Bowed Stringed Instrument Mute with Acoustical Internal Cavities

Abstract

A mute for a bowed stringed musical instrument. A main body with a string glide opening receives an instrument string, and a three-dimensional array of cavities is encased within the main body. A clamping tongue establishes a channel between the clamping tongue and the main body, and a three-dimensional array of cavities is encased within the clamping tongue. The arrays of cavities are separated by an interior acoustic wall that can traverse generally in a longitudinal direction and that can have a portion contiguous with the channel. The arrays of cavities can be defined by matrices of material formed by plural layers of material, such as plural layers of filamentary material, joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing. Plural different materials can be joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing to form portions of the mute. The string glide opening can be teardrop-shaped and can receive a string through an S-shaped string insertion slot.

Claims

1. A mute for a bowed stringed musical instrument with an instrument body, an instrument bridge retained by the instrument body, and a plurality of strings retained to span over the instrument bridge, the mute comprising: a main body with a distal end, a proximal end, and an inner volume; a string glide opening through the main body for receiving a string of the stringed musical instrument; and at least one cavity within the inner volume of the main body; wherein the mute has a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a depth.

2. The mute of claim 1 wherein there is an array of cavities in the inner volume of the main body.

3. The mute of claim 2 wherein the array of cavities in the inner volume of the main body is disposed in three dimensions.

4. The mute of claim 3 wherein the array of cavities in the inner volume of the main body is enveloped within a shell of material of the main body.

5. The mute of claim 4 wherein the array of cavities is formed by a plurality of cavities disposed in series in a longitudinal direction of the main body, a plurality of cavities disposed in series in a lateral direction of the main body, and a plurality of cavities disposed in series over a depth of the main body.

6. The mute of claim 1 further comprising a clamping tongue with a portion fixed to the main body, a portion that extends generally in the longitudinal direction spaced from the main body to establish a channel between the clamping tongue and the main body, and an inner volume.

7. The mute of claim 6 further comprising at least one cavity in the inner volume of the clamping tongue.

8. The mute of claim 7 wherein there is an array of cavities in the inner volume of the clamping tongue.

9. The mute of claim 7 wherein the array of cavities in the inner volume of the clamping tongue is disposed in three dimensions.

10. The mute of claim 9 wherein the array of cavities in the inner volume of the clamping tongue is enveloped within a shell of the clamping tongue.

11. The mute of claim 9 wherein the array of cavities is formed by a plurality of cavities disposed in series in the longitudinal direction of the clamping tongue, a plurality of cavities disposed in series in the lateral direction of the clamping tongue, and a plurality of cavities disposed in series over a depth of the clamping tongue.

12. The mute of claim 8 wherein there is an array of cavities in the inner volume of the main body and wherein the array of cavities in the inner volume of the clamping tongue are separated by an interior acoustic wall that traverses between the array of cavities in the inner volume of the main body and the array of cavities in the inner volume of the clamping tongue.

13. The mute of claim 12 wherein the interior acoustic wall traverses generally in the longitudinal direction.

14. The mute of claim 1 wherein the at least one cavity in the inner volume of the main body is defined by a matrix of material and wherein the matrix of material comprises plural layers of material joined to form the matrix of material through three-dimensional additive manufacturing.

15. The mute of claim 14 wherein the matrix of material comprises plural layers of filamentary material joined to form the matrix of material.

16. The mute of claim 15 wherein one or more portions of the mute are formed by plural layers of a first material joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing to form the portion or portions and wherein one or more other portions of the mute are formed by plural layers of a second, different material joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing to form the other portion or portions of the mute.

17. The mute of claim 15 wherein the matrix of material is infilled at between approximately 30% and 55% of infilled material.

18. The mute of claim 1 wherein the string glide opening comprises a teardrop-shaped opening through the main body with a rounded proximal end and a distal end, wherein the main body has a first C-bout to one lateral side thereof and a second C-bout to a second lateral side thereof, and further comprising a string insertion slot through the main body that traverses from being open to an exterior portion of the main body to being open to the string glide opening.

19. The mute of claim 17 wherein the string insertion slot is curved.

20. The mute of claim 1 wherein the string insertion slot enters the string glide opening from a location marginally distal to the proximal end of the string glide opening so that a J-hook is formed at the base of the string glide opening.

21. The mute of claim 1 further comprising a second string glide opening through the main body for receiving a string of the stringed musical instrument.

