BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a player apparatus for a high-fidelity reproduction
of original sounds with the use of a stringed instrument such as a violin.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] Conventionally, for an apparatus for obtaining speech output by converting speech
current into machanical vibration, there has been proposed a speaker which comprises
a bobbin having a cone-shaped vibration plate, a voice coil wound around one end of
the bobbin and a magnet circuit combined with the voice coil. The conventional speaker,
however, has had a problem such that unless the CG of the vibration plate is consistent
with the driving center of the voice coil, the vibration plate would not vibrate properly,
so that the original speech can no longer be precisely reproduced. For solving such
problem, for instance, there is proposed in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No.57-56279
an apparatus which controls the amount of air entering from both sides of the central
partition wall of a cylindrical voice coil in order to arbitrarily adjust the position
of the vibration plate or the voice coil.
[0003] Whereas, this type of the conventional speaker would reproduce speech through a vibration
plate such as a cone paper, which, as a result, could not reproduce as vivid speech
as the original ones. Consequently, there have been always some dissatisfaction at
the audience end that with the conventional highest-grade speakers, yet they cannot
listen to as vivid a musical performance as if they were present at a live concert.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a player apparatus which is of a simple structure and yet can reproduce as vivid sound
as if that from a live musical performance.
[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is remarkably characterized
by substituting the resonance mechanism of stringed instruments, more specifically
so-called violin group instruments including a violin, a viola, a cello and a contrabass
(or double bass) for the vibration plate of the conventional speaker. Namely, a player
apparatus of the invention is structured by a driving coil for converting speech current
into mechanical vibration, a rod-like member of which the proximal end is connected
to a vibrating part of the driving coil and one of the stringed instruments included
in violin group having its bridge connected to the distal end of the rod-like member.
[0006] With the above structure, the mechanical vibration from the driving coil is propagated
across the rod-like member to the bridge of the stringed instrument such as violin,
whereby the speech can be reproduced through a resonating body of the stringed instrument
as if the instrument were actually played.
[0007] The aforesaid driving coil comprises a magnet circuit and a voice coil which vibrates
due to electromagnetic induction by the magnet circuit, said voice coil desirably
being provided with a damper for controlling radial vibration. With the use of such
damper, only the front-to-back vibration can be propagated. Accordingly, speech can
be precisely reproduced from the vibration part through the rod-like member. In a
preferred form of the invention, a plurality of dampers may be provided, thus more
effectively controlling the radial vibration of the voice coil.
[0008] The aforesaid magnet circuit constructing the driving coil may be provided with alnico-based
magnet material rather than ferite-based one. Alnico-based magnet material generally
indicates excellent magnetic property, which is incorporated into the magnet circuit
in order for the driving coil to precisely convert speech signals into mechanical
vibration. In that case, owing to a plurality of dampers for control of the radial
vibration of the voice coil, you do not have to prescribe the precise configuration
or material of the aforesaid rod-like member.
[0009] In a preferred form of the invention, with the dampers being provided, the rod-like
member may be connected to the vibration part so that the front-to-back vibration
of the voice coil may be propagated to the axial direction of the rod-like member,
while the rod-like member in turn be connected to the bridge so as to propagate the
axial vibration of the rod-like member to the side-direction of the bridge. With the
radial vibration of the voice coil being controlled by the damper(s), only the front-to-back
vibration of the voice coil can be propagated to the side-direction of the bridge,
thereby effecting the vivid reproduction of speech which is heard as if the strings
were actually rubbed against a bow.
[0010] The aforesaid rod-like member is, preferably, a metallic rod having a Pernambuco
lumber combined therewith. What is called Pernambuco is a natural wood which is widely
recognized as a raw material of a support member of a bow for rubbing the strings
of a stringed instrument. As a Pernambuco is the most suited for producing excellent
sounds in the case that the strings are rubbed against a bow, the Pernambuco lumber
constructing a part of the rod-like member can effectively absorb undesirable resonant
vibration unique to a metallic rod, while beautiful and serene speech can be reproduced
out of a body of the stringed instrument as if the strings were actually rubbed against
a bow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] As follows is a description of the present invention based on actual examples, with
reference to the drawings.
Fig.1 is a front view partly in section of a first embodiment of a player apparatus
of the present invention.
Fig.2 is a section taken on A-A line of Fig.1.
Fig.3 is a perspective view of a main portion constructing a first embodiment of a
player apparatus of the present invention.
Fig.4 is a circuit diagram showing an electrical structure of a first embodiment of
a player apparatus of the present invention.
Fig.5 is a plan view showing a main portion constructing a second embodiment of a
player apparatus of the present invention.
