JP2023050821A - Keyboard device for keyboard musical instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument capable of preventing the generation of noise in a connection part of a key and a hammer, and securing smooth operation of the connection part to obtain good touch feeling.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument which includes: a keyboard chassis 4; keys 2 arranged on an upper part thereof; and hammers 31 which rotate in conjunction with the depressed keys 2. A key side connecting part 22 and a hammer side connecting part 35 rotatably and slidably connected to each other are respectively provided on the key 2 and the hammer 31. The hammer side connecting part 35 has an engaging shaft 35b extending in the left and right directions. In the key side connecting part 22, a side shape is formed in a U-shape opening in one of front and rear directions, and an engaging recessed part 22a engaged with the engaging shaft 35b is provided. On the engaging recessed part 22a, a shock absorbing member 20 is mounted, which prevents the engaging shaft 35b from coming into contact with the inner peripheral surface and is in sliding contact with the engaging shaft 35b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention is applied to a keyboard instrument such as an electronic piano, and relates to a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument having a hammer that rotates in conjunction with key depression.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a keyboard device of this type is known, for example, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200012. This keyboard device includes a key that extends in the front-rear direction and rotates about its rear end as a fulcrum, and a mass that extends in the front-rear direction and is rotatably provided below the key and rotates in conjunction with depression of the key. and a key frame that pivotally supports the key and mass. A driving hanging piece protruding downward is provided at the front of the key, and an elastic member is attached to the lower end of the driving hanging piece. On the other hand, the front end portion of the mass body has a U-shaped side surface that opens forward, and includes an upper engaging piece and a lower engaging piece that are vertically spaced apart from each other and protrude forward. A lower end portion of a hanging piece for driving the key is engaged between the upper engaging piece and the lower engaging piece via an elastic member.

In the keyboard device described above, when a key is depressed, the mass body corresponding to the key rotates while its front end portion is pushed downward. When the key is released, the mass rotates while the front end moves upward, and returns to the original position before the key is pressed together with the key.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-52400

However, in the above-described keyboard device, when a depressed key is released, the mass body that rotates in conjunction with the depressed key may bounce due to inertia. The lower end portion, more specifically, the portion of the hanging piece for driving that holds the elastic member may come into direct contact with the upper engaging piece or the lower engaging piece of the mass body. The hanging pieces for driving and the upper and lower engaging pieces of the mass are generally made of hard synthetic resin or the like. Sometimes.

In addition, the elastic member attached to the driving hanging piece of the key has arcuate surfaces having different curvatures at its upper and lower portions, and the upper and lower arcuate surfaces are respectively engaged with the upper side of the mass body. It is in contact with the piece and the lower engaging piece. With the elastic member having the arcuate surface as described above, when the key is depressed, it is not possible to move smoothly between the upper engaging piece and the lower engaging piece of the mass body. You may feel heavy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. To provide a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument which can obtain a good touch feeling.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a keyboard chassis, a key that extends in the front-rear direction and is arranged above the keyboard chassis, and a hammer that extends in the front-rear direction and is attached to the keyboard chassis below the key. a hammer that is rotatably supported via a support shaft and that rotates in conjunction with a depressed key, wherein the key and the hammer are rotatable forward of the hammer support shaft and relative to each other; A key-side connecting portion and a hammer-side connecting portion that are slidably connected are provided, and one of the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion has an engaging shaft extending in the left-right direction, and the other of the hammer-side connecting portions has a U-shaped side surface that opens in one direction in the front-rear direction, and has an engaging recess that engages with the engaging shaft. A cushioning member is attached to prevent the engagement shaft from coming into contact with the peripheral surface and to make sliding contact with the engagement shaft.

According to this configuration, the key and the hammer are provided with the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion, respectively, which are rotatably and slidably connected to each other. One of the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion has an engagement shaft extending in the left-right direction, and the other has a U-shaped side surface that opens in one direction in the front-rear direction. It has an engagement recess that engages with the shaft. A cushioning member is attached to the engaging recess to prevent the engaging shaft from coming into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the engaging recess. As a result, when the key is depressed, the engaging shaft can be prevented from coming into direct contact with the inner peripheral surface of the engaging recess, thereby preventing the generation of noise. Further, the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion are connected by the engaging shaft and the engaging recess to which the cushioning member is attached, ensuring smooth operation at the connecting portion when the key is depressed. and a good touch feeling can be obtained.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided the keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to the first aspect, wherein the cushioning member is made of an elastic synthetic resin molding, and the upper wall of the engaging recess is provided with a lower surface of the cushioning member. a lower wall mounting portion attached to the lower wall of the engaging recess so as to cover the upper surface of the engaging recess; and a connecting portion provided so as to cover the inner surface of the inner wall of the.

