Patent Publication Number: US-2016225355-A1

Title: Musical Instrument Carrier

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a musical instrument carrier used when the wearer supports a musical instrument with their body. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In a marching band in which musical instruments are played while walking, players wear a support tool called a musical instrument carrier or a marching carrier in order to support a musical instrument such as a drum with their body. For example, the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,790 discloses a musical instrument carrier constituted by a shoulder support, a belly plate, and rod members that connect the shoulder support and the belly plate, in order for a player to support a percussion instrument such as a drum with their body. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In the musical instrument carrier disclosed in the aforementioned patent document, in order to be able to adjust the position of the musical instrument to suit the player&#39;s body type, the rods that connect the shoulder plate portion and the belly plate portion are vertically divided into two portions, and a hinge for connecting the upper rods and the lower rods is provided. By making it possible to steplessly adjust the angle of the hinge, the musical instrument can be supported at a certain angle to suit the player&#39;s body type. 
     However, with the angle adjustment means disclosed in the aforementioned patent document that employs a hinge, the hinge is fixed by fastening sliding surfaces of the hinge with bolts, and thus there is a problem in that it becomes impossible to hold the angle of the hinge at a fixed angle when the sliding surfaces degrade due to prolonged use. In other words, there is a problem in that an attempt is made to support a heavy musical instrument such as a drum via a hinge that connects upper and lower rods, and therefore the angle of the hinge deviates during playing. There is also a problem in that the hinge becomes damaged if the bolts are forcibly tightened in order to maintain the attachment angle of the musical instrument at a fixed angle. 
     In this way, in the conventional musical instrument carrier, a hinge is used in order to adjust the angle at which a musical instrument is supported, and although it is possible to steplessly adjust the angle of the musical instrument, there is a problem in that the angle at which the musical instrument is supported becomes unstable as the hinge becomes degraded, and it becomes difficult to reproduce the original angle. Furthermore, the conventional musical instrument carrier requires many parts, such as shaft members, bolts, and fastening portions that have sliding surfaces with grooves formed in portions of the hinge, and this can be a cause for an increase in material cost and manufacturing cost. 
     In view of this, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a musical instrument carrier that is highly reliable while also enabling adjustment of the position at which a musical instrument is supported. 
     One aspect of the present invention provides a musical instrument carrier including: a belly plate member arranged on a belly of a wearer, and provided with a support jig configured to support a musical instrument; a shoulder support member arranged over the belly plate member and configured to be hung on a shoulder of the wearer; and a coupling member configured to couple the belly plate member and the shoulder support member, wherein the coupling member extends in an up-down direction, is configured to be removably attached to the belly plate member and the shoulder support member, and a has a bent portion in which a central axis on a side toward the belly plate member and a central axis on a side toward the shoulder support member are displaced in a front-rear direction. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the coupling member may be a rod-shaped member, and the cross-sectional shape thereof may be a polygon. The shoulder support member and the belly plate member may each have a holder configured to fix the coupling member, and the holders may each be provided with a recessed groove or insertion hole configured to engage with an outer surface of the coupling member. 
     According to the above aspects of the present invention, a coupling member having a bent portion is used to connect the shoulder support member and the belly plate member of the musical instrument carrier, and by changing the attachment angle (angle in the rotation direction) of the coupling member, it is possible to adjust the relative attachment positions of the shoulder support member and the belly plate member, while also achieving an improvement in reliability. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a musical instrument carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an example of a mode of a coupling member of the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A to 3C  show the structure of a holder used in the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention, where  FIG. 3A  is a plan view,  FIG. 3B  is a front view, and  FIG. 3C  is a side view; 
         FIGS. 4A to 4D  are schematic diagrams for describing a use mode of the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrams showing the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention, where  FIG. 5A  is a front view, and  FIG. 5B  is a side view; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are diagrams showing the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention, where  FIG. 6A  is a front view, and  FIG. 6B  is a side view; 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are diagrams showing the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention, where  FIG. 7A  is a front view, and  FIG. 7B  is a side view; 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are diagrams showing the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention, where  FIG. 8A  is a front view, and  FIG. 8B  is a side view; 
         FIGS. 9A to 9E  are diagrams showing other examples of cross-sectional shapes of the coupling member according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing a mode of a plate used in a belly plate member of the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 11A to 11D  are plan views of other examples of an attachment portion shown in  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram showing a mode of the plate used in the belly plate member of the musical instrument carrier according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. Note that the present invention can be carried out in many different modes, and is not intended to be interpreted as being limited to the content recited in the embodiment illustrated below. There are cases where the widths, thicknesses, shapes, and the like of portions are shown in a schematic manner in the drawings rather than as in actual modes in order to clarify the description, but these aspects are merely examples, and the interpretation of the present invention is not intended to be limited by such examples. Also, in this specification and the attached drawings, constituent elements similar to elements that have been previously described in connection with previous drawings are denoted by the same reference signs, and detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted as appropriate. 
