Abstract:
A musical instrument support for attaching to an instrument, said support comprises a resilient continuous frame including at least two U shaped clamp portions making contact with an instrument at guitar contact areas for releasably and resiliently biassing said support to an instrument wherein said clamp portions for engaging with a front and back side of an instrument; and said frame further including at least two U shaped base portions making contact with an instrument at second contact areas for resting said support onto a persons thigh, such that said base portions rest comfortably and securely on a persons thigh and maintains said instrument in a desired playing position when said support is clamped to an instrument.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly relates to an instrument support for musical instruments such as guitars and basses. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well recognized that various instruments such as guitars and basses and the like tend to be too heavy and cumbersome to be comfortably hand held for long periods. It is therefore become a common practise to support their structure and weight by means of a cord strap or sling that is looped around the back of a players neck. This arrangement supports the instruments weight and positions the instrument at a comfortable height and orientation for playing. 
     With the ever increasing interest in research and development in the field of ergonomics, many new consumer friendly improved designed products are steadily being introduced to world wide commercial markets including the manufacturing and distribution of guitar accessories, all with the intention to expedite productivity, increase satisfaction and to alleviate most of the more common symptoms leading to personal injury such as tendinitis, back pain and neck and shoulder tension caused by over exertion, strain and from daily repetition. 
     With the exception to many new improvements in innovations such as electrical pick-ups, strings and other hard wares. The manufacturing of acoustic and more over solid body electrical guitars have remained relatively unchanged. Now with the emphasis leaning more towards new experimental body and neck configurations, exotic colours and with the introduction of hardwoods and synthetics construction materials. The excessive weight of the solid body, and the awkwardness of the hollow body guitars still remain an obstacle and continues to present many challenges for the modern guitar player. 
     Besides variations in colours, patterns and materials and widths in construction. Guitar straps have remained the conventional means to support a solid body or acoustic guitar in standing or preferably sitting playing position. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to have an improved musical instrument support that removes the instruments weight from the players neck and shoulder area and provides for a stable and reliable support of the instrument while it is being played at minimal cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention a musical instrument support for attaching to an instrument, said support comprises 
     a) a resilient continuous frame including a clamping means for releasably and resiliently biassing said support to an instrument wherein said clamping means engaging with a front and back side of an instrument; and 
     b) said frame further including a base means for resting said support onto a persons thigh, such that said base means rests comfortably and securely on a persons thigh and maintains said instrument in a desired playing position when said support is clamped to an instrument. 
     Preferably wherein said clamping means for engaging with a front and back side of said instrument and said base means including base portions for engaging with a persons thigh. 
     Preferably wherein said clamping means preferably including at least two U shaped clamp portions making contact with an instrument at guitar contact areas. 
     Preferably wherein said base portions including at least two U shaped base portions making contact with an instrument at second contact areas. 
     Preferably wherein said frame defining a saddle shape configuration with said U shaped base and U shaped clamp portions continuously connected to form said saddle configuration. 
     Preferably wherein said clamp portions define an angle theta relative to a centre plane of said saddle. 
     Preferably wherein said frame preferably being made of a continuous piece of metal wire having resiliency and also capable of being permanently deformed. 
     Preferably wherein said clamp portions define a clamp spacing C relative each other which can be adjusted by permanently deforming said frame by urging clamp portions apart or together. 
     Preferably wherein said base portions define a base spacing B relative each other which can be adjusted by permanently deforming said frame by urging base portions apart or together. 
     Preferably wherein said clamp portions covered with a protective wire sheath to protect from damaging an instrument when said support is in a clamped position. 
     Preferably wherein said base portions covered with a deformable base sheath to protect provide a large base contact area for making contact with a thigh and providing a deformable and soft support material. 
     Preferably wherein said base sheath partially covered with a cover to protect provide a wear resistant and non slip base contact area. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view of the present invention a musical instrument support. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic end plan view of the present invention a musical instrument support. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic side plan view of the present invention a musical instrument support. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the plan portion of the musical instrument support taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken through the base portion taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the present invention a musical instrument support showing deployed on an electric guitar. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention a musical instrument support deployed on an electric guitar. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic partial side elevational view of the present invention a musical instrument support shown deployed on an electric guitar. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention a musical instrument support shown deployed on an electric guitar and how it is positioned on a persons thigh together with a player. 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention a musical instrument support shown deployed on an electric guitar and how it is positioned on a persons thigh together with a player. 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention a musical instrument support shown deployed on an acoustic guitar and how it is positioned on a persons thigh together with a player. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention a musical instrument support is shown generally as  100  in the attached Figures and more specifically includes the following major portions, namely wire frame  110  having clamp portions  102  and base portions  104 . 
     Wire frame  110  preferably is made up of a single continuous, endless metallic wire which defines the saddle like shape of musical instrument support  100 . Preferably wire frame  110  is made of mild carbon steel, however it is possible that wire frame  110  may be made of other materials including aluminum, suitable plastics, reinforced plastics and/or other materials or fibres known in the art. 
     Clamping portions  102  preferably include a wire frame  110  which is circular in cross section covered with a wire sheath  112  which would be a soft more pliable material in order to avoid damaging of an instrument when clamp portions  102  make contact with a guitar body at guitar contact area  140  as shown in FIG.  8 . Preferably clamp portions  102  include steel wire frame  110  covered with a coating of latex rubber (or other similar materials) for wire sheaths  112 . 
     There is no reason why other cross-sectional shapes of wire frame  110  cannot be adopted such as square, triangular, hexagonal, however the preferred shaped is the circular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     It is evident from the drawings that musical instrument support  100  defines two clamp portions  102  which are spaced apart as defined by clamp spacing C  108  as shown in FIG.  1 . Clamp spacing C shown as  108  is dependent upon the guitar thickness T shown as  134  in FIG.  8 . The larger guitar thickness T  134 , the larger the clamp spacing C  108  must be. 
