GB2182092A - Guitar strap lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A guitar strap lock (1) comprises a flexible strip element (2) having attachment means (5) at one end for attachment to a button stud (25) beneath the head of the stud and an aperture (9) at the other end of a size to enable it to pass over the head of the stud. The device prevents an apertured strap (23) from working free when the strap is engaged over the stud (25). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Guitar strap lock This invention relates to a guitar strap lock.

A guitar is a musical instrumentwhich is usually played against the chest of the musician. For this reason, it required to be supported so that the musician's hands are free and this is achieved by means of a strap which is attached to opposite ends of the sounding box of instrument and is passed around the back and one shoulder of the musician. The usual method of attachment ofthe strap to the instrument is by means of two button studs which cooperate with button holes at either end ofthe strap.

While this works satisfactorily when the strap is new and relatively stiff, after a little while, the strap softens and it is relatively easy forthe button studs to pass through the button holes, detaching the strap from the guitar. If the strap comes offwhile the instrument is being played, apartfrom interrupting the music, the guitar can be dropped and become seriously damaged.

The only present solution isto replace the strap at veryfrequent intervals orto use locking arrangments which are costly and ofter difficultto use.

The present invention seeks to provide a guitar strap lock which is relatively inexpensive to produce and which is easy to use.

According to the invention, there is provided a guitarstrap lock comprising a flexible strip element having attachment means at one end for attachment to a button stud beneath the head ofthe stud and an apertureatthe other end of a size to enable itto pass overthe head of the stud.

Preferably, the aperture is in the form of a keyhole type slot, the wider part being ofsubstantiallythe same diameter as the head of thestud and the remainder ofthe slot being of a width less than the diameter ofthe head but greater than the diameter of the stem of the stud The attachment means may comprise an opening in the strip element which is either of a width smaller than the stem ofthe stud butsufficiently large to enable a fixing screwforthe stud to pass therethrough or which is of such a width that it can be pushed over the head ofthe stud to securethestrip elementtothe button stud.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure lisa perspective view of a guitar strap lock in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a guitarfitted with the guitar strap lock shown in Figure f; Figure 3 is a perspective view, to an enlarged scale, ofoneendoftheguitarshown in figure 2 but showing the guita r strap lock and the parts of a button stud in exploded view to show the method of attachment;; Figure 4 is a view similarto figure 2 but showing the use of the guitar strap lock for retention of the cable of an electric guitar, and Figure 5 is a view of one of a guitar strap incorporating a lock in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to figure 1,one form of guitarstrap lock in accordance with the invention is shown. The guitar strap lock 1 is moulded from a suitable hard wearing plastics material such as polypropylene. It comprises a strap like element 2 having an enlarged portion 3 at one end 4 and a relatively small opening 5 at the other end 6.

The enlarged portion 3 has an upstanding surrounding rim 8 which encloses a keyhole type aperture 9.

This aperture 9 comprises a first circular potion 10 leading into a parallel sided portion 12which in turn leads into a second circular portion 14 of reduced diameter as compared to the first circular portion 10.

This second circular portion 14 has a chamfered edge 15, the outer diameter ofthe chamfer being the same as that ofthe first circular portion 10,fora purpose to be described.

Referring now also to figures 2 and 3,there is shown a guitar 20 having a sounding box 21 and guitar strap 23. Only the attachment ofthe guitar strap at the bottom end ofthe sounding box 21 is shown, the attachment atthe other end being of similar design.

The guitar 20 is provided with a button stud 25, comprising a stem 25 and a head 30, for attachment of the strap 23 in well known fashion.

Figure 3 shows, in greater detail, the usual method offixing of the button stud 25. To this end, the button stud 25 is provided with a central bore 26 through which a selftapping screw 28 can pass, the screw 28 being screwed into the sounding box 21 at 24. As can also be seen, the screw is used to retain the strap lock 1 between the stem 30 ofthe bottom stud 25 and the material of the sounding box.

