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(11) | EP 2 985 759 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Stand for a guitar |
| (57) A stand 10 for a guitar 100 comprises a support member 18, ground engaging means
16 depending from the support member 18, engagement means 22 for engaging with a strap
button 102 of a guitar 100 to be supported, and support means 14 provided on either
side of the engagement means 22.
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BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] It is known to provide stands and hangers for guitars, which are used to support a guitar safely, whilst not in use. A hanger is generally used for storage of a guitar against a wall or other structure.
[0003] A stand for a guitar can be used, both for storage, but also when the guitar is being played, either in practice, in performances or in performance rehearsals. When playing a guitar, it is common to place the guitar on a stand for a period of time, for example, when there is a break in the music. The general construction of a guitar stand comprises a plurality of legs, either two or usually three; a back support extending upwardly from the legs and a pair of support members extending either from the back support or the legs for supporting the body of the guitar. The support members are often parallel with one another and extend across the full body of the guitar. The higher quality stands also have up-stands at the ends of the support members, in an attempt to prevent a guitar from being knocked off the stand.
[0004] Even so, in use, a guitar is simply rested on the guitar stand with the body of the guitar being supported on the support members and the back of the body of the guitar resting against the back support. The back support is generally provided at an angle to the vertical, so that the neck of the guitar points upwardly at an angle. If the guitar is knocked sideways or forwards whilst resting on the stand, it may well fall from the stand, possibly damaging the guitar.
[0005] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved guitar stand which reduces or substantially mitigates these problems.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
[0006] According to the present invention there is provided a stand for a guitar comprising a support member, ground engaging means depending from the support member, engagement means for engaging with a strap button of a guitar to be supported, and support means provided on either side of the engagement means.
[0007] The engagement means hold the guitar to the support member. If the guitar is knocked, then it will not become detached from the support member. The support means may be resilient, and may urge the body of the guitar away from the support member whilst the strap button of the guitar is fixed within the engaging means. The strap button is firmly fixed to the guitar so this ensures that the guitar is securely engaged to the stand.
[0008] The ground engaging means provide the stand with a stable base, making the stand unlikely to be knocked over. The ground engaging means may in some cases be fixed to the ground, providing further security for the guitar.
[0009] The ground engaging means may be provided by a plurality of legs. The legs may be spread out to create a wide stable base for the guitar. The legs may be removably mounted to the support member, so that the stand may be easily disassembled for portability.
[0010] The resilient support means abut to the bottom of the guitar on either side of the pegs such that when the engagement means fix to the strap button, the whole guitar is held firmly to the stand. The resilient support means may include springs. The springs urge the guitar away from the support member, increasing the friction between the engaging means and the strap button of the guitar.
[0011] The springs may be leaf springs, and may extend from the sides of the support member. The support member may include V-shaped side sections extending from either side of a central section, the engagement means being provided on the central section. The central and side sections of the support member may be formed integrally as a single piece.
[0012] An integral support member as described above is simple and economical to manufacture. The springs may be supported from the V-shaped side sections below the guitar, so that the guitar may be pushed against the springs towards the support member, the guitar when resting on or just above the support member being subject to an upward force from the springs.
[0013] The springs may be attached to the side sections by screws, rivets, or the like. The springs may overlap the side sections, the springs being disposed adjacent to either the upper or the lower surface of the side sections. Advantageously, the springs may be removably attachable to the side sections so that they can be moved between an attachment point adjacent the upper surface of the side section and an attachment point adjacent the lower surface of the side section. Moving the spring between these attachment points slightly adjusts the position of the spring, and the resilience of the overall assembly. It therefore allows adjustment of the stand to suit a particular shape of guitar.
[0014] As an alternative to V-shaped side sections, planar side members may extend from either side of the central section, extending both downwardly below the central section and inwardly towards each other. The springs may then be attached to the planar side members, a portion of each spring extending inwardly below the central section and a portion of each spring extending outwardly above the central section.
[0015] The engagement means may comprise a keyhole aperture in the support member. A keyhole aperture includes a wide aperture section and a narrow aperture section. A guitar strap button has a wide part at a distal end, and is narrower close to the guitar body. The guitar strap button may therefore be passed through the wide aperture section, and then slid into the narrow aperture section. The wide part of the guitar strap button cannot pass through the narrow aperture section, so the guitar is locked in place. Where the guitar is urged away from the support member by the resilient support means, the friction between the guitar strap button and the keyhole aperture prevents the guitar from sliding out of the keyhole fastening.