     In this specification, unless particularly stated otherwise, cases where a certain member or region is “above (or below)” another member or region include not only cases where it is directly above (or directly below) the other member or region, but also cases where it is over (or under) the other member or region, that is to say, such cases also include cases where another constituent element is interposed over (or under) the other member or region. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the overall structure of a musical instrument carrier  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The musical instrument carrier  100  includes a belly plate member  104 , a shoulder support member  102 , and coupling members  106  that connect the belly plate member  104  and the shoulder support member  102 . When the musical instrument carrier  100  is worn by a player or the like, the shoulder support member  102  is arranged on the wearer&#39;s shoulders, and the belly plate member  104  is arranged on the wearer&#39;s belly. 
     First holders  116   a  are provided on the shoulder support member  102 , and second holders  116   b  are provided on the belly plate member  104 . The first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b  fasten and fix the coupling members  106 . The shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  are coupled by the coupling members  106  being fixed by the first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b.  The first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b  hold the coupling members  106  in a removable manner, thus making it possible to adjust the relative attachment positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 . For example, by adjusting the positions where the first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b  hold the coupling members  106  in the lengthwise direction (up-down direction) thereof, it is possible to adjust the gap between the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  to suit the wearer&#39;s height. 
     The shoulder support member  102  is worn on the shoulders of the wearer of the musical instrument carrier  100 . The shoulder support member  102  includes shoulder support straps  108  and an upper plate  112  and a back plate  114  that connect the shoulder support straps  108 . The shoulder support straps  108  are provided at positions where the shoulder support straps are to be worn on the wearer&#39;s shoulders. It is preferable that a pair of left and right shoulder support straps  108  are provided so as to be worn on the wearer&#39;s two shoulders, but a configuration is possible in which one shoulder support strap is worn on only one shoulder. 
     The shoulder support straps  108  are each have a curved shape and span from the front portion of the shoulder to the rear portion thereof when the wearer wears the musical instrument carrier  100 . It is preferable that the shoulder support strap  108  is flexible (bendable) to the extent of fitting to the wearer&#39;s shoulder when worn, while also having a load bearing property capable of bearing the weight of the musical instrument that the musical instrument carrier  100  supports. The shoulder support strap  108  may be formed using a metal material, for example, but may be formed using a nylon material that is both tough and flexible. Also, it is preferable that a shoulder cushion material  110  is provided on the underside (wearer side) of the shoulder support strap  108 . Providing the shoulder cushion material  110  on the shoulder support strap  108  makes it possible to reduce the load on the body during wearing, and also improve wearing comfort. 
     The shoulder support member  102  has an upper plate  112  that is positioned on the front side of the wearer (approximately the upper chest side). Connection portions  118  for connection of the shoulder support straps  108  are provided on the upper plate  112 . The connection portions  118  are arranged on the left and right sides of the upper plate  112 . The left and right shoulder support straps  108  are respectively fixed by the connection portions  118  of the upper plate  112 , thus making it possible to stably wear the musical instrument carrier  100 . 
     The first holders  116   a  are provided on the front surface of the upper plate  112 . The first holders  116   a  fix the coupling members  106  and hold the belly plate member  104 . Providing the first holders  116   a  on the upper plate  112  causes the weight of supporting a musical instrument to be uniformly applied to the shoulder support straps  108 , thus making it possible to improve stability during wearing. 
     The back plate  114  may be provided on the back side of the shoulder support member  102 . The back plate  114  is connected to the shoulder support straps  108  on the wearer&#39;s back, thus making it possible to improve stability when the musical instrument carrier  100  is worn. 
