JPH06110450A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the keyboard device which prevents a key switch ox a key frame from being deformed with an external force when the key is fitted to the key frame. CONSTITUTION:The keyboard device equipped with the key supported on the key support part of the key frame 8 rotatably on a fulcrum part, a key guide part 11 which is fixed to the key frame 8 and guides the key 1 when the key is pressed, and the key switch 10 having a swell part consisting of an elastic body which is driven by the depression of the key and fitted to the key frame is provided with an assembly guide piece 12 which prevents a key-side member 6 from coming into contact with the key switch 10 on the key frame 8 when the key 1 is incorporated in the key frame 8.

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 an electronic piano or other electronic musical instrument having a keyboard, and more particularly to an improvement for improving workability in manufacturing and assembling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A keyboard device for an electronic musical instrument rotatably supports a key with respect to a key frame as a support member for supporting a key and a key switch fixed to a musical instrument body, and each key is mounted on the key frame. The key switch is provided in correspondence with the above, and the key switch is driven by a key pressing operation to obtain a key-on signal or the like.

FIG. 21 shows the configuration of a conventional keyboard device. The key (white key) 1 is a protrusion 7 protruding downward from the support portion 2 at the rear end.
It is assembled by inserting the protrusion 7 into the hole 9 of the key frame 8. A key guide 11 is provided at the front end of the key frame to prevent the key from swinging or twisting when the key is pressed. The key guide 11 is formed by bending the tip of a strip-shaped key frame 8 made of, for example, a metal plate, and resin-molding the bent key frame 8 so as to cover the bent portion, or integrally forming a resin having the above-mentioned shape. Only one is coated with a soft resin. A key switch 10 is provided on the key frame 8 for each key. This key switch 10
Includes a bulging member made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is pressed and deformed by the actuator 6 on the key 1 side when the key is pressed to turn on the internal contact.

The key 1 has a key guide 11 of a key frame 8.
A guided member 4 that is guided by and slides is provided integrally with the key 1. A locking piece 5 for forming an upper limit stopper of the key 1 is formed at the lower end of the guided member 4 so as to come into contact with the key guide 11 when the key is restored. 3 is a black key.

When the key 1 is assembled to the key frame 8, the projection 7 on the key 1 side is placed on the key frame 8 and is horizontally slid while the guided member 4 is mounted on the key guide 11 and the projection 7 is bored. It is assembled by inserting it inside 9.

[0006]

However, when assembling the conventional keyboard device, the ceiling surface of the key 1 side and the actuator 6 are assembled by abutting the key switch 10 on the key frame 8 from the horizontal direction. In some cases, the key switch 10 is fixed in a deformed state and does not work properly as a switch, which may cause a functional problem. In order to suppress such deformation due to the force from the horizontal direction at the time of assembly, conventionally, it has been necessary to increase the rubber thickness of the key switch 10 or increase the hardness thereof. Further, the key switch 10 needs to be firmly fixed to the key frame 8.

However, as described above, the key switch 10
If the rubber thickness is increased or the rubber is hardened, there is a problem that the feeling of pressing the key is deteriorated. Further, in order to firmly fix the key switch, there is a problem that the number of fixing parts and the number of steps must be increased. Furthermore, the operator must attach the key to the key frame with great care so that the key side member does not hit the key switch during assembly.
Therefore, the assembly work requires a lot of time and labor.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. When the key is attached to the key frame,
An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device in which a key switch on a key frame is prevented from being deformed by an external force.

[0009]

To achieve the above object, in the keyboard apparatus according to the present invention, a key rotatably supported via a fulcrum portion of a supporting member; driven by pressing the key. A key switch having a bulging portion made of an elastic body attached to the support member; and an abutted portion provided on the support member, when the key is assembled to the support member. In order to prevent the key side actuator member from coming into contact with the key switch on the supporting member, contact preventing means for contacting the contacted portion is provided.

