JP2001222277A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To integrally form a white key keyboard with one kind of metal molds for injection molding. SOLUTION: The keyboard device having the white key keyboard integrally molded by a synthetic resin in the state that a plurality of white key parts 10 arranged in parallel are connected to connecting and fixing sections via respective elastic deformation parts is formed with spacings S2 between each other's side walls 21 of the adjacent white key parts 10 to an inclined shape in such a manner that the thicknesses in the upper parts of the side walls 21 of the white key parts 10 are larger and that the thicknesses on the lower side thereof are gradually smaller. In addition, arcuate parts 23 are formed on the outer flanks the bottom ends of the side walls 21. Then, the narrowest points of the spacings S2 are provided with parting lines PL of the metal molds for injection molding, by which thicknesses of the metal molds on the lower side at the points corresponding to the spacings S2 may be made gradually larger from the upper side toward the lower side. In addition, the thicknesses at the roots of the metal molds at these points may be made large by the arcuate parts 23 at the bottom ends of the side walls 21. The mechanical strength of the metal molds may therefore be assured and the integral molding of the white key keyboard with one kind of the metal molds is made possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a keyboard device used for an electronic keyboard instrument such as an electronic piano.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic keyboard musical instrument such as an electronic piano includes a keyboard device in which a plurality of white keys and a plurality of black keys are arranged in parallel on a keyboard chassis in an instrument case. In this keyboard device, in order to reduce the cost, a white keyboard integrally molded with synthetic resin in a state where a plurality of white keys are arranged, and an integral molding with synthetic resin in a state where a plurality of black keys are arranged. A black keyboard is provided, and these white keys and black keys are combined and assembled on a keyboard chassis at one time.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of the white keyboard. This white key keyboard is formed at a rear end portion (upper end portion in FIG. 8) of the white key portion 1 to be pressed and elastically deformed in response to the key pressing operation of the white key portion 1. An elastically deformable portion 2 and a connecting and fixing portion 3 formed at the rear end of the elastically deformable portion 2 and fixed on a keyboard chassis (see FIG. 2). A plurality of white keys 1 are arranged in parallel. The plurality of white key portions 1 are integrally formed of synthetic resin in a state of being connected to the long band-shaped connection fixing portion 3 along the arrangement direction of the white key portions 1 via the respective elastic deformation portions 2. I have.

[0004]

By the way, such a white key keyboard is molded at a time with a plurality of white key portions 1 arranged in parallel using an injection molding die. When the arrangement state of the keys is similar to that of an acoustic piano, as shown in FIG. 9, the gap S1 between the side walls 4 and 4 of the adjacent white key portion 1 is reduced to, for example, about 1 mm, and the gap between the side walls 4 and 4 is reduced. Since the draft of the injection mold at the position corresponding to the gap S1 is small at an angle of about 0.5 to 2 degrees, the draft cannot be sufficiently formed in the injection mold. For this reason, the thickness of the injection molding die at a position corresponding to the gap S1 between the adjacent side walls 4, 4 is reduced, and the injection molding die becomes a long plate in the height direction. The strength is weak and sufficient strength cannot be secured. For this reason, in practice, there is a problem that a one-octave white keyboard cannot be integrally formed.

In order to avoid such a problem,
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 10, a white key 1a (for example, C
Keys, E keys, G keys, and B keys) are arranged alternately, and these white key portions 1a are formed integrally with the first connection fixing portion 3a via the respective elastic deformation portions 2a. 6 and this first
The white key portions 1b (for example, D key, F key, A key) located between the white key portions 1a of the white key body 6 are arranged alternately, and these white key portions 1b are respectively assigned to the elastic deformation portions 2b. And a second white key body 7 integrally formed on the second connecting and fixing portion 3b through the first and second white key bodies 6 and 7. The first and second white key bodies 6 and 7 are combined to form a white keyboard. ing. However, in such a structure, an injection molding die for molding the first white key body 6, and
Two types of molds are required, including an injection molding mold for molding the second white key body 7, which increases the mold cost,
There is a problem that the assembling work is troublesome and the production cost is increased.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to integrally mold a white keyboard with one type of injection mold without using two types of injection molds.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a white key portion to be depressed by a key, and an elastic key formed at a rear end of the white key portion and elastically deformed in response to the key depressing operation of the white key portion. A deformable portion, a connecting fixed portion formed on the rear end side of the elastically deformable portion and fixed to the keyboard chassis, and long in the arrangement direction of the white key portions, wherein a plurality of the white key portions are arranged in parallel. In a keyboard device having a white keyboard integrally formed of a synthetic resin in a state where the plurality of white keys are connected to the connection fixing portion via the elastic deformation portions, respectively, The side wall of the white key portion is formed in an inclined shape such that the thickness of the upper portion is thicker and the thickness of the lower portion is gradually thinner so that the gap between the side walls of the portions is narrower at the upper portion and gradually widens toward the lower portion. And an arc on the outer surface at the lower end of the side wall. It is characterized in that form.

