Patent ID: 12217727

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more drawings of which are set forth herein. Each drawing is provided by way of explanation of the present disclosure and is not a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.

Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features, and aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in, or are obvious from, the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

The words “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “mounted”, “fastened”, and the like should be interpreted to mean any manner of joining two objects including, but not limited to, the use of any fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts, bolts, pin and clevis, and the like allowing for a stationary, translatable, or pivotable relationship; welding of any kind such as traditional MIG welding, TIG welding, friction welding, brazing, soldering, ultrasonic welding, torch welding, inductive welding, and the like; using any resin, glue, epoxy, and the like; being integrally formed as a single part together; any mechanical fit such as a friction fit, interference fit, slidable fit, rotatable fit, pivotable fit, and the like; any combination thereof; and the like.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, any part of the apparatus of the present disclosure may be made of any appropriate or suitable material including, but not limited to, metal, alloy, polymer, polymer mixture, wood, composite, or any combination thereof.

It will be understood by one of skill in the art that the present invention or set of inventions is drawn to a lockable potentiometer. Many embodiments of the lockable potentiometer may be described as set forth herein. In some embodiments, the lockable potentiometer may be a knob, a dial, a lever, a switch, a trigger, or the like. Additionally, while the embodiments of the present invention(s) may include a guitar or other similar musical instrument, other embodiments and uses are contemplated herein. In some examples, the lockable potentiometer may be referred to as a volume lock, a tone lock, a lockable dial, a lockable knob, a lockable apparatus, and the like, and it will be understood that each of the foregoing may be understood to be a lockable potentiometer and not limiting as to its features or its controls.

Referring toFIGS.2and3, a potentiometer locking apparatus100is shown installed on the body of a guitar102surrounding a potentiometer shaft104(FIGS.4B and4C) which may be used to replace a standard volume knob (not shown) of the guitar102. The potentiometer locking apparatus100may be configured to lock a position of the potentiometer shaft104for controlling a volume, tone, gain, or the like of the guitar102. The potentiometer locking apparatus100may be positioned in a locked configuration110by pushing the knob inward towards the guitar102such that the potentiometer locking apparatus100may no longer spin to control the position of the potentiometer shaft104. The potentiometer locking apparatus100can also be positioned in an unlocked configuration112by pulling the knob outward away from the guitar102such that the potentiometer locking apparatus100may spin to control the position of the potentiometer shaft104.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a volume lock apparatus is described. The volume lock apparatus100is shown in greater detail inFIGS.4A-13. The volume lock apparatus100may comprise a toothed washer120, an inner body140, an outer body160, and a set screw180. The set screw180may also be referred to herein as a grub screw180.

As illustrated inFIGS.4A,4C,12, and13, the toothed washer120may be configured to surround male threads106(FIGS.4B and4C) surrounding a portion of the potentiometer shaft104. The male threads106extend from the body of the guitar102. The toothed washer120may include a washer opening122, a toothed washer portion124, and an upper surface126. The male threads106may be configured to be positioned through the washer opening122. The toothed washer portion124is configured to circumferentially surround the washer opening122and be positioned above the upper surface126. The upper surface126is defined between the washer opening122and the toothed washer potion124. As illustrated inFIG.4C, a nut108of the guitar102may engage the male threads106to sandwich the toothed washer120between the guitar102and the nut108and prevent the toothed washer120from moving. The nut108may engage the upper surface126of the toothed washer120.

As illustrated inFIG.13, the toothed washer120may further include a removable tab portion130positioned within the washer opening122. The removable tab portion130may be removed to allow for different sized male threads106to be positioned through the washer opening122. For example, with the removable tab portion130in place, the washer opening122is configured to receive smaller potentiometer shafts (e.g., typically associated with metric system male threads106) common on certain guitar models. Further for example, with the removable tab portion130removed, the washer opening122is configured to receive larger potentiometer shafts (e.g., typically associated with US system male threads106) common on certain other guitar models.

In other embodiments, as discussed below, the washer opening may be threaded in order to engage the male threads106surrounding of the volume potentiometer shaft104. This embodiment, however, requires the purchaser to know whether they have metric system or US system male threads106surrounding the potentiometer shaft104of their guitar.

