EP2092510B1

EP2092510B1 - Foldable guitar

Info

Publication number: EP2092510B1
Application number: EP20070869395
Authority: EP
Inventors: Harvey Leach
Original assignee: Voyage Air Guitar Inc
Current assignee: Voyage Air Guitar Inc
Priority date: 2006-12-15
Filing date: 2007-12-17
Publication date: 2015-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2027-12-17
Also published as: KR101519166B1; EP2092510A2; KR20090106523A; EP2092510A4; WO2008076996A2; WO2008076996A3; BRPI0720458A2; WO2008076996A9; AU2007333749B2; AU2007333749A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a folding guitar with a position locking mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The manufacture of note producing musical instruments began as a search for the mechanical equivalent of the human voice. This in fact remained the standard through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance and the early modern period.
Stringed instruments have been known since ancient times. These included such instruments as the lute, a guitar-like instrument with a sound box and fingerboard. A New Kingdom (ancient Egypt. 1380 BC) bronze in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicts a dancing Nubian raised on his toes with one knee cocked, left hand high working a fingerboard and right hand plucking the strings in a pose which might be illustrative of a modern rock musician.
But the lute has a much more ancient history, perhaps originating with West Semitic nomadic people who brought the instrument to Mesopotamia, where the archaeological record includes representations dating back to the Akkadian period (2350 to 2170 B.C.), being introduced to the Egyptians, perhaps at the end of the Middle Kingdom Hyksos dynasties (XV to XVII dynasty, 1730 to 1580 B.C.).
In more recent times, stringed lute-like musical instruments continue to be among the most popular instruments. Folk artists throughout the United States have used the guitar, sometimes one of the homemade variety, in a wide range of musical genres including blues, bluegrass, and so forth.
In contrast to percussive instrumentation, the need for amplification of the relatively weak sounds of strings, reeds, and vibrating human lips presented challenges to early musical instrument manufacturers. These challenges were met primarily by resonant systems that mechanically collect, concentrate, and output musical sound. There is a demanding standard in the stability of the instrument if high-quality sound is to be produced.
Moreover, over the years, artists playing acoustic stringed instruments have introduced a wide variety of playing techniques into the music surrounding these instruments. While, perhaps, the ancients only plucked the strings of the lute to achieve a musical tone which gradually decayed, later artists used the bow to produce notes of relatively constant and somewhat controllable amplitude. Modern artists employ a variety of techniques in their performances. Acoustic blues performers may rap their instruments with fingertips, palms or knuckles. Certain violin compositions, typically played by having a horsehair bundle slide across the strings, also call for the strings to be plucked. This results in yet greater demands being put on the mechanical stability of the instrument.
Given the popularity of stringed musical instruments, especially the guitar, people often take them along when traveling. However, they are bulky and poorly suited to convenient transport. They are unlikely to fit into airlines stowaway spaces or under airline seats. In response to this need, guitars with folding necks have been proposed. See for example my earlier United States Design Patent Number 516, 114 .
One such instrument is illustrated in U.S. Patent Application No. 5,233,896 by Worthington et al. While this instrument will function, it lacks structural stability.
While this instrument is effective, it is difficult to make requiring significant handwork and fine tuning.
Accordingly, there is a need for a stringed instrument which may be a guitar, violin or the like and which is easy to use during a performance, consistent, and rigorous in its transduction of artistic interpretations into an acoustic or other performance and easily transportable. It is believed that the structure disclosed herein is a most effective solution in providing for a highly mobile instrument which may be accommodated to a range of user preferences.
This invention also relates to hinges and particularly what is commonly known as invisible hinges for the use in connection with doors and other swinging articles and the invention described here is an improvement on previous designs for the specific use where a very narrow surface is available for the hinge mechanism and the hinge must be able to support a proportionally much longer perpendicular surface. Also significant to this invention is the method used to locate and install the hinges.
In this type of hinge the hinge parts are connected by pivoted linkages hinged on a hinge pin and sliding on sliding pins, the linkages being within pockets or compartments within the hinge parts, that is the hinge plates or butt plates. An early version of such hinges is a hinge design created by Joseph Soss and bearing his name. It is illustrated in several patents including United States patent numbers 1,030,936 , 1,484,093 , 1,688,996 , 1,984,092 , and 2,178,271 among others. A hinge of this sort is employed in the above referenced design patent. These hinges are designed to be invisible when in the closed position and allow for the focal point of the hinge to be below the surface when in the closed position and then extend beyond the surface to allow for a full 180 degree opening. Two basic versions of the hinge are common, the first having a long narrow body with two attachment screws, one located at each end.
This style is of a shape requiring a multi-level mortise cut for installation, the second is a cylinder or barrel hinge with a side mounted screw as a means of attachment and requiring a hole to be bored for installation.
These previous designs are of a similar nature but either lack the clearance necessary, have methods of attachment that are either insufficient or impractical in a guitar with a folding neck and also require a complex process to create the openings for the hinge butt plates or cylinders.
Furthermore, while a version of the previous design has been proven capable of supporting this application to some extent in above United States Design Patent Number D516,114 , it has been found lacking in several areas with regard to effective production beyond the small, hand assembly shop.
First, these hinges, known as "barrel hinges," require a final outer surface, an example being a fret board on musical instruments, to be attached out of sequence with normal production procedure and require holes to be bored extremely close to the surface of the fret board weakening this vital structural member.
Second, these hinges are very difficult to set accurately with respect to depth and alignment. The other version of Soss hinge has better means of securement and greater location and depth control. However, its design only allows for a single hinge to fit in the required area which lacks the structural integrity for this application and lacks sufficient capability to adequately align the two hinged parts. Furthermore, the location of the securement screws is too close to the outer edges of the members, which in this application creates problems because of the lack of material for the screws to properly secure themselves. Currently available versions also lack the opening clearance needed for guitar hinge application. Finally, the means required to cut the mortises is very time consuming and difficult to consistently achieve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, a self aligning folding guitar, comprising:

(a) a neck portion, said neck portion having an elongated portion supporting the frets of the guitar and a transverse portion extending transverse to said elongated portion;
(b) a body portion;
(c) a hinge mounted to said neck portion and said body portion, said hinge mounting said neck portion to said body portion and allowing movement between a first position where said neck portion is proximate said body portion, said transverse portion being positioned proximate to said body portion when said neck portion and said body portion are in said first postion, and a second position where said neck portion is angularly displaced from said body portion;
(d) a first alignment member secured to said transverse portion of said neck portion;
(e) a second alignment member secured to said body portion, said second alignment member mating with said first alignment member at a substantially fixed position; and
(f) a securement member for securing said neck portion to said body portion, wherein said securement member extends through said transverse portion of said neck portion.

Two or more Soss link. assemblies may be connected to a single pair of hinge butts, with each of the butts defining a pair of Soss hinge Link receiving races. to form a pair of spaced apart Soss hinge assemblies formed on the single pair of hinge butts.
The hinge butts each may define a securement screw receiving bore oriented to extend the length of the string instrument neck.
The neck extension primary member may be provided with a mounting for a screw and the neck base primary member defines a hole for receiving that screw. This allows the neck base primary member and the neck extension primary member to be secured in the playing position.
The hinge may comprise a first hinge butt defining a pair of first and second races for receiving a first Soss sliding hinge pin. A second hinge butt defines a pair of third and fourth races for receiving a second Soss sliding hinge pin. A first Soss link assembly is mounted between and in the first and third races. A second Soss link assembly is mounted between and in the second and fourth races, the second Soss link assembly being positioned adjacent and spaced apart from, as well as extending in the same direction as the first Soss link assembly.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the first hinge butt defines a hole between the first and second races. The second hinge butt defines a hole between the third and fourth races. The hole is oriented to receive an attachment member for urging and attaching the hinge into a member to be hingedly mounted.
The hinge butts may be rectangular in configuration with flat sides and rounded comers or flat sides and for example pointed substantially 90° comers.
The hole between the first and said second races may be aligned substantially in the same direction as the races.
The improved alignment provided by that improved hinge is still further improved by the self-aligning locking mechanism.
Such mechanism may be a screw or a bayonet type engagement.
The first alignment member may include a conical surface.
The first and second alignment members may define surfaces which fit to each other.
The securement member may be a threaded member.
The securement member may be a bolt or a bayonet.
Advantageously, the first alignment member may define an elongated bore for receiving the securement member.
The first alignment member may comprise a pipe like member with an internal thread and a frustroconical stud which screws into the pipe like member.
The second alignment member may comprise a solid body with a receiving volume which mates with the frustroconical stud, and further defines a threaded bore for receiving the securement member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION THE DRAWINGS