22. The mute of claim 1 wherein the main body of the mute is formed from a material comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane.

23. The mute of claim 22 wherein the at least a portion of the main body of the mute is formed by plural layers of thermoplastic polyurethane joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing.

24. The mute of claim 23 wherein the plural layers or thermoplastic polyurethane joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing have plural different colors and wherein the plural colors are determined through algorithms during the three-dimensional additive manufacturing.

25. The mute of claim 1 further comprising a filler material disposed within the at least one cavity within the inner volume of the main body.

26. A mute for a bowed stringed musical instrument with an instrument body, an instrument bridge retained by the instrument body, and a plurality of strings retained to span over the instrument bridge, the mute comprising: a body with a distal end, a proximal end, a first inner volume, and a second inner volume; a string glide opening through the main body for receiving a string of the stringed musical instrument; at least one cavity within the first inner volume; at least one cavity within the second inner volume; an interior acoustic wall between the first inner volume and the second inner volume; wherein the mute has a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a depth.

27. The mute of claim 26 wherein there is an array of cavities in the first inner volume and an array of cavities in the second inner volume.

28. The mute of claim 27 wherein the array of cavities in the first inner volume is disposed in three dimensions and wherein the array of cavities in the second inner volume is disposed in three dimensions.

29. The mute of claim 28 wherein the array of cavities in the first inner volume is enveloped within a shell of material and wherein the array of cavities of the second inner volume is enveloped within a shell of material.

30. The mute of claim 29 wherein each array of cavities is formed by a plurality of cavities disposed in series in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of cavities disposed in series in the lateral direction, and a plurality of cavities disposed in series over a portion of the depth of the main body.

31. The mute of claim 26 wherein the mute has a main body and a clamping tongue with a portion fixed to the main body and a portion that extends generally in the longitudinal direction spaced from the main body to establish a channel between the clamping tongue and the main body, wherein the first inner volume is disposed within the main body, and wherein the second inner volume is disposed within the clamping tongue.

32. The mute of claim 31 wherein the interior acoustic wall traverses generally in the longitudinal direction between the at least one cavity in the first inner volume and the at least one cavity in the second inner volume.

33. The mute of claim 26 wherein the at least one cavity in the first inner volume and the at least one cavity in the second inner volume are each defined by a matrix of material and wherein the matrix of material comprises plural layers of material joined to form the matrix of material through three-dimensional additive manufacturing.

34. The mute of claim 33 wherein each matrix of material comprises plural layers of filamentary material joined to form the matrix of material.

35. The mute of claim 34 wherein one or more portions of the mute are formed by plural layers of a first material joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing to form the portion or portions and wherein one or more other portions of the mute are formed by plural layers of a second, different material joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing to form the other portion or portions of the mute.

36. A mute for a bowed stringed musical instrument with an instrument body, an instrument bridge retained by the instrument body, and a plurality of strings retained to span over the instrument bridge, the mute comprising: a main body with a distal end, a proximal end, an inner volume between a first face and a second face; a string glide aperture through the main body for receiving a string of the stringed musical instrument wherein the string glide aperture has a generally teardrop shape with a conical intake chamfer that tapers from the first face to the second face.

37. The mute of claim 36 further comprising a string insertion slot through the main body that traverses from being open to an exterior portion of the main body to being open to the string glide aperture wherein the string insertion slot is curved.

38. The mute of claim 37 wherein the string insertion slot enters the string glide aperture from a location marginally distal to a proximal end of the string glide aperture so that a J-hook is formed at the base of the string glide aperture.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] This patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

[0041] In the accompanying drawing figures:

[0042] FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a mute for stringed instruments according to the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments;

[0044] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the mute for stringed instruments taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

[0045] FIG. 3B is a further cross-sectional view of the mute for stringed instruments;

[0046] FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the mute for stringed instruments;

[0047] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments applied to an instrument in a muting position;

[0048] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments applied to an instrument in a resting position;

[0049] FIG. 6 is a view in front elevation of an alternative mute for stringed instruments according to the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments of FIG. 6;

[0051] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mute for stringed instruments taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 6;

[0052] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments of FIG. 6 applied to an instrument in a muting position;

[0053] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the mute for stringed instruments of FIG. 6 applied to an instrument in a resting position;

[0054] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another alternative mute for stringed instruments according to the present invention; and

[0055] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a mute for stringed instruments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] Mutes for stringed instruments according to the invention disclosed herein are subject to a wide variety of embodiments. However, to ensure that one skilled in the art will be able to understand and, in appropriate cases, practice the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of the broader invention revealed herein are described below and shown in the accompanying drawing figures. Before particular embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention.