The contact preventing means is constituted by, for example, an assembling guide member which is provided continuously with or separately from the actuator provided on the key so as to project from the ceiling surface of the key.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention further includes: a supporting member; a key rotatably supported with respect to the supporting member; and a supporting member for detecting a key pressing operation of the key. A key switch provided on the key device; and an actuator portion provided on the key side for pressing and driving the key switch, in an operation immediately before completion of assembly when the key is mounted on a support member, Provided is vertical assembly guide means for restricting the lateral movement of the actuator part with respect to the key switch and mounting it from the vertical direction, and guiding the key itself as the key moves in the mounting direction on the support member. The guide means is provided with a taper portion for keeping the key switch and the actuator portion facing the key switch at substantially the same position during the key mounting operation.

In a preferred embodiment, in a keyboard structure of an electronic musical instrument in which a key assembly having a common base end portion of a plurality of keys is fixed to a base member (a musical instrument body, a frame, a substrate or a case), the musical instrument is attached to the common base end portion. A ridge guide portion (vertical guide means) having a taper portion provided on the side projecting inward (downward) and facing the upper limit stopper piece of the key, and a key provided intermediate the guide portion and the stopper piece. A switch driving actuator part is provided in a key assembly, and a guide hole for inserting the ridge guide part to hold the key assembly in the base member, and the actuator at the time of assembling the base member and the key assembly. The base member is provided with a key switch having a bulge portion provided at a position facing each other, and the key stopper piece is abutted against the corresponding stopper portion of the base member. Alternatively, the key assembly is rotated around the stopper portion as a substantial axis while approaching, and at this time, the outer edge of the taper portion of the ridge guide portion is formed to be substantially equidistant from the axis, and the outer edge of the taper portion is formed as described above. The common proximal end portion of the key assembly is slid along the edge portion of the guide hole so that the common proximal end portion is dropped into the base member and fitted therein.

[0013]

[Function] When the key is assembled, it functions as a contact prevention means,
For example, when the assembly guide member protruding from the key side abuts on the abutted portion on the key frame side, the actuator protruding from the ceiling surface of the key is deformed by hitting the key switch when the key is moved horizontally. Prevent it from being fixed.

When the key (key assembly) is mounted on the key frame, the key is assembled to the key frame by a combination of horizontal movement, vertical movement and rotation movement. In another embodiment of the present invention, immediately before the completion of the assembling, the outer edge of the vertical guide member (the outer edge of the taper portion) is slidably brought down to the edge of the hole (guide hole) on the key frame side. As a result, the actuator portion on the key side descends substantially downward from a position substantially vertically above the key switch on the support member side, and a lateral external force is not applied to the key switch.

[0015]

1 shows the construction of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This keyboard device has, for example, a plurality of parallel black key blocks (for example, 5 keys for one octave), a plurality of parallel white key blocks of one skip, and a plurality of parallel white key blocks of one skip. The common base ends 2, 2 ', 2 "of the key block are stacked in three layers. The key (white key) 1 is located below the common base end 2", which is the rear end support. Has a protrusion 7 protruding from the key frame 8
It is assembled by inserting it into the hole 9 of. A key guide 11 is provided at the front end portion of the key frame 8 for preventing the key 1 from swinging or twisting when a key is pressed. This key guide 11
For example, a strip-shaped key frame 8 made of a metal plate is bent at its tip, and the bent portion is covered with resin molding (outsert molding), or the above-mentioned shape is integrally formed with resin, and only the key contact portion is formed. Is coated with a soft resin. A key switch 10 is provided on the key frame 8 for each key. The key switch 10 includes a bulging portion made of an elastic material such as rubber, is deformed by being pressed by the actuator 6 on the key 1 side when the key is pressed, and comes into contact with a fixed contact facing the movable contact on the inner lower surface of the bulging portion. Turn on the contact. The key switch 10 may have a structure in which the bulged portion is provided on a printed circuit board disposed below the key frame 8 and the tip of the bulge portion projects through the through hole of the key frame 8 onto the key frame 8. .