Fig.6 is a front view partly in section of a third embodiment of a player apparatus
of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Hereinafter will be described embodiments of the present invention with reference
to the attached drawings.
[0013] Fig.1 through Fig .4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, of which Figs.1
to 3 show a general structure of the apparatus. Reference numeral 1 designates a pedestal,
2 a casing provided at one side thereof, all of which are constructed by assembling
wooden plates. Inside the casing 2 is provided a magnet circuit 7 comprising a bottom
plate 4 having a center pole 3, an upper plate 5 and an annular magnet 6 provided
therebetween, said magnet circuit 7 being supported by a metallic frame 8. Reference
numeral 9 designates a voice coil which is able to vibrate within a magnetic gap 10
of the magent circuit 7. When a speech current flows through a coil 9A of the voice
coil 9 placed in a magentic field of the magentic circuit 7, the conductor coil 9A
is displaced due to an electromagnetic induction, thus vibrating the voice coil 9
as a whole. Namely, the aforesaid voice coil 9 and the magnetic circuit 7 construct
a driving coil 11 for converting a speech current into a mechanical vibration. Onto
the distal end of the voice coil 9 is mounted a cylindrical cap 12 as an vibrating
part of the driving coil 11, thus propagating the vibration outwards. In this embodiment,
the diameter of the cap 12 is set at 53 mm.
[0014] Reference numeral 13 designates a damper which serves to support the voice coil 9
coaxially around the center pole 3, and thus to control unnecessary radial vibration
of the voice coil 9. For the driving coil 11 of this embodiment, an existing cone-type
speaker is used with the vibrating plate thereof being removed therefrom, while aforesaid
annular magnet 6 is made of ferite-based magnet material.
[0015] Reference numeral 21 is a rod-like member or a rod extending from the center of the
cap 12 toward the outside of the casing 2. The rod 21 comprises a first rod member
22 having its proximal end attached to the center of the cap 12, a second rod member
24 which is connected to the distal end of the first rod member 22 by a screw 23 and
an interposing body 26 connected to the distal end of the rod member 24 by another
screw 25. The interposing body 26 comprises a first fixing member 27 which is tabular
and attached to the second rod member 24 by the screw 25, and a second fixing member
29 which is removably mounted to the first fixing memeber 27 by a screw 28. To the
respective opposite surfaces between the first and second fixing members 27 and 29
are each laminated a non-slip members 30 such as a papersand, which can ensure the
contact of the interposing member 26 with a hereinbelow-described bridge 45. Thus,
the mechanical vibration from the rod 21 can be precisely propagated to the bridge
45.
[0016] On the other hand, reference numeral 40 designates a resilient piece which is U-shaped
to support ribs 41 of a stringed instrument included in violin group. In this embodiment,
a violin 42 is fitted into the resilient piece 40 with the scroll 43 thereof being
positioned upside. It should be noted that there is no difference in structure between
the violin 42 used in this embodiment and one generally available, where, as is widely
recognized, a plurality of strings 44 are supported by the wooden bridge 45, while
the body 49 as a resonating mechanism is provided with a table 46 or so-called a belly
having the bridge 45 mounted thereon, a rear table 47 spaced relative to the table
46 and a sound post 48 for propagating the vibration from the bridge 45 to the rear
table 47.
[0017] The aforesaid resilient piece 40 is fixed to a movable table 51 which is slidable
on the pedestal 1, while the casing 2 is able to be raised or lowered by revolving
a volt 52. Accordingly, even with the use of other violins having slightly different
configurations, the movable table 51 and the volt 52 can be adjusted so as to ensure
the connecting of the bridge 45 with the distal end of the rod 21.
[0018] The first rod member 22 of this embodiment is formed to a 7mm diameter, while the
second rod member 24 thereof a 5mm diameter. For high-fidelity reproduction of sounds
out of the body 49 of the violin 42, it is desirable that the distance from the proximal
end of the first rod member 22 to the point of contact between the interposing body
26 and the bridge 45 be set at 145 mm. This should apply to the case that the violin
42 is used as one of the stringed instruments included in violin group.
[0019] Next, the electrical structure of this embodiment will be explained with reference
to Fig.4. Reference numerals 53a, 53b designate R-channel and L-channel output terminals
of a stereo-amplifier 53 or the source of speech respectively, while 54 a pair of
switches for supplying a speech current from each of the output terminals 53a, 53b
to either stereo-speakers 55,56 or the casing 2. Reference numeral 57 designates a
dummy resistance having the same value of resistance of 8 ohm as that of the stereo-speaker
55 or 56. In accordance with Fig.4, when the switch 54 is shifted to a normally closed
terminal 54a side (hereinafter a first side), the output terminal 53a is connected
to the casing 2 while the output terminal 53b to the dummy resistance 57. On the other
hand, when the switch 54 is shifted to a normally open terminal 54b side (hereinafter
a second side), the output terminals 53a and 53b are connected to the stereo-speakers
55 and 56 respectively.
