not formed in the top plate and the back plate, there is a concern that the timbre of a sound would be different from that of inlaying. On the other hand, in the purfling 80 according to the embodiment, since the groove 15a and the groove 15b are filled with the resin 18, the timbre of the sound is made possible to be closer to that in the purfling 80 formed by the inlaying.
The material of the resin 18 used for the purfling 80 in the top plate 10 and a width and a depth of the groove 15a and the groove 15b affect acoustic characteristics of the violin 1. Vibration of the top plate 10 is also a major factor because it affects the sound generated by the violin 1. In a normal violin, the peripheral edge is made thinner than a central portion so that the top plate easily vibrates.
In the conventional purfling using the inlaying, wood is embedded in the groove. A fiber direction of the wood is different from a fiber direction of the top plate or the back plate. Therefore, there is a possibility that the purfling using the inlaying may affect the vibration of the violin. However, since all the material of the member to be embedded in the groove and the material of the top plate and the back plate are wood, the influence on the vibration of the violin by adjusting the depth or width of the groove is limited. Accordingly, conventionally, the purfling is not used for adjusting sound quality. In general, in the top plate and the back plate of a violin, the peripheral edges are thinner than the central portions. This is to increase the vibration of the top plate and the back plate. The vibration of the violin is classified into various modes, but the vibration in a direction perpendicular to the top plate and the back plate accounts for a large proportion of the entire vibration of the violin. In the embodiment, since the resin 18 that is softer than wood is filled in the groove 15a and the groove 15b, the top plate 10 more easily vibrates than the conventional method. That is, it is possible to improve rising of the sound by lowering rigidity of an outer peripheral edge by use of the resin 18. Furthermore, it is possible to control the vibration of the top plate 10 by adjusting the material of the resin 18 or the width and depth of the groove 15a and the groove 15b. More specifically, as the hardness of the resin 18 is greater and the groove 15a and the groove 15b each are narrower and shallower, a frequency at which the vibration of the top plate 10 (that is, a resonant frequency of the top plate 10) increases is higher. Conversely, as the hardness of the resin 18 is less and the groove 15a and the groove 15b each are wider and deeper, the frequency at which the vibration of the top plate 10 increases is lower. In this way, the violin 1 having a distinctive tone can be provided since it is possible to increase the number of factors for adjusting the timbre of the sound of the violin 1 by adopting the resin 18.
Hereinafter, the resin 18 will be described. It is preferable that the resin 18 have a hardness that is less than that of wood. Furthermore, the material of the resin 18 is selected so that the resin 18 is able to respond to changes in temperature or humidity of the top plate 10 and the back plate 20 or changes thereof with time. Therefore, it is preferable to use a soft material that has a large degree of elongation. As a material having such characteristics, for example, a urethane resin or a rubber resin may be adopted. Furthermore, a material that has good adhesion characteristics to wood of the top plate 10 is selected as the resin 18. After the resin 18 is filled in the groove 15a and the groove 15b, the resin 18 is cured and solidified.
More specifically, the cured resin 18 preferably has a degree of elongation of 20% or more. The degree of elongation is determined by a length up to breakage when the resin 18 having a linear shape is pulled. When an original length is L1 and a length at the time of breakage is L2, the degree of elongation is obtained by (L2−L1)/L1.
When the resin satisfies this condition, changes in the width are followed even when the widths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b change due to environmental changes. It is anticipated that the widths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b will be a maximum of 1.2 times the original widths, depending on environmental changes. Even in such a case, when the degree of elongation is 20% or more, no gap is formed in the groove 15a and the groove 15b. Thus, it is possible to minimize cracking due to generation of a gap and also to minimize the cracking of the purfling lines 80a and 80b.
Furthermore, the resin 18 may be colored using a dye or a pigment. However, when a coloring agent is used, the coloring agent penetrates into the inside from the groove 15a and the groove 15b. The top plate 10 and the back plate 20 are formed of wood. The wood has many gaps in its cross section. When the resin 18 penetrates into the gaps, spreading occurs. As a result, the purfling lines 80a and 80b appear blurry. Therefore, it is preferable that a transparent or translucent resin 18 contain a filler. Such a filler may be in the form of small pieces or beads. In the case of beads, it is preferable that a diameter be 3 μm or more to less than 70 μm and that they be colored. Black beads may be used as the filler. The reason for setting the diameter of the beads to 3 μm or more to less than 70 μm is as follows. In a case in which the beads have such a size, the beads are larger than gaps of wood tissue and thus the penetration of the filler is suppressed. Furthermore, the resin 18 preferably has a large amount of filler and a small amount of a volatile component. In this case, a change in volume after curing is small, and thus, it is possible to finish smoothly.
