Throw-off device

Abstract

Described herein are percussion instruments and drums, such as snare drums. The drums include a throw-off device with a handle attached to a mount, which itself can be attached to a drum sidewall. One of the handle and the mount includes a magnet while the other includes a magnetic portion for magnetic engagement with the magnet. The magnetic engagement can be used to bias the handle toward or into a desired position.

Claims

1. A throw-off device, comprising: a mount; and a handle attached to said mount and rotatable between an upward position and a distal position; wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a first magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a first magnetic portion; wherein said first magnet and said first magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said upward position, and are not magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position; wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a second magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a second magnetic portion; and wherein said second magnet and said second magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position, and are not magnetically engaged when said handle is in said upward position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said mount comprises said first magnet.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first magnet is on or within a body of said mount.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said first magnet is on a body of said mount.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said first magnet is within a body of said mount.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said handle is rotatable about an axle, said axle attached to at least one axle projection of said mount.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said axle comprises two axles and said at least one axle projection comprises two axle projections, each of said axles attached to a respective one of said axle projections.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a third magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a third magnetic portion; wherein said third magnet and said third magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position, and are not magnetically engaged when said handle is in said upward position; wherein said mount comprises first and second downward projections; and wherein said second magnet or said second magnetic portion is on said first downward projection, and said third magnet or said third magnetic portion is on said second downward projection.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said magnetic portion is metallic.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said first magnetic portion comprises another magnet.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said first magnet and said first magnetic portion bias said handle toward said sidewall when engaged, and wherein said second magnet and said second magnetic portion bias said handle away from said upward position when engaged.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said mount comprises a projection, and wherein said second magnet or said second magnetic portion is on said projection.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said projection is a downward projection.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said mount comprises said second magnet and said handle comprises said second magnetic portion.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said second magnet comprises a plurality of magnets and said second magnetic portion comprises a plurality of magnetic portions.

16. A throw-off device, comprising: a mount; and a handle attached to said mount and rotatable between an upward position and a distal position; wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a magnetic portion; and wherein said magnet and said magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position, and are not magnetically engaged when said handle is in said upward position.

17. A drum, comprising: a sidewall; a bottom head; a snare; a throw-off device attached to said sidewall, said throw-off device comprising a mount attached directly to said sidewall, and further comprising a handle attached directly to said mount and rotatable between an upward position and a distal position; and a tensioning band connecting said snare to said throw-off device; wherein when said handle is in said upward position said snare is engaged with said bottom head, and when said handle is in said distal position said snare is disengaged from said bottom head; wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a magnetic portion for magnetic engagement with said magnet; and wherein said magnet and said magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position.

18. The drum of claim 17, wherein said magnet is a first magnet and said magnetic portion is a first magnetic portion, wherein one of said mount and said handle comprises a second magnet, and the other of said mount and said handle comprises a second magnetic portion for magnetic engagement with said second magnet, wherein said second magnet and said second magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said upward position so as to bias said handle toward said sidewall.

19. The drum of claim 18, wherein said first magnet and said first magnetic portion are magnetically engaged when said handle is in said distal position so as to bias said handle away from said upward position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a prior art snare drum;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the prior art snare drum shown in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the throw-off device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a throw-off device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

(5) FIG. 5 is a front view of the throw-off device shown in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6A is a side view of the throw-off device shown in FIG. 4, in a first position; and

(7) FIG. 6B is a side view of the throw-off device shown in FIG. 4, in a second position;

(8) FIG. 7A is a side view of a throw-off device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

(9) FIG. 7B is a side view of the throw-off device shown in FIG. 7A, in a second position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

(10) The present disclosure relates to percussion instruments and drums, and particularly to snare drums, although it is understood that the concepts, components, systems, and methods described herein can be applied to other instruments. Drums according to the present disclosure can include a throw-off device. As opposed to prior art devices where the throw-off handle is attached to a pivotable support arm, which is then attached to a mount, which is then attached to the drum, the present disclosure describes devices where the throw-off handle is attached to the mount or a projection therefrom. Additionally, whereas prior art devices included a magnet in the pivotable support arm to help to secure the throw-off handle in an upward position, devices according to the present disclosure include a magnet (or accompanying piece for magnetic connection) in or on the mount itself, with the accompanying piece (or the magnet, in the reverse configuration) in the throw-off handle. This can result in a more compact device that is simplified by having fewer components. Finally, devices according to the present disclosure can also include one or more magnets for securing the throw-off handle in a downward position.

(11) It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Similarly, if an element is “attached to,” “connected to,” or similar, another element, it can be directly attached/connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Furthermore, relative terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “upper”, “top”, “above”, “lower”, “bottom”, “beneath”, “below”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another. Terms such as “higher”, “lower”, “wider”, “narrower”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe angular and/or relative relationships. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements or system in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

(12) Although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, or section from another. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, a first element, component, region, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

(13) Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to view illustrations that are schematic illustrations. As such, the actual thickness of elements can be different, and variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Thus, the elements illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

(14) FIGS. 4-6B show one embodiment of a throw-off device 100 according to the present disclosure, which can be attached to a drum such as the drum sidewall. The throw-off device 100 can include a mount 102, which can itself include axle projections 102a and magnet projections 102b. The mount 102 is configured to attach to a drum, such as the drum sidewall. The throw-off device 100 can further include a throw-off handle 104 (referred to hereinafter as a “handle”), and a projection 106 which can be similar to or the same as the strap plate 37 described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,902,444. Embodiments of the present disclosure can also include plates and/or arrangements such as those described in commonly owned and incorporated U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0204550 to Steinhauser. The throw-off device 100 can further include an axle 108, and magnets 110,112a,112b.

