Abstract:
A pick having a substantially planar body surrounded by an edge, the pick comprising an aperture penetrating the planar body and a slot in communication between the aperture and a portion of the edge. The planar body includes two leaves, further wherein each leaf is located between the aperture with the slot and a remaining portion of the edge of the planar body, each leaf capable of moving substantially independent of one another. The pick further comprising a gripping feature configured on the planar body for allowing added gripping ability to the pick.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to picks, in general, and in particular, a pick for picking a string wherein the pick has an aperture and slot configuration for added flexibility. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As known in the art, guitars, bass guitars, banjos, mandolins and other various stringed instruments can be played by picking the strings with a pick, otherwise known as a plectrum, which is usually held between the thumb and one of the forefingers of the hand. 
     Most of the existing picks are made of plastic, nylon, graphite or other materials. Although the existing picks have different configurations and are made of different materials, many picks are not flexible enough to allow for fast picking. Fast picking, for example, occurs in many bluegrass, rock and country songs which require the player to pick the strings at a very fast speed. Although the existing picks allow the player to pick at a fast speed, added flexibility in the pick will allow the player to acheive higher speeds, and therefore be more efficient. In addition, existing picks are typically rigid. Thus, a player using an existing pick can be caused to frequently drop the pick when picking the string, due to the inability of the pick to flex. One way to prevent the player from dropping the pick is to provide an aperture penetrating through a central portion of the pick and spaced apart from the edge in which the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger are in constant contact though the apreture. Such an object is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,668 to Moshay, hereinafter referred to Moshay. 
     In Moshay, as shown in FIG. 1, the pick&#39;s features include an aperture in the approximate center of the pick, which allows the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger to be in contact with each other. The configuration in Moshay allows the player to pick a string with a substantially rigid pick without any tendency for the pick to slip out of the grasp of the player. However, Moshay does not address a pick which has added flexibility based on the configuration of the aperture. 
     What is needed is a pick for picking a string having a configuration that allows the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger to be in contact with one another as well as incorporate added flexibility to allow the player to fast pick. What is also needed is a pick which is flexible enough to prevent it from slipping out from the player&#39;s hand when fast picking. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the invention, a pick has a substantially planar body surrounded by an edge. The pick comprises an aperture penetrating the planar body and a slot in communication between the aperture and a portion of the edge. The planar body includes two leaves, further wherein each leaf is located between the aperture with the slot and a remaining portion of the edge of the planar body. Each leaf is capable of moving substantially independently of one another. The pick further comprises a gripping feature configured on the planar body for allowing added gripping ability to the pick. 
     In another aspect, a substantially planar pick allows for picking a string, the substantially planar pick has a body, a pointed end and a rounded end positioned opposite of the pointed end. The pick has an aperture located substantially near a center of the body and extending therethrough. A slot is configured to pass from the rounded end to the aperture, wherein the slot is in communication with the aperture. The planar body includes two leaves, further wherein each leaf is configured between the slot and aperture and an edge between the rounded end and the pointed end, each leaf capable of moving substantially independent of each other. The pick further comprises a gripping feature which is configured on the planar body for allowing added gripping ability to the pick. 
     A pick has a body and a pointed end. The pick has an aperture located substantially near a center of the body and a slot which is configured to extend from the aperture to an edge of the body. Both the aperture and the slot pass through the body of the pick. The body includes two leaves. Each leaf is configured between the slot and aperture and a remaining edge of the body. Each leaf is capable of moving substantially independent of each other. The pick further comprises a gripping feature configured on the planar body for allowing added gripping ability to the pick. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reviewing the detailed description of the preferred embodiments set forth below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the prior art relating to picks. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the pick in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the pick in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the pick in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the pick in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a substantially planar pick  100  which preferably has a heart-like shape body  101 , as having a substantially pointed end  102  and a substantially rounded end  104 . The rounded end  104  is configured on the opposite side of the body from the pointed end  102 . The pick  100  has an aperture  106  which extends though the pick  100 , whereby the aperture  106  is located through the planar body  101 . The pick  100  also has a slot  108  which also extends through the body  101  passing from the aperture  106  completely through an edge. The slot is preferably configured to begin at the aperture  106  and traverse to the rounded end  104  of the body  101 . For this example, the portion of the body  101  having the slot  108  is referred to as the upper portion, whereas the portion of the body  101  below the aperture  106  is referred to as the bottom portion. In operation, the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger are positioned on opposite faces of the body  101 , preferably around the upper portion, and are touching each other through the aperture  106 . This configuration allows the player to have a firm grip of the pick  100 . 
