Device for muting the sound of a musical instrument

The present application is directed to a muting device for muting the sound of musical instruments such as wind instruments, and more particularly, flutes. The muting device is configured to mute the sound of a wind instrument by restricting the airflow through the blowhole of the wind instrument without changing the pitch of the sound produced by the wind instrument. The muting device may restrict the airflow through the blowhole of the wind instrument by means of a woven or knitted mesh fabric placed over the blowhole of the wind instrument.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a device for muting the sound of a wind instruments, particularly flutes.

BACKGROUND

Learning to play a musical instrument, such as a flute, requires practice playing the instrument. Unfortunately, some people may be disturbed by the sound of a person playing an instrument. As a result, a person playing an instrument may be asked to stop by persons disturbed by the sound of the instrument, or may be apprehensive about playing the instrument for fear of disturbing others. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a means for temporarily muting the sound of an instrument, such as a flute, so that a person may practice playing an instrument without disturbing others, and preserve the ability to play the instrument without muting its sound after the person is done practicing. The inventor found that certain means of muting a wind instrument altered the pitch of the sound produced by the instrument. For example, modifying the size of the blowhole of a wind instrument was found to change the pitch of the sound produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application is directed to a muting device for muting the sound of musical instruments such as wind instruments, and more particularly, flutes. The muting device is configured to mute the sound of a wind instrument by restricting the airflow through the blowhole of the wind instrument without changing the pitch of the sound produced by the wind instrument. The muting device may restrict the airflow through the blowhole of the wind instrument by means of a woven or knitted elastic mesh fabric, or other suitable sheet or film of porous material, placed over the blowhole of the wind instrument.

In one embodiment, the muting device may comprise a mesh fabric configured in a tubular shape dimensioned such that the mesh fabric can be stretched taut around the head of the wind instrument to cover the blowhole.

In another embodiment, the muting device may comprise a mesh fabric and one or more clips configured to clip onto the body of the wind instrument and secure the mesh fabric to the body of the wind instrument while the mesh fabric is stretched taut over the blow hole of the wind instrument

In a further embodiment, the muting device may comprise a mesh fabric supported on a frame that is configured to clip onto the wind instrument such that the frame extends around the blowhole of the wind instrument and the mesh fabric extends over the blowhole of the wind instrument.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the various embodiments are described in further detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described. It is also to be understood that the terminology used is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present application.

As shown in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures, the present application is directed to a muting device1for muting the sound of musical instruments such as wind instruments, and more particularly, flutes. The muting device1is configured to mute the sound of a wind instrument2by restricting the airflow through the blowhole20of the wind instrument2without changing the pitch of the sound produced by the wind instrument2. The muting device1may restrict the airflow through the blowhole20of the wind instrument2by means of a woven or knitted mesh fabric10, or other suitable sheet or film of porous material, placed over the blowhole20of the wind instrument2.

As shown in one exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 1A-1B, the muting device1may comprise a mesh fabric10configured in a tubular shape. The tubular shape of the mesh fabric10may be preferably dimensioned such that the mesh fabric can be stretched taut around the head21of the wind instrument2to cover the blowhole20. In particular, the circumferential dimension11of the tubular shape of the mesh fabric10at rest may be less than the circumferential dimension22of head21of the wind instrument2. As shown inFIGS. 1A and 1Bthe mesh fabric10may have a tubular shape defining two open ends12, such that the tubular shaped mesh fabric10can be slipped over the head21of the wind instrument2to cover the blow hole20. In an alternative embodiment, illustrated inFIG. 1C, the mesh fabric10may have a tubular shape defining one open12end and one closed end13, such that the open end12can be slipped over the head21of the wind instrument2and the closed end12prevents the tubular shaped mesh fabric10from slipping further along the head21of the wind instrument2. Further, in some embodiments, a non-slip material14(e.g., rubber) may be adhered to an inner surface of the open end(s)12of the tubular shaped mesh fabric10so that the mesh fabric10can be secured on the head21of the wind instrument2. As shown, the muting device1is designed to be removably attached so that the muting device can be easily removed once muting is no longer desired.

As shown in another exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 2A-2C, the muting device1may comprise a mesh fabric10and one or more clips15. As shown, the mesh fabric10may be placed over the blowhole20of the wind instrument2and held in place by the one or more clips15. As shown inFIGS. 2A-2C, the clips15may be adapted to clip onto the head21of a wind instrument2and secure the mesh fabric10over the blowhole20of the wind instrument2. More particularly, the clips15may have a semi-circular or semi-cylindrical shape dimensioned to match the cylindrical outer contour of the head21of the wind instrument2such that the clips15can be properly secured to the wind instrument2. The clips12may be made of any suitable material that provides sufficient rigidity to secure the mesh fabric10to the wind instrument2, but also sufficient flexibility to allow the clips15to be clipped onto the wind instrument2. For example, the clips15may be made of a suitable material such as plastic, metal, etc.

As shown inFIGS. 2A-2C, the mesh fabric10may have a substantially rectangular shape dimensioned to cover the blow hole20of the musical instrument2and extend around the blow hole20such that the mesh fabric10can be secured to the head21of the wind instrument2using clips15. Further, in some embodiments, a non-slip material14(e.g., rubber) may be adhered to a surface of the mesh fabric10so that the mesh fabric10can be secured on the head21of the wind instrument2. Also, although not shown in the Figures, the one or more clips15shown inFIGS. 2A-2Cmay be used with the tubular-shaped mesh fabric10shown inFIGS. 1A-1Cto secure the open end(s)12of the tubular-shaped mesh fabric10to the head21of the wind instrument2.