According to the present invention, the thickness of the upper portion of the side wall of each white key portion is increased so that the gap between the side walls of the adjacent white key portions is narrower at the upper portion and gradually widens toward the lower portion. Since the lower part is formed in an inclined shape in which the thickness of the lower part is gradually reduced, the parting line of the injection mold is provided at the upper part where the gap between the side walls of the white keys is narrowest. The thickness of the injection mold below the parting line at a location corresponding to the gap between the side walls can be gradually increased from the upper side to the lower side, and the outer surface at the lower end of the side wall Since the arc portion is formed on the lower side of the injection molding die at a position corresponding to the gap between the side walls, a round portion corresponding to the arc portion at the lower end of the side wall can be formed. Injection molding It is possible to increase the thickness of the root of the mold. For this reason, the mechanical strength of the injection mold can be sufficiently increased, and the mechanical strength sufficient to withstand the resin injection pressure during injection molding and the mold clamping force can be secured. Without using two types of injection molding dies as described above, the white keyboard can be integrally formed with one type of injection molding die, and the number of parts and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In this case, as described in claim 2, on the upper portion of each side wall of the plurality of white key portions, the projection portions approaching each other toward the side wall of the adjacent white key portion are provided. The gap between the side walls can be widened except for the parting line portions of the protrusions which are opposed to each other by being formed along the longitudinal direction of the projection. The thickness of the molding die can be further increased, and the mechanical strength of the injection molding die can be further increased. As described in claim 3, at a predetermined position of the connection fixing portion, the interval between the adjacent white key portions during injection molding gradually increases from the connection fixing portion side to the tip side of the white key portion. And when assembling the white key portion to the keyboard chassis,
By forming the thin-walled bent connecting portion that bends so that the adjacent white key portions are parallel to each other, it is possible to reliably and securely connect a large number of white key portions of, for example, about one octave. Good molding can be achieved, whereby the productivity can be improved, and the cost can be further reduced.

Further, the bent connecting portion is formed perpendicularly to a plane on which the white keys are arranged, so that adjacent white keys are parallel to each other. As described above, when assembling the white key portion to the keyboard chassis by bending the bent connection portion, the bent connection portion can be bent in a state perpendicular to the plane on which the white key portion is arranged, thereby forming the bent connection. The connecting and fixing portion can be rotated around the portion in parallel with the plane in which the white key portions are arranged, so that the integrally formed white keyboard can be accurately assembled to the keyboard chassis.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a keyboard device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a white keyboard, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the white keyboard assembled and partially sectioned. This white key keyboard includes a white key portion 10 to be pressed and a rear end portion of the white key portion 10 (FIG. 1).
An elastic deformation portion 11 formed at the upper end portion and elastically deformed in response to a key pressing operation of the white key portion 10;
And a torsion suppressor 12 formed at the rear end of the key to suppress the torsion of the white key portion 10 when the key is pressed.
2 formed at the rear end and fixed to the keyboard chassis 14,
And a substantially band-shaped connecting and fixing portion 13 which is long along the arrangement direction of the white key portions 10.

In this white key keyboard, a plurality of white key portions 10 are arranged, and the plurality of white key portions 10 are connected to a connection fixing portion 13 via an elastic deformation portion 11 and a torsion suppressing portion 12, respectively.
And are integrally formed of a synthetic resin. In this case, among the plurality of white key portions 10, for example, the C key and the B key, the approaching portion between the adjacent white key portions 10 is located at the position of the connection fixing portion 13 located between the longest E key and the F key. Is formed with a bent connecting portion 15 described later, and a plurality of white key portions 10 located on both sides of the bent connecting portion 15, for example, a C key, a D key, and an E key located on the left side. And the F key, G key, A key, and B key located on the right side are arranged in parallel with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the white key portion 10 of such a white keyboard has two pressing portions 17 for pressing a rubber switch portion 16 provided on the keyboard chassis 14 in response to a key pressing operation. 10, a stopper 18 for regulating the upper and lower positions of the white key portion 10 with respect to the keyboard chassis 14 is formed to project below the white key portion 10. Each of the white key portions 10 has a key guide portion 19 provided on the keyboard chassis 14 inserted therein, and is guided by the key guide portion 19 so as not to swing sideways.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastically deformable portion 11 is a thin plate-shaped thin plate extending substantially horizontally rearward from the rear end (right end in FIG. 2) of the white key portion 10. 2 and is formed so as to be elastically deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 2 in accordance with a key pressing operation of the white key unit 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the torsion suppressing part 12 has a width (a length in the arrangement direction of the white key parts 10) of the elastic deformation part 11 rearward from a rear end (an upper end in the figure) of the elastic deformation part 11. 2), and extends almost horizontally with a thickness slightly larger than the thickness of the elastically deformable portion 11 as shown in FIG. 2, and a through hole 20 is formed in an intermediate portion thereof as shown in FIG. The structure has been. The torsion suppressor 12 is configured such that the shape of the white key portion 10, that is, the left and right shapes of the white key portion 10 are different from each other and asymmetric, so that the center portion on the tip side (the lower side in FIG. When the key is pressed, the torsion generated in the white key portion 10 is suppressed.

By the way, each white key portion 10 of this white keyboard
As shown in FIG. 3, each is formed in a hollow shape opened to the lower side. Except for the E key and the F key shown in FIG. 1, both sides at the respective tip sides (lower end side in FIG. 1) are formed. Side wall 21
Are arranged in parallel with each other in a state of approaching the side wall 21 of the adjacent white key portion 10 as shown in FIG. Since the white key portion 10 is guided by the key guide portion 19, these side walls 21 are formed so that their inner surfaces are substantially vertical as shown in FIG. It is formed so that the thickness becomes gradually thinner as it goes. Thereby, the gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the adjacent white key portions 10 is formed so that its upper part is narrower and gradually widens toward its lower part. In this case, an arc portion 22 is formed on an outer surface at an upper portion of the side wall 21, and an arc portion 23 is also formed on an outer surface at a lower end portion of the side wall 21.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the connection fixing portion 13 is formed in a substantially band shape which is long along the arrangement direction of the white key portions 10, and as shown in FIG. 2, the inside thereof extends along the longitudinal direction. It is formed in a hollow shape opened to the lower side. The front and rear walls (the left and right walls in FIG. 2) 24 of the connection fixing portion 13,
25 is a draft for injection molding (two-dot chain line N in FIG. 4).
1) is formed. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the notch 26 is formed at the position where the approaching portion between the adjacent white key portions 10 is located between the longest E key and the F key.
The bent connecting portion 15 is formed on the rear wall 25 of the connecting fixed portion 13 corresponding to the cut groove 26. The bent connection portion 15 is formed in a thin portion thinner than the thickness of the rear wall 25 of the connection fixing portion 13 and is perpendicular to a plane on which the white key portions 10 are arranged, that is, a horizontal plane (two-dot chain line N2 in FIG. 4).
The connection fixing portion 13 is formed around the white key portion 10
Are formed so as to bend in the arrangement direction.

In the white key of such a keyboard device, the gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the adjacent white keys 10 is narrower at the upper part and gradually widens toward the lower part. Since the side wall 21 is formed in an inclined shape in which the thickness of the upper portion is thicker and the thickness of the lower portion is gradually reduced,
A parting line PL (a boundary portion between the upper fixed die and the lower movable die) of the injection molding die is provided at an upper portion where the gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the white key portions 10 is narrowest. As a result, the thickness of the injection mold (lower movable mold) below the parting line PL at a location corresponding to the gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the white key portions 10 is changed from the upper side to the lower side. It can be formed gradually thicker.

Further, since the arc portion 23 is formed on the outer surface at the lower end portion of the side wall 21, the injection molding die (lower side) corresponding to the gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the white key portions 10 is formed. Can be formed on both lower sides of the movable mold (corresponding to the arc portion 23 at the lower end of the side wall 21), whereby the thickness of the root of the injection molding mold corresponding to the gap S2 can be reduced. Can be thicker. Further, since the arc portion 22 is formed on the outer surface at the upper end of the side wall 21, the injection molding die (upper side) corresponding to the upper gap S2 between the side walls 21 of the adjacent white key portions 10 is formed. Can be formed on both sides of the upper part of the upper fixed part of the side wall 21 so as to correspond to the arc part 22 at the upper end of the side wall 21. This also enables the injection molding die (upper part) corresponding to the upper part of the gap S2. The thickness of the fixed mold) can be increased.

