Abstract:
In a cajon incorporating a snare carpet that rests against the reverse of a front plate, provision is made that the snare carpet is supported pivotable and actuatable by means of a pedal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a cajon incorporating a snare carpet that rests against the reverse of a front plate. The cajon is played with the player sitting on the top surface of the cajon and striking the outside of the front plate, which is thereby set into vibration. A snare carpet that rests against the inside of the front plate is also set into vibration by the vibrations of the front plate and produces a characteristic snare sound. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   With this as the starting point, the invention has as its object to further improve such a cajon in such a way that the sound of the musical instrument can be adjusted by the player during playing. 
   This object is met in such a way that the snare carpet is disposed pivotable, provision being made in particular for the pivot movement of the snare carpet to be actuatable by means of a pedal. 
   Correspondingly, the player is able, without interruption or impairment of the playing, by actuation of the pedal, to change the tone color of the instrument, i.e., to activate or deactivate the influence of the sound carpet. 
   To this end, provision may furthermore be made for the snare carpet to be pivotable between a position resting against the inside of the front plate and a pivoted-back position, wherein in the pivoted-back position it rests against a damper strip, which extends parallel to the front plate at a distance from the same substantially vertically. This accomplishes that not only is the snare carpet not excited by the front plate, but vibrations of the housing are damped in general. 
   The pedal is preferably supported pivotable in a side wall of the housing. 
   To provide for the transfer of the pivot movement of the foot pedal into a pivot movement of the snare carpet, various mechanisms are possible. One advantageous transfer mechanism provides that the pivot movement of the pedal is transferred via a pivot pin that is supported in a bearing, a lever projection fastened thereto, and via a pivot hinge onto an actuation rod, and from there via a pivot hinge onto an additional lever projection of a pivot arm, which, in turn, supports the snare carpet. 
   To attain a defined, faultless guiding, the distal end of the lever projection may be provided with a pin, which engages into a guide groove in the side wall. 
   The guide groove may be formed in a metal plate that is mounted to the side wall. 
   The invention will be explained in more detail below based on a preferred example embodiment in conjunction with the drawing: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the cajon from the rear without back plate, and 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view to illustrate the actuation mechanism. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A cajon  1  shown in the drawing comprises a block-shaped wooden housing  2  having a cover plate  3 , two side plates  4 ,  5 , a bottom plate  6 , and a front plate  7  on which it is played, as well as a back plate not shown in the drawing that has a sound opening. Extending in the region behind the front plate  7  is a vertical brace  8 . Extending crosswise to the same is a horizontal damper strip  9 . Located underneath the base plate  6  are feet  10 . 
   A so-called snare carpet  11  consisting of a plurality of wire elements  12  extending parallel to one another, and a support plate  13 , which is disposed on a pivot arm  14  that is pivot-mounted on a metal plate  15  on the inside of the side wall  5  at  16 . Provided at the inner end, i.e., in the region of the pivot bearing  16 , extending away from the pivot arm  14  is a lever projection  17 , at the distal end of which a bolt  18  is provided, which engages into a circular-segment shaped link guide  19  in the metal plate  15 . The pin  18  is hinged to an actuation arm  20  that extends in the direction toward the bottom plate  6  and which, in turn, is connected via a hinge  21  to a lever  22 , said lever  22 , in turn, being rigidly connected to a pivot pin  23  that is disposed in a bearing  24 , which is supported on the bottom plate  6 . 
   A helical spring  25  extends between a fastening region  26  on the actuation arm  20  and a fastening region  26  on the bearing  24 . 
   The pivot pin  23  that is supported in the bearing  24  extends through an opening  27  of the side wall  5  to the outside, where a pedal  28  is affixed that has two treads  29 ,  30 . 
   From the above-described mechanism it becomes apparent that by actuation of the frontal tread  30  of the pedal  28  and downward pivoting of the same, the snare carpet  11  is pivoted away from the front plate  7 , namely away from the striking surface toward the rear, i.e., in  FIG. 1  toward the observer, until it comes to rest against the damper strip  9 . The sound effect of the snare carpet  11  is thereby deactivated. If, conversely, the tread  29  is depressed downward, this has the effect that the snare carpet  11  comes to rest against the inside of the front plate  7  and the snare effect is activated.