Patent Publication Number: US-7712608-B2

Title: Protective folding case for guitar

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The invention relates to cases for folding guitars. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Today, it also low ever before. Accordingly, they are engaged at a relatively great amount of travel. Many individuals enjoy playing the guitar and often travel with their guitar. 
   However, a guitar is a relatively large instrument and traveling with a full-size guitar is not often practical. Accordingly, folding guitars have been developed for the purpose of providing an instrument which may be easily move from one place to another, whether by car, train or aircraft. 
   Stringed instruments have been known since ancient times. These included such instruments as the lute, a guitar-like instrument with a sound box and fingerboard. A New Kingdom (ancient Egypt, 1380 BC) bronze in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicts a dancing Nubian raised on his toes with one knee cocked, left hand high working a fingerboard and right hand plucking the strings in a pose which might be illustrative of a modern rock musician. 
   But the lute has a much more ancient history, perhaps originating with West Semitic nomadic people who brought the instrument to Mesopotamia, where the archaeological record includes representations dating back to the Akkadian period (2350 to 2170 B.C.), being introduced to the Egyptians, perhaps at the end of the Middle Kingdom Hyksos dynasties (XV to XVII dynasty, 1730 to 1580 B.C.). 
   In more recent times, stringed lute-like musical instruments continue to be among the most popular instruments. Folk artists throughout the United States have used the guitar, sometimes one of the homemade variety, in a wide range of musical genres including blues, bluegrass, and so forth. 
   In contrast to percussive instrumentation, the need for amplification of the relatively weak sounds of strings, reeds, and vibrating human lips presented challenges to early musical instrument manufacturers. These challenges were met primarily by resonant systems that mechanically concentrate, and output musical sound. There is a demanding standard in the stability of the instrument if high-quality sound is to be produced. 
   Moreover, over the years, artists playing acoustic stringed instruments have introduced a wide variety of playing techniques into the music surrounding these instruments. While, perhaps, the ancients only plucked the strings of the lute to achieve a musical tone which gradually decayed, later artists used the bow to produce notes of relatively constant and somewhat controllable amplitude. Modern artists employ a variety of techniques in their performances. Acoustic blues performers may rap their instruments with fingertips, palms or knuckles. Certain violin compositions, typically played by having a horsehair bundle slide across the strings, also call for the strings to be plucked. This results in yet greater demands being put on the mechanical stability of the instrument. 
   Given the popularity of stringed musical instruments, especially the guitar, people often take them along when traveling. However, they are bulky and poorly suited to convenient transport. They are unlikely to fit into airlines stowaway spaces or under airline seats. In response to this need, guitars with folding necks have been proposed. See for example my earlier U.S. Design Pat. No. 516,114, and my earlier pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/640,095, filed Dec. 15, 2006. While this instrument is effective, it is difficult to make requiring significant handwork and fine tuning. 
   Accordingly, there is a need for a stringed instrument which may be a guitar, violin or the like and which is easy to use during a performance, consistent, and rigorous in its transduction of artistic interpretations into an acoustic or other performance and easily transportable. It is believed that the structure disclosed herein is a most effective solution in providing for a highly mobile instrument which may be accommodated to a range of user preferences. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the invention, a case which may accommodate a folding guitar, whether it is in the. told edition or any unfolded playing position is provided. 