According to this configuration, since the cushioning member is made of an elastic synthetic resin molding, it can be manufactured easily at a relatively low cost. Further, since the cushioning member has the upper wall mounting portion, the lower wall mounting portion, and the connecting portion, the upper wall mounting portion and the lower wall mounting portion are mounted to the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess, respectively. Thus, the buffer member can easily cover the entire inner peripheral surface of the engaging recess.

The invention according to claim 3 is the keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 2, wherein the upper wall mounting part and the lower wall mounting part are in a state in which the tips of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess are inserted. , and is attached to the engaging recess.

According to this configuration, by attaching the cushioning member to the upper wall attachment portion and the lower wall attachment portion in a state in which the tip portions of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engagement recess are inserted, the cushioning member can be easily attached to the engagement recess. can be attached to

The invention according to claim 4 is the keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 3, wherein the engaging recess is provided in the key, and one of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess is wider than the cushioning member. It is characterized in that it abuts from below on a stopper that protrudes forward and defines the upper limit position of the key when the key is released.

According to this configuration, the engaging recess is provided in the key. In addition, since one of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess abuts from below the stopper that defines the upper limit position of the key in the key released state, the key does not move upward any more. can stabilize the position of the key in Furthermore, even when the cushioning member is attached to the engaging recess of the key, it is possible to secure a stable position of the key in the above-described key-released state.

The invention according to claim 5 is the keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion are parallel to each other and are engaged with each other. The shaft has a circular cross section and is arranged so as to be in sliding contact with the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion.

According to this configuration, the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion of the cushioning member and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion are parallel to each other. The engaging shaft has a circular cross section and is in sliding contact with the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion. As a result, when the key is depressed, the engaging shaft smoothly rotates and slides with respect to the engaging concave portion while being in sliding contact with the cushioning member. As a result, it is possible to ensure smooth operation of the joint between the key and the hammer when the key is depressed.

The invention according to claim 6 is the keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 5, wherein the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion are formed with lubricant holding grooves for holding lubricant. It is characterized by being

According to this configuration, lubricant holding grooves are formed on the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion of the cushioning member, so the lubricant is applied to the inner surface of the cushioning member attached to the engagement recess. is applied, the lubricant can be retained for a long period of time on the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion of the cushioning member. As a result, the smooth operation of the joint between the key and the hammer by the engaging shaft and the engaging recess can be ensured over a long period of time.

1 is a perspective view showing a part (for one octave) of a keyboard device of an electronic piano to which the present invention is applied, (a) showing the appearance of the keyboard device, and (b) showing keys other than the leftmost white key and black key. is omitted. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which the white keys and the black keys are removed from the keyboard chassis together with the respective key support mechanisms in the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1B; FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 1(b), and FIG. 1(b) is a sectional view taken along line AA. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a white key and a key support mechanism, where (a) shows a state in which the white key and the key support mechanism are connected, and (b) shows a state in which the white key and the key support mechanism are disassembled. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a black key and a key support mechanism, where (a) shows a state in which the black key and the key support mechanism are connected, and (b) shows a state in which the black key and the key support mechanism are disassembled. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the operation of a white key in a keyboard device, where (a) shows a key release state and (b) shows a key depression state; 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the operation of a black key in a keyboard device, where (a) shows a key-released state and (b) shows a key-pressed state; FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a main part of the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged view of a connecting portion between a key and a first arm, and (b) is a view in which the key and the first arm are separated and the cushioning member is the key. is removed from the It is a figure which expands and shows a buffer member, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connecting portion between a key and a first arm, where (a) shows a key-released state and (b) shows a key-depressed state;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1(a) shows only one octave of an electronic piano keyboard device 1 to which the present invention is applied. In the following description, first, the basic configuration and operation of the keyboard device 1 will be described, and then the main part of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1(b) shows a state in which the keys 2 other than the white key 2a and the black key 2b at the left end are omitted from the keyboard device 1 shown in FIG. 1(a). 2b is removed from the keyboard chassis 4 together with the key support mechanism 6. FIG.

This keyboard device 1 comprises a keyboard chassis 4, white keys 2a and black keys 2b. It includes a key support mechanism 6 for supporting the corresponding key 2 from below, a key switch 3 for detecting key depression information of each key 2, and the like.