     The positions where the shoulder support straps  108  are fixed to the upper plate  112  may be made adjustable in the left-right direction. The shoulder support straps  108  may be fixed to the upper plate  112  and the back plate  114  using fasteners such as bolts and nuts, or may be connected thereto using snap fasteners or the like such that the angle changes in the left-right direction within a certain range. By making the attachment positions on the upper plate  112  adjustable, and making the attachment angles of the shoulder support straps  108  variable, the positions of the shoulder support straps  108  can be adjusted to suit the user&#39;s body frame. Also, the shoulder support straps  108  may have an adjustment portion that enables adjustment of the length. 
     The belly plate member  104  includes a lower plate  120  as the main constituent element. The lower plate  120  is formed by a plate member that has rigidity and is made of a metal material, plastic, carbon fiber, or the like. It is preferable that the metal material forming the lower plate  120  is a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or titanium (Ti), or an alloy material including aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), magnesium (mg) or the like. The lower plate  120  may have a flat plate shape, or have a shape that has a curved surface portion that curves from the front portion of the belly portion of the torso toward the side portions thereof. Forming the lower plate  120  using the aforementioned metal material or plastic makes it possible to achieve weight reduction and stably hold the musical instrument. Also, having a shape that curves along the torso makes it possible to improve wearing comfort. 
     The second holders  116   b  are attached to the front surface of the lower plate  120 . The second holders  116   b  may be attached at any attachment position on the surface of the lower plate  120 , and may be provided on the upper end side of the lower plate  120  as shown in  FIG. 1 , for example. Also, a configuration is possible in which the attachment positions of the second holders  116   b  on the surface of the lower plate  120  can be changed. As will be described later, if the attachment positions of the second holders  116   b  can be changed according to the shape of the coupling member  106 , it is possible to adjust the attachment position of the belly plate member  104  so as to be on the front side or the back side. 
     A belly cushion material  122  may be provided on the back surface side of the lower plate  120 , that is to say the side facing the wearer&#39;s torso. The belly cushion material  122  is formed by a shock absorbing material made of urethane resin or the like. A shock absorbing material made of urethane resin or the like can be freely molded into any shape, and thus can be given a shape that suits the torso. Providing the belly cushion material  122  on the back surface of the lower plate  120  makes it possible to prevent the hard lower plate  120  from directly coming into contact with the wearer&#39;s body, and makes it possible to improve wearing comfort. This also makes it possible to reduce to the load placed on the body by the weight of the musical instrument. 
     Support jigs  130  for supporting a musical instrument are provided on the lower plate  120 . Various modes of support jigs can be applied as the support jigs  130  according to the type of musical instrument, the shape thereof, and the like.  FIG. 1  shows an example in which the support jigs  130  are formed by rod-shaped members, and are shaped as hooks with bent tips. The support jigs  130  can be attached at various positions on the surface of the lower plate  120  in accordance with the aspects of the musical instrument, but are to be attached at positions that do not interfere with the second holders  116   b.  The support jigs  130  may be fixed to the lower plate  120  using fixtures  128 , for example. 
     When a player or the like wears the musical instrument carrier  100 , the belly plate member  104  comes into contact with the wearer&#39;s belly. At this time, the musical instrument is supported by the support jigs  130  provided on the lower plate  120 , thus freeing the player&#39;s hands and making it possible to play the musical instrument. 
     The ends of the coupling members  106  on one side are coupled to the shoulder support member  102  by the first holders  116   a,  and the ends on the other side are coupled to the belly plate member  104  by the second holders  116   b.  The relative positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  are determined by the attachment positions of the coupling members  106  and the angles thereof (angles in the direction of rotation about the central axis, which is described later). It is preferable that the coupling members  106  have rigidity in order to stabilize the positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 . For this reason, it is preferable that the coupling members  106  are formed from a metal material or plastic. 
     The coupling members  106  are shaped so as to extend in the up-down direction of the musical instrument carrier (the up-down direction along the wearer&#39;s body). For example,  FIG. 1  shows an example of the case where the coupling members  106  are rod-shaped members having a polygonal cross-sectional shape. It is possible to use only one coupling member  106  formed by a rod-shaped member, but it is preferable to use at least two rod-shaped members in order to increase stability. Using at least two rod-shaped members increases stability with respect to twisting compared to using only one rod-shaped member, and makes it possible to hold a musical instrument without the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  becoming twisted relative to each other. The rod-shaped members used as the coupling members  106  may be a member such as a rod, a tube, or a pipe. 