[0057] Looking more particularly to the drawings, an embodiment of a mute for stringed instruments according to the invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 through 5. There, the mute 10 is founded on a generally symmetrical main body 12 that can be considered to have a longitudinal centerline L. A central opening, which can be considered keyhole shaped or teardrop shaped, extends through the main body 12 thereby forming a string glide aperture 14. A conical intake 22 is disposed at the top or distal end of the string guide aperture 14 for engaging a string 104 of a stringed musical instrument 100 as, for instance, in FIG. 4. The stringed musical instrument 100 has a plurality of strings 104 that are secured in relation to a body 102 of the instrument 100 to pass over an instrument bridge 106. The conical intake 22 permits the mute 10 to ride up onto the windings of the string 104 while the mute 10 is disengaged from the bridge 106 of the musical instrument 100. The conical intake 22 increases the surface area contacted by the string windings, which in turn creates additional friction between the string 104 and the mute 10 to prevent the mute 10 from inadvertently rattling or bouncing on the string 104.

[0058] The main body 12 of the mute 10 has a first C-bout 16 to one lateral side thereof and a second C-bout 18 to a second lateral side thereof. The C-bouts 16 and 18 define lateral inlets that face outwardly from the longitudinal centerline L of the main body 12. The inlets of the C-bouts 16 and 18 facilitate placement and retention of the mute 10 between first and second strings 104 of a stringed musical instrument 100. A gripping nub 24 projects longitudinally from the main body 12 along the longitudinal centerline L to facilitate manipulation of the mute 10.

[0059] For convenience of discussion, the main body 12 can be considered to have a distal end from which the gripping nub 24 projects and a proximal end opposite the distal end. The mute 10 and components thereof can be considered to have a longitudinal dimension along the centerline L, a lateral dimension laterally orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, and a depth.

[0060] A string insertion slot 20 traverses from being open to the exterior portion of the main body 12 to being open to the string glide aperture 14. By use of the string insertion slot 20, a musician can readily attach or detach the mute 10 to a single string 104 of a stringed musical instrument 100 by causing the string 104 to pass through the slot 20. In this embodiment, the string insertion slot 20 is curved. More particularly, the string insertion slot 20 is S-shaped. The string insertion slot 20 enters the string glide aperture 14 from a location marginally distal to the proximal end of the string glide aperture 14. With that, a J-hook is formed by the material of the main body 12 at the base of the string glide aperture 14. The curved shape of the string insertion slot 20 and the J-hook formed within the main body 12 cooperate to prevent a musician from inadvertently detaching the mute 10 from a string 104 relative to which it is retained, such as during a quick transition from a bridge emplacement as in FIG. 4 to a resting position near the tailpiece. A fillet 25 is disposed at the outer end or entrance of the insertion slot 20 to facilitate a musician's being able to attach and detach the mute 10 to an instrument 100 using the touch sense alone.

[0061] The mute 10 can thus be attached to the instrument 100 by either insertion of the mute 10 between two strings 104 of the instrument 100 to cause the C-bouts 16 and 18 to be wedged between the strings 104 as in FIG. 4 or by sliding any strings 104 through insertion slot 20 and into the string glide aperture 14 as in FIG. 5, for instance. The J-hook formed at the base of the string glide aperture 14 prevents inadvertent detachment of the mute 10 from a string 104 received in the string glide aperture 14, such as might otherwise happen as a result of excessive vertical motion during movement of the mute 10 between the bridge 106 and resting position. To anchor the mute 10 to a string 104 while the mute 104 is not attached to the bridge 106, the mute 10 can be pulled towards the end-piece of the instrument 100 so that the mute 10 rides up onto the string winding via the conical intake 22.