The operation of the invention win become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is schematic side view illustrating the male member of the self-aligning mechanism of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bolt-receiving hole in the member of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates the locking screw used in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates the female member of the self-aligning mechanism of the present invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates the male and female members installed on a guitar or other string ins1rument in the open configuration;
FIG. 6 is a side view similar to Figure 5 illustrating the alignment operation;
FIG. 7 is a side view similar to Figure 6, showing the guitar neck in the playing position; and
FIG. 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the guitar neck locked in the playing position;
FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative locking member;
FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a female member in accordance with the present invention for receiving the alternative locking member of Figure 9;
FIG. 11 is a view along lines 11 --11 of Figured 10;
FIG. 12 illustrates the alternative embodiment of the female member of the present invention in the locking position;
FIG. 13 illustrates the inventive locking mechanism installed in a guitar;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of an improved hinge useful with the locking mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 15 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure 9 in the closed position from the bottom;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure 9 from the top;
Figure 17 is a view similar to Figure 9 of another alternative hinge design;
Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 10 of the hinge illustrated in Figure12;
Figure 19 illustrates the hinge of Figures 17 and 18 in use;
Figure 20 is a perspective view of the hinge installed and in the open position;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the neck 12 of a folding guitar 10 is provided with a male alignment member 15. An alignment member 15 comprises a docking member 17 which screws into the threaded bore 19. Docking member 17 includes a head 21 and an integral threaded tubular member 23.
Alignment member 15 further comprises elongated tube 25 which includes a top flange 27. Flange 27 defines an elongated hole 29. Hole 29 receives a bolt 31 (Figure 3) which includes a frictionally engaged retainer washer 33, as is described in detail below.
A mating female member 35, as illustrated in Figure 4, is mounted in the body 14 of the guitar, passing through bout support block 50 of bout 26. A bolt 37 passes through block 50 to mate with female member 35. Female member 35 includes a receiving cone 39, which receives and mates with head 21, to securely lock, neck 12 with respect to body 14 of the guitar.
As shown in Figure 5, neck 12 is mounted to the body 14 of the guitar by a hinge 48. During use, neck 12 is pivoted toward body 14 from the position illustrated in Figure 5 to the position illustrated in Figure 6. Due to wear or normal tolerances in hinge 48, there may be some misalignment, as is illustrated in Figure 6. Such misalignment is addressed by the engagement of surface 41 by surface 43 during the advancement of neck 12 from the position illustrated in Figure 5 to the position illustrated in Figure 6 and on to the position illustrated in Figure 7.
Misalignment does not affect the ability to screw bolt 31 into bore 49 because elongated hole 29 allows proper alignment of bolt 31 with bore 49.
Once the guitar has been put in the configuration illustrated in Figure 7, bolt 31 may be tightened to take the position illustrated in Figure 8.
Referring to Figure 9, a bayonet 131 with a retainer washer 133 and an arm 134 may be used instead of bolt 31. As shown in Figures 10-11, a ramp 136 is engaged by the arm 138 of bayonet 131, Ramp 136 as a shallow side 140 and a high side 142. During use arm 138 engages shallow side 140 after passing through notch 144, and is rotated to high side 142 to securely be locked in position, as illustrated in Figure 12.
Referring to Figure 13, a musical instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in which the self-alignment structures of the present invention are employed. While the invention may be employed in connection with acoustic or electrical guitars, violins, violas, bases, banjos or other stringed instruments, for purposes of illustration an acoustical guitar 10 is illustrated.
Generally, guitar 10 comprises a large hollow body 12, secured to the inventive neck 12. Neck 12 comprises a head 16, which accommodates tuning screws 18 in a conventional manner.
