US-12620381-B2 - Switch lock apparatus and method thereof

US12620381B2US 12620381 B2US12620381 B2US 12620381B2US-12620381-B2

Abstract

A switch lock apparatus for a guitar having a pickup selector switch is disclosed herein for locking a position of the pickup selector switch. The switch lock apparatus may include a body plate, a mounting hole, a switch opening defined in the body plate which is configured to receive the pickup selector switch. The switch lock apparatus may also include at least one first side receptacle positioned along the first switch opening side and at least one second side receptable positioned along the second switch opening side. The at least one second side receptacle may be offset from the at least one first side receptacle along the switch opening length to define a central passageway that enables free movement of the pickup selector switch. The switch lock apparatus may define a locked position when the pickup selector switch is received by one of the first or second side receptacles.

Inventors

Joshua John Misko
Adam Samuel Mendel

Assignees

Switchlock, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240724

Claims (6)

1 . A method of selectively locking a pickup selector switch of a guitar, the method comprising: (a) freely moving the pickup selector switch to a selected position when a switch lock apparatus is positioned in a neutral position, the neutral position associated with the pickup selector switch being positioned in a central passageway of the switch lock apparatus; and (b) receiving the pickup selector switch into one of a plurality of receptacles of the switch lock apparatus to define a locked position with the pickup selector switch locked in the selected position, wherein the plurality of receptacles are defined along a first switch opening side and a second switch opening side, the plurality of receptacles are separated by gates, wherein each gate along the first switch opening side is positioned opposite a second side receptacle along the second switch opening side and each gate along the second switch opening side is positioned opposite a first side receptacle along the first switch opening side.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises: pivotally rotating the switch lock apparatus relative to the pickup selector switch.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises: pivotally rotating the switch lock apparatus clockwise relative to the pickup selector switch to position the pickup selector switch in a first side receptacle of the plurality of receptacles defined along the first switch opening side of the switch lock apparatus; and pivotally rotating the switch lock apparatus counterclockwise relative to the pickup selector switch to position the pickup selector switch in a second side receptacle of the plurality of receptacles defined along the second switch opening side of the switch lock apparatus.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein: the first side receptacle is offset from the second side receptacle relative to a switch opening length of the switch lock apparatus.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (a): receiving the pickup selector switch through a switch opening of the switch lock apparatus; and pivotally coupling the switch lock apparatus to the guitar adjacent to the pickup selector switch.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising: coupling the switch lock apparatus to the guitar using a mounting hole of the switch lock apparatus offset from the switch opening.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims benefit of the following patent application which is hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/323,596 filed May 18, 2021, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/026,489 filed May 18, 2020, entitled “Switch Lock Apparatus and Method Thereof.” A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to guitar pickup selector switches. More particularly, this invention pertains to selecting and locking a selected position of a guitar's pickup selector switch. 2. Description of the Prior Art Many electric guitars have a pickup selector switch positioned on the body of the guitar. Pickup selector switches include “blade switches” as typically used by Fender, “toggle switches” as typically used by Les Paul, and “mini-switches.” There are three main varieties of blade pickup selector switches, namely, a three-position pickup selector switch, a four-positioned pickup selector switch, and a five-position pickup selector switch. Each position of the pickup selector switch is configured to produce a different tone that the guitarist may want to use for each particular song they are playing. The issue with pickup selector switches is that because they are positioned on the body of the guitar, on the same side of the guitar as the strings, and near the strings, they can be accidentally hit and moved to a different position while playing the guitar. Prior solutions to the issue of accidental actuation of the pickup selector switch have attempted to minimize the likelihood of hitting the switch through the use of a guard that is attached to the body of the guitar proximate the pickup selector switch. These guards are basically obstructions that protrude from the guitar body and which attempt to prevent accidental contact with the pickup selector switch while playing the guitar. These guards are preventative measures which attempt to mitigate the likelihood of accidentally changing the position of the pickup selector switch, however, they do not prevent a change in position if the selector switch is hit. A secondary issue affecting these aftermarket pickup switch guards is that in order to install them, a permanent modification to the guitar may need to be made, for example, new holes for mounting screws or the like. These permanent modifications may void factory warranties, as well as, severely affect the guitar's resell value. BRIEF SUMMARY This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The present disclosure provides a solution to the issues surrounding accidental actuation of a guitar's pickup selector switch while playing the guitar. The present disclosure provides a switch lock apparatus which is positioned around the switch using existing guitar hardware (e.g., the mounting positions and methods used to mount the pickup selector switch to the guitar). The disclosed switch lock apparatus may be pivotally or otherwise coupled to the guitar such that each of a plurality of receptables may receive the pickup selector switch when in a selected position in order to prevent accidental actuation of the guitar's pickup selector switch while playing the guitar. In a particular embodiment, an exemplary switch lock apparatus as disclosed herein may include a body plate, a switch opening, at least one first side receptacle, and at least one second side receptacle. The body plate may have a first body plate end, a second body plate end, and a mounting hole defined therethrough. The mounting hole may be positioned closer to the first body plate end than to the second body plate end. The switch opening may be defined in the body plate and may be positioned between the mounting hole and the second body plate end. The switch opening may include a first switch opening end, a second switch opening end, and a switch opening length defined between the first and second switch opening ends. The switch opening may further include first and second switch opening sides defined between the first and second switch opening ends. The switch opening is configured to receive the pickup selector switch. The at least one first side receptacle may be positioned along the first switch opening side. The at least one second side receptable may be positioned along the second sw