Patents Examined by Shih-Yung Hsieh
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Patent number: 6924423Abstract: The present invention relates to a drumstick for striking a percussion instrument in a see saw-like manner. The design of the drumstick allows the percussionist to comfortably grip two drumsticks simultaneously while allowing the percussionist to rapidly strike a percussion instrument in a very rapid manner. The drumstick includes a thin proximate end, a first and second intermediate portions, and a distal end having various embodiment of beating tips.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2003Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Inventor: Richard L. O'Donnell
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Patent number: 6924424Abstract: A wind instrument such as a recorder or a flute is disclosed. The wind instrument may include a body fabricated from a clear or translucent light-transmitting material, with or without color. The body includes a compartment and a light source retained within the compartment. The light source may direct light along and through the body of the wind instrument. The light source may include multiple colored LEDs or other light-emitting devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2003Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Assignee: Macie Publishing CompanyInventors: Edward Sueta, Jr., Julie Sueta Kaufmann, Paul E. Kaufmann
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Patent number: 6916977Abstract: In a drum in which a drum head installed on one or both of open ends of a trunk main body that constitutes a drum main body of the drum is tightened by lug bolts and stretched by a hoop, reinforcing rings are provided in anchoring holes that are formed in the hoop for receiving bolt heads of the lug bolts.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2003Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventor: Takashi Hagiwara
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Patent number: 6913112Abstract: The present invention provides a noise attenuation assembly having at least one noise prevention pad disposed within an annular gap formed between a gas passage tube and an overlap tube. The noise prevention pad prevents the two tubes from coming in contact during thermal expansion of the tubes, and allows the tubes to contract without causing “tick and ping” noise, during a cool down.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2003Date of Patent: July 5, 2005Assignee: Arvin Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Joseph T. Bogard
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Patent number: 6914179Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of a flute comprises first and second chambers in which sound is resonated and a tonehole disposed at and shared by the first and second chambers. The tonehole is coverable by a single finger of an operator's hand and is configured to facilitate airflow communication from the first chamber through the tonehole and airflow communication from the second chamber through the tonehole. An exemplary embodiment of an ocarina comprises an instrument body having a first chamber having a first airway through which air is received and a second chamber having a second airway through which air is received, a top cover disposed on the instrument body, an upper tonehole disposed through the top cover to facilitate airflow through the first chamber and airflow through the second chamber, and a bottom cover disposed on the instrument body.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2003Date of Patent: July 5, 2005Assignee: Mountain Ocarinas Inc.Inventor: Karl P. Ahrens
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Patent number: 6911590Abstract: A guitar having a shell body and a main body. The main body and/or a portion of the main body is detachably connected to the shell body. A neck is connected to the main body and/or the shell body. A bridge is connected to the main body. The neck includes a headstock and a fret control that at least partially raises and/or lowers at least one fret on the neck.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2003Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Chameleon Guitars LLCInventor: Robert E. Childress
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Patent number: 6909040Abstract: The present invention relates to a musician quality hand drum that may be produced in a simplified and economical manner. The hand drum is simplified in that it utilizes a ring interconnected within an open end of a simple tubular shell to allow a musical quality drumhead (e.g., an animal skin drumhead) to be interconnected in tension directly to the outside surface of the drum shell. In this regard, the need for an intricate, expensive drumhead fixation means and/or drumhead tensioners is eliminated, allowing for cost benefits to be realized.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2003Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Roxy Rhythm, LLCInventors: Roxanne Fredrickson, Todd Strandberg
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Patent number: 6903257Abstract: An enhanced bass drum pedal is provided with an eccentricity-adjustable cam system comprising a cam core mounted on a rotating shaft, a cam member rotatably connected to the cam core by a first pin, a positioning member rotatably connected to the cam member by a second pin, and a set screw. The positioning member is fastened onto the cam core by the set screw at a selected position of the positioning member to adjust the eccentricity of the cam system relative to the axis of rotation. As a result, a user can readily alter the impact force acted on a drum head and the restoring force applied to the foot board thereby tuning the bass drum pedal to suit the user's playing style and ability.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Inventor: Sang Jae Yun