[0062] As shown, for instance, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mute 10 has a divided clamping tongue 26 with left and right prongs thereof that are separated by a string glide channel 30 that terminates in an intake 32 at the end of the string glide channel 30 adjacent to the distal end of the main body 12. The prongs of the divided clamping tongue 26 traverse generally in the longitudinal direction and are spaced from the main body 12 of the mute 10. As a result, a channel 28 is established between the prongs of the clamping tongue 26 and the main body 12 of the mute 10. Under this construction, the mute 10 can be retained by causing a support structure to be received into the channel 28 between the clamping tongue 26 and the main body 12 of the mute 10. For instance, as shown in FIG. 4, the mute 10 can be stably retained relative to the bridge 106 of an instrument 100 by a pressing of the mute 10 onto the bridge 106 through the channel 28.

[0063] The mute 10 has an inner volume. More particularly, in this embodiment as is depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the mute 10 can be considered to have a first inner volume 34 and a second inner volume 36 separated by an interior acoustic wall 38. The first inner volume 34 is disposed within the main body 12, and the second inner volume 36 is disposed within the clamping tongue 26. The first inner volume 34 and the second inner volume 36 are separated by the interior acoustic wall 38, which traverses longitudinally from the distal end of the main body 12 to the point where the clamping tongue 26 separates from the main body 12 to form the channel 28.

[0064] The first inner volume 34 is enveloped within a shell of the main body 12 that is defined by a first wall that faces outwardly, a second wall that faces inwardly toward the clamping tongue 26, the interior acoustic wall 38, and a peripheral wall. The first and second walls have correspondingly contoured edges and are spaced by a distance that can be consistent or that can vary. The peripheral wall spans around the edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral wall cooperate to define an enclosed inner volume within the main body 12.

[0065] The second inner volume 36 is enveloped within a shell of the clamping tongue 26 that is defined by a first wall that faces outwardly, a second wall that faces inwardly toward the main body 12, the interior acoustic wall 38, and a peripheral wall. The first and second walls have correspondingly contoured edges and are spaced by a distance that can be consistent or that can vary. The peripheral wall spans around the edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral wall cooperate to define an enclosed inner volume within the clamping tongue 26.

[0066] The first inner volume 34 has an array of cavities 35 therein, and the second inner volume 36 has an array of cavities 39 therein. The cavities 35 and 39 comprise interstitial spaces within the material of the respective inner volumes 34 and 36. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 are separated by the acoustic wall 38. In this embodiment, the arrays of cavities 35 and 39 within the first and second inner volumes 34 and 36 are disposed symmetrically in three dimensions. Although it is not necessarily required to be within the scope of the invention, the arrays of cavities 35 and 39 each can be formed by a plurality of cavities 35 or 39 disposed in series in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of cavities 35 or 39 disposed in series in the lateral direction, and a plurality of cavities 35 or 39 disposed in series over a depth. As used herein, being disposed in series shall not require that the cavities 35 and 39 be disposed along a given line. Cavities 35 or 39 within a series may be so disposed, or they could be staggered or otherwise disposed. Each array of cavities 35 or 39 can be considered to have a volume of cavitation over which the cavities 35 or 39 are disposed in three dimensions. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 are thus encased in a continuous, solid outer casing or membrane. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 can, in certain embodiments, span all or substantially all of the inner volumes 34 and 36 of the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 within the walls from adjacent to the distal ends to adjacent to the proximal end, laterally across, and substantially as deep as the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 respectively.

[0067] In practices of the invention, the cavities 35 and 39 and the cavitation volume can be defined by a web or matrix of material 37 and 41. According to the invention disclosed herein, the cavitation volume and the cavities 35 and 39 therein can be formed by a joining of one or more filaments into a unified structure. Even more particularly, the inventors have discovered that great advantage can be achieved by forming the web 37 and 41 defining the cavitation volume and, potentially, the walls and the entire stringed instrument mute 10 by a three-dimensional printing process where the material of the web 37 and 41 and the mute 10 in general is joined or solidified under computer control to create the three-dimensional object. The mute 10 or portions thereof, such as the web 37 and 41 forming the cavitation volume, can be formed by adding material layer-by-layer in succeeding two-dimensional configurations to form the three-dimensional end product as FIG. 3B shows perhaps most clearly. Embodiments of the mute 10 are thus formed by three-dimensional printing from a predetermined computer-aided design model. In certain practices of the invention, mutes 10 with arrays of internal cavities 35 and 39 can be formed by a three-dimensional additive manufacturing process, such as fused filament fabrication where one or more filaments of plastic material are fed through a heated head that melts and extrudes the filamentary material and deposits it, layer after layer, in the desired shape. The head, a platform on which the mute 10 is formed, or both the head and the platform can move in relation to one another to permit the sequential deposition of the layers. Other, non-limiting three-dimensional additive manufacturing processes for forming mutes 10 include binder jetting, directed energy deposition, material extrusion, material jetting, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, stereolithography, and vat photopolymerization.

