Foldable Stringed Instrument Neck Folding Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stringed instruments, such as guitars, are cumbersome for travel due to their bulk and require additional cases, making them difficult to transport and store while maintaining predictable tuning and quality of play.
Innovation Solution
A foldable stringed instrument design featuring a neck and body that can assume a reduced profile, with a translating bridge assembly and truss rods that allow the neck to be folded, enabling compact storage and easy transport, and integration with tablet computers or smartphones for operation and effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the neck and body are made rigidly coupled to maintain tuning stability and playability, then the instrument structure is stable and reliable, but the instrument becomes cumbersome for travel and requires additional cases
Solution Approach 1:
The neck is divided into multiple separable sections (headstock, upper neck, lower neck) that can be detached and stored within the body cavity. This segmentation allows the instrument to be collapsed into a compact form for travel while maintaining structural integrity when assembled for playing.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper neck portion is designed to nest within the body cavity when detached. The truss rod housing and neck components are configured to fit one inside another, maximizing compactness during transport while preserving the full instrument length when deployed.
2Length of moving object
If the neck is made foldable to reduce profile for travel, then the instrument becomes portable and easy to store, but the structural strength and tuning predictability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The truss rod is designed as a movable component that can be inserted or removed from the neck cavity. When the neck is folded or detached, the truss rod can be repositioned to maintain structural support. The system transitions between static (playing) and dynamic (travel) states while preserving neck strength in both configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The truss rod position and tension can be adjusted depending on whether the instrument is in folded or unfolded state. This parameter change allows the structural support characteristics to adapt to different configurations, maintaining adequate neck strength whether the instrument is compact for travel or extended for playing.
3Reliability
If the bridge assembly is fixed to maintain string tension and tuning, then the tuning stability is improved, but the ability to fold the neck and reduce profile is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge assembly is designed with movable components that can adjust their position relative to the body. When the neck is folded, the bridge can be repositioned to maintain proper string tension and alignment. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to preserve tuning stability across different instrument configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge assembly includes intermediate adjustment mechanisms (such as movable saddles or adjustable mounting points) that mediate between the fixed body and the variable neck position. These intermediaries allow the bridge to compensate for changes in neck position, maintaining string tension and tuning stability whether the instrument is folded or unfolded.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable stringed instrument having a neck and/or body that may assume a reduced profile by folding an upper neck portion away from the playing position through the use of a translating bridge assembly and a translating truss assembly, wherein the foldable stringed instrument is capable of housing or otherwise being coupled to any of a variety of electronics or electrical components (e.g. a smart phone or tablet computer) having one or more applications (apps) for driving the operation, functionality and/or effects associated with the foldable stringed instrument.