Body 14 comprises top plate 20 which defines a sound hole 22. Bottom plate 24 is secured to top plate 20 by bouts 26 and 28 which together form a guitar sound box sidewall having U-shaped upper and lower ends at the heel and tail ends. of the body 12, and a curved central bout 30 and curved central bout 32 (not illustrated) which form the waist of the instrument.
Neck 12 supports a neck fretboard 34, which is glued to neck 12. Neck fretboard 34 supports a plurality of frets 36. Neck base 38 supports a neck base fretboard 40, which is glued to neck base 38. Neck base fretboard 40 supports a plurality of frets 42, against which strings 44 are played. For purposes of clarity of illustration, strings 44, which are supported by bridge 46 are illustrated partially and in phantom lines. Guitar neck 12 may be folded by rotation in the direction of arrow 47.
A preferred embodiment of a hinge 448 for use with the self aligning mechanism of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 14-16. Hinge 448 comprises Soss link assemblies 449, which comprise hinge links 468, hinge pins 470, hinge pins 472 and pins 478. The operation of this hinge is similar to other Soss hinges. However, advantages are provided by the placement of screw hole 476, which because it is proximate side 477 of hinge 448 supports a screw which is driven into the, for example. neck at a point where there is sufficient wood on all of the sides of the screw to provide excellent support. At the same time, sidewalls 479 have a relatively small thickness 481 which promotes making available added thickness for Soss link assemblies 449. Slanted tracks 474 cooperate in providing the requisite configuration to allow use of the hinge in a guitar with a hinged neck.
In addition, compactness and strength is provided by thin receiving recesses 481, which allow the relatively large heads of robust pins 470 to be seated.
In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, it has been discovered that a short version of the hinge, as illustrated in Figures 17-18 is relatively advantageous. Hinge 548 is similar in construction otherwise to hinge 448. Part of the advantage of this construction maybe seen from Figure 19, where the shallower hinge butt results in a shorter lever arm acting through screw 583 to reduce the integrity of hole 585 in which screw 583 is seated, thus promoting the long-term stability of the guitar body 512 and guitar neck 514.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, hinge 548 includes sidewalls 579 having a thickness 585 of approximately .25 cm. The thickness 587 of the links 568 is also .25 cm. The sidewalls 579 have a height 589 of2 cm and a length 591 of 2 cm. Sidewalls 579 have a length 593 of 2 cm. Likewise, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, hinge 548 has a width 595 of 4 cm. Fig.19 illustrates this hinge in use, connected to body 514 and neck 512 of the guitar.
A neck top cover 820 is also secured by zipper 816. A neck bottom cover 822 secured by a zipper 824. Guitar case 810 also includes a neck side portion 826.
Figure 20 shows the hinge installed and in the folded position and shows how the butt plates 61 and 63 of hinge 48 are concealed within the pockets 50 and 52 and how the attachment screws 56 and 58 are positioned in the final assembled structure in accordance with the invention it is contemplated that pockets 50 and 52 ate cut into net 14 and block 50 in guitar body 12 prior to gluing fretboards 34 and 40 in place. The neck 14, neck base 38, neck fretboard 34 and main body fretboard 40 and illustrated in the storage or travel position of the musical instrument neck. The inventive hinge may be suitable for other applications where a very narrow surface is available for the hinge mechanism and it must be able to support a proportionally much longer perpendicular surface.
Referring to Figure 13, when the neck 14 is positioned with respect to the guitar body 12, in the open or playing position, as a result of movement from the fully folded position in Figure 5 through the position illustrated in Figure 19 and on to the position illustrated in Figure 13. the guitar may be conveniently played after the securement bolt 31.
In accordance with the invention, it is contemplated, that while the guitar neck. is folded down, the guitar strings will be inserted through the hole and into the body of the guitar. It is also contemplated that the inventive structures may be applied to a solid body guitar, such as an electric guitar. In this case, the hole which in an acoustic guitar Leads into the body of the acoustic guitar does not exist. Thus, there is limited space for the strings.
In accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated that a groove or troth, or cylindrical or spherical volume may be cut into the solid guitar to allow place for the placement of strings. Alternatively, a hole with a diameter of, for example, five centimeters may be cut in the guitar. The guitar strings may be passed through this hole, allowing them to be laid flat against the backside of the guitar.