   The inventive guitar case comprises a guitar body receiving case portion, a guitar body portion cover and a neck portion case top. A neck portion case bottom and a neck portion case sidewall off further provided. A top neck zipper portion secures the neck portion case top to the neck portion case sidewall. A bottom neck zipper portion secures the neck portion case bottom to the neck portion case sidewall. A zipper portion secures the guitar body portion cover to the guitar body receiving case portion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION THE DRAWINGS 
     The operation of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a guitar case constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is view along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing a first step in the opening of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 4  shows another step in the opening of a guitar case in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates another step in the opening of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the next step in the opening of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a further step in the opening of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the inventive guitar case in the open position with the upper neck protector unfurled for illustrative purposes; 
       FIG. 9  is side view of an alternative embodiment of a guitar case according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  a top plan view of the inventive guitar case illustrated in  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a side plan view illustrating the opening of the guitar case according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a next step in the opening of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 13  illustrates the opening of the top of the body retaking portion of the inventive guitar case; 
       FIG. 14  illustrates inventive guitar case in an open configuration; and 
       FIG. 15  illustrates a folding guitar with which the inventive guitar case may be used. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to a  FIGS. 1-8 , the inventive guitar case  10  comprises a main body portion top cover  12 . Main body portion bottom  14  may be joined to top cover  12  by a zipper  16 . A handle  18  is secured to bottom  14 . 
   A neck top cover  20  is also secured by zipper  16 . A neck bottom cover  22  it secured by a zipper  24 . Guitar case  10  also includes a neck side portion  26 . 
   If one desires to open the inventive case  10 , neck top cover  20  is opened and engaged by grasping zipper pull  28  and advancing it to point  30 . The zipper pull  32  is advanced to point  34 . This allows the inventive guitar case to be put into a position with its top cover  12  open as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
   If desired, zipper pull  32  may be moved from the position illustrated in phantom lines an  FIG. 3  to point  34 . Similarly, pull  28  may be put at point  30 . This allows neck top cover  20  to be raised as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Top cover  20  may then be folded in the direction of arrow  36  to overlie the top face  38  of the guitar case and bring Velcro type hook connector  40  in contact and engagement with Velcro type loop connector  42  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
   In accordance with the preferred embodiment, zipper pulls  28  and  32  may be moved in either direction. In similar fashion, hook connector  44  may be brought into contact with loop connector  46  after zipper  24  has been opened, causing neck side portion  26  to lie flat as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . After neck side portion  26  has been put in the flat position illustrated in  FIG. 6 , neck bottom cover  22  may be caused to assume the position illustrated in  FIG. 6  by engagement of hook material  48  with loop material  50 . Alternatively, hook material  52  may be provided to engage loop material  54   
   By providing a separate zipper for neck top cover  20 , the inventive guitar case  10  may be put in the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
   Still yet another alternative embodiment of the inventive guitar case is illustrated in  FIGS. 9-14 . In this embodiment, guitar case  110  is provided with a central zipper or combination of zippers  124  and  126 , which allow the inventive guitar case to take a number of configurations. For example, it may be completely closed and adapted to receive a conventional guitar or a folding guitar in the playing position as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
   It may also be opened so that it may be put into a configuration suitable for a folded guitar by opening as illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12  when a guitar  56  is contained within the case, it may be opened as illustrated in  FIG. 13 . Zipper pulls  58 ,  60  and  62  may be opened to cause case  110  to take the position illustrated in  FIG. 14  allowing a guitar to be put in or removed from the case. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , a folding guitar  210  capable of having its neck  214  folded upwardly in the direction of arrow  218 , as illustrated in phantom lines. Such action may be continued until the neck assumes the position illustrated at  214 A in  FIG. 15 , and wedge neck  214 A overlies guitar body  212 . 
   In accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated that a guitar in the position illustrated in solid lines in  FIG. 15  may be placed in the inventive guitar case  10  when it is in the position illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Likewise, when in the playing position, a guitar will also fit into the inventive guitar case  110  illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
   When the guitar is fully folded, with its neck in the position illustrated at  214   a , it fits into the guitar case when guitar case  10  is put in the position illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Likewise, such a folded guitar may be put into the case illustrated in  FIGS. 9-14  by opening the neck zippers and folding back the neck top and bottom protectors and neck sidewall to positions analogous to those illustrated in  FIG. 6 , and secured through the use of hook and loop fasteners. 
   In accordance with the invention, it is contemplated that zippers in all embodiments may be zippers which operate in two directions, for added functionality.