     As described above, the coupling members  106  extend in the up-down direction of the musical instrument carrier  100 , the ends on one side are connected to the shoulder support member  102 , and the ends on the other side are connected to the belly plate member  104 . The coupling members  106  each have a bent portion  132  between the one end portion and the other end portion. Specifically, each coupling member  106  extends in the up-down direction (up-down direction along the player&#39;s body) and has a bent portion  132  whose central axes on the shoulder support member side and the belly plate member side are displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the up-down direction (the front-rear direction relative to the player&#39;s body). It is preferable that the bent portion  132  has at least two bends such that the central axes on the shoulder support member side and the belly plate member side of the coupling member  106  extend approximately parallel to each other. 
     The coupling members  106  can be attached to the first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b  with a rotated attachment direction relative to the belly plate member  104  and shoulder support member  102 . Due to the coupling members  106  having the bent portions as described above, changing the attachment direction (rotation direction) makes it possible to move the relative positions of the belly plate member  104  and the shoulder support member  102  in the front-rear direction. For example, using the position of the shoulder support member  102  as a reference when the coupling members  106  are rod-shaped members as shown in  FIG. 1 , rotating the attachment direction of the coupling members  106  makes it possible to displace the position of the belly plate member  104  in the front-rear direction. 
     The musical instrument carrier  100  of the present embodiment employs the coupling members  106  that have bending portions, thus making it possible to adjust the forward-rearward relationship between the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 . Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the position at which the musical instrument is supported to suit the wearer&#39;s body. Although  FIG. 1  shows the case where the coupling members  106  are rod-shaped members, similar actions and effects can be obtained even if plate-shaped members are used instead. 
     Note that regarding adjustment with respect to the wearer&#39;s height, adjustment in the up-down direction can be achieved by sliding the attachment positions in the lengthwise-direction of the coupling members  106  relative to the belly plate member  104  and/or the shoulder support member  102 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the coupling members  106  are members that connect the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 . Although there are no limitations on the material for forming the coupling members  106 , it is preferable that they are formed using a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or titanium (Ti), or an alloy material including aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), magnesium (mg) or the like. Such a metal material or alloy material is lighter in weight than a steel material, while also having rigidity, and thus is suited to use in a fixture worn on the body. Note that in the case of using pipes, an increase in weight can be suppressed even if stainless steel is used. 
       FIG. 2  shows an aspect of a rod, a tube, or a pipe as an example in the case where the coupling member  106  is a rod-shaped member. The coupling member  106  illustrated in  FIG. 2  is a rod-shaped member, extends in the up-down direction, and has the bent portion  132  midway in the extending direction. The bent portion  132  is bent into at least two levels. According to this configuration, the central axis of the coupling member  106  in the upper side portion and the central axis in the lower side portion, with the bent portion  132  therebetween, do not conform to each other, but rather are shifted while being approximately parallel. 
     It is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the coupling member  106  is a polygon (particularly a regular polygon). A rod-shaped member having a quadrangular, hexagonal, or octagonal cross-sectional shape, for example, can be used as the coupling member  106 . When such a rod-shaped member having a polygonal cross-sectional shape is sandwiched between portions of the holder, sliding in the rotation direction is suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the fixing position in the rotation direction from fluctuating. The cross-sectional shape applied to the coupling member  106  is not limited to having up to eight sides, and may be a polygon having a larger number of sides. From the viewpoint of preventing rotation of the coupling member  106 , the cross-sectional shape may be a shape such as an ellipse. 
     Note that although a mode in which the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  are coupled by the coupling members  106  is given as an example in the present embodiment, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this mode. For example, the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  may be coupled by a flat plate-shaped member that is bent midway in the lengthwise direction, similarly to the coupling member  106  made of a rod or a tube as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     It is preferable that the first holders  116   a  and the second holders  116   b  are provided with recessed grooves or insertion holes that engage with the outer surface of the coupling member  106  having a polygonal cross-sectional shape. Providing the holders  116  with recessed grooves that engage with the outer shape of the coupling member  106  makes it possible to suppress movement of the coupling member in the rotation direction. Accordingly, the attachment angle of the coupling member  106  can be kept constant. For this reason, the attachment positions of the belly plate member  104  and the shoulder support member  102  are fixed, and stability and reproducibility can be improved. 
