Thumb rest for wind instrument

Abstract

To provide a thumb rest for wind instrument which has a characteristic of preamble, to provide a wind instrument which has a body and the thumb rest, and to provide a use method of thumb rest for playing a wind instrument which has the characteristic of preamble.SOLUTION: A thumb rest (1) for a wind instrument, especially for a clarinet (3) includes: an adapter (4) for mounting the thumb rest (1) on a body (2) of the wind instrument; a support piece (6) arranged at the adapter (4) or supported by it; and a thumb stop (7) arranged at the support piece (6). The thumb stop (7) and the support piece (6) are joint-connected with each other by a joint (8), and by this joint, the permanent degree of rotation freedom of the thumb stop (7) with respect to the support piece (6) is provided, and the thumb stop (7) can permanently rotate with respect to the support piece (6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thumb rest for a wind instrument having the features of the preamble of claim 1, as well as to a wind instrument having a body and a thumb rest, and to the use of a thumb rest for playing a wind instrument having the features of the preamble of claim 13. [Background technology]

[0002] A thumb rest for a clarinet is known from document DE 41 13 871 C2, which comprises a receiving sleeve that is screwed onto the clarinet and a support piece that is received in the sleeve and on which a thumb stop is arranged that rests against the thumb of the player when playing the clarinet. This thumb rest has various degrees of freedom in order to optimally adapt it to the player. It can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the clarinet, it can be rotated relative to the longitudinal direction of the clarinet and it is provided with a ball joint so that the orientation of the thumb rest can be changed. The thumb rest can therefore be optimally set according to the wishes of the player before the actual performance and fixed there.

[0003] The thumb rest known from US 4,348,935 A likewise allows the player to adjust the thumb rest before playing and to fix it in the desired position. For this purpose, adjustability of the thumb rest is provided in the longitudinal direction of the wind instrument. The thumb support can furthermore be rotated about an axis of rotation that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wind instrument and is predefined by the sleeve that receives the thumb support. Summary of the Invention

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The object of the present invention is to provide a thumb rest for a wind instrument which allows playing of the wind instrument as comfortably as possible.

[0005] The object according to the invention is achieved by a thumb rest having the features of independent claim 1, by a wind instrument having such a thumb rest having the features of independent claim 12 and by the use of a thumb rest according to the features of independent claim 13.

[0006] The invention is based on the realization that with the thumb rests known from the prior art, the orientation and position of the thumb rest are allowed to be pre-set optimally for the player. However, in particular when playing wind instruments for a significant period of time, fatigue, stiffness phenomena and / or unpleasant pressure sensations may nevertheless occur. Therefore, in accordance with the invention, it is proposed to design the thumb rest in such a way that it has a position that is as variable as possible, but nevertheless stable, in particular during playing.

[0007] The thumb rest for wind instruments according to the invention comprises an adapter that can be fixed to the wind instrument, in particular to its body. The adapter can for example be plugged or clipped onto the wind instrument. Further possibilities include screwing the adapter onto the body or fixing it by means of material continuity, for example by gluing or soldering to an existing metal part of the body.

[0008] The thumb rest further comprises a support piece and a thumb stop disposed on the support piece. The support piece may be integrally formed with the adapter, but is typically a separate part that is secured to the adapter during playing and is releasable, for example to allow the position and orientation of the support piece and the thumb stop secured thereto to be set prior to playing.

[0009] Unlike the thumb rests known from the prior art, the thumb stop is in contrast permanently connected to the support piece and therefore movably connected to it, in particular during playing. For this purpose, a joint is provided, by which the thumb stop is jointly connected to the support piece. This joint is formed in such a way that one or more degrees of freedom provided by the joint are maintained during playing. In other words, according to the invention, the joint cannot be locked to the thumb rest. That is to say, the joint does not function in such a way that an individual, but fixed, playing position can be set. The mobility between the thumb stop and the support piece realized by the joint is rather permanently maintained, in particular during playing. It can thus be achieved that the thumb stop remains permanently rotatable relative to the support piece via a rotation zone predefined by the joint. The rotation zone here usually consists of an angle range of several degrees or even tens of degrees. Thus, the posture of the player when playing a wind instrument is not one-sided, but rather a constantly changing playing posture, which also changes the load on the thumb.

