Abstract:
The invention is a detachable musical instrument pick. A sheet of material is provided that has a plurality of musical instrument picks formed therein by a cut line around the perimeter of the picks. The picks are detachably retained on the sheet of material by at least one of an interference fit between the picks and the sheet of material and an uncut web joining the picks to the sheet of material. A pick can be detached from the card body by severing the web to remove a pick when desired and/or by interrupting the interference fit to reveal a pick-shaped aperture, and can be replaced back in the aperture for storage. The sheet of material can be sized to be carried in a purse or wallet or hung on a microphone stand and the like for easy access.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/811,091, filed on Mar. 26, 2004. 

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is in the field of plectrums, or “picks”, for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly a pick for guitars and other stringed musical instruments that can be easily detached from a card, sheet, strip and the like. 
   Many stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, basses are played with picks, which consist of small generally flat pieces of material that are usually (but not always) flexible. Picks come in many sizes and are made of many kinds of materials including plastics (e.g. PVC, acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), Nylon, etc), shell, metal, stone, paper, composite materials and other materials. Picks are manufactured to have a variety of thicknesses and stiffnesses, depending on a user&#39;s preferences. Picks are often shaped to have one or more rounded points, and can have a generally ogive shape at one or more ends. Picks come in numerous colors and can have graphics appearing thereon. Indeed, picks are collected by musicians and non-musicians alike. 
   Picks are often displayed at music stores in bulk in plastic bags, in open containers, displayed on paper displays, and the like. 
   Although picks can last a long time, they are frequently lost or misplaced, and users may wish to use different picks for different songs, instruments and conditions. Lacking a proper pick, a musician can improvise and use another object, such as a coin as a pick if required. It would be useful for musicians to have a convenient way to carry extra picks so that they are available anytime and any place. 
   It would also be useful to provide a readily accessible supply of picks to musicians during performances that can easily be taken when needed, yet will not be misplaced or lost. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the wallet-sized card of  FIG. 1  after one pick is removed and the removed pick. 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of detachable picks on a larger sheet. 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of detachable picks on a strip of picks that can be supported on a microphone stand and the like. 
       FIG. 8  is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks bearing graphical images. 
       FIG. 9  is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a two-part card containing detachable picks. 
       FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the embodiment of a two-part card containing detachable picks of  FIG. 9 , with the two part card detached into two sections and with one pick detached from one of the two cards. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card  10  of detachable picks. In this card  10 , three detachable picks  12 A,  12 B and  12 C are attached to the card body  14  by webs  16  separating cut line sections  18 A,  18 B and  18 C. The picks can be conveniently die-cut from the card leaving the webs intact so that the picks remain integral with the card until the webs are broken or cut (e.g. by pushing on the pick or slicing the webs with a blade.) The width and size of the webs can be varied depending on how much force is desired to remove a pick from the card. Although three webs  16  are shown bridging between each pick and the card body  10 , a lesser or greater number of webs can be used depending on how secure the picks need to be carried on the card. Depending on the materials used, the card thickness (and thus pick thickness) can be varied to control the stiffness of the pick. Using PVC sheet material, good results have been achieved with 0.51 mm thickness material (0.02″ or 20 mil), 0.76 mm thickness material (0.03″ or 30 mil), 1.02 mm thickness material (0.04″ or 40 mil), and 1.27 mm thickness material (0.05″ or 50 mil). Other thicknesses can be used, and these thicknesses apply to all of the embodiments disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 2  is a top plan view showing the wallet-sized card  10  of  FIG. 1  with two picks removed and one of the removed picks  12 A. As can be seen, after picks are removed from the card, holes  20  are left with remnants of webs  22  shown on the perimeter  24  of the cut line. Snapped off pick  12 A is shown, with remnants of webs  26  shown around its perimeter  28   
     FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card  30  of detachable picks. The picks  32 A,  32 B and  32 C are integral with card body  34  and are connected therewith with webs  36 , and are die cut from card with cut lines  38 A,  38 B and  38 C between the webs. The picks  32 A,  32 B and  32 C have a different shape than the picks  12 A,  12 B and  12 C of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but in other respects, this embodiment is similar. 
     FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card  40  of detachable picks, where the picks  42 A,  42 B,  42 C,  42 D and  42 E are integral with card body  44  but each pick is connected to the card by two webs  46  and has cut lines  48 A and  48 B between the webs  46 . While a total of five picks  42 A,  42 B,  42 C,  42 D and  42 E are shown, a greater or lesser number of picks can be arranged on the card. 
     FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card  50  of detachable picks, where the picks  52 A,  52 B,  52 C,  52 D and  52 E are integral with card body  54  but each pick is connected to the card by two webs  56  and has cut lines  58 A and  58 B between the webs  56 . While a total of five picks  52 A,  52 B,  52 C,  52 D and  52 E are shown, a greater or lesser number of picks can be arranged on the card. In this embodiment, the picks  52 A,  52 B,  52 C,  52 D and  52 E all have a different size and shape. 
   With respect to the card bodies of  FIGS. 1–5 , they can be conveniently sized to be the same or similar to charge cards, credit cards or business cards (e.g. from about 50.8 mm to 54 mm (2″ to 2.125″) by about 85.7 mm to 88.9 mm (3.375″ to 3.5″)) so that it can be conveniently carried in a user&#39;s wallet or handbag along with other similar sized cards. Naturally, other sizes can be used. 
     FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a large sheet  60  with detachable picks  62  die cut from a sheet of material  64 . Each pick is detachably attached to the card body  64  by breakable and cutable webs  66 . These large sheets can hang from a display stand by an optional hole  68  formed in the card body  64 . 