The keyboard chassis 4 includes a chassis body 4a made of a resin molded product having a predetermined shape by injection molding a predetermined resin material (such as ABS resin). As shown in FIG. 3, the chassis body 4a has a front portion 11, an intermediate portion 12 and a rear portion 13 which extend in the horizontal direction (the horizontal direction in FIG. 3(a)) as a whole. It is formed integrally with a plurality of ribs 14 spaced apart in the left-right direction and each extending in the front-rear direction. In the following description, in the keyboard chassis 4, the front portion 11, intermediate portion 12 and rear portion 13 of the chassis body 4a are referred to as "chassis front portion 11", "chassis intermediate portion 12" and "chassis rear portion 13" respectively. and

The chassis front portion 11 mainly serves to guide the white key 2a when the key is pressed and to regulate the upper and lower limit positions of the front end portion. A plurality of white key guides 11a, which are inserted into each white key 2a from below and prevent lateral vibration of the white key 2a, stand in a row in the left-right direction in the front portion 11 of the chassis. Engagement holes 11b, 11b penetrating in the vertical direction are provided on the left and right sides of each white key guide 11a in the chassis front part 11. The left and right two upper limit position restricting portions 21, 21 engage with each other in a state of being penetrated. Further, the front end of the chassis front portion 11 is provided with a stopper attachment portion 11c which protrudes forward and extends in the left-right direction over the entire chassis body 4a. A key upper limit stopper 16a and a key lower limit stopper 16b are attached so as to extend in the left-right direction. A black key stopper attachment portion 11d extending in the left-right direction over the entire chassis body 4a is provided on the chassis front portion 11 at a predetermined position behind the white key guide 11a. A key upper limit stopper 17 for a key is attached so as to extend in the left-right direction.

The chassis intermediate portion 12 mainly guides the black key 2b when the key is pressed, and also swings a first arm 31 and a second arm 32, which will be described later, of the key support mechanisms 6a and 6b for the white and black keys. It supports. The chassis intermediate portion 12 has a flat plate-like portion 12a extending in the left-right direction, and a plurality of black key guides 12b standing on the flat portion 12a and arranged at appropriate intervals in the left-right direction. are doing. Each black key guide 12b is inserted into each black key 2b from below to prevent lateral vibration of the black key 2b. A first arm support portion 18 that supports the first arm 31 of the key support mechanism 6 is provided at the front portion of the chassis intermediate portion 12 . The first arm support portion 18 has a plurality of first support shafts 18a extending in the left-right direction between adjacent ribs 14, 14. These first support shafts 18a are provided with: A first arm 31 is swingably supported. Further, a second arm support portion 19 that supports the second arm 32 of the key support mechanism 6 is provided at the rear portion of the chassis intermediate portion 12 . The second arm support portion 19 has a plurality of second support shafts 19a provided between adjacent ribs 14, 14 so as to extend in the left-right direction. A plurality of second support shafts 19a are arranged on the same axis extending in the left-right direction at positions rearward and higher than the first support shafts 18a. is swingably supported. A first arm lower limit stopper 10b extending in the left-right direction over the entire chassis body 4a is provided at a predetermined position of a middle rail 8, which will be described later, provided on the lower side of the chassis middle portion 12. As shown in FIG.

The key switch 3 is attached to the lower portion of the keyboard chassis 4 between the chassis front portion 11 and the chassis intermediate portion 12 . The key switch 3 includes a horizontally long printed circuit board 3a extending in the left-right direction, and a plurality of switch bodies 3b each composed of a rubber switch mounted on the printed circuit board 3a for each key 2 and pressed by a first arm 31 when the key is depressed. It consists of

The rear portion of the chassis 13 mainly serves to guide the key 2 in the vertical direction at its rear end portion while preventing lateral vibration, and to regulate the upper limit position of the rear end portion of the first arm 31 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3(a), the chassis rear portion 13 has a plurality of partition walls 13a spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in the left-right direction so as to separate the adjacent keys 2, 2 from each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a first arm upper limit stopper 10a extending in the left-right direction over the entire chassis body 4a is provided at a predetermined position on the upper portion of the chassis rear portion 13. As shown in FIG. The first arm upper limit stopper 10a and the first arm lower limit stopper 10b provided on the chassis intermediate portion 12 are respectively attached to the first arm 31 having a function as a hammer for imparting touch weight to the key 2. , the upper limit position when the first arm 31 is rotated upward, and the lower limit position when the first arm 31 is rotated downward. Further, a metal cover plate 15 is attached to the upper portion of the chassis rear portion 13 so as to extend in the left-right direction over the entire chassis body 4 a and cover the rear end portion of the key 2 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the chassis body 4a of the keyboard chassis 4 configured as described above has a plurality of first openings 5a opening upward and forward and a plurality of openings opening upward. A second opening 5b is provided. The first arm 31 of the key support mechanism 6 is engaged with the first support shaft 18a from the outside through the first openings 5a. The second arm 32 is engaged with the second support shaft 19a from the outside.

