JP2016151699A - Keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard which is resistant to failure and compact in a horizontal direction.SOLUTION: White keys WK-C and WK-E include: a broad part 31 located forward of a front end position 46 of chromatic keys BK-C# and BK-D#; and a narrow part 32 located backward of the broad part 31 and having a breadth narrower than the broad part 31. A rear end position 36 of the narrow part 32 is closer to the front end position 46 than a rear end position 42 of the chromatic keys BK-C# and BK-D#. The narrow part 32 is short in a cross direction. A white key WK-D has only the broad part 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a keyboard device having a keyboard section composed of a plurality of white keys and black keys.

  Conventionally, a general keyboard device has a 12-tone scale composed of a plurality of white keys and black keys (for example, Patent Document 1 below). In this type of device, the white key usually has a wide portion with a wide width on the front side, which is the player side, and a narrow portion with a narrow width in the latter half portion adjacent to the black key. The white keys include white keys of pitches C, E, F, and B having adjacent black keys only on one side, and white keys of pitches D, G, and A having adjacent black keys on both sides.

  Here, consider miniaturization of the keyboard device. In order to make it compact mainly in the left-right direction, it is usually considered to design each key with a small width. However, as the key width is reduced, the narrow portion becomes extremely thin and the rigidity becomes low, so that it is easy to break down during performance. Further, downsizing in the vertical direction is also required for downsizing the entire keyboard.

Japanese Patent No. 3082696 JP-A-11-249649

  By the way, keyboards for personal computers, not musical instruments, have a configuration in which the pitch of white keys and the pitch of black keys are assigned to one row of keys in front and back, and performance can be input as a compact and pseudo keyboard. (Patent Document 2). However, this type of keyboard is very difficult to perform. Therefore, in the keyboard device applied to the musical instrument, ensuring the ease of performance operation is also an important item.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a keyboard device that is resistant to failure and can be made compact in the left-right direction.

  In order to achieve the above object, a keyboard device according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a keyboard portion (KB) composed of a plurality of white keys and black keys, each having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction, and the keyboard portion. A front end position (46) of the plurality of black keys, and the white keys having the pitches C, E, F, and B are the black keys. A wide portion (31) in front of the front end position of the key, and a narrow portion (32) in the rear of the wide portion and narrower than the wide portion, and behind the narrow portion The end position (36) is closer to the front end position than the rear end position (42) of the black key in the front-rear direction, and the white keys having pitches D, G, A are ahead of the front end position of the black key. It has a wide part and does not have a region behind the front end position of the black key.

  Preferably, the upper end position (WKa) of the white key and the upper end position (BKa) of the black key are both flush with the upper end position (13a, 14a, 15a) of the casing or the upper end position of the casing. (Claim 2). Preferably, the housing has a bottom plate portion (11), and the lower end (37a) of the front fore edge (37) of the white key is located at an upper end position (11a) of the front end (11b) of the bottom plate portion in a non-operating state. ) And lower than the upper end position of the front end of the bottom plate at the end of key depression (claim 3).

  Preferably, in a non-operation state, the upper surface (WKa) of the white key is substantially flush with the upper surface (BKa) of the black key. Preferably, in a region of the housing that is behind each of the white keys and adjacent to the black key, a step portion (20 that is lower than both the upper surface of the white key and the upper surface of the black key in a non-operation state. 21) is provided (claim 5). Preferably, the upper surface of the white key and the upper surface of the black key are both substantially flush with the upper surfaces (20a, 21a) of the stepped portion when the key is pressed.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the said parenthesis is an illustration.

  According to claim 1 of the present invention, it is resistant to failure and can be made compact in the left-right direction.

  According to the second aspect, the key is protected even if it is made compact in the vertical direction and is turned upside down. According to the third aspect, since the key arrangement can be set low, it is possible to make it compact in the vertical direction. According to the fourth and fifth aspects, the performance operation is easy to perform. According to the sixth aspect, it is easy to perform a performance operation such as glissando.

