Patent Publication Number: US-9847077-B1

Title: Guitar pick retrieval tool

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
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     REFERENCE TO APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of tools for shaping and manipulating, more specifically, an articulated hand tool configured for use in retrieving an object. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The guitar pick retrieval tool is a hand tool that is configured to retrieve a pick that has fallen into the sound hole of a guitar. The guitar pick retrieval tool comprises an adhesive tip, a flexible shaft, and a handle. The handle is attached to an end of the flexible shaft. The adhesive tip is attached to the end of the flexible shaft that is distal from the handle. The flexible shaft is a semi-rigid shaft. The flexible shaft does not behave in an elastic manner. The semi-rigid nature of the flexible shaft allows the shaft to be bent into an arbitrary but stationary position which will be maintained until the flexible shaft is subsequently manipulated. The adhesive tip captures the pick by adhering to the pick when the adhesive tip is placed against the pick. 
     These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the guitar pick retrieval tool will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the guitar pick retrieval tool in detail, it is to be understood that the guitar pick retrieval tool is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the guitar pick retrieval tool. 
     It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the guitar pick retrieval tool. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. 
         FIG. 1  is a first perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a second perspective of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an in use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. 
     Detailed reference will now be made to one or more potential embodiments of the disclosure, which are illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 . 
     The guitar pick retrieval tool  100  (hereinafter invention) is a hand tool that is configured to retrieve a pick  162  that has fallen into the sound hole  163  of a guitar  161 . The pick  162  is a small thin and handheld structure that is used to pluck the strings of stringed instruments. Picks  162  are well known among those skilled in the musical arts. The guitar  161  is further defined with a sound hole  163  and a plurality of strings  164 . The sound hole  163  comprises one or more holes formed within the sound board of the guitar  161 . The sound hole  163  allows the sound to escape from the body of the guitar  161  such that the sound can be heard. The plurality of strings  164  comprises a collection of 6, or occasionally 12, strings that are attached to the guitar  161  under tension. The vibration of the plurality of strings  164  generate the audible vibrations from the guitar  161  that are interpreted as music. The invention  100  comprises an adhesive tip  101 , a flexible shaft  102 , and a handle  103 . The handle  103  is attached to an end of the flexible shaft  102 . The adhesive tip  101  is attached to the end of the flexible shaft  102  that is distal from the handle  103 . The adhesive tip  101  captures the pick  162  by adhering to the pick  162  when the adhesive tip  101  is placed against the pick  162 . 
     The flexible shaft  102  is a semi-rigid shaft. The flexible shaft  102  does not behave in an elastic manner. The semi-rigid nature of the flexible shaft  102  allows the flexible shaft  102  to be bent into an arbitrary but stationary position which will be maintained until the flexible shaft  102  is subsequently manipulated. The flexible shaft  102  comprises a wire core  111  and a flexible covering  112 . The flexible shaft  102  is further defined with a first end  141  and a second end  142 . The flexible shaft  102  is a cylindrical structure that is further defined with an outer diameter. In the first potential embodiment of the disclosure, the flexible shaft  102  is a readily and commercially available product that is commonly referred to as a reusable rubber twist tie. 
     The wire core  111  is a metal wire. The wire core  111  is formed in a semi-rigid but non-elastic fashion such that the wire core  111  can be bent into an arbitrary position that will be maintained until the wire core  111  is subsequently adjusted. The wire core  111  provides the structural stability of the flexible shaft  102 . The flexible covering  112  is a covering that is formed from an elastic material that is used to coat the wire core  111 . Suitable materials for use as the flexible covering  112  include, but are not limited to, latex or polyurethane. The flexible covering  112  is used to protect the guitar  161  from the damage that may be caused by the rubbing of the wire core  111  against the guitar  161  during the use of the invention  100 . 
     The handle  103  is a readily and commercially available device that provides a grip for use in manipulating the invention  100 . In the first potential embodiment of the disclosure, the handle  103  is a readily and commercially available capped tube  121 . The capped tube  121  is further defined with an open end  122  and a capped end  123 . The open end  122  forms a cylindrical aperture that is further defined with an inner diameter. The open end  122  of the capped tube  121  is an aperture that provides access to the interior of the capped tube  121 . The capped end  123  of the capped tube  121  is the closed end of the capped tube  121 . 
