EP2561507B1 - Improvement for a harmonica - Google Patents

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improvement to simplify the construction of a harmonica while facilitating its maintenance and improving its sound performance through an optimization of its sealing against air leaks.

State of the art

The maintenance of harmonicas of the prior art is often tedious because their disassembly is long and delicate and it also requires the use of special tools, including the use of very small screwdrivers imposed by very small screws that are fragile and delicate to unscrew as much as to put back in place.
Moreover, these harmonicas of the prior art suffer from a poor performance on the aeraulic plane, and therefore consequently on the sound level, in particular because of the very penalizing air leaks which take place at the level of the mouth of the instrument between the comb, the blade holders and the caps and because the said caps do not exert all along the mouth face pressure sufficient to ensure sealing between these elements between them.

Various patents filed in the field of the harmonica propose solutions to try to solve this problem among which we can mention the patents US 2,595,381A , WO 93/23846 A1 , JP 48096932 U , US 4,342,250 A all of which show or describe harmonicas comprising a comb sandwiched between two holding bars held against the comb by two covers tending to approach one another under the action of clamping screws or equivalent devices located in the immediate vicinity of the longitudinal ends of said covers therefore outside the areas of the harmonica in which are located the air channels feeding the sound waves of the instrument.
This conventional embodiment adopted by the majority of existing products actually provides at the end zones of the harmonica plating satisfactory and therefore a satisfactory seal against air leakage between the comb, the blade and the covers with regard to the zones situated in the immediate vicinity of said screws, therefore on the one hand at the level of the air ducts supplying the bass blades of the instrument and, on the other hand, at the air ducts supplying the blades treble of the instrument. However, these pressure means located near the ends of the instrument are totally inoperative for the entire central longitudinal portion of the harmonica in which are implanted the vast majority of the sound waves of the instrument and this is the reason for which in this central area, it uses screws to ensure the veneer of the blade holder against the comb, said screws passing through a blade holder and the comb to be screwed into the opposite blade holder. If this arrangement ensures effective veneer blade against the comb which prevents any air leakage between said comb and the blade holder, it does not provide any solution against air leakage between the hoods and the blade carriers operating along the longitudinal central portion of the mouth face where the lip of each of the two covers, which are held pressed against the blade holders by their two ends, plate only never sealingly against the corresponding outer face of said blade holders.
In an attempt to solve this problem, the patent US 2 595 381A proposes the use of an elastic metal clip disposed at mid-length of the instrument and hooking on the rear edges of the caps located on the side of the flag of the instrument. However it is easily understood that despite the frames by which said hoods bear against the blade holders the pressing pressure exerted by the staple midway length of these covers at their rear edge located on the side of the flag can only amplify again, at the mouth, the yawn of the lip of each of the two covers relative to the outer face of the blade holder and this all along the central part of the mouth of the instrument which explains that this provision has never been adopted in practice.

Object of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to obviate these drawbacks and, to achieve its objectives, it aims first of all to ensure a quick and easy disassembly of the blade holder for tuning and cleaning operations of the harmonica while ensuring in addition, an optimum seal is provided all along the mouth face between the covers, the blade plates and the corresponding bearing faces of the harmonica comb or base plate against which the said plates supporting the sound blades of the harmonica are applied; instrument.

To do this, the invention proposes a particular design of the covers and clamping means associated with them, said clamping means being implanted as close as possible to the mouth face at different points along the length of the harmonica and not located only at the end zones of the hoods as is the case in the harmonicas of the prior art. Under the action of tightening the pressure screws, and in particular screws arranged in the central zone of the instrument, each of the two covers pivots around the end of its legs bearing against the blade holder on the side of the roof of the instrument until, in the manner of the two jaws of a pincer, by cantilever effect, all along the mouth face of the instrument the lip of each of the two covers are strongly applied against the blade holders by pressing them against the comb so as to ensure a perfect seal between all these elements including in the central part of the mouth face where the devices of the prior art fail.

Furthermore, to enable the rapid vibration of powerful sound waves, the invention proposes arrangements of said covers and if necessary the comb designed to ensure optimum supply of air to said blades, in particular with regard to the serious sound waves that require a high airflow for their vibrations. The invention also proposes a particular conformation of the air circulation ducts supplying the sound strips aimed both at allowing the passage of powerful clamping screws through certain lateral partition walls of the channels as well as at optimizing the flows of the air flows in said channels.

The improvements proposed in this invention are applicable to all types of harmonicas as well harmonicas of the low type, tremolos or diatonic which each air channel feeding one or more sound blades is connected directly to a single mouth hole that harmonicas of the chromatic type having a sliding or pivoting air distributor for selectively sending to a first channel, feeding at least one blown blade and at least one aspirated blade, or to a second channel, also supplying at least one blown blade and at least one blade sucked, the air sucked or the air blown by the player into a mouth hole common to these two adjacent air channels.

The arrangements of the instrument proposed in this invention therefore constitute a relevant answer to the problems of maintenance as well as to the problems of airtightness and ventilation efficiency encountered in the harmonicas of the prior art.

Beforehand, to facilitate the description and understanding of this document, we first agree that the harmonica described is positioned vertically so that the mouthpiece constituting the part of the instrument in contact with the musician's mouth constitutes the upper part of the instrument while the opposite part, the flag, by which emits the sounds emitted constitutes the lower part of the instrument.

We therefore agree that the harmonica according to the invention, which may be of symmetrical or non-symmetrical external shape, is here positioned in such a way that its mean longitudinal plane Pm is arranged vertically, said plane Pm being the vertical plane passing through. substantially mid-thickness of the instrument and thus passing substantially through the middle of the mouth holes and passing near the middle of the flag of the instrument. Of course, in the case where the entire part of the instrument disposed on one side of said mean longitudinal plane Pm is identical to the entire part of the instrument disposed on the other side of this mean longitudinal plane Pm, this plane Pm constitutes then also the longitudinal plane of general symmetry of the instrument Ps.
Finally we agree to call blades bladed blades fixed on the face of the blade holder oriented on the inner side of the air channels while the blades said sucked will be the blades fixed against the face of the blade holder located outside the air channels. In the present description, therefore, we will not take into account the fact that the so-called blown blades, whose main purpose is to enter into vibration by producing a sound when the player blows into the instrument, may in certain game techniques, enter in action even during aspiration. The same applies to so-called aspirated blades that can come into action during blowing in certain game techniques that occasionally force the blades to vibrate under the action of a directional flow of air contrary to that for which they have originally designed, but which, of course, remains their main mode of vibration. In the same way when the text mentions the term of face of admission of the air it is always the face by which the air enters to pass through the window concerned by causing the passage in vibration the corresponding blade and conversely, when the text evokes the term "exhaust face" it is the face through which the air leaves after passing through said window and this always with reference to the type, respectively sucked or blown, of the lamella associated with the window concerned.

• un corps principal permettant la préhension de l'instrument, comportant soit deux capots prenant en sandwich entre eux le peigne soit un seul capot appliqué contre le peigne dont la face opposée audit capot constitue alors l'autre face de la forme périphérique de l'instrument. La face inférieure dudit corps principal est ouverte pour servir de pavillon tandis que sa face supérieure, opposée au pavillon, constitue la face d'embouchure de l'instrument dans laquelle sont aménagés les trous d'embouchure par lesquels le musicien insuffle ou aspire l'air qui met en vibration les anches sonores, ou lames sonores, de l'instrument. La coque extérieure dudit corps principal peut être symétrique ou non par rapport au plan longitudinal moyen Pm de l'instrument et elle peut aussi être globalement symétrique ou non par rapport au plan vertical passant par la mi-longueur de l'instrument,
• un élément dénommé sommier ou peigne disposé en partie au moins à l'intérieur de la cavité aménagée dans le corps principal. Dans ce peigne, qui constitue ou non un ensemble monolithique avec le corps principal, sont aménagés une pluralité de canaux d'air dont les longueurs respectives sont en relation avec la longueur des lames qu'ils alimentent,
• au moins un porte-lames maintenu plaqué contre les zones d'appui correspondantes du peigne, lesquelles zones d'appui sont constituées notamment par la tranche des parois latérales séparant les canaux d'air entre eux.
• plusieurs lames sonores vibrantes, du type anches libres , constituées de fines lamelles fixées par l'une de leurs deux extrémités au porte-lames par tout moyen de fixation tels que notamment rivet, agrafe, vis, colle, point de soudure ou clipsage. Sous l'action combinée de la force de l'air aspiré ou soufflé par le musicien et de l'élasticité en flexion desdites lamelles , l'extrémité libre de ces lamelles peut osciller de part et d'autre d'une position d'équilibre en passant au travers d'une fenêtre de dimensions très légèrement supérieures aménagée au travers de la plaque porte-lames concernée ,
• des moyens de pression visant à appliquer la ou les plaques porte-lames contre le peigne et, le cas échéant , des moyens complémentaires d'étanchéité visant à éviter les fuites d'air entre les différents éléments : la ou les plaques porte-lames, le peigne et le ou les capots,
• le cas échéant, des moyens pouvant être sélectivement engagés ou désengager assurant le bon positionnement et le maintien en place des porte-lames contre la face correspondante du peigne lorsque les capots -presseurs ont été démontés