       FIGS. 3A to 3C  show an example of the holder  116 . FIGS.  3 A to  3 C show an example of a holder  116  with a mode adapted to the case where the coupling member  106  is rod-shaped.  FIG. 3A  is a front view of the holder  116 ,  FIG. 3B  is a top view of the same, and  FIG. 3C  is a side view of the same. It is preferable that the holder  116  is formed using a hard material that has flexibility. Similarly to the lower plate  120 , the holder  116  is formed using an alloy material containing a metal such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), or magnesium (Mg). 
     The holder  116  has a recessed groove or insertion hole  134  that sandwiches the coupling member  106  inserted therein. As shown in  FIG. 3C , a notch is formed in one end of the holder  116 , and one end of the recessed groove or insertion hole  134  is free. A pair of fastening pieces  136  are provided so as to sandwich the notch portion of the recessed groove or insertion hole  134  from above and below. A lower fastening piece  136   b  is provided with through-holes  138   a  through which a fastener  139  such as a bolt is inserted for fixing to the lower plate  120  or the upper plate  112 . A through-hole  138   b  is also provided so as to penetrate the lower fastening piece  136   b  and an upper fastening piece  136   a.    
     In a state in which the lower fastening piece  136   b  has been fixed to the upper plate  112  or the lower plate  120 , the fastener  139  such as a bolt is inserted into the through-hole  138   b,  a nut is screwed thereon, and the fastener  139  is tightened from the upper fastening piece  136   a  side, and thus the holder  116  can sandwich, crimp, and fix the coupling member  106 . Due to the cross-sectional shape of the recessed groove or insertion hole  134  having an inner surface shape that is the same polygonal shape as the outer shape of the coupling member  106  in order to engage therewith, it is possible to prevent the coupling member  106  from sliding in the rotation direction. 
     According to the musical instrument carrier  100  of the present embodiment, depending on how the coupling members  106  are attached, it is possible to adjusting the position of the belly plate member  104  in the front-rear direction relative to the shoulder support member  102 . An example of this will be described in the case where the coupling members  106  are rods or pipes having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. 
       FIGS. 4A to 4D  show how the position of the belly plate member  104  is adjusted in four stages in the front-rear direction using the coupling members  106  having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape. As previously described, the coupling members  106  each have the bent portion  132  between the upper end portion side fastened to the upper plate  112  and the lower end portion side fastened to the lower plate  120 , and the central axes in the upper end portion and the lower end portion are displaced relative to each other. For this reason, in the case where the coupling members  106  are rod-shaped members, the position of the lower plate  120  can be changed according to the angle of attachment to the upper plate  112 . 
       FIG. 4A  shows the case where the lower plate  120  is positioned in front of the upper plate  112 . In this attached state, the lower plate  120  is positioned forward by the amount of displacement obtained by the bending of the coupling members  106 . In other words,  FIG. 4A  shows the case where the lower plate  120  is displaced at the most forward position. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  show a specific example of the attachment state described above with reference to  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 5A  is a front view of the musical instrument carrier  100 , and  FIG. 5B  is a side view of the same. As shown in  FIG. 5B , the lower plate  120  of the musical instrument carrier  100  is arranged at a forward position relative to the position of the upper plate  112 . The position of the lower plate  120  protrudes forward according to the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent. The forward displacement amount of the lower plate  120  in this state is equal to the maximum displacement amount that corresponds to the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent. By changing the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent, it is possible to change the protruding position of the lower plate  120  according to the amount of bending. Accordingly, if the coupling members  106  are replaced with other rods that are bent a different amount, it is possible to further adjust the position (maximum displacement amount) of the lower plate  120 . 
     In this attachment state, the coupling members  106  are arranged so as to appear to be shaped as straight lines in a view from the front as shown in  FIG. 5A . Specifically, the attachment positions of the coupling member  106  to the upper plate  112  and the lower plate  120  in the up-down direction are located on the same straight line. In this case, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the second holders  116   b  attached to the lower plate  120  are attached with the recessed groove or insertion holes  134  facing inward. 