[0016] In an alternative to a keyhole aperture, an adjustable size aperture may be provided. For example, a wide aperture may be provided with a narrow closure member which slides over the wide aperture and locks on to the guitar strap button, thus preventing the guitar from being detached from the support member. The narrow closure may be spring loaded to form a latch, or resilient latch, so that it automatically slides over the aperture when it is not being positively pulled away. A guitar strap button may be introduced through the aperture, and the aperture may then be reduced in size to retain the guitar in the aperture. In fact, any suitable resilient latch may be attached to secure the strap button.
[0017] In a further alternative to a keyhole aperture, a magnetic mechanism may be employed to engage the guitar strap button in such a way that the guitar strap button is locked to the guitar stand.
[0018] Standoffs may be provided on the support member, to limit how far the guitar can be pushed towards the support member and for spacing the guitar from the support member when the guitar is resting on the stand. The standoffs may be made from a soft material, for example rubber or plastic, to protect the base of the guitar from damage when it touches the standoffs. The standoffs may be nylon screws.
[0019] As well as preventing damage, the standoffs help to reduce any bouncing effect if the guitar is pushed vigorously sideways while being held by the stand.
[0020] The standoffs may be adjustable for adjusting the space between the guitar and the support member. This is advantageous for accommodating guitars with differently shaped bodies, and/or strap buttons of different lengths.
[0021] If there are no standoffs, then the support means on either side of the engagement means may be made from plastic or rubber, to cushion the guitar base. The support means may include one or more magnets incorporated in, or mounted externally of the support means.
[0022] The position and angular orientation of support means may be adjustable relative to the support member and/ or guitar. The engagement means may further compromise a confined space for providing a friction grip around a strap button to be held. The friction grip may be provided by the support means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an acoustic guitar supported on a first embodiment of guitar stand of the invention;
Figure 2 shows an underside perspective view of an acoustic guitar being placed on the guitar stand of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows an underside perspective view of an acoustic guitar fully located and supported by a the guitar stand of Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the guitar stand of Figure 1;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the guitar stand of Figure 1 with the legs removed for storage;
Figure 6 shows a schematic side view of a second embodiment of guitar stand; and
Figure 7 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of guitar stand.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Referring firstly to Figure 1, a guitar stand is indicated generally at 10, supporting guitar 100. The guitar stand includes a support member 12, sprung bearing members 14 and four legs 16 (three shown in Figure 1).
[0025] The guitar stand 10 is seen more clearly in Figure 2. The support member 12 is formed of a central section 18, and two V-shaped side sections 20. The central section 18 is substantially planar and is rectangular, having two sides 19, a front edge 21 and a rear edge 23. The side sections 20 extend downwardly at an angle from either side 19 of the central section 18, and then upwardly and away from the central section 18. The spring bearing members 14 are made from spring steel or another suitable material which retains its resilience over time, and are fixed to the upwardly extending part of each side section 20. The sprung bearing members 14 form a continuation of the upwardly extending part of the side sections 20, extending above the level of the planar central section 18. In the drawings, the sprung bearing members have lower surfaces which are disposed adjacent the upper surfaces of the side sections 20. However, the sprung bearing members 14 are removably attached to the side sections 20, and may equally be attached with their lower surfaces adjacent the lower surfaces of the side sections 20.
[0026] The side sections 20 of the support member are formed integrally with the central section 18. The support member as a whole is pressed from stainless steel or made from another material which is suitably rigid to provide a firm foundation for the leaf springs. The V-shaped side sections 20, working with the sprung bearing members 14, provide resilience to provide an upward force on the base of the guitar.
[0027] A guitar engagement fixture 22 is provided on the central section 18 of the support member 12. The fixture 22 is a keyhole aperture, having a wide section and a narrow section. The elongate axis of the keyhole aperture is parallel with and centrally disposed between the two sides 19 of the central section 18. The fixture 22 engages with a strap button 102 of a guitar 100. The strap button 102 is wide at its distal end, and narrow close to the guitar body. The strap button 102 may therefore fit through the wide section of fixture 22, and slide into the narrow section, but may not pass through the narrow section. Figure 2 shows a guitar being placed on the stand, with the strap button 102 through the wide section of fixture 22. Figure 3 shows the guitar fixed to the stand, strap button 102 having been slid into the narrow section of the fixture 22.
