Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-02
2003-10-28
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S290000, C084S293000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06639134
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
String instruments create sound waves through the vibration of their strings. The quality and appreciable volume of such created sound waves are enhanced through the use of resonance chambers which allow the entry and exit of sound waves into or from the resonance chamber through a sound hole. The art of resonance chambers has a significant impact on the richness that the sound being produced is able to achieve. The quality of materials used to create the resonance chamber, the position of the sound hole, and the structural design of the resonance chamber are all crucial to optimal sound resonance. The builders and designer of resonance chambers have struggled with the placement of barriers within the resonance chambers, and other design considerations, including that of the location, placement and dimensions of the sound holes used with specific resonance chambers.
Fluted openings, or openings having bell-shaped configurations, tend to increase of volume and richness of sound emanating from a smaller opening. This is clearly seen with such instruments as trumpets, or other such instruments in that family, where the horn end dramatically increases the volume and tonal quality of the sound the instrument is producing through a small tube. The sound enhancing qualities of a trumpet bell-shaped opening, with its curved symmetrical design, is incorporated into a string instrument through this invention, which utilizes the performance enhancements available through curved and flared flanges that are placed within a resonance chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides for increased resonance quality and volume in a stringed instrument having a resonance chamber, where the chamber has a defined opening, also known as a sound hole, or “f” hole. The resonance chamber of a stringed instrument is able to receive the vibrational sound waves created by vibrating strings. These sound waves move through the air, and if a sound hole is immediately available, the sound waves will move through the sound hole into the resonance chamber. The resonance chamber defines a barrier which is able to isolate certain wavelengths of sound waves. The resonance chamber accepts any pressure, caused by the vibrating string, and resultant sound waves, and expels the sound waves back out the sound hole. The general effect is to increase the volume level of the musical instrument, through a compounding of sound waves projected immediately from the vibrating strings, and also out the resonance chamber sound hole.
The invention comprises flanges that are defined within a resonance chamber, where the flange or flanges comprise curved surfaces that extrude into the resonance chamber from the lip of the sound hole. These flanges have two variations. The first variation is usable with a round or circular sound hole. In this first variation, the resonance chamber associated with the round or circular sound hole, a single circular flange having a minimum diameter and circumference equal to the sound hole is declined within the resonance chamber. The flange itself is similar in nature and operation to a bell or flared trumpet horn end. The flange, when it has a curvature of approximately 90 degrees, will present an entry/exit sound hole opening for the resonance chamber. The flange itself will be similar to a portion of a trumpet horn, so that sound waves exiting the resonance chamber will be subjected to an expanding fluted flange, that will increase the quality and volume similar to a trumpet horn end does.
The flange in the variation described above does not tend to improve tonal quality and volume for sound waves only entering into the resonance chamber. The benefit is derived from the flanges when the sound waves exit the sound hole, being then able to take advantage of the bell-shaped fluted configuration of the flanges, similar to a horn or trumpet end. If the flange exhibits a curvature greater than 90 degrees, it will then define both a decreasing and increasing curvature opening. As the sound waves move into the resonance chamber in this variation, the sound waves will move through the space defined by the flange, where the circumference of the flange opening is decreasing, and once past the minimum diameter of the flange, move through an expanding fluted curvature, similar to a horn end. In such a variation, the sound waves can take advantage of the benefits of a horn or fluted end, both through complete entry into the resonance chamber, as well as by exiting the resonance chamber. Curvature of the flange in excess of 360 degrees will provide additional tubular chamber within the resonance chamber, that have the benefit of increasing the overall surface area of the barriers provided within a single resonance chamber, and may be useful in sound quality enhancement.
The second variation of this invention allows multiple flanges to be used around a single sound hole. One such use is exemplified through a violin, where the sound hole is defined as a curved flowing opening, similar to a scripted “f”. Due to the complex curvature associated with the sound hole opening itself, two flanges are optimally associated with this single sound hole.
These second variation flanges are defined similarly as the flange noted above, with the difference being that the second variation flange follows the curvature of the sound hole, and does not extend all the way around the sound hole. In by placing one such flange, which has the general configuration of a single-prong hook, around one end of the “f” sound hole, and a reverse configuration flange, having the appearance of a backwards hook orientation, around the opposing end of the same “f” sound hole, curved surfaces are presented to sound waves moving into the resonance chamber.
In this second variation, sound waves entering into the “f” sound hole move into the resonance chamber through an opening defined by the dual flange configuration, where the opening of the sound hole decreases through the internally extruded curvature of the flanges to a minimum circumference configuration. As the sound waves move further into the resonance chamber, past the minimum circumference point, the sound waves will be exposed to an increasing circumference, defined by the further curvature of the flanges beyond 90 degrees. In this second variation, sound waves are able to take advantage of an expanding fluted curved surface while going into the resonance chamber, as well as exiting the resonance chamber through the sound hole.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a means whereby sound waves are able to be subjected to an expanding circumference curvature surface, similar to a horn bell shaped configuration, which provides an increase in tonal quality and volume to a remote listener.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a means whereby a single flange may be incorporated into a resonance chamber to provide the necessary curved surfaces to achieve tonal improvement.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a means whereby multiple flanges may be utilized with a single sound hole to provide tonal improvement.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a means whereby the flange defining the sound hole exhibits significant curvature beyond 90 degrees so as to provide additional barriers and increase the surface area of said barrier surfaces within a resonance chamber.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6294718 (2001-09-01), Saunders et al.
Lockett Kimberly
Schmidt Eric T.
Sylvester Brad
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