       FIG. 4B  shows the case where the coupling members  106  are attached in a state of being rotated 180 degrees relative to the state shown in  FIG. 4A . In this state, the lower plate  120  is located at a rearward position relative to the upper plate  112 . In this state, the lower plate  120  is arranged rearward by an amount corresponding to the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent. In other words, the state shown here is the state in which the lower plate  120  is displaced at the most rearward position. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  show a specific example of the attachment state described above with reference to  FIG. 4B .  FIG. 6A  is a front view of the musical instrument carrier  100 , and  FIG. 6B  is a side view of the same. As shown in  FIG. 6B , the lower plate  120  of the musical instrument carrier  100  is arranged at a rearward position relative to the position of the upper plate  112 . The position of the lower plate  120  corresponds to the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent and displaced. The rearward displacement amount of the lower plate  120  in this state is equal to the maximum displacement amount that corresponds to the amount that the coupling members  106  are bent. 
     In this attachment state, the coupling members  106  are arranged so as to appear to be shaped as straight lines in a view from the front as shown in  FIG. 6A , similarly to  FIG. 5A . In this case, as shown in  FIG. 6A , the second holders  116   b  attached to the lower plate  120  are attached with the recessed groove or insertion holes  134  facing inward. In other words, as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 6A , the second holders  116   b  can be attached to the lower plate  120  such that the recessed groove or insertion holes  134  can be arranged on either the right side or the left side of the fastener  139 . 
       FIG. 4C  shows the case where the coupling members  106  are attached with a rotation of 60 degrees relative to the state shown in  FIG. 4A . In this attachment state, the lower plate  120  is arranged at a forward position relative to the upper plate  112 , but its position is rearward compared to the case shown in  FIG. 4A . 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  show a specific example of the attachment state described above with reference to  FIG. 4C .  FIG. 7A  is a front view of the musical instrument carrier  100 , and  FIG. 7B  is a side view of the same. As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the lower plate  120  of the musical instrument carrier  100  is arranged at a somewhat forward position relative to the position of the upper plate  112 . Also, as shown by the front view in  FIG. 7A , the coupling members  106  are attached so as to be open outward. Specifically, by attaching the coupling members  106  to the upper plate  112  with a 60-degree rotation, the amount of forward displacement of the lower plate  120  decreases. 
       FIG. 4D  shows the case where the coupling members  106  are attached with a rotation of 60 degrees relative to the state shown in  FIG. 4B . In this attachment state, the lower plate  120  is arranged at a rearward position relative to the upper plate  112 , but its position is forward compared to the case shown in  FIG. 4B . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  show a specific example of the attachment state described above with reference to  FIG. 4D .  FIG. 8A  is a front view of the musical instrument carrier  100 , and  FIG. 8B  is a side view of the same. As shown in  FIG. 8B , the lower plate  120  of the musical instrument carrier  100  is arranged at a somewhat rearward position relative to the position of the upper plate  112 . Also, as shown by the front view in  FIG. 8A , the coupling members  106  are attached so as to be open outward. In other words, by attaching the coupling members  106  to the upper plate  112  with a 60-degree rotation relative to the state shown in  FIG. 4B , the amount of rearward displacement of the lower plate  120  decreases. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 8A , when the attachment angle of the coupling members  106  is rotated, the coupling members  106  are attached to the lower plate  120  in the state of being open outward. In this case, the coupling members  106  can be attached by rotating the positions of the recessed groove or insertion holes  134  of the second holders  116   b  on the lower plate  120  so as to face outward. In this way, by making it possible to change the positions of the recessed groove or insertion holes  134  so as to face inward or outward in the state in which the attachment positions of the second holders  116   b  are fixed, the coupling members  106  can be fixed to the lower plate  120  even if the attachment angle of the coupling members is changed. Note that although  FIGS. 4A to 8B  show cases where the coupling members  106  are rod-shaped members, the present invention is not limited in this way, and similar actions and effects can be obtained even if the coupling members  106  are plate-shaped members. Specifically, similarly to the case of using rod-shaped members, by using plate-shaped members having bent portions that are bent into at least two levels midway in the lengthwise direction (up-down direction), and by switching the front and reverse sides of the plate-shaped members when coupling the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 , it is possible to adjust the position of the belly plate member  104  similarly to the states shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     As described above, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the relative positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  can be adjusted by the attachment angle of the polygonal coupling members  106  that have bent portions. Attaching the polygonal coupling members  106  with rotations corresponding to one side, fluctuation of the relative attachment positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104  is suppressed, and it is possible to achieve stability. Also, since the attachment angle of the coupling members  106  is controlled by the cross-sectional shape, it is possible to prevent misalignment caused by angle adjustment. In other words, due to using the polygonal coupling members  106  as the coupling members  106 , the positions are adjusted by stepwise adjustment, thus making it possible to improve the reproducibility of the attachment position. 
     Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, by using rod-shaped members such as the coupling members  106  as the coupling member  106 , and using the holders  116  for fixing them, it is possible to reduce the number of parts needed for front-rear adjustment of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 , and it is possible to achieve a reduction in cost. 
     Although the case of using the coupling members  106  as the coupling members  106  is described in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited in this way, and it is possible to apply a rod-shaped or columnar member such as a pipe-shaped member. 
     Also, there are no particular limitations on the cross-sectional shape of the coupling members  106 , and besides the polygonal shapes described above, it is sufficient that the cross-sectional shape is a cross-sectional shape that does not allow rotation when the coupling members  106  are fixed to at least either the shoulder support member  102  or the belly plate member  104 , such as when the coupling members  106  are fixed by being clamped as with the recessed groove or insertion holes  134 . Accordingly, various types of shapes can be used, such as the cross-sectional cross shape shown in  FIG. 9A , the cross-sectional T shape shown in  FIG. 9B , the cross-sectional star shape shown in  FIG. 9C , or the cross-sectional irregular shapes having a protrusion or recession in a portion as shown in  FIGS. 9D and 9E . The holders  116  for receiving these coupling members  106 , as well as the shoulder support member  102 , the belly plate member  104 , and the like are configured so as to correspond to the above-described cross-sectional shapes. 
     The attachment positions of the holders  116  that fix the coupling members  106  may be made adjustable.  FIG. 10  shows an aspect in which attachment portions  126  formed by horizontally long through-holes (slits) are provided such that the attachment positions of the second holders  116   b  on the lower plate  120  can be adjusted steplessly within a certain range. Note that there are no particular limitations on the shape of the attachment portions  126 , and the attachment portions  126  may extend in the horizontal direction as shown in  FIG. 10 , or may be combined with a slit that extends in the vertical direction as shown in  FIG. 11 . Also, attachment portions  126  constituted by through-holes or screw holes for attachment of the second holders  116   b  may be provided at multiple locations on the lower plate  120  as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     By adding a function for adjusting the attachment positions of the holders  116  for fixing the coupling members  106 , the attachment positions of the holders  116  can be adjusted according to the shape of the coupling members  106 . For example, regardless of the polygonal shape of the cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped coupling members  106 , the holders  116  can fix the coupling members  106  in accordance with the attachment angle (the angle in the direction of rotation about the axis of the rod-shaped member). Accordingly, it is possible to more precisely adjust the attachment positions of the shoulder support member  102  and the belly plate member  104 . 
     Note that although  FIGS. 5A to 12  show the state of the lower plate  120  of the belly plate member  104 , a similar configuration may be applied to the upper plate  112  of the shoulder support member  102 , and similar actions and effects can be obtained. For example, although only the attachment of the holders  116  to the lower plate  120  has been described, a similar configuration can be applied to only the upper plate  112 , or to both the upper plate  112  and the lower plate  120 . 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       100  Musical instrument carrier 
       102  Shoulder support member 
       104  Belly plate member 
       106  Coupling member 
       108  Shoulder support strap 
       110  Shoulder cushion material 
       112  Upper plate 
       114  Back plate 
       116  Holder 
       118  Connection portion 
       120  Lower plate 
       122  Belly cushion material 
       126  Attachment portion 
       128  Fixture 
       130  Support jig 
       132  Bent portion 
       134  Recessed groove or insertion hole 
       136  Fastening piece 
       138  Through-hole