[0068] One method for producing mutes 10 as disclosed herein can be founded on providing a three-dimensional computer file with the three-dimensional design of the mute 10 as a predetermined computer-aided design model with characteristics as disclosed herein, including arrays of cavities 35 and 39. A three-dimensional additive manufacturing system, such as but not necessarily limited to a three-dimensional printer, can be provided. The computer-aided design model can be electronically communicated to the manufacturing system, which can be induced into operation to begin applying succeeding layers of material, such as filamentary polymeric material or other material, to a platform. A manufacturing head, such as a printing head, can be automatically moved in relation to a platform, such as by moving either or both of the head and the platform, according to the computer-aided design model. Material, such as heated filamentary material, is emitted from the head. The layers are joined or solidified under computer control to create the three-dimensional mute 10 with the interstitial cavities and other components as taught herein. In fused filament fabrication as a non-limiting example, one or more filaments of plastic material are fed through the heated head, melted, extruded, and deposited, layer upon layer, in the desired shape. Again, other three-dimensional additive manufacturing processes for forming mutes 10 are readily possible.

[0069] By use of three-dimensional additive manufacturing processes, the shape, size, and disposition of the cavities 35 and 39, the web 37 and 41 defining the cavities 35 and 39, and the entire stringed instrument mute 10 can be varied infinitely to achieve desired characteristics according to the invention. The mute 10 can be formed with rapidity as compared, for instance, to mutes formed of natural wood or leather while the highly desirable acoustic dampening characteristics of such material can be approximated or even improved upon. Hundreds of tiny air pockets disposed within the mute 10 can produce selectively controlled and varied acoustic dampening results approximating those of nuanced wood and leather while concomitantly providing the elasticity, flexibility, and economies of manufacture previously achieved by rubber mutes formed in simple molding processes but without the notable shortcomings of such mute structures.

[0070] In one illustrative but non-limiting example, the mute 10 is printed in a three-dimensional printing process using a polymeric material comprising 95A Shore hardness synthetic polymer known as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). TPU has been found to mimic the elasticity and flexibility of natural rubber without the associated hardening and discoloration problems introduced with the use of natural rubber. In other non-limiting practices of the invention, the mute 10 can be three-dimensionally printed using 85A Shore hardness thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or with a layered mix of the two materials or other materials depending on, for instance, the desired physical characteristics of the mute 10, such as flexibility, surface friction, and shape memory. 95A Shore hardness TPU has been found to have sufficient rigidity and is cost effective and efficient in manufacturing. 85A Shore hardness TPE has less rigidity and lower surface friction. According to the invention, portions of the mute 10 that interact directly with the bridge 106 and strings 104 can be printed from a first material, such as 85A Shore hardness TPE, to reduce friction noise and to allow the mute 10 to conform better to the shape of the bridge 106 and to accommodate string spacings while remaining portions of the mute 10 can be printed from a second material, such as 95A Shore hardness TPU.

[0071] Mutes 10 can be formed with differing densities of the internal cavities 35 and 39 and the webs 37 and 41 defining the same depending on the desired acoustic characteristics and on the respective instrument 100 for which the mute 10 is designed. By way of example, for violin mutes 10, the cavities 35 and 39 are infilled at between 30-35% of web material 37 and 41 using a layered two-dimensional linear grid or triangle pattern to create the desired acoustic effect. For viola mutes 10, the cavities 35 and 39 have been infilled at between 35-40% of web material 37 and 41 using a layered two-dimensional linear grid or triangle pattern to create the desired acoustic effect. Still further, for cello mutes 10, the cavities 35 and 39 are infilled at between 50-55% of web material 37 and 41 using a layered two-dimensional linear grid or triangle pattern to create the desired acoustic effect. The outer faces of the solid mutes 10 are 400 to 800 microns thick, and the shell walls are 600 to 1200 microns thick. Mutes 10 can be three-dimensionally printed under high pressure on hot glass to create an approximately 100 micron thick flexible skin for a first layer that extends beyond the end shape of the mute 10. This skin has been found to interact with the strings 104 to give an extra amount of friction and to hold the mute 10 in place when the mute 10 travels on the string windings. In certain practices of the invention, mutes are three-dimensionally printed using a 600-micron diameter nozzle and a 300-micron layer height, those exemplary dimensions having been determined to produce desirable manufacturing efficiency and material compatibility. However, it is also recognized that the diameter of the printing nozzle and the layer height impact the acoustic profiles of the mutes 10 so that they too can be adjusted as might be desired.