The method of attach ment of the strap lock will now be described together with its action in securing the guitar strap: The button stud 25 supplied on the guitar is removed by unscrewing the screw 28. Once removed, butwith the sharp end ofthe screw 28 still protruding from the stem 30 ofthe button stud 25, the aperture 5 in the narrow end of the strip element 2 is pushed on to the end of the screw 28. Then the screw 28 is screwed back into the sounding box 21.

In use, the button hole on the end ofthe strap 23is passed overthe button stud 25 in the usual way. Then the circular part 10 ofthe keyhole slot 9 is passed over the head 30 of the button stud 25. Once this circular part 10 has passed over the head 30 ofthe button stud 25, the strap lock is secured by pulling on the loop of the strip element 2 or by sliding the enlarged end 3 of the strip element 2 in the direction of the arrow 32 (figure 3). This will cause the stem 29 ofthe button stud 25 to pass along the portion 12 of the aperture 9 into the second circular portion 14. The head 30 of the button stud 25 will then seat in the chamfer 15.

To undo the strap lock, the enlarged portion 3 of the strip element 2 is slid in the opposite direction enabling the aperture 9 to pass over the head 30 of the button stud 25. The strap 23 can then be unbuttoned in the usual way.

In addition to its use in securing the guitar strap, the guitar strap lock 1 can also be used for securing the cable of an electric guitarto prevent accidental uncoupling ofthe cable. Such an arrangement is shown infigure4.

As can be seen here, the cable 40 fortheguitar20 plugs into a socket 42 which may be positioned in a variety of places on the body of the guitar. To provide the additional securityforthe cable 40, the cable is passed through the loop of the flexible strip element 2 as shown at 45. This may be achieved by first uncoupling the lock and layingthecable in position or, where the dimensions ofthe loop allow, threading the cable plug through the loop. If desired, the cable can be looped around the strip element 2 for greater security.

FigureS shows a modification of the guitar strap lock 1 ofthe invention in which the lock is actually provided on the end of the strap 23 itself. To this end, the normal button hole end ofthe strap is directly replaced bythe flexible strip element. To enable its usewithoutthe necessity of removing the button stud 25, the small dimensioned opening 5 is enlarged to enable itto pass overthe head ofthe button stud.

It will be appreciated thatvarious modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing fromthe scope ofthe invention. For example, the small opening atthe narrow end ofthe strip element may be enlarged sufficiently so that it can be forced over the head of the button stud, thus enabling assembly ofthe guitar strap lockwithoutthe need to remove the button stud or for use in cases where the button stud is not removable.

Although the stripo element has been described as moulded from plastics material, other materials, such as leather could be used. The type ofthe aperture 9 could be varied depending on the material used. Thus, for example, it could take the form of relatively small circular aperture with a radialslitextendingthere- from.

From the above, it will be seen thatthe described embodiments ofthe invention provide a guitar strap lock which can be both cheap to produce and easy to use.

Claims (8)

1. A guitarstrap lock comprising a flexible strip element having attachment means at one end for attachment to a button stud beneath the head of the stud and an aperture atthe other end of a size to enable itto pass overthe head ofthe stud.

2. Alockasclaimed in claim 1, wherein the aperture is in the form of a keyhole type slot, the wider part being ofsubstantiallythe same diameter as the head ofthe stud and the remainder ofthe slot being of a width less than the diameter ofthe head ofthe stud but greaterthan the diameter of the stem of the stud.

3. A lock as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment means comprises an opening in the strip element of a dimension smallerthan the stem of the stud but sufficiently large to enable afixing screw for thestudto passtherethrough.

4. A lock as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment means comprises an opening in the strip element such that it can be pushed overthe head of the stud to secure the strip element to the button stud.

5. A lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the strip element com prises an integral plastics moulding.

6. A lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the strip element is mouldedfrom polypropylene.

7. A lock as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flexible strip element is formed on the end of a guitar strap.

8. A guitar strap lock substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.