Compact electronic guitar

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of plucked string musical instruments, specifically to designs of electric musical instruments which transform mechanical vibration of strings into electrical signals, more particularly to compact electronic guitars, and can be used in portable electronic guitars. The application of the invention claimed allows to create a compact electronic guitar that can be quickly assembled/disassembled, while the string elasticity level remains the same in both disassembled and assembled states (making the guitar immediately available for use once the parts of the body have been connected) and to provide the possibility to obtain information about vibrations and excursions of the strings located on the neck occurring as a result of using various playing techniques requiring certain actions to be taken in relation to the strings located on the neck, such as hitting, displacing the pressed string sideward, sudden pressing down of the string and sudden releasing of the pressed string, moving the finger along the string, either pressed or not. This provides the possibility to use a larger number of events occurring with the string to generate acoustic oscillations.

Claims

1. A compact electronic guitar comprising: a body assembled of two parts connected to each other, strings tightened over the body, string vibration sensors attached to the body, and an electrical connector positioned on one part of the body, wherein the two parts of the body are configured so that they can be mechanically and electrically connected to each other, with a set of strings and vibration sensors correspondingly installed on each part of the body; the mechanical connection is configured to comprise a rod located in one part of the body and the corresponding socket made in the second part of the body; said rod is made tubular with a geometric axis parallel to the geometric axis of the body and shifted relative thereto; the rod is fastened in the socket by two ball plungers and a retainer with a roller attached thereto; said plungers and retainer are positioned in the socket and engage respective with the plunger installation grooves and with a retainer installation slot located on the rod; and the electrical connection is configured to comprise contact pairs comprising contact pads located on the end of the rod, and contact springs correspondingly located inside the rod installation socket.

2. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein an elastic gasket is placed on the end side of one part of the body, and a complementary groove is made on the end side of the second part of the body for coupling with the elastic gasket.

3. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein the rod has a round-cornered trapezoid cross-section.

4. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein the rod is configured to taper towards the retainer slot with a taper ratio within C=1:501:80.

5. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein the rod is made of metal and/or plastic.

6. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein the plungers are spring-loaded.

7. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein the string vibration sensors are optical sensors.

8. The compact electronic guitar according to claim 1 wherein one part of the body is equipped with sensors determining a point where each string is pressed to the body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention disclosed herein will be more clearly understood from the following exemplary embodiment in with accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of the compact electronic guitar in the folded state: aside view, btop view, cbottom view, dright view, eleft view.

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of one part of the body of the compact electronic guitar (hereinafter, position 1a).

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the second part of the body of the compact electronic guitar (hereinafter, position 1b).

(5) FIG. 4 is a fragment of the connection of the compact electronic guitar in the extended statetwo parts of the body (hereinafter, 1a and 1b).

(6) FIG. 5 is a fragment of the connection of the compact electronic guitar in the folded statetwo parts of the body (hereinafter, 1a and 1b).

(7) FIG. 6 is a fragment of part 1a of the body: atop-down view, bend side view, cbottom-up view.

(8) FIG. 7 is a fragment of part 1b of the body: abottom-up view, with the closed retainer, bend side view, cbottom-up view, with an open retainer.

(9) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a fragment of part 1b of the body: across-sectional view of the part 1b fragment with an open retainer; bcross-sectional view of the part 1b fragment with a closed retainer.

(10) Figure drawings that illustrate the invention claimed as well as particular embodiments are merely exemplary in nature and are in no way intended to limit the claims appended hereto but to explain the essence of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (INFORMATION CONFIRMING THE POSSIBILITY OF EMBODIMENT)

(11) An exemplary compact electronic guitar comprises a body 1, strings 2, and string vibration sensors 3 attached to the body 1. The body 1 comprises two parts connected to each other. The strings 2 are two individual sets of strings placed on each part of the electronic guitar. Similarly, the string vibration sensors 3 are two individual sets, each placed on each part of the electronic guitar.

(12) The two parts of the body 1 (1a and 1b) are connected to each other mechanically and electrically. Part 1a is the part of the electronic guitar where the sounding board is traditionally placed, while part 1b is that part where the neck is traditionally placed.

