JP3332174B2 - Keyboard device for 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 device for musical instruments.
In particular, the present invention relates to an arrangement structure of a rotation fulcrum for a key pressing operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A key of a natural musical instrument such as a piano or an organ or an electronic keyboard musical instrument is rotatably mounted on a supporting member such as a musical instrument main body or a key frame, and swings around a rotation fulcrum portion by a key pressing operation. Perform the operation. In a conventional keyboard instrument, the pivot point of each key is provided on an extension of the length of each key.

[0003]

However, in the conventional keyboard structure for musical instruments, since the pivot point of the key is on the extension in the key length direction, the key-pressing stroke (the amount of the key pressed by the key-pressing operation). Changes depending on the position of the key in the longitudinal direction, and the key pressing stroke becomes smaller as the key is closer to the fulcrum. Further, the pressing force of the key pressing operation also differs depending on the distance from the fulcrum along the lengthwise direction of the key. Therefore, in order to obtain a substantially constant pressing force and the same key pressing stroke regardless of the key pressing operation at any position over the entire length of the key in the longitudinal direction,
The distance between the key and its pivot must be large. For this reason, in a high-grade keyboard instrument such as a grand piano, the key fulcrum portion is provided at a position very far from the key pressing portion, so that the instrument body becomes large. In electronic musical instruments, etc., the distance between the key fulcrum and the key pressing part must be long in order to improve performance and improve performance while maintaining a constant key pressing force and stroke. The main body was large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and has a constant pressing force and a constant pressure at any position of a key pressing operation portion without increasing the shape in the key length direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard device for musical instruments that can be played with a keystroke.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a musical instrument keyboard device according to the present invention is characterized in that a fulcrum of a key depressing operation is formed such that a fulcrum portion of a key is at right angles to a longitudinal direction of the key and laterally to the key. It is characterized by being provided at a position deviated from the position.

In a preferred embodiment, the key has on its side a protruding arm member rotatably mounted on the fulcrum, and the arm member is rotatably attached to the key. Features.

In another preferred embodiment, the key has, on a side surface thereof, an arm member rotatably mounted on the fulcrum portion, the arm member having a fulcrum side as an upper bottom and having a key. It is characterized in that it has a substantially trapezoidal shape with the bottom at the side.

In a further preferred embodiment, the end of the arm member on the fulcrum side has a predetermined length in a direction parallel to the key lengthwise direction.

In the present invention, further, a supporting member,
It is composed of a plurality of long key bodies supported by the support member, and the support member-side support portion and the key-side fulcrum portion which are arranged at predetermined distances on the short side of each key body. Each key rotation support portion, each arm member for bridging the key-side fulcrum portion and the key body, each key body return means, and upper and lower stopper members for the key body provided on the support member. In addition, the present invention provides a musical instrument keyboard device, wherein each of the arm members is connected to a key obliquely to the short direction.

[0010]

Since the pivot point of the key is located at a position off the key to the side of the key in the key length direction, a constant pressing force and a constant pressure are applied at any position in the key length direction. A keystroke can be obtained.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of key bodies 1 (hereinafter referred to as keys 1; a white key is shown in the figure) are arranged side by side on a key frame (support member) 2 (only one key is shown in the figure). Key frame 2
At the top, key guides 3 are provided at two places at both ends in the key length direction corresponding to each key. A slide guide portion (not shown) is formed integrally on the inner side of the key 1 so as to slide along the key guide 3, and the key 1 slides along the key guide 3 when the key is pressed. When the guide portion is guided, it swings substantially up and down as indicated by arrow A.

The key 1 has a substantially trapezoidal arm 4 protruding from a side surface thereof. The arm 4 is a molded product made of the same hard plastic material as the key 1, and is integrally molded with the key 1 by a mold. When the arm and the key are integrally formed using a mold, the shape of the arm portion is the same even if the shape of each key is slightly different (for example, the C key and the D key are different). By exchanging, each key can be molded using substantially the same mold.

The shape of the arm 4 is a trapezoid having both hypotenuse members 5 and 5 narrowing outward with the protruding end 6 as the upper base and the key side as the lower base. The two oblique members 5, 5 of the trapezoidal arm 4 are formed obliquely and slightly downward from the side of the key 1 toward the outside. By forming the trapezoidal arms 4 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 2, when a plurality of keys are arranged side by side, the arms 4 protruding from the side surfaces of the keys do not interfere with the adjacent keys. Each key is sequentially arranged in parallel under the lower side. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a white key, 9 denotes a black key, and 10 denotes an arrangement position of a felt material for upper and lower stoppers of the key.

