GB2564440A

GB2564440A - Support post for a suspended tone bar

Info

Publication number: GB2564440A
Application number: GB1711071.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lin Yu-Chao
Original assignee: KHS Musical Instrument Co Ltd
Current assignee: KHS Musical Instrument Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-10
Filing date: 2017-07-10
Publication date: 2019-01-16
Also published as: GB201711071D0

Abstract

A support post 10 for a suspended tone bar 22 has a base 11, two side aims 12 protruding upward from a top of the base, a mounting recess 13 defined between the side arms 12, a recess bottom 131 defined in the mounting recess 13, and an upper opening 14 defined between upper ends 121 of the side arms 12. The upper opening corresponds in position to and is aligned with the recess bottom 131. Preferably the support posts are made of a soft material like rubber. The support posts may have a recess 15 in the bottom surface to fit over a peg on a frame member to which the support posts are attached. When placing a string into the mounting recesses 13 via the upper openings 14, the string can be directly placed on the recess bottoms 131. Accordingly, assembling procedures of the tone bars for a percussion instrument such as a marimba, xylophone or metallophone can be simplified and wear and tear occurring on the strings can be reduced.

Description

SUPPORT POST FOR A SUSPENDED TONE BAR 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a percussion instrument, especially to a support post for a suspended tone bar of a percussion instrument. 2. Description of the Prior Art(s) A percussion instrument, such as a marimba, a xylophone, a metallophone, or the like, comprises a supporting frame and multiple tone bars. The tone bars are disposed on the supporting frame and are stuck by mallets to produce musical tones. Moreover, the tone bars are arranged from short to long lengths and produce musical tones from higher to lower pitches.

Specifically, the percussion instrument further comprises multiple tone posts arranged on the supporting frame in two rows. The tone bars are stringed by two strings. The two strings are respectively mounted on the two rows of the support posts and an end of each of the tone bars is disposed between two of the support posts that are disposed next to each other. Thus, the tone bars are suspended over the supporting frame.

With further reference to Figs. 4 and 5, a conventional support post 30 is made of metal and has a base 31, a first side arm 32, a second side arm 33, a mounting recess 34, a retaining arm 35, and an opening 36. The first side arm 32 and the second side arm 33 separately protrude from a top of the base 31. The mounting recess 34 is defined between the first side arm 32 and the second side arm 33. A recess bottom 341 is defined at a deepest portion of the mounting recess 34. The retaining arm 35 extends from an upper end of the first side arm 32 toward an upper end of the second side arm 33 and is disposed above the recess bottom 341. The opening 36 is defined between a distal end of the retaining arm 35 and the upper end of the second side arm 33 and is misaligned with the recess bottom 341.

As shown in Fig. 5, a string 41 is mounted into the mounting recesses 34 via the opening 36 and moves along the second side arm 33 to the recess bottom 341 that is disposed below the retaining arm 35. Accordingly, the string 41 is blocked by the retaining arm 35 from leaving the mounting recess 34 by accident.

However, since the string 41 has to move downwardly and then laterally, procedures for mounting the string 41 on the conventional support posts 30 are not smooth. Moreover, the conventional support post 30 is made of metal. Thus, the string 41 wears and tears easily when moving along the second side arm 33 toward the first side arm 32. In addition, when the tone bars are stuck, the conventional support posts 30 that are made of metal also make noises, which influence timbre of the tone bars.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a support post for a suspended tone bar. The support post has a base, two side arms, a mounting recess, a recess bottom, and an upper opening. The side arms protrude upward from a top of the base and are spaced apart from each other. Each of the side arms has an upper end. The mounting recess is defined between the side arms. The recess bottom is defined at a deepest portion of the mounting recess. The upper opening is defined between the upper ends of the side arms and corresponds in position to and is aligned with the recess bottom.

