Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6593515
-
Patent Number
6,593,515
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, April 17, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, July 15, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen, LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A stringed instrument has a body, a longitudinal neck attached to the body and extending therefrom, and strings extending between the body and a free head end of the neck, the strings attached so that they generate a tensile force tending to deform the neck. To prevent deformation of the neck, it receives a rigid reinforcing body provided with a groove that extends from a first end of the body and terminates at a distance from the opposite second end, so that the rigid body has a grooveless end region and a grooved end region. The grooved end faces the body of the stringed instrument. The grooveless end region and an upper part of the grooved end region are fixed to the top side of the instrument neck along their entire lengths, whereas a lower part of the grooved end region is detachably secured to the neck and generates a force counteracting the tensile force to minimize the deformation of the neck.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a stringed instrument, and particularly to reinforcing a structure preventing the neck of the stringed instrument from deforming.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A stringed instrument ordinarily has a body, a neck which is joined to the body and a head at the top of the neck, with at least one string and usually a plurality of strings stretched between a bridge on the body and a respective peg nut for each string which is typically on the head. The strings produce a tensile force between the peg nut and the bridge which causes upward deformation of the neck. A bent neck prevents production of correct musical intervals or it becomes difficult to reach the high positions toward the body end of each string, that is the end located close to the body. As the strength of the neck is low, a longer time will be required for the correct intervals to be obtained as the neck part is gradually deformed at the time of tuning.
To cope with the above discussed problem, it is known to place a truss rod having a bar-shaped iron core in the neck. This improves the strength of the neck by providing a repulsive force which counteracts forces tending to bend the neck.
Another known structure of a stringed instrument has a strong wooden material known as bubinga, which is held at the center of the neck. Alternatively, a metal plate having a convex shape is buried in the neck as a reinforcing material, as described in the Official Publication of Toku Kai 2001 13957.
In recent years, however, there has been an increasing demand for reduction of the size and particularly the thickness of the neck, particularly of guitars. This has made it increasingly difficult to place various reinforcing materials and structures, as described above, in the neck of the stringed instrument. Furthermore, the stringed instrument as a whole requires a simple reinforcing structure for the neck.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has the object of overcoming the above described problems. A reinforcing structure for the neck of a stringed instrument, according to the invention, has an extremely simple structure which provides the neck with high strength and increased resistance to bending forces acting upon the neck.
In addition, the reinforcing structure for the neck of the invention allows bending of the neck to be adjusted and corrected.
In one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing structure for the neck of a stringed instrument comprises a longitudinally extending, rigid, preferably plate, bar-shaped body extending along the longitudinal direction of the neck and disposed under a finger plate on the top side of the neck. The bar-shaped body has a cut groove which extends from the instrument body end of the bar shaped body toward the instrument head end of the bar shaped body. The plate bar-shaped body is divided into a head-side grooveless portion, a body-side groove upper portion and a body-side groove lower portion which are separated by the groove. The head-side grooveless portion and the body-side groove upper portion are bound securely along the entire length of the bar-shaped body to the underside of the top side of the neck, and, particularly to the underside of the finger board, and the body-side groove lower portion is detachably secured to the neck only at a location toward the instrument body end, i.e. the open groove end.
In another embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing structure for the neck of a stringed instrument has a plate bar-shaped body which is formed approximately in the form of U as viewed in a plane parallel to the top side of the neck and including a plate bar on the right side and a plate bar on the left side joined by a grooved body end connector. Therefore, the groove extends through the body end connector and into both of the right and left side bars from their instrument body ends toward their instrument head ends.
As a further feature of the invention, the terminal positions of cut grooves formed in the right-side plate bar and left-side plate bar may be the same distance into the bars from their body ends or may be different distances into the bodies from those ends because the different strings across the neck apply different upward bending forces on the neck.
A further feature of the invention relates to a reinforcing structure for the neck of a stringed instrument having tensile means that pulls the body-side lower part toward the body of the stringed instrument for generating thereby a force which counteracts tensile forces tending to deform the neck.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of an electric guitar in an example of this invention, with a part of the neck removed.
FIG. 2
is an isometric view of a plate bar-shaped body of a reinforcing element in accordance with this invention.
