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| JP2003337583 | BEST TOUCH LIGATURE |
| CLAIMS: 1 . Woodwind instrument having a longitudinal cylindrical corpus with a cylindrical outside around a longitudinal direction of the instrument, comprising a first thumb-rest for resting the right thumb of a player of the instrument while playing the instrument such that the right thumb of the player supports a substantial part of the weight of the instrument and a second thumb-rest (1 ) opposing the first thumb-rest along longitudinal direction and being positioned such that the right thumb of the player of the instrument while playing the instrument is positioned between the first and the second thumb-rest (1 ) along and in between a first upright supporting surface of the first thumb-rest, a second upright supporting surface (2) of the second thumb-rest (1 ) facing the first supporting surface and a third supporting surface (3) of one of the first and the second thumb-rest (1 ) interconnecting the first and the second supporting surface (2), characterized in that the second thumb-rest (1 ) comprises a first part (5) having a concave side (7) attached to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument, the third supporting surface (3) being part of the first part (5) and opposing the concave side (7), the second thumb rest (2) being further provided with a second part (6) provided to the first part (5), the second part (6) comprising the second supporting surface (2) and being movably mounted with respect to the first thumb-rest along the third supporting surface (3) along the longitudinal direction of the instrument. 2. Woodwind according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second thumb-rest (2) is provided to the woodwind instrument distinctly from the first thumb-rest. 3. Woodwind according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second supporting surface (2) extends from the third surface (3) under angle of between 40°- 50°. 4. Woodwind instrument according to claim 3, characterized in that the second part (6) of the second thumb-rest (2) comprises a fourth surface (4) extending from the second surface (2), the fourth surface (4) preventing the right thumb to slip off the second surface (2). 5. Woodwind instrument according to claim 4, characterized in that the fourth surface (4) is in the form of a plane surface. 6. Woodwind instrument according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the fourth surface (4) extends under an angle of less than 180°, more preferably an angle of between 130° - 140°, with the second surface (2), most preferably an angle of about 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the woodwind instrument. 7. Woodwind instrument according to any one of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the second part (6) is movably mounted with respect to the first part (5). 8. Woodwind instrument according to claim 7, characterized in that one of the first (5) and second (6) part of the second thumb-rest is provided with a slid like opening (8) through one of the first (5) and second (6) part and a bolt (9) extending through the slid like opening (8) and the other of the first (5) and second (6) part, the combination of the slid like opening (8) and the bolt (9) being provided to allow the first (5) and the second (6) part to be moved with respect to each other, the bolt (9) being provided with a nut (10) for fastening the first (5) and the second (6) part with respect to each other. 9. Woodwind instrument according to any one of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that the third supporting surface (3) is planar. 10. Woodwind instrument according to claim 9, characterized in that the third supporting surface (3) is inclined with an angle of between 2° and 5° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. 1 1 . Woodwind instrument according to any one of claims 1 - 10, characterized in that the concave side (7) of the first part (5) of the second thumb-rest (1 ) is glued to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. 12. Woodwind instrument according to any one of claims 1 - 1 1 , characterized in that the woodwind instrument is a reed instrument. 13. Woodwind instrument according to claim 12, characterized in that the reed instrument is a clarinet. 14. Woodwind instrument according to claim 12, characterized in that the reed instrument is an oboe. 15. Method of playing a woodwind instrument according to any of the claims 1 - 14, characterized in that while playing the instrument the right thumb of a player of the instrument rests on the first thumb-rest such that the right thumb of the player supports a substantial part of the weight of the instrument and is positioned between the first and the second thumb-rest (1 ) along and in between the first upright supporting surface of the first thumb-rest, the second upright supporting surface (2) and the third supporting surface(3). |
The current invention relates to a woodwind instrument according to the preamble of the first claim.
The present invention also relates to a method for playing the woodwind instrument and a thumb-rest for a woodwind instrument.
