Abstract:
In order to improve a chin rest for a musical instrument having a chin support and a holding device for holding the chin support on the musical instrument, with the holding device comprising at least one clamping element which is adjustable for clamping the chin support to the musical instrument in a clamping direction, such that it is easy and safe to use, it is proposed that the chin support be provided with an insertion guide for the at least one clamping element, and that the insertion guide be arranged and designed such that the inserting direction is at an incline to the clamping direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a chin rest for a musical instrument having a chin support and a holding device for holding the chin support on the musical instrument, with the holding device comprising at least one clamping element which is adjustable for clamping the chin support to the musical instrument. 
     Such chin rests are used, in particular, for stringed instruments such as the violin or the viola, so as to be able to hold the musical instrument more easily and more safely. 
     A chin rest for violin-type instruments which comprises a carrier formed of tubular sections and adjoining a chin rest is known from DE 43 02 804 C2. 
     A chin rest wherein the chin support is attached by means of tightener clamps to the instrument is known from DE 359 170. 
     A shoulder support for violins with a cushion which is adjustably attached to an arm is known from DE 503 666. 
     DE 1 017 891 discloses a device for attaching a chin rest to violins, which comprises a bracket in the form of a resilient clip. 
     Departing from this prior art, the object underlying the invention is to so improve a generic chin rest that it is easy and safe to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object is accomplished with a chin rest of the kind described at the outset, in accordance with the invention, in that the chin support comprises an insertion guide for the at least one clamping element, and in that the insertion guide is arranged and designed such that the inserting direction is at an incline to the clamping direction. 
     Owing to the inventive chin rest, the clamping element or elements does or do not have to be permanently fixedly connected to the chin support, but, as required, can be inserted for clamping the chin rest to the musical instrument or removed by way of the insertion guide. Thus, the inventive chin rest can be stored and transported in a space-saving way, and the chin rest can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. In the chin rests known from the prior art, on the other hand, the holding device with the clamping elements is permanently fixedly connected to the chin support. Such chin rests are thus bulky and difficult to transport. 
     One is freer in the choice of material for the clamping elements than with the devices known from the prior art because in the inventive chin rest an insertion guide is provided for the clamping elements. As the clamping elements in the prior art are fixedly connected to the chin support, corresponding threads or the like have to be provided on these in order to fixedly connect them t o the chin support. 
     However, one is then essentially limited to metals as material for the clamping elements, and the problem arises that when playing the musical instrument and, in particular, a violin, the metal of the clamping elements comes into contact with the particularly sensitive skin of the neck and face of the player. This can cause or intensify allergies such as nickel allergies in persons who are sensitive to it. It has also to be taken into account that an increased pressure is exerted on the skin by the clamping of the musical instrument, which additionally increases the likelihood of causing allergies. People who already suffer from allergies cannot use the chin rests known from the prior art. 
     With the devices known from the prior art, it has also to be taken into consideration that the metallic tubular part of the clamping element has to be arranged at a certain distance from the musical instrument when the chin rest is clamped so as to avoid damage to the musical instrument by the metallic part during clamping and to achieve the fixed connection of the clamping element by means of an arc-shaped element to the chin support. However, the metallic parts then press more heavily against the skin. 
     Since there is no necessity for threads in the inventive chin rest owing to the insertion guide, the clamping elements can be designed such that there is no contact between metal parts causing allergies and the skin of the player, and, in particular, well-tolerated materials can be used. 
     The inventive chin rest, therefore, meets the requirements of the EU directive 94/27/EC for circulating products containing nickel, which come into contact with the skin directly and for a long time and thus cause allergic reactions because this contact is avoidable in accordance with the invention. 
     It is particularly advantageous for the at least one clamping element to be releasably held by means of the insertion guide on the chin support. In this way, the chin rest can be stored and expediently transported in a space-saving manner. By inserting the clamping elements, the chin rest can be assembled and disassembled accordingly in a time-saving manner, and, therefore, starting from the disassembled state it is also connectable in a time-saving manner to the musical instrument. 
     The inserting direction can lie at an angle to the clamping direction in the range of between 20° and 70°. It is particularly advantageous for this angle to lie in the range of between 35° and 55°. It is thereby ensured that the clamping element is easily insertable into the insertion guide and when the chin rest is clamped not too strong a load is exerted on a corresponding holding head. It is particularly advantageous for the angle to lie essentially at 45° because when the clamping direction is essentially perpendicular to a corpus of the musical instrument, an optimum between good insertability of the clamping element and minimum load during clamping is achievable. 