The inner body140may be configured to surround a portion of the potentiometer shaft104above the male threads106. The inner body140may be further be configured to rest upon one of the upper surface126of the toothed washer120or the nut108of the guitar102. The inner body140may include a central bore142extending vertically through the inner body140perpendicular to the toothed washer120. The inner body140may further include a tapped hole144configured to receive the set screw180. The set screw180may extend into the central bore142for engaging the potentiometer shaft104. The inner body140may further include a cylindrically shaped outer surface150and at least one cantilever spring152integrally formed into the outer surface150. As illustrated inFIG.12, the at least one cantilever spring152includes two cantilever springs positioned on opposite sides of the inner body140, each of which is offset from the tapped hole144by ninety (90) degrees.

The outer body160may include a receptable162defined therein. The receptable162may include a lower opening164and a receptacle depth166extending from the lower opening164. The receptacle162may be configured to receive the inner body140and surround the portion of the potentiometer shaft104above the male threads106. The receptacle162may further include a cylindrically shaped inner surface168having at least one pair of aligned detents170. The at least one pair of aligned detents170may be defined in the inner surface168and spaced apart along the receptable depth166.

The at least one pair of aligned detents170may be configured to selectively receive the at least one cantilever spring152of the inner body140, as shown inFIG.11. For example, an upper detent170A of the at least one pair of aligned detents170may be engaged by the at least one cantilever spring152in order to position the outer body in the locked position110. Further, for example, a lower detent170B of the at least one pair of aligned detents170may be engaged by the at least one cantilever spring152in order to position the outer body in the unlocked position112.

The outer body160may include a toothed outer body portion172circumferentially surrounding the lower opening164of the receptable162. The toothed outer body portion172may be configured to selectively engage the toothed washer portion124of the toothed washer120to define a hirth joint. Accordingly, each of the toothed outer body portion172and the toothed washer portion124may define a portion of a hirth joint.

The outer body160may further include a slot174defined between the inner surface168of the receptacle162and an outer surface176of the outer body160. The slot174may be configured to align with the tapped hole144of the inner body140. The slot174may be vertically oriented parallel to the receptacle depth166. The slot174may further be configured to receive a portion of the set screw180for limiting movement of the outer body160relative to the inner body140in a vertical direction parallel to the receptacle depth166.

The outer body160may further include a skirt178extending below the toothed upper body potion172. The toothed upper body potion172may be positioned between the lower opening164of the receptacle162and the skirt178. The skirt178may be configured to hide the toothed washer120when the volume lock apparatus100is installed on the guitar102.

During use of the volume lock apparatus100, the toothed washer120is configured to lock the outer body160to the guitar102via engagement between the toothed washer portion124and the toothed upper body potion172(e.g., in the locked configuration110). The at least one cantilever spring152is molded into the inner body140to create a bistable detent system when paired with the at least one pair of aligned detents170of the outer body160, thereby allowing the outer body160to rest in either the locked configuration110or the unlocked configuration112.

During use of the volume lock apparatus100, the tapped hole144of the set screw180serves three functions, namely, (1) to secure the volume lock apparatus100to the potentiometer shaft104, (2) to limit the upper motion of the outer body160(e.g., via the set screw180being partially received in the slot174), and (3) to translate rotational movement from the outer body160to the inner body140and the potentiometer shaft104.

In certain optional embodiments, the size, quantity and shape of both the at least one cantilever spring152and the at least one pair of aligned detents170may change without diverting from this disclosure and while maintaining the functionality of the volume lock apparatus100.

The outer surface176of the outer body160of the volume lock apparatus100is shaped like to the bell knob10. In other embodiments, the outer surface176of the outer body160of the volume lock apparatus100may be shaped like a speed knob20while maintaining the configuration and functionality of substantially all other elements of the volume lock apparatus100.

Referring toFIGS.14-16, another embodiment of a volume lock apparatus200is shown. Similar elements of the volume lock apparatus200are number similarly and function similarly to those of the volume lock apparatus100. The outer surface176of the outer body160of the volume lock apparatus200is shaped like to the domed knob30. Optional differences between the volume lock apparatus200and the volume lock apparatus100will now be discussed.

First, the hirth joint formed between the toothed washer potion124of the toothed washer120and the toothed upper body portion172of the upper body160is not hidden under the skirt of the upper body160.

Second, the internal surface of the toothed washer120includes female threads202cut therein and configured to mate with the male threads106of the potentiometer shaft104. Accordingly, the nut108is integral with the toothed washer120. This configuration is also applicable with the volume lock apparatus100.

To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms have been defined above. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims. The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

The previous detailed description has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of a new and useful apparatus and method for automatic tire ply splicing, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this disclosure except as set forth in the following claims.