Woodwind instruments are already known to the person skilled in the art. Known woodwind instruments such as clarinets have a longitudinal cylindrical corpus with a cylindrical outside around a longitudinal direction of the instrument. The known instruments comprise a first thumb-rest for resting the right thumb of a player of the instrument while playing the instrument such that the right thumb of the player supports a substantial part of the weight of the instrument. Such musical instruments however have the disadvantage that a substantial part of the weight of the instrument is supported by the right thumb and this during the time the instrument is played, causing pain or even injuries.
Thereto, woodwind instruments have been developed comprising a second thumb-rest opposing the first thumb-rest along longitudinal direction and being positioned such that the right thumb of the player of the instrument while playing the instrument is positioned between the first and the second thumb-rest along and in between a first upright supporting surface of the first thumb-rest, a second upright supporting surface of the second thumb-rest facing the first supporting surface and a third supporting surface of one of the first and the second thumb-rest interconnecting the first and the second supporting surface. The first and the second thumb-rest are integrated and attached to the clarinet indistinctly using a single mount.
However, such a mount does not allow a proper positioning of the second thumb rest on the woodwind instrument as the position of the second support surface with respect to the first thumb-rest can not be determined with sufficient freedom so that the player of the musical instrument can not always sufficiently adapt the position of the second thumb- rest according to the way the player plays the instrument, his anatomy, etc.
Therefore, it is an object of the current invention to provide in a second thumb-rest which can be positioned in a better way with respect to the first thumb-rest.
This is achieved according to the woodwind instrument according to the characterizing part of the first claim.
Thereto, the second thumb-rest comprises a first part having a concave side attached to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument, the third supporting surface being part of the first part and opposing the concave side, the second thumb rest being further provided with a second part provided to the first part, the second part comprising the second supporting surface and being movably mounted with respect to the first thumb-rest, along the longitudinal direction of the instrument.
It has been found that such a second thumb-rest allows to position the second thumb-rest more independently from the first- thumb-rest due to the presence of the convex side of the first part such that the positioned of the second thumb-rest can be adapted to specific requirements of the player of the woodwind instrument.
It has been found that moving of the second part with respect to the first thumb-rest along the third supporting surface can be done very easily and nevertheless allows good positioning of the second part with respect the first part and/or the first thumb-rest.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the second thumb-rest is provided to the woodwind instrument distinctly from the first thumb-rest. Such an embodiment allows to further increase the possibilities for mounting the second thumb-rest with respect to the first thumb-rest according to specific requirements of the player of the instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the second supporting surface extends from the third surface under angle of between 40°- 50°. Such a second supporting surface has been found to allow the thumb to contact the three surfaces without creating undue pressure on the thumb but nevertheless allowing good control of the instrument when playing the instrument.
According to further preferred embodiments according to the current invention, the second part of the thumb-rest comprises a fourth surface extending from the second surface, the fourth surface preventing the right thumb to slip off the second surface. The fourth surface preferably is in the form of a plane surface, which is more preferably extending under an angle of less than 180°, more preferably an angle of between 130° - 140°, with the second surface, most preferably an angle of about 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the woodwind instrument. It has been found that such angles allow to prevent the thumb from slipping off the fourth surface while avoiding pain or even injury to the thumb due to the obtuse angle with respect to second surface avoiding excessive clamping of the thumb between the different surfaces.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the second part is movably mounted with respect to the first part as such construction has been found more easy to apply to a larger number of woodwind instruments, especially clarinets, as the first thumb-rest is not always provided to be movable with respect to the cylindrical corpus of the woodwind instrument. Moreover, the means for movably mounting the first part over the second part can be provided in the assembly of the first 5 and the second 6 part without having to change the woodwind instrument such as, for example, not to alter the sound of the instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, one of the first and second part of the second thumb-rest is provided with a slid like opening through one of the first and second part such that and a bolt extending through the slid like opening and the other of the first and second part, the combination of the slid like opening and the bolt being provided to allow the first and the second part to be moved with respect to each other, the bolt being provided with a nut for fastening the first and the second part with respect to each other. It has been found that such a configuration allows an easy positioning of the second thumb-rest. Furthermore, the width of the slid-like opening can be provided to allow for a movement of the second part with respect to the first part along a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the woodwind instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the third supporting surface is planar. Such a third supporting surface has been found to allow a better positioning of the right thumb with respect to the woodwind instrument which further decreases the risk for fatigue or even injury of the right thumb of the player while playing the woodwind instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the third supporting surface is inclined with an angle of between 2° and 5° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. Such a configuration of the third surface has been found to allow a better positioning of the right thumb with respect to the woodwind instrument which further decreases the risk for fatigue or even injury of the right thumb of the player while playing the woodwind instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the concave side of the first part of the second thumb-rest is glued to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. Such a fastening of the second thumb-rest to the woodwind instrument has been found to allow a positioning of the second thumb-rest to the woodwind instrument which is further substantially independent from the first thumb-rest according to the requirements of the player of the woodwind instrument.
