Shoulder rests and clamping units for shoulder rests

Abstract

A shoulder rest 30 for stringed instruments, having a support element 32 extending in a longitudinal direction L for resting on the shoulder and / or chest of the player, on which several hinged clamping units 34 are arranged, is intended to be adaptable in a particularly simple manner to different geometric requirements. For this purpose, the shaft 50 of the or each clamping unit 34 is mounted in each case by means of an integrally formed pivot pin 58 in an associated pivot bearing 55, the bearing shell 60 of which is in each case designed according to the invention in the form of an arc section which does not engage or envelop the pivot pin 58 completely but only over a certain arc length. The shaft is preferably positioned off-centre, thereby allowing a particularly simple and rapid dimensional adjustment.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoulder rest for stringed musical instruments, in particular for the violin or viola, comprising a support element for resting on the player's shoulder and / or chest. The present invention further relates to a clamping unit for such a shoulder rest. [Background technology]

[0002] Stringed instruments, especially the violin and viola, the latter also known as viola (German: Bratschen), are held at the end of the body between the player's chin and shoulder when playing. However, the distance between the player's head and shoulder area is usually greater than the thickness of the instrument, so the player has no choice but to hold or clamp the instrument in a very uncomfortable position, so that even if the instrument can be played, the quality of the performance cannot be avoided. To alleviate this, so-called chin rests and shoulder rests for violins and violas have been developed.

[0003] These shoulder rests are removably attached to the body of the instrument with the holding device and thus serve to make it more comfortable for the player to hold the instrument. Basically, the shoulder rest is attached to a violin or the like to form a support surface that rests on the player's shoulder, while the instrument itself remains supported at a selected level. This depends in particular on the player's physique, in particular on the length of the neck, the shape of the shoulders and the violin position. Such shoulder rests are known for example from EP 507994 B1, US 4,062,695, DE 10007834 A1, US 7,265,284 or US 7,488,877 B2.

[0004] Shoulder rests can be designed with a fixed base, but this is usually insufficiently contoured to the player's shoulder and therefore less individualized, usually resulting in some loss in playing comfort and convenience. For comfort, however, the fixed base can also be provided with a cushion at the bottom, which rests against the player's shoulder when the instrument is played.

[0005] The two ends of the base are usually fitted with upwardly projecting clamping units designed as holding or supporting elements, which carry rotatable fork-shaped holding clips as end pieces. These can be attached to the side walls of the instrument body close to the bottom of the instrument body. To allow this type of shoulder rest to be firmly attached to the instrument, the bottom part of the shoulder rest usually has a certain inherent elasticity, which serves to generate a certain clamping force with which the fork-shaped holding clamps grip the instrument. End pieces are also known to be in combination with supporting elements in other embodiments, but all the end pieces grip the instrument with a certain clamping action.

[0006] To ensure a high quality of sound and harmony with the instrument, such shoulder rests are usually made of plastic or synthetic materials, but more recently have also been made of wood or wood-based materials, and their contours are at least approximately customized to the player's body shape. Among other things, the shoulder rest is intended to ensure that the player can play the instrument particularly comfortably and in tune, without compromising concentration or attention.

[0007] EP 2 717 255 A1 also describes a shoulder rest of the mentioned type, which makes it possible to achieve a considerable improvement in the tonal properties of the ensemble of the instrument and the shoulder rest. The support element of the shoulder rest is provided with a number of holes. This design of the support element allows for a particularly favorable acoustic coupling and reduced interference between the vibration behavior of the shoulder rest and that of the instrument itself, so that a particularly high overall tonal quality can be achieved when the instrument is played.

[0008] Such shoulder rests are essentially rigid, i.e. rigid including the permanently installed clamping unit. On the other hand, however, foldable shoulder rests are increasingly being proposed, in which the holding elements or clamping units can be folded up to reduce the space required for storage. Such shoulder rests are known, for example, from EP 3018653 A1 or US Pat. No. 7,488,877.

[0009] Despite the problems of the hinged design, the general aim with such a shoulder rest is to allow a particularly wide adaptation of the geometry to the respective stringed instrument, on the one hand, and to the player's individual needs and specified conditions, on the other hand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] EP507994B1 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 4,062,695 [Patent Document 3] DE10007834A1 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 7,265,284 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 7,488,877B2 [Patent Document 6] EP2717255A1 [Patent Document 7] EP3018653A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention is based on the task of providing a further improved foldable shoulder rest for stringed instruments in this sense, which allows a flexible and adjustable adaptation of the shoulder rest, in particular to the geometry of the stringed instrument on the one hand and to the personal requirements and specified conditions of the player, in a particularly simple and lightweight manner that is efficient to manufacture, on the other hand.Furthermore, a clamping unit for a shoulder rest that is particularly suitable for this purpose will be described. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] With regard to the shoulder rest, this task is solved according to the invention by arranging several foldable clamping units on the support element, the shaft of which, or of each clamping unit, is in each case mounted by means of an integrally formed pivot pin in an associated pivot bearing, the bearing shell of the pivot bearing being designed in each case in the manner of an arc section which receives or envelops the pivot pin but not completely, but only over a certain arc length.