In the keyboard chassis 4 described above, a plurality of chassis bodies 4a are connected to each other in a laterally aligned state, and all extend in the lateral direction. are mounted on a front rail 7, a middle rail 8 and a rear rail 9 and screwed. The keyboard chassis 4 is fixed on a shelf (not shown) of the electronic piano via the front rail 7 and the rear rail 9 .

Next, the key 2 and the key support mechanism 6 will be explained. FIG. 4(a) shows an enlarged view of the white key 2a and its key support mechanism 6a, and FIG. 4(b) shows them disassembled. As shown in the figure, the white key 2a is formed by injection molding a predetermined resin material (for example, AS resin) so as to extend a predetermined length in the front-rear direction and to have a hollow shape opening downward. At the front end of the white key 2a, a pair of left and right upper limit position regulating portions 21, 21 are formed so as to extend downward from the left and right side walls and bend forward at the lower ends thereof. These upper limit position regulating portions 21, 21 engage with the right and left engagement holes 11b, 11b of the chassis front portion 11 in a state of being penetrated, respectively, as described above.

A key front side connecting portion 22 connected to the first arm 31 of the key support mechanism 6a is provided at a predetermined position behind the upper limit position regulating portion 21 on the front portion of the white key 2a. The key front connecting portion 22 has a U-shaped connecting concave portion 22a whose side surface is elongated and which opens forward. Further, the coupling recess 22a is provided so as to cover the entire inner peripheral surface thereof, and is used to suppress the generation of noise when the later-described coupling shaft 35b of the first arm 31 slides within the coupling recess 22a. of the buffer member 20 is attached.

Further, a key rear side connecting portion 23 connected to the second arm 32 of the key support mechanism 6a is provided at the rear portion of the white key 2a. The key rear side connecting portion 23 hangs down from the center portion of the white key 2a in the left-right direction, and includes a plate-like connecting body portion 23a having a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction, and left and right sides of the connecting body portion 23a. It has a pair of right and left engaging protrusions 23b, 23b coaxially protruding from the side surfaces thereof. In addition, the rear part of the white key 2a is penetrated in the vertical direction so that a predetermined tool can be used to disconnect the white key 2a from the second arm 32 of the key support mechanism 6a during maintenance of the keyboard device 1 or the like. A tool insertion hole 24 for inserting from above is formed.

On the other hand, the key support mechanism 6a includes a first arm 31 and a second arm 32 that engage with each other and are connected to the key front side connecting portion 22 and the key rear side connecting portion 23 of the white key 2a, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the first arm 31 is composed of an arm body 33 and two weights 34, 34 attached to the arm body 33. As shown in FIG. The arm body 33 is formed of a resin molded product having a predetermined shape by injection molding a predetermined resin material (for example, polyacetal). The arm main body 33 extends for a predetermined length in the front-rear direction, and is provided with a first arm front-side connecting portion 35 at the front end thereof to be connected to the key front-side connecting portion 22 of the white key 2a. The first arm front connecting portion 35 extends in the left-right direction in a state in which a box portion 35a formed in a box shape that opens upward and forward and front upper ends of left and right side walls of the box portion 35a are connected to each other. It has a connecting shaft 35b provided as follows. The connecting shaft 35b is connected to the connecting concave portion 22a of the key front side connecting portion 22 of the white key 2a so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-rear direction.

Further, the arm body 33 has a U-shaped bearing portion 36 whose side surface opens downward at a predetermined position immediately behind the front connecting portion 35 of the first arm. It is rotatably engaged with the first support shaft 18a of the chassis 4. As shown in FIG. Further, the arm body 33 is provided with a first arm rear side connecting portion 37 that connects with the second arm 32 at a predetermined position behind the bearing portion 36 . Specifically, the first arm rear side connecting portion 37 has a connecting shaft 37 a that extends in the left-right direction and has both ends that protrude outward from the left and right side surfaces of the arm body 33 . Both ends of the connecting shaft 37a are engaged with connecting concave portions 45b, 45b of a second arm front side connecting portion 45 of the second arm 32, which will be described later.

