Electronic tambourine

An improved tambourine of the type having a frame being arcuate-shaped and including a center of gravity, a pair of rims, and a grasping portion disposed at or near the center of gravity of the frame so as to allow comfortable holding for long periods of time, and a plurality of jingle members being affixed to the frame. The improvement includes an electronic sound pick-up apparatus. The electronic sound pick-up apparatus is either an amplifier pick-up or a midi pick-up. The amplifier pick-up is disposed in the frame, opposite the grasping portion, and the midi pick-up is disposed on the pair of rims of the frame, to a side of the grasping portion. The improvement further includes soft pad beading covering the pair of rims of the frame.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The instant application contains subject matter disclosed in applicant's Disclosure Document No. 544314 filed on Dec. 29, 2003, and as such, it is respectfully requested in a separate paper attached herewith that this Disclosure Document be relied upon and remain a permanent part of the file history during the prosecution of the instant application and during any subsequent action thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tambourine, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic tambourine.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Numerous innovations for tambourines have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.

A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,015 to Taninbaum teaches an improved tambourine which includes an arcuate frame having a plurality of jingle members affixed to the frame, the frame including a grasping portion disposed at or near the center of gravity of the rim such that the tambourine may be comfortably held for long periods of time. The handle may include a padded portion and may be disposed close to the geometrical center of the rim, as desired.

A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D306,608 to Wang teaches the ornamental design for a tambourine or a similar article.

A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D336,488 to Grey teaches the ornamental design for a tambourine.

A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,575 to Huth, III teaches a hand-held percussion instrument capable of generating a variety of different sounds upon demand. These sounds including the typical sound of cymbals coming from a tambourine, the sound of a drum which is stretched over an open side of a tambourine, the sound of a maraca which is generated from a multitude of pellets contained within a hollow chamber inside the handle, this sound being adjusted by selectively covering or uncovering openings in the handle, and the sound of a lone cymbal set located at the end of the handle some distance from the tambourine.

A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,289 to Hart teaches an electronic cymbal apparatus which significantly shortens the vibratory response of the prolonged resonating acoustical tone produced by the percussive impact on an electrically conductive striking surface thereby enabling the pick-up of such shortened vibratory response by a transducer, such as, without limitation, a piezoelectric transducer. The electronic cymbal apparatus utilizes conventional cymbal substrates, such as, without limitation, in the form of a broad-brim hat wherein the use of conventional cymbal substrates allows the musician to employ conventional acoustical “striking” techniques while playing the electronic cymbal apparatus.

A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,343 to Hoshino teaches a cymbal holder including: a support member having an installation hole; a holding rod installed in the hole, the rod having a tool holding lower region above the installation hole and having a screw threaded upper region; a tubular, cymbal receiving tool with a tubular part disposed around the holding rod and having a radially projecting receiving part intermediate its length; a cymbal on the tubular part of the tool; a lower elastic member between the receiving part on the tubular part of the tool and the cymbal; an upper elastic member above the cymbal and held by a nut tightened on the screw thread of the rod; the cymbal receiving part is intermediate the length of the tubular part of the cymbal receiving tool so that the cymbal receiving tool is adapted to be installed with either of its side portions above the receiving part being up or down, so that the tool can be inverted as required.

It is apparent that numerous innovations for tambourines have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an electronic tambourine that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an electronic tambourine that is simple to use.

BRIEFLY STATED, STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an improved tambourine of the type having a frame being arcuate-shaped and including a center of gravity, a pair of rims, and a grasping portion disposed at or near the center of gravity of the frame so as to allow comfortable holding for long periods of time, and a plurality of jingle members being affixed to the frame. The improvement includes an electronic sound pick-up apparatus. The electronic sound pick-up apparatus is either an amplifier pick-up or a midi pick-up. The amplifier pick-up is disposed in the frame, opposite the grasping portion, and the midi pick-up is disposed on the pair of rims of the frame, to a side of the grasping portion. The improvement further includes soft pad beading covering the pair of rims of the frame.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING

10electronic tambourine of present invention12frame14plurality of jingle members15pair of rims of frame1216grasping portion of frame1218electronic sound pick-up apparatus20amplifier pick-up of electronic sound pick-up apparatus1822midi pick-up of electronic sound pick-up apparatus1824amplifier/midi socket of electronic sound pick-up apparatus1826soft pad beading

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly toFIGS. 1–4, which are, respectively, a diagrammatic perspective view of the electronic tambourine of the present invention in use, a diagrammatic top plan view taken of the electronic tambourine of the present invention taken generally in the direction of ARROW2inFIG. 1, a diagrammatic rear elevational view taken generally in the direction of ARROW3inFIG. 2, and a diagrammatic cross sectional view taken along LINE4—4inFIG. 3, the electronic tambourine of the present invention is shown generally at10.

The electronic tambourine10comprises a frame12being arcuate-shaped and including a center of gravity, a pair of rims15, and a grasping portion16disposed at or near the center of gravity of the frame12so as to allow comfortable holding for long periods of time, and a plurality of jingle members14being affixed to the frame12.

The electronic tambourine10comprises an electronic sound pick-up apparatus18. The electronic sound pick-up apparatus18is one of an amplifier pick-up20and a midi pick-up22.

The amplifier pick-up20of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18is disposed in the frame12, opposite the grasping portion16of the frame12.

The midi pick-up22of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18is disposed on the pair of rims15of the frame12, to a side of the grasping portion16of the frame12.

The electronic sound pick-up apparatus18further comprises an amplifier/midi socket24. The amplifier/midi socket24of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18is disposed at one end of the grasping portion16of the frame12.

The amplifier/midi socket24of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18electrically communicates with one of the amplifier pick-up20of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18and the midi pick-up22of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18, depending upon which is present.

The electronic tambourine10further comprises soft pad beading26. The soft pad beading26covers the pair of rims15of the frame12, and thereby covers the midi pick-up22of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18when present by virtue of the midi pick-up22of the electronic sound pick-up apparatus18being disposed on the pair of rims15of the frame12.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an electronic tambourine, however, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.