THUMB REST FOR A WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT

Abstract: The invention concerns a piece of equipment designed for carrying a woodwind instrument comfortably with the right-hand thumb in order to prevent physical problems. In order to achieve an optimum position of the thumb on the instrument and to carry the instrument with a correct posture, the thumb rest is adjustable in various directions and has an additional plastic hook, made of thermoplastic material, which is attached to a slanting, hollow thumb casing and can be adjusted or modelled around the thumb between the two joints, enabling the musician to carry the instrument in this way.

Description: Thumb rest for a woodwind instrument. . The invention, a thumb rest for woodwind instruments, is a piece of equipment that, with various adjustment facilities, can be attached onto a woodwind instrument such as the clarinet or oboe, in order to achieve an anatomically sensible position of the musicians right thumb/hand on the instrument. This enables the musician to carry the instrument with a minimum burdening of the right thumb/hand as possible. The invention intends to be an improvement with regard to the usual way in which a woodwind instrument such as a clarinet is carried, a traditional thumb hook as depicted in drawing 1, figure 1/1. The newly invented thumb rest originated from the observation that the woodwind instruments of today weigh nearly a kilogram, the first phalanx of the thumb (the one near the nail) carrying all of the weight. At the same time the thumb is usually positioned too low as compared to the fingers, which operate the keys on the other side of the instrument. The thumb is parallel to these keys and is overly bent as a result. Due to the small thickness of the instrument, i.e. about 25 tot 28 mm., the hand is too much "closed". The heavy burdening in this unnatural posture of the thumb and thus the entire hand often results in very serious physical symptoms. The new invention makes it possible to place the right thumb/hand on the instrument in an anatomically sensible way and is adjustable to the individual hand of the musician. The musician will then be able to play his or her instrument more comfortably, without any complaints, more efficiently and for a longer period of time. The new invented thumb rest is designed in such a way that while playing the point where the instrument is carried is repositioned from the first to the second phalanx of the thumb, between the thumbs two joints. The lever momentum is smaller here, reducing the sensation of weight. This reduction is also caused by the fact that, if the instrument is carried in this way, a different usage of muscles is required (by not only burdening the thumb extensor, but the biceps between thumb and index finger as well) . An invention for carrying a woodwind instrument is also known under the German patent: no. 4113871.6 (Kooiman) . This invention also intends to be adjustable in various positions, with the same objective, through a padded thumb rest which is set with a ball hinge and hinge joint, but independent of the to the left and right adjustable hollow casing for the thumb. The new invented thumb rest is provided with a concave/hollow casing where the thumb is resting in or against, drawing 3, fig. 8/10 and is snapped onto a mounting slide that is screwed onto the instrument. The hollow casing has an adjustable plastic hook, drawing 2, fig. 5/11 which carries the weight of the instrument and is hooked across the thumb between the two joints. The invention is characterised by a casing for the thumb as shown in drawing 3, fig 8/10, with a hollow space milled out under a 15 degree angle. The result is that the casing "ascends" to the right, making the body of the woodwind instrument "thicker" to the right. In this way the first phalanx of the thumb has a better support and cannot "sag" or bend, ensuring a good ergonomic posture. The new invented thumb rest is provided with a plastic hook that is mounted on the right-hand side of the hollow casing, as shown in drawing 2, fig. 5/11 and fig. 3/11. This plastic hook has been secured with two screws, drawing 2, fig. 5/12. The plastic hook is made of a thermoplastic material that, if immersed in hot water for a few moments, becomes completely movable and flexible. The thumb rest, with a concave cavity milled in the casing under a certain angle, is designed to keep the musicians posture automatically in the correct position. After which the flexible and softened thermoplastic hook is either adjusted on the thumb or, when immersed in hot water and thus become flexible and softened, folded across the thumb between the two joints. If after a few moments the hook has cooled off and has become hard and rigid, a perfect, individually adjusted anatomical fit has been achieved. The fact that the hand of the musician is encouraged to assume the correct position, followed by the adjustment of the hook, is essential in achieving the desired ergonomic posture. The invention distinguishes itself from the thumb rest in the German patent by the fact that the casing is milled out under a certain angle, which, due to its shape and angle, enables the musician to assume the correct posture first, followed by modelling of the lip across the thumb. If the German thumb rest is used, the musician needs to adjust the hollow thumb casing to the longitudinal axis first, in order to achieve the correct posture. It should be noted that most musicians are not aware what this correct posture is. The new invented thumb rest has a plastic hook, which fits into the milled and drilled out slot on the right side of the thumb casing. Drawing 3, fig 7/13. The hook is fastened with screws, and is interchangeable and adjustable in height and can be rotated as well. Drawing 2, fig 3/11 and drawing 2, fig. 5/11. The new invented thumb rest is designed with a mounting slide, depicted in drawing 1, fig. 2, and provided with several oblong holes for screwing the slide onto the instrument at the right height. The "old" screws and screw holes in the body of the instrument may be used. (Provided that the traditional, former thumb rest is removed first) Drawing 1, fig. 1/5. There is no need for the musician to consult a repairer for mounting the thumb rest on the instrument. The new invented thumb rest is equipped with a toothed click system, drawing 3, fig. 6/8, which is integrated in the casing, and fits or hooks into a notched section of the mounting slide. Drawing 1, fig. 2/2. The thumb rest can be adjusted in height in this way by sliding the casing of the mounting slide one "click" down, or two, etc. The new invented thumb rest is designed for mounting onto various woodwind instruments whose wooden bodies may have a different diameter. In order to overcome these differences in radius, the mounting slide is equipped with two longitudinal rails on the back, as depicted in drawing 1, fig 2/3 (detail A ) .

Claims: Claims 1. Equipment for the anatomically correct positioning of the right-hand thumb on a woodwind instrument, in order to carry this instrument comfortably and with less burdening of the hand and body. The invention is characterised by a fixed casing in which a hollow cavity is milled out at an angle, adjustable in height and with an adjustable plastic hook mounted on the right-hand side, which enables the musician to carry the instrument on the second phalanx of the right-hand thumb between the two joints. 2. Equipment in accordance with claim 1, characterised by an adjustable and mouldable plastic hook, made of thermoplastic material which, if immersed in hot water, becomes soft and can be modelled or folded around the thumb. And when cooled off, enables the musician to carry his instrument with this hook closely following the contours of the thumb. 3. Equipment in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the fact that, the plastic hook is detachable and, due to the hollow thumb casing it is mounted into, is adjustable in height and can be rotated. 4. Equipment in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the fact that the thumb rest is adjustable in height by means of a toothed click system that fits a notched section of the mounting slide and can be "snapped" quickly onto or off a mounting slide screwed onto the instrument, making it possible to adjust in height and to be able to put away the instrument in its original case when the thumb rest has been taken off.

Inventors: KOOIMAN ANTHONIUS JOHANNUS ALB, KOOIMAN, ANTHONIUS, JOHANNUS, ALBERTUS
Applicants: KOOIMAN ANTHONIUS JOHANNUS ALB, ROKATEC B V, KOOIMAN, ANTHONIUS, JOHANNUS, ALBERTUS, ROKATEC B.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G10D9
IPC codes: G10D9