In a first process, as shown in
Here, the depths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b are preferably 20% or more and less than 60% of a thickness of the board. The reason for setting the depths in such a range is as follows. In a case in which the depths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b are too shallow, the resin 18 cannot be sufficiently filled and impact absorption and suppression of the cracking may not be sufficiently achieved. On the other hand, in a case in which the depths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b are too deep, strength is compromised and the cracking occurs easily.
In a second process, as shown in
In a third process, as shown in
In a fourth process, as shown in
The protective layer 19 has a function of protecting the violin 1 from dryness and humidity.
In the violin 1, the back plate 20 and the rib 30 are bonded with an adhesive, such as a glue. Then, the rib 30 and the top plate 10 are bonded with an adhesive, such as a glue, and the main body 40 is formed. Thereafter, the neck 50 is attached to the main body 40, and the surface thereof is coated with a varnish. Next, a fingerboard is bonded, and a sound post (not shown) is set. After that, the bridge 70 is provided and strings are drawn.
In the above-described embodiment, although the shape shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the groove 15a shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the groove 15a shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the groove 15a shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the groove 15a shown in
The cross-sectional shape of the groove 15a shown in
The present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described above, and, for example, various applications and modifications described below are possible. Furthermore, in the aspects of applications and modifications described below, one or more freely selected ones may be appropriately combined.
(1) Although the violin 1 is exemplified in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to any musical instrument as long as the instrument would need provision of the purfling 80. For example, it may be an acoustic stringed instrument such as a jazz guitar or a classical guitar having an arch top. In the jazz guitar, the purfling may be provided on the peripheral edge of the top plate. Thus, the present invention may be applied to the jazz guitar. Also, in the classical guitar, the purfling may be provided on the peripheral edge of the top plate or around a sound hole.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which the resin 18 is transparent or translucent and the filler is colored, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The resin 18 may contain a black or dark brown pigment. It is preferable that the color of the purfling lines 80a and 80b be in contrast to the color of the top plate 10 or the back plate 20 such that a user recognizes the two lines. From the viewpoint of making the user perceive two lines, the color of a strip between the purfling lines 80a and 80b may be different from the color of the top plate 10.
(3) In filling the groove 15a and the groove 15b with the resin 18 in the above-described embodiment, portions other than the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be masked beforehand, and the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be filled with the resin 18. In this case, an advantage is obtained in that the surface of the top plate 10 is not degraded by the excess resin 18.
Furthermore, when the flowability of the resin 18 is high, the resin 18 may be applied or sprayed to fill the groove 15a and the groove 15b. Furthermore, when the resin 18 before curing is a liquid, the resin 18 may be poured into the groove 15a and the groove 15b and then cured in a state in which a level is maintained.
(4) In the above-described embodiment, although the groove 15a and the groove 15b have the same cross-sectional shape at any position, the present invention is not limited thereto. The cross-sectional shapes may be different depending on position. Also, cross-sectional areas of the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be changed depending on a position. Furthermore, at least one of the width or depth of the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be changed depending on position. Changing the shapes of the groove 15a and the groove 15b in this way enables vibration to be damped at a predetermined frequency or vibration to be increased at a predetermined frequency. As a result, the acoustic characteristics of the violin 1 can be adjusted.
However, it is preferable that line width of the purfling lines 80a and 80b be aesthetically constant. Therefore, the depths of the groove 15a and the groove 15b may be set depending on a position while making the line width be constant such that the uniform line is recognized from the outside.
(5) In the above-described embodiment, after the resin 18 is filled in the groove 15a and the groove 15b, the resin 18 that has flowed out of the groove 15a and the groove 15b is removed, and then the resin 18 is cured. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The resin 18 may be filled in the groove 15a and the groove 15b, subsequent to which the resin 18 may be cured, and then excess resin 18 may be removed by polishing using sandpaper or the like.
(6) In the above-described embodiment, although the top plate 10 and the back plate 20 are formed of a stacked material, the present invention is not limited thereto. The top plate 10 and the back plate 20 may be configured using any material. For example, at least one of the top plate 10 or the back plate 20 may be configured using a single board.
Also, regardless of the content of cellulose and wood, a fiber board or a high pressure laminate body may be used.
Furthermore, non-wood materials may be used for the top plate 10 and the back plate 20. For example, carbon fibers or glass fibers may be used.
(7) In the above-described embodiment, although the grooves 15a and the grooves 15b are formed by cutting out, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the grooves 15a and the grooves 15b may be formed by pressing. Alternatively, when the top plate 10 and the back plate 20 are formed of a fiber board or a stacked material, the top plate 10 and the back plate 20 may be formed using a mold in which the groove 15a and the groove 15b are formed.