This agreed, the instrument according to the invention consists of the following elements:

• a main body for gripping the instrument, comprising either two covers sandwiching between them the comb or a single cover applied against the comb whose face opposite to said cover then constitutes the other face of the peripheral shape of the instrument . The lower face of said main body is open to serve as a flag while its upper face, opposite to the flag, constitutes the mouth of the mouthpiece of the instrument in which are arranged the mouth holes through which the musician insufflates or sucks the air that vibrates sound reeds, or sound waves, of the instrument. The outer shell of said main body may be symmetrical or not with respect to the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument and may also be generally symmetrical or not with respect to the vertical plane passing through the mid-length of the instrument,
• an element called box spring or comb arranged in part at least inside the cavity in the main body. In this comb, which is or not a monolithic assembly with the main body, are arranged a plurality of air channels whose respective lengths are related to the length of the blades they feed,
• at least one blade holder held pressed against the corresponding bearing areas of the comb, which support zones are formed in particular by the edge of the side walls separating the air channels between them.
• several vibrating sound blades, free reed type, consisting of thin slats attached by one of their two ends to the blade holder by any means of attachment such as rivet, staple, screw, glue, welding point or clipping. Under the combined action of the force of the air sucked or blown by the musician and the flexural elasticity of said slats, the free end of these slats can oscillate on either side of a position of equilibrium passing through a window slightly larger dimensions arranged through the plate-bearing concerned,
• pressure means for applying the blade plate (s) against the comb and, where appropriate, additional sealing means to prevent air leakage between the different elements: the blade plate or plates, the comb and the hood (s),
• if necessary, means that can be selectively engaged or disengage ensuring proper positioning and retention of the blade holders against the corresponding face of the comb when the caps -presseurs have been disassembled

According to a first characteristic, the two planes passing through the faces of the blade holders bearing against the corresponding faces of the bed base may be parallel to each other or, on the contrary, be concurrent, thereby constituting either a dihedron whose edge common to said two planes is positioned from side of the instrument, in the space beyond it and said dihedral is then open towards the mouth of the instrument is on the contrary the two planes are concurrent between them in such a way that they constitute a dihedron whose common edge is positioned on the side of the mouth of the instrument in the space beyond it and said dihedron is then open towards the flag of the instrument.

According to another characteristic, to allow the production of channels of particular shape the bed can advantageously be made in two parts assembled together, for example at the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument, by gluing, clipping welding or any other medium and in particular simply by screwing the clamping screws hoods that take the comb sandwiched between them, this mode of assembly with the advantage of keeping the possibility of separating at will the two half box springs for easy cleaning.

According to another characteristic, the bed base may advantageously be made of a slightly elastically deformable material in order to fit any deformation of the blade-holding plates, thus avoiding any air leakage between the faces of the blade carriers and the corresponding faces of said bed base.

According to another characteristic of a particular embodiment, the bed base is a monolithic assembly with the upper cover and / or with the lower cover.

According to an important feature of a preferred embodiment, the blade holders are not secured to the comb by screws which must be disassembled to separate said blade holder comb as is the case for the harmonicas of the art previous but they are sandwiched between the comb and the corresponding bearing face of the cover concerned, the latter being of rigid construction not to deform under the pressure of pressure means exerted against the outer face of said cover to bring closer The latter of the comb The rigidity of the hood (s) can be obtained by thickening and / or by ribbing in particular in the form of ribs arranged against the inner face of the hood.
The pressure means may advantageously consist of at least one screw whose head bears against the outer face of the cover concerned and whose threaded portion is screwed either directly into the comb or into the opposite cap or into a threaded bushing the comb is still in a female screw whose head bears against the outer face of the opposite cowl. The screws can also be all of the female type and come to screw into male studs integral or not comb.

According to another characteristic, the screws may advantageously be flexible in their longitudinal direction to better accompany the slight angular tilting movement that they perform when, under the force generated by the pressure means, their bearing lugs come into contact with the blade holder and that their lip comes down against the blade holder at the mouth of the instrument. This longitudinal flexibility of the screws can be obtained by the use of a material having the appropriate qualities of flexibility and / or by a particular geometry of the screw whose unthreaded portion of the rod can advantageously be of a diameter smaller than the diameter. the threaded part. Indeed, if the middle portion of the screw must be thin to be flexible, the threaded part of the screw must be of sufficiently large diameter to represent a peripheral surface large enough to ensure the shear strength of the threads and corresponding threads, especially if these are made directly in covers made of thermoplastic material or thermosetting material or light alloys.

According to an important characteristic, the harmonica according to the invention comprises at least one screw, as described above, implanted in the part of the instrument which is delimited, in the longitudinal direction of the harmonica, by the most serious and by the sharpest blade. To be more precise, it can therefore be said that the instrument comprises at least one pressure screw disposed in the part of the instrument between the two planes arranged perpendicularly to the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument and passing one through the longitudinal axis of the air circulation channel feeding the sharpest blade of the instrument and the other by the longitudinal axis of the channel supplying the lowest sound wave of the instrument

According to another characteristic, the longitudinal axis of at least one of the clamping screws of the pressure caps is positioned at a distance from the mouth face lower than the distance separating said mouth face from the bottom of the channel of air circulation feeding the most serious blade of the instrument.
According to another embodiment, the harmonica according to the invention comprises at least one clamping screw of the pressure caps passing through a lateral separation wall of two adjacent channels and the axis of the rod of said screw is positioned at a distance from the mouth face lower than the distance separating said mouth face from the bottom of the longer of the two air channels adjacent to the partition wall traversed by said screw shank.

According to another important characteristic, in the lower zone of the instrument situated between the pressure screw concerned and the face of the horn of the instrument, each of the pressure caps bears against the outer face of the blade holder either directly by a support leg which then forms with said hood a monolithic assembly either by means of an insert support lug secured to said cover and / or to the blade holder concerned.

The above-mentioned clamping screw thus occupies an intermediate position between the mouth face of the instrument, at the level of which is the upper end of the blade holder against which the lip of the pressure cap rests, and the tab of the hood exerting its support in the vicinity of the lower end of said blade holder located on the side of the flag of the instrument.
The hood resting against the blade holder by its support lug ensuring the veneer against the comb of the lower part of the blade holder, therefore the portion of the blade holder located on the side of the flag of the instrument, it is understood since cantilever effect the pressure exerted by the screw described above against the outer face of the cover will translate, the mouth of the instrument, by a very large clamping effect of the lip of the pressure cap against the corresponding outer face of the blade holder which will thus find itself strongly pressed against the comb avoiding air leakage at the mouth as well between said comb and the blade holder as between the blade holder and said cover.

According to a particular embodiment, the harmonica according to the invention comprises one or two covers ensuring the firm plating of the blade holder (s) against the corresponding face (s) of the comb as described above and said covers are made in such a way as to to be sufficiently rigid so that, by cantilever effect both in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, a single screw disposed substantially mid-length of the instrument or ideally two screws located substantially one third and the other at two thirds of the length of the instrument are sufficient to ensure the maintenance of the various elements between them and the seal between each of the faces by which said elements are pressed against each other. Such a provision represents of course a very big advantage in terms of ease of maintenance through a very quick and easy disassembly of the various elements constituting the harmonica but it is also of great economic interest, such a harmonica proving much less expensive to produce a harmonica of the prior art having multiple screws of different shapes, diameters and lengths for some to clamp the blade holder against the comb and for others to fix the covers.

According to other embodiments, the harmonica according to the invention comprises 3 or 4 clamping screws as described above exerting their action on the pressure caps which comprise appropriately distributed support tabs positioned on the one hand in the lower region of the blade-holders extending in the longitudinal direction of the instrument between the sound waves and the horn of the instrument and secondly in the lateral zones of the blade-holders extending between the sound waves acute and the neighboring end of the blade holder as well as between the serious sounding blades and the adjacent end of the blade holder concerned. These various support lugs thus provide a clamping on three of the four sides of the blade-holders while, by cantilever effect, the upper lip of the bonnet ensures the veneer of the fourth side of the blade-holder against the comb over the entire length from the mouth. The blade holder in question thus benefits from a bearing effect against the comb acting on its entire periphery, which can advantageously be supplemented if necessary by central support zones positioned in the central zone of said blade holder. by means of central support lugs integral with the blade holder or the relevant bonnet. The central support lugs mentioned above are therefore located between two adjacent clamping screws and therefore between the free end and the fixed end of two contiguous sound blades and advantageously opposite the wall of the comb separating the two air circulation channels feeding the two sound blades mentioned.

According to another embodiment, additional support and pressure means for pressing the blade holder against the comb may advantageously be implanted between the region of the blade holder on which bears the pressure cap lug and the zone opposite said blade holder, located on the mouth side, on which press the lip of said pressure cap. These additional means of support and pressure may consist of either support lugs through which the relevant pressure cap presses directly on the blade holder as described above or a resiliently deformable element such particular a spring or an element made of elastically deformable material is inserted between the bearing lug concerned and the corresponding outer face of the blade holder or between the cap and the corresponding outer face of the blade holder. According to a particular embodiment, these complementary support means consist of a helical spring or a ring-shaped seal or any other shape arranged concentrically with the axis of the pressure screw concerned.