It is the perspective view (figure (a)) of the keyboard device which concerns on one embodiment of this invention, and a front view (figure (b)). It is a top view of an electronic keyboard instrument. It is a perspective view (a figure (a)) showing a part inside electronic keyboard musical instrument, and a top view (a figure (b)) showing arrangement relation of a part of white key and black key. It is the perspective view seen from the downward direction of the white key of the pitch E, the pitch D, and the black key of the pitch D #. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1A and 1B are a perspective view and a front view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This keyboard device is configured as an electronic keyboard instrument 100.

  The electronic keyboard instrument 100 is provided with a keyboard unit KB including a plurality of keys (white key WK and black key BK). The names of the white key and the black key in the electronic keyboard instrument 100 are imitations of the white key and the black key in a general keyboard instrument, and it is not essential that the colors are white and black. The white key WK and the black key BK are distinguished only by their relative arrangement positions. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the keys is defined as the front-rear direction, and the arrangement direction of the keys is defined as the left-right direction. Hereinafter, when the white key WK and the black key BK are referred to with specific pitches, the pitch is added to the code as in the white key WK-C and the black key BK-C #.

  The area on the left side of the keyboard KB (the left end of the electronic keyboard instrument 100) is covered by the upper cover 13. The housing 10 of the electronic keyboard instrument 100 that houses the keyboard part KB is mainly composed of a bottom plate part 11, a key frame 12 (including the rear wall 15), and a side wall 14. The side wall 14 and the rear wall 15 constitute a right end portion and a rear end portion of the electronic keyboard instrument 100, respectively. The bottom plate portion 11 is a substantially plate-shaped member that faces the floor surface. The bottom plate portion 11 extends to a region facing the upper cover 13.

  The keyboard part KB is configured such that each of the white key WK and the black key BK moves substantially parallel to the pressing direction (the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the key pressing surface) while keeping the upper surface horizontal. It is configured as a so-called parallel keyboard. The upper surface WKa of the white key WK and the upper surface BKa of the black key BK are flush with each other, and both are surfaces to be pressed. Moreover, the upper surface WKa and the upper surface BKa are substantially horizontal (substantially parallel to the floor surface) when the electronic keyboard instrument 100 is placed on a horizontal floor surface and is not operated.

  Side portions of the black key BK are stepped portions 20 and 21 that are recessed downward. In FIG. 1A, the white key WK and the black key BK are in the non-operation position. When the white key WK and the black key BK are at the key press end position, the upper surface WKa and the upper surface BKa are substantially flush with the upper surfaces 20a and 21a of the step portions 20 and 21. Therefore, the glissando performance is easy.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electronic keyboard instrument 100. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a part of the inside of the electronic keyboard instrument 100. FIG. 3B is a plan view showing the arrangement relationship of some white keys WK and black keys BK. In FIG. 2, the white key WK-E and the black key BK-D # on the bass side are removed, and in FIG. 3A, the white key WK-D, WK-E and the black key BK-D # on the bass side are removed. It is shown.

  Below the upper cover 13, a control unit 22 including a sound source is mounted on a substrate disposed on the bottom plate part 11. The configuration of each key and each part such as the casing 10 corresponding thereto is common between the keys unless otherwise specified. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, step portions 20 and 21 projecting upward are formed in regions where the white key WK and the black key BK are not arranged at the rear portion of the key frame 12. The upper surfaces 20a and 21a of the portions 20 and 21 are lower than the upper surfaces WKa and BKa of the non-operating white key WK and black key BK. The white key for pitches C, E, F, and B-located in the rear region of C, E, F, and B is the step 20 and the white keys for pitches D, G, and A-of D, G, and A The step portion 21 is located in the rear region. The width of the step portion 21 is narrower than that of the step portion 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the key frame 12 is formed with cylindrical guide portions 16 and 17 projecting corresponding to the white key WK, and the guide portions 18 and 17 corresponding to the black key BK. 19 is formed to protrude. An elastic bulge 47 is provided corresponding to each white key WK and each black key BK, and each elastic bulge 47 is exposed from the hole 23 of the key frame 12 to the key side.

