Patent Application
20240071339
This disclosure relates generally to plastic alternatives to traditional wooden stringed instruments, particularly to plastic violins.
A few plastic stringed instruments are generally known, but most replicate the form and shape of a traditional violin. These instruments do not mitigate the fragility or expense of wooden instruments.
It would be useful to develop/improve the affordability and availability of alternative stringed instruments, allowing for greater access to the musical arts, particularly in schools with budgetary constraints.
One embodiment described herein is a stringed musical instrument comprising a first tube including a body portion having a bottom end and a top end, and a neck portion with a first end extending longitudinally from the bottom end of the body portion, and a second end. A first string support is connected to the second end of the neck portion, the first string support including a peg box supporting a plurality of tuning pins. A plurality of musical instrument strings extend from the body portion to the tuning pins. The instrument also includes a bridge with a body-contacting portion configured to engage with the body portion and a string-contacting portion configured to engage with the plurality of strings, and a second tube extending outwardly from the top end of the body portion, forming a chin rest.
Another embodiment described herein is the above stringed musical instrument, further comprising a sound hole formed on the body portion between the bridge and the first string support.
Yet another embodiment is the above stringed musical instrument, further comprising fine tuning pegs connected to the front side of the body portion.
A further embodiment is a method of manufacturing a stringed musical instrument comprising the steps of: obtaining a first tube comprising a body portion and neck portion, a second tube configured to function as a chin rest, and a plurality of musical strings, and forming a first string support adjacent to an outer end of the neck portion, the first string support comprising openings configured to receive a plurality of tuning pins. A second string support is formed on the body portion by forming holes in the body portion configured to receive and retain the plurality of musical strings. The method also includes forming a bridge comprising a body-contacting portion configured to slidably engage with the body portion and a string-contacting portion configured to support the plurality of musical strings when tensioned. The method further comprises assembling the instrument by sliding the bridge on the first tube, attaching the second tube to the terminal end of the body portion at an angle, mounting a plurality of tuning pins to the first string support, and attaching the plurality of strings to the first string support and the second string support such that they extend along the string-contacting portion of the bridge.
Another embodiment is the above method, wherein at least the first tube is hollow, and the first string support is formed by removing a partial longitudinal section of tube material from one end of the first hollow tube, and bending the remaining longitudinal section of the first hollow tube into a configuration suitable to receive a plurality of tuning pegs.
Yet another embodiment is the above method, further comprising softening the remaining longitudinal section of the first hollow tube before bending.
The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used for like components throughout the several views, are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.
The embodiments disclosed herein are tube-shaped musical instruments made from thermoplastic or thermoset material. The musical instruments are configured to replicate the function and sound of a traditional wooden violin. The use of this less expensive type of material and the simple shape allow for low manufacturing costs, increase access to those interested in learning how to play stringed instruments and further make the instrument itself more durable for transportation.
As used herein, the term “nut” is used in the traditional musical sense as the grooved section at the head of a violin on which strings rest. The term “bridge” means the musical device on which musical strings rest on the main body of the instrument.
Referring to
In some cases, the peg box [028] and scroll [026] are made by cutting part way through the main tube [012] on the front side of the neck portion [020] in a direction perpendicular to the length of the main tube [012] (in some cases approximately six inches from the bottom end [016]), and cutting longitudinally along the left and right sides from the terminal end [035] of the tube [012] to the perpendicular cut. A semicircular segment of the neck portion [020], having a length of about six inches in some instances, is removed after cutting. The remaining half of the tube near the bottom end [016] of the neck portion [020] is heated until the tube material is malleable, and this portion of the neck [020] is then bent backwards towards the rear side [058] of the tube, with the terminal end portion of the bottom end [016] being formed into a scroll [026] that is generally similar to the scroll on a wood violin. It is noted that the scroll [026] itself is decorative rather than functional, and therefore can be eliminated in certain embodiments. Once cooled, a plurality of tuning pins, such as zither pins [030] are inserted into the peg box [028], which is positioned on the cut portion of the neck [020] adjacent the non-cut portion at the second end [023] of the neck portion [020]. A plurality of bores [070] are formed in the peg box [028] that are configured to receive the zither pins [030]. In the embodiment shown in
In embodiments, a plurality of string holes [046] are cut into the front side [062] of the body portion [014]. In some cases the string holes [046] are disposed about 3½ inches to about 4 inches from the top end [018] of the body portion [014], or about 3¾ inches to about 3% inches from the top end [018], and a larger access hole [042] cut into the rear side [058] of the instrument at the same distance to provide access for attaching strings [032]. The musical strings [032] as illustrated in the Figures are ball-end violin strings. The strings [032] are attached on the inside of the tube [012] and each string [032] is threaded through the string hole [046] to the front side [062] of the tube [012] on the body portion [014]. In this first embodiment [010], an access hole [042] is formed on the back side of the tube [012] to thread the strings through the string holes [046] and to later access the ball-end [064] of the strings [032]. The access hole [042] can be rectangular, circular, oblong, oval, or of another suitable shape.
The strings [032] are connected from these string holes [046] to the zither pins [030] on the peg box [028] at the bottom end [016] of the neck portion [020], each resting on a groove [080] in a ring-shaped bridge [034]. The bridge [034] is positioned near the string holes [046]. In some cases, the neck portion [020] has a length 12¾ inches (this will depend on the overall length of the main tube [012]) from the top end [018] and the nut [050]. The strings [032] include a bow-contacting section [033] adjacent to the bridge on the side of the body portion that is connected to the neck portion. The length of the bow-contacting section [033] typically is similar to the length of a bow-contacting section on a wood violin.