[0010] Keeping the joint permanently movable during playing can be achieved in various ways, for example by fixing the joint head in a pivot joint housing and a freely movable support. A further example is to configure the joint as a kind of film hinge made of elastic material. In one further example, the joint head can be clamped between two support surfaces, which can be stretched relative to each other to a limited extent such that the joint head is permanently movable while being held between them.

[0011] The thumb rest according to the present invention can be used in particular with wind instruments whose bodies are held substantially vertically during playing, such as clarinets and oboes. In order to comfortably support the weight of the wind instrument, it is useful for the thumb rest to have a thumb stop oriented substantially laterally with respect to the weight force acting vertically downward. The laterally oriented thumb stop of the thumb rest rests on the thumb so as to prevent the wind instrument from slipping off. In this respect, most of the weight is borne by the thumb through the thumb rest, and the player needs to exert less force to hold the wind instrument firmly between his fingers.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the joint is configured as a pivot joint with exactly one axis of rotation. This is already sufficient for various holding of the wind instrument during playing. However, it is also possible to provide multiple degrees of rotational freedom by a joint in which the thumb stop is movably connected to the support piece. The joint can be configured, for example, as a ball joint with multiple axes of rotation about which the thumb stop can rotate relative to the support piece.

[0013] When the thumb rest is attached to the wind instrument, the or one of the rotation axes of the joints is in particular substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wind instrument body and substantially radial to its circular cross section. In the case of a clarinet, the thumb rest is usually attached in such a way that the thumb stop is located on the opposite side of the clarinet body to the keys. If the rotation axis is radial to the cross section of the body, this means that the clarinet can oscillate slightly from side to side while lying on the thumb of the player. However, it may not oscillate, or it may only oscillate freely back and forth to a limited extent, for example. This may be unfamiliar or undesirable for the player, since the compensatory movements of the fingers may affect the force with which the keys are gripped. That is to say, the proposed orientation of the thumb rest and the orientation of the rotation axis provide a flexible playing position for the player, without compromising the playing itself. However, at least one of the rotation axes may also have any other orientation, preferably oriented transversely to the circular cross section of the body.

[0014] The joints can generally have any desired design. As explained above, they can be pivot or ball joints, and they can be implemented in different ways. They can be fully or partly integrally formed by the thumb stop and the support piece. The thumb stop can in particular be rotatably arranged on the support piece.

[0015] If the support piece and the thumb stop have support surfaces that are formed complementarily to one another, a particularly good support of the thumb stop on the support piece can be achieved, which contributes to the best possible mobility and guidance of the thumb stop relative to the support piece. The support surface of the thumb stop can, for example, be formed convexly, while the complementary support surface of the support piece can be formed concavely with a corresponding radius of curvature. Conversely, the support surface of the support piece can also be convex, while the support surface of the thumb stop can be concave.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the thumbstop has a notch into which the shaft of the joint extends or passes such that the thumbstop is rotatably supported on the shaft, where the shaft of the joint defines an axis of rotation about which the thumbstop can rotate.

[0017] The shaft can be integrally formed with the support piece. The shaft can have a termination piece for securing the thumbstop to the shaft. To give some examples, the termination piece can be a thicker portion of the end of the shaft that protrudes through a notch in the thumbstop, or it can be a nut threaded onto the end or a cap placed on the end. The thumbstop can also be clipped onto the shaft of the support piece, and the termination piece can prevent it from slipping off the shaft.

[0018] Alternatively, the shaft of the joint can be integrally formed with the thumb stop, the shaft being rotatably received, for example, in a mounting part of the support piece. For this purpose, the shaft can have a spherical end which is clamped into a spherical mounting part of the support piece. A further possibility is for the thumb stop to have a pin-shaped shaft which extends through a notch in the passage of the support piece and is fixed there by a nut or another end piece screwed on at the end side.

[0019] The shaft of the joint can also be formed separately from the thumbstop or the support piece. The joint can be, for example, a screw or a bolt. Here, the shaft of the screw or bolt represents the shaft of the joint on which the thumbstop is rotatably supported about an axis of rotation defined by the shaft. The screw or bolt can be screwed into a corresponding thread in a notch in the support piece for connection to the support piece. The thumbstop can be rotatably captured by the head of the screw or the head of the bolt between the head and the support piece, so that it can be securely held on the support piece.