The key 1 has a key guide 11 of a key frame 8.
A guided member 4 that is guided by and slides is provided integrally with the key 1. A locking piece 5 for forming an upper limit stopper of the key 1 is formed at the lower end of the guided member 4 so as to come into contact with the key guide 11 when the key is restored. 3 is a black key.

An example of the structure of the key guide 11 is shown in FIG. The key guide 11 is composed of an upper and lower guide member 14 having both side surfaces as guide surfaces and a stopper member 15.
The stopper member 15 may be formed continuously and integrally with a plurality of parallel keys. Alternatively, the key guide 11 may be molded separately from the key frame 8, and after molding, the tip of the key frame may be inserted into the groove 15a of the stopper member 15 to be assembled. Inclined surfaces 16 are formed at both lower ends of the upper and lower guide members 14 to facilitate the guiding operation and the mounting of the guided member 4 during assembly.

The guided member 4 on the key 1 side is mounted with the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11 sandwiched from both sides. The locking piece 5 at the lower end of the guided member 4 is
As shown in FIG. 2B, a taper 13 is formed at the tip of the taper 13. By providing such a taper 13,
A smooth mounting operation is achieved when the locking piece 5 is mounted by pushing it toward the upper and lower guide members 14 during assembly work.

Another configuration example of the key guide 11 is shown in FIG.
Shown in. In this example, the taper 17 is formed along the lower edge of the stopper member 15. In this case, the locking piece 5 on the guided member 4 side has a taper 1 as shown in FIG.
3 (FIG. 2 (B)) may not be provided. Further, if the taper 13 is further provided, smoothening of the mounting of the key can be achieved. By providing the taper 17 on the stopper member 15, a smooth mounting operation can be achieved when the locking piece 5 is mounted by being pushed toward the stopper member 15 during assembly work.

An assembly guide piece 12 is formed continuously with the rib of the actuator 6 protruding from the ceiling surface of the key 1. Details of the assembly guide piece 12 are shown in FIG. Figure 4
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside by partially turning the white key 1 upside down. FIG. 4A shows an example in which only one lateral rib of the actuator 6 is provided, and FIG. 4B shows an example in which two lateral ribs are provided. In any case, the ribs in the vertical direction are extended to form the assembly guide piece 12. As will be described later, the assembly guide piece 12 is used for the key guide 11 of the key frame 8 during the assembly work for assembling the key 1 to the key frame 8.
Is provided at a position where it abuts on the upper end of the. Such an assembly guide piece 12 has no function as an actuator for pressing the key switch 10, but has only a function as a guide member during assembly.

An example of a method of assembling the above keyboard device is shown in order in FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the protrusion 7 on the key 1 side is placed near the position of the hole of the key frame 8 (shown by the alternate long and short dash line). At this time, the locking piece 5 of the guided member 4 is above the stopper member 15 of the key guide 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the key 1 is pushed down with the projection 7 as a fulcrum. At this time, the front end of the locking piece 5 moves slightly forward (right side in the drawing) from the position shown in (A), and slides down along the front surface of the stopper member 15 of the key guide 11.

When the key 1 is further lowered, the upper surface of the locking piece 5 reaches the position of the lower surface of the stopper member 15, as shown in FIG. At this time, the assembly guide piece 12 contacts the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11. At this time, the actuator 6 is located above the upper surface of the key switch 10 and apart from it. Therefore, the actuator 6 does not come into contact with the key switch 10 at this stage.

