Abstract:
Snap away musical instrument picks. 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 except for uncut web areas around each pick. A pick can be detached from the card body by severing the web to remove a pick when desired. 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:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention is in the field of plectrums, or “picks”, for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly a die-cut, snap away pick for guitars and other stringed musical instruments that can be easily detached from a card, sheet, strip and the like.  
         [0002]     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.  
         [0003]     Picks are often displayed at music stores in bulk in plastic bags, in open containers, displayed on paper displays, and the like.  
         [0004]     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.  
         [0005]     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  
       [0006]     Further advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the wallet-sized card of  FIG. 1  after one pick is removed and the removed pick.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of detachable picks on a larger sheet.  
         [0013]      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.  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks bearing graphical images. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     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 card  10  can be made of material such as plastic (e.g., PVC, acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), polycarbonate, Nylon, etc.), laminated paper, composite materials, etc., and 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.  
         [0016]      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 .  
         [0017]      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 respect, this embodiment is similar.  
         [0018]      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.  
         [0019]      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.  
         [0020]     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.  
         [0021]      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 hung from a display stand by an optional hole  68  formed in the card body  64 .  
         [0022]      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 performance. 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.  
         [0023]     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 part of that entire image. The physical construction of this exemplary embodiment can be similar to that shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0024]     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.  
         [0025]     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.