[0020] The joint can be configured such that the smoothness of the rotation of the thumb stop can be set relative to the support piece. The performer can thus decide for himself how far the thumb stop should move. If the thumb stop is held between, for example, an end piece (such as a screw or bolt head) and a support piece, how smoothly the thumb stop can be rotated can be set by the pressing force exerted by the end piece on the support piece. The pressing force can be varied, for example, so that the position of the end piece is changed (for example by screwing in or unscrewing a screw / bolt). A spring or elastic damping element can also be provided which acts on the thumb stop and presses it against the support surface of the support piece. The resulting pressing force, and therefore the smoothness of the rotation, can be set by compressing or relaxing the spring or damping element.

[0021] For fixing the thumb rest to the wind instrument, in particular to its body, the adapter can be clamped firmly to the body and / or can be connected in material continuity to the body. The adapter can for example have a collar which can grip the periphery of the body, so that it can be clampably gripped around the body for tight clamping. A fastening with material continuity can be achieved by gluing or by a firm screwing of the adapter to the body. A further possibility is to fasten the adapter to a metal part, for example by soldering. Such a part can for example be a metal ring of the gripping system or of the connection of different parts of the body. The advantage of for example soldering to such a metal ring is that such a connection does not affect the sound-forming parts of the wind instrument. The sound of the wind instrument is therefore not or only slightly affected.

[0022] The optimal position and orientation of the thumb rest and thumb stop will vary depending on the performer's personal needs, so it is desirable to allow for flexible adaptation of the position and orientation rather than fixing it for the performer at the time of initial assembly.

[0023] Thus, according to an embodiment, it is provided that the support piece is displaceably received in the mount formed by the adapter, and that the support piece can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the wind instrument body at least to a predetermined extent in the state of the thumb rest attached to the wind instrument. In this way, the position of the support piece, and thus the position of the thumb rest, can be set in the longitudinal direction of the body and fixed in the position desired by the performer. If the position is to be changed later, the fastening between the support piece and the adapter can be released again, the support piece can be displaced longitudinally relative to the adapter and the fastening can be fixed again. A screw that fastens the support piece in a mount formed by the adapter can, for example, serve as a releasable fastening.

[0024] The mount formed by the adapter can in a further embodiment be of sleeve type with an annular free mount cross section. If the support piece is pin-shaped with a cross section complementary to the annular mount cross section, the support piece can be rotatably received in the mount. That is to say, the support piece (and therefore also the thumb stop connected thereto) can be moved not only longitudinally but also up and down relative to the adapter in order to set the optimum position for the performer. The support piece and the thumb stop can rather be rotated relative to the mount or the adapter about an axis of rotation defined by the mount and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. In this way, the angular range over which the thumb stop protrudes from the body can be set. When the performer has set the optimum position, this setting can be fixed, for example by tightening a screw.

[0025] The solution according to the invention further relates to a wind instrument, in particular a clarinet, having a body of the thumb rest according to the invention fixed to the body. The thumb rest can be permanently fixed to the body by means of an adapter in the wind instrument, for example by a soldered connection between the adapter and a metal part, such as a metal ring, provided on the body. The disclosure regarding the thumb rest according to the invention also applies with respect to the exemplary embodiment.

[0026] The invention also relates to the use of a thumb rest for a wind instrument, comprising an adapter for mounting the thumb rest on the body of the wind instrument, a support piece arranged on or formed by the adapter, and a thumb stop arranged on the support piece and jointly connected to the support piece. Here, in particular, a thumb rest according to the invention can be provided. According to the invention, the joint for connecting the thumb stop to the support piece is not fixed, but the thumb stop is supported rotatably relative to the support piece during playing. This method of use differs from the solutions known from the prior art, in which the thumb stop is fixed in its position and orientation for playing the wind instrument. In order to prevent a one-sided playing posture, according to the invention, it is proposed to support the thumb stop rotatably relative to the support piece, in particular also during playing, so that the position and / or orientation of the thumb stop is also variable during playing. The description of the thumb rest according to the invention and the wind instrument according to the invention also applies accordingly to the further exemplary embodiments.