(8) In the above-described embodiment, although the resin 18 is in direct contact with the groove 15a and the groove 15b, the present invention is not limited thereto. There may be provided a layer that covers at least the groove 15a and the groove 15b. Such a layer is a functional layer that is capable of promoting adhesion or minimizing the penetration of the resin 18 into wood.
Additionally, even if the functional layer 17 penetrates through gaps in wood tissue, the resin 18 no longer penetrates after curing of the functional layer 17. Thus, sharp purfling lines 80a and 80b are formed.
(9) In the above-described embodiment, although the groove 15b is formed in the top plate 10 and the back plate 20 by the laser processing, the present invention is not limited thereto. The groove 15b which is closer to an end of the top plate 10 than that of the groove 15a may be formed by another method. For example, the groove 15b may be formed by combining a plurality of members. Specifically, an end 12 of the top plate 10 is formed into a shape shown in
The following invention will be derived from the above-described embodiment and modified examples. First, one aspect of a board for a stringed instrument is a board for a stringed instrument used for a top plate or a back plate of an acoustic stringed instrument, where the board for the stringed instrument has a purfling, the purfling includes a groove formed in the board and a resin filled in the groove. In this board for a stringed instrument, it is possible to form the purfling with the groove and the resin. Therefore, it can be manufactured easily as compared with the embedded-type purfling.
Next, one aspect of an acoustic stringed instrument includes a top plate, a back plate, and a rib provided between the top plate and the back plate, and is used as at least one of the top plate or the back plate is the above-described board for the stringed instrument. According to one aspect of the acoustic stringed instrument, it is possible to enhance the impact resistance because the resin absorbs the impact. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the vibration of the top plate by adjusting the depth and width of the groove and selecting an appropriate type of the material for the resin. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust acoustic characteristics of the acoustic stringed instrument.
In one aspect of the above-described acoustic stringed instrument, the resin preferably has a degree of elongation of 20% or more. If the resin satisfies this condition, it is possible to follow changes in the width even when the width of the groove changes due to environmental changes. As a result, it is possible to minimize the generation of gaps between the resin and the groove and to minimize paint cracking due to the generation of gaps.
In one aspect of the above-described acoustic stringed instrument, a depth of the groove is preferably 20% or more and less than 60% of the thickness of the board for the stringed instrument. In a case in which the groove is too shallow, the resin cannot be sufficiently filled in. Thus, the impact absorption and the suppression of cracking may not be sufficiently achieved. On the other hand, in a case in which the groove is too deep, the strength of the board for the stringed instrument is undermined, and the board is subject to cracking. Such a disadvantage does not occur if the depth of the groove is 20% or more and less than 60% of the thickness of the board for the stringed instrument. In other words, it is possible to adjust the characteristics of the sound of the acoustic stringed instrument by adjusting the depth of the groove within a range of 20% or more and less than 60% of the thickness of the board for a stringed instrument.
In one aspect of the above-described acoustic stringed instrument, it is preferable that the resin includes colored particles having a diameter of 3 μm or more and less than 70 μm and the colored particles be dispersed in the resin. Since the particles having such a size are often larger than the gaps of the wood tissue, it is possible to avoid the filler penetrating through the surface of the groove to the inside.
A manufacturing method is also derivable. Such an invention is a method for manufacturing a board for a stringed instrument that is used for a top plate or a back plate of an acoustic stringed instrument, where the board has a purfling; the method includes a process of forming a groove in a board, a process of filling the groove with a resin, and a process of curing the resin. According to this invention, since it is not necessary to fit the stacked material into the groove by inlaying, it is possible even for a person who is not highly skilled to manufacture the board for a stringed instrument having the purfling.
Furthermore, the above-described manufacturing method includes removing the resin that has flowed out of the groove after the filling of the groove with the resin and before the curing of the resin. Removal of the resin may be performed before or after curing of the resin.
Furthermore, the above-described manufacturing method preferably includes providing a layer that covers a surface of the groove after the forming the groove in the board and before filling the groove with the resin. According to this aspect, it is possible to minimize penetration of the resin through a rib of the groove into the inside.
10: Top plate
15
a, 15b: Groove
17: Functional layer
18: Resin
19: Protective layer
20: Back plate
30: Rib
40: Main body
50: Neck
This application is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2017/000216, filed Jan. 6, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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| 52-154225 | Nov 1997 | JP |
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| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) issued in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2017/000216 dated Mar. 21, 2017 with English translation (four (4) pages). |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190325850 A1 | Oct 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2017/000216 | Jan 2017 | US |
| Child | 16502938 | US |
