DESCRIPTION

This patent relates to platforms that are used as a support base for musical instruments and for musicians during musical performances.

The known art comprises classic acoustic platforms, usually made of wood, but also made of metal and/or plastic material, on which musicians perform their pieces, designed to improve the acoustic performance and increase the intensity of the sound emitted by the instrument resting on it.

Said platforms are made of box-like bodies, generally parallelepiped or prismatic, having a reduced height with respect to their width and length. There may be holes on the sides of the parallelepiped shaped platform that contribute to the amplification of the sound.

However, said platforms cannot be modified, by expanding or reducing their volume, since their shape cannot be changed in any way. As a result their quality and acoustic capacity cannot be changed depending on the instrument used and the location in which the execution of the musical piece takes place.

To overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, a new acoustic-harmonic platform has been designed and constructed. It can be used as a support base for one or more musical instruments and one or more musicians during musical performances and its sound amplification output is able to be varied.

The new platform is also able to vary the acoustic characteristics, depending on the variation of the position of the instrument, during the execution of the piece, transforming the platform itself into a complex instrument.

The new platform consists of at least two box-like elements in its main parts.

A first box -like element, or upper box -like element, has a generally low prismatic shape, that is, with a height lower than its length and its width.

This first box-shaped element comprises in particular vertical side walls which form its sides, and at least one upper wall, on which musicians and instruments rest. The front side of this box-shaped element, that is to say the side intended to face the audience, is open, that is, it comprises at least one opening for the insertion of a second element, or minor element.

Said second element, or minor element, is also box-like with a generally low prismatic shape, that is, comprising lateral vertical walls forming its sides and at least one upper wall. Preferably, said second element is a completely closed prism, that is, having six closed sides.

Said second element may comprise some narrowed portions or enlargements of the side parts and may comprise edges and/or rounded parts.

Said second element will be smaller than the first element, to allow it to be completely or partially inserted into the first element through the open front side of the latter.

In this way, before starting to play, the second, smaller element can slide inside the larger first one, and change the overall volume according to how much the second element is inserted in or withdrawn from the first element.

The more the second element is withdrawn from the first, the greater the amplification of the sound emitted by the instrument placed on the platform.

Once the position of the second element has been determined with respect to the first, the sliding is blocked so that this relative position cannot be accidentally changed during the use of the platform, that is, during the execution of the piece of music, and thus its qualities and characteristics of amplification are therefore not accidentally modified.

Said second element may also be provided with holes, preferably in the front part thereof, that is, the side facing the public, so as to allow a greater amplification of the sound and an optimizable direction.

Said first and second elements can be made entirely or partly of wood, but they can also be made, entirely or in part, of metal and/or resin and/or plastic or polymeric material in general. One or both of the elements may have walls preferably made of a single layer of wood, or of two or more layers, depending on the acoustic qualities and the amplification that is desired.

In addition at least said second element may comprise one or more sound conveying walls contained therein, and wherein the walls are preferably translating and/or rotating in a selective manner, so that it is possible to vary its position inside the element according to the sounds and acoustic effects desired.

At least said first element preferably comprises a reinforcement in its upper part, for example the upper wall, which, without compromising the acoustic qualities of the platform, increases its resistance to loads, reducing the deformation of the upper wall of the first element when subjected to the weight of the musician and the instruments.

Said second element may also contain within it one or more woofers, suited to further amplify the depth of the bass.

The platform may also comprise an amplifier with an external console to adjust the volume and tone.

Said new platform can be used both in indoor and outdoor environments.

The new platform may also comprise an extension rigidly coupled or hinged to the upper part of said first element, and in particular to the edge of said upper wall from the side of the open front side.

In the embodiment in which said extension is hinged, it can be rotated between a closed position in which it rests on the upper wall of said first element, and an open position in which it is rotated substantially 180°, being substantially coplanar and contiguous with said upper wall.

Said extension is also suitably provided, on its free side opposite the hinged or constrained side, with feet which can be pulled out to rest on the ground.

Once rotated into the open position, these feet are pulled out so that said extension or attachment can in turn serve as a support surface for one or more musicians and instruments.

Said extension or attachment therefore has the function of forming, with the upper wall of the first element, a smooth plane, in any case enabling the adjustable extraction of said second element, positioned below it.

