Patent Publication Number: US-2011052312-A1

Title: Joint instrument support assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to a joint instrument support assembly and, in particular, to a structure that is disposed on the base of an instrument support and connects to the instrument. 
     2. Related Art 
     As shown in  FIG. 21 , a conventional instrument support assembly has a rotating elbow  80  connecting a cymbal  81  to the support frame  82  for adjusting the orientation thereof The rotating elbow  80  has an elbow base  801  fixed to the rod  82  of the support frame. A rotating block  802  connects to the cymbal  81 . The elbow base  801  and the rotating block  802  engage with each other by teeth. When they are released, one can adjust the angle between the cymbal  81  and the support frame. When they are fastened, the angle is fixed. 
     However, in the above-mentioned instrument support assembly, to adjust the angle of the rotating elbow  80  relative to the elbow base  801 , one has to engage the teeth of the rotating block  802  and the elbow base  801  in order to fix it. The engaging positions of the teeth have a fixed span. Therefore, one cannot arbitrarily change the angle and fix it. This is a restriction. Besides, the elbow base  801  is fixed on the rod  82  of the support frame. Thus, to adjust the cymbal  81  horizontally, one has to release the rod  82  on the support frame and rotate the rod  82  for the cymbal  81  to rotate to the left or right. Therefore, rotating the cymbal  81  with respect to a vertical axis and a horizontal axis have to be done separately. This usually involves several adjustments back and forth in order to find a best orientation. It is very time-consuming. 
       FIG. 22  shows another conventional instrument support assembly, used to join a big drum and a small drum in a drum set. The big drum connects to a rotating elbow  91  and then to the small drum via a base  90 . As shown in the drawing, to adjust the position of the small drum, one has to relax the base  90  in order to rotate with respect to a vertical axis. One has to relax the rotating elbow  91  in order to rotate the small drum with respect to a horizontal axis. So the adjustments still have to be done several times separately. It is still quite inconvenient. 
     Consequently, both of the above-mentioned two conventional instrument support assemblies have the problem of inconvenient in adjustments. It is thus an objective of the invention to solve this problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, the invention provides a joint instrument support assembly to make the orientation adjustment of an instrument on the support frame more quickly. 
     The disclosed joint instrument support assembly includes: a rotating elbow, a cylindrical rotating block, a sliding block, a pad, and a fastening element. 
     Both sides of the rotating elbow have an ear part, respectively. A groove is formed between the two ear parts. One ear part has a circular hole to communicate with the groove. Both ear parts are formed respectively with a circular wall toward the groove. The circular walls are symmetric and have an outer diameter larger than the circular hole. 
     The cylindrical rotating block goes from the circular hole of the ear part through the groove and urges against the other ear part. It is restricted to rotate within the two circular walls. The rotating block goes through an accommodating room along the radial direction. The rotating block is formed with an axle hole through a sidewall of the accommodating room. The other sidewall has a recess. The rotating block is formed at the bottom of the recess with a connecting hole. A rod on the instrument support frame goes via the axle hole into the rotating block. It goes through the accommodating room and into the recess. The rod urges against the bottom of the recess by its end surface. The end surface of the rod has a screw hole. A limiting element with an outer thread goes through the connecting hole and fastens in the screw hole. This positions the rod and allows it to pivotally rotate within the rotating block. 
     The sliding block is disposed in the accommodating room to shift forward and backward. The sliding block has a through hole corresponding to the axle hole and for the rod to go through. It further has an outer thread part protruding toward the rotating block. 
     The pad is disposed on the outer thread part, with its two ends striding on the edges of the two circular walls. It is allowed to slide along the arcs of the two circular walls. 
