1) Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a dynamic fret, in particular to a mechanical device integrated in the fret board of a cord-type music instrument.
2) Background Art
According to Applicant's knowledge, there are no prior art mechanical devices which obtain the objects of the present invention.
Object of the present invention is providing a mechanical device adapted to simplify and optimize the use of a cord-type music instrument.
A further object is providing a mechanical device capable of allowing the use of a cord-type music instrument for disabled people.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with a mechanical device. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.
It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) could be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.
The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:
A traditional music instrument, as shown in
With reference to the
In particular, the mechanical device 10, according to the present invention is adapted to cross the fret board 9 of the cord-type music instrument, from the front surface to the rear surface of the fret board 9, and further comprises:
at least one bridge element 6, such as, for example, a fastening plate or other similar element, arranged on the rear surface of the fret board 9;
at least one rider means 4; and
at least one elastic means 8, equipped with a first end connected to the bridge element 6, and with a second end strictly connected to a room, preferably a cylindrical section, obtained inside the fret board 9.
The rider means 4 is composed of at least one horizontal element 4a, placed on the front surface of the fret board 9 of the cord-type music instrument and of at least two vertical elements 4b connected on the top to the horizontal element 4a, conferring to the rider means 4 a π shape.
As shown in
The mechanical device 10 integrated in the fret board 9 of the cord-type music instrument is adapted, through the action of the thumb of the user's hand, to perform a homogeneous pressure on a plurality of chords horizontally stretched on the fret board 9 of the music instrument.
In particular, the mechanical device 10 is activated by the pressing action of the thumb of the user's hand, ergonomically placed on the rear surface of the fret board 9 of the music instrument, impressing a force F on the bridge element 6, the force F is transmitted by the elastic element 8, which by contracting itself induces a vertical upward movement of the mechanical device 10, allowing the contact in at least one point P of the rider means 4 with the plurality of chords of the music instrument, configuring the mechanical device 10 in a dynamic phase, as shown in
Finally, the pressing action of the thumb of the user's hand, is followed by a release action of the bridge element 6, inducing the release of the elastic element 8, and the vertical downwards movement of the mechanical device 10, configuring the mechanical device 10 in a static phase, as shown in
As known, stationary waves are a particular interferential phenomenon, obtained through two harmonic waves which have the same amplitude and the same frequency and propagate themselves along opposite directions. Stationary waves propagate along the plurality of chords of the music instrument; moreover, every point of the stationary wave oscillates with an amplitude value, according to longitudinal and transverse vibrations without any energy transport: in particular, the central portion of the plurality of chords is characterized by an oscillation amplitude value greater than the one characterizing the extreme portions of the plurality of chords.
Advantageously, as shown in
In particular, the central portion of the keyboard placed on the fret board 9 of the cord-type music instrument, comprises at least one mechanical device 10, at least one removable keyboard portion 11 and at least one fixed keyboard portion 12.
In particular a first and a second lateral profile of the portion of the removable keyboard 11 are arranged parallel to the horizontal element 4a, and respectively fastened to the horizontal element 4a through the mechanical fastening system, and to a first lateral profile of the fixed keyboard portion 12, through a chemical fastening system, such as for example glue, or other similar system, adapted to enable the rotary movement of the removable keyboard portion 11. Finally, the first and a second lateral profile of the portion of the keyboard portion 12 are arranged in parallel to the horizontal element 4a and to the removable keyboard portion 11; in particular the second lateral profile of the fixed keyboard portion 12 is next to the horizontal element 4a, of the rider means 4.
The mechanical fastening system comprises at least one connecting element 13, such as, for example, a plate or a slit, or other similar element, and a plurality of fastening means 5 such as screws, slots, etc., and is adapted to the connection of the horizontal element 4a with the first lateral profile of the removable keyboard portion 11, through the connection of each end of the horizontal element 4a respectively with a third and a fourth profile of the removable keyboard portion 11.
As previously described, the pressing action of the thumb of the user's hand on the mechanical device 10, allows the contact, in the point P, of the rider means 4, with the plurality of chords of the music instrument, configuring the mechanical device 10 in a dynamic phase and inducing, through the contraction of the elastic element 8, a vertical movement of the mechanical device 10. In order to optimize the contact in at least one point P of the rider means 4 with the plurality of chords in the central portion of the fret board 9, the same pressing action induces, through the contraction of the elastic element 8, a vertical upwards movement of the horizontal element 4a and a rotary movement by an angle α of the removable keyboard portion 11, connected to the horizontal element 4a.
As shown in
Moreover, the use and the performances of the cord-type music instrument equipped with a mechanical device 10 according to the present invention, are optimized by the manual insertion on the rear surface of the fret board 9, as shown in
The mobile element 15, as shown in
at least two slits 15a, 15b adapted to fasten the mobile element 15 on the rear surface of the fret board 9 through a plurality of fastening means 5;
a central body 15c adapted to be interfaced with the bridge element 6; and
at least one knob element 16 adapted to allow an easy manual insertion of the mobile element 15 by a user.
Finally, the cord-type music instrument, equipped with the mechanical device 10, is optimized by the insertion on the main fret 1 of a first blocking means 17 of the plurality of chords, and by the placement on the harmonic box 2, in front of the chord-tending bridge 20, of a second blocking means 18.
The first and the second blocking means 17, 18 are parallelepiped element, equipped inside them with a plurality of channels 19, adapted to the passage and simultaneously to the blockage of the plurality of chords.
The invention has the following advantages: ensuring an ergonomic position of the hand and in particular of the user's thumb, since the integration of the mechanical device in the fret board of the cord-type music instrument does not change the arrangement of the cord-type music instrument itself;
reducing the incidence of the carpal tunnel syndrome, since the use of the mechanical device reduces the fatigue of the user's fingers of the music instrument;
allowing the integration of the mechanical device in the fret board of any cord-type music instrument, such as, for example, electric guitar, banjo, leg viol, cello, etc.;
ensuring the universally shared shaping and aesthetic of the traditional cord-type music instrument;
guaranteeing a direct check of the fret board and of the individual frets of the cord-type music instrument; and
allowing disabled people to fully autonomously play a cord-type music instrument.
While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is further described in the following appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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BA2014A000058 | Sep 2014 | IT | national |
This patent application is a United States National Phase Patent Application based on PCT/IT2015/000213, filed Sep. 7, 2015, which in turn claims the benefit of Italian Patent Application No. BA2014A000058, filed Sep. 9, 2014. The entire disclosures of the above patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IT2015/000213 | 9/7/2015 | WO | 00 |