     The slot  108  separates the upper portion of the body  101  into two halves or leaves  112  and  114  while maintaining the overall integrity of the lower portion of the body  101  as one piece. In addition, the slot  108 , in conjunction with the aperture  106  removes a portion of the surface area within the body  101 . Thus, the separation of the body  101  into leaves or halves  112  and  114  reduces rigidity in the upper portion of the body  101 . The slot  108  allows each leaf  112  and  114  of the body  101  to move relative to or independent of one another. 
     When the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger are positioned about the upper portion of the body  101  and are in contact with one another through the aperture  106 , there is a consistent force that is maintained on at least one of the leaves  112  and  114 . When the player strikes one or more string, a force is created between the lower portion of the string which counters the force caused by the thumb and the forefinger. These counter-forces cause the upper portion and lower portion to bend, typically more than a standard pick. In addition, if the force between the thumb and forefinger is only present on one of the leaves, the counter-force caused from the string will compel the other leaf to bend away, thereby making the pick  100  even more flexible. Therefore, the slot  108  in communication with the aperture  106  typically causes the body  100  to be more flexible than a pick formed of similar material, types and weights. 
     It is preferred that the end of the slot  108  which traverses toward the rounded end  104  has a notch  110 . The notch  110  aids in applying the pick  100  as a closure means for a bag. Additionally, the pick  100  is able to be pushed over the threads of a button and worn by a player until needed. In addition, the notch  110  with the slot  108  and aperture  106  creates a novelty guitar pick which would be used as a bag clip. For instance, complementary guitar picks would be used as bag clips which accompanying guitar magazines, T-shirts at a rock concert, etc. 
     Alternatively, the pick  100  has any desired shape or size, as shown in FIG.  3 . It should also be noted that the aperture  106  alternatively has any shape or be any size depending on the flexibility desired in the pick  100 . For instance, the aperture  106  shown in FIG. 2 having a butterfly configuration will provide a more flexible pick  100 , due to less surface area in the body  101 . In contrast, as illustrated in FIG. 4 a rounded aperture  302  will provide more rigidity in the pick  300  due to more surface area being present in the body  301 . Further, the shape of the aperture  106  and the slot  108  are able to be modified for aesthetic reasons. For example, the aperture  106  is able to have a silhouette of a guitar body (FIG.  2 ), a pineapple (not shown), etc. In addition, the pick  100  may have bumps (not shown), grooves (not shown), small apertures (not shown) or other grip enhancing features which allow the user to have added ability in gripping the pick  100 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the pick in accordance with the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the pick  200  has a triangular shaped-body  201  with three pointed ends  202 ,  204 ,  206 . The pick  200  has an aperture  206  which extends though the pick  200 , whereby the aperture  208  is located substantially near the center of the body  201 . The pick  200  also has a slot  212  which also extends through the body  201 . The slot is configured to begin at the aperture  208  and traverse to a predetermined point on an edge, wherein the edge is designated as  210 . As stated above, the slot in conjunction with the aperture, provides flexibility to the pick  200  by separating a portion of the body  201  into two halves or leaves while maintaining the overall integrity of the body  201 . In this alternative embodiment, the player uses either end  204  or  206  to pick the string for added flexbility in comparison to the end  202 . As noted above, picking the string with end  202  provides flexiblity to the pick due to the force on the edge  210  caused by the player&#39;s thumb and forefinger. However, picking with end  204  or  206  adds more flexibility in the body  201 , since the slot  212  has separated the body  201  into two halves. Thus, only half the rigidity in the body  201  is present when the player picks the string with end  204  and  206 . It should be noted that this feature is able to be applied to the pick  100  in the preferred embodiment. 
     The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.