Two elongated plate-like weights 34, 34 are attached to a weight attachment portion 38 at the rear portion of the arm body 33, with the weight attachment portion 38 sandwiched from both sides. Each weight 34 is made of a material (for example, a metal such as iron) having a higher specific gravity than that of the arm body 33, and is formed into a predetermined shape by pressing a metal plate.

The second arm 32 is formed of a resin molded product having a predetermined shape by injection molding the same resin material as the arm body 33 of the first arm 31 . The second arm 32 is shorter than the first arm 31 and extends for a predetermined length in the front-rear direction. Further, the second arm 32 has a C-shaped bearing portion 41 whose side surface opens forward near the center in the length direction. 19a to be rotatably engaged.

Further, at the rear portion of the second arm 32, a second arm rear side connecting portion 42 that is connected to the key rear side connecting portion 23 of the white key 2a is provided. The second arm rear side connecting portion 42 is formed in a bifurcated shape, and has two left and right connecting arm portions 43, 43 extending a predetermined length parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the second arm 32. there is A connecting hole 43a is formed in the rear end portion of each connecting arm portion 43 so as to penetrate therethrough in the left-right direction. Between the rear end portions of the connecting arm portions 43, 43, the connecting main body portion 23a of the key rear side connecting portion 23 of the white key 2a is sandwiched from both left and right sides, and each connecting hole 43a is located on the key rear side. The corresponding engaging projections 23b of the connecting portion 23 are rotatably fitted.

Further, a front portion of the second arm 32 is provided with a front second arm connecting portion 45 that is connected to the rear first arm connecting portion 37 of the first arm 31 . The second arm front side connecting portion 45 has a pair of left and right connecting pieces 45a, 45a which are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. An open U-shaped connecting recess 45b is formed. The left and right connecting pieces 45a, 45a of the second arm front connecting portion 45 are rotatably and slidably attached to both ends of the connecting shaft 37a of the first arm 31 via the connecting concave portions 45b, 45b. Engage freely.

FIG. 5(a) shows an enlarged view of the black key 2b and its key support mechanism 6b, and FIG. 5(b) shows them disassembled. The black keys 2b are formed by injection molding the same resin material as the white keys 2a, so that they are shorter than the white keys 2a, extend in the front-rear direction by a predetermined length, and have a hollow shape that opens downward. At the lower front end of the black key 2b, there is provided a key front connecting portion 26 which is formed in substantially the same manner as the key front connecting portion 22 of the white key 2a. The key front side connecting portion 26 has a connecting concave portion 26a formed in a U shape whose side surface shape is elongated and which opens forward. Further, the key front side connecting portion 26 has an extending portion 26b extending a predetermined length forward from the front surface of the main body of the black key 2b at the lower front end portion of the connecting concave portion 26a. It functions as an upper limit position regulating portion for the black key 2b. In the following description, regarding the black key 2b and the key support mechanism 6b, the same components as those of the white key 2a and the key support mechanism 6a described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. .

The key support mechanism 6b for supporting the black keys 2b is constructed substantially in the same manner as the key support mechanism 6a for the white keys described above. Specifically, the arm body 33 and the second arm 32 of the first arm 31 of the key support mechanism 6b are different in shape and size from the arm body 33 and the second arm 32 of the key support mechanism 6a for white keys. configured exactly the same. The two left and right weights 34, 34 of the key support mechanism 6b for black keys are different in rear shape from the weight 34 of the key support mechanism 6a for white keys.

Next, operations of the keys 2 and the key support mechanism 6 in the keyboard device 1 configured as described above will be described. 6 shows the operation of the white key 2a and its key support mechanism 6a, and FIG. 7 shows the operation of the black key 2b and its key support mechanism 6b.

In the key-released state shown in FIG. 6(a), when the front end of the white key 2a is pushed down by the player's finger, the key front side connecting portion 22 of the white key 2a moves downward, thereby causing the first arm 31 to move downward. rotates counterclockwise about the first support shaft 18a. Further, as the first arm 31 rotates, the second arm front connecting portion 45 that engages with the connecting shaft 37a of the first arm 31 via the connecting concave portion 45b moves upward. As a result, the second arm 32 rotates clockwise about the second support shaft 19a. As the second arm 32 rotates, the key rear side connecting portion 23 connected via the second arm rear side connecting portion 42 at the rear end portion is pulled down, and the rear end portion of the white key 2a is lowered. move to

When the first arm 31 rotates as described above, the bottom wall of the box portion 35a of the first arm front-side connecting portion 35 moves downward, and the depressed key 2 is pushed by the bottom wall of the box portion 35a. The switch body 3b of the key switch 3 corresponding to is pressed from above. As a result, in the electronic piano, the key depression information of the depressed key 2 is detected, and a sound is generated from a speaker (not shown) based on the detected key depression information.