The protruding end 6 of the arm 4 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the key 1 and has a predetermined length, and serves as a rotation shaft portion of the arm 4. The end 6 of the arm serving as the rotation support shaft is
It is rotatably mounted on a fulcrum member 7 provided on the key frame 2 with the rotation axis being C. Reference numeral 4a denotes an arm of an adjacent key (not shown). Below each of the oblique members 5, 5 of each arm 4, a leaf spring 8 for key depression return is provided. The strength of the leaf spring 8 is appropriately determined according to the arm length L of the arm 4. One end of each leaf spring 8 is connected to the arm 4
Is held by a locking projection 5a protruding below the hypotenuse member 5, and the other end is cut and raised by the key frame 2 (not shown).
It is locked by the locking piece formed by.

In such a configuration, when the key 1 is pressed, the arm 4 made of a rigid material integral with the key 1 rotates around the rotation axis C in the fulcrum member 7 and swings downward against the leaf spring 8. Then, a key pressing operation is performed. Release the pressing force and key 1
Is pivoted upward by the return force of the leaf spring 8 to perform a key press return operation. In this way, each key 1 is turned up and down along the respective key guides 3 around the rotation axis C at the position of the fulcrum member 7 provided on the short side as shown by the arrow A, and the key is pushed and pressed. A key press recovery operation is performed.

In such a key pressing operation, the arm 4
Is a rigid member made of hard plastic or the like, and the end 6 on the rotation axis side has a predetermined length in a direction parallel to the key length direction. However, the key does not tilt in the longitudinal direction and swings up and down so as to be in the same stroke at each position while maintaining a substantially horizontal posture. Further, since the distance L from the rotation axis C does not change at any position on the key 1 along the longitudinal direction, the key pressing force is constant even if any part is pressed. Therefore, there is no difference in the degree of key pressing depending on the key pressing operation position, and the performance can be always performed with a constant pressing force and key pressing stroke, and extremely excellent performance operability can be obtained.

The rotating shaft side end 6 of the arm 4 need not be parallel to the key length direction as long as it has a predetermined length sufficient to prevent swinging in the rotating shaft direction.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the keyboard device shown in FIG.
As described above, a plurality of keys 1 are arranged in parallel on the key frame 2, and the arm 4 is provided on the short side surface of each key 1. Each key 1 has a key top 11 as a key pressing operation unit and a slide guide unit 12 below the key top 11. A key guide 19 (FIG. 4) is provided upright on the key frame 2 side corresponding to the slide guide portion 12. When the slide guide portion 12 of the key 1 slides along the key guide 19, the key 1
Performs a key press swinging operation up and down as indicated by arrow A. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft piece 1 is further outwardly provided from the end 6 of the arm 4.
8, the rotary shaft piece 18 is received by the fulcrum member 7 fixed on the key frame 2 and held rotatably. The arm 4 is formed in a trapezoidal shape as described above, and a locking projection 15 is formed below each oblique side portion. The key press return spring 14
The locking projection 15 and the cut-and-raised piece 13 on the key frame 2 side
Interposed between

The key frame 2 is provided with an upper limit stopper 16 and a lower limit stopper 17 made of felt material. Corresponding to these stoppers 16 and 17, a stopper locking portion 23 is formed at the lower end of the slide guide portion 12 of the key 1, and the slide guide portion 12 is substantially L-shaped. As shown by the arrow B in FIG. 3, when a certain key 1b is pressed, the lower surface of the stopper locking portion 23 (FIG. 4) at the lower end of the slide guide portion 12 comes into contact with the lower limit stopper 17 at the end of the key pressing stroke. The key depression movement 1 stops. When the pressing force is released, the key 1 is raised by the action of the leaf spring 14, and the upper surface of the L-shaped protrusion of the stopper locking portion 23 is
And the key 1 return operation stops.

