Device for holding a handpan

Abstract

Device for attaching a handpan, consisting of a hollow cylinder tapered in the middle, in which the diameter increases from the middle to the two openings, characterized in that the middle part transitions into an annular end surface at both opposite openings, wherein the upper end surface has a larger diameter than the lower end surface and three equally spaced magnets are integrated into the upper end surface.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for securely fastening a handpan, wherein the instrument is fixed in the area of ​​the underside sound hole of the handpan without impairing the sound development or access to underside tone fields (so-called bottom notes). Task

[0002] The invention is based on the objective of providing a device that guarantees simple and stable mounting of the handpan while simultaneously not negatively affecting the interaction with the instrument, in particular its resonance and sound. The aim is to enable playing while sitting, standing, or using an additional support stand without impairing the acoustic properties. State of the art

[0003] Various mounting options for handpans are known from the current state of the art.

[0004] The handpan is a metal musical instrument belonging to the idiophone family, meaning instruments that produce their sound through the natural vibration of the material. A handpan consists of two hemispherical metal shells glued or welded together to form a resonating chamber. The upper shell contains a central, slightly recessed area that produces the instrument's dominant tone. Around this center are several tone fields, each tuned to a different pitch and played with the fingers. The lower shell has a round sound hole that serves both as a resonating opening and a finger point. Some handpans also have additional tone fields on the underside. The instrument is played exclusively with the hands and fingers.

[0005] Handpans are traditionally placed on the player's lap, on special stands, or directly on the floor. A disadvantage of these solutions is their limitations in terms of stability and sound quality. Positioning the handpan on conventional music stands or on the floor can dampen the sound or create unwanted resonances. The existing mounting systems often attach to the instrument with a large surface area or with a multitude of four or more magnets, which can not only scratch the instrument but also block vibration-damped sound. Furthermore, playing a handpan or similar musical instrument requires ergonomic flexibility (sitting, standing, rotating). Current solutions usually only allow playing in one fixed position without the possibility of spontaneous position changes.

[0006] From DE 20 2023 000 913 U1, a handpan stopper is known that enables the instrument to be held securely on the player's thighs. This stopper is characterized by the fact that the elastic rubber band is tied and fixed around the thighs above the knee using a hook-and-loop fastener consisting of a loop and hook strip. A disadvantage of this previously known solution is that it only allows playing while seated. Changing position is not possible. In particular, the handpan itself cannot be swivelled. Furthermore, the stopper of the previously known solution has a large contact area, which blocks access to the tone fields on the underside and consequently dampens the sound. Task

[0007] Taking into account the aforementioned disadvantages of known holders for handpans or comparable musical instruments, the present invention aims to provide a holding device that securely fixes the handpan in the area of ​​the underside sound hole in a way that protects the surface, does not dampen natural resonances and air exchange, keeps access to underside fields clear, protects surfaces and allows variable playing positions. Solution

[0008] This problem is solved by the features highlighted in the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0009] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims or described below. Description

[0010] The device according to the invention is a hollow cylinder tapered in the middle, with the central section transitioning into an annular end surface at both openings. The lower end surface forms a closed ring base, providing the holder with a stable base on a flat surface. The upper end surface is also annular, but has a larger diameter than the lower end surface and is dimensioned so that the sound hole of the handpan remains unobstructed and the underside tone fields remain playable. Additionally, the upper end surface has three equally spaced magnets, preferably made of neodymium, integrated into its upward-facing surface.

[0011] In plan view, the three magnets form the vertices of an equilateral triangle with a common distance from the central axis, creating three spaced contact zones for the outer surface of the instrument to be held.

[0012] The device according to the invention preferably consists of PLA or a comparable material, so that it can ideally be manufactured using the 3D printing manufacturing process.

[0013] The invention offers numerous advantages over previously known mounting options for handpans. The small contact area on the three magnets allows unrestricted access to the underside tone fields and prevents unwanted vibrations and damping effects. The three-point geometry also stabilizes the moment balance when the handpan is tilted. Furthermore, the use of magnets allows for tool-free, repeatable attachment and removal of the handpan. In particular, the use of neodymium magnets offers a high force-to-weight ratio and reliably secures the instrument, even when tilted. This enables quick setups and modular integration into stand mounts. At the same time, changeover time is reduced in stage and studio use.

