NZ587777A - An attachable stand for a stringed musical instrument and methods for its use and manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment for a stringed musical instrument is disclosed. The instrument (12) includes a body with a standing end. The attachment (1) includes a mating surface configured to engage with the standing end of the instrument, and a support surface. The horizontal cross- section mating and support surfaces are approximately equal to, or less than, the ground space that is taken up by the musical instrument when it is placed on its standing end. The width of the support surface is approximately equal to the depth of the body of the musical instrument.

Description

Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee: $250.00 James & Wells Ref: 131928/47 RD PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No: 587777 Dated: 3 September 2010 AN ACCESSORY FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND A METHOD FOR ITS USE I Darryl McAIister, an Australian citizen of 19 Bexhill Terrace, Tirau, New Zealand do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement: Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD AN ACCESSORY FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND A METHOD FOR ITS USE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an accessory for musical instruments. The invention has particular application to an accessory for stringed musical instruments.

BACKGROUND ART When a musical instrument such as a guitar or banjo is not in use, it is usually 10 placed in a case or on a stand. Generally, if the musician is only resting or stopped playing for a short period of time, they tend to place the guitar upon a stand.

Usually the stand orientates the guitar such that it is standing. This means that the musician merely needs to grab the neck of the guitar in order to pick it up when resuming play. If the guitar is lying down, not only does it require considerably 15 more floor space, it is vulnerable to being stepped on, and furthermore, the musician must stoop or bend down to pick the guitar up.

If a stand for the musical instrument is to be used, then this is another apparatus that the musician must carry in addition to the musical instrument and associated paraphernalia.

Conventional stands for musical instruments such as guitars are usually relatively complex structures formed from aluminum tubing or the like. An example of such a device is disclosed in United States patent No. 5664756.

The apparatus disclosed in this patent consists of a tripod A-frame structure, with arms extending outwards in a lateral plane from the otherwise vertically orientated 25 A-frame. The arms receive the base of the body of a guitar, and an extension 2 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD arising from the apex of the A-frame receives the neck of the guitar.

While the apparatus disclosed in United States Patent No. 5664756 does an adequate job in supporting the guitar, its various components makes production and assembly of the stand relatively time consuming and expensive.

Furthermore, the apparatus needs to be stored during transit. Unless the case or the bag containing the guitar is large enough, a separate bag is often required to carry the stand when not in use. This means more paraphernalia and weight that must be carried by the musician in transit.

Even if the guitar case or bag is large enough, the stand will still add extra weight 10 to the bag.

Some guitars include built in stands, such as that disclosed in PCT Publication No. 2006/129103. However, such devices add weight to the guitar while in use. This can be particularly burdensome for the musician if they are playing for extended periods of time, such as when playing in a concert or busking.

Furthermore, it is often necessary to modify the body of the guitar with which the apparatus is to be used. Such modifications usually involve the drilling of the hole into the guitar body in order to create a fitting into which a screw can be inserted in order to secure such a built in stand to the guitar.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least 20 to provide the public with a useful choice.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and 25 pertieniency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a 3 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

Throughout this specification, the word "comprise", or variations thereof such as 5 "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 10 from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an attachment for a stringed musical instrument, wherein the instrument includes a body and wherein the body has a standing end, the attachment including a mating surface configured to engage with the standing end of the instrument, and a support surface, and characterised in that the mating and support surfaces are approximately equal to or less than the 20 footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its standing end.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using an attachment for a stringed musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument includes a body, wherein the body has a standing end, wherein the attachment is as substantially described above, the method including steps of: 4 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD a) attaching the attachment to the standing end of the body of the musical instrument, and b) placing the musical instrument on its standing end such that the attachment supports the musical instrument.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an attachment for a stringed musical instrument substantially as described above, wherein the musical instrument includes a body, wherein the body has a standing end, the method including steps of: a) forming an attachment, and b) configuring the attachment with a mating surface to engage with the standing end of the instrument, and a support surface, wherein the mating and support surfaces are approximately equal to or less than the footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its end.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stringed 15 musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument includes a body, and a standing end, characterised in that the standing end of the musical instrument is provided with a support surface 20 approximately equal or less than the footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its standing end.

Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a stringed musical instrument substantially as described above, wherein the method including the steps of: a) forming a body for a stringed musical instrument, and b) configuring the body with a support surface, wherein the support surface is approximately equal or less than the footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its standing end.

The invention may be used with any suitable musical instrument that is held by a person when in use. For example, the present invention may be used with 10 woodwind instruments or the like. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that this is not meant to be limiting.

Preferably, the invention may be used with any suitable stringed musical instrument. The inventor envisions that the present invention is most likely to be used with an acoustic guitar, due to the world wide prevalence of this instrument. 15 Reference shall now be made throughout the remainder of this specification to the stringed musical instrument being a guitar.

The guitar should be understood to have a body which has a top (which is the side of the guitar which carries the "bridge", and in acoustic guitars the "bridge and "sound hole") and back. The neck and "heel" of the guitar extends from one end of 20 the body, while the other end of the body may be thought of as the standing end.

It should be understood that the guitar has a footprint, this being the floor or ground space that is taken up by the guitar. When placed on its standing end, the guitar will have a footprint equivalent to the dimensions of the widest and deepest dimensions of the guitar when viewed from directly above. When referring to the 25 height of the guitar, this should be understood to mean the distance between the 6 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD standing end of the guitar body to the top of the neck of the guitar. The width refers to the distance between the sides of the guitar, and the depth to the distance between the top surface and the bottom surface.

Conventional guitar stands support the guitar by cradling the body of the guitar at 5 its standing end, with support arms extending up the back of the body.

The present invention provides is an attachment for a guitar which allows it to be stood up on its standing end without requiring support arms or the like, with the footprint of the attachment being significant portion of the footprint of the body of the guitar when placed on its standing end. Reference shall now be made to the 10 attachment as being a base.

The base should be understood to have a mating surface, which engages with the standing end of the body of the guitar, and a support surface (the underside of the base) which contacts the ground.

The base should be understood to include a front face and a rear face.

The rear face should be understood to mean the side of the base that is in line or in the same plane as the back of the body of the guitar when the base is attached to the guitar.

The front face should be understood to mean the side of the base that is in line or is in the same plane as the top surface (often referred to as the "sound board") of 20 the guitar when the base is attached to the guitar.

In preferred embodiments, the front and rear faces are smooth and continuous surfaces. This provides a degree of aesthetic appeal and also allows the base to be personalised though application of stickers and the like. 7 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD However, it is not outside of the scope of the present invention that the base be constructed as a one piece open framework structure. In such an embodiment, it will be appreciated that the faces are not a smooth and continuous surface.

The mating surface is configured to be complementary to the musical instrument 5 with which the base is to be used.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, which is to be used with an acoustic guitar, the mating surface is smooth between the front and rear face of the base. This complements the configuration of the standing end of the body of the guitar which is also smooth in most instances.

However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the mating surface may vary according to the instrument with which it is to be used.

Preferably, the width of the mating surface and the support surface is no more than the depth of the guitar body and the length is no more than the width of the guitar body such that these dimensions of the base approximate the footprint of the guitar 15 when it is placed on its standing end.

It is not beyond the scope of the present invention for the mating surface and/or the support surface to be less than the footprint of the guitar when it is placed on its standing end. However, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a significant reduction in the footprint of the support surface and/or mating surfaces 20 may mean that the invention offers less stability due to the reduction in surface or contact area with both the ground and the body of the guitar.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the width of the body is approximately equal to the depth of the guitar body. Keeping the dimensions to the approximate depth of the end of the body of the guitar ensures that no part of the 25 base extends past the plane of the top and back surfaces of the guitar. This is 8 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD preferred from a packaging aspect, as it makes it easier for the guitar to be placed into its case or bag with the base still attached.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the length of the body is approximately half to two thirds of the width of the guitar body at its widest point. A 5 length greater than this will mean that the base is not only relatively high at its ends, but may prevent a guitar with the base fitted from being placed into a conventional guitar case.

A length of less than half the width of the guitar means that the available surface area to engage with the guitar and ground may not be sufficient to provide a robust 10 and stable platform for the guitar. It would be vulnerable to being easily knocked over without recovering its balance.