     FIG. 7  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a strip  70  of detachable picks that can be hung from a microphone stand and the like. The strip  70  has a plurality of picks  72 A,  72 B,  72 C and  72 D integral with the strip body  74 . The picks are attached to the strip body  74  by at least one web  76 . The strip  70  will preferably have a hole  78  formed therein for hanging on a microphone stand or other support so that the picks are readily available during musical performances. If desired, instead of a hole, a die cut break away portion that will readily permit a hole to be formed in the strip can be provided in the strip (not shown.) With the single web design, one or more picks  72 A,  72 B,  72 C and  72 D can be swung out from the plain of the strip body  74  so that a user can easily grab a pick and twist it to free a pick very easily and quickly. 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card  80  of detachable picks  84 ,  88  and  92 , wherein each pick bears graphical images  90 ,  86  and  94 , respectively. A single card can also be printed with a single image, and each pick can bear a part of that entire image. The physical construction of this exemplary embodiment can be similar to that shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     FIG. 9  is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a two-part card  100  that has a first part  102  and a second part  104 , with detachable picks  106 A,  106 B and  106 C carried on first part  102  and has detachable picks  108 A,  108 B,  108 C and  108 D carried on second part  104 . For purposes of illustration of this exemplary embodiment, detachable pick  106 B is shown as having a different shape and size compared to detachable picks  106 A,  106 C,  108 A,  108 B,  108 C and  108 D, but the size and number of detachable picks can be varied as desired. The first part  102  and a second part  104  are shown as being detachably connected together with a serration line  110  that permits the first part  102  and second part  104  to be snapped apart, as best shown in  FIG. 10 . Also, while two separable parts  102  and  104  are shown, a single card can also be provided, or more than two portions can be provided. The two parts  102  and  104  can preferably be sized to have roughly the same dimensions as standard credit cards, viz., about 8.57 cm×5.40 cm (3 ⅜″×2 ⅛″) or smaller so as to be capable of being stored by users in wallets, billfolds and the like. However, other card sizes can also be used if desired. For purposes of allowing ready display of the two-part card  100  on a retail display, a suspension aperture  110  may optionally be provided in the first part  102  of the two part card  100 . Graphics  116  and  118  can appear on the card parts  102  and  104 . 
   With modern die cutting equipment, very thin die cut lines can be formed such that the cut line does not remove much, if any, material along the cut line. Accordingly, with use of the proper die cutting equipment, the object being die cut (“die cut object”) from a section of material (“base material”) may be snapped back into place and frictionally retained with an interference fit in the opening in the base material from which the die cut object was cut. In such cases, interruption(s) in the die cut line to form webs between the die cut object and the base material can be made to be very thin so that the dimensions and number of webs can be adjusted as desired to adjust the amount of force necessary to be applied to detach a die cut object from the base material. In cases where the die cut line is very thin and there is a sufficient interference fit between the die cut object and the base material, it is possible to eliminate webs entirely or make them exceptionally narrow so that the die cut object when removed from the base material detaches cleanly from the base material and leaves little if no remnant of the web on the perimeter of the die cut object, thereby providing a smooth edge of the object. Also, depending on the thickness of the blade used and angle of the cutting edge of the blade, when die cutting the object from the base material, the perimeter edge of the pick may become somewhat rounded off and become very smooth. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of two-part card  100  of detachable picks with cards  102  and  124  that are connected together by a frangible line  104 . Referring to pick  106 A, it is formed by a cut line  112  that goes around substantially all of the pick&#39;s perimeter, except for interruptions  114 A,  114 B and  114 C that form webs between the pick  106 A and the first part  102 . The picks can be conveniently die-cut from the card leaving the webs  114 A,  114 B and  114 C intact so that the pick  106 A remains integral with the first part  102  of the card  100  until the webs are broken or cut (e.g. by pushing on the pick). The width and size of the webs can be varied depending on how much force is desired to remove a pick from the card, although as noted above, it is possible to eliminate webs entirely if the interference fit between the picks and the cards is sufficiently great to prevent the picks from falling out of the card. Although three webs  114 A,  114 B and  114 C are shown bridging between each pick and the first card part  102 , a greater or lesser number of webs can be used depending on how secure the picks need to be carried on the card. The card thickness (and thus pick thickness) and type of sheet material chosen can be selected to determine the stiffness of the detachable pick. 
     FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the two-part card  100  of  FIG. 9 , with the two part card detached into two parts  102  and  124  and with one pick  106 A detached from part  102  and with picks  128 A and  128 B detached from part  124 . Picks  106 B and  106 C remain attached to part  102  and picks  128 C and  128 D remain attached to part  124 . Graphics (e.g., a zebra pattern)  130  are located on part  124  which are different than the indicia (e.g., the word “The PIKCARD”)  118  that appears on card  102 . The graphics and indicia can extend across more than one pick, as shown, if desired. 
   The cards  10 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80  and  100  can be made of material such as plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), polycarbonate, Nylon, etc., Teslin® (a synthetic dimensionally stable, highly filled, single layer, microporous film that is polyolefin-based with 60% of its weight comprised of non-abrasive filler and 65% of its volume comprised of air), laminated paper, composite materials, etc., and the like. 
   Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should not be construed to limit the scope of the appended claims. For example, the present invention may be implemented to include a variety of different pick sizes, shapes, thicknesses and layouts. 
   In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the described embodiment. Moreover, to those skilled in the various arts, the invention itself herein will suggest solutions to other tasks and adaptations for other applications. It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.