[0014] A further advantage of the invention is its ergonomic flexibility, as it allows playing in variable positions and position changes during playing are easily accomplished. It can be played on a floor surface, on the lap between the legs, or on a funnel stand, and the device according to the invention can be used without any complex modifications. Because neither clamps nor strap systems are required on the instrument, freedom of movement and access to all tonal areas are guaranteed.

[0015] Another advantage of the invention is the sustainable manufacturing method. The bracket according to the invention can be manufactured using a 3D printing process and thus produced locally and in a resource-saving manner.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the central part is perforated, preferably in a honeycomb pattern. The central part consists of a regularly perforated structure formed by a plurality of, preferably hexagonal, openings. These openings are evenly distributed over the entire outer surface of the central part, resulting in a honeycomb-like grid structure. This optimizes the sound.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the magnets are coated with a rubberized contact surface. The rubberized contact surface of the permanent magnet is designed in such a way as to prevent direct metallic contact with the instrument. This protects the surface of the handpan from scratches. At the same time, the rubberized contact surfaces serve as an anti-slip surface and reduce slippage, especially in inclined positions.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the magnets are integrated into the upper end surface in such a way that recesses precisely matched to the magnets are incorporated into the upper end surface. These recesses allow for the installation of a magnetic holding module. A magnetic holding module is a compressible rubber buffer consisting of a rubberized contact surface, an underlying permanent magnet, preferably made of neodymium, and an elastomeric buffer bearing that resiliently holds the magnet in the support element and is fixed with a screw. Thanks to the rubberized contact surface in combination with the elastomeric buffer bearing, vibration decoupling between the handpan and the support structure is achieved, thus preventing unwanted structure-borne noise transmission and preserving a pure, unadulterated sound. Example of implementation

[0019] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and figures. These show: Fig. 1 - The device according to the invention for securely fastening a handpan in side view.

[0020] At the in Fig. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is the device according to the invention for securely fastening a handpan, wherein the instrument is fixed in the area of ​​the underside sound hole without impairing the sound development or access to underside tone fields.

[0021] The exemplary embodiment shows the device according to the invention, consisting of a hollow cylinder tapered in the middle and a honeycomb-perforated central section (1), wherein the central section (1) transitions into an annular end surface at each of its two openings. The central section (1) tapers concavely inwards and consists of a continuous, regularly perforated structure formed by a plurality of hexagonal openings (2). These hexagonal openings (2) are uniformly distributed over the entire outer surface of the central section (1) and form a honeycomb-like lattice structure. The central section (1) has a circular end surface at each of its two axially opposite openings. The lower end surface (3) forms a closed annular base.The upper end surface (4) is also ring-shaped, but has a larger diameter than the lower end surface and is dimensioned so that the sound hole of the handpan remains unobstructed and the underside tone fields remain playable. Additionally, the upper end surface (4) has three circular recesses (5) evenly spaced from each other. The recesses (5) are in . Fig. 1. Not visible, as they are concealed by the already integrated magnetic holding modules (6). Each magnetic holding module (6) is a compressible rubber buffer consisting of a rubberized contact surface (7), an underlying permanent magnet, preferably made of neodymium, and an elastomeric buffer bearing (8) that resiliently holds the magnet in the support element and is fixed with a screw (9). A spring (10) is integrated between the buffer bearing (8) and the screw (9) to provide the spring action. Furthermore, the rubberized contact surface of the permanent magnet (7) is designed such that direct metallic contact with the instrument is avoided. In plan view, the three magnetic holding modules (6) form the vertices of an equilateral triangle at a common distance from the central axis, thus creating three spaced-apart contact zones for the outer surface of the instrument to be held.The device according to the invention preferably consists of PLA or a comparable material, so that it can ideally be manufactured using 3D printing. The following dimensions have proven to be particularly advantageous: a total height of 15 cm, a diameter of 22 cm for the upper end surface, a diameter of 16 cm for the opening of the upper end surface, a diameter of 15.7 cm for the lower end surface, a diameter of 13.9 cm for the opening of the lower end surface, and hexagonal openings with a diameter of 1.5 cm.

[0022] Fig. 2 - The device according to the invention for securely fastening a handpan in a perspective view.

[0023] At the in Fig. The embodiment shown in 2 is the device according to the invention. Fig. 1 in a perspective top view. The perspective view makes the arrangement of the magnetic holding modules (6) more clearly visible.

[0024] Fig. 3 - The device according to the invention for securely fastening a handpan in top view.