The distance d (FIG. 4) between the lower surface of the key top 11 of the key 1 and the upper surface of the arm 4 is equal to or longer than the full key pressing stroke so as not to hinder the key pressing operation of the adjacent key. Keep the distance. The operational effects of the keyboard device having such a configuration are as described above with reference to FIGS.
Although two key guides (3 in FIG. 1 and 19 in FIG. 4) are provided along the key length direction, only one key guide may be provided.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of a keyboard device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the arm 4 projecting laterally from the key 1 is hinged to the key 1. In the illustrated example, a hinge projection 25 is provided on the side surface of the key 1, and the end 24 of each hypotenuse member 5 of the arm 4 is rotatably mounted on the hinge projection 25. With such a configuration, when the key 1 is pressed, the key 1 moves up and down completely in the vertical direction along the key guide (not shown) as shown by the arrow B while keeping the upper surface horizontal.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part of a keyboard device according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the main part. In this embodiment, an arm member (arm) 4 ′ projecting laterally in the short direction of the key 1 is configured such that the oblique member 5 of the arm 4 in FIG. It is a combination. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. With the above configuration, the arm member does not need to be trapezoidal, and the configuration is simplified. In this embodiment, it is desirable to increase the width of the arm member, but it is sufficient that the arm member can withstand the key pressing force, and the torsion between the key and the fulcrum member due to the strong key pressing force is almost 1 mm at the end portion. no problem. Even in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the same key structures can be juxtaposed to the extent that each key is slightly different only in each key body. Therefore, most key molds can be used in common.

In the embodiment described above, the arm 4 is
Strictly speaking, the key moves up and down along an arc centered on the fulcrum of the arm by the key pressing operation (actually, the key pressing stroke is smaller than the arm length of the arm). Therefore, it is almost vertical movement in the sense of performance). Therefore, in order to eliminate such a feeling of strangeness in playing due to the arc motion, a certain arm length is required in the case of an integrally connected arm structure. In this regard, if the arm structure of the hinge connection shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 is used, complete vertical movement can be achieved even if the arm arm length is short.
Regardless of the length of the arm, virtually the same playing feeling as when the length from the key to the fulcrum is infinite is obtained, and the performance operability is even better than a piano etc. with a large length to the fulcrum. can get.

[0024]

As described above, in the musical instrument keyboard device according to the present invention, the pivot point of the key depressing operation is not extended in the key length direction, and is disengaged from the key in the key arrangement direction. Position, the same stroke can be obtained with exactly the same pressing force at any position in the key length direction, and when performing various chords or using various performance techniques, a finger presses any position on the key. Even if the strokes are the same, the performance can be performed with exactly the same feeling, the performance operability is improved, the performance feeling is improved, and a comfortable performance can be enjoyed.

Further, it is not necessary to increase the length of the key in order to take a sufficient stroke on the back side of the key in the key length direction as in the prior art, and the key operation section is shortened while a sufficient stroke is secured. The size of the musical instrument body can be reduced. In particular, in the case of an electronic musical instrument, it is possible to cope with a demand for shortening the key length direction to achieve good performance operability and downsizing. In this case, the length of the arm in the lateral direction of the key is longer than that of the conventional case, but since the arm is provided below the key disposition surface and on the support member, the arm is provided above the arm and on the panel. Parts such as a tone control wheel and other operation switches can be disposed on the surface for effective use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a musical instrument keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a layout of a musical instrument keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device for a musical instrument according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device for a musical instrument according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a side.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of a keyboard device for a musical instrument according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part of a keyboard device for a musical instrument according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a main part of a keyboard device for a musical instrument according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: key, 2: key frame (supporting member), 3: key guide, 4: arm, 5: oblique member of trapezoidal arm,
6: end forming the upper base of the trapezoidal arm, 7: fulcrum member, 8: leaf spring for return.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G10B 3/12 G10B 3/14 G10C 3/12

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A keyboard device for a musical instrument, wherein a key rotation fulcrum portion is provided at a position deviated from a key to a side of the key at right angles to a longitudinal direction of the key. 2. The key according to claim 1, wherein an arm member rotatably mounted on the fulcrum portion projects from a side surface of the key, and the arm member is rotatably attached to the key. Item 2. A keyboard device for a musical instrument according to Item 1. 3. The key has, on its side surface, an arm member rotatably mounted on the fulcrum portion, and the arm member has a fulcrum side as an upper bottom and a key side as a lower bottom. The musical instrument keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the musical instrument keyboard device has a substantially trapezoidal shape. 4. The musical instrument keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein an end of the arm member on the fulcrum side has a predetermined length in a direction parallel to a key lengthwise direction. 5. A support member, a plurality of long key bodies supported by the support member, and the support member-side support portion disposed at a predetermined distance from the short side of each key body. Key rotation support portions each including a key-side fulcrum portion; arm members for bridging the key-side fulcrum portion and the key body; key body return means; and a key body provided on the support member And an upper and lower stopper body, wherein each of the arm members is connected to the key obliquely to the short direction.