     From a production manufacturing point of view, it is particularly expedient for the insertion guide to be formed by a recess in the chin support. Chin supports are usually made of wood. The insertion guide can then be made by simple milling on the chin support. 
     In a variant of an embodiment, provision is made for an insertion guide for a clamping element to comprise a guide channel for the clamping element. The clamping element can thereby be safely inserted into the insertion guide and also held there. 
     To ensure a good hold of the clamping element on the supporting element for the clamping between chin support and musical instrument, and, in particular, to avoid tilting and the like, the insertion guide expediently comprises a support channel communicating with the guide channel. By way of the support channel, a holding surface of the clamping element on the insertion guide can be increased, and, in particular, the forces caused by the clamping can be absorbed better. To this end, the support channel expediently comprises a contact surface for the clamping element which essentially lies perpendicular to or at a small angle to th e clamping direction. This enables good absorption of the clamping forces acting between musical instrument and chin support via the clamping element. 
     It is particularly expedient for the insertion guide for a clamping element to comprise two separate guide channels. The clamping element is thereby safely held in the insertion guide and also easily insertable. 
     To ensure good clamping between chin rest and musical instrument, a clamping element is expediently of two-part design with a connecting element to connect with the chin support and a holding foot to rest against the musical instrument. Thus, in a structurally simple way, a clamping force is exertable via a movement of these two parts relative to each other. 
     In order to adjust and fix the relative position between connecting element and holding foot, the clamping element expediently comprises an adjusting device. By means of this, a clamping force can then be exerted in a definite way via the clamping element on the musical instrument in order to thus clamp the chin support via the holding foot of the clamping element or elements to the musical instrument. 
     In a structurally particularly simple embodiment, the adjusting device comprises a screw connection. From a production manufacturing point of view, it is then particularly easy for the clamping element to comprise a counter receptacle for the screw connection. Thus, in a simple way a relative movement between connecting element and holding foot is achievable and so a good clamping between musical instrument and chin support can thus also be brought about. 
     It is particularly expedient for a screw nut to be rotationally fixedly arranged in the counter receptacle. Thus, threaded bores in the clamping element can be dispensed with and the choice of material is therefore not limited thereby. Furthermore, the adjusting device can then be constructed with a few parts, i.e., essentially with two parts, namely the set screw and the pertaining screw nut. 
     The counter receptacle is expediently arranged in the connecting element. Thus, by actuation of the screw from the underside of the musical instrument, the chin rest can then be clamped to the musical instrument. 
     It is particularly expedient for the screw connection to be arranged within the clamping element. Thus, the metallic screw is surrounded or embedded by the chosen material of the clamping element which is kind to the skin, and the player of the musical instrument with the chin rest held thereon does not come into contact with the metal of the screw 
     In order to ensure in a simple way good displaceability between connecting element and holding foot, the connecting element expediently comprises a displacement guide for the holding foot. 
     The connecting element advantageously comprises a holding head whose design is adapted to the insertion guide. A secure hold of the inventive chin rest on the musical instrument is thereby achieved. 
     To this end, in a variant of an embodiment, the holding head comprises a guide web which is adapted to a guide channel of the insertion guide. This enables good insertion of the clamping element into the insertion guide and a safe hold. 
     To achieve a large holding surface, the guide web is advantageously arranged on the holding head so as to lie at the outer sides thereof. The holding head further expediently comprises a contact surface for resting against a corresponding contact surface of a support channel of the insertion guide. In this way, the clamping force can be well absorbed by the insertion guide via the holding head, and there is a safe and stable hold. 
     In particular, in order to enable manufacturing of the holding head by means of an injection molding process, the holding head has an essentially U-shaped profile at that end which is provided for insertion into the insertion guide. Tooth-shaped profiles or similar profiles can also be provided. On the one hand, a good hold is thereby achieved because the holding head is not of solid construction and also corresponding inner surfaces can contribute to the hold, and, on the other hand, this construction is well suited for injection molding processes. 
     Expediently guide webs are formed at the sides of that end which is provided for insertion into the insertion guide. These reinforce the hold by enlarging the holding surface. 
     In a particularly advantageous embodiment, those parts of a clamping element which may come into contact with the player&#39;s skin when the musical instrument is held by means of the chin rest are made from a material which is kind to the skin, and, in particular, from a plastic material which is kind to the skin. Direct contact between skin and metal is thereby avoided, and the inventive chin rest can also be used by persons suffering from metal allergies, and the risk of metal allergies developing is reduced. 