As described above, in this white keyboard, the white key 1
By providing the parting line PL in the upper part where the gap S2 between the 0 side walls 21 is the narrowest, even if the gap S2 in the part of the parting line PL is narrowed, the parting line PL between the upper and lower side walls 21 is formed. The gap S2 can be widened, whereby the mechanical strength of the injection mold (the upper fixed mold and the lower movable mold) corresponding to the gap S2 can be sufficiently increased, It is possible to ensure mechanical strength sufficient to withstand the resin injection pressure during injection molding and the mold clamping force of the mold. For this reason, the white keyboard can be reliably and satisfactorily formed integrally with one type of injection molding die without using two types of injection molding dies as in the related art. The cost can be reduced, and the price of the white keyboard can be reduced.

According to the white keyboard, the white key portion 10
Since the bent connecting portion 15 is formed as a thin portion in the connecting fixing portion 13 which connects the plurality of the white keys 10 in a state of being arranged in parallel, the interval between the adjacent white key portions 10 during the injection molding is changed from the connecting fixing portion 13 side to the white key portion 10. The shape can be gradually widened toward the distal end side, so that, for example, even when a large number of white key portions 10 of about one octave are arranged, it can be formed at a time. When assembling the white key portions 10 to the keyboard chassis 14, the white key portions 10 are arranged in parallel and parallel to each other by bending the bent connection portions 15 so that the adjacent white key portions 10 are parallel to each other. Thus, it can be easily assembled to the keyboard chassis 14. Thereby, productivity can be improved and cost can be further reduced.

Further, according to the white keyboard, since the bent connecting portion 15 is formed perpendicular to the plane on which the white keys 10 are arranged, the adjacent white keys 10 are parallel to each other. When the white key portion 10 is assembled to the keyboard chassis 14 by bending the bent connection portion 15, the bent connection portion 15 is bent in a state perpendicular to the plane on which the white key portions 10 are arranged. For example, as shown in FIG.
5 is formed with a draft (two-dot chain line N1 in FIG. 5), the connection fixing portion 13 rotates with this draft (N1) as an axis while being inclined only by the draft.
3 does not rotate in parallel with the plane in which the white key portions 10 are arranged, but rotates inclining. However, as shown in FIG. 4, if the bent connecting portion 15 is formed perpendicularly to the plane on which the white key portions 10 are arranged (two-dot chain line N2 in FIG. 4), the bent connecting portion 15 has a draft angle. Does not exist, the connection fixing portion 13 is centered on the vertical bent connection portion 15 and the white key portion 10
Can be rotated in parallel to the plane where
Thus, the integrally formed white keyboard can be assembled to the keyboard chassis 14 with high accuracy.

In the above embodiment, the thickness of the upper portion of the side wall 21 of the white key portion 10 is increased, and the arc portion 22 is formed on the outer surface of the upper portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, a protrusion 30 or 31 may be formed on the upper portion of the side wall 21. That is, the protrusion 30 shown in FIG. 6 is an arc-shaped protrusion protruding toward a direction approaching to the upper part of the side wall 21 of the adjacent white key 10, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the white key 10. Is formed.
Further, the protruding portion 31 shown in FIG.
The eaves are protruded toward the direction approaching each other at the upper part of the side wall 21 of the zero key. The eaves are formed along the longitudinal direction of the white key portion 10 and the opposing end surfaces are formed in an arc surface. . With such a structure in which the protrusions 30 or 31 are formed, the gap S between the side walls 21 of the white key portions 10 is formed.
3, even if the part of the parting line PL where the protrusions 30 or 31 are opposed to each other is narrowed similarly to the above-described embodiment, the gap S3 in the upper and lower portions can be made wider than the gap S2 in the above-described embodiment. , Whereby the gap S3
The thickness of the injection molding die at a location corresponding to the above can be further increased, and the mechanical strength of the injection molding die can be further increased.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the side wall of each white key portion is formed such that the gap between the side walls of the adjacent white key portions is narrower at the upper portion and gradually widens toward the lower portion. Because the upper part is thicker and the lower part is gradually thinner, the parting line of the injection molding die is located at the upper part where the gap between the side walls of the white keys is the narrowest. With this arrangement, the thickness of the injection molding die below the parting line at a position corresponding to the gap between the side walls of the white key portions can be gradually increased from the upper side to the lower side. In addition, by forming the arc portion on the outer surface at the lower end portion of the side wall, a round portion corresponding to the arc portion of the lower end portion of the side wall is formed on both lower sides of the injection mold at locations corresponding to the gap between the side walls. Since it is possible, the thickness of the root of the injection molding die corresponding to the gap can be increased. For this reason, the mechanical strength of the injection mold can be sufficiently increased,
It is possible to secure mechanical strength sufficient to withstand the resin injection pressure during injection molding and the mold clamping force of the mold, thereby making it possible to use one type of mold for injection molding without using two types of conventional injection molds. The white keyboard can be integrally formed with various types of injection molding dies, the number of parts and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the price of the white keyboard can be reduced.

