Bimorphic piezoelectric pickup device for stringed musical instruments
US4860625A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 1988 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 16, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S84/24
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A pickup is disclosed for a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of strings. The pickup includes a bridge member having a surface which supports the strings at predefined positions along the surface, a plurality of bimorphic piezoelectric elements embedded in the bridge member at locations corresponding to the predefined positions along the surface of the bridge member, and connection wires for conveying the electric signals generated by said bimorphic piezoelectric element. Each bimorphic piezoelectric element has two oppositely polarized piezoelectric layers, separated by a metallic layer. The bimorphic piezoelectric elements are embedded in the bridge member so that the principal direction of vibrations of the corresponding string is normal to the metallic layer which separates the two piezoelectric layers of the bimorphic element. As a result, the vibrations of each string bend the corresponding bimorphic element imbedded in the bridge, so that the pickup is directly responsive to vibrations of the strings of the musical instrument. In the preferred embodiment, the bridge includes separate support beams, separated by notches or slots, for each string so as to isolate …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.