[0072] With additional reference to FIG. 3C, it is further possible pursuant to the invention to have the mute 10 formed with plural layers or thermoplastic polyurethane joined through three-dimensional additive manufacturing with the joined thermoplastic polyurethane having plural different colors. The plural colors could be determined through algorithms during the three-dimensional additive manufacturing. By way of example and not limitation, thermoplastic polyurethane of differing colors can be selectively or automatically dispensed and joined by computer algorithm retained in electronic memory operating through computer software and carried out by computer hardware in combination with three-dimensional additive manufacturing hardware.

[0073] Under the foregoing construction, the matrices of material 37 and 41 within the inner volumes 34 and 36 of the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 and the arrays of cavities 35 and 39 thereof are separated by the interior acoustic wall 38, which traverses longitudinally within the mute 10 and inline with an instrument bridge 106 when the mute 10 is mounted thereon in the muting position as in FIG. 4 with the C-bouts 16 and 18 used to guide the action of the mute 10. The interior acoustic wall 38 and the matrices of material 37 and 41 of the inner volumes 34 and 36 cooperate to disperse vibrations through the expanse of the mute 10, including to both inner volumes 34 and 36, to produce a more even muting effect as compared, for example, to the solid body construction of the original Kaston mute. The mute 10 as disclosed herein overcomes the deficiencies of the tediously constructed leather and wood mutes while providing the advantages of mute structures that can be produced rapidly and with great accuracy.

[0074] Looking further to FIG. 12, it is contemplated within particular embodiments of the invention that at least some cavities 35 and 39 within the mute 10 could be filled a filler material 52, such as a metal, a synthetic material, or some other material. By way of example and not limitation, a metal filler material 52 or a synthetic filler material containing metal particulates 52 could be disposed within one or more cavities 35 and 39. Again by way of illustrative but non-limiting example, such filler material 52 could be included to define a matrix within the cavity 35 or 39 when the mass and density of that matrix of filler material 52 within the cavity 35 or 39 is designed and incorporated specifically for increased volume reduction.

[0075] Numerous other embodiments of the stringed instrument mute 10 disclosed herein are possible, depending on a plurality of factors including the goals of the musician and the type of instrument. For instance, looking to FIGS. 6 through 10, an alternative embodiment of the mute 10 is depicted wherein the mute 10 is a double-hole variant. The mute 10 is again founded on a generally symmetrical main body 12 that can be considered to have a longitudinal centerline L. First and second openings, which can be considered keyhole shaped or teardrop shaped, are disposed in parallel laterally outwardly of the centerline L to extend through the main body 12 thereby forming string glide apertures 14A and 14B. Conical intakes 22A and 22B are disposed at the top or distal ends of the string guide apertures 14A and 14B for engaging strings 104 of a stringed musical instrument 100 as, for instance, in FIG. 9. The conical intakes 22A and 22B permit the mute 10 to ride up onto the windings of the string 104 while the mute 10 is disengaged from the bridge 106 of the musical instrument 100. The conical intakes 22A and 22B increase the surface area contacted by the string windings, which in turn creates additional friction between the string 104 and the mute 10 to prevent the mute 10 from inadvertently rattling or bouncing on the string 104.

[0076] A gripping nub 24 projects longitudinally from the main body 12 along the longitudinal centerline L to facilitate manipulation of the mute 10. The main body 12 can again be considered to have a distal end from which the gripping nub 24 projects and a proximal end opposite the distal end. A longitudinal dimension extends along the centerline L, a lateral dimension is disposed laterally orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, and the mute 10 has a depth.