Furthermore said extension may comprise a through opening suited to insert a corresponding projection on the upper wall of said second element, such that when said second element projects from said first element by a given length, the protrusion of the second element is located at the opening of the extension and is inserted therein, blocking the relative positions of said first and second elements. In addition said platform may also comprise further support feet of said first and second elements, where said feet can be extracted from the lower wall of said first and second elements and are preferably adjustable, so as to be able to level the platform horizontally even on sloped ground.

Finally, said platform may also comprise transport wheels, where said wheels are, for example, mounted on a side wall of said first element. To transport the platform, the hinged extension is closed, said second element is inserted inside said first element in the closed configuration of the platform and the platform is rotated so that the wall with the wheels faces the ground, bringing the wheels onto the ground and thereby being able to easily transport the completely closed platform. The new acoustic platform offers a variety of acoustic characteristics not achieved by other previous solutions since, by varying the support point of the instrument, different dynamics and colors are obtained that make the platform itself much more versatile.

These characteristics can also be varied during the execution of a single piece, making it possible for the musician to personalize the interpretation and make it unique.

The characteristics of the new platform will be better clarified by the following description with reference to the drawings, attached by way of a non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows the new platform (A), according to a first embodiment and in a closed configuration, comprising a first prismatic box-like element (al), or upper element, and a second prismatic box-like element (a2), or minor element, completely contained in the first box-like element (al).

Said box -like elements (al, a2) comprise lateral walls and at least one upper wall defining an empty internal space. In the preferred embodiment, said first and second elements also have a lower wall.

Figure 1 also shows the holes (a3) present on one side, or front side (a21) of said second box-like element (a2).

Figure 2 shows the new platform (A), in the embodiment in Figure 1, in a partially open configuration, where said second box -like element (a2) is partially projecting from an open side (al l) of the first element (al). In this configuration, a certain amplification of the sounds is obtained.

Figure 3 shows the platform (A) in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 in a maximum open configuration, where said second box-like element (a2) is almost completely protruding from said first element (al), so as to obtain further sound amplification.

Said second element may also contain within it one or more woofers (C), suited to further amplify the depth of the bass, while the dashed lines indicate sound conveying walls (P) provided inside said second element (a2).

The platform (A) shown also comprises an amplifier (M) equipped with an external console (E) to adjust the volume and tone.

The side walls of both the first element (al) and the second element (a2) may be vertical or inclined, may comprise holes of various sizes and in different positions, in order to improve the acoustic performance of the platform (A).

Figure 4 shows said platform (A) also comprising wheels (R) for transport, wherein those wheels (R) are for example mounted on a side wall (al2) of said first element (al), for example the rear wall, opposite the open front side (al 1).

To transport the platform in a closed configuration, it is rotated so that said wall

(a 12) with the wheels (R) is facing the ground, bringing the wheels (R) to rest on the ground and thus being able to easily transport the platform (A) completely closed.

Figures 5 and 6 show the new platform (A) may comprise an extension (P) hinged to the upper part of said first element (al), and in particular to the edge (al31) of its upper wall ( al3), on the side of said open front side (al 1).

Said extension (P) is thus rotatable between a closed position shown in Figure 5, in which it is supported on said upper wall (al3) of said first element (al), and an open position, shown in Figure 6, wherein it is rotated substantially by 180°, being substantially coplanar and contiguous with said upper wall (al3) of the first element (al) and superimposed on the second element (a2) totally or partially extracted from said first element (al).

Said extension (P) is a panel having preferably but not necessarily the same width as the wall (al3) to which it is hinged and any length but in any case preferably at least sufficient to completely cover said second element (a2) when the latter is completely withdrawn from said first element (al).

Said extension (P) is also suitably equipped, on its free side (P2) opposite the side (P2) hinged to the first element (al), with one or more extractable feet (P3) suitable to rest on the ground.

Figures 7 and 8 show how said extension (P) may comprise a through opening (P4) suited for the insertion of a corresponding projection (a23) on the upper wall (a22) of said second element (a2).

When said second element (a2) protrudes from said first element (al) by a given length, said protrusion (a23) of said second element (a2) is in correspondence with said opening (P4) of the extension (P) completely rotated in the open position and is inserted in it, as shown in Figure 8, thereby blocking the relative positions of said first and second elements (al, a2).

Furthermore said first and second elements of the platform (A) may also comprise further support feet (a3), wherein said feet are extractable and adjustable, so as to be able to level the platform (A) horizontally even on sloped ground as shown in Figure 9.

Said feet (a3) are appropriately distributed and adjustable in an independent manner, in order to guarantee the horizontality even on sloping or irregular support surfaces.

Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and the attached drawings the following claims are made.