FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a support device for a stringed musical instrument, which can be a plucked musical instrument, such as a classical or acoustic guitar for example. In particular, the support device allows to correctly position the stringed musical instrument while it is being played.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When using a stringed musical instrument, such as a classical or acoustic guitar, the problems related to the correct positioning of such musical instrument while it is being played are well known. In fact, the particular shape of this type of musical instrument and the playing technique to be implemented imply the need to tilt it with respect to the vertical axis, that is, with respect to the body of the performer, and to raise it with respect to the horizontal axis. In the current state of the art, while it is being played the musical instrument is rested on a single leg, which can be the left or right leg, in relation to the right handed or left handed positioning of the user, or performer. This positioning inevitably leads to a condition of instability of the musical instrument, which has to be kept in position with the arm opposite to the leg on which the musical instrument is resting, opposing a weight force that prevents the instrument from sliding. It follows that the action of playing the instrument is always hindered by this condition of instability.

This is particularly evident in the initial stages of study and approach to such a musical instrument, particularly for young practitioners, who find it very difficult to keep the musical instrument stable; in fact, in these cases the attention is often directed to keeping the musical instrument in position, rather than learning the correct playing technique.

In addition, the correct positioning of the musical instrument is directly functional to the correct articulation movement of the fingers of both hands. In the current state of the art, several solutions are known to position the musical instrument as above, such as the use of a footrest, or other support devices, for example. However, these solutions have some disadvantages.

For example, the use of a footrest involves a misalignment of the pelvis with consequent curvature of the spine and risk of scoliosis, a misalignment of the shoulders with respect to the horizontal axis and an unnatural rotation of the trunk.

The support devices of the state of the art attach to the musical instrument by means of suckers, and allow the musical instrument to be supported by resting it on one leg and keeping it substantially horizontal.

In particular, known support devices comprise an attachment part provided with suckers for attaching the support device to the musical instrument, and a rest part connected to the attachment part and substantially perpendicular thereto, which is configured to be rested on the performer’s leg. In the event that the rest part is made of flexible material, for example fabric, a tilting connection part is provided, opposite to the rest part, which connects the latter to the attachment part, and which keeps the rest part in tension. On the other hand, in the event that the rest part is rigid, in correspondence with a free end thereof there is another sucker to attach the support device at another point of the musical instrument.

Document US 4966062 A describes a support device for guitars to be rested on a single leg of the user. The device comprises a support part made of flexible material to which there are connected sustaining arms having at their respective ends two suckers to attach the support device to the guitar. The support device, with this configuration, proves to be not stable and balanced enough for an optimal support of the guitar.

One disadvantage of such known devices is that the suckers are not always able to withstand the forces generated during the support of the musical instrument, which, since they are opposed to each other, lead the suckers to detach with the consequent risk of a technical error when playing the instrument, or even damage due to a fall of the musical instrument itself.

In this regard, any detachment of the device from the musical instrument and the possible fall of the latter puts the user, or the performer, in a situation of psychological stress that could negatively affect the correct performance of the song.

Moreover, the known support devices do not allow to independently adjust the inclination and height of the musical instrument; in fact, it can happen that due to their constructive characteristics a certain inclination corresponds to a certain height of the musical instrument, and vice versa.

In general, even with these known solutions, the musical instrument is in any case only rested on one leg of the user, resulting in a feeling of instability of the musical instrument. This feeling of instability means that an inexperienced trainee is not free to concentrate on learning the correct performance technique, and a performer, even an expert one, is not free to express himself to the fullest of his technical and creative potential.

Moreover, if, for example, the performer removes his hands or arms from the musical instrument, the latter will tend to move or fall. Document DE201 18021 U1 (DE’021) describes a support device for a guitar. The device comprises a frame conformed in such a way as to have two curved lateral parts to rest on the user’s legs and a central part for sustaining the guitar. The frame also comprises two brackets extended upward and connected to one of the two lateral parts in order to sustain the guitar on one of its sides. Document US 1708285 A (US ’285) describes a support device for a banjo having a support frame provided with two curved lateral parts to rest on the legs and a central part for sustaining the musical instrument. At the ends of the curved parts there are connected respective supports, substantially vertical, to sustain the banjo on its lateral part. The solutions described in DE’021 and in US ’285 can have the disadvantage that the support device is not very stable and not very versatile, as well as being difficult to handle.