[0020] The casing 2 contains thereinside a main switch 61, a coil 62a of a relay 62 and
a neon lamp 63 as a display, which are connected to both terminals of a power supply
plug 64. When the main switch 61 is turned on, a point of contact 62b of the relay
62 for supplying a speech current from the output terminal 53a to the driving coil
11 is allowed to connect to between an external terminal 65 connected to the normally
closed terminal 54a of said switch 54 and the driving coil 11. With the structure
thus made, when the main switch 61 is turned on with the switch 54 being shifted to
aforesaid first side, the speech current from the R-channel of the stereo-amplifier
53 is supplied to the driving coil 11 inside the casing 2. Alternatively, unlike this
embodiment, the speech current from the L-channel of the stereo-amplifier 53 may be
supplied to the driving coil 11. Otherwise, the combined speech current from both
the channels R and L may be supplied to the driving coil 11.
[0021] Next, the action of the above-described structure will be explained.
[0022] With the second rod member 24 being fixed to the first rod member 22 in advance,
the ribs 41 of the violin 42 are supported by the resilient piece 40, then the movable
table 51 and the volt 52 are suitably adjusted for proper positioning so that the
distal end of the second rod member 24 may be located in the neighborhood of the bridge
45 of the violin 42. After that, the first fixing member 27 is attached to the distal
end of the second rod member 24, thus sandwiching one side of the bridge 45 between
the first fixing member 27 and the second fixing member 29.
[0023] With the switch 54 being shifted to aforesaid second side, the speech current from
the stereo-amplifier 53 is supplied across the switch 54 to the stereo-speakers 55
and 56, thereby reproducing sounds therefrom. This is the same as the existing well-known
stereophonic system.
[0024] On the other hand, when the power supply plug 64 is inserted into a plug socket and
the main switch 61 is operatively pressed with the switch 54 being shifted to said
first side, the point of contact 62b of the relay 62 is switched so that the speech
current from the R-channel of the stereo-amplifier 53 is supplied to the driving coil
11. When the driving coil 11 converts the speech current into the mechanical vibration,
it is propagated from the rod 21 to the bridge 45 of the violin 42, thus vibrating
the body 49 of the violin 42 so as to reproduce sounds therefrom.
[0025] This embodiment of the invention is featured by making use of the resonance mechanism
of stringed instruments such as a violin, a viola, a cello, a contrabass and the like
included in so-called violin group, instead of the vibration plate of the conventional
speaker.
[0026] In these stringed instruments, the strings 44 are generally allowed to vibrate by
rubbing the same against a bow made of horse-hair (now shown) coated with pine resin,
then the vibration thus generated is propagated from the bridge 45 to the table 46,
which is further propagated across the sound post 48 to the rear table 47 having a
slightly different lower natural frequency (or fundamental frequecy) than the table
46. Thus, a musical sound unique to a stringed instrument such as the violin 42 is
allowed to mainly come out of a pair of so-called f holes formed in the tale 46. At
that time, the bridge plays a very important role that the side-vibration from the
strings 44 is oriented to the direction defined at the right angles thereto.
[0027] The inventor of the present invention has found out that if a mechanical vibration
having a frequency equivalent to that developed by rubbing the strings 44 against
a bow is given from external to the bridge 45, there can be reproduced a musical sound
which is so close to a sound from the stringed instrument as actually played that
one feels that the sound thus generated is beyond comparison with the conventional
highest-grade speaker.
[0028] More specifically, with such simple structure constructed by the driving coil 11
for converting the speech current into the mecanical vibration, the rod 21 having
its proximal end connected to the cap 12 of the driving coil 11 and the violin 42
having its bridge 45 connected to the distal end of the rod 21, the mechanical vibration
from the driving coil 11 can be propagated from the rod 21 to the bridge 45 which
supports the strings 44 of the violin 42, whereby a musical sound can be reproduced
with a highest-fidelity out of the body 49 of the violin 42 as if the viloin 42 were
actually played. In other words, with the simple structure in which the driving coil
11 is connected to the bridge 45 by the rod 21, you can feel as if you were listening
to a live musical performance. In addition, from another aspect of the invention,
the present invention is advantageous because of the following requirement. That is:
it is generally said that once a stringed instrument such as a violin is overhauled
or newly facbricated, its resonating body 49 becomes or remains difficult to vibrate,
so that any excellent sounds unique to the instrument cannot be obtained unless the
instrument is continuously used for one or two months. According to the invention,
however, the speech current is intentionally applied to the driving coil 11, thus
enabling the instrument to display the full ability to generate the sounds as originally
expected in a short period. Namely, a player apparatus of the invention is very advantageous
in that it can be used as an aging apparatus of the violin 42 in addition to the aforesaid
use as a player.