[0077] A string insertion slot 20A traverses from being open to the exterior portion of the main body 12 to being open to the first string glide aperture 14A, and a second string insertion slot 20B traverses from being open to the exterior portion of the main body 12 to being open to the second string glide aperture 14B. By use of the string insertion slots 20A and 20B, a musician can readily attach or detach the mute 10 to strings 104 of a stringed musical instrument 100 by causing first and second strings 104 to pass through the slots 20A and 20B respectively. Each string insertion slot 20A and 20B enters the respective string glide aperture 14A or 14B from a location marginally distal to the proximal end of the string glide aperture 14A or 14B. With that, a J-hook is formed by the material of the main body 12 at the base of each string glide aperture 14A and 14B. The J-hooks formed within the main body 12 prevent a musician from inadvertently detaching the mute 10 from string 104 relative to which it is retained, such as during a quick transition from a bridge emplacement as in FIG. 9 to a resting position near the tailpiece.

[0078] As shown, for instance, in FIGS. 8 and 10, the mute 10 has a clamping tongue 26 with left and right slots therein forming string glide channels 40A and 40B that terminates in an intake at the end of the string glide channel 40A and 40B adjacent to the distal end of the main body 12. The divided clamping tongue 26 traverses generally in the longitudinal direction and the extending portion thereof is spaced from the main body 12 of the mute 10. As a result, a channel 28 is established between the clamping tongue 26 and the main body 12 of the mute 10. Under this construction, the mute 10 can be retained by causing a support structure to be received into the channel 28 between the clamping tongue 26 and the main body 12 of the mute 10. For instance, as shown in FIG. 9, the mute 10 can be stably retained relative to the bridge 106 of an instrument 100 by a pressing of the mute 10 onto the bridge 106 through the channel 28.

[0079] In FIG. 9, the mute 10 is shown in the muting position with the mute 10 mounted on the instrument bridge 106 using the string glide apertures 22A and 22B to guide the action of the mute 10 between the resting and muting positions. In FIG. 10, the double-hole mute 10 is shown in the resting position where the conical intakes 22A and 22B on the rear face of the mute 10 are used to help guide the mute 10 onto the string windings.

[0080] The mute 10 again has an inner volume. As in FIG. 8, the mute 10 can be considered to have a first inner volume 34 and a second inner volume 36 separated by an interior acoustic wall 38. The first inner volume 34 is disposed within the main body 12, and the second inner volume 36 is disposed within the clamping tongue 26. The first inner volume 34 and the second inner volume 36 are separated by the interior acoustic wall 38, which traverses longitudinally from the distal end of the main body 12 to the point where the clamping tongue 26 separates from the main body 12 to form the channel 28.

[0081] The first inner volume 34 is enveloped within a shell of the main body 12 that is defined by a first wall that faces outwardly, a second wall that faces inwardly toward the clamping tongue 26, the interior acoustic wall 38, and a peripheral wall. The first and second walls have correspondingly contoured edges and are spaced by a distance that can be consistent or that can vary. The peripheral wall spans around the edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral wall cooperate to define an enclosed inner volume within the main body 12.

[0082] The second inner volume 36 is enveloped within a shell of the clamping tongue 26 that is defined by a first wall that faces outwardly, a second wall that faces inwardly toward the main body 12, the interior acoustic wall 38, and a peripheral wall. The first and second walls have correspondingly contoured edges and are spaced by a distance that can be consistent or that can vary. The peripheral wall spans around the edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral wall cooperate to define an enclosed inner volume within the clamping tongue 26.

[0083] The first inner volume 34 has an array of cavities 35 therein, and the second inner volume 36 has an array of cavities 39 therein. The cavities 35 and 39 comprise interstitial spaces within the material of the respective inner volumes 34 and 36. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 are separated by the acoustic wall 38. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 within the first and second inner volumes 34 and 36 in this example are disposed symmetrically in three dimensions. Although it is not necessarily required to be within the scope of the invention, the arrays of cavities 35 and 39 each can be formed by a plurality of cavities 35 or 37 disposed in series in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of cavities 35 or 37 disposed in series in the lateral direction, and a plurality of cavities 35 or 37 disposed in series over a depth. Cavities 35 or 39 within a series may be disposed in a line, staggered, or otherwise disposed. Each array of cavities 35 and 39 can be considered to have a cavitation volume over which the cavities 35 and 39 are disposed in three dimensions. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 and the cavitation volumes are thus encased in a continuous, solid outer casing or membrane. The arrays of cavities 35 and 39 can, in certain embodiments, span all or substantially all of the inner volumes 34 and 36 of the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 within the walls from adjacent to the distal ends to adjacent to the proximal end, laterally across, and substantially as deep as the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 respectively.