The height of the base should be kept to a minimum for this reason. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the height of the present invention may vary along the front face. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the greater the height 15 of the base, the higher the centre of gravity of the guitar when the base is used. Keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible is preferred for maximising the stability of the guitar when the base is fitted.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the mating surface (between the base and the guitar) is concave (to complement the standing end of the guitar 20 which usually has a convex profile) while the support surface of the base is substantially flat. This means that at the deepest portion of the mating surface, the height of the base is reduced relative to the shallowest portion of the mating surface, which is at the ends of the base.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that this means that at the sides of the 25 base, there is space for a small compartment or the like within the base. This may be used for storing accessories such as guitar picks and spare strings and the like. 9 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD This may not be possible in embodiments of the present invention in which the base is an open framework structure.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that a guitar, when placed on its end, is off-balance in a vertical orientation. This is due to the neck and heel of the guitar, 5 which extends from the top surface of the guitar body. Thus, the overall balance of the guitar favors the top surface.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, while the support surface of the base is substantially flat, the mating surface is tapered from the front face to the rear face. This, when mated with a guitar, allows a guitar to stand off centre and 10 not over balance due to the weight of the neck of the guitar.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the support surface of the base includes a plurality of feet. In these embodiments, the feet, which may be pegs or suitable shaped protrusions, are located at the four corners of the base in a plan view.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the support surface includes a friction surface to assist in ensuring a stable platform for the base and the guitar to which it is fitted. The friction surface may be configured in a variety of ways readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

For example, the friction surface may be a plurality of ridges or protrusions or the 20 like. In other embodiments, the friction surface may be a coating or rubber or similar material. The purpose of the friction surface is to increase the surface tension between the base and the surface on which the base is placed. This helps assist with the stability of the invention.

Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD To secure the base to the body of the guitar, at least one aperture is provided for a fastener such as a screw, bolt or the like. The aperture extends through the base, running between the mating surface and the support surface of the base.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the aperture is centrally located 5 such that it corresponds with the location of the strap button located on the standing end of a conventional guitar. The strap button allows the use of the strap or sling so that the guitar is supported over the shoulders of the user of the guitar.

In conventional guitars (both electric and acoustic) the strap button is held in place with a screw or the like.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the aperture of the base corresponds with the position of the screw fitting of the strap button in most guitars. Thus, the base can be held in place with a screw passing through the base into the strap button's screw fitting. This means that it is not necessary to modify or damage a conventional guitar in order to use the present invention.

The front face and / or the rear face of the base may be provided with a fitting to allow the guitar strap to be fitted to the base via a fastener, such as a screw, bolt or the like.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the fastener fittings are located towards the left and right ends of the front face of the base. These ends will have 20 a greater height, and therefore space, than the centre of the face of the base. Having screw fittings at both ends allows the user to locate the sling according to their preference to play left or right handed.

The base may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as aluminum or a light wood. 11 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD However, in preferred embodiments of the present invention, the base is manufactured from plastic material. The invention is readily and simply manufactured using conventional plastic moulding techniques, which minimises the costs of materials and production.

When standing and playing the guitar for lengthy periods of time, the musician's arms can become fatigued, even with the assistance of a strap over the shoulders to help bear the weight of the guitar. Manufacturing the base from plastic materials keeps the weight of a base to a minimum, reducing the burden on the musician when playing the guitar with the base fitted.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the base may be integrated with the guitar body in a unitary form, such that the standing end of the guitar (which in conventional guitars is rounded) is pre-configured to stand in a vertical orientation.

In such embodiments, the base will lack a mating surface (as it is unitary with the guitar body) but have a front and rear face, which would be extensions of the top and back face of the guitar body.

The base would be provided with a support surface to allow the guitar to be stood up on its standing end.

Thus, rather than being a separate attachment to the guitar, the base is an integral component of the guitar. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that 20 this may mean modification in the manufacture of conventional guitar bodies.