[0029] Whereas, the sound developed by musical instruments such as the violin 42 generally
has a specific range of its fundamental frequency and other frequencies which are
each an integrity times as high as the fundamental frequency. Therefore, it is desirable
that the frequency components of the speech current should be as close to those of
the sounds developed by the violin 42 as possible. Specifically, when a musical performance
by a violin without accompaniment recorded in a cassette or a compact disc is supplied
to the driving coil 11 as a speech current, the resonating body 49 of the violin 42
does generate real sounds. This is because that the frequency components of the recorded
musical performance of the violin are approximately equal to those unique to the violin
42.
[0030] Additionally, the player apparatus of the invention can make use of other instruments
included in violin group such as a viola, a cello, a contrabass and the like, thrum-type
stringed instruments such as a guitar and a mandolin and even a cembalo, so that sounds
comparatively close to the original sounds can be reproduced respectively. Further,
the present inventor found that Sonata with the violin and the piano can also be reproduced
as vividly as the original performance. Furthermore, it was also found that when the
violin 42 is replaced with a cello in this embodiment, the sound of the piano alone
can also be reproduced well due to the difference in frequency components between
the cello and the violin.
[0031] Incidentally, for high-fidelity reproduction of sounds out of the body 49 of the
violin 42, the material of the rod 21 must be carefully chosen in order to propagate
the mechanical vibration from the cap 12 of the drivig coil 11 with complete high-fidelity.
In other words, the resilience, damping (internal friction), density, propagation
velocity and natural frequency of the rod 21 must be taken into consideration.
[0032] For example, taking the case of the violin 42 being used as a stringed instrument
for use with the invention, it is a matter of common knowledge today to a manufacturer
of the violin 42 that the table 46 made of a pine has the different fundamental frequency
than that of the rear table 47 made of a maple, such that the adjustment of the table
46 at the musical scale ranging from C# to D and the rear table 47 from D to D# can
assemble a violin which can generate excellent sounds. According to "Acoustic Technology
of Violin" by C.M.Hutchins, which was published in the Japanese-version of "Science"
in 1981, it is explicitly disclosed that the fundamental frequency of the table 46
should range from 139 to 148 Hz (or C#3 to D3 at the musical scale), while that of
the rear table 47 from 148 to 156 (or D3 to D#3 at the musical scale). In accordance
with the result, it is considered desirable that for the violin 42, the fundamental
frequency of the rod 21 be out of the range from 139 to 156 Hz as defined by the above
frequency ranges of the table 46 and rear table 47, even being inconsistent with either
frequncies integrity times the above range. In the present embodiment, the distance
from the proximal end of the first rod member 22 to the contact point between the
interposing body 26 and the bridge 45 is set at 145 mm, and that the rod 21 is made
of aluminium alloy alone, whereby there could be reproduced out of the body 49 of
the violin 42 the sounds with the highest-fidelity.
[0033] In addition, as the aforesaid damper 13 successfully can control the unnecessary
radial vibration of the voice coil 9 of the driving coil 11, it would eventualy follow
that only the desirable front-to-back vibration of the voice coil 9 can be propagated
to the vibrating part or cap 12. Accordingly, the sounds can be reproduced with high-fidelity
from the cap 12 through the rod 21 with the use of the violin 42. In that case, there
should preferably be provided two or more dampers 13, thus more effectively suppressing
the radial vibration of the voice coil 9.
[0034] When the violin 42 is actually played by drawing a bow against the strings 44, certain
vibration will be given to the side direction of the bridge 45, i.e., the direction
perpendicular to the strings 44. The inventor has taken particular note of the fact,
and thus structured the present embodiment such that the rod 21 is connected to the
cap 12 to propagate the front-to-back vibration of the the voice coil 9 to the axial
direction of the rod 21, while the rod 21 is connected to the bridge 45 to propagate
the axial vibration of the rod 21 to the side direction of the bridge 45. Thus, with
the damper 13 controlling the radial vibration of the voice coil 9, the front-to-back
vibration of the voice coil 9 alone can be propagated to the side direction of the
bridge 45, thereby reproducing the sounds as vividly as if the strings 44 were actually
rubbed against a bow.