[0084] The cavities 35 and 39 and the cavitation volume are defined by an interlaced web or matrix of material 37 and 41, such as through a joining of one or more filaments into a unified structure. Indeed, the web 37 and 41 defining the cavitation volume, the walls, and the entire stringed instrument mute 10 are formed by a three-dimensional printing process where the material of the web 37 and 41 and the mute 10 in general is joined or solidified under computer control to create the three-dimensional object. The mute 10 is formed by adding material layer-by-layer in succeeding two-dimensional configurations to form the three-dimensional end product. Embodiments of the mute 10 are thus formed by three-dimensional printing from a predetermined computer-aided design model in a three-dimensional additive manufacturing process. One such process used to construct mutes 10 as taught herein comprises fused filament fabrication, but any other three-dimensional additive manufacturing process could be used, except as the claims might otherwise require, including binder jetting, directed energy deposition, material extrusion, material jetting, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, stereolithography, and vat photopolymerization.

[0085] In one particular practice of the invention, the mute 10 is printed in a three-dimensional printing process using a 95A Shore hardness synthetic polymer known as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The TPU has been found to mimic the elasticity and flexibility of natural rubber without the associated hardening and discoloration problems introduced with the use of natural rubber. The shape, size, and disposition of the cavities 35 and 39, the web 37 and 41 defining the cavities 35 and 39, and the entire stringed instrument mute 10 to be varied infinitely with the additive manufacturing process to achieve desired acoustic and other performance characteristics.

[0086] The matrices of material 37 and 41 within the inner volumes 34 and 36 of the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26 and the arrays of cavities 35 and 39 thereof are again separated by the interior acoustic wall 38 traversing longitudinally within the mute 10. The interior acoustic wall 38 and the matrices of material 37 and 41 of the inner volumes 34 and 36 cooperate to disperse vibrations throughout the mute 10 to produce an even muting effect. The mute 10 thus overcomes the deficiencies of the tediously constructed leather and wood mutes while providing the advantages of mute structures that can be produced rapidly and with great accuracy.

[0087] As disclosed herein, therefore, the mute 10 can be employed to achieve desired volume and tonal changes in the acoustic performance of an instrument 100 by clamping the mute 10 to the bridge 106 to have the edge of the bridge 106 received into the channel 28 between the main body 12 and the tongue 26 as in FIGS. 4 and 9. When not in use, the mute 10 can be removed from the instrument 100 or moved to the resting position as in FIGS. 5 and 10, for example. When the mute 10 is employed in the muting position, a portion of the vibrations normally transmitted via the bridge to the instrument body through the sound-post are instead absorbed and dissipated by the mute 10, which is in direct contact with the instrument bridge 106. The degree of volume reduction is determined predominantly by the mass of the mute 10 and how close the mute 10 is emplaced on the bridge 106 relative to the origin of the vibrations. The quality of tonal change induced by operation of the mute 10 is determined in large part by the interior composition of the mute 10 with the predetermined arrays of cavities 35 and 39 disposed in the inner volumes 34 and 36 of the main body 12 and the clamping tongue 26.

[0088] With certain details and embodiments of the present invention for a stringed instrument mute 10 disclosed, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that numerous changes and additions could be made thereto without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. This is particularly true when one bears in mind that the presently preferred embodiments merely exemplify the broader invention revealed herein. Accordingly, it will be clear that those with major features of the invention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those major features while not incorporating all of the features included in the preferred embodiments.

[0089] While certain mute designs are shown and described, it will be understood that other mutes 10 would readily be within the scope of the claimed invention. Single-slotted and double-slotted mutes 10 are shown as examples, but it will be understood that other mute designs, including but not limited to that shown in FIG. 11, for example, are within the scope of the invention except as it might be limited by the claims. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, the mute 10 again has a main body 12. Opposed pairs of legs 42 and 44 project from a first side of the main body 12, and string slots 46 and 48 are disposed between the pairs of legs 42 and 44. The main body 12 and the legs 42 and 44 have arrays of cavities therein defined by webs of material. As previously disclosed, an internal acoustic wall 50 can divide internal arrays of cavities to promote desired acoustic transmission and attenuation.

[0090] Bearing in mind the versatility of the present invention, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded to the invention. Those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. It must be further noted that a plurality of the following claims may express certain elements as means for performing a specific function, at times without the recital of structure or material. As the law demands, these claims shall be construed to cover not only the corresponding structure and material expressly described in this specification but also all legally cognizable equivalents thereof.