With the assembly guide piece 12 in contact with the tops of the upper and lower guide pieces 14 of the key guide 11, the key 1 is shifted rearward (left side in the drawing). As a result, the protrusion 7 is fitted into the hole of the key frame 8 as shown in FIG. At this time, the locking piece 5 of the guided member 4 is in contact with the lower surface of the stopper member 15. This position is the upper limit position of the key pressing return operation, and the stopper member 15 constitutes the upper limit stopper means of the key 1 together with the locking piece 5. Also,
In this state, the assembly guide piece 12 is at a position separated from the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11, and does not prevent the key 1 from being depressed. When the key 1 is pressed, the actuator 6 presses and deforms the key switch 10 to drive the switch.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the method of assembling the keyboard device having the above structure. The protrusion 7 of the key 1 is placed at a position (a position where the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11 are in contact with the ceiling surface of the key 1) separated from the position of the hole of the key frame 8 (dashed line). From this state, the ceiling surface of the key 1 is moved to the upper and lower guide members 1
While sliding on the top of No. 4, it is moved to the rear (left side of the figure). Here, as shown in FIG.
In the state in which the root reaches the root of the longitudinal rib of the actuator 6, the distance L from the protrusion 7 to the hole is
Stopper member 1 with which the locking piece 5 abuts
It is equal to the distance up to 5. That is, the key 1 is the actuator 6
Since the upper and lower guide members 14 contact the rib of
Only slide horizontally.

From the state shown in FIG. 3A, the key 1 is moved to the left while sliding the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 along the ribs of the actuator 6. As a result, the key 1 moves to the left while being lifted upwards, the top of the upper and lower guide members 14 reaches the top of the rib, and further moves,
As shown in (B), the top of the upper and lower guide members 14 reaches the position of the assembly guide piece 12.

If the key 1 is further moved to the left, the same state as that shown in FIG.
The key 1 is attached to the key frame 8 as shown in (D).

When the assembling method of FIG. 6 is performed, since the key 1 is moved in the horizontal direction while sliding the upper and lower guide members 14 along the rib of the actuator, the vertical rib of the actuator 6 is It is necessary not to be vertical or steep, but to be inclined at a moderate angle above a certain level.

FIG. 7 shows the construction of a keyboard device according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that an assembly guide rib 18 is provided at a position apart from the actuator 6 instead of the assembly guide piece 12 described above.

FIG. 8 shows an assembling method of the second embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the protrusion 7 on the key 1 side is placed near the position of the hole of the key frame 8 (shown by the alternate long and short dash line). At this time, the locking piece 5 of the guided member 4 is above the stopper member 15 of the key guide 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the key 1 is pushed down using the projection 7 as a fulcrum. At this time, the front end of the locking piece 5 moves slightly forward (right side in the drawing) from the position shown in (A), and slides down along the front surface of the stopper member 15 of the key guide 11.

When the key 1 is further lowered, the upper surface of the locking piece 5 reaches the position of the lower surface of the stopper member 15, as shown in FIG. At this time, the assembly guide rib 18 contacts the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11. At this time, the actuator 6 is located above the upper surface of the key switch 10 and apart from it. Therefore, at this stage, the actuator 6
Does not come into contact with the key switch 10.

The assembly guide rib 18 is the key guide 11
The key 1 is slid rearward (on the left side in the drawing) while being in contact with the tops of the upper and lower guide pieces 14. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 7 is fitted into the hole of the key frame 8 to complete the assembly. At this time, the locking piece 5 of the guided member 4 is in contact with the lower surface of the stopper member 15. This position is the upper limit position of the key pressing return operation, and the stopper member 15 is the locking piece 5
Together with this, it constitutes the upper limit stopper means of the key 1. Further, in this state, the assembly guide rib 18 is located at a position separated from the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11, and does not hinder the key depression lowering operation of the key 1. When the key 1 is pressed, the actuator 6 presses and deforms the key switch 10 to drive the switch.

FIG. 9 shows another example of the method of assembling the keyboard device according to the second embodiment. The protrusion 7 of the key 1 is placed at a position (a position where the upper and lower guide members 14 of the key guide 11 are in contact with the ceiling surface of the key 1) separated from the position of the hole of the key frame 8 (dashed line). From this state, the ceiling surface of the key 1 is slidably brought into contact with the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 and moved to the rear (left side in the drawing). Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the upper and lower guide members 14 reach the roots of the vertical ribs of the assembly guide ribs 18, the actuator 6 is operated by the key switch 10.
The key switch 10 is located at a position away from the key switch 10.