FIG. 3
is a partial sectional view of the plate bar-shaped body as shown in FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is an exploded perspective view of the plate-bar-shaped body of
FIG. 2
with a tensile means.
FIG. 5
is a side view of the tensile means shown in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is a section of the neck of an electric guitar incorporating the plate bar-shaped body shown in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 7
is an isometric view of another embodiment of the plate bar-shaped body according to the invention.
FIG. 8
is an isometric view of still another embodiment of the plate bar-shaped body in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 9
is a partly expanded view of a fixed tensile means.
FIG. 10
is an elevated sectional view of the neck of an electric guitar incorporating the plate bar-shaped body shown in
FIG. 7
or
8
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
An electric guitar
10
is an example of a stringed instrument in which the invention is provided. The guitar
10
includes a body
11
, a neck
12
extending above the top of the body, a head
13
at the end of the neck, a finger plate
15
applied to the upper side of the neck
12
to define the top side of the neck, a bridge
16
on the top of the body, peg nuts
17
on the head for each of the strings
19
and the strings extend back to the bridge. For the purpose of illustration, a part of the length of the strings
19
and the finger plate
15
are cut out in FIG.
1
.
A neck reinforcing structure according to the invention comprises a plate bar-shaped generally rigid body R buried or mounted in and extending along the longitudinal direction of the neck
12
below the finger plate
15
on the neck. It is able to bend only slightly under tensile forces applied by the strings extending between the bridge and the peg nuts.
An example of the plate bar-shaped body R is shown at
20
in FIG.
2
. It is comprised of a material having rigidity with a high Young's modulus like a metal plate or a carbon fiber material. The body
20
has a groove
25
cut in from the body side
11
s
, leaving a prescribed ungrooved part toward the head side
13
s
. The groove
25
divides the plate bar-shaped body into an instrument head-side grooveless part
21
to the right in
FIG. 2
, an instrument body-side groove upper part
22
and an instrument body-side groove lower part
23
, both to the left in FIG.
2
. The groove
25
may divide the body in half, top and bottom.
The head-side grooveless part
21
and the body-side groove upper part
22
are integrally secured to the neck
12
along the entire length of the body. The body is inside the neck and the securement is to the underside of the top side of the neck, here the underside of the finger board. The stippled indication in
FIG. 3
shows the secured part. The body side terminal
23
e
of the body side groove lower part
23
along its entire length, is securely held to the neck
12
toward the body end of the part
23
without being integrally secured to the neck
12
along its entire length. There is a screw hole
26
in the body-side groove lower part
23
. A fixing screw
27
is installed in the screw hole
26
. That screw secures the part
23
to the neck.
When the plate bar-shaped body R (
20
) is placed under the bottom side of the finger plate
15
on the neck
12
, the following functions occur. The head-side grooveless part
21
and the body-side groove upper part
22
are integrally bound to the neck
12
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, to function as a strength preservation member for the neck
12
. The neck
12
tends to bend upward under the tensile strength of the strings
19
. In particular, the head side
13
s
experiences higher bending moments. The integrated part of the head-side grooveless part
21
and the body-side groove upper part
22
have high rigidity, as compared with the usually wooden material of the neck
12
. They are fixed to the upper part of the neck
12
(that portion which is under the finger plate
15
) at the head side
13
s
. As a result, the resistance to bending moments of the upper part of the neck
12
and the head side
13
s
increases.
The body-side groove lower part
23
that is situated below the neck
12
has a function which peculiarly reflects the material of the plate bar-shaped body
20
, as it is not integrated with the neck
12
. When the neck
12
tends to bend upward and deforms as shown by arrow a in
FIG. 3
, forces a
1
and a
2
operate on the head-side grooveless part
21
and on the body-side groove upper part
22
that are integrally secured to the neck
12
and they deform upward together with the neck
12
. This produces a force b in the body-side lower part
23
to extend in the longitudinal direction away from the fixed screw
27
which is a fixed part. This force b tends to at least partially compensate for upwardly directed forces a
1
and a
2
.
Since the plate bar-shaped body
20
is more rigid than the wooden material of the neck
12
, there is no significant elongation of the neck. Rather, the neck supplies force that prevents the forces a
1
and a
2
for upward deformation that works on the head-side grooveless part
21
and the body-side groove upper half part
22
or as a drag c in a direction which is opposite to that of the force a for upward deformation.