According to preferred embodiments of the current invention, the woodwind instrument is a reed instrument, preferably a clarinet or a oboe a it has been found that especially with such instruments the optimal positioning of the instrument on the right thumb is sought after and troublesome with existing thumb-rests.
The invention also relates to a method of playing a woodwind instrument according to the invention, wherein while playing the instrument the right thumb of a player of the instrument rests on the first thumb-rest such that the right thumb of the player supports a substantial part of the weight of the instrument and is positioned between the first and the second thumb-rest along and in between the first upright supporting surface of the first thumb-rest, the second upright supporting surface and the third supporting surface.
The invention will be further elucidated by means of the following description and the appended figures.
Figure 1 shows a first view in perspective of an embodiment of the second thumb-rest according to the invention.
Figure 2 shows a second view in perspective of the thumb-rest according to figure 1 .
Figure 3 shows a top view of the thumb-rest according to figure 1 .
Figure 4 shows a frontal view of the thumb-rest according to figure 1 .
Figure 5 shows a backside view of the thumb-rest according to figure 1 .
Figure 6 shows a side view of the thumb-rest according to figure 1 .
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention and how it may be practiced in particular embodiments. However, it will be understood that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and techniques have not been described in detail, so as not to obscure the present invention. While the present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, the invention is not limited hereto. The drawings included and described herein are schematic and are not limiting the scope of the invention. It is also noted that in the drawings, the size of some elements may be exaggerated and, therefore, not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes.
The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.
Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.
Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.
The term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It needs to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B.
The woodwind instrument according to the invention is not shown. However, Figure 1 shows a first view in perspective of an embodiment of the second thumb-rest according to the invention. However, with the second thumb-rest 1 shown in figure 1 and a conventional woodwind instrument, such as a reed instrument, such as for example an oboe or a clarinet, a woodwind instrument can be made according to the invention. Although any type of woodwind instrument having a cylindrical corpus with a cylindrical outside around a longitudinal direction of the instrument, wherein the woodwind instrument comprises a first thumb-rest for resting the right thumb of a player of the instrument while playing the instrument such that the right thumb of the player supports a substantial part of the weight of the instrument, can be used, a clarinet is preferred.
The second thumb-rest 1 is positioned on the woodwind instrument such that it opposes the first thumb-rest along longitudinal direction. Moreover, it is positioned such that the right thumb of the player of the instrument while playing the instrument is positioned between the first and the second thumb-rest 1 . In such a position the right thumb is positioned along and in between a first upright supporting surface of the first thumb-rest, a second upright supporting surface 2 of the second thumb-rest 1 facing the first supporting surface and a third supporting surface 3 of the second thumb-rest 1 interconnecting the first and the second supporting surface 2. The second upright supporting surface 2 of the thumb- rest 1 is shown in the figures.
As shown in the figures, the second thumb-rest 2 preferably is separate from the provided to the woodwind instrument distinctly from the first thumb-rest.
