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US 5,123,326 AGranted
String musical instrument with tone engendering structures
OwnerMartin Clevingerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved string musical instrument is disclosed wherein a dynamic tone engendering structure provides adjustable filtering and conditioning of each of the variously tuned string's vibrational behavior. Acoustic energy transmission paths are provided for the overtone and fundamental tone components produced by the variously tuned strings, assuring even transmission of each string's particular acoustical energy to acoustical summing nodes where transducers convert acoustical energy to electrical energy. The present invention closely emulates the characteristic dynamic response and musical timbres found in a wide variety of traditional acoustic instruments.
Claims61
A tone engendering structure for converting vibrational energy received from a plurality of vibrating strings into an electrical signal which is suitable for amplification, comprising
- a base table formed of high-mass density material;
- a sound diaphragm supported by the base table and constructed of material with a mass density lower than the high mass density material, wherein the sound diaphragm is separated into a plurality of distinct sections by an acoustic boundary slot so that the plurality of distinct sections have different resonant frequencies and form interactive resonant structures;
- a bridge assembly communicating with the plurality of vibrating strings, wherein selected portions of the bridge assembly are supported on selected ones of the plurality of distinct sections of the sound diaphragm so that vibrational energy from selected ones of the plurality of strings are predominantly transmitted to the selected ones of the plurality of distinct sections of the sound diaphragm;
- and
- transducer means communicating with at least one section of the sound diaphragm for converting vibrational energy from the sound diaphragm into electrical signals.
2 more elements
A string musical instrument including
- a body;
- a neck coupled to one end of the body;
- a plurality of strings which extend under tension across the neck and body;
- and
- a bridge structure communicating with the plurality of strings for converting vibrational energy from the plurality of strings into electrical signals which are suitable for amplification, the bridge structure comprising
- a base table supported on the body and constructed of high damping-factor material;
- a sound diaphragm having an asymmetrical shape and supported on the base table, wherein the sound diaphragm is constructed of a plate of low mass density material having a mass density lower than the mass density of the high damping-factor material, and further wherein the plate is separated into a plurality of acoustically distinct sections by an acoustic boundary slot;
- a bridge assembly supported on the sound diaphragm and in contact with the plurality of strings for transferring energy from the plurality of strings to the sound diaphragm;
- and
- transducer means positioned at selected locations on the bridge structure for converting vibrational energy present at the selected locations into electrical signals.
7 more elements
A tone engendering structure for converting vibrational energy received from a plurality of vibrating strings into an electrical signal which is suitable for amplification, comprising
- a base table formed of high mass density material;
- a sound diaphragm constructed of low mass density material having a mass density lower than the high mass density material and supported by the base table so that the sound diaphragm is an acoustically excitable structure;
- means supported by the sound diaphragm and communicating with the plurality of vibrating strings for transferring the vibrational energy from the plurality of strings to the sound diaphragm, including
- a bridge piece having a first edge positioned to be in contact with the plurality of strings and a second edge separated from the first edge by vibration transmitting material, the bridge piece having a summing member extension which protrudes outwardly from the second edge, and further wherein the vibration transmitting material includes
- a first bridge piece section upon which is located the first edge of the bridge piece;
- a second bridge piece section upon which is located the second edge of the bridge piece;
- and
- a plurality of slidable energy conduit means which coupled the first bridge piece section to the second bridge piece section;
- wherein the first and second bridge piece sections are positioned to direct vibrational energy from selected portions of the first edge of the bridge piece toward selected portions of the second edge of the bridge piece;
- means positioned to be in contact with the second edge of the bridge piece for supporting the bridge piece on the sound diaphragm;
- and
- first transducer means in communication with the summing member extension of the transferring means for converting vibrational energy from the summing member extension into electrical signals.
9 more elements
A tone engendering structure for converting vibrational energy received from a plurality of vibrating strings into an electrical signal which is suitable for amplification, comprising
- a base structure formed of high mass density material;
- a sound diaphragm constructed of low mass density material having a mass density lower than the high mass density material and spaced apart from the base structure so that the sound diaphragm is allowed to vibrate;
- means supported by the sound diaphragm and communicating with the plurality of vibrating strings for transferring the vibrational energy from the plurality of strings to the sound diaphragm, including
- a bridge piece having a first edge positioned to be in contact with the plurality of strings and a second edge separated from the first edge by vibration transmitting material, the bridge piece having a summing member extension which protrudes outwardly from the second edge, and further wherein the bridge piece has a plurality of predetermined areas from which the vibration transmitting material has been removed so that vibrational energy from selected portions of the first edge is conducted toward selected portions of the second edge;
- means positionable to be in contact with the second edge of the bridge piece for supporting the bridge piece on the sound diaphragm;
- and
- first transducer means in communication with the summing member extension of the transferring means for converting vibrational energy from the summing member extension into electrical signals.
4 more elements
A tone engendering structure for converting vibrational energy received from a plurality of vibrating strings into an electrical signal which is suitable for amplification, comprising
- a base structure formed of high mass density material;
- a sound diaphragm constructed of low mass density material having a mass density lower than the high mass density material and spaced apart from the base structure so that the sound diaphragm is allowed to vibrate;
- means supported by the sound diaphragm and communicating with the plurality of vibrating strings for transferring the vibrational energy from the plurality of strings to the sound diaphragm, including
- a bridge piece having a first edge positioned to be in contact with the plurality of strings and a second edge separated from the first edge by vibration transmitting material;
- acoustic conduit means movably positionable to be in contact with selected areas of the second edge of the bridge piece for supporting the bridge piece on the sound diaphragm and for conducting vibrational energy from the selected areas of the bridge piece to the sound diaphragm, wherein the selected areas of contact selectively affect transmission of the acoustic energy from particular ones of the vibrating strings to the sound diaphragm;
- and
- first transducer means in communication with a summing area of the transferring means for converting vibrational energy from the summing area into electrical signals.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.