When placing a string into the mounting recesses via the upper openings, the string can be directly placed on the recess bottoms. Accordingly, assembling procedures of the tone bars can be simplified, and wear and tear that occur on the strings and are caused by friction between the side arms and the strings can be effectively reduced. Moreover, as the support posts are made of soft material, such as the rubber material or the like, the wear and the tear that occur on the strings can be further reduced and noises can also be prevented. IN THE DRAWINGS:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a support post for a suspended tone bar in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged operational perspective view of the support post in

Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and exploded operational perspective view of the support post in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged and exploded operational perspective view of a conventional support post for a suspended tone bar in accordance with the prior art; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged operational side view of the conventional support post in Fig. 4.

With reference to Figs. 1, a support post 10 for a suspended tone bar comprises a base 11, two side arms 12, a mounting recess 13, a recess bottom 131, an upper opening 14, and a locating recess 15.

The base 11 has a top and a bottom surface.

The side arms 12 protrude upward from the top of the base 11 and are spaced apart from each other. Each of the side arms 12 has an upper end 121. The mounting recess 13 is defined between the side arms 12. The recess bottom 131 is defined at a deepest portion of the mounting recess 13. The upper opening 14 is defined between the upper ends 121 of the side arms 12. The upper opening 14 corresponds in position to and is aligned with the recess bottom 131.

The locating recess 15 is formed in the bottom surface of the base 11.

Preferably, the support post 10 is made of soft material, such as rubber material or the like.

With further reference to Figs. 2 and 3, a percussion instrument 21 includes a supporting frame 21, multiple tone bars 22, and two strings 23. The supporting frame 21 has a top surface and two rows of positioning protrusions 211. The two rows of the positioning protrusions 211 are disposed on the top surface of the supporting frame 21 and are spaced apart from each other. A plurality of the support posts 10 of the present invention are arranged on the top surface of the supporting frame 21 with the locating recess 15 of each of the support posts 10 being mounted around a corresponding one of the positioning protrusions 211, such that the support posts 10 are arranged on the top surface of the supporting frame 21 in two rows. Each of the tone bars 22 has a first end and a second end. One of the strings 23 is mounted through the first ends of the tone bars 22 and the other one of the strings 23 is mounted through the second ends of the tone bars 22. Each of the two strings 23 is mounted in the mounting recesses 13 of a corresponding one of the two rows of the support posts 10.

The support post 10 as described has the following advantages. Since the upper opening 14 defined between the upper ends 121 of the side arms 12 corresponds in position to and is aligned with the recess bottom 131 in the mounting recess 13, when placing each of the strings 23 into the mounting recesses 13 via the upper openings 14, the string 23 can be directly placed on the recess bottoms 131. Accordingly, assembling procedures of the tone bars 22 can be simplified, and wear and tear that occur on the strings 23 and are caused by friction between the side arms 12 and the strings 23 can be effectively reduced. Moreover, as the support posts 10 are made of the soft material, such as the rubber material or the like, the wear and the tear on the strings 23 can be further reduced. The support posts 10 that are made of the soft material also buffer the tone bars 22 from vibration transmitted through the strings 23, so as to prevent the noises. Consequently, timbre of the tone bars 22 are not be influenced.

Claims

CLAIM(S):

1. A support post (10) for a suspended tone bar (22) comprising: a base (11) having a top; two side arms (12) protruding upward from the top of the base (11) and spaced apart from each other, and each of the side arms (12) having an upper end (121); a mounting recess (13) defined between the side arms (12); a recess bottom (131) defined at a deepest portion of the mounting recess (13); and an upper opening (14) defined between the upper ends (121) of the side arms (12), and the upper opening (14) corresponding in position to and aligned with the recess bottom (131).

2. The support post (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base (11) has a bottom surface; and the support post (10) has a locating recess (15) formed in the bottom surface of the base (11).

3. The support post (10) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support post (10) is made of soft material.

4. The support post (10) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support post (10) is made of rubber material.