Stringless twitch fret instrument

• US 6,018,119 A
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mladek, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US08/973,073
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 84/722, 84/743
• US Class Current: 84/722
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18

Abstract

The stringless fret instrument to be played as on a twitch instrument consists of the neck (1) on which there are frets (2) located transversely to a lengthwise axis of the neck (1), between which there are situated, in rows parallel with the axis of the neck (1), digital tone push-buttons (3), and of the body (5) equipped with the management (6) of the synthesizer accompaniment, a loudspeaker (4) and a direct current charger. Above each row of digital tone push-buttons (3), there is a flexible rope (31) situated in a lengthwise rabbet (32) created in the neck (1) parallel with the lengthwise axis of the neck (1), movable in the direction to digital tone push-buttons (3), fixed at least on the neck (1) behind the side digital tone push-button (3). The management (6) of the synthesizer accompaniment consists of three mutually parallel rows of keys (7 to 18) each of which consisting of four tone keys (7 to 18).

Claims

1. A stringless fret instrument for playing as a twitch instrument, comprising

a neck with digital tone push-buttons situated between transverse frets in a lengthwise groove parallel with the neck and a flexible string in the groove on top of the digital tone push-buttons for each of the digital tone push-buttons to be manipulated by one-hand fingering as in playing a guitar,

means for generating sound by a speaker in response to the manipulated digital tone push-buttons, and

a body part attached to the neck.

2. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible string is positioned against rests in the groove in an area under the frets.

3. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein a manipulated one of the digital tone push-buttons blocks the generating of the sound in response to another manipulated one of the digital tone push-buttons in a direction toward a free end of the neck.

4. A stringless fret instrument to be played as a twitch instrument, comprising

a neck, and

a body fixed to said neck and having a speaker therein, said body having thereon rows of keys, each of the rows including four of the keys which, when switched on, prompt generation by a tone generating source of a respective tone signal representing a chord, the tone signal being received and reproduced by a speaker, said tone generating source and said speaker each being one of on said body and separate from said body, individual of the keys in an upper row in a direction going from an edge of the body corresponding to A-chord, D-chord, G-chord and C-chord keys respectively, individual of the keys in a middle row in the direction going from the edge of the body corresponding to E-chord, Es-chord, Ais-chord and F-chord keys, respectively, and individual of the keys in a lower row corresponding to H-chord, Fis-chord, Des-chord and As-chord keys, respectively.

5. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 4, further comprising push-buttons which, when activated, respectively change each of the chords switched on from a major key to a minor key, to an augmented chord and to a dominant seventh chord.

6. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body has a key for management of a strength of the reproduced tone signal.

7. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 4, further comprising push-buttons on the body which, when activated, change a rhythm of the tone signal.

8. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body comprises means for keyed management which changes a time beat of the tone signal.

9. The stringless fret instrument a claimed in claim 4, wherein the body comprises means for keyed management which, when activated, changes bass altitudes of the tone signal.

10. A stringless fret instrument to be played as a twitch instrument, comprising

a neck for manipulating by one hand fingering as playing a guitar and generating a sound from a loudspeaker;

and

a body with means for keyed accompaniment management comprising upper, middle and lower parallel rows of chord keys, each of the rows consisting of four of the chord keys for respectively producing in a direction from an edge of the body when switched on a D-chord, G-chord, C-chord and F-chord an A-chord, Fis-chord Des-chord and Ais-chord, and an E-chord, H-chord, As-chord and Es-chord.

11. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 10, further comprising push-buttons which, when activated, respectively chance each of the chords switched on from a major key to a minor key, to an augmented chord and to a dominant seventh chord.

12. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the body comprises means for keyed management of a strength of the produced chord.

13. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 10, further comprising push-buttons on the body which, when activated, change a rhythm of the produced chord.

14. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the body comprises means for keyed management which changes a time beat of the produced chord.

15. The stringless fret instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the body comprises means for keyed management which, when activated, changes bass altitudes of the produced chord.