     The fastening element is locked on the outer thread part outside the pad. It guides the sliding block to move within the accommodating room and urge the rod against the rotating block. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional view of the first embodiment in use; 
         FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional perspective view of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a three-dimensional exploded view of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the connected rod in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the released rod in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  shows the rotation with respect to a vertical axis in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  shows the rotation with respect to a horizontal axis in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the urging rod in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a three-dimensional view of the second embodiment in use; 
         FIG. 10  shows the rotation with respect to a vertical axis in the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  shows the rotation with respect to a horizontal axis in the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a three-dimensional view of the third embodiment in use; 
         FIG. 13  shows the positioning state of the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  shows the rotation with respect to a vertical axis in the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  shows the rotation with respect to a horizontal axis in the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a three-dimensional view of the fourth embodiment in use; 
         FIG. 17  shows the positioning state of the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view of the connected rod in the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 19  shows the rotation with respect to a vertical axis in the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 20  shows the rotation with respect to a horizontal axis in the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 21  is an exploded view of the components in a conventional instrument support assembly; and 
         FIG. 22  is a three-dimensional view of another conventional instrument support assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 5  for a first embodiment of the invention. This is only an illustration and should not be used to restrict the scope of the invention. 
     This embodiment provides a joint instrument support assembly for a vertical support frame  1  to fix and adjust a cymbal  2 . It includes: a rotating elbow  3 , a cylindrical rotating block  4 , a sliding block  5 , a pad  6 , and a fastening element  7 . 
     Both sides of the rotating elbow  3  have an ear part  31 ,  32 , respectively. A groove  33  is formed between the two ear parts  31 ,  32 . The ear part  31  has a circular hole  34  to communicate with the groove  33 . Both ear parts  31 ,  32  are formed respectively with a circular wall  35  toward the groove  33 . The outer edges  351  of the circular walls  35  are symmetric and have an outer diameter larger than the circular hole  34 . 
     The cylindrical rotating block  4  goes from the circular hole  34  of the ear part  31  through the groove  33  and urges against the other ear part  32 . It is restricted to rotate within the two circular walls  35 . The rotating block  4  goes through an accommodating room  4  and an axle hole  42  along the radial direction. The accommodating room  41  and the axle hole  42  are roughly perpendicular to each other. One rod  11  connected with the instrument or support frame goes through the axle hole  42  into the rotating block  4 . The rod  11  goes through the accommodating room  41  and connects to the rotating block  4 . The rod  11  can rotate with respect to the rotating block  4 . 
     On the rotating block  4 , the axle hole  42  goes out of a sidewall of the accommodating room  41 . The other sidewall has a recess  43 . A connecting hole  44  goes through the bottom of the recess  43 . A rod is mounted on the support frame  1  of the cymbal  2 . The rod  11  goes via the axle hole  42  into the rotating block  4 . It goes through the accommodating room  41  and into the recess  43 . The rod  11  urges against the bottom of the recess  43  by its end surface. The end surface of the rod  11  has a screw hole  111 . A limiting element  12  with an outer thread part  121  goes through the connecting hole  44  and fastens in the screw hole  111 . This positions the rod  11  and allows it to pivotally rotate within the rotating block  4 . 
     The sliding block  5  is disposed in the accommodating room  41  to shift forward and backward. The sliding block  5  has a through hole  51  corresponding to the axle hole  42  and for the rod  11  to go through. It further has an outer thread part  52  protruding toward the rotating block  4 . 
     The pad  6  is disposed on the outer thread part  52 , with its two ends striding on the edges  351  of the two circular walls  35 . It is allowed to slide along the arcs of the two circular walls  35 . 