From the state shown in FIG. 6A, the key 1 is further moved leftward along the assembly guide rib 18 while the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 are in sliding contact. As a result, (B)
As shown in the figure, the key 1 moves to the left while being lifted up.

When the key 1 is further moved to the left, the tops of the upper and lower guide members 14 reach the tops of the assembly guide ribs 18,
The same state as in FIG. 8C is obtained. After that, the key 1 is attached to the key frame 8 as shown in FIG.

When the assembly method of FIG. 9 is performed, the key 1 is moved in the horizontal direction while sliding the upper and lower guide members 14 along the assembly guide ribs. It is necessary not to be vertical or steep, but to be inclined at a moderate angle above a certain level.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the upper and lower guide members 14 are the assembly guide pieces 12 or the assembly guide ribs 1.
However, when the upper and lower guide members are provided at other positions in the longitudinal direction of the key, the assembly guide piece 12 or the assembly guide rib 18 as the abutted portion is provided at the position of the upper and lower guide members 14. It is also possible to provide a dedicated projecting piece that comes into contact with.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is composed of two white key blocks in which a plurality of white keys are arranged in parallel and a plurality of black keys as in the above-described embodiment.
A black key block 21 and a white key block are shown in the figure as a key assembly in which the positions of the keys of the blocks are shifted so that the keys are parallel to each other and the keys are arranged in parallel. Shown as 22,23. In the figure, only one white key 1 and one black key 3 appear to be shown, but the keys are overlapped in the key arrangement direction.

Similar to the above-described embodiment, the actuator 6 on the key block side and the key switch 1 on the key frame side at the time of assembly.
An assembly guide piece 12 for preventing contact with 0 is provided. 20 is a rib for lateral reinforcement (FIG. 4).
(See (A)). A key pressing guide member (upper and lower guide member) 14 for guiding the key 1 in the vertical direction (key pressing direction) at the time of key pressing is provided at the tip of the key frame 8, and an upper limit stopper is provided at this position on the key 1 side. A (locking piece) 5 is provided.

In this embodiment, a hollow cylindrical boss 24 (projection 7 in the above embodiment) protruding toward the key frame 8 (lower side) is provided at the common base end of the white key block 23 at the bottom of the key assembly.
And a vertical assembly guide member 25 having a tapered outer edge with a narrow root extending toward the tip (downward) along the long axis direction of the boss (projection) 24. As will be described later, the vertical assembly guide member 25 is assembled such that when the key assemblies 21, 22, 23 are mounted on the key frame 8, the actuator 6 descends from above the key switch 10 in a substantially vertical direction. Key switch 10
A guide means for preventing external force in the horizontal direction from being applied.

More specifically, as described in the above embodiment, when the key 1 (or the key assembly) is mounted on the key frame 8, the horizontal movement, the vertical movement, and the rotation movement are combined to finally obtain the key. The assembly is completed by fitting the protrusion 7 of the fulcrum portion at the side tip into the hole 9 (FIG. 1) on the key frame side (see FIGS. 5 to 9). The reason why such complicated movements are combined is that since the upper limit stopper 5 on the key side is bent and arranged below the key frame 8, the protrusion 7 on the key side is simply inserted into the hole 9 on the key frame 8 side. This is because it cannot be inserted vertically into. In this case, as described above, the protrusion 7 that is the operation immediately before the completion of the assembly
Before the operation of dropping the key into the hole 9 of the key frame 8, the actuator 6 on the key side is positioned right above the key switch 10, and until the position is reached, the horizontal assembly guide means (the assembly guide piece 12 or the assembly guide piece 12 is assembled). Due to the action of the guide rib 18), the actuator 6 does not come into contact with the key switch 10. As a result, the action of an external force in the lateral direction on the key switch 10 during key assembly is prevented, and the reliability of the switch function after assembly is improved.