     Expediently, the connecting element is made in its entirety of a plastic material, and the holding foot is also made from a plastic material. 
     In order to be able to manufacture the connecting element economically by means of an injection molding process, a holding head of the clamping element is expediently designed such that the walls forming it have essentially the same wall thickness. 
     To this end, the holding head advantageously comprises a central recess, as a result of which, on the one hand, the wall thicknesses are uniform, and, on the other hand, the holding surface is increased. 
     In an advantageous variant of an embodiment, the holding device comprises two clamping elements. Owing to the provision of two clamping elements, the chin support is held in a safe way on the musical instrument, and the number of parts to be provided for the holding device is small. Accordingly, two insertion guides arranged in spaced relation to each other are then to be provided for accommodating the two clamping elements. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a side view of an inventive chin rest held on a musical instrument; 
     FIG. 2 a sectional representation taken along line B—B of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a front view of an inventive clamping element; 
     FIG. 4 a sectional representation of the clamping element of FIG. 3 taken along line A—A; 
     FIG. 5 a bottom view of an inventive connecting element; and 
     FIG. 6 a side view of a chin support with insertion guides. 
    
    
     An inventive chin rest generally designated  10  in FIG. 1 comprises a chin support  12 . A surface  14  of this chin support  12  is adapted to the anatomy of the face. 
     A holding device generally designated  18  is provided for holding the chin support  12  on a musical instrument  16 . The holding device  18  comprises a first clamping element  20  and a second clamping element  22 , which are held in spaced relation to one another on the chin support  12 . The two clamping elements  20 ,  22  are basically of the same design. 
     The chin support  12  comprises in the direction towards the musical instrument  16  an elevated edge  24  (FIG.  2 ), in which insertion guides  28  associated with the clamping elements  20  and  22 , respectively, are formed by recesses  26  (FIGS.  2  and  6 ). 
     The clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, comprises a connecting element  30  with a holding head  32  integrally formed thereon. The connecting element  30  is provided for connecting the clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, to the chin support  12  by sliding the holding head  32  into the insertion guide  28 . A clamping element  20 ,  22  further comprises a holding foot  34  with an L-shaped profile (FIG. 4) by which a contact surface  36  for the holding foot  34  is formed on the musical instrument  16 . The contact surface  36  is provided with a suitable cushion, for example, a piece of cork. A contact surface  38  of the chin support  12  is similarly provided with a suitable cushion against the musical instrument  16 . 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The holding foot  34  is guided in the connecting element  30  for displacement in a longitudinal direction of the connecting element  30  by means of a slide guide  40  (FIGS.  3  and  5 ). For this purpose, the connecting element  30  comprises in its longitudinal direction towards its end remote from the holding head  32  a recess  42  of approximately semicircular or rectangular cross section with rounded edges. The holding foot  34  comprises a corresponding leg element  44  which is guided in the recess  42 . 
     A setting device  46  (FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided for adjusting and fixing the relative position between the connecting element  30  and the holding foot  34  and thus fixing the length of the clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, between holding head  32  and holding foot  34 . The setting device  46  comprises a set screw  48  arranged in the longitudinal direction of the connecting element  30 . The set screw  48  is guided through an opening  50  in the leg element  44  of the holding foot  34  and through an opening  52  in a connecting web  54  at the end of the recess  42 . A screw head  56  is accessible from the end of the holding foot  34 . 
     A counter receptacle  58  is provided for the set screw  48 . For this purpose, a screw nut  62  is rotationally fixedly arranged between the end of the connecting web  54  facing the holding head  32  and a further connecting web  60  arranged in spaced relation thereto. This is, for example, achieved by side walls between the connecting webs  54  and  60  comprising an elevation  64 , and the diameter of the screw nut  62 , which, in particular, is in the form of a hexagonal nut, being so adapted to the elevation that when turning the set screw  48 , the screw nut  62  cannot turn along with it. In a variant of an embodiment, the spacing between the connecting webs  54  and  60  is selected such that the screw nut  62  is clampable therebetween and is unable to fall out. 
     The set screw  48  is arranged within the clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, such that it is shielded by an outer wall  66  of the connecting element  30  from contact with the player of the musical instrument when the chin rest is clamped and is guided in the leg element  44  such that there is no contact with the player&#39;s skin. 
