Abstract:
An improved apparatus for retaining a guitar pick is provided, which includes a ring with a magnetic component being attached, by a chain for example, to a guitar pick also including a magnetic component. The apparatus allows a performer to release or drop the guitar pick, either intentionally or unintentionally, and have the guitar pick be maintained in the performer&#39;s hand by its attraction to the magnetic component of the ring. The guitar pick may be made from a magnetic material, including for example stainless steel or a magnetic plastic.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/869,253 and 61/881,909, filed Aug. 23, 2013 and Sep. 24, 2013, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a new improvement and solution to the guitar player&#39;s traditional method of holding and using a pick and to a magnetic plastic, more particularly to a composition of iron and/or steel or other suitable ferromagnetic particles embedded or mixed in a polymer based plastic that can then be magnetized. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Consistently holding standard plastic flat picks while playing a guitar has always been an issue facing guitar players. Guitar pick manufacturers have sought many solutions to this problem to no avail, including: making picks larger, making picks in different shapes, making picks with traction ridges on them, making picks chalky for grip, adding holes in the back of the pick for grip, or making picks with varying thicknesses and pliability. Some manufacturers have devised a spring loaded pick holder that holds up to ten picks and has an adhesive that sticks right to the edge of the guitar, so that when a pick falls out of the performer&#39;s hand, he or she can reach up and slide another pick out of the holder. However, the time that it takes the performer to grab another pick interferes with the execution of a song in its pre-set time signature. Some musicians will actually put the pick in between their teeth while they play a song so as not to lose the pick while utilizing all of their fingers for a more intricate style of finger picking. 
         [0004]    A claw pick is used primarily, but not exclusively, for banjo picking. In the claw pick, the thumb has a stationary pick, smaller than standard size, worn around the thumb in a loop. The claw picks are also stationary, worn on the tips of all of the fingers, and are shaped like claws, resembling nothing like a flat pick. 
         [0005]    The present invention solves these shortcomings in the art by providing a magnetic guitar pick ring. 
         [0006]    In addition, there is a lack of materials in the art that can be magnetized yet have the feel of a plastic material. There are plastic products with magnets embedded into them later. There is even a “magnetic rubber” mixture used for signs that stick to vehicles and refrigerators. However, there is no material that is plastic itself being magnetic. 
         [0007]    There are several reasons for this deficiency in the art. In order to have a magnetic material with the touch, feel, and the weight people are accustomed to in a plastic, metallic particles, preferably of the size of metallic dust, must be mixed into the plastic prior to injection molding of the article. The metallic particles must be mixed and distributed evenly throughout the plastic prior to charging the material. If one charges the particles before injection molding, and then adds the particles to the plastic, the heat required to melt the plastic will de-magnetize the tiny particles. Even if this method could be performed, the particles would attract and repel themselves into clumps in the plastic. 
         [0008]    If the particles are non-magnetic prior to being mixed in, then they are completely insulated from one another by the plastic surrounding each particle. This means that the particles cannot be magnetized by an electric current because the particles do not touch each other. Therefore, the only other option would be to create a magnetic field around the plastic to charge the particles inside, but in this case, the particles would be locked in place in the hardened plastic, not allowing the poles to be aligned with any continuity or consistent magnetic flux. The present invention addresses these problems facing the art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention relates to a magnetic pick ring comprising a guitar pick attached to a ring by a chain, so that the performer can execute a seamless transition between using the pick and finger picking the strings of the guitar or other instrument. A small magnet is attached to a bezel housing on the ring. Either the pick or the coupling attaching the ring to the pick is made of a material having magnetic properties. The pick and/or coupling attached to the pick would then retract back to the magnet and be worn on the inside of the strumming hand, flush with the inside of the fingers. 
         [0010]    A small hole can be bored into the back edge of a standard plastic pick allowing for a clasp or coupling to attach to the pick from the bored hole. The clasp that attaches the chain to the ring, and the chain itself, are made of non-magnetic material, so that the clasp and chain are not drawn back to the magnet. However, if the pick does not have magnetic properties, the clasp attached to the pick has magnetic properties. This allows the pick to be retracted back smoothly and not become tangled up on the ring. The ring can be formed from any appropriate material, such as gold, plastic or silver. 
