The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 02, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1995
Lloyd R Baggs, Nipomo, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
In a stringed instrument, such as a guitar including a saddle for holding the strings and a pickup assembly for converting vibrations of the strings into electrical signals, the saddle has a curved bottom surface for contacting the pickup assembly. The pickup assembly is formed in flexible layers, including a first layer of insulation, a second layer of piezoelectric film with a ground lead on top, a third layer having contacts formed thereon in positions corresponding to the strings to create active areas in the film underneath the strings, the third layer having lead lines disposed at the bottom thereof, and additional lead lines at the bottom of a fourth flexible layer. Electrodes communicate one end of the lead lines with the contacts via through-holes in the intervening layers. The other ends of the lead lines fasten to pins which connect to an amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit can be combined with a wireless FM transmitter. The pickup is easy to manufacture in a wide variety of widths simply by changing the position of die cutting blades used in the manufacturing process.