According to another characteristic, the harmonica according to the invention comprises elements protruding from the faces of the comb against which the blade holders are pressed and said elements collaborate with holes of complementary shapes and dimensions arranged in said blade holders for that they can come to be pressed against the comb only when they are correctly mounted that is to say only when they are on the one hand positioned on the right side of the comb and on the other hand arranged in the right meaning, the sharpest blade is then positioned in front of the shortest air circulation channel while the lowest sound blade is positioned in front of the channel the longer and this in order to avoid any bad assembly that may irreparably damage the sound blades that are very fragile.

According to another characteristic, the comb advantageously comprises means ensuring the proper positioning and the holding in place of the blade holders, these means consisting in particular of elements in the form of hooks arranged in relief with respect to the face against which the door bears. -lames concerned, said hooks being implanted in the comb at one of the peripheral edges of said blade holder when it is put in place. For the introduction of the blade holder it is therefore sufficient to slide the concerned edge thereof into the hook or hooks so that the inner face of the blade holder comes then bear against the corresponding outer face of the comb while the outer face of said blade holder bears against the corresponding inner face of the hooks. These hooks may consist of inserts joined to the comb but they may also advantageously constitute with it a monolithic assembly leaving directly molding when the comb is made by a molding process.
In contrast to the embodiment described above, it can also be conceived that these attachment and positioning means of the blade carriers consist of integral elements of the concerned blade holder collaborating with complementary means arranged in the comb .

According to another characteristic of the invention, the harmonica according to the invention comprises immobilization means ensuring the maintenance of the plated blade holders against the relevant face of the comb when the pressure caps of the instrument have been deposited so to prevent said blade holder from falling when they are no longer sandwiched between the comb and the cover as described above. These integral immobilization means in all or part of the comb or the blade holder concerned may in particular consist of hooks in the form of clips integral with the comb and which can deform by elasticity during the introduction of said blade holder to come s engage against the outer face of the blade holder which is thus pressed against the comb. These means for immobilizing the blade holders may also consist of cams or latches pivotally mounted about an axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the blade holder concerned or sliding screws which may advantageously be cam-type associated with return means enabling it to engage automatically in the immobilization position of the blade holder when it is brought into its pressed position against the comb.

According to another embodiment, the immobilization means are constituted by at least one U-shaped double hook traversing the comb from one side and able to pivot about its central part so that one of its two branches can firmly press against the outer face of the first blade holder while the second branch is pressed firmly against the outer face of the second blade holder.

According to another characteristic of the openings are advantageously arranged directly through the large longitudinal faces of one or both covers that includes the instrument and at least on the side of at least some of the blades sucked, said openings being advantageously positioned in screws to the free end of the aspirated blades concerned and between the mouth face of the instrument and the grip area of the instrument covered by the hand of the player when he holds the harmonica. These openings are intended to beneficially provide a short circuit of air supply, directly through the cover concerned, especially for the aspirated sound blades, the corresponding part of the windows, swept by the free part of the sound blade during its oscillations, through which the air flows must pass during these oscillations is located far from the pavilion through which must pass all the air flow aspirated in the conventional arrangements of the prior art. These openings are intended, on the other hand, to allow a better diffusion of the sounds emitted, in particular by said suction blades penalized in terms of their sound efficiency by their positions set in the bottom of the covers.

According to another characteristic, in order to maximize the plating force of the blade holder against the comb exerted by the pressure cap at the mouth of the instrument, the pressure means constituted by pressure screws are implanted on the as close as possible to said mouth face and so that the stem of said screws does not come to encroach inside an air circulation channel, the longitudinal axes of at least some of said air channels can be oriented from slightly oblique with respect to the mouth face of the instrument. With this arrangement, without increasing the spacing of the mouth holes, the lateral partition walls of the channels between them widens as one moves away from the mouth face to get closer to the pavilion, thus offering rapidly to the partition wall concerned a width sufficient for the relevant pressure screw can be implanted through said partition wall being positioned at a distance from the mouth face of the lower instrument to the distance from said face mouthpiece which is located at the bottom of the longer of the two air circulation channels adjacent to the wall in which is implanted the clamping screw mentioned above.

According to a particular embodiment to allow the implantation of several pressure screws as close as possible to the mouth face as described above, the air flow channels that includes said comb are divided into several groups. Within each of these groups, the longitudinal axes of said channels are advantageously parallel to each other while said longitudinal axes of one of said groups of channels are divergent with respect to the longitudinal axes of the channels of another group of channels adjacent to each other. such that the dividing wall separating the two contiguous air channels belonging to two neighboring groups widens as one moves away from the mouth face to approach the face of the flag of the instrument.

According to an alternative embodiment, the air channels are divided into three groups, the longitudinal axes of the channels occupying the central part of the harmonica are arranged perpendicularly to the mouth face of the instrument while the longitudinal axes of the channels of each of the other two groups are symmetrically divergent relative to the plane disposed perpendicularly to the mouth face and passing through the half-length of the instrument. Within each of the three groups described above the longitudinal axes of the channels which constitute said group are advantageously parallel to each other.

The various arrangements proposed for the air circulation channels themselves are primarily intended to facilitate the circulation of air flows by avoiding swirling movements that penalize the responsiveness of the sound waves by delaying their setting vibration as well as their braking when the flow of air is reversed in the same channel, from a blown stream to a sucked flow and vice versa, which is very frequently the case during the game.
A second objective is to ensure that the flow of air blown as the air flow aspirated orientation of the air streams so that their angle of attack relative to the sound waves they drive, are optimal allowing thus saving air opening the possibility of animating blades more powerful and / or more serious and / or more numerous.

To do this, according to a first embodiment, at least some of the air channels are conical, their width measured in the longitudinal direction of the instrument at the mouth face being greater than their width at their level. end located on the side of the flag of the instrument and this so as to increase the pressure of the air blown at the free end of the blown blades while also creating an optimal vacuum at the free end of the blades sucked.

According to another embodiment, the width of at least some of the air channels, measured in the longitudinal direction of the instrument, is, at mid-length of said channels, a value less than the width of said channels measured at level of the free end of the aspirated blade and at the free end of the suction blade both contained in the air channel considered.

According to another characteristic, the width of the channels feeding the bass blades of the instrument is smaller than that of the channels supplying the acute blades of the instrument.

According to another characteristic, the bottom of the air circulation channels located on the side of the horn of the instrument is of semicircular shape or of semi-elliptical shape to allow an optimal flow of the blown air flows.

According to another embodiment, the two lateral flanks of at least some of the air channels are helically shaped to create a double vortex in each of said channels, the two vortices being arranged symmetrically in each channel with respect to the plane passing through the axis. of the two blades concerned. In this embodiment for the first face of the bed base against which the first blade holder rests, the longitudinal edges of the channel considered generally go away from each other as one moves away from the mouth of the instrument to approach the flag in other words said edges of said channel are closer to each other at the mouth of the mouth of the instrument they are at the level of the zone d end of the channel and vice versa, for the same channel, on the other side of the bed against which rests the other blade holder, the longitudinal edges of said channel are generally approaching one another when the one moves away from the mouth of the instrument to get closer to the flag, in other words said edges of said channel are farther apart from each other at the mouth of the mouth of the instrument. are at the end zone of the channel.
Such an arrangement also makes it possible to give priority to the ability of the instrument to produce the natural basic notes of each of the blades under the aspirated or blown air streams which correspond to their specificity or, on the contrary, to favor the ability of the instrument to produce so-called "altered" notes that require the sound blades to be solicited under suction or blown air flows in the opposite direction to those corresponding to their specificity.
Thus, for the instrument to be primarily specialized in the production of natural basic notes, the blade holder supporting the aspirated blades will then be mounted against the face of the bed base in which, for each of the channels considered the longitudinal edges of said channel are closer to each other at the mouth face than they are near the bottom of the channel and the holder blades supporting the blown blades will then be mounted against the face of the bed base in which, for each channel considered the longitudinal edges of said channel are further apart from each other at the mouth face that they do not are near the bottom of the canal.
Conversely if one wishes to find a compromise allowing to obtain of course the natural notes of the blades but however less stable than in the aforementioned assembly while facilitating the obtaining of the so-called notes "altered" it it will suffice to make a bed base inverted by symmetry with respect to the longitudinal longitudinal plane Px of said bed base so that for the blade holder supporting the blown blades for each of the channels considered the longitudinal edges of said channel are closer to each other at the level of the mouth face that they are in the vicinity of the opposite end of the channel and the blade holder supporting the suctioned blades will then be mounted against the face of the bed base in which, for each of the channels considered the Longitudinal edges of said channel are further apart from each other at the mouth face than they are in the vicinity of the opposite end of the channel.