Therefore, the plate bar-shaped body R (
20
) reinforces because of its material rigidity and also reinforces by supplying a mechanical drag, thereby creating a reinforcing structure for avoiding bending of the neck, using a simple structure offering high strength.
Another embodiment of the invention is now explained. The plate bar-shaped body R (
40
) in
FIG. 7
is formed approximately in a U-shape, as viewed in a plane that includes a right-side plate bar-shaped part
50
and a left side plate bar-shaped part
60
connected by the bent connector
41
on the instrument body side
11
s
. The plane of the body
40
is parallel to the top side of the neck.
Because the neck of a stringed instrument has some width, the entire neck can have a reinforced structure of higher strength by arranging two plate bar-shaped bodies
50
and
60
in parallel and extending along the longitudinal direction of the neck. It is possible to arrange two plate bar-shaped bodies
20
as shown in the example described above independently in parallel. However, it is advantageous from the standpoint of production and assembly to form a single member of U-shape, as viewed in the plane through the bent connector
41
on the body side
11
s.
A cut groove
45
is formed through the body
40
extending from the bent connector
41
partially up both legs of the U-shape leaving a prescribed ungrooved part on the head side
13
s
opposite the bent connector
41
at the body side
11
s
. There is a head-side grooveless part
51
of the right-side plate bar-shaped part
50
, a body-side groove upper part
52
of the right side plate bar-shaped body
50
, a body side groove lower part
53
of the right-side plate bar-shaped body
50
, a head-side grooveless part
61
of the left-side plate bar-shaped part
60
, a body-side groove upper part
62
of the left-side plate bar-shaped part
60
, a body-side groove lower part
63
of the left-side plate bar-shaped part
60
. There is a bent connector groove upper part
42
and a bent connector groove lower part
43
.
In the manner described earlier, the head-side grooveless parts
51
and
61
, the body-side groove upper parts
52
and
62
and the bent area
42
(stippled in the drawing) are secured integrally as one body to the underside of the top side of the neck. The body-side groove lower parts
53
and
63
and the bent area
43
of the body-side terminal bent connector
41
are securely held by the neck
12
without being integrally secured to the neck. A cam
70
(described below) serves as a fixing member. The functions of the above described parts of the body
40
are the same as those described earlier.
FIG. 8
illustrates another modification of a body R (
40
A). The terminal positions
46
and
47
of the cut grooves
45
A of the right-side plate bar-shaped part
50
and the left-side plate bar-shaped part
60
are at different positions along their parts of the body from their head-sides
13
s
. Strings
19
on a stringed instrument are thick on the lower pitch sound side, and thinner on the higher pitch sound side, so that the tensile forces applied by the strings are different between the right and left sides across the guitar. The right-side part
50
which is juxtaposed with thicker strings
19
has a longer cut groove than the left side part
60
.
Those members in
FIG. 8
which are the same as in
FIG. 7
have the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.
In another aspect of the invention, the reinforcing structure of the neck of a stringed instrument has a tensile means P that pulls the body-side lower parts (
23
,
53
and
63
) to the body side
11
s
in the plate bar-shaped bodies R (
20
,
40
and
40
A).
One example of the tensile means P of a plate bar-shaped body R (
30
) is shown in
FIGS. 4 through 6
. Another example of the tensile means P of the plate bar-shaped body R (
40
or
40
A) is shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
.
In the tensile means P of one plate-bar-shaped body R (
30
) shown in
FIG. 4
, the plate bar-shaped body R (
30
) is divided into the head-side grooveless part
31
, the body-side upper part
32
and the body-side lower part
33
by the cut groove
34
, as described above. At the body-side
11
s
terminal
33
e
of the body-side groove lower part
33
, a square-shaped cam mounting part
35
is formed. It receives an eccentric cam
36
that serves as a fixing member when installed in the cam mounting part
35
in a freely rotatable fashion.
The eccentric cam
36
has a large-diameter generally arcuate region
36
a
and a small-diameter generally arcuate region
36
b
, as shown in expanded view in FIG.