[0025] At the in Fig. The embodiment shown in section 3 is the device according to the invention. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in a modified perspective. Due to the top view, the arrangement of the magnetic holding modules (6) is recognizable. It is also evident that the upper end surface (4) has a larger diameter than the lower end surface (3).

[0026] Fig. 4 - The device according to the invention for securely fastening a handpan with two built-in magnetic holding modules and a still open recess (5) in a perspective view.

[0027] At the in Fig. The embodiment shown in section 4 is the device according to the invention. Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in perspective view. In contrast to the previous examples, in Fig. 4. Only two magnetic holding modules (6) are installed in the recesses (5) in the upper end surface (4). The embodiment in Fig. Figure 4 is therefore not yet fully assembled. It is only intended to illustrate how the recesses (5) in the upper end surface (4) are designed. It can be seen that a small hole (11) is punched into the upper end surface (4) in the center of the recess (5). This hole (11) serves to attach the magnetic holding module (6) to the device by means of a screw (9). To complete the device, the screw (9) would have to be inserted from bottom to top through the hole (11) and a spring (10) and then screwed into the elastomeric buffer bearing (8) and the rubberized contact surface of the permanent magnet (7). The individual components of the magnetic holding module (6) are explained in more detail in the following embodiment.

[0028] Fig. 5 - The individual components of a single magnetic holding module for attaching the module to the upper end surface of the device according to the invention.

[0029] At the in Fig. Figure 5 shows the individual components of a single magnetic holding module (6) for attaching the module to the upper end surface (4). Each magnetic holding module (6) is a compressible rubber buffer consisting of a rubberized contact surface with an underlying permanent magnet (7), preferably made of neodymium, and an elastomeric buffer bearing (8) that resiliently holds the magnet in the support element and is fixed with a screw (9). To integrate a magnetic holding module (6) into the recess (5) of the upper end surface (4), a screw (9) with a nut (12) is inserted from bottom to top through the hole (11) of the recess (5). The shaft (13) of the screw (9), including the thread, thus emerges from the hole (11) with the tip (14) pointing upwards.First the spring (10), then the elastomeric buffer (8), and finally the rubberized contact surface of the permanent magnet (7) can be placed over the shaft (13) and screwed in place. To allow the screw (9) to engage the rubberized contact surface with the permanent magnet (7), the latter has a small, corresponding recess (15) on its underside.

[0030] Fig. 6 - The rubberized contact surface with the permanent magnet as part of the magnetic holding module in the underside view.

[0031] At the in Fig. Figure 6 shows a view of the rubberized contact surface with the permanent magnet (7) from below. Unlike the closed top side, the underside of the rubberized permanent magnet (7) has a small recess (15) that fits the screw (9). This recess allows the tip (14) of the screw (9) to engage with the permanent magnet and its rubberized contact surface (7). Reference symbol list 1 Central part of the device according to the invention 2 hexagonal openings of the middle part 3 lower end surface 4 upper end surface 5 recesses in the upper end surface 6 Magnetic holding module 7. Rubberized contact surface with the permanent magnet underneath. 8 elastomeric buffer bearing 9 screw 10 springs 11 holes in recess in the upper end surface 12 Mother 13. Shaft of the screw 14 Tip of the screw 15 Recess on the underside of the rubberized permanent magnet QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 20 2023 000 913 U1

[0006]

Claims

[1] Device for attaching a handpan, consisting of a hollow cylinder tapered in the middle, in which the diameter increases from the middle to the two openings, characterized by , that the middle part transitions into an annular end surface at both opposite openings, the upper end surface having a larger diameter than the lower end surface and three equally spaced magnets being integrated into the upper end surface. [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by that the magnets are coated with a rubberized contact surface. [3] Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the magnets are integrated into the upper end surface in such a way that recesses adapted to the magnets are inserted into the upper end surface, into which the magnets can be integrated. [4] Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by , that the magnets coated with a rubberized contact surface are part of a magnetic holding module which, as further elements arranged from top to bottom, includes an elastomeric buffer bearing, a spring, a screw and a nut, wherein these modules are detachably connected to the base body of the device via the screw and nut through a hole in the upper end surface of the device. [5] Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the middle part consists of a uniformly perforated structure. [6] Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the device can be mounted on an instrument stand, whereby the lower end surface of the device can be precisely integrated into the holder of the stand and held in position.

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