  4 (a), 4 (b), and 4 (c) respectively show the white key WK-E with pitch E, the white key WK-D with pitch D, and the black key BK-D # with pitch D #. It is the perspective view seen from. The white keys of pitches C, E, F, and B-C, E, F, and B have the same basic shape, and the white keys of pitches D, G, and A-D, G, and A are the same. The basic shape of the black key BK is common to all black keys.

  In each of the white keys WK-E and WK-D (FIG. 4A), guided portions 34 and 35 that engage with the guide portions 16 and 17 are formed to hang downward, and an elastic bulging portion 47 is formed. The actuator 33 for driving is suspended from the elastic bulging portion 47. A front edge 37 is formed in front of the white keys WK-E and WK-D. In the black key BK including the black key BK-D #, guided portions 44 and 45 engaged with the guide portions 18 and 19 are formed to hang downward, and the elastic bulging portion 47 is driven. The actuator 43 is formed in a hanging manner corresponding to the elastic bulging portion 47.

  Each elastic bulge 47 is driven by a corresponding key to give a restoring force to the key. In the non-operating state, the elastic bulging portion 47 is slightly crushed and biases the key in the direction of the non-key pressing position. With the guided portions 34, 35, 44, 45 inserted in the guide holes of the guide portions 16, 17, 18, 19 slidably, the keys are guided in the direction of pressing and releasing keys. The displacement of each key in the vertical direction is appropriately restricted by a parallel movable maintaining link bar (not shown). Each key is biased in the direction of the non-key-pressing position by the reaction force (biasing force) from the elastic bulging portion 47. At that time, a locking portion (not shown) provided at the tip of the guided portions 34, 35, 44, 45 is locked in the guide holes of the guide portions 16, 17, 18, 19, thereby Non-key pressed positions are restricted. Further, the key pressed to the key pressing end position returns to the non-key pressing position by the reaction force from the elastic bulge portion 47.

  A three-sheet sheet switch SW is disposed between the lower surface of the key frame 12 and the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 11 (see FIG. 5). The sheet-like switch SW includes an upper sheet having a movable contact, a perforated spacer sheet, and a lower sheet having a fixed contact. By pressing the key, the contacts come into contact with each other through the hole of the spacer sheet by the elasticity of the upper sheet, and makeup is performed. When the key is released, the contacts are separated and turned off.

  The white key WK and the black key BK are respectively pressed against the key pressing surface (upper surface) by one set of front and rear by the guide portions 16 and 17 and the guided portions 34 and 35 and one set of front and rear by the guide portions 18 and 19 and the guided portions 44 and 45. WKa and BKa) are displaced between the non-key pressing position and the key pressing end position while maintaining the horizontal state.

  Further, relief portions 41 are formed by cutting out on the lower surfaces of the left and right side walls of the black key BK (FIG. 4C). This prevents the side wall of the black key BK from coming into contact with the corresponding elastic bulge 47 during the pressing operation, and the large-sized elastic bulge 47 is disposed while maintaining a compact size in the vertical direction. It is possible. Alternatively, depending on the design, it is advantageous to reduce the width of the black key BK.

  The shape and positional relationship of the white key WK and the black key BK will be described with reference to FIG. First, the front end position 46 of all the black keys BK is common. Each of the white keys WK-C and WK-E has a wide width portion 31 that is wider than the front end position 46 of the black key BK, and a wide width portion 31 that is behind the wide width portion 31 and narrower than the wide width portion 31. And a narrow portion 32 (see also FIG. 4A). The rear end position 36 of the narrow portion 32 is in the arrangement range of the black key BK in the front-rear direction, and is closer to the front end position 46 than the rear end position 42 of the black key BK in the front-rear direction.

  On the other hand, the white key WK-D is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, has only the wide portion 31, and does not have a region behind the rear end position 42 (a portion corresponding to the narrow portion 32) (FIG. 4). (See also (b)). The white keys WK-F and WK-B have the same shape as the white keys WK-C and WK-E, respectively. The white keys WK-G and A have the same shape as the white key WK-D.

