Graphite fibre violin

Claim 2

A violin-type musical instrument having an acoustic box generally of conventional violin acoustic box shape with a soundboard, a back, and sides, in which the soundboard comprises: a first pair of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix, the fibres of the first pair of sheets substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard; a second pair of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix, the fibres of one of the second pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the second pair of sheets oriented at an angle of substantially minus the predetermined magnitude; the sheets bonded to one another in overlaid relationship with the sheets of each pair symmetrically placed about a hypothetical three dimensional curve of the general shape of the soundboard.

Claim 3

A musical instrument as claimed in claim 1 in which the first pair of sheets are located about the second pair of sheets, whereby, each of the first pair of sheets is further spaced from the hypothetical three-dimensional than either of the second pair of sheets.

Claim 4

A musical instrument as claimed in claim 2 comprising a third pair of sheets of unidirectional fibres in a resin matrix, the fibres of the third pair oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the third pair of sheets bonded in overlaid relationship with the first and second pairs of sheets, with the sheets of the third pair symmetrically placed about the three dimensional curve, and located between the first pair of sheets.

Claim 5

A musical instrument as claimed in claim 3 in which the second pair of sheets are bonded directly to one another, and the third pair of sheets are located about the second pair.

Claim 6

A musical instrument as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 in which the predetermined magnitude is between about 30 and 60 degrees.

Claim 7

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional shape with a soundboard, a back and sides, in which the soundboard is constructed of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix bonded in flat overlaid relationship, said sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a second pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the second pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of substantially minus the predetermined value relative to the longitudinal axis, said sheets including a third pair whose fibres are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one pair of said sheets bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs symmetrically placed about the one pair.

Claim 8

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional shape with a soundboard, a back and sides, in which the soundboard is constructed of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix bonded in flat overlaid relationship, said sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a second pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the second pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of substantially minus the predetermined value relative to the longitudinal axis, said sheets including a third pair whose fibres are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one pair of said sheets bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs symmetrically placed about the one pair.

Claim 9

A violin as claimed in claim 6 in which the first pair of sheets are located about the second and third pairs of sheets.

Claim 10

A violin as claimed in claim 7 in which the predetermined magnitude is between 30 and 60 degrees.

Claim 11

A violin as claimed in claim 8 in which the second pair of sheets are the one pair bonded directly to one another.

Claim 12

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, a back and sides, in which the soundboard is constructed of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix bonded in flat overlaid relationship, said sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a third pair, the fibres of one of the third pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of substantially minus the predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, said sheets including a fourth pair whose fibres are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the sheets of one of said pairs of sheets bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs symmetrically placed about the one pair.

Claim 13

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, a back and sides, in which the soundboard is constructed of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in a resin matrix bonded in flat overlaid relationship, said sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a third pair, the fibres of one of the third pair of sheets oriented at an acute angle of predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of substantially minus the predetermined magnitude relative to the longitudinal axis, said sheets including a fourth pair whose fibres are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the sheets of one of said pairs of sheets bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs symmetrically placed about the one pair.

Claim 14

A violin as claimed in claim 10 in which the first and second pairs are located about the third and fourth pairs of sheets.

Claim 15

A violin as claimed in claim 11 in which the predetermined angle is between 30 and 60 degrees.

Claim 16

A violin as claimed in claim 12 in which the third pair of sheets are the one pair bonded directly to one another.

Claim 17

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, back and sides, in which: the soundboard is constructed of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlaid relationship, said sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume said sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a second pair disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the second pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis, said sheets including a third pair of sheets whose fibres are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one of the second and third pairs of sheets located between the other of the second and third pairs of sheets; the back is constructed of a second set of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said second set of sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said second set of sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including a second pair disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the other of the second pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including a third pair of sheets whose fibres are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the back, one of the second and third pairs of the second set of sheets located between the other of the second and third pair of the second set of sheets; and, the sides are constructed of a plurality of arcuate panels adhesively secured to the soundboard and back, each panel constructed of three pairs of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlaid relationship, one pair of sheets of each panel having fibres oriented generally perpendicular to the fibres of the other two pairs of sheets of each panel, one pair of sheets of each panel bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs of sheets of each panel symmetrically placed about the one pair directly bonded to one another.

Claim 18

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, back and sides, in which: the soundboard is constructed of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlaid relationship, said sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume said sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including a second pair disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the second pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis, said sheets including a third pair of sheets whose fibres are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one of the second and third pairs of sheets located between the other of the second and third pairs of sheets; the back is constructed of a second set of six sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said second set of sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said second set of sheets including a first pair whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including a second pair disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the second pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the other of the second pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including a third pair of sheets whose fibres are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the back, one of the second and third pairs of the second set of sheets located between the other of the second and third pair of the second set of sheets; and, the sides are constructed of a plurality of arcuate panels adhesively secured to the soundboard and back, each panel constructed of three pairs of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlaid relationship, one pair of sheets of each panel having fibres oriented generally perpendicular to the fibres of the other two pairs of sheets of each panel, one pair of sheets of each panel bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs of sheets of each panel symmetrically placed about the one pair directly bonded to one another.

Claim 19

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, back and sides, in which: the soundboard is constructed of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including third and fourth pairs disposed between the first and second pairs, the fibres of one of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis, the fibres of the fourth pair of sheets oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one of the third and fourth pairs of sheets located between the other of the third and fourth pair of sheets; the back is constructed of a second set of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said second set of sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said second set of sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially aligned with longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including third and fourth pairs disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the third pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the other of the third pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the fourth pair of sheets oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the back, one of the third and fourth pairs of the second set of sheets located between the other of the third and fourth pairs of the second set of sheets; and, the sides are constructed of a plurality of arcuate panels adhesively secured to the soundboard and back, each panel constructed of four pairs of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, two pairs of sheets of each panel having fibres oriented generally perpendicular to the fibres of the other two pairs of sheets of each panel, one pair of sheets of each panel bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs of sheets of each panel symmetrically placed about the one pair directly bonded to one another.

Claim 20

A violin having an acoustic box of conventional size and shape with a soundboard, back and sides, in which: the soundboard is constructed of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the soundboard, said sheets including third and fourth pairs disposed between the first and second pairs, the fibres of one of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, the fibres of the other of the third pair of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis, the fibres of the fourth pair of sheets oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, one of the third and fourth pairs of sheets located between the other of the third and fourth pair of sheets; the back is constructed of a second set of eight sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, said second set of sheets having a generally uniform thickness of about 0.005 inches and a fibre content of about 60 percent fibre by volume, said second set of sheets including first and second pairs whose fibres are substantially aligned with longitudinal axis of the back, said second set of sheets including third and fourth pairs disposed between the first pair, the fibres of one of the third pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the other of the third pair of the second set of sheets oriented at an angle of about minus 45 degrees relative to longitudinal axis of the back, the fibres of the fourth pair of sheets oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the back, one of the third and fourth pairs of the second set of sheets located between the other of the third and fourth pairs of the second set of sheets; and, the sides are constructed of a plurality of arcuate panels adhesively secured to the soundboard and back, each panel constructed of four pairs of sheets of unidirectional graphite fibres in an epoxy resin matrix bonded in overlapping relationship, two pairs of sheets of each panel having fibres oriented generally perpendicular to the fibres of the other two pairs of sheets of each panel, one pair of sheets of each panel bonded directly to one another and the sheets of each of the other pairs of sheets of each panel symmetrically placed about the one pair directly bonded to one another.