EP2924683B1

EP2924683B1 - Mechanical unit of a piano

Info

Publication number: EP2924683B1
Application number: EP15159589.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paolo Fazioli
Original assignee: Fazioli Pianoforti SpA
Current assignee: Fazioli Pianoforti SpA
Priority date: 2014-03-25
Filing date: 2015-03-18
Publication date: 2016-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2035-03-18
Also published as: EP2924683A1; CN104952426B; CN104952426A

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanical unit of a piano.
The subject of the invention is advantageously used for supporting a series of a hammer elements, the following description of which will be explicit referred to, without losing for this reason its general aspect, which are destined to beat the cords when the keys of a piano keyboard, in particular a grand piano, are pushed.
In general, a mechanical unit of a grand piano is substantially defined by a frame structure, able to support a keyboard, comprising a plurality of keys (88 keys, 56 in white and 32 in black) mutually aligned, and a pair of bar supporting elements, which is provided with a plurality of mounted hammers, each of them being connected through levers and pushers to a respective key, and it is destined to beat a cord when such a key is pushed.
The pair of bar elements is supported and connected to the frame structure by means of fixing flanks, fixed to the frame structure and suitably placed at a distance, even in a non uniform way, along the frame structure itself. Furthermore, lever damper elements are present, able to rise while the hammer beats against the cord itself, in order to damper the sound itself, when the performer decides to do so, by releasing the key.
Nowadays, the bar elements of the cited supporting pair of hammers are totally realized with a single body, in solid wood or in a composite material.
A structure provided with bar elements made in this way causes some drawbacks, mainly due to the need for frequent and complicated maintenance operations, above all due to malfunctioning or breakings, connected for example to the moisture absorbed from solid wood of the bars, when they are made of wood, or, due to unsatisfactory resonances, caused by a single body in metal or composite material.
According to US 115782 , a unit of a piano is described with frame for supporting a keyboard defined by a plurality of keys and with a structure for supporting a plurality of hammers connected to the keys; the structure comprises means fixed to the frame for supporting hollow tubular rails filled with wood adapted to mount the hammers.
The aim of the present invention is that to eliminate the technical drawbacks cited above.
In particular, one aim of the present invention is to realize a mechanical unit of a piano which is less sensitive with respect to moisture or other weather agents, which could damage the operability and the acoustic of the piano itself.
A further aim of the present invention is to realize a mechanical unit of a piano in which the keys are more slidable and such to underline in a consistent way the ability of the piano player, and to generate a better sound. The invention is defined by independent claim 1.
The structural and natural characteristics of the present invention and its advantages referring to the known technique will be even clearer and evident by the claims, and in particular by an exam of the following description, referring to the annexed drawings, which show the outlines of a preferred but not limitative embodiment of a mechanical unit of a piano, in which:

Figure 1 shows , in a partially sectioned, schematic side view and with parts removed for clarity reasons, a preferred embodiment of the subject unit of the present invention;
Figure 2 is another side view of the unit in Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a top schematic view and with parts removed for clarity reasons of a piano, in which the unit of Figure 1 is applied.

With reference to annexed Figures 1, 2 and 3, with U a mechanical unit of a piano P is globally indicated, in particular a grand piano or similar. The unit U substantially comprises a plurality of keys 1 (shown only in Figure 2) mutually aligned, and a supporting structure S, which carries a plurality of hammers 2, each of these hammers 2 being connected, through a lever group 3, to a respective key 1 and able, in use, to beat a cord (known and not shown) when the key 1 is pushed by a piano player.
The structure S comprises a plurality (three in Figure 3) of flanks 4, fixed to the frame T and placed at a suitable, mutual distance along the frame T itself, each of these flanks 4 carrying, at the upper side and at its own end 5, a mounted supporting and fixing bar 6 with a pivoting of hammers 2 and a supporting and fixing bar 7 of regulation keys 8 (also called exhausting keys), and at the lower side on an end 9, opposed to the flank 4 itself, is provided with a further supporting bar 10.
The group 3 comprises, for each key 1, a trestle 11, which is connected to the key 1 itself, by means of a heel 12 and provided with a central portion 13, perpendicular to the trestle itself 11, at one end 14 of which a repetition lever 15 is pivoted.
The trestle 11 also carries, at its end 16, a pivoted upright 17, able to act on the repetition lever 15 and on the hammer 2, by means of a roll 18, and at its end 19, opposed with a contact with said bar 10, and with a supporting element of the hammer 2, provided with a felt pad 21.
Each hammer 2 is provided with a head 22, having its own end 23 of a felt upright 24 or in a similar material.
According to Figures 1 and 2, each bar 6, 7 and 10 of the structure S comprises a hollow section 25, preferably made of aluminium, having at the inside a full structure 26 having a multilayer structure, preferably a multilayer in wood or in such a natural material.
In this way, with the mechanical unit U provided with bars 6, 7 and 10 shaped as specified above, the piano P is becoming less sensitive to moisture or other dangerous weather agents, for operation or acoustic of the piano itself, the keys being provided with a greater smoothness and able to consistently detect the skill of the piano player, by generating an optimal sound and a better timbre.

Claims

Mechanical unit (U) of a piano (P) comprising frame means (T) adapted to support a keyboard (K) defined by a plurality of keys (1), and a structure (S) for supporting a plurality of hammer means (2) connected to said keys (1), said structure (S) comprising supporting means (4) fixed to said frame means (T) and adapted to support bar means (6,7,10) for supporting said hammer means (2); the unit being characterized in that said bar means (6,7,10) comprise hollow container means (25) and material means (26) adapted to be placed inside of said hollow container means (25) and having a multilayer structure.
Unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said hollow container means (25) comprise profiled box-shapped containers made of aluminium or an equivalent material.
Unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said material means (26) comprise wood.