As described above, when the white key 2a is pushed down, as the first arm 31 rotates counterclockwise, the weight 34 of the first arm 31 tilts rearward and upward as shown in FIG. 6(b). Then, the rear end contacts the first arm upper limit stopper 10a from below. This prevents further rotation of the first arm 31 . When the front end portion of the white key 2a is pushed down to the lowest position, the front end portion of the white key 2a abuts against the key lower limit stopper 16b, preventing further depression of the white key 2a.

The white key 2a pressed as described above rotates around the virtual fulcrum P located behind the rear end thereof. The position of this virtual fulcrum P is set, for example, so that the distance from the front end of the white key 2a is about twice the length of the white key 2a itself. As a result, when the front end of the white key 2a is pushed down to the lowest position, the front end of the white key 2a has a predetermined key stroke ( for example 10 mm), and the rear end is positioned below a distance of about 1/2 of the key stroke (for example 5 mm).

On the other hand, when the finger is released from the depressed white key 2a, the weight of the weight 34 causes the first arm 31 of the key support mechanism 6a to rotate in the direction opposite to the above, and accordingly the second arm 32 also rotates in the opposite direction to the above. direction. Accordingly, the white key 2a rotates upward about the virtual fulcrum P. As shown in FIG. A predetermined portion of the first arm 31 behind the first support shaft 18a abuts the first arm lower limit stopper 10b from above, and both upper limit position regulating portions 21, 21 of the white key 2a contact the key upper limit stopper 16a downward. Further rotation of the white key 2a is prevented, and the original key release state is restored.

Also, the operation of pressing the black key 2b is performed in the same manner as the white key 2a and the key support mechanism 6a described above. 7(a), when the front end of the black key 2b is pushed down, the first arm 31 moves counterclockwise about the first support shaft 18a, and the second arm 32 moves to the second position. The black key 2b rotates clockwise about the support shaft 19a, thereby rotating the black key 2b about the virtual fulcrum Q on the rear side. The position of this virtual fulcrum Q is set, for example, so that the distance from the front end of the black key 2b is approximately twice the length of the black key 2 itself, similar to the virtual fulcrum P of the white key 2a. there is Therefore, when the front end portion of the black key 2b is pushed down to the lowest position, the front end portion of the black key 2b is pushed down by a predetermined key stroke, compared to the key release state shown in FIG. 7(a). It is positioned downward, with the trailing end positioned downward at a distance of about 1/2 of the keystroke.

On the other hand, when the finger is released from the depressed black key 2b, the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 of the key support mechanism 6b rotate in the direction opposite to the above. Rotate upward about the center. Then, the extended portion 26b of the key front connecting portion 26 of the black key 2b abuts against the key upper limit stopper 17 from below, preventing further rotation of the black key 2b and returning to the original key released state.

Next, the main part of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG. The essential part of the present invention is that the key front side connecting portions 22 and 26 (key side connecting portion) of the key 2 are connected to the first arm front side connecting portion 35 (hammer side connecting portion) of the first arm 31 in the key support mechanism 6. The cushioning member 20 is attached to the connecting recesses 22a and 26a (engagement recesses) that are the connecting portions. Since the coupling recesses 22a of the white keys 2a and the coupling recesses 26a of the black keys 2b are constructed in substantially the same manner, the coupling recesses 22a of the white keys 2a will be used as a representative in the following description. 20 will be described.

8A shows an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the key 2 and the first arm 31, and FIG. 8B shows the connecting portion between the key 2 and the first arm 31 separated and the key 2 The cushioning member 20 is removed from the connecting concave portion 22a of the key front side connecting portion 22. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the coupling recess 22a of the key 2 is formed into a U-shaped side opening forward by an upper wall 22b, a lower wall 22c and a rear wall 22d. Specifically, the upper wall 22b and the lower wall 22c are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and their opposing surfaces are parallel to each other. The rear wall 22d continues to the rear end portions of the upper wall 22b and the lower wall 22c, and has an arcuate side surface.

FIG. 9 shows the cushioning member 20 in an enlarged manner. The cushioning member 20 is formed of a molded article made of a predetermined elastic synthetic resin (for example, a thermoplastic elastomer). As shown in the figure, the cushioning member 20 includes an upper wall mounting portion 51 mounted on the upper wall 22b of the connecting recess 22a of the key 2, a lower wall mounting portion 52 mounted on the lower wall 22c of the connecting recess 22a, It has a connecting portion 53 that continues to the respective rear end portions of the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the lower wall mounting portion 52 .

