US 10,629,169 B2 · Musical instrument

Abstract

A musical instrument having a hollow or semi-hollow body and a sound board, representing either the anatomical front surface or the anatomical rear surface of the hollow body, or with the front surface and the rear surface both functioning as a sound board for the musical instrument and having at least one tuned sound port located in either the front and/or rear sound board of the musical instrument through which sound can exist with the tuned sound port comprising a hollow member adapted to be inserted through a hole formed in one or both of the sound boards and having a central opening of predetermined geometry and a length extending a fixed distance from the sound board into the interior of the musical instrument of between 5% and 95% of the distance between the front rear sound surfaces of the musical instrument. The musical instrument is preferably a stringed musical instrument which may include a plurality of panels extending between the front and rear sound boards for enhancing the structural support of the musical instrument and for funneling sound through the tuned sound ports or alternatively the musical instrument may include a plurality of panels extending between the front and rear surfaces without a tuned sound port.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An acoustic musical instrument comprising:

an acoustic body having a hollow or semi-hollow interior, a front and rear surface and a sound board representing either the anatomical front surface or the anatomical rear surface of the hollow body, or with the front surface and the rear surface both functioning as a sound board for the musical instrument, an outer rim connecting the front surface and the rear surface, and a top end and a bottom end and having at least one tuned sound port defined in a top end, said tuned port extending into the interior of the musical instrument through which sound can exit with the tuned sound port comprising a hollow member adapted to be inserted through a hole formed at the top end of the musical instrument and having a central opening of predetermined geometry and a length extending a fixed distance from the hole through which the tuned sound port is inserted, wherein the length of the hollow member extends into the interior of the musical instrument a minimum fixed distance equal to at least ¼ of the diameter of the central opening of the port and within a range of plus or minus 20%;
and a sound hole other than the tuned sound port.

An acoustic musical instrument comprising

a hollow or semi-hollow acoustic body, a front and rear surface, at least one sound board representing either the anatomical front surface or the anatomical rear surface of the hollow body, an outer rim connecting the front surface and the rear surface, and a top end and a bottom end, having at least one tuned sound port defined in a top end, said tuned port extending into the interior of the musical instrument through which sound can exit with the tuned sound port comprising a hollow member adapted to be inserted through a hole, said hole formed at the top end of the musical instrument and having a central opening of predetermined geometry and a length extending a fixed distance from the hole through which the tuned sound port is inserted, wherein the length of the hollow member extends into the interior of the musical instrument a minimum fixed distance equal to at least ¼ of the diameter of the central opening of the port and within a range of plus or minus 20%, a sound hole other than the tuned sound port, and a panel disposed within the hollow body, said panel extending between the front and rear sound boards and interconnecting the front and rear surfaces of the hollow body, said panel disposed near an end of the musical instrument and extends to a position relatively near a center of the instrument, wherein said panel funnels sound toward said tuned sound port.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Musical instrument

Life of this patent

Musical instrument

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20