Claims

A self aligning folding guitar, comprising:
(a) a neck portion (12,512), said neck portion having an elongated portion supporting the frets (36) of the guitar and a transverse portion extending transverse to said elongated portion;

(b) a body portion (14, 514);

(c) a hinge (48, 448, 548) mounted to said neck portion and said body portion, said hinge mounting said neck portion to said body portion and allowing movement between a first position where said neck portion is proximate said body portion, said transverse portion being positioned proximate to said body portion when said neck portion and said body portion are in said first position, and a second position where said neck portion is angularly displaced from said body portion;

(d) a first alignment member (15) secured to said transverse portion of said neck portion (12);

(e) a second alignment member (35) secured to said body portion (14), said second alignment member mating with said first alignment member at a substantially fixed position; and

(f) a securement member (31) for securing said neck portion (12) to said body portion (14), wherein said securement member (31) extends through said transverse portion of said neck portion (12).
A guitar according to claim 1, wherein said securement member (31) secures said first alignment member (15) to said second alignment member (35).
A guitar according to claim 1, wherein said first alignment member (15) and said second alignment member (35) comprises a conical surface.
A guitar according to claim 1, wherein said first alignment member (15,) comprises a pipe like member with an internal thread and a frustroconical stud which screws into said pipe like member.
A guitar according to claim 1, wherein said first alignment member (15) has a first alignment surface and said second alignment member (35) has a second alignment surface, and wherein the axis of said securement member (31) in the first position is internal of the first alignment surface and said second alignment surface.
A guitar according to claim 5, wherein said first alignment surface abuts said second alignment surface when said neck portion is secured in said first position and wherein said transverse portion abuts said body portion (14) when said neck portion (12) is secured in said first position.
A guitar according to claim 6, wherein said second alignment member (35) is coupled to a threaded female recess and wherein said securement member (31) has threads that mate with said threaded female recess.
A self-aligning folding guitar according to Claim 1, wherein said hinge, comprises:
(i) a first hinge (448, 548) butt defining:
(A) a first track comprising first and second races for receiving a first Soss-type sliding hinge pin;

(B) a second track comprising third and fourth races for receiving a second Soss-type sliding hinge pin;

(ii) a second hinge butt defining:
(C) a third track comprising fifth and sixth races for receiving a third Soss-type sliding hinge pin; and

(D) a fourth track comprising seventh and eighth races for receiving a fourth Soss-type sliding hinge pin;

(iii) a first Soss-type link assembly mounted in said first track and mounted in said third track; and

(iv) a second Soss-type link assembly mounted in said second track and mounted in said fourth track.
A self aligning guitar according to claim 8 , wherein said hinge is mounted proximate the base of the neck of said guitar and said tracks extend from points a first distance from the fretboard and near the center of said hinge when said hinge is in a closed position to points near the ends of said hinge and displaced at a second distance, said second distance being further from the fretboard of said stringed instrument as compared to said first distance.