In this case, projections approaching each other toward the side wall of the adjacent white key portion are formed on the upper portions of the side walls of the plurality of white key portions along the longitudinal direction of the white key portion. , Except for the parting line where the protrusions oppose each other, the gap between the side walls can be widened,
As a result, the thickness of the injection mold at a location corresponding to the gap can be further increased, and the mechanical strength of the injection mold can be further increased. In addition, at a predetermined position of the connection fixing portion, the interval between the adjacent white key portions during injection molding is gradually increased from the connection fixing portion side to the tip side of the white key portion, and at the time of assembling the white key portion to the keyboard chassis. Since the thin-walled bent connecting portions that bend so that the adjacent white key portions are parallel to each other are integrally formed, even in a state where a large number of white key portions of, for example, about one octave are connected, they can be securely and reliably formed. Good molding can be achieved, whereby the productivity can be improved, and the cost can be further reduced.

Further, since the bent connecting portions are formed perpendicular to the plane on which the white key portions are arranged, the bent connecting portions are bent so that the adjacent white key portions are parallel to each other. When assembling the key portion to the keyboard chassis, the bent connection portion can be bent in a state perpendicular to the plane on which the white key portion is arranged, thereby connecting the connection fixing portion around the bent connection portion to the white key portion. Can be rotated in parallel to the plane in which the white keys are arranged, so that the integrally formed white keyboard can be accurately assembled to the keyboard chassis.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a white keyboard showing an embodiment of a keyboard device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side view showing a state where the white keyboard shown in FIG. 1 is assembled to a keyboard chassis.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part as viewed in the direction of arrows BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part when a draft is provided in the bent connection part of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a first modification in which the shape of the side wall in FIG. 3 is changed.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a second modification in which the shape of the side wall in FIG. 3 is changed.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a main part showing a conventional white keyboard.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view of a white keyboard when a conventional white keyboard is divided and formed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 White key part 11 Elastic deformation part 13 Connection fixing part 14 Keyboard chassis 15 Bend connection part 21 Side wall 23 Arc part 30, 31 Projection part

Claims (4)

[Claims] A white key portion to be depressed; an elastic deformation portion formed at a rear end of the white key portion and elastically deformed in response to a key depression operation of the white key portion; Formed on the rear end side and fixed to the keyboard chassis, and comprising a connection fixing portion long in the arrangement direction of the white key portions, a plurality of the white key portions are arranged in parallel, and these plurality of white key portions are In a keyboard device having a white keyboard integrally formed of a synthetic resin in a state of being connected to the connection fixing portion via the elastic deformation portion, a gap between side walls of the adjacent white key portions is formed. The side wall of the white key portion is formed so as to have an inclined shape such that the thickness of the upper part is thicker and the thickness of the lower part is gradually thinner so that the upper part is narrower and gradually becomes wider toward the lower part. Characterized in that an arc portion is formed on the outer surface of the keyboard apparatus. 2. A projection which is formed on an upper portion of each side wall of the plurality of white key portions and approaches each other toward a side wall of the adjacent white key portion along a longitudinal direction of the white key portion. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined distance between the adjacent white key portions during injection molding is gradually increased from the connection fixing portion side to the tip side of the white key portion. 3. The thin-walled bent connecting portion which is bent so that the adjacent white key portions are parallel to each other when the white key portion is assembled to the keyboard chassis, is integrally formed. Keyboard device as described. 4. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein the bent connecting portion is formed perpendicular to a plane on which the white keys are arranged.