[0027] Advantageous further developments result from the claims, the description and the drawings. The advantages pointed out in the description of the features and combinations of features are merely exemplary and may take effect alternatively or cumulatively, without necessarily achieving the advantages of the embodiments according to the invention. The features pointed out in the claims and the description are understood in number as if there is exactly this number or more than this number, without the need for the explicit use of the term "at least". Thus, for example, if a rotational degree of freedom is spoken of, it is understood that there is exactly one rotational degree of freedom, two rotational degrees of freedom or multiple rotational degrees of freedom. These features may be supplemented by other features or may be the only features that the respective product constitutes. The reference numerals contained in the claims do not limit the scope of the subject matter protected by the claims. They serve only to facilitate the understanding of the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] Further means for improving the present invention are set forth in more detail below in conjunction with the description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings.

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a clarinet with a thumb rest in place. [Diagram 2] A detail of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] Figure 1 shows the thumb rest adapter and its attachment to the clarinet body. [Figure 4] 2 shows individual parts of the thumb rest shown in FIG. 1 in a disassembled and assembled state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] 1 to 4 show a thumb rest 1 according to the invention which is fixed to a body 2 of a clarinet 3 in the embodiment shown.

[0031] The thumb rest 1 comprises an adapter 4 which is fixed to the body 2. In the embodiment shown, the adapter 4 is connected to a metal ring 5 on the body 2 of the clarinet 3, for example by means of a soldered connection. A secure fixing of the thumb rest 1 to the clarinet 3 is achieved by this type of connection, which has a particularly low influence on the sound-producing parts of the clarinet 3.

[0032] The thumb rest 1 further comprises a support piece 6 and a thumb stop 7 which is arranged rotatably relative to the support piece 6. The rotatable support is provided with a joint 8 in the form of a pivot joint having exactly one axis of rotation 9.

[0033] As shown in particular in detail in FIG. 4, the support piece 6 comprises a pin-shaped part 10 with a circular cross section and a support part 11 on the end side for the thumb stop 7. The pin-shaped part 10 serves for the positioning of the support piece 6 in the adapter 4, which has a mount 12 with a free cross section complementary to the cross section of the pin-shaped part 10, in particular for this purpose. To fix the support piece 6 to the mount 12, a screw 13 is provided, by means of which the pin-shaped part 10 of the support piece 6 can be clampably fixed to the mount 12. When the player wants to ideally set the thumb rest 1 before playing, the screw 13 can be released. In the released state, the support piece 6 can be displaced in the direction of the longitudinal axis 14 of the body 2 of the clarinet 3, as shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, the support piece can also be rotated in the mount around the longitudinal axis 15 of the support piece 6, which is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 14 of the clarinet 3. After setting the position and orientation that is optimal for the player, this setting can be fixed by tightening the screw 13.

[0034] The thumb stop 7 is provided with a contact surface 16 against which the thumb stop 7 rests against the player's thumb, as shown in particular in more detail in FIG. 4. The contact surface 16 of the thumb stop can be cushioned for a comfortable fit. For this purpose, for example, a felt or rubber cover can be provided in the area of ​​the contact surface 16. The contact surface 16 is oriented substantially transversely to the acting weight force of the clarinet 3, so that it can comfortably support the weight of the clarinet 3 during playing.

[0035] According to the invention, the thumb stop 7 is in particular rotatably supported relative to the support piece 6 during playing. In the illustrated embodiment, a joint 8 configured as a pivot joint is provided for the rotatable support. The joint 8 comprises a screw 17. The shaft 18 of the screw 17 extends through a mount 19 of the eye 20 of the thumb stop 7 and its end is screwed into a notch 21 in the support part 11 of the support piece 6. The thumb stop is thus rotatably supported relative to the support piece 6 about the shaft 18 of the screw 17, which defines the axis of rotation 9 of the joint 8. The angular range through which the thumb stop 7 can be rotated about the axis of rotation 9 is approximately 180° in the illustrated embodiment.

[0036] The thumb stop 7 is here held firmly to the support piece 6 by the head 22 of the screw 17. How tightly the thumb stop 7 is clamped between the support piece 6 and the head 22 of the screw 17 can be set by how far the screw 17 is screwed into the thread of the recess 21 of the support part 11, i.e. how smoothly the thumb stop 7 can be rotated about the axis of rotation 9 can ultimately be set thereby. How tightly the thumb stop 7 can be clamped between the support piece 6 and the head 22 of the screw 17 can be limited, for example, by providing a stop on the shaft 18 of the screw 17, up to which the screw 17 can be screwed into the recess 21. Fixation of the thumb stop 7 to the support piece 6 can in particular be prevented.

