1. A cupping device for attachment to a harmonica holder, the harmonica holder having a framework configured for holding a harmonica near a mouth of a musician, the harmonica having a back opposite the mouthpiece and a top cover plate opposite a bottom cover plate, the cupping device comprising:
a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall, the top wall is spaced apart from the bottom wall, the top wall is connected to the bottom wall through the back wall;
an elongate channel defined by the top wall, bottom wall, and back wall;
an open side of the elongate channel opposite the back wall;
a first open end adjacent the back wall; and
a second open end opposite the first open end and adjacent the back wall;
wherein the bottom wall is configured to attach to the framework of the harmonica holder;
and wherein the harmonica is configured to be attached to the framework of the harmonica holder, and at least the back of the harmonica is configured to be received within the elongate channel when the harmonica is attached to the framework;
and wherein the first open end and the second open end permit movement of air in and out of the elongate channel as the musician blows and draws through the harmonica.
2. The cupping device of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall is removably attached to the framework of the harmonica holder, the bottom wall being selectively held to the framework by a clip which captures a portion of the bottom wall and a portion of the framework to hold the cupping device to the harmonica holder.
3. The cupping device of claim 2 wherein an engagement aperture on the bottom wall is configured to receive a protruding portion of the framework, the clip being configured to hold the protruding portion in engagement within the engagement aperture.
4. The cupping device of claim 1 wherein the elongate channel further comprises an inside surface of the top wall, the inside surface being configured to face the harmonica, the inside surface terminating at a front edge adjacent to the open side of the elongate channel, a barrier strip being attached to the inside surface along the front edge, the barrier strip filling a portion of a space between the top cover plate of the harmonica and the inside surface, the barrier strip substantially blocking the sound of the musician’s breathing from the nose from entering the elongate channel.
5. The cupping device of claim 1 wherein the elongate channel further comprises a first edge at the first open end and a second edge at the second open end, the first edge and the second edge configured to receive in clipped attachment a microphone.
6. The cupping device of claim 5 wherein the microphone has a cable and a spring clip attached to the cable in sliding engagement, the first edge and the second edge each configured to receive the spring clip in clipped attachment, the position of the microphone within the elongate channel being configurable by adjusting the location of the spring clip along the cable.
7. The cupping device of claim 1 wherein:
the framework of the harmonica holder further includes a first arm connected to a second arm through a cross bar, a spring loaded bar arranged parallel to the cross bar and attached to the first arm and the second arm in sliding engagement, the spring loaded bar being biased towards the cross bar for clamping the harmonica therebetween;
the bottom wall is configured to be removably attached to the spring loaded bar by a clip, the clip configured to capture the bottom wall and the spring loaded bar;
wherein the harmonica is captured between the cross bar and the clip, with the spring loaded bar providing clamping pressure to hold the harmonica on the harmonica holder.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A control device for a vehicle AC generator, the control device comprising:
a power transistor for controlling conductionnon-conduction of a field coil in accordance with an output voltage of an AC generator mounted on a vehicle;
an RPM detection section for detecting an RPM of the AC generator;
a drive duty setting section for determining whether or not the RPM detected by the RPM detection section is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, and reducing a conduction ratio of the field coil when determining that the RPM is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold; and
a driver for driving the power transistor based on the conduction ratio of the field coil output from the drive duty setting section.
2. A control device for a vehicle AC generator according to claim 1, wherein:
the drive duty setting section switches the conduction ratio in accordance with an increasedecrease in the RPM; and
when the RPM has increased, the drive duty setting section reduces the conduction ratio based on the increase in the RPM, and, when the RPM has decreased, the drive duty setting section increases the conduction ratio based on the decrease in the RPM, to thereby control generated electric power of the AC generator to a substantially constant value.
3. A control device for a vehicle AC generator according to claim 1, further comprising an external control unit connected to the drive duty setting section, for instructing an incrementdecrement of the conduction ratio.
4. A control device for a vehicle AC generator according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detection section for detecting temperature of the AC generator, wherein:
the drive duty setting section switches the conduction ratio in accordance with a fluctuation in the temperature detected by the temperature detection section; and
when the detected temperature becomes higher, the drive duty setting section increases the conduction ratio based on an increase in the detected temperature, and, when the detected temperature becomes lower, the drive duty setting section reduces the conduction ratio based on a decrease in the detected temperature.
5. A control device for a vehicle AC generator according to claim 3, further comprising a storage device which is connected to the external control unit and has a plurality of types of incrementsdecrements of the conduction ratio stored therein in advance.
6. A control method for a vehicle AC generator, comprising:
an RPM detection step of detecting an RPM of an AC generator mounted on a vehicle;
a determination step of determining whether or not the RPM detected in the RPM detection step is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;
a conduction ratio setting step of reducing a conduction ratio of a field coil when it is determined in the determination step that the RPM is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold; and
a step of controlling conductionnon-conduction of the field coil based on the conduction ratio set in the conduction ratio setting step.