According to another characteristic of a particular embodiment, the mouth hole of at least some of the channels comprises a fin whose mean plane positioned substantially at the mid-width of said hole is arranged perpendicularly to the mean longitudinal plane of the harmonica . This spoiler extends in the direction of the interior of the channel from the immediate vicinity of the mouth face of the instrument and has a teardrop shape intended to prevent turbulence of the sucked air flows or soufflés. Its purpose is to split said air flows sucked and blown on the one hand, during blown air flows, to best limit the inadvertent escape of the air blown by the area of the suction window left gaping by the opening of the blade sucked when it is at rest and it is further the purpose, during the air flow sucked, to channel the sucked air threads to the side edges of the sucked blade so optimizing the localized depression sought at the end of the blade sucked in said sucked air flow.

According to another characteristic, at least some of the channels comprise a longitudinal inner wall arranged substantially parallel to the mean longitudinal plane Pm interconnecting two adjacent channel separation side walls and said longitudinal wall is configured in the form of a tapered wing to create, by effect venturi, a depression at the free end of the aspirated blade to close the window concerned to avoid air leaks blown when the player blows to animate the blown sound blade of the channel concerned.

According to another preferred embodiment, the harmonica comprises only one blade holder on which are mounted all the blown blades and all the blades sucked. Each of the air circulation channels feeds at least one blown blade and one aspirated blade. The two blades served by the same air channel are disposed in line on either side of the respective blade carrier and their respective longitudinal axes are coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said air channel while the oscillating free parts of said two sound blades stretch in two diametrically opposite directions with respect to each other. The aspirated blade is fixed against the outer face of the blade holder and against the face of the blade holder oriented on the side of the corresponding cap while the blown blade is fixed against the face of said blade holder pressed against the bed base. The fixed end of each of the two blades can be fixed and maintained pressed against the blade holder either by welding, gluing, riveting or even better with the aid of a single screw common to the two blades or using several screws common or not to both blades.

According to a characteristic of a particular embodiment, in logical correlation with the respective amplitudes of the oscillations of the free end of each of the sound waves which are themselves in direct relationship with the respective lengths of said sound waves, the thickness of the At least one of the blade carriers that comprises the harmonica is advantageously more reduced at the level of the acute sound blades than it is at the level of the sound waves.

According to another feature of a particular embodiment, the harmonica comprises two blade holders each supporting a single type of blown or aspirated sonic blades and the arrangement of said blade holders is inverted with respect to the conventional arrangement in which, when the instrument is in play position and, compared to the harmonica player, the bass blades are on the left and the treble blades are on the right, the blade holder supporting the aspirated blades is arranged in the lower part of the instrument while the blade holder supporting the blown blades is disposed in the upper part of the instrument. In the proposed inverted arrangement, the blade holder supporting the extracted sound blades is thus disposed against the upper face of the comb while the blade holder supporting the blown blades is arranged against the lower face of the comb. This inverted arrangement makes it possible to greatly facilitate the evacuation directly to the outside of the instrument of saliva and micro detritus whereas with the classic arrangement these are found trapped in the cul-de-sac constituted by the bottom of the channel from where they can not escape because of the closed zone at acute angle constituted by the fixed part of the suction blade arranged in the lower part of the channel concerned. Conversely, the proposed inverted arrangement allows said waste to be easily discharged to the outside through the window of the blade holder in which oscillates the free portion of the blown blade concerned which is located at the bottom of the instrument and this evacuation to the outside is all the more effective because it is provided by the self-cleaning effect conjugate gravity, vibrations of the blown blade and blown air flows.

According to another characteristic for at least some of the windows that comprises the blade holders, in the portion of the window through which the free portion of the sound blade during its oscillations the thickness of the blade carrier has variations in thickness in stairs and / or crenellations and / or waves and / or any other shapes.
These variations in the heights of the lateral faces of the window can be realized both in the face of the blade holder located on the air intake side, therefore in the face of the blade holder against which the sound blade is fixed, than in the face opposite located on the exhaust side of the air. These thickness variations can be made both hollow and raised with respect to the general plane passing through the relevant face of the blade holder and they can be produced locally individually for each of the windows as well as being produced by longitudinal profiling of the blade holder.
These arrangements made in the lateral faces of the windows allow multiple successive phase shifts between the openings and closures of the window by the free part of the sound blade during its oscillations, which openings and closures result in a complex hash of the air flow which passes through said window thus generating multiple harmonics beneficially enriching the range of the note emitted.

According to another important feature of a particular embodiment, the harmonica according to the invention comprises at least one ventilation tunnel allowing a free flow of air and sound directly between the space located on the side of the mouth of the instrument and at least one of the two internal volumes of the harmonica delimited by the inner face of the cover concerned and the outer face of the corresponding blade holder. This tunnel of direct circulation of air and sound, thus having no sound blade on its path, is arranged in at least part, if not all, of the thickness of the comb and one of its two ends opens on the side of the mouth of the instrument, or even directly in the mouth of the mouth of the instrument, while its other end opens into the interior of the body of the harmonica so between the holder affected blades and the corresponding hood inner face . For harmonicists classically arranging their instrument that is to say, so that while they play the bass blades are positioned on the left and the acute blades on the right the above-described ventilation tunnel can therefore advantageously carry the denomination of channel 0 insofar as it will be positioned to the left of the number 1 channel feeding the most serious blade of the instrument as opposed to channel number 10 feeding the sharpest sound blade for a conventional diatonic harmonica with ten mouth holes.
According to a preferred embodiment, the region of the mouth face of the instrument into which the inlet of the ventilation tunnel described above is located is arranged in the rectilinear extension of the mouth face into which the mouths open. mouth of the instrument, but said zone may also advantageously be offset or be arranged obliquely with respect to the mouth face of the instrument into which the air channels supplying the sound waves open, in order to ensure a better clearance of the entrance of said ventilation tunnel when the player's mouth is positioned vis-à-vis the mouth holes feeding the bass blades of the instrument.

According to a first embodiment, the harmonica comprises at least one ventilation tunnel serving selectively only one of the two blade carriers supplemented, if necessary, by a second tunnel selectively serving the second blade holder.
According to another preferred embodiment, the ventilation tunnel simultaneously serves the two blade holders in such a way that the two internal volumes of the harmonica situated on either side of the comb and which are conventionally separated from each other. other by the comb can communicate with each other through the ventilation tunnel serving jointly these two internal volumes.
This or these ventilation tunnels have for first vocation to ensure an optimal supply of air of the serious blades and in particular of the badly aspirated blades which are penalized by the position locked away from the flag of the ends of their windows through which the flow of Aspirated air said ends of the windows located close to the mouth in a cul de sac that constitutes the corresponding inner face of the cover and the blade holder concerned.

This or these ventilation tunnels have as second vocation to allow a better diffusion towards the outside of the instrument of the sounds emitted by the different sound waves and they thirdly have third vocation to allow the harmonica player to better hear the sounds emitted by his instrument, especially when he plays in a group and that the sounds emitted by his harmonica are covered by those produced by the other musicians. For to optimize the efficiency of said ventilation tunnel with regard to the latter objective, a tube intended to convey the sounds emitted by the harmonica may advantageously be connected to the entrance of the ventilation tunnel to constitute an acoustic tube, the first end of said acoustic tube being connected to the entrance face of the ventilation tunnel, so the side of the mouth of the mouth of the instrument, while the other end of this tube is connected to a headset slipped into the player's ear.

Finally, according to another feature of a particular embodiment intended on the one hand to provide sufficient space to implant the entrance of the ventilation tunnel between the mouth hole feeding the most serious blade of the instrument and the adjacent end of the instrument and secondly to facilitate and make more comfortable the game technique known to those skilled in the art under the English term of "Tongue blocking" the axis of the mouth hole feeding the most serious blade of the instrument is located at a distance from the corresponding longitudinal end of the upper mouth face to the distance at which is positioned the axis of the mouth hole feeding the sharpest blade of the relative to the corresponding longitudinal end of said mouth face.

According to another feature of a particular embodiment, the mouth face of the instrument is slightly convex in the longitudinal direction of the instrument and this to allow a lower pressure of said mouth face against the commissures of the lips while preserving a position of the sound blades with respect to the player's oral cavity, which is identical to that obtained with the conventional rectilinear mouth faces

Brief description of the drawings

• ■ Les figures 1 à 14 bis correspondent à un premier mode de réalisation d'un harmonica selon l'invention de forme extérieure générale globalement symétrique comportant deux porte-lames .
• ■ Les figures 15 à 26 bis montrent un second mode de réalisation d'un harmonica selon l'invention de forme extérieure asymétrique comportant deux porte-lames.
• ■ Les figures 27 et 28 montrent deux modes de réalisation de peigne dont les axes longitudinaux des canaux ne sont pas tous parallèles entre eux.
• ■ Les figures 29 à 34 montrent un autre mode de réalisation d'un harmonica selon l'invention de forme extérieure asymétrique comportant un seul porte-lames et dont les canaux de circulation d'air ne sont pas tous parallèles entre eux.
• ■ Les figures 35 à 49 montrent des aménagements particuliers de porte-lames équipant un harmonica selon l'invention .
• ■ Les figures 50 à 53bis montrent des aménagements selon l'invention équipant un harmonica du type chromatique comportant un distributeur d'air coulissant.

Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of the various embodiments shown by way of nonlimiting examples and represented in the appended drawings in which:

• ■ The Figures 1 to 14 bis correspond to a first embodiment of a harmonica according to the invention of generally symmetrical general external shape comprising two blade holders.
• ■ The Figures 15 to 26 bis show a second embodiment of a harmonica according to the invention of asymmetrical outer shape comprising two blade holders.
• ■ The Figures 27 and 28 show two embodiments of comb whose longitudinal axes of the channels are not all parallel to each other.
• ■ The Figures 29 to 34 show another embodiment of a harmonica according to the invention asymmetric outer shape having a single blade holder and whose air flow channels are not all parallel to each other.
• ■ The Figures 35 to 49 show particular arrangements of the blade holder equipping a harmonica according to the invention.
• ■ The Figures 50 to 53bis show arrangements according to the invention equipping a harmonica of the chromatic type comprising a sliding air distributor.

Description of different embodiments

• Les figures 1, 2, 3, 6 et 12 sont des vues extérieures de l'harmonica entièrement monté, respectivement montré vu de dessus, coté embouchure de l'instrument, vu de face et vu de dessous, donc coté pavillon de l'instrument , tandis que les vues 6 et 12 correspondent à des vues latérales de l'instrument la figure 6 montrant l'extrémité de l'harmonica située du coté des lames aigues de l'instrument tandis que la figure 12 montre l'extrémité de l'harmonica située du coté des lames graves.
• La figure 4 est une vue de face de l'instrument après retrait du capot recouvrant le porte-lames supportant les lames soufflées.
• La figure 5 est une vue en coupe transversale selon les repères FF des figures 2 et 4 montrant un premier mode de réalisation des moyens destinés à assurer le placage et l'immobilisation des porte-lames contre le peigne lorsque les capots-presseurs sont démontés et la figure 5 Bis est une vue en coupe transversale montrant une variante de réalisation de ces moyens de placage et d'immobilisation.
• Les figures 7,7 bis, 8, 9, 10 et 11 sont des vues en coupe transversale selon les repères correspondants portés sur les figures 1 à 4 .
• Les figures 13, 14 et 14 bis sont des vues , respectivement de face et de dessus montrant le peigne seul tandis que la figure 14 Bis montre un agrandissement d'une partie de la figure 14.

Before the explanations that follow it is important to clarify that to make the drawings more readable and more explicit, in some of the figures in this document, the thicknesses of the cutterheads as well as those of the soundblades were voluntarily greatly increased by compared to their actual thickness. Similarly, the lateral games between the lateral edges of the sound waves and the corresponding edges of the windows through which they oscillate as well as the gaps between the end of said lamellae and the corresponding slice of said windows which in reality are of the order of 5-10 / ^100th of a millimeter summers here have largely increased to facilitate understanding of the drawing.

• The Figures 1, 2, 3 , 6 and 12 are external views of the fully mounted harmonica, respectively shown from above, on the mouth of the instrument, viewed from the front and from below, so that the instrument's horn is seen, while the views 6 and 12 correspond to side views of the instrument the figure 6 showing the end of the harmonica on the side of the treble blades of the instrument while the figure 12 shows the end of the harmonica on the side of the bass blades.
• The figure 4 is a front view of the instrument after removing the cover covering the blade holder supporting the blown blades.
• The figure 5 is a cross-sectional view according to the FF marks of the figures 2 and 4 showing a first embodiment means for plating and immobilizing the blade holders against the comb when the pressure caps are removed and the figure 5 Bis is a cross-sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of these plating and immobilizing means.
• The figures 7.7 bis, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views according to the corresponding reference marks on the Figures 1 to 4 .
• The Figures 13, 14 and 14 bis are views, respectively of front and top showing the comb alone while the figure 14 Bis shows an enlargement of part of the figure 14 .

• un peigne 2 ou sommier dans l'épaisseur duquel sont réalisés une pluralité de canaux de circulation d'air 200 disposés côte à côte en étant séparés entre eux par des parois latérales disposées transversalement , donc perpendiculairement, par rapport à l'axe longitudinal de l'instrument, l'une des faces d'extrémités de chacune desdites parois de séparation venant s'appuyer contre la face intérieure du porte-lames 3 sur la face extérieure duquel sont montées les lames sonores aspirées tandis que l'autre extrémité de ladite paroi de séparation vient s'appuyer contre la face intérieure du second porte-lames 4 contre laquelle sont montées les lames sonores soufflées. Les porte-lames 3 et 4 sont disposés obliquement l'un par rapport à l'autre , les plans passant par leurs faces d'appui respectives contre les faces d'appui correspondantes du peigne 2 constituant ici un dièdre ouvert en direction de la face d'embouchure de l'instrument selon l'angle α supérieur à 0° et avantageusement compris entre 3 et 10° , de préférence compris entre 4 et 7° .
• une coque périphérique permettant la tenue en main de l'harmonica ladite coque étant constituée notamment de deux capots-presseurs 5 et 5 assurant d'une part l'amplification des sons et leur projection en direction du pavillon 6 de l'instrument , et d'autre part le placage des porte-lames 3 et 4 contre les faces correspondantes du peigne 2 .
• Une face d'embouchure 7 dans laquelle débouchent les trous d'embouchures par lesquels l'harmoniciste aspire ou insuffle de l'air qui met en vibration les lames sonores de l'instrument , chacun des trous d'embouchure desservant au moins un canal de circulation d'air 200 alimentant au moins une lame sonore.

This specified, on the views 1 to 14 bis, the harmonica 1 comprises:

• a comb 2 or bed base in the thickness of which are formed a plurality of air circulation channels 200 arranged side by side being separated from each other by lateral walls arranged transversely, therefore perpendicularly, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the instrument, one of the end faces of each of said partition walls coming to bear against the inner face of the blade holder 3 on the outer face of which are mounted the sonorous blades sucked while the other end of said wall separation is pressed against the inner face of the second blade holder 4 against which are mounted the blown sound blades. The blade holders 3 and 4 are arranged obliquely with respect to each other, the planes passing through their respective bearing faces against the corresponding bearing faces of the comb 2 constituting here a dihedron open towards the face mouth of the instrument at an angle α greater than 0 ° and advantageously between 3 and 10 °, preferably between 4 and 7 °.
• a peripheral shell for holding the harmonica in hand, said shell consisting in particular of two pressure caps 5 and 5 ensuring on the one hand the amplification of sounds and their projection towards the flag 6 of the instrument, and on the other hand the veneering of the blade holders 3 and 4 against the corresponding faces of the comb 2.
• A mouth face 7 into which open the mouth holes through which the harmonicist sucks or breathes air which vibrates the sound waves of the instrument, each of the mouth holes serving at least one channel of 200 air circulation supplying at least one sound blade.

The figures 4 , 7 and 7 bis show the principle of operation of the pressure caps 5 and 5 ensuring the holding in place and the veneer of the sucked blade holder 3 and the blown blade holder 4 against the corresponding faces of the comb 2.

Each of the two blade holders 3 and 4 is put in place against the comb by first being slid vertically inside the lower hooks 202 integral with the comb 2 and then folded against the corresponding lateral face of the comb 2, each of the two holes formed in the end zones of the blade holder coming to fit around a protruding element 201 of complementary shape here consisting of a flange projecting from the bearing face of the comb with which said collar constitutes here a monolithic whole.

When the two blade holders 3 and 4 have thus been put in place, the two pressure caps 5 and 5 are in turn positioned by being correctly positioned by means of centering tubular pins 50 and 50 constituting a monolithic assembly with the cover concerned, each of said pins being housed in a hole of complementary shape formed through the comb 2. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. Figures 7 and 7 Bis centering studs 50 are arranged concentrically to the corresponding clamping screw 8 but it is also conceivable to dissociate the clamping means means ensuring on the one hand the correct positioning of the hood or caps relative to the comb and avoiding other share the reversals of hoods assembly. Thus, these positioning means may consist of pins integral with the hood which is housed in housings of corresponding shape arranged in the comb or on the contrary nipples secured to the comb being housed in housing of complementary shape arranged in the corresponding cover.

Each of the two pressure caps 5 and 5 bears against the outer face of the respective blade holder 3, 4 on the one hand, on the mouth side 7 of the instrument, by its upper lip all along the upper zone of the holder. blade extending in the longitudinal direction of the instrument on the side of the mouth face and materialized in shaded area 9 on the figure 4 and on the other hand the side of the flag 6 of the instrument by support lugs 51 integral with the bonnet concerned and coming directly on the outer face of the blade holder in zones, materialized in hatched areas 10 on the figure 4 positioned in the lower part of said blade holders.

The two pressure covers 5 and 5 are then pushed towards the comb by pressure means, which here consist of three clamping screws 8 implanted between the mouth face 7 of the instrument and the support lugs 51. side 6 of the instrument. These three screws 8 pass through the cover 5 located on the side of the blades sucked and the two blade holders 3 and 4 and the comb 2 to be screwed into the opposite cap 5 located on the side of the blown blades.