     The adhesive tip  101  is an adhesive structure that is attached to the flexible shaft  102 . The adhesive tip  101  is formed with a removable adhesive such that the pick  162  can be readily removed from the adhesive tip  101  after retrieval. The adhesive tip  101  comprises a readily and commercially available reusable adhesive putty  131 . In the first potential embodiment of the disclosure, the reusable adhesive putty  131  is a readily and commercially available adhesive product that is has a dough like malleable consistency that will self-adhere to the first end  141  of the flexible shaft  102  such that the adhesive tip  101  can be replace as required. 
     The assembly of the first potential embodiment of the disclosure is described in this paragraph. The outer diameter of the second end  142  of the flexible shaft  102  is lesser than the inner diameter of the open end  122  of the capped tube  121  such that the second end  142  of the flexible shaft  102  will fit into the open end  122  of the capped tube  121 . The adhesive tip  101  attaches to the first end  141  of the flexible shaft  102 . The second end  142  of the flexible shaft  102  is inserted into the open end  122  of the capped tube  121 . 
     The first potential embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in  FIG. 4 , is used as described in this paragraph. The flexible shaft  102  is bent into a position that allows for the flexible shaft  102  to be inserted through the plurality of strings  164  of the guitar  161  into the sound hole  163 . The flexible shaft  102  is manipulated using the handle  103  such that the adhesive tip  101  is placed against the pick  162 . The pick  162  is thus adhered to the adhesive tip  101 . The pick  162  can then be removed through the sound hole  163  and thereinafter retrieved. 
     The following definitions were used in this disclosure: 
     Adhesive: As used in this disclosure, an adhesive is a chemical substance that can be used to adhere two or more objects to each other. Types of adhesives include, but are not limited to, epoxies, polyurethanes, polyimides, or cyanoacrylates, silicone, or latex based adhesives. 
     Removable Adhesive: As used in this disclosure, a removable adhesive is an commercially available adhesive that is designed with a lower tack, or stickiness, such that a first object is attached to a second object with a removable adhesive the first object can be readily removed in a manner that ideally, though not necessarily practically, leaves behind no adhesive residue on the second object. A repositionable adhesive is a subset of removable adhesives that are intended to allow the first object to be reattached to a third object or the second object in the initial or a different position. Within this disclosure, a removable adhesive is assumed to include repositionable adhesives. 
     Capped Tube: As used in this disclosure, a capped tube is a tube with one closed end and one open end. 
     Center: As used in this disclosure, a center is a point that is: 1) the point within a circle that is equidistant from all the points of the circumference; 2) the point within a regular polygon that is equidistant from all the vertices of the regular polygon; 3) the point on a line that is equidistant from the ends of the line; 4) the point, pivot, or axis around which something revolves; or, 5) the centroid or first moment of an area or structure. In cases where the appropriate definition or definitions are not obvious, the fifth option should be used in interpreting the specification. 
     Center Axis: As used in this disclosure, the center axis is the axis of a cylinder or cone like structure. When the center axes of two cylinder or like structures share the same line they are said to be aligned. When the center axes of two cylinder like structures do not share the same line they are said to be offset. 
     Cylinder: As used in this disclosure, a cylinder is a geometric structure defined by two identical flat and parallel ends, also commonly referred to as bases, which are circular in shape and connected with a single curved surface, referred to in this disclosure as the face. The cross section of the cylinder remains the same from one end to another. The axis of the cylinder is formed by the straight line that connects the center of each of the two identical flat and parallel ends of the cylinder. In this disclosure, the term cylinder specifically means a right cylinder which is defined as a cylinder wherein the curved surface perpendicularly intersects with the two identical flat and parallel ends. 
     Elastic: As used in this disclosure, an elastic is a material or object that deforms when a force is applied to it and that is able to return to its original shape after the force is removed. A material that exhibits these qualities is also referred to as an elastomeric material. 
     Guitar: As used in this disclosure, a guitar is a stringed musical instrument generally having a flat back, a neck, a fretted fingerboard, and either 6 or 12 strings, and a sound hole. A guitar is played by strumming or plucking with the fingers or a pick. A guitar can be acoustically or electrically amplified. This definition is intended to match the common usage of the term. 
     Handle: As used in this disclosure, a handle is an object by which a tool, object, or door is held or manipulated with the hand. 
     Semi-Rigid Structure: As used in this disclosure, a semi-rigid structure is a solid structure that is stiff but not wholly inflexible and that will deform under force before breaking. A semi-rigid structure may or may not behave in an elastic fashion in that a semi-rigid structure need not return to a relaxed shape. 
     With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention described above and in  FIGS. 1 through 5  include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the invention. 
     It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.