GB2542195A

GB2542195A - Musical instrument display stand

Info

Publication number: GB2542195A
Application number: GB1516174.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hepburn Andrew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-09-14
Filing date: 2015-09-14
Publication date: 2017-03-15
Also published as: GB201516174D0

Abstract

Musical instrument display stand for instruments having a body portion and a neck portion, the display stand comprises an elongate base member 10 for supporting a plurality of musical instrument body portions above the ground, an elongate upper member 14 for supporting a plurality of musical instrument neck portions, and a pair of spaced apart upright members 12a, 12b for fixing the upper member 14 at a predetermined orientation above the base member 10. Each upright member 12a, 12b is, or resembles, a musical instrument of the type to be displayed. The instruments may be guitars. The base member may comprise two parallel rails 10a, 10b supported above the ground between two bearing members 16a, 16b. The upper member 14 can include a number of neck-receiving recesses 20 along its length. Each upright member may have a neck portion 22 which is permanently or semi-permanently secured within one of the recesses 20.

Description

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DISPLAY STAND

The present invention relates to a musical instrument display stand and particularly, but not exclusively, to a stringed instrument display stand for holding and displaying a plurality of stringed instruments in a side-by-side relationship, and in a substantially upright orientation.

Display stands facilitate easy access to stringed instruments whilst securing them in a mutually spaced upright position so as to protect them against damage. It may be desirable to display multiple stringed instruments - for example guitars - to enable them to be viewed prior to purchase in a commercial environment, or viewed in a domestic environment by a private collector or musician.

One such display stand is disclosed in U.S. patent No. 6,800,798 and comprises a base structure for supporting a number of guitars above ground level and a raised bar extending above the base structure and connected thereto at its opposite distal ends by two uprights. The raised bar is provided with a number of spaced resting surfaces onto which the neck of a guitar may be rested. An alternative type of prior art display stand also disclosed in U.S. patent No. 6,800,798 comprises an elongate base member from which extends various resting surfaces for supporting only the base and lower rear sides of guitars, the entire display stand being supported on the ground by leg assemblies.

Display stands of the types mentioned above suffer from a number of shortcomings. For example, the former type of display stand is relatively tall and so may become unbalanced and unsteady, particularly as its centre of gravity shifts when instruments are removed. Both types of display stand typically comprise a number of unsightly rods, bars and uprights which tend to be rather unsightly, particularly when exposed once one or more instruments are removed from the stand.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an alternative musical instrument display stand which overcomes, or at least ameliorates, one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the present invention, there is provided a musical instrument display stand for instruments having a body portion and a neck portion, the display stand comprising: an elongate base member for supporting a plurality of musical instrument body portions above the ground; an elongate upper member for supporting a plurality of musical instrument neck portions; and a pair of spaced apart upright members for fixing the upper member at a predetermined orientation above the base member; wherein each upright member is, or is configured to resemble, a musical instrument of the type to be displayed.

It will be appreciated that by providing upright members which themselves are functional or non-functional musical instruments of the type to be displayed (or are configured to resemble such musical instruments), this not only ensures a better balance of the display stand, it also enhances its overall aesthetics, each irrespective of how many instruments are displayed thereon.

Optionally, the elongate base member comprises two substantially parallel spaced apart rails supported above the ground between two bearing members.

It will be appreciated that the spacing of the rails is arranged to be narrower than the width of the musical instruments to be displayed. This arrangement facilitates the supporting of a plurality of musical instruments in a side-by-side relationship whereby their main planes extend substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the rails.

Optionally, the respective rails are supported at different heights above the ground.

It will be appreciated that such an arrangement facilitates the displaying of musical instruments at an inclined orientation whereby the angle of inclination is dictated by the relative height difference between the spaced apart rails. The angle of inclination may be within a substantially vertical main plane of the musical instrument.

Optionally, the upper surface of each bearing member is shaped to substantially match the contour of an underside of the body portion of an upright member.

Alternatively, the upper surface of each bearing member is fixed to an underside of the body portion of an upright member.

Optionally, the elongate upper member is provided with a plurality of spaced apart neckreceiving recesses along its length.

Optionally, the elongate upper member is connected between upper parts of the necks of the two upright members.

Optionally, the upper parts of the necks of the two upright members are each fixed within a neck-receiving recess.

Optionally, the upright members are provided proximate the respective opposite distal ends of the elongate upper member and/or the elongate base member.

Alternatively, the upright members are provided remote, yet equidistant, from the respective opposite distal ends of the elongate upper member and/or the elongate base member.

Optionally, the elongate base member and the elongate upper member each extend in a straight line; and the respective main planes of the upright members are arranged to be substantially mutually parallel.

Alternatively, the elongate base member and the elongate upper member each extend in a curved line and the respective main planes of the upright members are arranged to be non-parallel.

Optionally, each upright member is, or is configured to resemble, a guitar of the type to be displayed.