According to an important characteristic, the axes of the clamping screws 8, which here constitute the pressure means, are located at distances d1 and d2 from the mouth face 7 which are smaller than the distance d3 separating said mouth face 7 from the mouth. upper edge of the support zones 10 which upper edge thus corresponds to the upper edge, and therefore to the edge facing the mouth of the instrument, the contact area between the bearing lug 51 concerned and the corresponding face of the blade holder. It is necessary to underline the importance of the screw 8 which is arranged at mid-length of the instrument being thus positioned in the alignment of the longitudinal axis of the wall of the comb separating the channels of the two sound waves located on the side and else of the plane passing through the mid-length of the instrument arranged perpendicularly to the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument.

The covers 5 and 5 being of rigid construction so as not to be deformed under the force, by cantilevering effect the pressure forces along F1 generated by these screws 8 tending to bring said covers against the comb 2 are reflected both at the level of the support legs 51 by a pressing force on the zones 10 along F2 and by a bearing force along F3 distributed along the contact zone 9 between the upper lip of the cover and the corresponding face of the blade holder concerned. Each of the two blade holders 3 and 4 is thus sandwiched between the corresponding cover and the relevant face of the comb 2 under high pressure forces which ensure the perfect veneer of the inner faces of the blade holders 3 and 4 against the faces. corresponding outer surfaces of the comb 2 thus ensuring an optimum seal against air leakage.

The Figures 13, 14 and 14 bis show in more detail the comb 2 of the harmonica shown in the previous figures.
In this embodiment, at the mouth face of the instrument, all the mouth holes which constitute the inlet holes of the air flow channels are of the same width but the respective widths of said channels. air circulation are then degressive bass to treble and this consistent with the respective dimensions of different blades that are degressive bass to treble. In their upper part, from the mouth face 7 of the instrument, the side walls separating two contiguous channels are interconnected by a connecting wall 204 arranged parallel to the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument so that in their upper part the air circulation channels 200 that comprises this comb 2 are thus closed on three of their sides while they are then open on their two sides and cross the entire thickness of the comb in their lower part . The connecting wall 204 supports a fin 203 whose median plane P1 is coplanar with the median longitudinal plane of the channel 200 concerned, said plane P1 being thus disposed perpendicular to the average longitudinal plane Pm of the harmonica. This fin 203, advantageously in the form of a drop of water when it is observed in front view as shown in FIG. figure 14 , divides the air flows sucked and blown for all at once be able to ensure a better flow of the air streams blown towards the free end of the blown blade and increase the depression generated at the longitudinal edges of the part free of the blade sucked up during the sucked flows. As shown in these figures, the length L1 of said fin is less than the half-thickness of the comb 2 so that its end is in the vicinity of the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the harmonica but it could be otherwise, the length L1 may be such that said flap through the channel over its entire thickness.

As shown on these Figures 14 to 14 bis the connecting wall 204 is disposed on the side of the sucked blade holder 3 thus promoting the operation of the sound blades sucked and blown when they are driven by a flow of air, respectively sucked or blown, corresponding to their mode of use main but it can also reverse the position of said fin and the connecting wall that supports it by then placing said wall on the side of the blown-blade holder 4 and for the purpose of intentionally making more unstable the flow of air streams in order to promote the vibration of the sound strips sucked and blown under an inverted air flow so respectively blown and sucked to produce altered notes or even notes overheated or superaspired particular tessitures that are sought in certain types of music.

The Figures 4, and 5 show also that the harmonica according to the invention comprises means for ensuring the holding in place and the veneer of the blade-holders 3 and 4 against the comb 2 when the pressure caps 5 and 5 have been deposited. These means here consist of a double U-shaped hook 205 traversing the comb 2 in all its thickness and pivotable about an axis 2051 arranged concentrically with the central cylindrical portion of the hook 205, said axis 2051 being positioned perpendicular to the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument. The double hook 205 can therefore pivot about the axis 2051 to move from a disengaged position in which its support pins 2050 and 2050 are not in contact with the blade holders, as shown in dotted lines on the figure 4 at an engaged position, shown in solid lines on the figure 4 and on the figure 5 in which said lugs 2050 and 2050 abut against the corresponding outer face of the concerned blade holders to ensure the veneer and the immobilization of said blade holders against the corresponding face of the comb 2, said comb 2 thus being sandwiched together between the two blade holders 3 and 4.

The figure 5 bis shows an alternative embodiment in which the means ensuring the holding in place and the immobilization of the blade-holders 3 and 4 when the pressure caps are dismounted consist of two hooks 206 and 206 coming out directly from the molding during the production of the comb with which they thus constitute a monolithic whole. These hooks can fold slightly by simple elastic bending to allow the introduction of the blade holder against the outer face of which said hooks are then supported as soon as the blade holders are correctly positioned. As represented on this figure 5 bis, the face of the hooks oriented on the side of the blade holder concerned is advantageously shaped convex curvilinear ramp so that the hook can fade itself, in the manner of a door cam spout, when the corresponding edge of the blade holder concerned slides against said ramp. Of course a simple push of the finger outwardly applied against said curvilinear face allows to release immediately the blade holder when the player wishes to disengage it from the comb against which it was supported.
As shown by figures 2 and 12 , air intakes 55 are arranged at the end of the covers 5 and 5 located on the side of the serious blades, said gills being located in part at least, if not all advantageously in all, in the upper third h / 3 of the height h of the hoods so as to be located outside the hood area covered by the hand of the harmonica player holding the instrument.

The Figures 15 to 26 Bis show another embodiment of an asymmetrically shaped harmonica when viewed in a front view as shown in FIGS. figures 15 and 21 , the distance separating the mouth face of the mouth hole corresponding to the most serious blade of the corresponding opposite face constituting the flag of the instrument being more than twenty percent (20%) greater than the distance separating the face mouth of the mouth of mouth corresponding to the sharpest blade of the corresponding opposite side constituting the flag of the instrument. Such an asymmetrical shape is particularly interesting on the one hand to present optimal ergonomics in terms of holding the instrument in hand with one hand while limiting the weight of the part of the instrument
Such an asymmetrical shape is particularly interesting in terms of ergonomics since it allows one hand to concentrate the bulk of the volume and weight of the instrument in the hand that holds both the harmonica using thumb and forefinger and the microphone using the other fingers and it also allows to reduce the height of the part of the harmonica located on the side of the acute blades which facilitates the different actions of the second The purpose of making effects is to modify the sounds emitted by the instrument.

The figures 18 and 24 show that the channels have the general shape of an 8, each of said channels having at the free end of the blade sucked a wide chamber 207 of generally circular shape of width L2 and another wide chamber 208 also of generally circular shape of width L2, but which could also be of a width different from L2, arranged at the free end of the blown blade while the flanks of the channel which connect said chambers 207, 208 are convex curvilinear shapes such that the width L3 of said channel measured in the vicinity of its half-length is less than the width L2 of the channel measured at the free end of the aspirated sound blade and also less than the width L2 of the channel measured at the free end. the blown sound blade fed by said channel.

Such an arrangement offers several advantages among which is to have side walls separating the channels from each other by a sufficient width at the mid-length of said channels in order to be able to implant the clamping screws 8 of the presser caps 5 and 5 closer. the mouth of the mouth that does not allow the combs of the prior art whose said channel separation walls are too narrow to allow the realization of a hole of sufficient diameter for the passage of a robust pressure screw .
As shown in figure 24 this design makes it possible to implant the screws 8 for clamping the pressure caps 5 at distances, respectively d5, d6, d7, from the mouth face of the instrument which are all smaller than the distance d9 separating said face from mouth of the bottom of the canal feeding the sharpest blades of the instrument. As these two figures 18 and 24 three clamping screws 8 distributed along the instrument and all implanted between the sound waves are sufficient to ensure perfect clamping of the two presser caps 5 and 5 without having to use screws housed at the end zones of the instrument or they prove to be penalizing for the openings of the covers made in the lateral flanks of the covers to ensure a better dispersion of the sound and an optimal air supply of the blades.

The harmonica presented on Figures 15 to 20 comprises two ventilation tunnels 209 and 210 arranged symmetrically on either side of the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the instrument, the two tunnels 209 and 210 being separated from each other by a wall 211 disposed symmetrically with respect to the plan Pm.
As shown in particular figure 18 these tunnels are rectilinear and their longitudinal axis is here arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sound waves. The entrance of the tunnels 209 and 210 is in the plane of the mouth face in which open the mouth holes of the air channels feeding the sound blades and this input of the tunnels 209 and 210 is positioned between the hole mouthpiece bearing usually the number 1 hole denomination, feeding the most serious blade of the instrument and the corresponding longitudinal end closest to the instrument.
The tunnels 209 and 210 then pass between the inner face of the respective blade holder, respectively 3 and 4, and the comb 2 and then they traverse said blade holder through a window made in it to open into the space. interior delimited by the inner face of the cover 5 and the outer face of the blade holder sucked for the tunnel 209 while the tunnel 210 opens into the space delimited by the inner face of the cover 5 and the outer face of the blade holder blown 4. These two tunnels putting in direct communication the interior of the harmonica with the external space located on the side of the mouth and allow on the one hand an optimal supply of air from blades, very appreciable in particular blades sucked, and on the other hand a maximum diffusion of the sounds emitted by the instrument since one knows that where the air passes the sound passes.