As shown inFIG. 2A, the mesh fabric10may be attached to one or more clips15, such that when the one or more clips15are attached to the head21of the wind instrument2, the mesh fabric10may be held in place while stretched taut over the blow hole20of the instrument2. More particularly, the mesh fabric10may have a substantially rectangular shape defining two ends16, which are each attached to clips15. The mesh fabric10may be attached to the clips15by any conventional bonding means (e.g., glue). Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 2B, the mesh fabric10may not be attached to one or more clips15, such that the mesh fabric10can be separately placed over the blow hole20of the wind instrument2and then secured in place by using the one or more clips15. As shown, the muting device1is designed to be removably attached so that the muting device can be easily removed once muting is no longer desired.

As shown in another exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 3A-3B, the muting device1may comprise the mesh fabric10supported on a frame17that is configured to clip onto the wind instrument2such that the frame17extends around the blow hole20of the wind instrument2and the mesh fabric10extends over the blow hole20of the wind instrument2. The frame17may be preferably configured to clip onto the wind instrument2so that the muting device1may be easily attached to and detached from the wind instrument2. Further, the frame17may be preferably configured to not interfere with the playing of the wind instrument2. For example, the frame17may be configured to extend around the blowhole20of the wind instrument2such that the frame17does not interfere with the placement of a player's mouth/lips around the blowhole20of the wind instrument2. More particularly, for a muting device1configured for use with a flute as shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the Figures, the frame17may be configured to extend around the lip plate22of the flute2, so as to not interfere with the placement of the flute player's lip on the lip plate22.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 3A-3B, the frame17may comprise two semi-circular or semi-cylindrical clips15, which are connected together and spaced apart by two struts18along a longitudinal axis19. The clips15may have a two semi-circular or semi-cylindrical shape dimensioned to match the cylindrical outer contour of the head21of the wind instrument2such that the clips15can be properly secured to the wind instrument2. The clips15may be made of any suitable material that provides sufficient rigidity to secure the mesh fabric to the wind instrument, but also sufficient flexibility to allow the clips to be clipped onto the wind instrument. For example, the clips15may be made of a suitable material such as plastic, metal, etc. The struts18connecting the two clips15may be made of the same material as the clips15and integrally formed with the clips15. Alternatively, the struts18may be made of a different material than the clips15and separately formed.

As shown inFIGS. 3A-3B, the mesh fabric10may be preferably configured such that it does not interfere with the playing of the wind instrument2. For example, the mesh fabric10may be preferably dimensioned and attached to the struts18of the frame17such that when the muting device1is attached to the wind instrument2, the mesh fabric10is stretched taut over the blowhole20of the wind instrument2. The mesh fabric10may be attached to the struts18of the frame17by any conventional bonding means (e.g., glue). More particularly, the mesh fabric10may have a substantially rectangular shape having a length (L) and a width (W), where the struts18attach to mesh fabric10along the length (L) of the mesh fabric10and the width (W) of the mesh fabric10between the struts18is shorter than the circumferential dimension (C) of the semi-circular or semi-cylindrical clips15. The mesh fabric spans across some portion of the width of the frame (fW) and some portion of the length of the frame (fL) such that when the muting device1is clipped onto the head21of the instrument2, the mesh fabric10extends over and covers the blowhole20. Thus, when the frame17is clipped onto the head21of the wind instrument2, the mesh fabric10is stretched at least along the width (W) of the mesh fabric10. As shown, the muting device is designed to be removably attached so that the muting device can be easily removed once muting is no longer desired.

For all of the embodiments of the muting device1, the mesh fabric10may be preferably flexible and elastic, so that the mesh fabric10adapts to the shape of the wind instrument2when the mesh fabric10is stretched taut over the blowhole20of the instrument2. Thus, the mesh fabric10is adapted to not bunch up and block the blowhole20of the wind instrument2or significantly affect the feel of the instrument2on the player's mouth/lip. Further, the mesh fabric10is adapted to restrict the flow of air through the blow hole of the wind instrument, thereby muting the sound produced by the wind instrument without changing the pitch of the sound produced. The mesh fabric10may be preferably a sheer stretch mesh fabric, such as for example, a sheer knit fabric preferably made of nylon, polyester, spandex or some blend of one or more of these materials. For instance, one suitable mesh fabric is the type of elastic fabric material conventionally used to make pantyhose.

Alternatively, other suitable sheet or film of porous material may be placed over the blowhole20of the wind instrument2to mute the sound of the wind instrument2by restricting the airflow through the blowhole20without changing the pitch of the sound produced by the wind instrument2. For example, thin sheets of foam material, plastic mesh, or metal mesh may be suitable.

Advantageously, the muting devices1described in the present application are not disposed inside the air passage of a wind instrument2so they can be easily attached/detached to a wind instrument, such as flute. Further, the muting devices1described in the present application do not significantly alter the feel of playing the instrument2. Further, because the muting devices1described in the present application restrict the airflow through the blowhole20by means of a mesh fabric10, or other suitable sheet or film of porous material, rather than by altering the effective size of the blowhole20, the sound of the instrument2is muted without changing the pitch of the sound produced.

While various embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications can be made to the various embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as a whole.