         [0011]    This invention accomplishes at least two practical applications. First, it allows musicians to play the guitar with a pick and never have the pick fall out of the musician&#39;s hand. If the pick is dropped, intentionally or inadvertently, the pick will be drawn to the magnet where it can be easily grasped by the performer when needed. Second, the present invention would allow a performer to use the pick and then seamlessly transition into finger picking, using all the fingers and thumb, by sliding the pick back to the magnet affixed to the ring. The ring can be worn on the thumb or any finger, excluding the pinky. The magnet side of the pick ring, including the pick and magnet, are worn on the inside or palm side of the hand so as to allow the performer to pull the pick back off the magnet using the other digits. 
         [0012]    The present invention further contemplates a hard, lightweight and durable composition of basic substances that allows magnetic repulsion or adhesion with structural function which can be used in creating a pick having magnetic properties. 
         [0013]    The present invention contemplates the method for making and using the magnetic plastic disclosed herein. 
         [0014]    Having summarized the present invention herein, the invention will now be described in further detail in reference to the accompanying Figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates the components of the magnetic pick ring according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates the assembled magnetic pick ring according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The magnetic pick ring according to the present invention is described in reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0018]    The magnetic pick ring  10  includes a flexible ring or band  11  connected to or having a bezel housing  12  at the base of the ring  11 . The bezel housing  12  comprises an opening to receive a magnet  13  of equal or lesser size. The magnet  13  is secured to the bezel housing  12  and ring  11  by soldering, gluing, or fitting the magnet  13  inside the bezel housing  12 . A catch  16  is soldered to a side edge of the bezel housing  12  so that a clasp  14  can be secured to the ring  11 . In a preferred embodiment, the clasp  14  is a lobster claw clasp, however, other suitable clasping means can be utilized. 
         [0019]    A chain  15  is attached to the clasp  14  on one end of the chain  15 . The opposing end of the chain  15  comprises a clasp  17   a  and collar  17   b.  In a preferred embodiment, the chain  15  has a length of approximately 1¼″ to 1½″. 
         [0020]    On the end of the chain  15  opposing the ring  11 , the chain  15  is secured to a guitar pick  18 . If the guitar pick  18  is made from a magnetic material, the chain  15  may secure to the pick  18  by a riveted stud. Alternatively, the chain  15  can be attached to the guitar pick  18  by a spring ring clasp  17   a  with a stainless steel collar  17   b,  or by either of these components alone, which may be preferred if the pick  18  is made of a non-magnetic material. However, the present invention is not limited to these means for attaching the chain  15  to the pick  18 . Another alternative would be to create two holes on each side of the pick  18  and have studs anchored to a small base plate and clamped with hinges to another small base plate with receivers clamped or clipped together. Alternatively, the pick  18  can be slid into a spring with teeth, like a vise grip or battery cables. 
         [0021]    To use the magnetic pick ring  10 , the ring  11  can be placed on the thumb or any finger except the pinky finger. The ring  11  is worn on the inside of the hand, so the magnet  13 , bezel housing  12 , and pick  18  are oriented on the inside palm of the strumming hand. As a result, when the pick  18  is stationary or trapped magnetically to the ring  11 , the thumb or other digits are free to slide the pick  18  off of the ring  11  and bring the pick  18  to a comfortable playing position without creating too much tension on the chain  15 . 
         [0022]    The chain  15 , which in a preferred embodiment has a length of approximately 1¼″ to 1½″, can be created in varying sizes to accommodate varying hand sizes. The clasps  14  and  17   a  allow easy removal of the chain  15  from the ring  11  and pick  18  to replace the chain  15  with alternate chains having different lengths. The chain  15  may also be substituted for another suitable means for attaching the ring  11  to the pick  18 , such as a cord, string or rope, for example. Preferably, the ring  11  is not soldered together, but is open so as to be flexible to fit all sizes and thicknesses of the player&#39;s fingers. However, where preferred by the player, a pre-fitted or sized ring can be provided. 
