MAGNETIC FLUX CONCENTRATOR FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PICKUP

• US 20120103170A1
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Kinman
• Original Assignee: Christopher Kinman
• Inventors: Kinman, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/726
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/511 Stacked, i.e. one coil on top of the other
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/515 Staggered, i.e. two coils side by side
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/181 Details of pick-up assemblies

Abstract

An electromagnetic pickup adapted to be secured to a stringed musical instrument, such as a guitar or bass or the like, of the type having a plurality of magnetic strings of ferromagnetic composition such as steel tensioned to provide musical notes under mechanical stimulation such as picking is disclosed. The electromagnetic pickup comprises at least one magnetized core having a length and a width. An electrically conductive material is wound into at least one coil around the magnetized core, and a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, cobalt or alloys thereof is positioned on at least one side of the length and internally of at least a portion of the electrically conductive material. The electromagnetic pickup is mounted proximate the strings in such a manner that magnetic field of the pickup extends to the strings for the purpose of generating an output electrical signal analogous to the musical notes.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic pickup adapted to be secured to a stringed musical instrument, such as a guitar or bass or the like, of the type having a plurality of magnetic strings of ferromagnetic composition such as steel tensioned to provide musical notes under mechanical stimulation such as picking, said electromagnetic pickup comprising at least one magnetized core having a length and a width, an electrically conductive material wound into at least one coil around said magnetized core, and a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, cobalt or alloys thereof positioned on at least one side of said length and internally of at least a portion of said electrically conductive material, said electromagnetic pickup mounted proximate said strings in such a manner that magnetic field of said pickup extends to said strings for the purpose of generating an output electrical signal analogous to said musical notes.

2. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises insulated copper wire and said ferromagnetic material comprises at least one ferromagnetic member having a length and a width and a thickness much smaller than said length and width.

3. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises insulated copper wire and said ferromagnetic material comprises ferromagnetic wire.

4. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 1, wherein said magnetized core comprises at least one permanent magnet.

5. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 1, wherein said magnetized core comprises at least one ferromagnetic member that is not a permanent magnet and an associated permanent magnet is disposed adjacent to said ferromagnetic member.

6. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive material comprises insulated copper wire and said ferromagnetic material comprises steel wire, said steel wire wound concurrently with said copper wire resulting in a coil of copper and steel dispersed within the coil.

7. A stringed musical instrument incorporating the pickup of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises an insulated copper wire coil and said ferromagnetic material comprises at least one strip of ferromagnetic material having a length and a width and a thickness much smaller than said length and width, said strip being placed parallel to the coil axis and co-planar with windings of said coil.

8. A stringed musical instrument as in claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive material comprises an insulated copper wire coil and said ferromagnetic material comprises a coil of ferromagnetic wire having a length and a width and a thickness much smaller than said length and width, said coil of ferromagnetic wire being wound co-planar and co-axial with windings of said copper wire coil.

9. An electromagnetic pickup adapted to be secured, to an instrument having a plurality of strings, at a position proximate said strings, said pickup comprising at least one magnetized core and an electrically conductive ferromagnetic material wound around said magnetized core.

10. An electromagnetic pickup adapted to be secured to a stringed musical instrument, such as guitar or bass or the like, of the type having a plurality of magnetic strings of ferromagnetic composition such as steel tensioned to provide musical notes under mechanical stimulation such as picking, said electromagnetic pickup comprising at least one magnetized core having a length and a width, an electrically conductive material wound into at least one coil around said magnetized core, and a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, cobalt and alloys thereof disposed as sheet steel or steel wire positioned on at least one side of said length and internally of at least a portion of said electrically conductive material, said electrically conductive material comprising a first conductive wire, and said electrically conductive material forming at least one pickup coil winding and said electromagnetic pickup mounted proximate said strings in such a manner that magnetic field of said pickup extends to said strings thereby generating an electrical output signal analogous to said musical notes in response to vibration of said strings.

11. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 11, further comprising a second conductive wire wound around a second ferromagnetic core to form a hum canceling pair of coils, said hum canceling pair of coils being connected in a manner to cancel at least a portion of electrical noise induced in said pickup winding by electromagnetic radiation.

12. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 11, wherein said hum canceling pair of coils are positioned horizontally with their axes perpendicularly beside each other.

13. An electromagnetic pickup as in claim 12, wherein the axis of hum canceling pair of coils are positioned to extend coaxially along a common line.

14. A coil positioned within or on a stringed amplified musical instrument that is remote from but which is connected electrically to at least one string sensing coil and functioning as a hum sensor, said hum sensor wound with ferromagnetic wire for the purpose of canceling extraneous radiated hum generated by mains powered appliances and wiring from said string sensing coil.

15. A pickup coil comprising ferromagnetic wire in positioned, configured and dimensioned with respect to a magnetic core producing a magnetic field to improve the efficiency of the signal generating capability of said pickup.