The upper wall mounting portion 51 is formed in a square tubular shape extending a predetermined length in the front-rear direction. A notch 51a that opens rearward is formed in the ceiling portion of the upper wall mounting portion 51. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, like the upper wall mounting portion 51, the lower wall mounting portion 52 is formed in a square tubular shape. A through hole 52a is formed in the bottom portion of the lower wall mounting portion 52 so as to extend therethrough in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the rear end portion of the bottom surface of the lower wall mounting portion 52 is provided with a convex portion 52d that protrudes downward. The lower surface 51b of the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the upper surface 52b of the lower wall mounting portion 52 are formed in parallel. Two each of 51c and 52c are formed.

The connecting portion 53 is connected to the bottom portion of the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the ceiling portion of the lower wall mounting portion 52. The connecting portion 53 is convexly curved rearward, and the side surface shape is the same as the inner wall 22d of the connecting concave portion 22a on the key 2 side. It is formed in an arc shape with approximately the same curvature.

The cushioning member 20 configured as described above is configured such that the upper wall 22b and the lower wall 22c of the connecting recess 22a are inserted into the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the lower wall mounting portion 52 from behind, respectively, so that the connecting recess 22a is inserted. can be attached to In this case, the upper wall attachment portion 51 of the cushioning member 20 is attached to the upper wall 22b in a state in which the tip of the upper wall 22b of the connecting recess 22a is inserted and the upright portion on the upper side of the upper wall 22b is inserted into the notch 51a. is attached to cover its underside. On the other hand, the lower wall mounting portion 52 is attached to the lower wall 22c so as to cover the upper surface thereof in a state in which the tip portion of the lower wall 22c of the connecting recess 22a is inserted and the bottom portion of the lower wall 22c is fitted in the through hole 52a. It is attached. The connecting portion 53 is provided so as to cover the inner surface of the inner wall 22d of the connecting concave portion 22a.

FIG. 10 shows an enlarged cross section of the connecting portion between the key 2 and the first arm 31, where (a) shows the key released state and (b) shows the key depressed state. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the state where the cushioning member 20 is attached to the coupling recess 22a of the key 2, the entire inner peripheral surface of the coupling recess 22a is covered with the cushioning member 20. As shown in FIG. Further, the connecting shaft 35b of the first arm 31 connected to the key 2 has a circular cross section, and the lower surface 51b of the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the upper surface 52b of the lower wall mounting portion 52 of the cushioning member 20 are connected to each other. It is in slidable contact and positioned near the connecting portion 53 in the key released state.

When the key 2 is pressed in the key-released state, the key front connecting portion 22 of the key 2 moves downward. Accordingly, the connecting shaft 35b of the first arm 31 also moves downward, thereby rotating the first arm 31 counterclockwise about the first support shaft 18a as described above. Further, in this case, the connecting shaft 35b slides forward with respect to the connecting recess 22a of the key 2, as shown in FIG. 10(b).

After that, when the depressed key 2 is released, the first arm 31 rotates in the opposite direction, and the connecting shaft 35b moves upward and slides backward with respect to the connecting concave portion 22a. , the key 2 and the first arm 31 return to the original key release state.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 described above, the black key 2b protrudes forward from the lower wall of the connecting recess 26a corresponding to the lower wall 22c of the connecting recess 22a of the white key 2a beyond the lower wall mounting portion 52. As shown in FIG. 10A, the extending portion 26b abuts on the key upper limit stopper 17 (stopper) for the black key from below. As a result, the black key 2a does not move upward any more, and the position of the black key 2b in the key-released state can be stabilized.

As described above, according to the keyboard device 1 to which the main part of the present invention is applied, the cushioning member 20 is attached to the connecting concave portion 22a of the key 2, so that when the key is depressed, the connecting shaft 35b of the first arm 31 can be prevented from coming into direct contact with the inner peripheral surface of the connecting recess 22a, thereby preventing the generation of noise. Further, since the key front connecting portion 22 and the first arm front connecting portion 35 are connected by the connecting shaft 35b and the connecting concave portion 22a to which the cushioning member 20 is attached, the connecting portions 22 and 35 can be displaced when the key is depressed. smooth operation can be ensured, and a good touch feeling can be obtained.

Further, by attaching the cushioning member 20 having the upper wall mounting portion 51, the lower wall mounting portion 52, and the connecting portion 53 to the connecting concave portion 22a of the key 2, the entire inner peripheral surface of the connecting concave portion 22a can be easily covered. , and can be easily and firmly attached to the coupling recess 22a.