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Patent number: 6902030Abstract: A muffler for equipment powered by compressed air, the muffler comprising a flexible muffler body formed from a sufficiently resilient material to resiliently deform under the influence of an exhaust air stream from an air motor, the body having an inlet and an outlet; a plurality of flexible baffles located within said body to muffle the sound of the air powered equipment; and an oil mist remover extending at least partially through said body, said oil mist remover being sized and shaped to prevent trapped oil from being re-misted by said exhaust air stream.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Inventor: Vilho O. Mantyla
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Patent number: 6903256Abstract: A pick-handle is attached to the to the “rear” edge of a conventional pick via a metal shaft. The handle portion is made to be comfortably grasped in the palm of the player's hand while the pick is held in the normal manner between the thumb and forefinger. Stringed instrument playing technique is enhanced by improved control over the pick and increased volume capability due to the increased mass effectively transmitted to the pick from the hand, wrist and arm of the player. Additionally, the invention reduces the strain on the thumb and forefinger by allowing the other fingers to supplement the grip, and also reduces the risk of the pick slipping out of playing position or totally escaping from the thumb/finger grasp. Attachment of the pick to the shaft may be implemented by a spring clip that allows easy removal of the pick and replacement by practically any commonly available pick of the player's choice.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Inventors: Richard Aspen Pittman, Steven L. Fishman
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Patent number: 6899198Abstract: A compressed air muffler comprises a rear attachment section, a compressed air muffler section adjoining it in the longitudinal direction with a compressed air muffler body of a porous compressed air muffler material and an outlet duct extending in the length direction as far as a front outlet opening, such outlet duct having in the muffler section, a form tapering toward the outlet opening. The muffler body has a bare outer peripheral face, its outer periphery face constituting an outlet face for the compressed air flowing through its wall athwart the longitudinal direction. The duct section extending through the attachment section, of the outlet duct merges steplessly with the duct section running in the muffler section.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2003Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Festo AG & Co.Inventors: Manfred Zindl, Yvonne Krehl, Markus Bretzler
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Patent number: 6900607Abstract: A method and system for estimating a parameter of an electric machine, including a controller and a switching device, the controller responsive to at least one of: a current sensor, and a temperature sensor. Where the controller executes a parameter estimation process, which is responsive to at least one of: a current value, a torque command and the resultant of the parameter estimation process representing an estimated parameter of the electric machine. The parameter estimation includes a method for estimating a temperature of the electric machine comprising: a temperature sensor operatively connected to and transmitting a temperature signal corresponding to a measured temperature to a controller, which executes a temperature estimation process responsive to a temperature signal from a temperature sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2001Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Julie A. Kleinau, Steven J. Collier-Hallman, Ashok Chandy, Ravindra P. Patankar, Daniel W. Shafer, Jeffery A. Zuraski
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Patent number: 6896097Abstract: A speaker box is covered with a buffer material exclusive of a portion where an acoustic output is derived from a speaker unit. The speaker box covered with the buffer material is attached to the surface of a wall member such as an interior member of a vehicle body or a side plate outside the vehicle body in a manner the speaker box is pressed by a holding member, which is a part of the interior member or designed member, and secured by bolts. Even when the surface of the speaker box is vibrated, the buffer material prevents an acoustic output due to the vibration from being generated so that no unnecessary acoustic signal is generated.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2003Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Fujitsu Ten LimitedInventors: Akira Nishikawa, Akira Motojima, Hiroyuki Yoshii