Although providing the second thumb-rest 2 to the instrument can be done in any way known to the person skilled in the art, such as for example by screwing, nailing, etc., preferably, the concave side 7 of the first part 5 of the second thumb-rest 1 is glued to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument as such an attachment allows a great amount of freedom such that the position of the second thumb-rest can be adapted to the dimensions of the right thumb of the player and does not damage the instrument by for example drilling or nailing, avoiding altering the sound of the instrument by providing the second thumb-rest 2. The glue used for gluing the second thumb-rest 1 to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument can be determined by the person skilled in the art. Preferably, the glue is adapted to the material of the cylindrical body of the woodwind instrument such as not to damage the material of the cylindrical body of the woodwind instrument such that, for example, the sound of the woodwind instrument is preserved after providing the second thumb-rest 1 to the woodwind instrument. More preferably, the glue is adapted to the material of the second thumb-rest, for example plastic or wood, so as to provide an optimal bonding of the thumb-rest to the woodwind instrument. Preferably, the glue can be removed after removing the second thumb-rest 1 without damaging the instrument.
The second thumb-rest 1 comprises a first part 5 having a concave side 7 attached to the convex outside of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. The third supporting surface 3 is part of the first part 5 and opposes the concave side 7. The second thumb rest 2 is further provided with a second part 6 provided to the first part 5, wherein the second part 6 comprises the second supporting surface 2 and is movably mounted with respect to the first thumb-rest, preferably along the third supporting surface 3, along the longitudinal direction of the instrument.
Preferably, the first 5 and second 6 parts are made from the same material such as for example plastic or wood, although other materials, deemed appropriate by the person skilled in the art, can be used. This is however not critical for the invention and the first 5 and the second 6 part can also be made from different materials such as, for example, a first part 5 made off wood and a second part 6 made off plastic.
As shown in the figures, the second supporting surface 2 preferably extends from the third surface 3 under angle of between 40°- 50°, such as for example 46°.
The dimensions of the second supporting surface 2 and the third surface 3 preferably are adapted to the dimensions of a human thumb. Thereto, the second surface as shown in the figures for example has a length of about 1 .32 cm. As shown in the figures, the second part 6 of the second thumb-rest 2 comprises a fourth surface 4 extending from the second surface 2, the fourth surface 4 preventing the right thumb to slip off the second surface 2. Such a surface 4 is however not critical for the invention and can be omitted.
The figures moreover show that the fourth surface 4 is in the form of a planar surface. Although a planar surface 4 is provided, this is not critical for the invention and different surfaces 4 can be used in the invention such as for example curved surfaces, etc.
The figures show that the fourth surface 4 extends under an angle of less than 180°, more preferably an angle of between 130° - 140°, with the second surface 2, most preferably an angle of about 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the woodwind instrument. Such an embodiment is however not critical for the invention and other angles between the second surface 2 and the fourth surface 4 are possible.
The figures further show that the second part 6 is movably mounted with respect to the first part 5 along the third supporting surface 3. However, it is also possible that the second part 6 is movable with respect to the first thumb-rest by movably mounting the first thumb-rest or movably mounting the whole of the first 5 and the second 6 part. As the first part 5 preferably is glued to the instrument, the second part 6 preferably is provided to be moved over the first part 5, more preferably along the third supporting surface 3.
The figures show that, one of the first 5 and second 6 part, in the figures, but not critical for the invention, the first part 5, of the second thumb-rest is provided with a slid like opening 8 through one of the first 5 and second 6 part, in the figures the first part 5, and a bolt 9 extending through the slid like opening 8 and the other of the first 5 and second 6 part, in the figures the second part 6. The combination of the slid like opening 8 and the bolt 9 being provided to allow the first 5 and the second 6 part to be moved with respect to each other, the bolt 9 being provided with a nut 10 for fastening the first 5 and the second 6 part with respect to each other. Such a configuration is however not critical for the invention and other embodiments are also possible such as for example using a clamp system for clamping the first 5 and the second 6 part together of after the desired position of the first part 5 with respect to the second part 6 is obtained.
As shown in the figures preferably, the third supporting surface 3 is planar. This is however not critical for the invention and also non- planar surfaces 3 can be used.
As shown in the figures, the third supporting surface 3 preferably is inclined with an angle of between 2° and 5° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument. However, other embodiments are also possible in which the third surface 3 has a different inclination with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical corpus of the instrument.