[0037] The rotational movement is guided on the one hand by the shaft 18 of the screw 17, which extends through the cutout 19. Furthermore, the eye 20 is designed as a ball, in such a way that a convex support surface 23 is formed, as shown in FIG. 4. The corresponding support surface 24 of the support part 11 is formed complementarily slightly concave, as also shown in FIG. 4. Due to the interaction of the two support surfaces 23, 24 of the thumb stop 7 and the support piece 6, which are formed complementarily to one another, a particularly good guidance of the rotational movement can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Thumb rest 2 Main unit 3. Clarinet 4 Adapters 5 Metal Ring 6 Support Pieces 7. Thumb Stop 8 Joint 9 Rotation Axis 10 Section 11 Section 12 Mount 13 Screws 14 Longitudinal axis 15 Longitudinal axis 16 Support Surface 17 Screws 18 Shaft 19 Cutout 20 Eye 21 Cutout 22 Head 23 Support Surface 24 Support Surface

Claims

1. A thumb rest (1) for a wind instrument, in particular a clarinet (3), comprising: An adapter (4) for attaching the thumb rest (1) to the body (2) of a wind instrument; A support piece (6) arranged on or supported by the adapter (4), and A thumb stop (7) disposed on the support piece (6); Including, The thumb rest (1) is characterized in that the thumb stop (7) and the support piece (6) are jointed to each other by a joint (8), which gives the thumb stop (7) a permanent degree of rotational freedom relative to the support piece (6) and allows the thumb stop (7) to permanently rotate relative to the support piece (6).

2. Thumb rest (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the joint (8) is a pivot joint having exactly one axis of rotation (9).

3. 3. The thumb rest (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the assembled state of the thumb rest (7) on a wind instrument, the axis of rotation (9) of the joint (8) is arranged radially with respect to the circular cross section of the body (2) of the wind instrument.

4. The thumb rest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support piece (6) and the thumb stop (7) have support surfaces (23, 24) formed complementarily to each other, in particular one support surface (23, 24) being formed concavely and the other support surface (23, 24) being formed convexly.

5. A thumb rest (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the thumb stop (7) has a notch (19) and the joint (8) has a shaft (18) extending in or through the notch (19) such that the thumb stop (7) is rotatably supported about the shaft (18).

6. Thumb rest (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the shaft (18) is formed by the support piece (6).

7. A thumb rest (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the shaft (18) is formed by a screw (17) or a bolt, the thread of which is screwed into a corresponding thread of a notch (21) in the support piece (6), and the thumb stop (7) is rotatably held between the support piece (6) and the head (22) of the screw (17) or bolt around an axis of rotation (9) defined by the shaft (18).

8. A thumb rest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the joint (8) is configured such that a smooth rotational movement of the thumb stop (7) can be set relative to the support piece (6).

9. A thumb rest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the adapter (4) is connected to the body (2) of the wind instrument by a clamp and / or by material continuity.

10. A thumb rest (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the support piece (6) is received displaceably in the direction of the longitudinal axis (14) of the main body (2) within a mount (12) formed by the adapter (4).

11. The mount (12) is formed like a sleeve with an annular free mount cross section, Thumb rest (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support piece (6) is pin-shaped with a cross-section complementary to the mount cross-section.

12. A main body (2), and A thumb rest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, fixed to a main body (2); Wind instruments, especially the clarinet (3).

13. An adapter (4) for attaching the thumb rest (1) to the body (2) of a wind instrument; a support piece (6) arranged on or supported by the adapter (4); and A thumb stop (7) disposed on the support piece (6) and connected in a jointed manner by a joint (8); Including, Use of a thumb rest (1) for a wind instrument, the thumb rest (1) being constructed in particular as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, The use of a thumb rest (1) for a wind instrument, characterized in that the joint (8) is not fixed during playing of the wind instrument, and the thumb stop (7) is supported rotatably relative to the support piece (6) during playing.

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