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Patent number: 6896100Abstract: In order to reduce noise effectively and to provide a light-weight noise reducing apparatus and an exhaust nozzle for a jet engine, a mixer for mixing an exhaust gas and an external air is disposed behind an engine, a flow channel for accelerating an exhaust gas toward a mixer and a flow channel for introducing an external air to a mixer are formed by a flow channel forming section in a noise reducing mode.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masahiko Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6894211Abstract: There is provided a keyboard apparatus which has a high durability, portability, and operability, and facilitates adaptation to a wide range of musical scenes and to multi-model production. Each adjacent pair of four main cases are pivotally connected to each other via connecting portions, whereby the main cases are allowed to assume a folded position which enables the keyboard apparatus to be carried with ease, and a flat unfolded position in which the keyboard can be played. Each main case has a keyboard unit arranged therein. Three main cases for lower tone ranges each have four white keys arranged therein, and a main case for a highest tone range has three white keys arranged therein, and a total of 25 keys are arranged on the keyboard apparatus. The main case for the highest tone range also has a group of operating elements arranged therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventor: Yasuhiko Asahi
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Patent number: 6894209Abstract: A guitar configuration that has improved playability without requiring a raised fret or fingerboards or a neck that extends through the resonance chamber all the way to the sound hole is disclosed. The particular construction of the present invention includes a soundboard with a partially curved portion that provides additional clearance for the guitarist's hand thereby allowing the guitarist to play the higher fret positions without changing the position of the fretting hand. The tapered construction of the soundboard is achieved while maintaining the structural integrity of the guitar construction while eliminating the need for extending the neck of the guitar through the sound chamber up to the sound hole in the sounding board.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2003Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Inventor: James M. Holler
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Patent number: 6892856Abstract: Sound radiating structure includes a plurality of pipes each defining an inner cavity along the length of the pipe. Each of the pipes has an end opening at one end and is closed at the other end with a closure. Each of the pipes also has a side opening in its one side portion. When a sound is input to the sound radiating structure, it re-radiates various sound waves through a number of the end and side openings together with reflected sound waves.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2001Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventors: Kengo Takahashi, Tetsu Kobayashi
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Patent number: 6894210Abstract: An adjustable drum beating device, comprising at least one rotor operable to rotate a drum beater, a foot pedal driven flexible driver having a path of engagement with the rotor and operable to rotate the rotor, the driver having adjustable connection to the rotor to effectively adjust the position of the foot pedal relative to the rotor, and there being adjustably relatively movable parts associated with at least one rotor to adjust the configuration of the path of engagement of the flexible driver with the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Drum Workshop, Inc.Inventor: Donald G. Lombardi
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Patent number: 6892855Abstract: An exhaust muffler with a single-wall shell having a first end and a second end features a plurality of embossments formed on the shell and extending from the first end of the muffler to the second end of the muffler. The embossments are arranged in a pattern such that any straight line extending from the first end to the second end intersects at least one of the embossments, thereby imparting increased stiffness to the muffler shell. Each of the embossments preferably have an elliptical shape and are arranged in rows extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the muffler. The embossments in any given row are rotated ninety degrees from the embossments in preceding and succeeding rows and are spaced to provide an interlocking pattern.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2003Date of Patent: May 17, 2005Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.Inventor: John Lewis Warmenhoven
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Patent number: 6891093Abstract: A steplessly adjustable shoulder rest for violin or the like includes an elongated base having two oppositely spaced recesses provided on an upper surface thereof. Two guiding and locking bolts are separately located at and projected from an outer side of a center of the two recesses to engage with long slots on two adjusting slides, so that the adjusting slides are slidably located in said recesses. Outer ends of the two adjusting slides are two vertical end walls, to outer sides of which two binding elements are screwed to move along with the adjusting slides. Two nuts are tightened to or loosened from the two guiding and locking bolts upward projected from the adjusting slides, so the adjusting slides may be steplessly adjusted to desired positions for the binding elements to best fitly connect the shoulder rest to a lower rear end of the violin or the like.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2003Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: Jia Chyn Instruments Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chin-Yin Huang