Patent Application
20170221459
The present invention relates to the use of a guitar pick for playing stringed instruments and more particularly, to a guitar aid that provides a user with the ability to apply a controlled tension while maintaining a fixed position of the guitar pick while playing a guitar or other stringed instrument.
Guitar picks are typically small, flat apparatuses that are triangular shaped with rounded edges. The pick can be used to pluck or strum stringed musical instruments such as guitars. Use of a guitar pick can help generate a higher quality sound and improve the ability of a musician to strike large chords. A pick is generally made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic and is lightweight and may vary in thickness based on the desired sound quality.
Conventionally, picks have been designed for placement between a user's thumb and one or more fingers to assist while playing instruments such as the guitar. Drawbacks of this technique, however, include difficulty of maintaining a fixed position and proper control of the pick and proper tension on the pick while playing an instrument. For example, if the pick is held too loosely, it could cause the pick to shift in the musician's fingers, affecting the ability of the musician to retain a proper grip on the pick. Conversely, holding the pick too tightly can interfere with the play of the instrument by distorting the sound. Sound quality can also be negatively impacted if the pick is not held at a proper 90-degree angle to the strings.
Mounting apparatuses such as rings or band-like structures have been designed to secure a guitar pick onto a user's finger or thumb. Such designs, however, are directed towards preventing accidental dropping of a guitar pick and/or providing a user with the ability to interchangeably alternate between the use of a user's finger and a guitar pick to strum or pluck instrument strings.
Designs for guitar aids that are used to assist with proper pick angle and placement for enhanced sound quality are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,167, invented by the inventor of the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This patent includes both a guitar aid designed to removably receive a pick and a unitarily formed pick and ring combination.
A guitar aid enables a user to selectively position and control tension and angle of a guitar pick for a richer sound with decreased strain on the user's hand and fingers. The guitar aid can include a ring member defining an opening size and shape to fit around a finger of a user and a pick retainer unitarily formed with the ring member and configured to secure a guitar pick therein. The pick retainer can include first, second, and third retentions arms extending outwardly from the ring member and defining pick receiving channels configured to receive and secure a guitar pick therein. The guitar aid can also include at least one retention nub extending upwardly from and unitarily formed with the ring member, the retention nub being configured to contact a body of the guitar pick when the guitar pick is positioned within the pick receiving channels.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments.
Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:
While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.
Referring to
Pick retainer 102, which is configured to retain a guitar pick 200 (refer, e.g., to
In various embodiments, the distance between upper inner surfaces 130a, 130b, 140 and lower inner surfaces 132a, 132b, 142 (i.e., channel widths) can vary for a given guitar aid to accommodate guitar picks of different thicknesses. However, pick retainer 102 is configured to accommodate picks of different thicknesses with single channel width. As can be seen in, e.g.,
The design and structure of the arm 134 of second retention portion 116 is substantially similar to that of the arms 124a, 124b of first retention portion 114 in that it tapers from a wider portion 135 to a narrower portion 136 having a clamp member 137. Clamp member 137 similarly defines a pick receiving channel 138 with an upper inner surface 140 and a lower inner surface 142. Use of three arms in the depicted embodiment provides a more secure hold of the pick to aid in stability of the pick within the pick retainer 102 and guidance of the pick into a proper position within the guitar aid. The pick can more easily snap into place in the retainer with a guiding slot at three positions and is held along a first side of the pick and a second side of the pick (in two places) for the more secure and firm retention. As shown in, e.g.,
As can be seen in the Figures, the arms 124a, 124b, 134 of retention portions can be formed of a solid material that, as discussed above can be unitary formed with the ring member 104. This solid construction provides needed strength to the pliable arm portions because as the user plays a stringed instrument such as a guitar with the device, continuous strain and movement is placed on arms, and under these conditions the previously disclosed wire retention members were prone to breakage. In various embodiments, the arms are comprised of a plastic or other polymer material. In one embodiment, the material is Delrin® plast. Such a solid material is more durable and flexible such that it does not break with use while still being light weight and comfortable to wear. In addition, during use it was found that the pick may slip or shift position within the wire retention members and the solid plastic of the described embodiment holds the pick more firmly in place while still providing the proper tension for proper sound quality.
In some embodiments, center support structure 106 can include one or more upwardly protruding members or retention nubs 150, 152. In one embodiment, two nubs 150, 152 are centrally located on opposing sides of second retention portion 116 and between the arms 124a, 124 of first retention portion 114. The protruding members 150, 152 can comprise a generally inverted V-shape, but may vary in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, members protruding members 150, 152 can comprise a generally circular, spherical, or hemispherical shape, rectangular shape, or other suitable configurations. As illustrated in
Referring now to
As depicted, body 202 of guitar pick 200 is inserted into pick retainer 102 such that the distal end 206 protrudes outwardly from pick retainer 102 for striking strings of a guitar or other stringed instrument. The proximal portion 204 of body member 202 is positioned within pick receiving channels 128a, 128b, 138 of clamp members 127a, 127b, 137, which securely hold the pick 200 in place. Guitar pick 200 can easily be inserted into and retained within guitar aid 100 with a single sliding motion without the need for additional fasteners or other parts. The guitar pick 200 can similarly be removed from guitar aid 100 by applying a pulling force on the proximal portion 204 of pick 200 without substantially distorting or moving any elements of pick retainer 102. In one embodiment, the guitar pick 200 can only be slid into pick retainer 102 with the distal end or tip 206 going first, and only be removed in the opposite direction, by withdrawing the proximal portion 204 away from the pick retainer 102. As described above,
The relative positioning of pick retainer 102 on ring member 104 as shown in
To utilize guitar aids 100 as disclosed herein, a user inserts the user's index finger 254 through the ring member 104, which conforms to the size of the user's finger 254. The user grasps the upper surface of pick 200 with the user's thumb 256. In this manner, the guitar aid 100 of the present invention ensures proper alignment and a proper grip of the pick 200, which helps the user to not overuse the forearm muscles and aids in producing a proper sound from the guitar. This proper positioning and grip provided by the guitar aid 100 can further function in teaching a beginner how to properly hold a guitar pick. In addition, ring member 104 allows a user to easily slide the pick-rite guitar aid 100 up and down the user's finger to either grasp the pick for playing the instrument or move the pick out of the way to utilize the user's fingers to play the instrument, with the pliable band conforming to the size of whatever portion of the user's finger on which it is positioned. As shown in
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.
Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.