(15) A tensioning band, such as that described in the prior art, can be attached on one end to a snare on an underside of a drum, and on its other end to the throw-off device 100, such as the projection 106. When the throw-off handle 104 is in its upward position as shown in FIG. 6A, the tensioning bands are tensioned such that the snare engages the bottom drum head. The handle 104 can be attached to the mount 102 via axle 108, which can pass through and/or connect to axle projections 102a of the mount 102. It is understood that the axle 108 may include a single physical piece passing through and/or connecting to both axle projections 102a and both sides of the handle 104, or may include two separate axles, one for each side. Other embodiments are possible.

(16) When the throw-off handle is rotated around axle 108 away from its upward position to, e.g., the position 104′ shown in FIG. 6B (referred to herein as a distal position), the projection 106′ can be nearer to the snare and/or the tensioning bands can take a more direct route to the snare, such that the tensioning bands are loosened such that the snare is no longer engaged with the bottom drum head. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the handle 104 can be held in its upward position by the force from a torsion spring until a user overcomes that force to place the handle 104 in another position. However, the torsion spring force is often relatively weak, meaning that accidental disengagement from the upward position can occur.

(17) The throw-off device 100 can include a magnet 110 that is located on and/or within the mount 102. The magnet 110 can form a magnetic connection with a magnetic portion 104a (such as steel, another metal, another magnet, etc.) of the handle 104 when the handle 104 is in an upward (or near upward) position. This can help to avoid accidental disengagement from the upward position by providing another force, other than (or even in place of) the force from the torsion spring, for securing the handle 104 in the upward position. It is understood that while a single magnet 110 is shown, multiple magnets could be used. Additionally, it is understood that while the specific embodiment shown includes the magnet 110 on and/or within the mount 102 and the magnetic portion 104a as part of (and/or located on and/or within) the handle 104, the respective locations of the magnet 110 and magnetic portion 104a can be reversed. That is, the handle 104 can include the magnet(s) and the mount 102 can include the magnetic portion(s). In some embodiments, the mount 102 and the handle 104 each include one or more magnets and one or more magnetic portions. Many different embodiments are possible.

(18) Additionally, the throw-off device 100 can include one or more magnets for preventing accidental movement into the upward position. One or more magnets 112 (in this case, magnets 112a,112b) can be used for this purpose. In the specific embodiment shown, the magnets 112 are located on magnet projections 102b, which project downwardly from the mount 102. It is understood that the downward projection angle of the projections 102b can be short of vertical as shown, vertical, or past vertical, and/or the handle 104 in position 104 can rotate to a position short of horizontal (as shown), horizontal, past horizontal, downwardly vertical, or further; many different embodiments are possible. The projections 102b can be a separate piece from the mount 102 (as is shown in the present embodiment), or can be part of the mount 102. The handle 102 can include one or more magnetic portion(s) for forming a magnetic connection with the magnets 112. It is understood that as with the magnetic configuration of the upward position, the locations of the magnet(s) and magnetic portion(s) can be swapped with one another, or both components can include both magnet(s) and magnetic portion(s), etc., as would be understood by one of skill in the art. It is understood that the device 100 can include only magnet(s)/magnetic portion(s) for the upward portion, only magnet(s)/magnetic portion(s) for the distal position, or both. Many different embodiments are possible.

(19) FIGS. 7A and 7B are side views of a throw-off device 200 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 200 is substantially similar to the device 100, except that elements 210 and 212 are mechanical in nature instead of magnetic. In device 200, a magnet is included within the mount 202 approximately at the location 220 at the base of the mount 202 (though other locations are possible). The handle 204 includes a magnetic portion 222 such that when the handle 204 is in or near the upward position shown in FIG. 7A, a magnetic attraction exists between the internal magnet and the magnetic portion 222; and once the handle 204 moves far enough away from the magnet such as to a distal position 204′, no magnetic attraction exists. In other embodiments, element 222 may be a magnet and/or a magnet may be internal to the handle 204, and the mount 202 can include one or more magnetic portions, such as internally and/or on the surface where element 222 meets the mount 202 as shown in FIG. 7A.

(20) Similarly, a magnet may be included within the projections 202b and/or the handle 204 can include a magnetic portions for connection to these internal magnets (or vice versa, the handle can include magnet(s) and the projections can include magnetic portion(s)). Many different embodiments are possible, and this can be applied to one projection 202b, two projections 202b, or more. Combinations of the magnetic arrangements of the devices 100,200 are possible.

(21) It is understood that embodiments presented herein are meant to be exemplary. Embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise any combination of compatible features shown in the various figures, and these embodiments should not be limited to those expressly illustrated and discussed.

(22) Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the disclosure should not be limited to the versions described above.

(23) The foregoing is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as expressed in the appended claims, wherein no portion of the disclosure is intended, expressly or implicitly, to be dedicated to the public domain if not set forth in the claims.