US 12,260,846 B1
Tremolo systems for foldable stringed instrument and related methods
Brent Rivard, Encinitas, CA (US); and Jonathan Spangler, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Ciari Guitars, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Ciari Guitars, inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/070,434.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/283,517, filed on Nov. 28, 2021.
Int. Cl. G10D 1/08 (2006.01); G10D 3/095 (2020.01); G10D 3/12 (2020.01); G10D 3/153 (2020.01)
CPC G10D 3/153 (2020.02) [G10D 1/085 (2013.01); G10D 3/095 (2020.02); G10D 3/12 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A foldable stringed instrument, comprising:
a body having a front, a back, an actuator recess formed in the back with a first end and a second end opposite said first end, and a neck recess formed in the front generally adjacent to said first end of said actuator recess, and a string aperture extending between said front and back;
a neck mounted within said neck recess of said body, said neck having a hinge configured to allow the neck to be positioned into a folded configuration and a straight configuration;
an actuator mounted within said actuator recess of said body, said actuator including a chassis mounted within said actuator recess, a rotatable handle hingedly coupled to said chassis, and a translating tail piece moveable in a first direction towards said first end of said actuator recess when said rotatable handle is rotated towards said first end of said actuator recess and a second direction towards said second end of said actuator recess when said rotatable handle is rotated towards said second end of said actuator recess said rotatable handle having a pair of connecting arms hingedly coupled to said chassis and a handle member extending generally perpendicularly between said pair of connecting arms, said rotatable handle having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said chassis and rotatable between a locked state wherein said handle member is positioned in said first end of said actuator recess to bring strings coupled to said tail piece to a tensioned state for play and an unlocked state wherein said handle member is positioned in said second end of said actuator recess to bring said strings to a detensioned state for folding said neck;
a string roller assembly mounted on said chassis and positioned adjacent to said string aperture of said body such that said strings extend from said tail piece, around said string roller assembly, through said string aperture of said body and onward for connection to tuning machines mounted to said neck after passing over a saddle located on said body and a nut located on said neck; and
a tremolo assembly mounted on said chassis and positioned adjacent to said string roller assembly, said tremolo assembly operable to affect one or more instrument strings to at least one of raise and lower string pitch.