Furthermore, since lubricant holding grooves 51c and 52c are provided in the lower surface 51b of the upper wall mounting portion 51 of the buffer member 20 and the upper surface 52b of the lower wall mounting portion 52, the buffer member 20 mounted in the connecting concave portion 22a is provided. By applying the lubricant to the lower surface 51b of the upper wall mounting portion 51 and the upper surface 52b of the lower wall mounting portion 52, the lubricant can be retained for a long period of time. As a result, smooth operation of the connecting portion between the key 2 and the first arm 31 by the connecting shaft 35b and the connecting concave portion 22a can be ensured for a long period of time.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiments and can be implemented in various ways. For example, in the embodiment, the key front connecting portion 22 of the key 2 is provided with the connecting recess 22a, and the first arm front connecting portion 35 of the first arm 31 is provided with the connecting shaft 35b. and the connecting shaft 35b can be reversed, that is, the connecting concave portion can be provided in the first arm 31 and the connecting shaft can be provided in the key 2. FIG. In the embodiment, the connection recess 22a is configured to open forward, but it can also be configured to open rearward.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the keyboard device 1 in which the depressed key 2 rotates around the rear virtual fulcrums P and Q. It is of course possible to apply to a general keyboard device in which the key rotates around its own rear end portion and does not have the second arm 32 . Further, the detailed configuration of the cushioning member 20 shown in the embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention.

1 keyboard device 2 key 2a white key 2b black key 4 keyboard chassis 6 key support mechanism 6a key support mechanism for white key 6b key support mechanism for black key 17 key upper limit stopper (stopper) for black key
18 First arm support portion 18a First support shaft (hammer support shaft)
20 buffer member 22 key front side connecting portion (key side connecting portion)
22a connecting recess (engagement recess)
22b Upper wall 22c Lower wall 22d Back wall 26a Connection recess (engagement recess)
26b extension part 31 first arm (hammer)
32 2nd arm 35 1st arm front side connecting portion (hammer side connecting portion)
35b connecting shaft 51 upper wall mounting portion 51b lower surface 51c lubricant retaining groove 52 lower wall mounting portion 52b upper surface 52c lubricant retaining groove 53 connecting portion P virtual fulcrum of white key Q virtual fulcrum of black key

Claims (6)

a keyboard chassis;
a key extending in the front-rear direction and arranged on the upper part of the keyboard chassis;
a hammer that extends in the front-rear direction, is rotatably supported by the keyboard chassis below the key via a hammer support shaft, and rotates in conjunction with the depressed key;
with
The key and the hammer are respectively provided with a key-side connecting portion and a hammer-side connecting portion that are rotatably and slidably connected to each other in front of the hammer support shaft,
one of the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion has an engagement shaft extending in the left-right direction;
The other of the key-side connecting portion and the hammer-side connecting portion has a U-shaped side surface that opens in one direction in the front-rear direction, and has an engagement recess that engages with the engagement shaft,
A keyboard device for a keyboard instrument, wherein the engaging recess is provided with a cushioning member that prevents the engaging shaft from coming into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the engaging recess and that is in sliding contact with the engaging shaft. The buffer member is
Consists of an elastic synthetic resin molded product,
an upper wall attachment portion attached to the upper wall of the engagement recess so as to cover the lower surface thereof;
a lower wall attachment portion attached to the lower wall of the engagement recess so as to cover the upper surface thereof;
a connecting portion connected to each of the upper wall mounting portion and the lower wall mounting portion and provided so as to cover the inner surface of the inner wall of the engaging recess;
The keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 1, characterized by comprising: 3. The upper wall mounting portion and the lower wall mounting portion are mounted in the engaging recess in a state in which tip portions of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess are inserted. 3. The keyboard device for the keyboard instrument according to 2. The engagement recess is provided in the key,
One of the upper wall and the lower wall of the engaging recess projects further forward than the buffer member and is configured to abut from below a stopper that defines an upper limit position of the key in a key released state. The keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 3, characterized by: the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion are configured in parallel,
5. The engaging shaft according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the engaging shaft has a circular cross section and is arranged so as to be in sliding contact with the lower surface of the upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of the lower wall mounting portion. A keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 1. 6. A keyboard device for a keyboard instrument according to claim 5, wherein lubricant holding grooves for holding lubricant are formed in the lower surface of said upper wall mounting portion and the upper surface of said lower wall mounting portion. .

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