[0013] The invention is based on the idea that the design of a folding clamping unit arranged on a support element can be achieved in a particularly simple manner by means of a pivot bearing. In order to allow an individualized adaptation to the requirements of the player and / or to the geometry of a stringed instrument having this basic design, the individual components or parts of the clamping unit and the support element can of course be produced individually in the manner of a custom-made product. However, this is considered rather undesirable due to the relatively high costs involved. In order to avoid such increased costs and still allow an individualized adaptation, flexible adjustment and adaptation options should rather be provided by the components themselves or by the components interacting with each other.

[0014] In a first step, the clamping units are designed to be particularly easily interchangeable with one another. A change in the geometry is then already possible, for example by replacing one clamping unit with another of a different length, in particular a different shaft length. Such simple interchangeability of the clamping units is achievable in that the pivot bearing is specifically designed for such easier exchange, by virtue of the bearing shell only partially, rather than completely, enveloping the pivot pin of the clamping unit in which it is mounted.

[0015] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0016] In a particularly preferred further development, the opening in the bearing shell is selected, configured and dimensioned such that the pivot pin remains stably engaged yet can be easily engaged and disengaged.

[0017] In a typical embodiment, the or each clamping unit is suitably provided with a mounting clamp, which can preferably engage with an edge extending around the bottom of the stringed instrument, thereby fixing the shoulder rest to the stringed instrument in cooperation with the further clamping unit. However, in a particularly preferred embodiment, this component is also designed for a flexible adaptability of the geometric shape. For this purpose, the clamping unit, in a particularly preferred embodiment, is designed in several, preferably two parts, on the one hand with a foot or shaft and on the other hand with a mounting clamp designed separately therefrom, the foot or shaft and the mounting clamp being connected to each other by a screw. Preferably, the mounting clamp is arranged on and supported by a threaded shaft, which can be screwed into an internal thread integrated in the foot or shaft of the clamping unit. This makes it possible to modify the length of the clamping unit in a particularly simple manner by simply screwing the threaded shaft some distance into the internal thread.

[0018] In an alternative or additional advantageous further development, the shaft of each clamping unit is also guided eccentrically or off-center, in the sense that its central axis does not intersect the axis of rotation of the pivot bearing holding the clamping unit, but passes through it at a certain distance. This makes it possible in a particularly simple manner to adjust the clearance of the holding clamps relative to one another when the clamping units are deployed, by exchanging the clamping units with different offsets from one another. In particular, it should be possible to select the clearance between the holding clamps in such a way that it is possible to reliably engage the holding clamps as far as possible against the bottom peripheral edge of the stringed instrument while applying a known, but not excessive, pretension to the components.

[0019] Surprisingly, the size of the pivot pin is particularly relevant for the functioning of the assembly with the clamping unit and the bearing shell. Indeed, the larger the pivot pin, the more delicate the selection of the engagement torque becomes. Preferably, the components and their dimensions are selected such that the engagement is easy while the subsequent given security and stability is high. However, if the diameter selected is too large, the width of the roller body and therefore the lowest position of the support is disadvantageously increased. Under these considerations, the following dimensioning is considered to be particularly advantageous: a minimum of 1 mm and a maximum of 30 mm, preferably 5 mm to 15 mm, particularly preferably 8 mm to 12 mm, for the diameter of the pivot pin.

[0020] In a particularly advantageous design, which is considered an independent invention, the shaft elements are provided in the form of a set with a plurality of shaft elements with different offsets. A change in the clearance between the two mounting clamps in the open state, and therefore a variation in the geometric parameters, can be easily achieved by replacing the respective shaft elements. Moreover, in a further advantageous embodiment, the components can also be designed symmetrically, so that in addition to the first starting position, each shaft can also be mounted in a second orientation rotated by 180° around the central axis in the respective pivot bearing. Due to the eccentric, offset guidance of the central axis of the shaft, such a rotation also results in a change in the clearance of the holding clamps relative to each other. Furthermore, due to the off-center alignment of the threaded pins, the relative position of the shoulder rest to the violin can also be changed in a particularly simple manner, but significantly by appropriate selection of the shaft elements.

[0021] For convenience, and in particular for a simple yet three-dimensional design, the shaft of the or each clamping unit is designed in the manner of a roller body with an approximately cylindrical cross section in its foot area. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the roller body is provided with an end piece, which interacts with a stop attached to the shoulder rest and forms a stop for the end swing of the shaft. This ensures that the clamping unit can be moved into a defined end swing position and come into engagement with the bottom edge of the stringed instrument in a correspondingly adapted manner.

[0022] In addition to the aforementioned stop function, the end pieces allow very precise determination and identification of the angle in the deployed state. Depending on how long the ensemble of shaft and rubber foot is, for example, it affects how strong the leverage effect occurs when clamped to the violin. The increased leverage should be compensated for by a more inwardly tilted position of the shaft. In particular, depending on the length of the ensemble of shaft and rubber foot, it should be precisely sized to compensate for the varying leverage effect when clamped to the violin. With a longer shaft and rubber foot, the increased leverage can be compensated for by a more inwardly tilted position of the shaft. This is achieved by end pieces that are individually dimensioned for each inclined leg version and are wider in this illustrative example. Thus, the relatively long legs are preferably allocated to relatively wide end pieces and the short legs to narrow end pieces. In this way, the angle in the deployed state is integrated in the shaft element itself and does not depend on the support itself.

[0023] The minimum width of the roller body is preferably dependent on and selected from the thread size used (M4 in the preferred embodiment). In theory, of course, M3.5 or M4.5 can also be used. This gives the following preferred dimensions: width minimum 4 mm to maximum 12 mm, preferably 5 mm to 9 mm, particularly preferably 6 mm to 7 mm.

[0024] The diameter of the roller body directly influences how far off-center the shaft can be arranged without being displaced outside the geometry of the roller body. The smaller the body, the smaller the adjustment possible, the larger the body, the larger the adjustment possible. Surprisingly, it was found that an off-center position of 5 mm is sufficient and should be realized, particularly preferably, for the total adjustability of the violin support. This gives an adjustability of about 1 cm on each side of the support. In terms of the required material thickness, this results in a preferred diameter of 16 mm. Overall, the following dimensions are proposed: minimum 10 mm, maximum 50 mm. Preferably 13 mm to 25 mm. Particularly preferred 15 mm to 20 mm.

[0025] On the other hand, it should also be noted that as the diameter increases, the axis of the roller body is increasingly positioned further away from the support. This increases the minimum height of the support. However, a low setting is usually highly desirable. The particularly preferred dimensions of the roller body are therefore a product of the required adjustability, the minimum material thickness and the minimum height of the support at the lowest position.

[0026] By the way, it is also possible to design the inclined legs in such a way that the shafts for the rubber feet are placed on the outside of the roller body. This allows the support to be adapted to even wider instruments. However, such inclined legs can only be used in the "wide" position, since they cannot be locked and folded in the "narrow" position. Such a variant is particularly preferred for viola models.

[0027] In general, particularly flexible supports are increasingly preferred. However, designing a support for this flexibility presents certain challenges. A certain degree of flexibility also generally implies instability. However, the proposed design of the clamping unit and the bearing shell in the versions and dimensions allows the pivot pin to rotate in the bearing shell during playing. Surprisingly, it was also found that during this rotation, the support legs (rubber feet) continue to hold the violin stable. This makes it possible to have the support made of different materials or with different geometric shapes, so that the flexibility can be adjusted very precisely to the user's wishes.

[0028] Advantageously, the end piece is provided with an O-ring, preferably made of rubber, which is guided in the groove. On the one hand, the O-ring dampens the shocks when the end piece comes into contact with the stop. On the other hand, due to the plastic deformation capacity of the O-ring, a certain elasticity of the connection and the contact of the end piece with the stop is brought about as such. With this design, an exceptionally positive influence is exerted on the tonal quality of the ensemble as a whole, i.e. when the shoulder rest is attached to the stringed instrument by means of the clamping unit. The elasticity of the O-ring, through which the mechanical contact is established in the area of ​​the stop, brings about microscopic elastic and liberating properties of this connection, which have a very positive effect on the sound quality of the instrument.

[0029] In an advantageous embodiment, and in particular with suitable material selection and geometry, the shoulder rest is slightly flexible. This allows greater tonal freedom and a more ergonomic hold on the instrument. However, even a slightly flexible design of the shoulder rest means that the stop and the end point move apart as a result of pressure applied to the support and when this pressure is removed again. When the stop and the end point strike again, an audible impact sound is generated, which should also be attenuated.

[0030] This damping can be achieved by a rubber layer or a rubber body. Ideally, the rubber body is positioned and dimensioned so that the end pieces and the stops are in contact when the support is clamped to the violin.

[0031] This can be achieved very well by the mentioned O-ring. The O-ring is mainly intended to dampen the aforementioned impact sound, while the end piece and the stopper should contact each other, preferably under tension. The flexibility of the O-ring has yet another positive effect, since slight acoustic vibrations can be generated at this contact point by the passage of sound waves. Surprisingly, the sound with the O-ring seems to be more lively than without it.

[0032] Therefore, with regard to tone, the size of the O-ring should be selected with particular consideration: if it is too thick, excessive "resonance" may occur, if it is too thin, it will no longer dampen shocks sufficiently. In addition, the cord thickness (SD) is preferably chosen such that, when the support is clamped to the violin, the O-ring is compressed so that the end piece and the stopper touch each other. Thus, shallower grooves require a softer material, while deeper grooves require a relatively harder material.

[0033] Additionally, if a more resonant effect is desired, a dicker ring can be provided to prevent contact between the stopper and the end piece.

[0034] Therefore, taking into account the above considerations, the following parameters are particularly preferred for the O-ring:

[0035] O-ring cord thickness (SD): maximum 3 mm, minimum 0.5 mm, preferably 1.5 mm to 0.7 mm, particularly preferably 1.2 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0036] Compression A of cord thickness (SD): minimum 10% and maximum 60% of the cord thickness, preferably 20-50% of the cord thickness, especially preferred 30-40% of the cord thickness. The inner diameter (ID) of the O-ring preferably depends on the dimensions of the end piece and how tightly the ring has to be stretched in the groove around the end piece.

[0037] With regard to the clamping unit, the above mentioned task is solved by providing a shaft with an internal thread for receiving the threaded shaft of the associated mounting clamp, which shaft, when mounted in the associated pivot bearing, is eccentrically or off-centre guided in the sense that its centre axis does not intersect the axis of rotation of the associated pivot bearing but passes therethrough with a certain offset.

[0038] Particularly preferred material choices for the support element are provided for wood, plastic or synthetic material, so that in an advantageous embodiment the support element also has a thickness of at least 2 mm and 10 mm, preferably at least 3 mm and at most 7 mm, particularly preferably at least 3.3 mm and at most 5 mm, if made of wood, and at least 1.5 mm and at most 4.5 mm, if made of plastic or synthetic material.

[0039] In order to ensure a particularly high level of wearing comfort and therefore particularly good playing ability under these limiting conditions, the width of the support element is also advantageously selected: advantageously, the width of the support element is at least 20 mm and at most 48 mm, particularly preferably at least 22 mm and at most 30 mm, preferably at least 24 mm and at most 28 mm.

[0040] The advantages achieved by the invention result in particular from the fact that, due to the above-mentioned design of the components, in particular with all the above-mentioned features combined with one another, a wide flexibility in the dimensioning and geometric parameters of the shoulder rest can be achieved at low cost and low weight. Due to the eccentric or off-center design of the shaft axis of the clamping unit in combination with the bearing in the bearing shell designed only in sections, the clearance of the holding clamps can be varied by simply exchanging the clamping units, as can the angle of the leg elements. Additionally or alternatively, the length of the respective clamping unit can be particularly easily modified by resorting to the threaded connection between the shaft and the holding clamp and / or by simply exchanging. Thus, a holding system for a shoulder rest is available in its entirety, which can be adapted to a wide range of geometric specifications.

[0041] In particular, compared to known adjustment systems for shoulder supports, the present solution achieves a very fast, precise and reliable adjustment of the support. Known mechanisms use screws and holes that are not precise enough and remain cumbersome to handle in practice. Other designs use metal rods and rubber that wear over time and no longer hold securely. Also, these metal rods can damage the violin. Furthermore, other systems use a lot of holes for the clamping units, which makes the shoulder rest heavier and more time-consuming to change the width.

[0042] Furthermore, the ability to adjust the clearance without the need for threaded connections and other removable components allows alignment to be performed in close proximity to the instrument, if required.

[0043] Furthermore, the design allows the clearance to be set in very fine increments. For example, the preferred design provides for adjustment in steps of 2 mm. This step size is due to the smallest off-center mounting dimension of the shaft, which in this case is 1 mm. If the shaft is mounted off-center by 0.25 mm, then even smaller steps are theoretically possible, for example 0.5 mm.

[0044] A through pivot pin also achieves a very visible deviation in the shaft, which can be easily discerned by the user by offsetting the shaft further off center and making the pivot pin opening larger.

[0045] An embodiment of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which it is shown that: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a traditional violin. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a violin equipped with a shoulder rest according to the prior art; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows the shoulder rest shown in FIG. 2 with the clamping unit deployed and ready for use. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 shows the shoulder rest shown in FIG. 2 in a folded-up, stored state of the clamp unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 shows the foot or shaft of the clamp unit in two perspective views. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a pivot bearing associated with the foot or shaft of the clamping unit in two perspective views. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 shows, in two perspective views, the feet or shafts inserted into their respective pivot bearings. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the feet or shafts inserted into their respective pivot bearings. [Figure 9a] FIG. 2 shows, in longitudinal section, the feet or shafts inserted into their respective pivot bearings. [Figure 9b] FIG. 9b shows a cross-sectional enlargement of the view in FIG. 9a. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates a set of shaft elements, each having a different offset. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a set of shaft elements, each having a different offset. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 illustrates a sequence of steps for replacing the legs or shafts in their respective pivot bearings. [Figure 13] This shows two shoulder rests with different retaining systems, each with a different clearance between the holding clamps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] In all figures, identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0048] The traditional violin 1 according to Figure 1 comprises a body 2 forming a resonating body, a neck 4 on which the fingerboard is mounted, a peg box with pegs 6, and a scroll 8 forming the end of the violin 1. The body 2 has a body bottom 10 and a peripheral bottom edge 12. At the neck end 14 of the body 2, the neck 4 of the violin 1 is connected to the body 2 via an upper end block 16. Other blocks serving to stabilize the violin 1 are incorporated into the body 2.

[0049] At the bottom block 18, the strings of the violin 1 are fastened with the help of the tailpiece end on the top of the violin 1. The bottom block 18 is therefore very stable and is firmly integrated into the body 2. The top block 16, which supports the neck 4 and the fingerboard, is also stable and firmly machined into the body 2. Nowadays, the top block 16 and the neck 4 are usually made separately and glued together to meet the required wearing characteristics as well as sound and vibration qualities.

[0050] On the side of the body bottom 10 in the area of ​​the peripheral bottom edge 12 there are side walls, so-called ribs (German: Zargen) 26, and then the body top is attached to these ribs 26 opposite the body bottom. These parts essentially form the body 2, which is the resonating chamber of the violin 1, and are stabilized with the help of the so-called outer block as well as the top block 16 and the bottom block 18.

[0051] In order to allow the player to maintain a comfortable posture while playing the violin 1 with high sound quality, a shoulder rest 30 is usually provided, as shown in Fig. 2, for installation on the body 2 of the violin 1. The shoulder rest 30 comprises in itself a support element 32 for resting on the shoulder and / or chest of the player, which can be attached to the body 2 of the violin 1, in particular to the peripheral bottom edge 12, by means of a clamp unit 34 arranged at its end. In the illustrative embodiment, the shoulder rest 30 can thus be attached directly to the body 2 of the violin 1 via the clamp unit 34, however, alternatively, the additional use of an adapter piece between the shoulder rest 30 and the body 2 can also be provided.

[0052] For a particularly good playing ability with a high level of wearing comfort, the support element 32 of the shoulder rest 30 is contoured, whereby the shaping or contouring of the support element 32 provides for an individualized adaptation to the respective player. In an embodiment, the support element 32 of the shoulder rest 30 is made of a material, e.g. wood or plastic, suitably selected with a view to keeping the weight as low as possible as well as good tonal properties. Furthermore, however, for a further improvement of the tonal properties, the support element 32 also has a pattern of suitably positioned and arranged holes 40 and / or slots, as known, e.g. from the previously unpublished European Patent Application No. 20175545.1, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated in the present disclosure ("incorporated by reference").

[0053] The holding system formed by the clamping unit 34 with which the shoulder rest 30 is attached to the body 2 of the violin 1 has been designed to be particularly suitable with regard to several design objectives. On the one hand, a particularly space-saving storage of the shoulder rest 30 should be possible when not in use, for example during transport in a violin case. For this purpose, the clamping unit 34 is designed to be pivotable or foldable, as can be easily seen by comparing the views in Fig. 3 (shoulder rest 30 with the clamping unit 34 unfolded and ready for use) and Fig. 4 (shoulder rest 30 with the clamping unit 34 folded for storage).

[0054] On the other hand, the holding system should also be particularly easy to adapt to different geometries, for example depending on the design of the stringed instrument or violin 1 and / or depending on the anatomical requirements of the player. To make this possible, the clamping units 34 forming the holding system are each designed in several parts, i.e. each clamping unit 34 comprises a foot or shaft 50 with an integrated internal thread, pivotally attached to the shoulder rest 30, and an actual holding clamp 52 arranged on and supported by a threaded shaft 54. The holding clamp 52 can engage with the peripheral bottom edge 12 of the violin 1 when the clamping unit 34 is in use. To form the respective clamping unit 34, the threaded shaft 54 ​​carrying the holding clamp 52 can be screwed into the internal thread of the respective foot or shaft 50. This design makes it particularly easy to adjust or vary the overall height of the clamping unit 34 by screwing the threaded shaft 54 ​​more or less deeply into the internal thread of the shaft 50.

[0055] The mentioned components can be made of any suitable material. The shaft 50 is preferably made of plastic and can therefore represent a particularly lightweight construction. The head or holding clamp 52 is also preferably made of plastic, whereby advantageously at least the contact area 56 that comes into contact with the bottom edge 12 is made of rubber or a rubber-like material.

[0056] The foot or shaft 50 of the clamping unit 34 provided for attachment to the shoulder rest 30 is shown in FIG. 5 in two perspective views (FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b). To make available the desired pivoting ability, the shaft 50 is rotatably mounted on the shoulder rest 30. For this purpose, FIG. 6 shows in two perspective views a pivot bearing 55 associated with the foot or shaft 50, provided for receiving the foot or shaft 50 and fastening it to the shoulder rest 30 (FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b). On the other hand, in FIG. 7 the assembly unit formed by the foot 50 on the one hand and the pivot bearing 55 on the other hand is shown in two perspective views (FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b). Furthermore, the foot or shaft 50 of the clamping unit 34 provided for attachment to the shoulder rest 30 is shown in a side view in FIG. 8 and in a cross section in FIG. 9 when inserted into the pivot bearing 55. The design of the individual components will now be further explained with respect to FIGS. 5 to 9.

[0057] At the sides of the end area of ​​the shaft 50, several pivot pins 58 - in the illustrated embodiment two - are arranged, which are mounted rotatably around an axis of rotation 62 in a bearing shell 60 attached to the shoulder rest 30, which axis of rotation 62 is aligned perpendicular to the drawing plane of the views according to Figs. 8 and 9. As can be seen from the views of Figs. 6 and 7 as well as from the side view of Fig. 8, the bearing shell 60 is designed in the form of an arc section, which does not completely surround or envelop the pivot pin 58 but only over a certain arc length. Taking into account the elasticity of the material forming the bearing shell, preferably a plastic or synthetic material, the bearing shell 60 fixes the pivot pin 58 in the inserted state, but the shaft 50 including the pivot pin 58 can be removed from the bearing formed by the bearing shell 60. This makes it particularly easy to replace or exchange the foot or shaft 50 from the bearing.

[0058] As already mentioned, the bearing shell 60 and / or the clamping unit 34 are particularly preferably made from plastic or plastic material, however, as an alternative, a base material therefor may also be selected which is preferably metal. However, the support elements can also be made of wood.

[0059] As can be seen from the view according to Fig. 5 and from the cross-sectional view in Fig. 9, the shaft 50 is thickened in its actual foot area in the form of a roller body 64 with an approximately cylindrical cross section, at the ends of which the two pivot pins 58 are formed. The roller body 64 is provided with an end piece 66 which cooperates with a stopper 68 attached to the shoulder rest 30 and forms a stop for the end of the swing of the shaft 50. This ensures that the clamping unit 34 can be brought into a defined position at the end of the swing and can come into engagement with the bottom edge 12 of the violin 1 in a correspondingly adapted manner.

[0060] In addition to the above-mentioned stop function, the end pieces 66 allow very precise determination and identification of the angle of the shaft 50 in the open state. For example, the end pieces 66 affect how strong the leverage is when clamped to the instrument, depending on the length of the ensemble of the shaft 50 and the rubber feet. In particular, these components should be precisely dimensioned to compensate for the varying leverage when clamped to the violin, depending on how long the ensemble of the shaft and the rubber feet is dimensioned. The increased leverage due to the longer shaft and rubber feet should be compensated, for example, by a more inwardly inclined position of the shaft 50. This is achieved by the end pieces 66, which are dimensioned individually for each inclined leg version and are wider in this example. In this way, the relatively long legs are preferably assigned to relatively wide end pieces 66 and the short legs are assigned to narrow end pieces 66. In this way, the angle in the open state is integrated in the shaft element itself and does not depend on the support itself.

[0061] The end piece 66 is provided with an O-ring 70, preferably made of rubber, guided in a groove 69. On the one hand, the O-ring dampens shocks when the end piece 66 comes into contact with the stopper 68, but on the other hand, as a result of the plastic deformation capacity of the O-ring 70, a certain elasticity of the connection and, as such, the contact between the end piece 66 and the stopper 68 is brought about. It has turned out to be completely surprising, that with this design, i.e. when the shoulder rest is attached to the violin by means of the clamping unit 34, an exceptionally positive influence is exerted on the tonal quality of the ensemble as a whole. There is a certain, particularly microscopic degree, elastic property of this connection due to the elasticity of the O-ring 70, through which a mechanical contact is established in the area of ​​the stopper, which has a very positive effect on the sound design of the instrument.

[0062] In particular, in the enlarged cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 9b, it can be clearly seen that the end piece 66 comes into direct contact with the stopper 68 in the contact area 71 when the shaft 50 is fully deployed. The O-ring 70 seated in the groove 69 deforms accordingly within its elastic range. It also becomes clear from this figure that the selection of a suitable thickness or cord strength of the O-ring 70 determines the precise nature of the contact between the end piece 66 and the stopper 68 in the contact area 70. That is, if the cord strength is chosen to be very large, the O-ring 70 will deform within its elastic range until it absorbs a completely constant reaction force for fixing the shaft 50, and no direct contact will occur between the end piece 66 and the stopper 68 in the contact area 71. On the other hand, if the cord thickness is chosen to be very small, the O-ring 70 will be almost completely in the groove 69 and will not deform very much until the end piece comes into direct contact with the stopper 68 in the contact area 71. This case corresponds to a mechanical contact between the end piece 66 and the stopper 68 that is not significantly damped or rebounding.

[0063] Advantageously, the main function of the O-ring 70 is to dampen the impact sound that may occur when the end piece 66 strikes the stopper 68 during playing the violin and the corresponding movement in the holding system. Advantageously, the component is dimensioned so that the end piece 66 contacts the stopper 68 in the contact area 71 under tension. The presence of the O-ring 70 is an added plus in terms of sound, since slight acoustic vibrations may occur at this point due to the transmission of sound waves associated with the contact. Surprisingly, the sound with the O-ring seems to be more "lively" than without it. In view of the above considerations, advantageously, the dimensions or size of the O-ring 70 are appropriately selected for the desired properties, whereby either excessive "resonance" may occur (if the ring is too thick) or, on the other hand, no damping of impacts may occur anymore (if the ring is too thin). In particular, the cord thickness (SD) is advantageously always chosen so that when the shoulder rest is clamped to the violin, the O-ring 70 is slightly compressed so that the end piece 66 and the stopper 68 touch each other. Larger protrusions require a softer material (lower compression resistance) and smaller protrusions require a harder material.

[0064] Advantageously, O-rings 70 are used having a cord thickness (SD) between 0.5 and 3 mm, preferably between 0.7 and 1.5 mm, particularly preferably between 0.8 and 1.2 mm. The compression of the cord thickness (SD) should be between (minimum) 10% and (maximum) 60%, preferably 20-50%, particularly preferably 30-40%.

[0065] In terms of the flexible adaptability of the holding system formed by the clamping units 34 to the individual geometry of the violin 1, a certain adjustability of the inside dimensions of the holding clamps 52 relative to one another is also desirable when the clamping units 34 are deployed. The inside dimensions between the holding clamps 52 should therefore be able to be selected in such a way that it is possible to reliably engage the holding clamps 52 as far as possible on the peripheral bottom edge 12 while applying a certain, but not too large, pretension to the component. In order to be able to appropriately modify the inside dimensions of the holding clamps 52, the shafts 50 of the respective clamping units 34 are guided eccentrically or off-center, in the sense that the central axis 72 of the shafts 50 does not intersect the axis of rotation 62 in the fully deployed state, but passes therefrom at a certain distance by an offset V. In this way, the modification of the inside dimensions of the holding clamps 52 is possible in a particularly simple manner by simply replacing the shaft elements and by replacing the shaft elements with alternative shafts with a different offset V.

[0066] Therefore, advantageously, the shaft elements are provided in the form of a set comprising a plurality of shaft elements, each having a different offset V. In each of Figures 10 and 11, such a set of shaft elements is shown, the two sets differing from each other by the length of the actual shafts 50. However, both sets shown in Figure 10 and the set shown in Figure 11 each comprise feet or shafts 50 with a relatively small offset V (shown on the left), one with a medium offset V (shown in the middle) and one with a relatively large offset V (shown on the right).

[0067] A change in the spacing between the two holding clamps 52 in the deployed state can be easily achieved by replacing the respective shaft elements. In addition, however, the components are also guided symmetrically all the way through so that, in addition to the first initial position, each shaft 50 can also be installed in a second orientation rotated by 180° around its central axis 72. Thus, the position of the central axis, starting from an original offset of +V, is shifted to a new offset of -V. Such an exchange is diagrammatically illustrated in the sequence of diagrams shown in FIG. 12.

[0068] In Fig. 12a it can be seen how the clamping unit 34 pivots from a fully deployed position to a removal position by rotating the pivot pin 58 accordingly in the bearing shell 60. In Fig. 12a the pivoting movement is indicated by the arrow 74. In the removal position reached by pivoting then the components allow the removal of the clamping unit 34 (due to its shape as shown by the arrow 76) from the bearing shell 60. The shape of the bearing shell 60, i.e. its design as a circular arc section or only a circular arc part, is particularly important for the removal option.