     The connecting element  30  and the holding foot  34  are displaceable in the longitudinal direction relative to each other and fixable relative to each other by means of the setting device  46 . With the holding head  32  connected to the chin support  12 , the chin support is thereby clampable to the musical instrument  16  via the clamping elements  20 ,  22 , with the clamping direction  68  being the longitudinal direction of the connecting element  30 . With the chin support  12  positioned via the contact surface  38  on the musical instrument, and the clamping elements  20 ,  22  inserted into the insertion guide  28 , the clamping direction is essentially perpendicular to a soundboard of the musical instrument  16 . The insertion guide  28  formed by a recess  26  comprises, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a guide channel  70  which is arranged at an incline to the clamping direction  68  at an angle  72 . This angle lies in the range of between 20° and 70°, and preferably between 35° and 55°. It is particularly preferred for it to be approximately 45°. The insertion guide  28  further comprises a support channel  74  which communicates with the guide channel  70  and comprises a contact surface  76  facing the musical instrument  16  (when the chin rest is held on the musical instrument). The contact surface  76  is arranged essentially perpendicular to the clamping direction  68  or at a small angle thereto (smaller than approximately 15°) and serves to support the holding head  32  when the chin support is clamped against the musical instrument  16  via the clamping elements  20 ,  22 . The guide channel  70  is of broader construction than the support channel  74  in a direction perpendicular to the clamping direction  68 , so that the recess  26  has at the elevated edge  24  towards the front the shape of an L standing on its head (FIG.  6 ). 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the insertion guide  28  for a clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, comprises two separate guide channels  70 , each having a support channel  74  associated therewith. A central wall  78  is arranged between the guide channels  70 . The guide channels  70  and support channels  74  are arranged symmetrically in relation to a center plane  80  of this central wall  78 . 
     The recesses  26  for the insertion guide  28  are preferably made by milling from the side surface of the chin support  12  made of wood or plastic. 
     The holding head  32  of the clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, is adapted to the corresponding design of the insertion guide  28 . For this purpose, it comprises at its upper end guide webs  82  (FIG.  5 ), which are arranged at the angle  72 —at the angle between the clamping direction  68  and the guide channels  70 —in relation to the longitudinal direction of the connecting element  30 . The guide webs  82  serve for insertion into the guide channels  70  of the insertion guide  28 . For adaptation to the insertion guide  28 , they are arranged on the holding head  32  so as to lie at the outer sides thereof. 
     The holding head  32  comprises two guide webs  82  arranged in spaced relation to each other. As shown in FIG. 5, the profile of the holding head  32  is U-shaped in a viewing direction perpendicular to the guide webs  82 . In a viewing direction from a front or rear end of the guide webs  82 , the end of the holding head  32  has an L-profile with respect to a guide web  82 . A central recess  88  is adapted to the central wall  78 . 
     The holding head  32  further comprises a contact surface  84  which is adapted to the contact surface  76  of the insertion guide  28 , i.e., it has in relation to the longitudinal direction of the connecting element  30  the same angle as the contact surface  76  in relation to the clamping direction  68 . 
     The clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, is preferably made of a plastic material (except for the set screw  48  with the screw nut  62 ) which, in particular, is kind to the skin. 
     The connecting element  30  and the holding foot  34  are made by injection molding. To enable simple and cost-efficient manufacture, the holding head  32  of the connecting element  30  is of such design that the walls forming it have essentially the same wall thickness. 
     The inventive chin rest is to be used as follows: 
     Owing to the provision of an insertion guide  28  and holding head  32  of the clamping elements  20  and  22 , respectively, adapted thereto, the chin rest  10  can be stored, kept or transported in a space-saving way with the chin support  12  and clamping elements  20 ,  22  not attached. For attachment to the musical instrument  16 , the clamping elements  20 ,  22  are introduced in an inserting direction  86  at an incline to the later clamping direction  68  into the respective insertion guides  28 . The chin support  12  is placed on the musical instrument  16  via the contact surface  38  and by actuating the set screw  48  of the respective clamping element  20  and  22 , respectively, the chin support  12  is clamped on the musical instrument  16 . The clamping occurs from the side of the holding foot  34 , i.e., with chin support  12  fitted, from the underside of the musical instrument. A suitable screwdriver is preferably delivered along with the inventive chin rest  10 . 
     When the musical instrument  16  is held by way of the chin rest  10 , the musician has no contact with metal parts on account of the clamping elements being made of plastic and the set screw  48  being embedded.