There is therefore the need to perfect a support device that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. To do this, it is necessary to solve the technical problem of creating a support device for a stringed musical instrument that allows a correct and safe positioning of the musical instrument itself, without the performer fearing the detachment of the support device and therefore the movement and/or fall of the musical instrument itself. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a support device for a stringed musical instrument that allows for complete stability of the musical instrument itself, even when the user does not hold the instrument with his hands, or with his arms. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a support device for a stringed musical instrument that allows for a correct alignment of the body and a correct movement of the joints.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a support device for a stringed musical instrument that allows to independently adjust the inclination and height of the musical instrument itself.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes and to resolve the technical problem disclosed above in a new and original way, also achieving considerable advantages compared to the state of the prior art, a support device according to the present invention for a stringed musical instrument comprises a first rest member which is able to be attached to a part of the musical instrument and is configured to be rested on a leg of a user. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the support device comprises a second rest member which is able to be attached to the musical instrument on an opposite side with respect to the first rest member and is configured to be rested on the other leg of the user, and adjustable connection means configured to connect the first and second rest member to each other. Possibly, the connection means cooperate with the musical instrument so as to be operatively associated with it.

Doing so achieves at least the advantage that, in order to support the musical instrument, it is not necessary to apply additional forces to manage its stability, guaranteeing the feeling of total control and freedom of performance. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the first and second rest member each comprise a first rest part and a second rest part connected to each other and conformed in such a way as to guarantee that they rest stably on the legs of the user. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the first and second rest part are connected to each other by means of a rotational joint which allows to adjust their angular aperture by an internal angle.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the internal angle is comprised between about 5° and about 95°.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the connection means comprise a strip which can be adjusted in length so as to be kept in tension and in contact with the musical instrument in order to cooperate with it.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the support device comprises attachment means to attach the support device to the musical instrument.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the attachment means comprise one or more suckers which are disposed on the first rest part of the first and second rest member and which have the function of attaching the respective rest member to the musical instrument in a removable manner. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, on the first rest part there are at least one upper sucker and at least one lower sucker, which is disposed below the at least one upper sucker, so as to have at least two different points of adhesion on the musical instrument in correspondence with the respective first rest part. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, each second rest part is provided at the lower part with a layer of non-slip material which, during use, contacts the user’s leg to prevent the support device itself from slipping.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the attachment means comprise at least one additional sucker disposed on the strip, which has the function of attaching the strip to the musical instrument in a removable manner, guaranteeing a stable positioning of the strip with respect to the musical instrument and to the first and second rest member.

This invention also concerns a method for supporting a musical instrument by using the support, wherein the method comprises a first step in which the first rest member is attached, by means of respective suckers, to a first part of the musical instrument; a second step in which the second rest member is attached, by means of respective suckers, to a second part of the musical instrument, the second part being opposite with respect to the first rest member; and a third step in which the strip is adjusted in order to be in tension and in contact with the musical instrument and it is attached, by means of the additional sucker, to another part of the latter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a support device for a stringed musical instrument according to the present invention;

- fig. 2 is a lateral view of the support device of fig. 1; - fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the support device of fig. 1 in a condition of use, that is, when it is attached to the musical instrument during performance.

We must clarify that the phraseology and terminology used in the present description, as well as the figures in the attached drawings also in relation as to how described, have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the present invention, their purpose being to provide a non-limiting example of the invention itself, since the scope of protection is defined by the claims.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings.

It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference to fig. 1, a support device 10 according to the present invention can be used and is suitable to support a stringed musical instrument 100, for example a classical or acoustic guitar (fig. 3).

