Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-07-31
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S278000, C084S280000, C084S281000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268555
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a chin rest for a musical instrument having a chin support and a holding device for holding the chin support on the musical instrument, with the holding device comprising at least one clamping element which is adjustable for clamping the chin support to the musical instrument.
Such chin rests are used, in particular, for stringed instruments such as the violin or the viola, so as to be able to hold the musical instrument more easily and more safely.
A chin rest for violin-type instruments which comprises a carrier formed of tubular sections and adjoining a chin rest is known from DE 43 02 804 C2.
A chin rest wherein the chin support is attached by means of tightener clamps to the instrument is known from DE 359 170.
A shoulder support for violins with a cushion which is adjustably attached to an arm is known from DE 503 666.
DE 1 017 891 discloses a device for attaching a chin rest to violins, which comprises a bracket in the form of a resilient clip.
Departing from this prior art, the object underlying the invention is to so improve a generic chin rest that it is easy and safe to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is accomplished with a chin rest of the kind described at the outset, in accordance with the invention, in that the chin support comprises an insertion guide for the at least one clamping element, and in that the insertion guide is arranged and designed such that the inserting direction is at an incline to the clamping direction.
Owing to the inventive chin rest, the clamping element or elements does or do not have to be permanently fixedly connected to the chin support, but, as required, can be inserted for clamping the chin rest to the musical instrument or removed by way of the insertion guide. Thus, the inventive chin rest can be stored and transported in a space-saving way, and the chin rest can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. In the chin rests known from the prior art, on the other hand, the holding device with the clamping elements is permanently fixedly connected to the chin support. Such chin rests are thus bulky and difficult to transport.
One is freer in the choice of material for the clamping elements than with the devices known from the prior art because in the inventive chin rest an insertion guide is provided for the clamping elements. As the clamping elements in the prior art are fixedly connected to the chin support, corresponding threads or the like have to be provided on these in order to fixedly connect them t o the chin support.
However, one is then essentially limited to metals as material for the clamping elements, and the problem arises that when playing the musical instrument and, in particular, a violin, the metal of the clamping elements comes into contact with the particularly sensitive skin of the neck and face of the player. This can cause or intensify allergies such as nickel allergies in persons who are sensitive to it. It has also to be taken into account that an increased pressure is exerted on the skin by the clamping of the musical instrument, which additionally increases the likelihood of causing allergies. People who already suffer from allergies cannot use the chin rests known from the prior art.
With the devices known from the prior art, it has also to be taken into consideration that the metallic tubular part of the clamping element has to be arranged at a certain distance from the musical instrument when the chin rest is clamped so as to avoid damage to the musical instrument by the metallic part during clamping and to achieve the fixed connection of the clamping element by means of an arc-shaped element to the chin support. However, the metallic parts then press more heavily against the skin.
Since there is no necessity for threads in the inventive chin rest owing to the insertion guide, the clamping elements can be designed such that there is no contact between metal parts causing allergies and the skin of the player, and, in particular, well-tolerated materials can be used.
The inventive chin rest, therefore, meets the requirements of the EU directive 94/27/EC for circulating products containing nickel, which come into contact with the skin directly and for a long time and thus cause allergic reactions because this contact is avoidable in accordance with the invention.
It is particularly advantageous for the at least one clamping element to be releasably held by means of the insertion guide on the chin support. In this way, the chin rest can be stored and expediently transported in a space-saving manner. By inserting the clamping elements, the chin rest can be assembled and disassembled accordingly in a time-saving manner, and, therefore, starting from the disassembled state it is also connectable in a time-saving manner to the musical instrument.
The inserting direction can lie at an angle to the clamping direction in the range of between 20° and 70°. It is particularly advantageous for this angle to lie in the range of between 35° and 55°. It is thereby ensured that the clamping element is easily insertable into the insertion guide and when the chin rest is clamped not too strong a load is exerted on a corresponding holding head. It is particularly advantageous for the angle to lie essentially at 45° because when the clamping direction is essentially perpendicular to a corpus of the musical instrument, an optimum between good insertability of the clamping element and minimum load during clamping is achievable.
From a production manufacturing point of view, it is particularly expedient for the insertion guide to be formed by a recess in the chin support. Chin supports are usually made of wood. The insertion guide can then be made by simple milling on the chin support.
In a variant of an embodiment, provision is made for an insertion guide for a clamping element to comprise a guide channel for the clamping element. The clamping element can thereby be safely inserted into the insertion guide and also held there.
To ensure a good hold of the clamping element on the supporting element for the clamping between chin support and musical instrument, and, in particular, to avoid tilting and the like, the insertion guide expediently comprises a support channel communicating with the guide channel. By way of the support channel, a holding surface of the clamping element on the insertion guide can be increased, and, in particular, the forces caused by the clamping can be absorbed better. To this end, the support channel expediently comprises a contact surface for the clamping element which essentially lies perpendicular to or at a small angle to th e clamping direction. This enables good absorption of the clamping forces acting between musical instrument and chin support via the clamping element.
It is particularly expedient for the insertion guide for a clamping element to comprise two separate guide channels. The clamping element is thereby safely held in the insertion guide and also easily insertable.
To ensure good clamping between chin rest and musical instrument, a clamping element is expediently of two-part design with a connecting element to connect with the chin support and a holding foot to rest against the musical instrument. Thus, in a structurally simple way, a clamping force is exertable via a movement of these two parts relative to each other.
In order to adjust and fix the relative position between connecting element and holding foot, the clamping element expediently comprises an adjusting device. By means of this, a clamping force can then be exerted in a definite way via the clamping element on the musical instrument in order to thus clamp the chin support via the holding foot of the clamping element or elements to the musical instrument.
In a structurally particularly simple embodiment, the adjusting device comprises a screw connection. From a production manufacturing point of view, it is then particularly easy for the clamping element to comprise a counter receptacle for the screw connection. Thus, in a simple way a relative movement b
Hsieh Shih-yung
Lipsitz Barry R.
Rudolf Wittner GmbH & Co.
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