  In the present embodiment, the key pressing surface and the outline shape at the lower end are in common, so the two are not distinguished. However, when the two are different, the positional relationship between the white key WK and the black key BK is determined. In consideration, the shape of the key pressing surface (upper surfaces WKa, BKa) is considered.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 5, etc., the upper surface position of the upper cover 13 corresponds to the upper surface 13a of the upper cover 13, the upper surface 14a of the side wall 14, and the upper surface 15a of the rear wall 15. , 14a, 15a are flush with each other. The upper surface WKa that is the upper end position of the white key WK and the upper surface BKa that is the upper end position of the black key BK are both flush with the upper end position (the upper surfaces 13a, 14a, and 15a) of the housing 10. As a result, the key is accommodated within the thickness range of the casing 10, and the electronic keyboard instrument 100 becomes compact in the vertical direction. In addition, even when the electronic keyboard instrument 100 is placed upside down, the key is not subjected to strong force from the floor surface, and the key is protected. From these viewpoints, the positions of the upper surface WKa and the upper surface BKa may be further lowered so that the upper end positions of the white key WK and the black key BK do not protrude from the upper end position of the housing 10.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the key arrangement region in the left-right direction, the front end 11b of the bottom plate portion 11 is located behind the back surface 37b of the front fore edge 37 of the white key WK. In the non-operation state, the lower end 37 a of the front fore edge 37 is positioned above the upper end position 11 a of the front end 11 b of the bottom plate portion 11. The front fore edge 37 is formed to hang straight downward, and the white key WK is displaced in parallel in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the white key WK can be displaced without the front fore edge 37 coming into contact with the front end 11b of the bottom plate portion 11 in the stroke of the pressing / releasing key.

  Here, the lower end 37a of the front fore edge 37 is higher than the upper end position 11a of the front end 11b of the bottom plate portion 11 when the white key WK is not operated, and lower than the upper end position 11a when the key press is finished. The position of the lower end 37a at the end of pressing the key is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Thereby, the arrangement of the white key WK can be set low, which contributes to making the instrument compact in the vertical direction.

  The sheet-like switch SW (FIG. 3A) is a make-type switch having a movable contact and a fixed contact, but may be composed of two sheets. Regardless of the switch structure, it is assumed that, regardless of which configuration is employed, when the switch is driven down by a corresponding key, the switch is electrically turned on and a detection signal is output. The control unit 22 (FIG. 2) includes a sound source circuit, an effect circuit, and the like in addition to the CPU, ROM, and RAM (not shown). The control unit 22 can generate a musical sound signal based on the output detection signal and output a musical sound having a pitch corresponding to the pressed key.

  According to the present embodiment, the white keys WK-C, E, F, and B include the wide portion 31 that is in front of the front end position 46 of the black key BK and the narrow portion 32 that is behind the wide portion 31. The narrow portion 32 has a rear end position 36 that is closer to the front end position 46 than the rear end position 42 of the black key BK, and the narrow portion 32 is shorter in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the white keys WK-D, G, and A have only the wide portion 31. Thereby, even if the width of the key is designed to be small, the rigidity of the key can be secured. In other words, the white keys WK-C, E, F, and B are short in the front-rear direction even when the narrow portion 32 is narrowed, so that the rigidity of the narrow portion 32 is not greatly reduced. On the other hand, since the white keys WK-D, G, and A do not have a narrow portion, it is not necessary to consider a decrease in rigidity of the narrow portion. Therefore, even when the size is reduced in the left-right direction, a failure during performance due to a decrease in rigidity is less likely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to make the electronic keyboard instrument 100 resistant to failure and compact in the left-right direction.

  By the way, in the conventional general keyboard device, particularly for black keys of pitches C #, D #, F #, and A #, the center position in the width direction is shifted from the center position of the gap between adjacent white keys. For example, the center position in the width direction of the C # key and the D # key is lower than the center position in the width direction of the gap between the C key and the D key (left side), and the center position in the width direction of the gap between the D key and the E key. Are shifted to the higher sound side (right side). This is to prevent the narrow part of the D key from becoming too thin.