         [0023]    As a guitar player vigorously strums the instrument, he or she will not have to hold on to the pick  18  very tightly; thus allowing the wrist to be more limber, ultimately offering a more rhythmic approach to a given song. The pick  18  cannot be pulled out of the fingers due to added friction, however, should the player drop the pick  18  or the pick  18  falls from the player&#39;s fingers, a simple cupping of the wrist will bring the pick  18  back to the fingertips. If a guitar player chooses to free his fingers of the pick  18 , the pick  18  can slide along the finger and the magnet  13  will secure the pick  18 . 
         [0024]    The ring  11 , the clasp  14  and the chain  15  can be made of any relatively durable material. Preferably, the material does not have magnetic properties, so that the magnet  13  is free to pull either the magnetized pick  18  or the magnetized collar  17   b  back towards the ring  11 . One material that can be used in creating the pick  18  and/or collar  17   b  is stainless steel because stainless steel has magnetic properties and is durable for use, allowing the pick  18  and/or collar  17   b  to be riveted to the chain  15  permanently. In addition, stainless steel will not rust and will retain its original aesthetics and luster. Alternatively, a magnetic plastic, as described below, can be used instead of stainless steel. The ring  11  and the bezel housing  12  can be made from gold, silver, plastic or any other suitable material. The clasp  14  and chain  15  can be made of aluminum, silver, or any other suitable material, preferably a material being durable enough for repeated use. 
         [0025]    It is also envisioned that the composition of the pick can be a magnetic plastic material. This material includes magnetic particles inside of a plastic, thereby making the pick  18  magnetic with an opposite polarity to the ring  11 . 
         [0026]    Although stainless steel is suitable for use as the pick  18  as described above, certain guitar players may prefer the touch and feel of a standard plastic pick to which they are accustomed. To accommodate this, a self-hardening polymer plastic epoxy mixed with metal filings can be used as the material for the pick  18 . The metallic particles are evenly dispersed and mixed inside the polymer material, which can be magnetized with a magnetic resonance imaging earth magnet machine or using any suitable means or apparatus now known or developed in the future. 
         [0027]    In creating the magnetic plastic material, it is preferable to use smaller sized particles. This provides for more evenly dispersed and hidden particles within the plastic, so as to not be noticed by the naked eye. For example, the particles can be categorized into four grades of decreasing size: “shavings”, “filings”, “particles”, and “dust”. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment, the magnetic plastic composition has a preferred ratio of metallic particle (such as iron or steel) to plastic material ranging from 10% metal and 90% plastic up to 33% metal and 67% plastic, by weight. Other ratios may be possible as determined by the properties of the metallic particles and plastic. 
         [0029]    According to a second embodiment, another magnetic plastic composition and method for creating the composition are provided. A custom made tumbled barium ferrite dust that is in the shape of microscopic spheres, so as to not clog the injectors, is mixed with a plastic. The plastic to metallic particle ratio in the composition is sufficient to allow a gravity defying pull. Next, a device attaching two electrodes is embedded into the bottom of the steel die cast so when the plastic mixture is injected into the mold, a machine attached to the electrodes with the specific amperage needed is briefly turned on while the plastic is cooling but still in a semi-viscous state, thus allows the aligning of all the poles of all the individual particles in the plastic into a non-contradictory arc. Alternatively, a tumbled neodymium (NdFeB) powder no bigger than  3  microns could be used as the metallic particle. 
         [0030]    According to an alternative method for creating the composition, a two piece die cast machine tool made of steel is provided and then both pieces are permanently magnetized, north to north and south to south. The two pieces are clamped together, as they would naturally repel each other. The plastic is then injected with the particles and into the mold creating all the poles to line up, yet not forcing the particles inside to be compressed into the center but brought and dispersed evenly to the very edges while simultaneously lowering the temperature and freezing the tool itself with liquid nitrogen, so the particles inside would lock themselves quicker into the hardening plastic and not be pulled all the way to one side too fast. 
         [0031]    The magnetic plastic material according to this invention can be used in other products beyond the pick  18  according to this invention. For example, the magnetic plastic can be used in everyday household products, such as bottles, and even be used in mechanical engineering of lightweight magnetically charged components or tools and in any other technological fields. 
         [0032]    While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices and methods described may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. Furthermore, in the claims means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures.