Classical Guitar Support With Adjustable Clamps for Ergonomic Posture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guitar supports fail to provide a stable, ergonomic, and adjustable support for classical guitars, leading to discomfort and potential injury due to the need for players to maintain an unnatural posture.
Innovation Solution
A guitar support device with a horizontally oriented base that rests on both thighs, featuring adjustable clamps that secure the instrument using non-slip material and cork pads, allowing for quick adjustments to position and angle, ensuring stability and minimizing contact points to enhance ergonomic comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a footstool is used to elevate the left thigh, then the guitar can be positioned at a convenient height, but the player must hold legs at disparate elevations and angles causing torsion on the pelvic girdle and weakening postural support
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the support function into two separate components: a base that rests on the thighs to support the guitar body, and separate clamps that attach to the guitar. This segmentation allows the thighs to be in a natural, relaxed position while still providing stable guitar support, eliminating the need for elevated footstools and the associated torsional strain on the pelvic girdle.
Solution Approach 2:
The base acts as an intermediary between the player's thighs and the guitar, providing a stable platform that transfers the guitar's weight to the thighs without requiring the player to twist or strain. The clamps serve as intermediaries to secure the guitar to the base, allowing for adjustable positioning without compromising the natural posture of the player's legs and torso.
2Ease of operation
If the guitar is raised above the left thigh using recent devices, then both feet can rest on the floor, but the devices have drawbacks in terms of attaching to the instrument, stability, or portability
Solution Approach 1:
The clamps incorporate adjustable mechanisms with knobs that allow dynamic repositioning along the guitar's body. The clamps can be moved between multiple attachment points on the guitar's lower bout, enabling adjustment for different player heights, chair types, and playing styles. This dynamic adjustability maintains reliable attachment while accommodating various ergonomic requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The device applies different characteristics to different parts: the base provides a stable, wide resting surface on the thighs, while the clamps provide focused, adjustable attachment points on the guitar. The non-slip material and cork pads provide localized friction and cushioning at contact points, ensuring secure attachment without damaging the guitar finish.
3Ease of operation
If suction cups are used to attach to the guitar, then the device can be easily attached and removed, but the suction cups require frequent moisture, can easily slip, and may mar the guitar's finish
Solution Approach 1:
Cork pads serve as intermediaries between the clamps and the guitar surface. These pads provide a reliable friction-based attachment that does not require moisture, cannot slip like suction cups, and does not mar the guitar's finish. The cork material naturally grips the guitar's wood or composite surface while protecting it from damage during attachment and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses simple, replaceable cork pads that can be easily swapped if worn or damaged. These small, inexpensive components provide reliable attachment without the drawbacks of suction cups, and can be replaced rather than repaired, maintaining the device's reliability over time.
4Reliability
If clamping mechanisms made of rigid materials are used, then the device provides secure attachment, but the rigid materials risk structural damage to the instrument
Solution Approach 1:
The clamps use padded contact surfaces with cork pads at the points where the clamps touch the guitar. This local quality change allows the rigid clamp structure to maintain secure attachment through controlled pressure while the soft cork material prevents concentration of stress that could damage the instrument's wood or composite construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cork pads are installed beforehand on the clamp surfaces that will contact the guitar. This pre-cushioning protects the instrument from potential damage during the clamping process, ensuring that even when maximum secure attachment is applied, the guitar structure is not compromised.
5Area of stationary object
If a large plastic plate with suction cups is used, then the device provides broad support surface, but the device cannot be easily transported in small bags and adjustment in horizontal and vertical planes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a base component and separate clamp components. The base can be compact when not in use, while the clamps attach to the guitar's lower bout at multiple predetermined positions. This segmentation allows for broad support surface area during use while maintaining compact transportability when the clamps are detached from the base.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamps incorporate adjustable mechanisms that allow dynamic repositioning along the guitar's body between multiple attachment points. This dynamic adjustability provides extensive horizontal and vertical adjustment range without requiring a large fixed structure, maintaining versatility while preserving compact form for transport.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides a stable, adjustable, and ergonomic support that allows for greater freedom of movement, reducing the risk of injury and enhancing technical and expressive performance by freeing the right arm and hand, while maintaining the guitar's sound quality.
Implementation Method 1
with non-slip material affixed to the bottom side
Implementation Method 2
The clamp faces 67, 68 in contact with the guitar 8 are shaped to match the guitar's contour and are lined with cork to provide traction without abrading the finish
Data Source
AI summary
This ergonomic guitar support device is made up of a horizontal base behind the instrument, configured to rest on both thighs of the player, and two clamps which extend forward, attaching to the lower bout and waist of the guitar. It enables a seated classical guitarist to position the instrument in an ergonomically optimal position. The clamps allow for simple and quick adjustments to be made to the guitar's orientation according to the player's physical characteristics and chair height. The device has a minimal visual profile to an audience, and is easily disassembled and transported. Though conceived as an aid to holding the classical guitar, the device can be adapted for use with instruments of similar body types.