5
. The cam is installed integrally on an installation member
37
through an installation hole
36
c
which is rectangular in shape. The difference between the large diameter region
36
a
and the small-diameter region
36
b
of the eccentric cam
36
in the example may be one millimeter. The installation member is in turn attached to the side wall of the recess in the neck that receives the body R (
30
). If the installation member
37
is rotated e.g., by a wrench (not shown), etc., which rotates the eccentric cam
36
by a prescribed angle, the large-diameter part
36
a
presses on the cam-receiving member
38
and pulls the body-side groove lower part
33
toward the body side
11
s
acting through the cam mount
35
. A fixing nut
39
tightens the eccentric cam
36
and the installation member
37
.
FIG. 6
shows a section of the neck
12
of a guitar
10
A which incorporates the tensile means P. The eccentric cam
36
ordinarily functions as a fixing part on the body-side groove lower half part
33
. When the eccentric cam
36
is operated in the manner described above, the body-side groove lower part
33
of the plate bar-shaped body R (
30
) may be pulled toward the body side
11
s.
The tensile force applied by the tensile means P produces a drag force c in the plate bar-shaped body R (
30
) as described earlier and as shown in FIG.
3
and is a force that counters other forces that would tend to deform the neck
12
through the head-side grooveless part
31
and the body-side groove upper half part
32
integrally secured with the neck
12
of the instrument. An inevitable warp that develops in the neck
12
can thus be corrected and adjusted.
An example of the tensile means P of the plate bar-shaped body R (
40
or
40
A) of
FIGS. 7-9
having a U-cross section is explained. In
FIG. 9
, because the body-side groove lower parts
53
and
63
of the plate bar-shaped body R (
40
,
40
A) are linked by the bent connector groove lower part
43
, the tensile means P is provided inside the bent connector groove lower part
43
.
In this example, too, an eccentric cam
70
as described above is used. The eccentric cam
70
has a larger-diameter region
70
a
and a smaller-diameter region
70
b
. It is installed integrally on the installation member
71
at a rectangular installation hole
70
c
. As described earlier, when the installation member
71
is rotated, its large-diameter region
70
a
presses the cam-receiving member
72
and pulls the body-side groove lower parts
53
and
63
toward the body side
11
s
through the bent connector of the groove lower part
43
. A fixing nut
73
secures the eccentric cam
70
to the installation member
71
.
FIG. 10
shows an expanded section of the neck
12
of the guitar
10
incorporating the tensile means P of FIG.
9
. The installation member
71
passes through the bottom of the guitar neck and secures the cam there. The eccentric cam
70
functions as a fixing member in ordinary cases. As the eccentric cam
70
is operated, it pulls on the body-side groove lower parts
53
and
63
of the plate bar-shaped body R (
40
,
40
A) in the direction toward the body side
11
s
. As a result, the force that tends to deform the neck
12
upward is prevented through the head-side grooveless parts
51
and
61
and the body-side groove upper parts
52
and
62
that have been secured on the neck
12
of the guitar. Should an inevitable bend be produced in the neck
12
, it could be corrected and adjusted.
Thus, the reinforcing structure for the neck of a stringed instrument in this invention, which has been explained above, makes it possible to achieve the reinforcement using a material having rigidity and from the standpoint of a drag in terms of dynamics by using an extremely simple structure.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A stringed instrument comprising:an elongated neck having opposite neck ends and having a top side; at least one string above the top side of the neck and attached to the instrument to be tensioned between the opposite neck ends and the string generating a tensile force which tends to deform the elongated neck; and an elongated, plate, bar-shaped body mounted to the elongated neck under the top side, the body having opposite first and second body ends along the neck; an elongated groove extending in from the first body end, the groove terminating at a distance from the second body end to define a grooved end region of the body toward the first body end and an ungrooved end region of the body toward the second body end, the groove dividing the grooved end region into a first portion, which is below and spaced away from the top side of the neck, and a second portion, which is between the top side of the neck and the first portion; the second portion of the grooved end region and the ungrooved end region of the body being fixed to the top side of the elongated neck along the length of the body; the first portion of the grooved end region being adjustably attached to the elongated neck in a manner to generate a force which acts upon the elongated neck to minimize the deformation of the elongated neck.
