Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-15
2001-06-05
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S600000, C084S662000, C084S671000, C084S701000, C084S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242682
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mounts by which components can be mounted on musical instruments. Non-limiting examples of components that can be mounted by the present invention include signal processing components for musical instruments that have their music electronically amplified. The present invention also relates to two types of such components and an electrical coupling that can be used with the components.
The musical instruments to which the present invention pertains can be of any type with which the present invention is useful. One particularly suitable type of musical instrument is a hollow body guitar that can acoustically and mechanically output sound but for which electrical amplification is desired. More generally, the present invention is applicable to any guitar which has on-board (i.e., on the instrument) circuitry for enabling electrical amplification. Such electrical amplification can be the sole means of sound reproduction (e.g., a solid body guitar with electromagnetic pickups) or as an adjunct to mechanical sound reproduction/amplification (e.g., a hollow body guitar which has a sound hole and to which a microphone or other transducer is connected). The one common feature of the musical instruments to which the signal processing components of the present invention pertain is that each instrument provides and processes the electrical signal through an analog circuit as opposed to a purely digitally reproduced or synthesized sound.
On at least some types of these musical instruments, there is only a thin piece of wood to which to secure the electrical amplification circuit components. One way such components can be secured is to put screws through a housing holding the components and into the wood of the instrument; however, it is relatively easy to pull out these screws because of the thinness of the wood, thereby leaving the circuit unsecured and possibly damaging the instrument as well as the circuit. Attachment by screws can itself damage the wood or the finish on the wood (e.g., by causing splitting), such as if holes for the screws are not drilled properly. Thus, there is the need for an improved mount for components to be carried on musical instruments.
As to the components that can be so mounted, these can be anything that needs to be mounted. Examples include switches, knobs and entire circuits. One specific component is a housing with an internal circuit that processes the analog electric signal from the electric pickup device. In general, these components give the musician some control over the sound that is electrically reproduced (i.e., control beyond the actual playing of the instrument). In the past, this control has typically been limited to changing potentiometers in bass, midrange and treble circuits and the like and to actuating switches to select different pickup combinations or filter networks. To enhance player control of the reproduced music, there is the need for more sophisticated on-instrument control that musicians can operate while playing.
In providing more sophisticated on-instrument control, there is also the need for an output electrical coupling from the circuit that enables energization of the circuit when a mate is connected to the coupling (e.g., a plug inserted into a socket).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention meets the aforementioned needs by providing a novel and improved component mount and novel and improved signal processing components for musical instruments. A novel and improved electrical coupling is also provided.
The present invention provides a mount that can be readily installed on and removed from a musical instrument. Installation does not require screwing the mount to the instrument itself.
The present invention also provides components which enable sophisticated control beyond the conventional manual bass, midrange, treble, pickup combination and the like control. In particular, the present invention provides digital preset control and/or on-board effects processing.
The present invention further provides an electrical coupling that includes a switch which is operated by connecting the coupling's mate to the coupling.
The mount of the present invention is for a musical instrument having a side wall with inside and outside surfaces. The mount comprises a receptacle to receive and mount a component on the musical instrument. The receptacle has a flange to engage the outside surface of the side wall of the musical instrument. The mount also comprises an abutment member connected to the receptacle such that the abutment member abuts the inside surface of the side wall of the musical instrument when the flange of the receptacle engages the outside surface of the side wall of the musical instrument.
The mount is part of a component assembly for the musical instrument. In a particular implementation the mount includes a frame and two clips connected to respective locations of the frame such that the clips and the frame cooperate to hold the component assembly on the musical instrument when the component assembly is mounted thereon. The assembly further comprises a component for the musical instrument and means for securing the component to the frame.
Although any suitable component can be mounted on the instrument using the mount of the present invention, an inventive such component comprises: a tone control variable resistance; a comparator having an input connected to the tone control variable resistance; a microcomputer connected to an output of the comparator; a comparator control circuit connected to the microcomputer and another input of the comparator; a tone adjustment circuit connected to an analog signal generator (which generates an analog signal in response to playing of the musical instrument) to process an analog signal from the analog signal generator in the analog domain; and an interface circuit to vary the analog processing of the tone adjustment circuit in response to a digital signal from the microcomputer. This component can further comprise a preset selection switch connected to the microcomputer.
Another inventive component for a musical instrument having an analog signal generator responsive to playing of the musical instrument comprises: an electrical signal processing effects circuit; and a housing having the electrical signal processing effects circuit mounted therein, which housing is adapted to mount on the musical instrument and to connect to the analog signal generator. Stated another way, the invention provides a musical instrument comprising: a portable body; a plurality of strings attached to the body; an analog signal generator mounted on the body and responsive to playing of the strings; and an electrical signal processing effects circuit mounted on the body and connected to the analog signal generator.
The present invention also provides an electrical coupling which comprises: a body; an electrically conductive connector member disposed on the body such that the connector member engages a mating coupling to complete an electrical path therethrough in response to connecting the mating coupling to the electrical coupling; and a switch disposed on the body, which switch has a first switch state and a second switch state and which switch switches from the first switch state to the second switch state in response to connecting the mating coupling to the electrical coupling.
Therefore, from the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved component mount and novel and improved signal processing components for musical instruments. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved electrical coupling. Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 26533 (1969-03-01), Cookerly et al.
patent: 3709084 (1973-01-01), Stobaugh
patent: 3742114 (1973-06-01
Marinic Josip
Rosenberg James R.
Fletcher Marlon
Gibson Guitar Corp.
McAfee & Taft
Nappi Robert E.
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