     The fastening element  7  is locked on the outer thread part  52  outside the pad  6 . It guides the sliding block  5  to move within the accommodating room  41  and urge the rod  11  against the rotating block  4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the rotating block  4  has an inlet  411  and an outlet  412  on one end of the accommodating room  41 . The inlet  411  is larger than the width of the sliding block  5 , so that the sliding block  5  can enter the accommodating room  41 . The outlet  412  is smaller than the width of the sliding block  5  for the outer thread part  52  to extend out. On the rotating elbow  3  of the embodiment, a notch  352  is formed on the corresponding positions on the two circular walls  35 , respectively. The two notches  352  can correspond to the inlet  411  of the accommodating room  41  as the rotating block  4  rotates. In that case, the sliding block  5  can enter the accommodating room  41  of the rotating block  4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the fastening element  7  is relaxed, the sliding block  5  is loose in the rotating elbow  3 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the rotating elbow  3  can freely rotate on the rod  11 . Moreover, the pad  6  and the rotating elbow  3  are relaxed. Therefore, the rotating elbow  3 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , can freely swing up and downs relative to the rotating block  4 . The rotating elbow  3  allows the simultaneous adjustments of the cymbal  2  in the vertical and horizontal directions of the rod  11  of the support frame  1 . After the adjustments, one fastens the fastening element  7 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . In this case, the sliding block  5  in the accommodating room  41  of the rotating block  4  is driven to urge the rod  11  against the rotating block  4 . The pad  6  is urged by the fastening element  7  against the edges  351  of the two circular walls  35 . Therefore, the rotating elbow  3  is positioned in the horizontal and vertical directions relative to the rod  11 . 
     In comparison with the conventional instrument support assembly, the disclosed rotating elbow  3  does not involve any tooth structure. Thus, the rotating elbow  3  does not have limitation in angle, rendering a better freedom. Moreover, the disclosed rotating elbow  3  allows the simultaneous adjustment of the cymbal  2  in the horizontal and vertical directions relative to the rod  11 . Therefore, one does not need to adjust several times as in the prior art. This largely shortens the adjusting time, making the adjustment easy and fast. 
     Of course, the invention has many other embodiments that differ only in details. Please refer to  FIG. 9  for a second embodiment of the invention. The disclosed rotating elbow  3  can be used on a tilt support frame  1 A. The rod  11 A of the support frame IA can extend or retract. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the rotating elbow  3  allows the simultaneous adjustment of the cymbal  2  in the horizontal and vertical directions relative to the rod  11 A. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 12 and 13  for a third embodiment of the invention. The disclosed rotating elbow  3  can also be used to connect a big drum  2 A and a small drum  2 B. As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the support frame  1 B connects to the rotating elbow  3  via the rod  11 B. One simply loosens the fastening element  7  to adjust the horizontal and vertical positions of the small drum  2 B. Unlike the conventional support assembly where one has to loosen the base to adjust the elbow base, this embodiment makes the adjustment easier and thus saves adjustment time. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 16 to 18  for a fourth embodiment of the invention. The axle hole  42  of the rotating block  4  has a uniform diameter throughout. A stopping block  45  also strides across the outer edges  351  of the two circular walls  35  with the pad  6 . One end of the rod  11  has a small-diameter section  112  whose diameter is the same as the axle hole  42 . The small-diameter section  112  goes through the stopping block  45  into the axle hole  42 . One end surface of the rod  11  has a screw hole  111 . A limiting element  12  with an outer thread part  121  is fastened in the screw hole  111  to restrict the rod  11  to rotate in the rotating block  4 . There is a small gap between the rod  11  and the rotating block  4  for the rod  11  to rotate therein more easily. 
     The small-diameter section  112  of the rod  11  in this embodiment is slightly longer than the axle hole  42  of the rotating block  4 . The limiting element  12  uses its outer thread part  121  to go through a pad  122  and locks onto the screw hole  111  of the rod  11 . The annular diameter of the pad  122  is greater than the axle hole  42 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the disclosed rotating elbow  3  is used on the support frame  1 C for the disposition of the small drum  2 C. The support frame  1 C connects to the rotating elbow  3  via the rod  11 . Through the adjustments of horizontal and vertical positions of the rotating elbow  3 , the small drum  2 C on the support frame  1 C can be quickly arranged to a position preferred by the user. 
     From the above description of various embodiment, the disclosed joint instrument support assembly is seen to have very wide applications. In addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, other supports whose vertical and horizontal positions need to be adjusted can be achieved quickly and conveniently using the disclosed rotating elbow. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to people skilled in the art. Therefore, it is contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.