String instrument chord player

• US 7,307,203 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mickey Buffkin, Roger Buffkin
• Original Assignee: Mickey Buffkin, Roger Buffkin
• Inventors: Buffkin, Mickey, Buffkin, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R
• Application Number:
  US11/235,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 842/86, 842/87, 842/85, 842/88, 842/89
• US Class Current: 84/286
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/08 Fingerboards in the form of keyboards

Abstract

A string chord player for a string instrument such as a guitar designed to be surroundably mounted onto the neck of the guitar. The string chord player includes an upper housing configured to mate with a lower housing forming an opening for receipt therein of a neck of a guitar. Integrally mounted to the upper housing is a plurality of buttons with outwardly facing chord designations. Opposite the chord designations is a string engagement portion of the button that when the button is placed into a second position will temporarily engage the adjacent longitudinally mounted strings on the neck of the guitar.

Claims

1. A string instrument chord player for a string instrument having a neck comprising:

an upper housing, said upper housing being configured in a substantially planar manner and generally rectangular in shape;

a lower housing, said lower housing being releasably secured to said upper housing for surroundably mounting said neck of a string instrument; and

wherein said lower housing has an inner surface, said inner surface being generally arcuate in shape; and

an opening, said opening being formed by said upper housing and said lower housing for receipt therein of said neck of said string instrument.

2. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 1, and further including at least one aperture in said upper housing.

3. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 2, and further including at least one button journaled through said aperture, said button having a first position and a second position.

4. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 3, wherein said button further includes a musical chord designation.

5. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 4, wherein said button further includes a string engagement portion, said string engagement portion for contacting strings longitudinally mounted along said neck of said string instrument.

6. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 3, wherein said button is mounted in said aperture with coil springs.

7. The string instrument chord player as recited in claim 6, wherein said upper housing and said lower housing are manufactured from plastic.

8. A string instrument chord player for a string instrument having a neck with longitudinally mounted strings and a plurality of transversely mounted frets comprising:

an upper housing, said upper housing being configured in a substantially planar manner and generally rectangular in shape, said upper housing having a peripheral edge;

a lower housing, said lower housing being releasably secured to said upper housing for surroundably mounting said neck of a string instrument, said lower housing having an inner surface, said inner surface being generally arcuate in shape;

an opening, said opening being formed by said upper housing and said lower housing for receipt therein of said neck of said string instrument;

at least one aperture, said aperture being formed in said upper housing, said upper housing being adjacent to said strings;

at least one button, said button journaled through said aperture; and

wherein said button further includes a string engagement portion capable of engaging the specified adjacent string.

9. The string chord player as recited in claim 8, wherein said button further comprises a string engagement portion, said string engagement portion being adjacently superposed to said string on said neck of said string instrument.

10. The string chord player as recited in claim 9, wherein said button has a first position and a second position, said button in said first position is biased away from said string of said string instrument.

11. The string chord player as recited in claim 10, wherein said button is mounted in said aperture with coil springs.

12. The string chord player as recited in claim 11, wherein said string engagement portion of said button is temporarily engaged with said strings of said string instrument upon said button being biased into said second position.

13. The string chord player as recited in claim 12, wherein said button has designated thereon a musical chord.

14. The string chord player as recited in claim 13, wherein said peripheral edge of said upper housing is generally rounded in shape to provide comfort for a user'"'"'s hand.

15. A string instrument chord player for a string instrument having a neck with longitudinally mounted strings and a plurality of transversely mounted frets comprising:

an upper housing, said upper housing being configured in a substantially planar manner and generally rectangular in shape, said upper housing being positioned adjacent to said string of said string instrument, said upper housing having a peripheral edge that is generally rounded in shape;

a lower housing, said lower housing being generally rectangular in shape said lower housing being releasably secured to said upper housing such that said lower housing and said upper housing for surroundably mounting said neck of a string instrument, said lower housing having an inner surface, said inner surface being generally arcuate in shape, said inner surface being adjacent to said neck opposite said strings when said string instrument chord player is surroundably mounted to said neck;

an opening, said opening being formed by said upper housing and said lower housing for receipt therein of said neck of said string instrument;

seven apertures, said apertures being formed in said upper housing; and

seven buttons, said buttons being journaled through said apertures, said buttons having a first position and a second position; and

wherein said buttons are biased into said first position with coil springs and wherein said buttons are manually manipulated into said second position.

16. The string chord player as recited in claim 15, wherein said buttons further include a string engagement portion for temporarily engaging with said adjacent strings while said button is in said second position.

17. The string chord player as recited in claim 16, wherein said buttons have chord designations thereon.

18. The string chord player as recited in claim 17, wherein said lower housing sand said upper housing measure approximately 3 inches H×

3 inches W×

6 inches L.