It will be appreciated that the present invention offers a number of advantages over the prior art, including: • Simple and cost effective to manufacture; 12 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD • Minimal assembly required as the base simply screws to the bottom end of the guitar; • Has only minimal effect on the portability of the guitar due to its lack of weight; • Allows for the use of conventional guitar cases and the bags due to the small size of the base; • may be fitted both temporarily or permanently to the musical instrument. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing 10 description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a end view of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the present invention attached to the body of a guitar, and Figure 5 is an alternative embodiment of the present invention, in which the invention is integrated into the body of a guitar.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention (1) a base or stand for a guitar (not shown), is illustrated in Figure 1. The base consists of a mating surface (2) and a support surface (not shown). 13 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD The mating surface (2) is concave, in order to complement the shape of a conventional acoustic guitar (not shown) which is typically convex in profile at the end of the guitar body (not shown).

The base (1) is provided with a central aperture (3), through which a screw or 5 similar fitting (not shown) may pass in order to fasten the base to the guitar (not shown) with which it is to be used. The aperture (3) aligns with the strap button's screw fitting (not shown) which is usually found at the end of the body of a conventional guitar (not shown).

In Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the base (1) itself is provided with strap 10 button screw fittings (4, 5). Depending on the playing preference of the user (left or right handed) the strap button of the strap (not shown) may be inserted into either the left (4) or right (5) fitting. This allows the user to optimise the position of the strap for their playing comfort.

The concave shape of the mating surface (2) can also be appreciated in Figure 2. 15 The height of the base (1) is at its greatest at the extreme left (6) and right (7) of the base (1). The height is most reduced at the centre (8) of the base (1). This keeps the overall profile of the base (1) to a minimum.

Turning now to Figure 3, it will be appreciated that the mating surface (2) of the base (1) tapers inwardly from the front face (9) of the base (1) to the rear face (10) 20 of the base (1). This allows the guitar (not shown), when used with the base (1), to sit off centre and not over balance when the support surface (11) is placed on the ground.

As can be appreciated in Figure 4, the width of the base (1) itself is no wider than the body of the guitar (12) to which it is fitted, while the length of the base (1) is 25 approximately a half to two thirds of the width of the guitar body (12) at it's widest point.. This keeps the base as small as possible, for packaging and storage 14 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD purposes, while at the same time maximizing the available surface area on which the base (1) stands. In this view, the fitting (4) for the strap may be seen.

The present invention may also be integrated into a conventional guitar as illustrated in Figure 5. In this embodiment, the body (13) and base (14) of the 5 guitar (15) is a single unitary structure. The support surface (11) is simply the bottom end of the body of the guitar (13).

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An attachment for a stringed musical instrument, wherein the instrument includes a body and wherein the body has a standing end, the attachment including a mating surface configured to engage with the standing end of the instrument, and a support surface, and characterised in that the mating and support surfaces are approximately equal to, or less than, the footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its standing end, and wherein the width of the support surface is approximately equal to the depth of the body of the musical instrument.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the attachment includes a front face and a rear face.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mating surface tapers from the front face to the rear face.

4. An attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the mating surface is configured to be complementary to the standing end of the musical instrument.

5. An attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the mating surface is concave.

6. An attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the support surface is substantially flat. 16 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD

7. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment includes an aperture for a fastener extending between the support surface to the mating surface.

8. An attachment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the fastener is a screw.

9. An attachment as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the front face includes apertures for a fastener.

10. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the support surface includes a friction surface.

11. An attachment as claimed in claim 10 wherein the friction surface is a plurality of protrusions.

12. An attachment as claimed in claim 10 wherein the friction surface is a rubber coating.

13. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment includes a compartment.

14. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the stringed musical instrument is a guitar.

15. A method of using an attachment for a stringed musical instrument as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the musical instrument includes a body, wherein the body has a standing end, the method including the steps of: a) attaching the attachment to the standing end of the body of the musical instrument, and b) placing the musical instrument on its standing end such that the 17 Received at IPONZ 15 February 2011 James & Wells 131928/47 RD attachment supports the musical instrument.

16. A method of manufacturing an attachment for a stringed musical instrument as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the musical instrument includes a body, wherein the body has a standing end, the method including steps of: a) forming an attachment, and b) configuring the attachment with a mating surface and a support surface, wherein the mating and support surfaces are approximately equal to or less than the footprint of the musical instrument when it is placed on its end.

17. An attachment for a stringed musical instrument substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying figures.

18. A method of using an attachment for a stringed musical instrument substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying figures.

19. A method of manufacturing an attachment for a stringed musical instrument substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying figures. Darryl McAIister 18