[0035] In addition, it should be noted that the driving coil 11 for use with the present
embodiment can be obtained by removing the vibration plate from any exisiting speaker,
without any needs of a particular structure. Accordingly, the fabrication of the appparatus
will not be accompanied by any difficulty when it is actually designed. As the final
quality of the sounds will also vary by replacing the violin 42 with another, the
present apparatus can be effectively utilized for examining the quality of sounds
which you can expect from the violin 42. Needless to say, you do not have to always
use the built-in driving coil of the existing speaker for that of the invention.
[0036] Hereinafter will be described a second embodiment of the invention with reference
to Fig.5, in which the same portions as those described in a first embodiment will
be designated as common reference numerals and their repeated detailed descriptions
will be omitted.
[0037] This embodiment relates to an improved type of the aforesaid rod 21 of a first embodiment.
The rod-like member or the rod 21 of a second embodiment is so structured that an
aluminium alloy rod 71 of 6mm diameter is connected to the center of the cap 12 of
the driving coil 11, then to the distal end of the rod 71 is fittingly bonded a Pernambuco
lumber 72, of which the distal end is then fixedly connected to the intreposing body
26 of a first embodiment by the screw 25. Further, the distance from the proximal
end of the rod 71 to the contact point between the interposing body 26 and the bridge
45 is set at 145 mm. Other structures of a second embodiment are totally the same
as those of a first embodiement.
[0038] The Pernambuco lumber 72 as referred to in the above paragraph is a natural wood
produced in Brazil, which is well-known to one skilled in the art as a preferred raw
material for a supporting member of a bow against which the strings of the stringed
instruments are rubbed. As a part of the rod 21 is constructed by a wood of the different
nature to others, any undesirable resonant frequency of the natural frequency of the
metallic rod 71 can be absorbed therein. Additionally, it is noted that the Pernambuco
lumber 72 is said to be the most suited for generating the excellent sounds in drawing
a bow against strings. Accordingly, with the use of the Pernambuco lumber 72 constructing
a part of the rod 21 for propagation of the mechanical vibration to the bridge 45,
there can be reproduced from the body 49 of the violin 42 as beautiful and serene
sounds as if the bow were drawn against the strings with the Pernaumbuco lumber 72
being atached to the bow. In addition, since the Pernambuco lumber 72 is usually used
as a supporting member for a bow of not only the violin 42 but other stringed instruments
included in violin group, ths same effect can be expected even in the case that other
instruments than the violin 42 are used in the invention.
[0039] To summarize the advantage of this emboidment, when the metallic rod 71 is connected
to the Pernambuco lumber 72 to fabricate the rod 21, the undesirable resonant frequency
unique to the rod 71 can be effectively absorbed and thus can reproduce with high
fidelity as beautiful and serene sounds as if a bow with the Pernumbuco lumber 72
were drawn against strings.
[0040] Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to Fig.6,
in which the same portions as those described in a first embodiment will be designated
as common reference numerals and their repeated detailed descriptions will be omitted.
[0041] In a third embodiment, the bottom plate 4 is allowed to extend outward relative to
the annular magnet 6, while to front sides of the outer periphery of the bottom plate
4 are mounted double dampers 13 and 13A which are supported by an annular member 81.
Alternatively, like a first emboidment, there may be provided a single damper 13.
The annular member 81 thus provided can make the aforesaid metallic frame 8 of a first
embodiment unnecessary. Further, instead of the ferite-based magnet of a first embodiment,
the annular magnet 6 of this embodiment uses an alnico-based magnet material which
indicates a larger magnetic flux density and thus a more excellent magnetic property.
Whilst the first rod member 22 constructing the rod 21 is made of hollow aluminium
alloy, there is no need in this embodiment, unlike the foregoing first and second
embodiments, to precisely prescribe either the aforesaid distance from the proximal
end of the first rod member 22 to the contact point between the interposing member
26 and the bridge 45, or the configuration and material of the first rod member 22.
That results from the facts that the annular magnet 6 constructing the driving coil
11 has an excellent magnetic property and the plural dampers 13 and 13A can more effectively
suppress the radial vibration of the voice coil 9. Other structures in this embodiment
is totally the same as those of a first embodiment.
[0042] Incidentally, the present invention should not be limited to the foregoing embodiments,
but may be variously modified within a technical scope of the invention. For example,
the rod-like member or rod 21 may be suitably shaped otherwise, taking the properties
of the various stringed instruments into consideration.