Moreover, as shown by Figures 15, 17 and 18 this harmonica comprises three screws 8 for clamping the covers and, by means of the support lugs 51 of the bonnet 5 concerned, each of these three screws 8 exerts on the blade holder concerned a bearing force in four zones distinct arranged around said screw and represented in shaded areas: on the one hand a bearing zone 9 located at the mouth of the mouth of the instrument and a bearing zone 10 diametrically opposite located on the side of the flag of the instrument and secondly two support zones 101 and 102, or 102 and 102 for the central screw, located on either side of said screw in the longitudinal direction of the instrument. It follows that the concerned blade holder is thus held firmly pressed against the comb by a multitude of support zones ensuring a maximum seal against air leakage between said blade holder and the comb, and this as well at the periphery of said blade holder at the level of the channel separation walls.

The Figures 21 to 26 bis show another embodiment of a harmonica according to the invention comprising a ventilation tunnel 212 serving simultaneously by placing in direct communication between them the two internal volumes of the harmonica delimited for one by the inner face of the covers 5 and the outer face of the suction blade holder 3 and the other by the inner face of the cover and the outer face of the blown blade holder 4. The longitudinal axis of the tunnel 212 is oriented obliquely or it can even be disposed parallel to said mouth face relative to the mouth face of the instrument according to the angle β less than 90 ° (ninety degrees) and therefore advantageously between 0 ° (Zero degree) and 60 ° ( sixty degrees), preferably between 15 ° (fifteen degrees) and 45 ° (forty five degrees) and the entrance of said tunnel 212 opens into a small face also oriented obliquely with respect to the mouth face of the instrument and this to ensure at the same time an optimal flow of air and sounds and to ensure a permanent release of the entrance tunnel 212 even when the mouth of the player is at the mouth of the canal channel feeding the lowest blade of the instrument.

The figure 26 and 26 Bis also show that a flexible acoustic tube 500 is connected to the tunnel inlet 212 located on the side of the mouth face of the instrument that it can occupy completely or otherwise only partially occupy to be able then provide an air inlet for supplying the blade holders 3 and 4. At its other end, this acoustic tube 500, is connected to an ear-shaped tip slipped into the ear of the player to allow the latter to better hear the sounds emitted by his own instrument when playing in a group of harmonicists or when accompanied by other instruments.

The embodiments illustrated by the Figures 27 and 28 show combs whose mouths are regularly spaced according to the standard distances of spacing on the side facing the mouth of the instrument but the longitudinal axes of some of the air flow channels are divergent when moving away from the mouth face to approach the flag of the instrument and so as to have channel separation walls having a width sufficient to allow the implantation of one or more screws 8 clamping the nearest cowlings possible the mouthpiece to optimize the cantilever effect of clamping all along the mouth face to prevent air leakage between the comb, the blade holders and covers.
On the figure 27 the ten channels of air circulation that the instrument comprises are divided into two groups: the longitudinal axes of the first five channels that constitute the first group are parallel to each other and the longitudinal axes of the last five holes that constitute the second group are parallel between them. The longitudinal axes of the channels of the first group are divergent with respect to the longitudinal axes of the channels of the second group so that the wall separating the channel 5 from the channel 6 is sufficiently wide to allow the implantation of a clamping screw 8 substantially in the center of the harmonica, so substantially mid-length and half-way up the instrument so that sufficiently rigid covers make it possible to ensure sufficient sealing of the instrument in the face of air leakage at the using a single central screw allowing disassembly and reassembly very fast the instrument.
On the figure 22 the air circulation channels are divided into three groups within each of which the longitudinal axes of said channels are parallel to each other and the wall separating the channel 3 from the channel 4 and that separating the channel 7 from the channel 8 are sufficiently wide to allow the implantation of the clamping screws 8 at the half-length of said channels or at least so that the the axis of each of the clamping screws 8 are positioned closer to the mouth face 7 than are the bottoms of the air flow channels positioned on either side of the clamping screw concerned. So we can say that Figures 21 and 22 illustrate two embodiments in which the harmonica according to the invention comprises at least one clamping screw 8 of the pressure caps 5 positioned in a wall between them separating two adjacent air circulation channels whose respective longitudinal axes are divergent when we move away from the mouth face 7 of the instrument to get closer to the flag of the instrument 6. It is also seen that the longitudinal axis of said clamping screw 8 is positioned at a distance from the mouth face 7 of the instrument below the distances separating said mouth face from the bottoms of the air circulation channels adjacent to the mouth. wall in which is implanted the clamping screw 8 mentioned above.

The Figures 29 to 34 show a particular embodiment in which all the sound waves that the instrument comprises are supported by a single blade holder and over their entire length the air flow channels are closed on three of their longitudinal faces which are constituted by the comb 2. For each of the air channels, the longitudinal axis of the sucked blade 30 is disposed in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the blown blade 40 and the two blades arranged head to tail on either side of the carrier. blades are fixed to the blade holder by a single common screw 11. The single blade holder is inclined in the plane P2 relative to the mean longitudinal plane Pm.
As illustrated by Figures 32 and 33 to optimize the veneer of the single blade holder against the corresponding face of the comb 2 flexible support means are located at the pressure screws 8 and interposed between the inner face of the cover and the outer face of the blade holder. These flexible support means consist of elastically deformable elements such as a compression spring 12 as shown in FIG. figure 26 or else an elastically deformable element that can in particular be in the form of an O-ring 13 as shown in FIG. figure 27 .

As also represented on Figures 16, 19 and 20 the figure 32 shows also a particular embodiment of the cover 5 whose lip 52, the mouth of the instrument side, bear against both the outer face of the blade holder and against the comb by covering the edge of the blade holder which allows to further improve the tightness by baffle effect while also offering easier and more comfortable sliding for the lips of the player.

The figure 34 shows a variant in which the cover 5 is made using a stamped sheet, said cap exerting its support on the comb through a support lug 14 secured to said blade holder.

The Figures 35 to 49 represent various alternative embodiments of the blade holders equipping the harmonicas according to the invention intended to enrich the range of the sounds emitted by the contribution of additional harmonics generated by the chopping of the air streams during the oscillation of the sound waves through the corresponding windows arranged in said blade holders.
In the embodiment illustrated by the Figures 35 to 43 the outer faces of the blade holders 3 and 4 comprise recesses and multiple reliefs in the form of steps 31 and 41 made by profiling the blade-holding plates so that said hollows and reliefs thus constitute grooves and ribs respectively recessed. and in relief relative to the general plane passing through the outer face of the respective blade carrier, respectively P3 for the blade holder supporting the suction blades and P4 for the blade holder supporting the blown blades. The thickness variations of the blade carriers are positioned in the region of the window swept by the free portion of the blade during its oscillations so that for the blade holder 3 supporting the blades sucked the grooves constituting said hollows and reliefs 31 extend in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of said blade holder disposed at the mouth of the instrument. On the other hand, for the blade carrier 4 supporting the blown blades, said grooves extend in the longitudinal direction of said blade carrier in an oblique direction, said grooves at the level of the sharpest blade of said blade carrier being closer to the blade. upper longitudinal edge of the blade holder disposed on the mouth of the instrument than they are at the level of the most serious blade of said blade holder.

The Figures 44 to 49 show another embodiment in which the variations in the thickness of the blade doors at the windows through which the sound waves oscillate consist of grooves and ribs 32 and 42 made by machining in the face of the blade holder by which escapes the air when it has crossed the window concerned. Said machining is therefore positioned on the outer face of the blade holder 4 supporting the blades blown while they are made on the inner face, so on the side pressed against the comb 2 for the blade holder 3 supporting the blades sucked. The streaks can therefore extend continuously over the entire length of the blade holder supporting the blown blades as shown in the drawings. Figures 44, 45, 46 while for the blade holder supporting the blades sucked, these machining operations must be interrupted so as to provide planar spaces of a width sufficient to allow sealing without leakage at the edges of the partition walls of the channels between them.

The Figures 50, 51 and 52 show a chromatic type harmonica according to the invention. In this embodiment, each mouth hole in the mouthpiece member 16 feeds two airflow channels, the aspirated and blown airflow being selectively directed to one or other of said channels. using a sliding air distributor 15. Each of the two channels contains both a sucked blade and a blown blade respectively mounted on a blade holder 3 supporting all the blades sucked and on a blade holder 4 supporting all the blades blown. The blade holder 3 supporting all the blades sucked and the blade holder 4 supporting all the blades sucked are arranged facing each other, on either side of the mean longitudinal plane Pm of the blade. harmonica and they are positioned obliquely relative to each other so that the planes passing through their bearing face against the comb 2 is a dihedral open towards the mouth of the instrument.

The operating principle of the pressure caps ensuring the maintenance in place and the seal between comb, blade holder and caps by cantilever effect is in all respects similar to that described previously in this document for the harmonicas of the diatonic type having no air distributor.