The upright members may be in the form of functional or non-functional guitars which are identical to some or all of the guitars to be displayed. Alternatively, the upright members may be in the form of functional or non-functional guitars which are not identical (i.e. in shape and/or surface decoration and/or material type and/or colour] to guitars of the type to be displayed. Non-functional guitars may be provided in the form of profiles of metal, wood or plastics material matching the overall outline shape of the types of guitars of the type to be displayed, but being significantly thinner than a functional guitar. For example, a metallic upright member having a consistent thickness of 12 mm over both its body and neck portions may be employed. This minimises the width of the upright members as compared to functional or non-functional guitars whilst maintaining sufficient strength and stability characteristics; and fulfilling the overall aesthetic characteristics of the display stand.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams, in which:-

Fig. 1 shows an empty guitar display stand; and

Fig. 2 shows the guitar display stand of Fig. 1 holding six guitars;

Fig. 1 shows an empty guitar display stand comprising an elongate base member 10, two upright members 12a, 12b and an elongate upper member 14. The elongate base member 10 is constructed from two parallel rails 10a, 10b - which will usually be at least 100 cm in length - the opposite ends of which are permanently or semi-permanently connected between two bearing members 16a, 16b. In the illustrated example, the rails 10a, 10b are each provided with screw threads at their opposing distal ends which extend through width-wise bores in the bearing members 16a, 16b. The screw threads extend beyond the outside surfaces of the bearing members 16a, 16b thereby allowing the rails 10a, 10b to be secured thereto my means of suitable fasteners such as hex bolts.

As is more apparent from Fig. 2, rail 10a extends between the bearing members 16a, 16b at a height which is marginally higher than the other rail 10b. This is facilitated by of the width-wise bores being provided an offset height relative to the other. Similarly, the upper surface profile of each bearing member 16a, 16b is arranged to be asymmetric about a central longitudinal axis extending between, and parallel to, the two bearing members 16a, 16b.

The upright members 12a, 12b are permanently or semi-permanently secured to the respective bearing members 16a, 16b. Notwithstanding its asymmetry, the upper surface profile of each bearing member 16a, 16b is arranged to match the contour of a lower surface of the guitar body portion 18 of each upright member 12a, 12b. The overall effect is that the upright members 12a, 12b are each inclined relative to vertical.

The elongate upper member 14 - which will usually be at least 100 cm in length and equal to or longer than the rails 10a, 10b - is provided with eight equally spaced neck-receiving recesses 20 along its length. The guitar neck portions 22 of each upright member 12a, 12b are each permanently or semi-permanently secured within one of the neck-receiving recesses 20. In the illustrated example, the guitar neck portions 22 of each upright member 12a, 12b are secured to the two most distal neck-receiving recesses 20 situated proximate the opposite distal ends of the elongate upper member 14. In doing so, the guitar display stand is constructed whereby two upright members 12a, 12b in the form of functional or non-functional guitars are braced apart between the elongate base and upper members 10, 14. By virtue of the aforementioned inclination of the two upright members 12a, 12b, the elongate upper member 14 is laterally offset with respect to the aforementioned central longitudinal axis extending between, and parallel to, the two bearing members 16a, 16b.

The guitar display stand of Fig. 1 can receive and display six further guitars of the same or similar type and/or appearance in a secure, inclined and mutually spaced side-by-side relationship (see Fig. 2). The structural rigidity of the guitar display stand is enhanced by the permanent presence of the two upright members 12a, 12b thus maintaining a sufficient degree of balance irrespective of the number and distribution of guitars being displayed thereon.

From an aesthetic perspective, a viewer will not readily be able to distinguish the fixed, structural guitar upright members from the guitars being displays. The elongate upper member 14 therefore appears as though it is floating without any obvious structural support. The guitar display stand of the present invention therefore couples a modern and minimalist design with an improved structural rigidity.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example and for the purposes of illustration only. The aforementioned embodiments are not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims. It is contemplated by the inventors that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, the display stand may be adapted for displaying acoustic guitars or musical instruments other than guitars which have enlarged bodies and narrower necks, e.g. violins, cellos, double bass and the like. Furthermore, although in the described embodiment six guitars are shown, the dimensions of the apparatus may be selected to accommodate a far fewer or greater number of musical instruments.

Claims

1. A musical instrument display stand for instruments having a body portion and a neck portion, the display stand comprising: an elongate base member for supporting a plurality of musical instrument body portions above the ground; an elongate upper member for supporting a plurality of musical instrument neck portions; and a pair of spaced apart upright members for fixing the upper member at a predetermined orientation above the base member; wherein each upright member is, or is configured to resemble, a musical instrument of the type to be displayed.

2. A musical instrument display stand according to claim 1, wherein the elongate base member comprises two substantially parallel spaced apart rails supported above the ground between two bearing members.

3. A musical instrument display stand according to claim 2, wherein the respective rails are supported at different heights above the ground.

4. A musical instrument display stand according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper surface of each bearing member is shaped to substantially match the contour of an underside of the body portion of an upright members.

5. A musical instrument display stand according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper surface of each bearing member is fixed to an underside of the body portion of an upright members.

6. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the elongate upper member is provided with a plurality of spaced apart neck-receiving recesses along its length.

7. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the elongate upper member is connected between upper parts of the necks of the two upright members.

8. A musical instrument display stand according to claim 7, wherein the upper parts of the necks of the two upright members are each fixed within a neck-receiving recess.

9. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the upright members are provided proximate the respective opposite distal ends of the elongate upper member and/or the elongate base member.

10. A musical instrument display stand according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the upright members are provided remote, yet equidistant, from the respective opposite distal ends of the elongate upper member and/or the elongate base member.

11. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the elongate base member and the elongate upper member each extend in a straight line; and the respective main planes of the upright members are arranged to be substantially mutually parallel.

12. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the elongate base member and the elongate upper member each extend in a curved line and the respective main planes of the upright members are arranged to be non-parallel.

13. A musical instrument display stand according to any preceding claim, wherein each upright member is, or is configured to resemble, a guitar of the type to be displayed.