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, the D key (white key WK-D) is configured not to have a narrow portion. As a result, the center position P1 in the width direction of the C # key (black key BK-C #) is substantially matched with the center position in the width direction of the gap between the C key and the D key, and the D # key (black key BK-D). It is easy to design that the center position P2 in the width direction of #) substantially matches the center position in the width direction of the gap between the D key and the E key (see FIG. 3B). The same applies to the other black keys BK, and the center position in the width direction of any black key BK is substantially the same as the center position of the gap between the white keys WK whose pitches are adjacent to each other (also in FIG. 2). reference). The present embodiment also has the advantage of enabling the arrangement of such black keys BK.

  Further, the upper end positions (upper surfaces WKa, BKa) of the white key WK and the black key BK are flush with the upper end positions (upper surfaces 13a, 14a, 15a) of the housing 10 and do not protrude. In addition to being compact in the direction, the key is protected even if it is turned upside down. Further, the lower end 37a of the front fore edge 37 is higher than the upper end position 11a of the front end 11b of the bottom plate portion 11 when the white key WK is not operated, and lower than the upper end position 11a at the end of key pressing, so that the key arrangement is lowered. The electronic keyboard instrument 100 can be made compact in the vertical direction.

  In the non-operating state, the upper surface WKa of the white key WK is substantially flush with the upper surface BKa of the black key BK, so that the performance operation is easy to perform. Further, in the region of the housing 10 behind each white key WK and adjacent to the black key BK, a step portion 20 lower than both the upper surface WKa of the white key WK and the upper surface BKa of the black key BK in the non-operation state. , 21 are provided, so that the performance operation is easy to perform. Moreover, since the top surface WKa of the white key WK and the top surface BKa of the black key BK are substantially flush with the top surfaces 20a and 21a of the stepped portions 20 and 21 at the end of the key depression, it is easy to perform a performance operation such as glissando. . In addition, with respect to the white key WK having the wide portion 31, it is easy to perform alternate repeated playing with the adjacent white key WK.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included.

  KB keyboard part, 10 housing, 11 bottom plate part, 11a upper end position, 11b front end, 13a, 14a, 15a upper surface (upper end position), 20, 21 stepped part, 20a, 21a upper surface, 31 wide part, 32 narrow part, 36 rear end position, WKa, BKa upper surface (upper end position), 37 front fore edge, 37a lower end, 42 rear end position, 46 front end position

Claims (6)

A keyboard device having a keyboard portion composed of a plurality of white keys and black keys, each having a longitudinal direction as a longitudinal direction, and a casing in which the keyboard portion is disposed,
The front end positions of the plurality of black keys are common,
The white keys having pitches C, E, F, and B include a wide portion in front of the front end position of the black key, and a narrow portion in the rear of the wide portion and narrower than the wide portion. The rear end position of the narrow portion is closer to the front end position than the rear end position of the black key in the front-rear direction,
The white keys having pitches D, G, and A have a wide portion in front of the front end position of the black key, and do not have a region behind the front end position of the black key. Keyboard device.   2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein neither the upper end position of the white key nor the upper end position of the black key is flush with the upper end position of the casing or protrudes from the upper end position of the casing. .   The housing has a bottom plate portion, and the lower end of the front edge of the white key is higher than the upper end position of the front end of the bottom plate portion in a non-operation state, and from the upper end position of the front end of the bottom plate portion at the end of key pressing. 3. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard device is also lowered.   4. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the white key is substantially flush with an upper surface of the black key in a non-operation state.   A step portion lower than any of the upper surface of the white key and the upper surface of the black key in a non-operating state is provided in an area behind the white key and adjacent to the black key in the housing. The keyboard device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the keyboard device is characterized in that:   6. The keyboard device according to claim 5, wherein an upper surface of the white key and an upper surface of the black key are both substantially flush with an upper surface of the stepped portion when the key is pressed.

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