JP3050013B2 - Keyboard for electronic musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly to a keyboard for an electronic musical instrument.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic musical instrument electronically forms a musical tone signal, so that musical tones of various natural musical instruments can be synthesized.
However, there is a strong demand that a single instrument can generate various musical tones, and that it can be performed with a sense close to a natural musical instrument, and that a musical tone that is as close as possible to a natural musical instrument can be generated.

The keyboard of a natural musical instrument piano is connected to a hammer drive mechanism for striking a string, and the touch feeling of a low-range key striking a thick bass string (reaction force applied to a finger when the key is depressed) is:
Heavier than the touch of a treble key hitting a thin treble string.
There is so-called key scaling.

The keyboard of an electronic musical instrument only needs to detect electric signals such as pitch (key code), key-on, key-off, and key-pressing speed based on a performance operation, and the keyboard structure is much simpler than that of a piano keyboard. Yes, the white keys and black keys had the same configuration regardless of the range.

[0005]

When a performer who is proficient in playing a natural musical instrument piano performs on an electronic musical instrument that synthesizes a piano sound, he / she feels uncomfortable because there is no key scaling in key touch, and empathizes with the performance. There are things you can't do.

An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard for an electronic musical instrument having key scaling on key touch.

[0007]

A keyboard for an electronic musical instrument according to the present invention is a keyboard for an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of keys, wherein each key is engaged with the key via a viscous material and pressed. A viscous force applying portion having a guide member for guiding the movement of the key at the time is formed, and when the key is pressed, the key slides on the surface of the guide member via the viscous body to prevent the key from being pressed. The viscous force is applied, and the viscous force increases from the treble portion to the bass portion of the keyboard.

[0008]

Since each key of the keyboard has a viscous force imparting portion, and the viscous force applied by the viscous force imparting portion to a key pressing operation increases from a treble portion to a bass portion of the keyboard, a key touch is generated. Key scaling is given.

[0009]

1 shows a keyboard for an electronic musical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a part of the keyboard in a plan view, and FIG.
1B is a perspective view showing one key of the keyboard, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the key as viewed from the back.

In FIG. 1A, a keyboard 1 is provided with a white key 2 and a black key 3. The number of white keys 2 and black keys 3 is, for example, a total of 88 keys. The length from the fulcrum to the end is much longer for the white key 2 than for the black key 3.

FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of one key 2 of the keyboard, showing a treble key. The key 2 has an inverted U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and a key guide 6 is inserted into the inside of the key 2 to guide the key 2 down. The key guide 6 is formed on a base 5 common to each key.

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the key 2 and the key guide 6 when viewed from below. Key guide 6
Is inserted into the hollow portion of the key 2 and engages with the inner surface of the key 2 on the side surface. A viscous material having a high viscous force, such as grease 4, is applied to an engagement portion between the inner surface of the key 2 and the side surface of the key guide 6.

When the key 2 is depressed, at the engaging portion,
The inner peripheral surface of the key 2 slides on the side wall surface of the key guide 6 via the grease 4 and moves in the vertical direction. The viscous force applied by the grease 4 to the pressing operation of the key 2 depends on the key 2 and the key guide 6.
Is proportional to the engagement area.

The width A of the key guide 6 is selected so as to be narrow in a high-pitched portion and wide in a low-pitched portion, as represented by A <B in FIG. 1C. Therefore, the viscous force given to the operation of pressing down the key of the high-pitched portion is weak, and the viscous force given to the operation of pressing down the key of the low-pitched portion is large.

In the keyboard shown in FIG. 1A, as for the white key 2, the width of the key guide 6 is gradually increased from the high frequency range to the low frequency range. Similarly, for the black key 3, the width of the key guide 6 is gradually increased from the high frequency range to the low frequency range.

The width of the key guide for the black key 3 in the same range may be wider than the width of the key guide for the white key 2. In this way, it is possible to compensate for the difference in touch between the black key and the white key due to the shorter key of the electronic musical instrument keyboard as compared with the piano key of the natural musical instrument. This phenomenon is caused by the difference in the arm length of the rotational moment depending on the finger pressing position of the black and white key.

With such a configuration, there is a difference between a touch for pressing a key in a high-frequency range and a touch for pressing a key in a low-frequency range, thereby giving the player a touch feeling of key scaling.

In key scaling, it is not always necessary to change the touch for each key, and in many cases, it is sufficient if there is a difference in touch between a key in a high range and a key in a low range. Therefore, without changing the width of the key guide 6 for each key,
By changing a plurality of keys as one unit, it is possible to give a touch feeling with sufficient key scaling.

For example, key scaling may be provided by changing the width of the key guide every half octave, every octave, or every two octaves. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the key scaling is provided by changing the engagement area between the key guide and the key. However, the key scaling can be provided by other means.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a keyboard structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. Each white key 2 has a cylindrical end surface that is concave inward at a fulcrum portion, and is engaged with a fulcrum 8 having a cylindrical peripheral surface that swells outward. The unevenness of the fulcrum structure composed of the fulcrum portion and the fulcrum 8 may be reversed. Here, the fulcrum 8a of the bass key 2a has a wide width Ba, and the fulcrum 8a of the treble key 2k.
k is formed so that the width Bk is reduced, and the engagement surface is coated with grease 4.

When the bass key 2a is depressed, the end of the bass key 2a makes a circular motion while sliding on an engaging portion having a large contact area formed by applying grease 4 to the fulcrum 8a. Since the area of the greased engagement surface is large, a strong viscous force is applied to a key pressing operation.

When the treble key 2k is depressed, the end of the treble key makes a sliding circular motion through the grease applied between the end of the treble key and the circumferential surface of the fulcrum 8k. Since the area of engagement with the treble key 2k is reduced in proportion to the width of the fulcrum 8k, the viscous force applied to the key pressing operation is small.

As described above, by gradually increasing the width of the fulcrum 8 for the circumferential movement of each key from the high-pitched key to the low-pitched key, it is possible to give a gradually increasing key touch to the key pressing operation.

Although the case where the key touch is changed by changing the width of the fulcrum has been described, the radius of the circumferential engagement surface of the fulcrum may be changed. That is, an engaging surface is formed with a small radius of curvature for a treble key, and an engaging surface is formed with a large radius of curvature for a low sound key. Should be given. Other forms may be used as long as the area of the engagement surface between the fulcrum and the key is changed.

Although the configuration in which different key touches are provided depending on the sound range by the key guide or the key fulcrum has been described above, the portion for applying the viscous force may be formed in another portion. For example, a sliding member that slides on the key may be provided for each key.

The present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments.
The present invention is not limited to these. For example,
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, substitutions, improvements, combinations, and the like can be made.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A viscous force imparting section is formed on each key of the keyboard, and the viscous force generated by the viscous force imparting section increases from a high-pitched sound section toward a low-pitched sound section, so that key scaling for a key touch is given to the electronic musical instrument keyboard.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view, a perspective view, and a sectional view showing a keyboard structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a keyboard according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 keyboard, 2 white keys, 3 black keys, 4 grease, 5 bases, 6 key guides, 8
fulcrum

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A keyboard for an electronic musical instrument having a plurality of keys, wherein each key includes a guide member that engages with the key via a viscous material and guides movement of the key when the key is pressed. A viscous force applying portion is formed, and when the key is pressed, the key slides on the surface of the guide member through the viscous body to apply a viscous force to a key pressing operation, and the viscous force is applied to a treble portion of the keyboard. Keyboard for electronic musical instruments that increases from the bass toward the bass.