     Wire frame  110  is selected to have a combination of properties including resiliency and yet be shape deformable to provide for some adjustability in clamp spacing C  108  shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Clamp portions  102  also define an angle theta shown as  120  in FIG. 2 relative to a centre plane  126 . As best seen in FIG. 2, clamp portions  102  together with base portions  104  provide for a substantially U shaped profile which aids in providing for resiliency or spring like qualities in the clamp portions  102  and ensures that there is a specific guitar contact area  140  where clamp portions  102  make contact with a guitar body  132 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5 which is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 2, one can see that wire frame  110  extends centrally along the length of base portion  104  and is covered with a base sheath  114  which in turn is partially covered with a cover  116 . 
     Base portions  104  define a base contact area  152  which is the section of base portion  104  which makes contact with a thigh  150  of the person using musical instrument support  100  as shown in FIGS. 9,  10  and  11 . In order to ensure that base contact area  152  of base portions  104  is as broad and as comfortable to the user as possible, base sheath  114  is preferably thicker in size than wire sheath  112  and constructed of softer material. Optionally base sheath  114  is in turn covered with cover  116  which is a wear and/or abrasion resistant material having a non-slip outer surface to ensure that musical instrument support  100  is firmly supported on thigh  150 . 
     By way of example only base sheath  114  could be made of open or closed cell foam type materials wherein cover  116  could be made of a neoprene type rubber material. The distance between base portions  104  is defined as base spacing B shown as  106  in FIG.  3  and is dependent upon the overall size of musical instrument support  100 , but also can be adjusted by deformably urging base portions  104  apart until the desired based spacing B  106  is achieved. Therefore, wire frame  110  is chosen having material properties giving it resiliency, but also given enough force permanently deformable to maintain a preselected shape and ultimately a pre-selected base spacing B shown as  106  in FIG.  3 . 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that musical instrument support  100  possibly could be manufactured from a one piece injection mould and be made entirely of plastic with properties providing for the necessary resiliency and deformability. In practice it has been shown that a steel wire frame  110  covered with plastic type materials provides the necessary material property characteristics to provide for the resiliency required for clamping portions  102  and yet the deformability required for base portions  104  and clamping portions  102 . 
     Cover  116  which is an abrasion and/or slip resistant cover and is optional depending upon the material selection for base sheath  114  and costs considerations. 
     Musical instrument support  100  would be available in standard sizes to accommodate various types of instruments including electric guitars, basses, acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments which are similarly positioned. 
     IN USE 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6 through 11, the present invention musical instrument support  100  is shown deployed on an electric guitar  130  in FIGS. 6,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10  and on an acoustic guitar  130  in FIG.  11 . Musical instrument support  100  is shown deployed on an electric guitar  130  as shown in FIGS. 6,  7  and  9 . Musical instrument support  100  is deployed onto the guitar saddle area  139  as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of a guitar body  132 . Firstly, a musical instrument support  100  sized according to the guitar thickness T  134  is chosen so that clamp portion  102  makes contact with guitar body  132  at guitar contact area  140  and second contact area  141 . Clamp portions  102  resiliently bias against the front and back of the guitar saddle area  139  of the guitar body  132  as shown in FIG.  8 . In other words clamp spacing C  108  shown in FIG. 1 is somewhat smaller in dimension or narrower than guitar thickness T  134 , such that the clamp portions  102  are forcibly spread apart in order to fit over guitar thickness T  134 . When in position, shown in FIGS. 6,  7  and  8 , as already indicated, clamp portions  102  impart a resilient biasing force against a guitar body  132  thereby maintaining musical instrument support  100  in the correct position. Wire sheath  112  and base sheath  114  covering wire frame  110  protects against any surface injury to guitar body  132 . 
     There is a certain amount of adjustability in musical instrument support  100  in that the clamp spacing C  108  can be manually adjusted to be some what narrower or larger than in the as received condition. Clamp spacing C shown as  108  in FIG. 1 can be manually enlarged by pulling apart clamp portions  102  and permanently deforming wire frame  110  and/or can be squeezed together again permanently deforming wire frame  110 . Therefore, instrument support  100  can accommodate a number of different guitar thicknesses T  134 . 
     In regard to base spacing B shown as  106  in FIG. 3, note that the base contact area  152  rests on thigh  150  of a person using musical instrument support  100 . Base spacing B  106  is adjustable by deforming base portions  104  either outwardly or inwardly by permanently deforming wire frame  110 . Depending on the size of the thigh  150  and an individual players preference, base spacing B  106  may be selected by the player which is most comfortable for their use. FIG. 9 shows the musical instrument support  100  attached to an electric guitar  130  and being used in a first playing position  136 . 
     FIG. 10 shows musical instrument support  100  deployed on electric guitar  130  which is used in a second playing position  138 . In each case base portions  104  makes contact with the thigh at base contact area  152 . Normally a portion of the thigh  150  is deformed and bulges in between base portions  104  thereby ensuring that electric guitar  130  is securely supported and does not move longitudinally from the playing position. In addition base sheath  114  of base portions  104  deforms and tends to flatten when weight is applied thereby additionally increasing the surface contact area  152  of base portions  104  when weight is applied. 
     Furthermore the U shaped design of base portion  104  allow instrument or electric guitar  130  to rock back and forth on a person thigh, but yet not move longitudinally along longitudinal direction  132 . In this manner electric guitar  130  can be positioned at various angles with respect to the body of the player, however remain longitudinally stationary. 
     It should be apparent to persons skilled in the arts that various modifications and adaptation of this structure described above are possible without departure from the spirit of the invention the scope of which defined in the appended claim.