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US4236191A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Illuminated musical instrument

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1978-01-26
•
Granted: 1980-11-25
•
Expires: 1998-01-26
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Abstract

Abstract Grooves or channels are formed along the edges, and/or at other selected locations, of a guitar, of other musical instruments; as might be done in purfling and binding for such instrument. A fiber-optic bundle is laid into the groove and overlayed with a veneer of suitable wood, or other appropriate materials, but in such a manner that ends of selected fibers are aligned with and/or extend through suitable apertures formed through the veneer overlay. The individual fiber-optic bundles are then gathered into a main fiber-optic trunk line which is directed through an entry channel and away from the instrument; terminating at a source of illumination. The source of illumination includes a light source in the form of a conventional light bulb and a color wheel formed with sections of different colors which are successively interposed between the light source and the end of the fiber-optic bundle; such that light from the light source passes through each colored section and illuminates the fibers of the bundle with the color of that section of the wheel. The light travels along the fibers and shows at the fiber ends distributed around the instrument. The wheel is such that it rotates due to the heat generated by the light bulb, but a suitable motor and controls may also be provided to rotate the color wheel. Appropriate controls are also provided to vary the intensity of the light and to otherwise control same.

Inventors

  • 👤 Fredy R. Martinez

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 19:44
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/0001; G02B6/0005

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 115 words
The method of decorating a musical guitar instrument; comprising: (a) providing purfling grooves in said guitar; (b) disposing a fiber-optic bundle along a predetermined path in said purfling groves to follow the guitar shape and in proximity to a predetermined surface of said guitar instrument; (c) disposing the separate ends of individual fibers of said fiber-optic bundle adjacent the surface of said instrument so that light carried by said individual fibers will be directed towards said predetermined surface of said musical instrument; (d) providing a source of illumination for said fiber-optic bundle; and (e) illuminating said fiber-optic bundle and said ends of said individual fibers to thereby illuminate in a decorative manner said musical instrument.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 115 words
The method of decorating a musical guitar instrument; comprising: (a) providing purfling grooves in said guitar; (b) disposing a fiber-optic bundle along a predetermined path in said purfling groves to follow the guitar shape and in proximity to a predetermined surface of said guitar instrument; (c) disposing the separate ends of individual fibers of said fiber-optic bundle adjacent the surface of said instrument so that light carried by said individual fibers will be directed towards said predetermined surface of said musical instrument; (d) providing a source of illumination for said fiber-optic bundle; and (e) illuminating said fiber-optic bundle and said ends of said individual fibers to thereby illuminate in a decorative manner said musical instrument.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 1, including disposing a covering surface over said grooves after said fiber-optic bundles are disposed therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 2, including providing apertures through said covering surface proximate said ends of said individual fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 3, including threading individual ends of said fibers each through one of said apertures.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 4, including forming said predetermined path proximate the edges of said musical instrument.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 1, including providing a means for changing the color of the light illuminating said fibers of said fiber-optic bundle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 6, including providing said means for changing the color of the light by providing a color wheel in proximity to said source of illumination.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 7, including forming said color wheel with a plurality of individual and different colors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of decorating a musical instrument of claim 8, including providing means to rotate said color wheel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 122 words
A decorated musical guitar instrument; comprising: (a) a musical guitar instrument and a fiber-optic bundle disposed along a predetermined path in purfling grooves to follow the guitar shape and in proximity to a predetermined surface of the guitar; (b) said surface being formed with means to separately receive ends of said fibers so that light carried by said fibers will be directed towards said predetermined surface of said musical instrument; (c) a source of illumination for said fiber-optic bundle to illuminate said fiber-optic bundle and said ends of said individual fibers to thereby illuminate in a decorative manner said musical instrument; and (d) further comprising means to provide a plurality of individual and different colors to the ends of said individual fibers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 122 words
A decorated musical guitar instrument; comprising: (a) a musical guitar instrument and a fiber-optic bundle disposed along a predetermined path in purfling grooves to follow the guitar shape and in proximity to a predetermined surface of the guitar; (b) said surface being formed with means to separately receive ends of said fibers so that light carried by said fibers will be directed towards said predetermined surface of said musical instrument; (c) a source of illumination for said fiber-optic bundle to illuminate said fiber-optic bundle and said ends of said individual fibers to thereby illuminate in a decorative manner said musical instrument; and (d) further comprising means to provide a plurality of individual and different colors to the ends of said individual fibers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 26 words
The musical instrument of claim 10, said means to provide colors being disposed outside the instrument and being connected to the instrument by said fiber-optic bundle.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3324755A Cited
US3710091A Cited
US3943815A Cited
US4060722A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-11-25 1984-05-26 1984-11-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-11-25 1988-05-26 1988-11-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-11-25 1992-05-26 1992-11-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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