The support device 10 (figs. 1 and 2) comprises a first rest member 11 able to be attached to a part of the musical instrument 100 and configured to be rested on one leg of a user U of the musical instrument 100 itself, a second rest member 12 able to be attached to the musical instrument 100 on an opposite side with respect to the first rest member 11 and configured to be rested on the other leg of the user U, and adjustable connection means 13 which are configured to connect the first and second rest member 11 and 12 to each other, cooperating with the musical instrument 100 so as to be operatively associated with it. The first and second rest member 11 and 12 are substantially the same as each other and comprise a first rest part 15 and a second rest part 16 connected to each other and conformed to guarantee they rest stably on the respective legs of the user U. In the embodiment shown here, the first and second rest part 15 and 16 are connected to each other by means of a rotational joint 17, such as a hinge, which allows to adjust the angular aperture between the two rest parts 15 and 16 by an internal angle a comprised between about 5° and about 95°. This has the advantage that it is possible to adjust and adapt the rest member 15, 16 in relation to the posture and size of the legs of the user U.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, not shown in the drawings, the first and second rest member 11 and 12 are made in a single piece, the first and second part 15, 16 are made with a certain aperture, chosen in relation to the posture and size of the legs of the user U. The first rest part 15 is provided with one or more suckers 19a, 19b configured to contact the musical instrument 10 and having the function of attaching the respective rest member 11, 12 to a corresponding lateral part of the musical instrument 100 itself in a removable manner.

In the case of a classical or acoustic guitar, the suckers 19a and 19b of each first rest part 15 are made to adhere from opposite parts on the lateral strip of the instrument (fig. 3).

In the disposition shown in fig. 1, each first rest part 15 comprises two upper suckers 19a and at least one lower sucker 19b disposed below the upper suckers 19a, in such a way as to have at least two different points of adhesion, or contact, on the musical instrument 100 in correspondence with the respective first rest part 15.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, each second rest part 16 is provided at the lower part with a layer of non-slip material 20, for example made of rubber or other material with a high friction coefficient, which during use contacts the leg of the user U. The layer of non-slip material 20 has the function of preventing the respective second rest part 16 from slipping from the leg of the user U, giving the support device 10 better stability during its use.

The connection means 13 comprise at least one flexible strip 21, which is adjustable in length so as to be kept in tension and in contact with the musical instrument 100. This adjustment depends both on the position of attachment of the two rest parts 15 and 16, and also on the size of the musical instrument 100.

The strip 21 is provided with an additional sucker 22 which has the function of attaching the strip 21 to the musical instrument 100 in a removable manner, guaranteeing a stable positioning of the strip 21.

In particular, the upper suckers 19a, the lower suckers 19b and the additional sucker 22 define the attachment means of the support device 10.

Thanks to the connection means 13, the support device 10 cooperates with the musical instrument 100 as if it were a single body, whereby the tensions are evenly distributed on the two rest members 1 1 and 12, as will be described in detail below.

In particular, the presence of two rest members 11 and 12 combined with the strip 21 guarantees thrusts, or forces, which generate on the upper 19a and lower 19b suckers a constant pressure against the lateral surface of the musical instrument 100, promoting a solid coupling between the support device 10 and the musical instrument 100.

The use of two rest members 1 1 and 12 in combination with the strip 21 allows to be able to manage both the inclination of the musical instrument 100 with respect to a generic vertical axis, and also the height with respect to a generic horizontal axis, keeping the pressure of the suckers 19a, 19b constant.

The support device 10, thanks to the possibility of resting the musical instrument 100 on both legs, does not require the application of additional forces to manage its stability, guaranteeing a feeling of total control and freedom of performance.

The operation of the support device 10 described heretofore, which corresponds to the method according to the present invention, comprises the following steps.

A first step in which the first rest member 11 is attached, by means of the respective suckers 19a, 19b, to a first part of the musical instrument 100 in a certain position.

A second step in which the second rest member 12 is attached, by means of the respective suckers 19a, 19b, to a second part of the musical instrument 100 in a substantially opposite position with respect to the first rest member 11 , in a position such as to guarantee both a stable positioning of the musical instrument 100 taking into account the disposition of the legs of the user U, and also a correct vertically of the musical instrument 100 itself for a correct alignment of the body and a correct movement of the joints and torso.

A third step in which the strip 21 is adjusted in order to be in tension and in contact with the musical instrument 100, and in which it is attached, by means of the additional sucker 22, to another part of the latter (fig. 3).

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the support device 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art will be able to achieve other equivalent forms of support devices for a stringed musical instrument, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate their reading and they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.