The bridge [034] may be formed from a synthetic material, such as a polymer. The bridge [034] may be formed from a single piece of thermoplastic material, such as nylon, and includes a string-contacting portion [066] and a tube-contacting portion [060]. In some cases, the bridge is formed by additive manufacturing, such as by 3D printing. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the body-contacting portion [060] is in the shape of a ring that fits around the body portion [014] of the tube [012]. The string-contacting portion [066] extends from the top of the ring and is in the curved design of a classical string instrument bridge when viewed from the end of the instrument, with a plurality of notches [073] cut into the bridge [034] for the musical strings [032] to rest on. When the bridge is viewed from the side of the instrument [010], the string-contacting portion [066] appears generally flat, with straight, outwardly tapering sides [067] extending downwardly therefrom. The bridge [034] slides onto the tube [012] from the top end [018] and, in some cases, sits about 12½ inches to about 13 inches, or about 12¾ inches, from the nut [050] (depending on the overall length of the main tube [012]). The bridge [034] is held in place by the pressure of the musical strings [032]. In some cases, the bridge is adhered to the body portion [014]. In some cases, such as when the main tube [012] has an inner diameter of ¾ inches, the bridge [034] can be 1⅞ inches tall and ¼ inches wide, with a thickness of about ¼ inches at the tube-contacting portion [060] and about 1/16 inches at the string-contacting portion [066].
The bridge [034] is designed to fit onto the tube [012] by sliding it onto the top end [018] of the body portion [014] before the secondary tube [036] is attached to the body portion [014]. The use of a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer bridge [034] instead of a classical bridge made of thin wood, makes the bridge [034] more durable and less expensive to replace, making the instrument [010] more affordable. A classical wooden bridge would also not fit onto the tubular shape of the stringed instrument [010].
The musical strings [032] may be standard violin or viola strings. The instrument [010] may be played either by plucking individual strings [032] or using a bow, such as a standard wood-and-horsehair or carbon fiber horsehair violin bow [074]. The type of bow does not impact functionality, although sound quality may be diminished if a lower quality bow is used. Zither pins [030] are useful to support the strings in the peg box [028] for their light weight and ability to support violin-sized strings and maintain tension for good tuning. Other types of supports for holding tunable strings, such as pegs, alternatively can be used provided that the fit between the pegs and the opening in the peg box ensure that the strings hold their tune while maintaining an ability to be turned.
One method of manufacturing the stringed musical instrument [010] from a thermoplastic polymeric material comprises the following steps. A hollow thermoplastic tube [012] of about 24 inches in length and about ½ inches to about 1 inches, or about ¾ inches in inner diameter, is laterally cut about halfway through the tube about 19½ inches from the top end [018]. The remaining half of the cut tube is placed into boiling water until the thermoplastic material is malleable. Once malleable, the material is folded at, e.g., a forty-five degree angle to form a scroll and cooled to form a peg box [028]. Once cooled, a plurality of bores [070] are formed to receive zither pins [030] and a plurality of zither pins [030] are inserted into the peg box [028]. A nut [050] is formed at the neck portion [020] by cutting a plurality of notches into the thermoplastic material. A ring-shaped bridge [034] is mounted to the main tube body [012] by sliding it along the tube [012] from the top end [018] to, in some cases, about 12¾ inches from the nut [050]. A plurality of string holes [046] are drilled, in some cases about 3% inches from the top end [018] of the body portion [014]. On the rear side [058] of the tube [012], a ½ inch access hole [042] is drilled to thread the ball-end [064] of the violin strings [032] from the inside of the main body tube [012]. The musical strings [032] are threaded from the ball ends [064] through the string holes [046] and connected to the zither pins [030] on the peg box [028], resting on the notches in the bridge [034] and the nut [050]. A second smaller thermoplastic tube comprising a chin rest [036] is attached with a T-shaped coupling [052] perpendicular to the main tube [012] and fastened with a cushioning member [038].
As is shown in
A third embodiment of the above stringed musical instrument, shown in
The musical instrument [010] can be made with a variety of materials, including but not limited to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate. Different component parts can be made from different materials. Any rigid, durable polymeric material can be used for the body portion and neck portion provided it does not have a negative impact on the functionality, durability and/or quality of the instrument. Thermoplastic polymeric materials are particularly useful in order than the peg box and decorative scroll, if included, can be formed by softening one end of the tube material using heat.
The instrument [010] may also be in different sizes, similar to different sizes available for traditional string instruments. Traditional violin sizes are made dependent on the arm length of the player, most commonly youths: 4/4 size (“full sized”); ¾ size; ½ size; and ¼ size. Different sizes may be used dependent on the age, experience level, or physical size of the person playing the instrument. The illustrated instrument [010] is a full-sized and is 24 inches long before the scroll portion has been cut and bent); a ¾ size instrument is formed from a tube with an original length of 23 inches; a ½ size instrument is formed from a tube that is 22 inches long; and a ¼ size instrument is formed from a tube that is 21 inches long. The instrument can also replicate a viola, cello or bass, using suitable strings and having suitable dimensions.
In embodiments, the thermoplastic tube has an internal diameter of about ½ inches to about 1 inch, or about ¾ inches. The distance from the nut [050] to the bridge [034] is about 10 inches to about 15 inches, or about 12 to about 14 inches, or about 13 inches. The distance from the bridge [034] to the string holes [046] is about 2 inches to about 3 inches, or about 2½ to about 2¾ inches or about 2¾ inches. The distance from the string holes [046] to the top end of the instrument [018] is about 3 inches to about 4½ inches, or about 3½ to about 4 inches, or about 3⅞ inches.
A number of alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
