Finger-pressed auxiliary device for a stringed instrument

• US 9,653,047 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tsung-Jung Chen
• Original Assignee: Tsung-Jung Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Tsung-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Jianchun
• Application Number:
  US14/867,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20170092239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 84314 R
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 1/08 Guitars
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/053 Capos, i.e. capo tastos
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/06 Necks; Fingerboards, e.g. fret boards

Abstract

A finger-pressed auxiliary device for a stringed instrument is provided. The stringed instrument comprises a body, a neck connected to the body, a fingerboard disposed on the neck, a plurality of frets disposed on the fingerboard at spaced intervals, and a plurality of strings extending along the length direction of the neck. The finger-pressed auxiliary device comprises: a plurality of finger-pressed plates extending along the length direction of the strings and each being disposed to correspond to a respective string; an upper support secured to the top of the neck; and a lower support secured to the bottom of the neck or the body. As the fingers only have to contact the surfaces of the finger-pressed plates, the pain associated with holding strings with fingertips is avoided.

Claims

1. A finger-pressed auxiliary device for a stringed instrument, the stringed instrument comprising a body, a neck connected to the body and having a top and a bottom, a fingerboard disposed on the neck, a plurality of frets disposed on the fingerboard at spaced intervals, and a plurality of strings extending along a length direction of the neck, the finger-pressed auxiliary device comprising:

a plurality of finger-pressed plates extending along the length direction of the neck, each being disposed to correspond to a respective string of the plurality of strings;

an upper support secured to the top of the neck; and

a lower support secured to the bottom of the neck or the body, both ends of each of the finger-pressed plates being fixed by the upper support and the lower support, respectively, so that the finger-pressed plates are securely suspended above the strings, wherein

when each of the finger-pressed plates is pressed, a bottom surface of the finger-pressed plate depresses a corresponding string against the fingerboard; and

when the finger-pressed plate is not pressed, the finger-pressed plate does not touch the string.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of each finger-pressed plate includes a plurality of transverse ribs;

when each of the finger-pressed plates is pressed, the transverse ribs provided on the bottom surface of the finger-pressed plate depress a corresponding string against the fingerboard.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs of each finger-pressed plate are staggered with the plurality of frets.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein each rib is formed with a groove corresponding to a string.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the width of each finger-pressed plate is two times larger than the diameter of the corresponding string.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a top surface of each finger-pressed plate is planar, convex or concave.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of finger-pressed plates are formed in one piece.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the top surface of each finger-pressed plate is formed with a plurality of partitioning line corresponding to the plurality of frets.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper support comprises a cross bar and a pair of support parts for supporting the cross bar at both ends so that a receiving space is formed between the pair of support parts, one end of each finger-pressed plate is received in the receiving space and securely attached to a bottom surface of the cross bar.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper support comprises a nut block having one end fixed to the top of the neck laterally;

a plurality of longitudinal grooves extending downwardly from a top of the nut block, and are disposed to correspond to the plurality of stings for receiving the strings so that a single string extends through each corresponding groove; and

one other end formed of a protrusion inclined with respect to the direction in which the strings extends;

wherein a plurality of longitudinal recesses spanning both sides of the grooves are disposed on the protrusions at positions corresponding to the plurality of grooves for supporting each finger-pressed plate.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the lower support comprises a cross bar and a pair of support parts for supporting the cross bar at both ends so that a receiving space is formed between the pair of support parts, the other end of each finger-pressed plate is received in the receiving space and securely attached to a bottom surface of the cross bar.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the lower support comprises an upper clamp having a cross-sectional shape of an inverted “

U” and

being adapted to dispose on the fingerboard, a lower clamp having a U-shaped cross-section, a clamping pate disposed on the fingerboard, and a stopping part having a limiting plate and a bolt, wherein the upper clamp comprises a connecting part provided at each end, and a supporting part provided on a bottom surface between both ends thereof for supporting the other ends of the plurality of finger-pressed plates in a suspension manner;

the lower clamp is adapted to attach to the periphery of the neck, and includes a connecting part at each end thereof, the connecting parts of the lower clamp correspond to the connecting parts of the upper clamp;

each end of the clamping plate is sandwiched between the connecting parts of the upper clamp and the connecting parts of the lower clamp, and the ends of the clamping plate, the connecting parts of the upper and lower clamps are fastened together;

the limiting plate of the stopping part is located within the lower clamp and beneath the neck, the lower clamp is provided with a threaded hole through which one end of the bolt is extended to urge against the limiting plate, and the other end of the bolt is provided with a handle disposed externally of the lower clamp.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light-emitting indicating device, wherein the light-emitting indicating device comprises a control unit and a plurality of light-emitting units electrically connected to the control unit, the light-emitting units being disposed on the specific finger placement positions of the finger-pressed plates, and the control unit controls the corresponding light-emitting units to emit light based on the data of the finger placement positions playing a chord or note.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the light-emitting and indicating device further comprises a power module, a storage unit, and a data transmission module, the power module, the storage unit, and the data transmission module are electrically connected to the control unit, and an external device stores the data of the finger placement positions in the storage unit through the data transmission module.