The figure 51 is a localized enlargement of the figure 50 showing in greater detail the principle of adjusting the preload of the spring 17 ensuring the automatic return to the extended position of the sliding air distributor 15 when the player no longer exerts a pressing pressure on the control member constituted by the button 150. The prestressing of said spring 17 can be very easily adjusted from the outside of the instrument, without any disassembly, simply by introducing through the orifice 151 arranged through the control knob 150 the tip of a screwdriver to drive in rotation the threaded stud 18 whose rotation drives in translation the tapped support 19 on which the spring 17 bears. The support 19 being immobilized in rotation but being able to slide in translation along the longitudinal axis of the stud 18, the rotation drive of said threaded stud 18 allows to dose the spring preload and thus adjust the return force it generates to adapt exactly to the wishes of the player.

The figure 52 shows, for someqs at least sound blades that includes the instrument, an opening 58 is arranged through the pressure cap covering the blade holder 3 supporting the blades sucked, said opening, positioned in front of the free end of the aspired blade concerned allowing the flow of air to have direct access to the blade without them having to follow a long, narrow and tortuous path from the flag as it is the case with the harmonicas of the prior art.

It should be noted that if all the figures presented show a comb whose two planes passing through the bearing faces of the blade-holders form a dihedral open towards the mouth, it would not be outside the scope of the invention if The harmonica exhibited the characteristics of this invention by associating them with a comb whose bearing faces of the blade holders would be arranged parallel to each other in the conventional manner or else if said bearing faces were arranged in such a way that the planes which contain them constitute a dihedron open towards the flag of the instrument.

The Figures 53 and 53bis show that at least some, as shown in these two figures, all of the support zones of the pressure caps 5 and 5 against the blade holders 3 and 4 are equipped with elastically deformable elements 510 and 511 intended to compensate the flatness defects between said areas in contact. The elastic pad 510 mounted at the end of the support lug 51 is configured in the form of a mushroom whose stem is housed in a recess of suitable shape formed in said lug while the elastic element 511 disposed at the level of the lip. upper of said pressure caps is when it consists of a profile of T-shaped cross section whose central wall is housed in a groove extending along the lip of the cover concerned.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown or described herein, but it also includes all technical equivalents as well as combinations thereof.

Claims (15)

1. Harmonica (1) comprising:

   - a comb (2) or windchest in the thickness of which are made a plurality of air flow channels (200), said comb supporting at least one reed plate (3, 4) on which is mounted sound reeds (30, 40) whose oscillations are caused by the flows of air generated by the player through the mouthpiece holes ending in the mouthpiece face (7) of the instrument,

   - a peripheral shell enabling to hold the harmonica, said shell comprising at least one cover plate (10, 10) for amplifying of the sounds and projecting them towards the bell (6) of the instrument,

   said harmonica (1) wherein:

   - each reed plate (3, 4) is sandwiched between the pressing face concerned of the comb (2) and corresponding the cover plate (5, 5),

   - said cover plate (5, 5) pressing against the external face of the reed plate concerned (3, 4) on the one hand, side mouthpiece (7) of the instrument, via its upper lip pressing all along the upper zone of the reed plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the instrument on the side of the mouthpiece face, and on the other hand on the side of the bell of the instrument via pressing tabs pressing on the external face of the reed plate concerned in zones between the face of the harmonica forming the bell (6) of the instrument and the bottom of the air flow channels (200) supplying the sound reeds,

   - pressing means (8) for pressing the reed plate concerned against the corresponding face of the comb (2) and said cover plate (5) against the external face of the reed plate concerned,

   said harmonica being characterized in that:

   the pressing means are composed of at least one screw (8) inserted in the part of the instrument which is delimited, in the longitudinal direction of the harmonica, by the two planes perpendicular to the average longitudinal plane (Pm) of the instrument, one passing through the longitudinal axis of the air flow channel (200) supplying the most high-pitched reed of the instrument and the other passing through the longitudinal axis of the channel (200) supplying the most low-pitched sound reed of the instrument.
2. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

   - the longitudinal axis of at least one of the press-screws (8) of the pressing cover plates is positioned at a distance from the mouthpiece face (7) inferior to the distance separating said mouthpiece face of the bottom of the air flow channel (200) supplying the most low-pitched reed of the instrument,

   - under the pressing action of said screw (8), the cover plate concerned (5) exerts against the reed plate concerned (3, 4) a pressing force in four distinct zones around sad screw (8): on the one hand, a pressing zone (9) at the mouthpiece face (7) of the instrument and a diametrically opposite pressing zone (10) on the side of the house (6) of the instrument, and on the other hand two pressing zones (102 and 102) on both sides of said screw (8) in the longitudinal direction of the instrument.
3. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one press-screw (8) extending through a lateral separating wall for two adjacent channels (200) and in that the axis of the stem of said screw (8) is positioned at a distance from the mouthpiece face (7) inferior to the distance separating said mouthpiece face from the longest bottom of the two air channels adjoining the separating wall said screw stem extends through.
4. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that on the side of the mouthpiece (7) of the instrument, the lip (52) of the cover plate (5) presses both against the external face of the reed plates (3, 4) and against the comb (2) while covering the section of the reed plate concerned (3, 4).
5. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises immobilizing means (202, 205, 206) for maintaining the reed plates (3, 4) against the face concerned of the comb (2) when the pressing cover plates (5) of the instrument have been removed.
6. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two reed plates (4, 5), anf that the planes passing through the faces of said reed plates pressing against the corresponding faces of the windchest (7) are concurrent and forms a dihedron open towards the mouthpiece of the instrument by forming an angle α.
7. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one ventilation tunnel (209, 210, 212) allowing air and sound to freely flow directly between the space on the side of the mouthpiece face (7) of the instrument and at least one of the two internal volumes in the harmonica delimited by the internal face of the cover plate concerned (5) and the external face of the corresponding reed plate (3, 4).
8. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

   - at least one tunnel (212) serving both internal volumes in the harmonica, one being delimited by the internal face of the cover plate (5) and by the external face of the draw reed plate (3) and the other being delimited by the internal face of the cover plate and the external face of the blow reed plate 4,

   - a flexible tube (500) connected at one of its ends to the input of the tunnel (212) on the side of the mouthpiece face of the instrument while its other end is connected to an earphone-shaped piece inserted into the player's ear in order to better hear the sounds emitted by his/her own instrument when he/she plays W a group of harmonica players or when he/she is accompanied by other instruments.
9. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two reed plates for only one type of blow (4) or draw (3) sound reeds and in that, when the instrument is in position to be played and, with respect to the harmonica player, the low-pitched reeds are on his/her left and the high-pitched reeds are on his/her right, the reed plate for the draw sound reeds (3) is disposed against the upper face of the comb (2) while the reed plate for the blow reeds (4) is disposed against the lower face of the comb (2).
10. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that all the sound reeds of the instrument are supported by only one reed plate, and in that the two reeds supplied by the same air channel are disposed in line on both sides of the reed plate concerned and their respective longitudinal axes are coplanar with the longitudinal axis of said air channel, while the oscillating free parts of said two sound reeds extend in two diametrically opposite directions relative to one other.
11. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

    - it comprises at least one press-screw (8) positioned on a wall separating, 1 from one another, two adjacent air flow channels whose respective longitudinal axes are divergent when one moves away from the mouthpiece face (7) of the instrument towards the bell the instrument (6),

    - the longitudinal axis of said press-screw of the pressing cover plates is positioned at a distance from the mouthpiece face of the instrument inferior to the distance of said mouthpiece face where is located the longest bottom of the two air flow channels adjoining the wall in which the above-mentioned press-screw is inserted.
12. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, for at least some of its draw reeds, an opening (58) is made through the pressing cover plate (5) covering the reed plate (3) supporting the draw reeds and in that said opening (58) is positioned opposite the free end of the draw reed concerned.
13. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least some pressing zones, or otherwise all of them, of the pressing cover plates (5) against the reed plates (3, 4) are provided with elastically deformable elements (510, 511) intended to compensate for the flatness defects between said zones in contact.
14. Harmonica (1) according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 11, characterized in that:

    - for at least some of its windows, the reed plates (3, 4), in the part of the window the free part of the sound reed extends through when oscillating, the thickness of the reed plate concerned (3, 4) presents thickness variations (31, 41) having the form of stairs, and/or crenels and/or waves and/or any other forms,

    - these height variations of the side faces of the window can be made in the face of the reed plate on the air input side, therefore in the face of the reed plate against which the sound reed is fixed, as well as in the opposite face on the air exhaust side. These thickness variations can be conformed as hollows as well as bumps with respect to the general plane passing through the face concerned of the reed plate and they can be made locally in an individual way for each window as well as by shaping the reed plates.
15. Harmonica (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that each mouthpiece hole in the mouthpiece element (16) supplies two air flow channels, each of them supplying at least one draw sound reed and at least one blow sound reed, and in that the flows of drawn and blown air being oriented selectively towards either of said two channels by means of a sliding air distributor (15).

Images