(13) The mechanical connection is designed as a rod 4 located in part 1a of the body 1 and a corresponding socket 5 in part 1b of the body 1. The rod 4 is cone-shaped with its geometric axis parallel to the geometric axis of the body 1 and shifted relative thereto to inhibit misconnection of the parts when the guitar is assembled. The rod 4 can be made of metal, in particular, of aluminum alloy.

(14) The rod 4 can be fastened in the socket 5 by two spring-loaded ball plungers (not shown) and a retainer 6 with a roller 7 attached thereto, which are located in the socket 5. When the two parts of the body 1 are connected, the two ball plungers engage with plunger installation grooves 8 made on the rod 4. Further, when the two parts of the body 1 are connected, the retainer 6 with the roller 7 attached thereto engages with the retainer installation slot 9 made on the rod 4.

(15) The rod 4 in this embodiment is configured to taper towards the retainer installation slot 9 with the taper ratio C=1:70.

(16) The electrical connection can be made in the form of spring-loaded Pogo pins contact pairs comprising gold-plated contact pads 10 placed on the end side of the rod 4 and gold-plated spring contacts 11 placed inside the socket 5. The total number of contact pairs can be 7.

(17) An elastic gasket 12 can be placed on the end side of body part 1b, and a groove 13 can be made on the end side of body part 1a for coupling with the elastic gasket 12. The elastic gasket 12 can be made of silicone rubber.

(18) The string vibration sensors 3 are optionally made optical and can be placed on each part of the body 1 in connection points of parts 1a and 1b. Optical sensors can be configured to receive signals corresponding to oscillations (deviations) of the string in two mutually perpendicular planes.

(19) Part 1b of the body further can comprise sensors determining the point where the string is pressed to the body 14.

(20) Further, capacitive sensors (not shown) may be installed on the body 1 to receive information on the string 2 being touched with a finger.

(21) An electrical connection 15 is made on the end side of part 1a.

(22) Further, part 1b of the body may comprise a means for belt mounting 16 on the end side.

(23) The exemplified compact electronic guitar works as follows. The two parts of the body 1 (1a and 1b) are connected following the one-click scenario, i.e. the parts are connected in one user movement. To make the connection as convenient as possible, it is advisable that the rod 4 should be pre-fastened in the socket 5 after their connecting to each other to allow the user to securely handle the parts as needed. It is for this purpose that two spring ball plungers are placed in the socket 5 to fasten the rod 4 automatically when it is placed in the socket 5 with a certain effort.

(24) When the rod 4 is inserted into the socket 5, the working parts of the spring contacts 11 are pressed against the surface of the contact pads 10 to provide an electrical connection.

(25) To fasten the rod 4 ultimately in the socket 5, the retainer 6 with the roller 7 attached thereto is used to ensure that the rod 4 is tightly fit when the user applies sufficient effort to close the retainer 6 by pressing it with a finger. The rod 4 is held pressed by overcoming the resistance of the plunger springs and the spring contact pairs to the final (closed) state and held in this position until the moment of forced disconnection by opening the retainer 6 in the opposite direction.

(26) While playing the electronic guitar, the user exerts effort on the strings 2, such as pressing the string 2, moving the finger along the pressed string 2 (sliding), touching the string 2 without pressing, pressing the string 2 suddenly, releasing the string 2 suddenly, or displacing the pressed string 2 sideward (bending). To get sufficient information from such a variety of events, the string vibration sensors 3 and the sensors determining the point where the string is pressed to the body 14 are used; capacitive sensors (not shown), which help to get information on the string being touched with a finger, can also be used.

(27) Thus, the application of the invention claimed allows to create a compact electronic guitar that can be quickly assembled/disassembled, while the string elasticity level remains the same in both disassembled and assembled states (making the guitar immediately available for use once the parts of the body have been connected) and to provide the possibility to obtain information about vibrations and excursions of the strings located on the neck occurring as a result of using various playing techniques requiring certain actions to be taken in relation to the strings located on the neck, such as hitting, displacing the pressed string sideward, sudden pressing down of the string and sudden releasing of the pressed string, moving the finger along the string, either pressed or not. This provides the possibility to use a larger number of events occurring with the string to generate acoustic oscillations.