- 2. The stringed instrument of claim 1, further comprising a finger plate attached at the top side of the elongated neck.
- 3. The stringed instrument of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the grooved end region and the ungrooved end region of the body are fixed to the finger plate.
- 4. The stringed instrument of claim 1, wherein the elongated neck has a recess below the top side of the neck and in which the elongated, plate, bar-shaped body is disposed; the recess in the neck being defined by another side of the neck than the top side and to which the end region of the first portion is attached.
- 5. The stringed instrument defied in claim 1, wherein the plate, bar-shaped body is made of material having a rigidity greater than that of material of the elongated neck.
- 6. The stringed instrument defied in claim 1, wherein the instrument has a body to which the neck is attached and the first body end of the bar shaped body is toward the body of the instrument.
- 7. The stringed instrument defined in claim 1, further comprising a second one of the elongated, plate, bar-shaped bodies received in the neck, the two plate, bar-shaped, bodies extending next to and parallel to one another; the second plate, bar-shaped, body also having a respective one of the grooves and the grooves in the two bodies extend into the bodies from the same direction from the first body ends.
- 8. The stringed instrument defined in claim 7, further comprising a connector joining the first body ends of both of the elongated, plate, bar-shaped bodies thereby forming a U-shape of the two bodies and the connector, a groove also extending through the connector and through the first body ends, and the respective grooves in the two bodies terminating at a distance from the second body ends of the plate, bar-shaped, bodies.
- 9. The stringed instrument defined in claim 8, wherein the respective grooves terminate at the same distance from the second body ends of the two plate, bar-shaped bodies.
- 10. The stringed instrument defined in claim 8, wherein the respective grooves terminate at different distances from the second body ends of each of the two plate, bar-shaped bodies.
- 11. The stringed instrument defined in claim 8, wherein the instrument has a body to which the neck is attached and the first body end of the bar shaped body is toward the body of the instrument.
- 12. The stringed instrument defined in claim 1, further comprising a mounting part on the first portion at the first body end of the plate, bar-shaped body; anda rotatable cam contacting the mounting part, the cam being supported in the neck and being shaped such that rotation of the cam causes the cam to exert a force that urges the first portion of the plate, bar-shaped, rigid body toward one of the opposite neck ends.
- 13. The string instrument of claim 12, wherein the eccentric cam is displaceable between angular rotation positions for urging the first body portion toward one of the neck ends.
- 14. The stringed instrument of claim 12, wherein the mounting part has a surface which contacts the cam;an installation member for the eccentric cam, and a tightening element which prevents angular displacement of the installation member and the eccentric cam relative to one another upon installing the eccentric cam at the installation member, the installation member being sized and shaped to rotate with respect to the mounting part upon applying an external torque to the tightening element for causing the cam to apply force to the mounting part.
- 15. A stringed instrument, comprising:an elongated neck having opposite neck ends and a top side; at least one string stretched between the opposite neck ends and above the top side and generating a tensile force which tends to deform the elongated neck in one direction; a reinforcing body placed in the elongated neck under the top side and having first and second opposite body ends toward the opposite neck ends, respectively; the first body end having a groove which extends toward the second body end and terminates at a distance therefrom, so that the groove divides the first body end into a first portion spaced from the at least one string and a second portion located between the at least one string and the first portion, the second body end being ungrooved; the second portion and the second body end of the reinforcing body being fixed to the top side of the elongated neck along the length of the body; the first portion of the one body end being attached to the elongated neck off the top side and in a manner to generate a counter force which acts upon the elongated neck in a direction opposite to the one direction to minimize the deformation of the elongated neck.
- 16. The stringed instrument defined in claim 15, wherein the body is made of material which is more rigid than material of the neck.
- 17. The stringed instrument defined in claim 16, further comprising a fastener extending through the first portion of the one end of the body and attachable to the elongated neck off the top side.
- 18. The stringed instrument defined in claim 6, wherein the instrument has a body to which the neck is attached and the first body end of the bar shaped body is toward the body of the instrument.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2001-198573 |
Jun 2001 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1-202795 |
Aug 1989 |
JP |
2001-13957 |
Jan 2001 |
JP |