[0028] When the guitar is fixed to the stand, as shown in Figure 3, the sprung bearing members 14 act on the guitar 100, pushing the guitar 100 away from the stand 10. There is also a certain amount of resilience provided by the V-shaped side sections 20. The force on the guitar increases the friction between the strap button 102 and the central section 18 of the support member 12, preventing the guitar from easily sliding in the fixture 22. When it is desired to remove the guitar 100 from the stand 10, the guitar 100 may be pushed down, towards the stand 10, and then slid in the fixture 22 to release the guitar 100 from the stand 10.
[0029] Referring now to Figure 4, four standoffs 24 are provided, one at each corner of the central section 20 of the support member 12. The standoffs 24 are made from a soft resilient material, such as plastic, rubber, or nylon, to ensure that the guitar body is not damaged by contact with the standoffs, and to keep the guitar spaced from the stand. The standoffs limit how far the guitar may be pushed down and prevent a bouncing effect against the sprung bearing. The standoffs are screw threaded, and pass through threaded holes in the support member 12 from the underside. As seen in Figure 2, the standoffs have screw heads for adjusting the spacing of a guitar from the support member.
[0030] Referring now to Figure 5, the legs 16 are attached to the support member 12 via screw threaded sockets fixed to the support member 12. The legs 16 may therefore be easily detached from the support member 12, disassembling the guitar stand 10 for easy storage.
[0031] The legs 16 have plastic or rubber feet 28, to provide a grip for the stand to prevent sliding across a floor and to protect the surface of the floor from damage.
[0032] In use, the legs 16 rest on the ground, holding the support member 12 spaced from the ground. The guitar 100 is held securely to the support member 12. The guitar is securely attached to the stand and is not easily dislodged, but is nevertheless easily and quickly removable when required.
[0033] Referring now to Figure 6, an alternative embodiment of guitar stand is shown, in which the strap button 102 is gripped in a shaped block or blocks 30, or by a latch arrangement (not shown). A key-hole slot is still provided in a central section of the support member and the block(s) 30 can be shaped. The block(s) is 3-dimensional, preferably cylindrical, and provides an upper bearing surface 32 on which the base of the guitar 100 can rest. By forming the block as a cylinder with a central aperture and adjoining slot, the block 30 may grip substantially around the entire circumference of a strap button. Furthermore, the internal side walls of the aperture may be shaped to receive either barrel shaped or conical shaped button straps. The block may also incorporate a magnet for magnetically attracting the strap button, to hold it more securely.
[0034] Referring also to Figure 7, in a further embodiment, the upper surface 32a may be curved or angled upwardly on either side of the aperture for the strap button 102 to follow the contour of the base of a guitar 100. It is envisaged that in the arrangements shown in Figures 6 and 7, the block(s) 30 will provide a small amount of resilience, for cushioning and for adjustability to the varying shapes of round-bottomed guitars. If the support member is made from several separate blocks, the blocks 30 may also be movably mounted on the support member to accommodate largely varying different shapes and sizes of guitar. The leaf springs and stand offs are not necessary in this embodiment, because the strap button is held securely by the blocks or latch arrangement. Legs are provided, as previously described with reference to Figures 1-5.
1. A stand for a guitar comprising a support member, ground engaging means depending
from the support member, engagement means for engaging with a strap button of a guitar
to be supported, and support means provided on either side of the engagement means.
2. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 1, in which the ground engaging means is
provided by a plurality of legs.
3. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 2, in which the legs are removably mounted
to the support member.
4. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the support
means provided on either side of the engagement means is adjustable relative to the
support member.
5. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the support
means on either side of the engagement means is resilient.
6. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the engagement
means includes a keyhole aperture in the support member.
7. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means
on either side of the engagement means includes springs.
8. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 7, in which the springs are leaf springs
extending from the sides of the support member.
9. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 8, in which the support member includes V-shaped
side sections extending from either side of a central section, the engagement means
being provided on the central section.
10. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, in which the springs are
removably attachable to the side members in a first attachment position in which a
surface of each spring abuts an upper surface of each side section and in a second
attachment position in which a surface of each spring abuts a lower surface of each
side section.
11. A stand for a guitar as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the support
means on either side of the engagement means is made from plastics or rubber.
12. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 11, in which the engagement means may further
comprise a magnet.
13. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 12, in which the friction grip may be provided
by the support means.
14. A stand for a guitar as claimed in claim 12, in which the support means is cylindrical
with a substantially central aperture.
15. A stand as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the engagement means comprises
a resilient latch.