[0069] After removal, the clamping unit 34 can be rotated through an angle of 180° around the central axis 72 of the shaft 50, as shown by the arrow 78 in Fig. 12c, and then moved back into the bearing shell 60 in the direction represented by the arrow 80 according to the diagram in Fig. 12d. The clamping unit 34 is then deployed again, as represented by the arrow 82 in Fig. 12e. The retaining clamp 52 is then still initially oriented in the "wrong" direction as a result of the rotation, i.e. with its engagement side facing outwards. To correct this, a further rotation of the retaining clamp 52 is effected by rotating the threaded shaft 54 ​​in the internal thread of the shaft 50, as represented by the arrow 84 in Fig. 12e.

[0070] The result of such a modification, with corresponding rotation of both clamping units 34, is shown by way of example in Fig. 13. In Fig. 13a, the original state is shown in which the shafts 50 of both clamping units 34 are installed in their respective bearing shells 60 with an offset V outwards, resulting in an internal distance W between the retaining clamps 52. In contrast, Fig. 13b shows the configuration after both retaining elements 34 have been rotated 180°, respectively, in their respective bearing shells 60 according to the sequence shown in Fig. 12. In this configuration, the retaining elements 34 are now offset inwards with respect to their respective central axes 72, resulting in a new spacing of W'=W-4V relative to the retaining clamps 52 (for each retaining clamp 52, the position changes from +V to -V, i.e., a total change of 2V).

[0071] The combination of these design features results in a holding system for mounting the shoulder rest 30 on the violin 1, with which an individualized adaptation of the shoulder rest to the violin 1 and also to the individual requirements of the player is possible effortlessly and, moreover, without significant effort over a large parameter range. According to the described method, the inside dimension W can be adjusted effortlessly, especially when using the shaft elements of the entire set, and the height or distance from the support element 32 to the respective holding clamp 52 can also be varied in a particularly simple manner by screwing in or out the threaded shaft 54 ​​in the internal thread of the foot or shaft 50.

[0072] With regard to the choice of material, two designs are particularly preferred, namely, on the one hand, a three-part design made of plastic, two clamping units with a support element with an integral bearing shell, or, on the other hand, a five-part design made of plastic / wood, two clamping units and a bearing shell made of plastic, the bearing shell mounted on a support element made of wood. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Violin 2 Main unit 4. Neck 6 Pegs 8. Scrolling 10 Bottom of the unit 12 Bottom edge 14 Neck end 16, 18 End blocks 20, 22 Outer block 24 Bulge 26 Ribs 30 Shoulder Rest 32 Support elements 34 Clamp unit 40 holes 50 Shaft 52 Retaining clamp 54 Threaded Shaft 55 Pivot Bearing 56 Contact Area 58 Pivot pin 60 Bearing shell 62 Axis of Rotation 64 Roller body 66 End Piece 68 Stopper 69 Groove 70 O-ring 71 Contact Area 72 Central axis 74, 76, 78 Arrows 80, 82, 84 V Offset W Spacing

Claims

1. A shoulder rest (30) for stringed instruments, having a support element (32) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) for resting on the shoulder and / or chest of a player, on which several hinged clamping units (34) are arranged, the shaft (50) of the or each clamping unit (34) being mounted in each case by means of an integrally formed pivot pin (58) in an associated pivot bearing (55), the bearing shell (60) of said pivot bearing (55) being designed in the manner of a circular arc section in each case which does not engage or envelop said pivot pin (58) completely but only over a certain circular arc length, A shoulder rest (30), wherein the shaft (50) of each of the clamping units (34) is eccentrically or off-center guided in the sense that the central axis (72) of the shaft (50) does not intersect the axis of rotation (62) of the respective pivot bearing (55) in the fully deployed state, but passes through the respective pivot bearing (55) at an offset (V).

2. 2. The shoulder rest (30) of claim 1, wherein the or each clamping unit (34) comprises a respective retaining clamp (52) disposed on and supported by a threaded shaft (54) capable of being screwed into an internal thread integral with the foot or shaft (50) of the clamping unit (34).

3. 3. The shoulder rest (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft (50) of the or each clamping unit (34) is designed in its foot area in the manner of a roller body (64) having an approximately cylindrical cross section.

4. 4. The shoulder rest (30) according to claim 3, wherein the roller body (64) of the or each clamp unit (34) is provided with an end piece (66) which cooperates with a stopper (68) mounted on the shoulder rest (30) to form a stop for the end of swing of the shaft (50).

5. 5. The shoulder rest (30) according to claim 4, wherein said end piece (66) of each roller body (64) is provided with an O-ring (70) guided in a groove (69).

6. A shoulder rest (30) as described in claim 5, wherein the O-ring (70) is made of rubber.

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