However, the operation of inserting the protrusion 7 on the key side into the hole 9 on the key frame side, which is the final assembly operation, is performed with the upper limit stopper 5 on the key side arranged below the key pressing guide 14 on the key frame side. Then, the key is rotated with the upper limit stopper portion as the center of rotation to insert the protrusion 7 into the hole 9. At this time, the side surface of the protrusion 7 descends while slidingly contacting the edge of the hole 9, so that as the protrusion 7 enters the hole 9, the key is pulled toward the hole side to cause a lateral (horizontal) movement. For this reason, the actuator 6 on the key side finally applies a slight horizontal external force to the key switch 10 on the key frame 8.

In this embodiment, in the operation of inserting the protrusion on the key side into the hole on the key frame side at the final stage of assembly, the actuator 6 descends substantially vertically from above the key switch and moves laterally to the key switch. By preventing the external force in the direction from being applied, the reliability of the function of the key switch is further enhanced.

That is, the boss 24 provided on the key block 23 in this embodiment has a vertically-assembled vertical assembly guide member 25 that spreads downward, and the tapered edge portion is the edge of the hole 30 provided on the key frame side. The boss 24 is lowered while slidingly contacting 30 '. In this case, the tapered shape is such that the key block 23 is rotated about the upper limit stopper portion as a rotation fulcrum with the tapered portion 13 of the upper limit stopper 5 of the key block being positioned below the key pressing guide 14 of the key frame 8. When it is made, the root portion is tapered so that the distance is equal from this rotation fulcrum (strictly, it is a part of an arc). By inserting the boss 24 into the hole of the key frame 8 along the tapered edge portion having such a shape, the tapered edge portion is formed so as to have a substantially equal distance from the rotation center. Even if 24 enters the hole, the force for pulling the key block 23 in the hole direction is not generated. Therefore, the actuator 6 on the key block side is lowered substantially vertically from above with respect to the key switch 10 on the key frame 8, and no lateral force is applied to the key switch 10 during this lowering operation.

FIG. 11 shows the vertical assembly guide member 2 described above.
5 is a perspective view of a boss 24 for showing an example of the shape of No. 5 as viewed from below. FIG. 1A shows an assembly guide member 25 made of a rib-shaped thin plate member, and its lower end portion (upper end portion in the figure) 25.
As will be described later, a is projected from the end of the boss 24 in order to guide the boss 24 in the horizontal direction to the hole position before being inserted into the hole. As will be described later, the lower end portion 25a is slid while being fitted in the hole 29 of FIG. 14 and 15 as a guide. Reference numeral 25b is an auxiliary piece for widening the taper guide surface for reliable guide operation and for smooth horizontal guide operation described later. The auxiliary piece 25b may be provided along substantially the entire length of the tapered edge portion.

FIG. 6B shows an example in which a thick taper member having a substantially oval cross section is formed outside the boss 24. The basic operation and effect are the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 shows the vertical assembly guide member 2 described above.
An example of use of the boss 24 having 5 is shown. This example shows a configuration used as a key fixing means for the lower case 26 that constitutes the musical instrument body. A tapping screw 27 is screwed into a hollow hole of a boss 24 forming a cylinder via a lower case, and the key frame 8 is fixed to the lower case 26.

FIG. 13 shows the vertical assembly guide member 2 described above.
5 shows another example of use of the boss 24 having the number 5. In this example, a printed circuit board 28 on which an electronic circuit for controlling electronic sounds of a musical instrument is mounted is fixed below the key frame 8, and the printed circuit board 2
It is a structure in which the lower case 26 is fixed via 8 Therefore, the tapping screw 27 is connected to the boss 2 via the printed circuit board 28.
4 is screwed to fix the lower case 26 and the key frame 8 to each other. The hollow hole of the boss 24 may be screwed to only the substrate with a screw.

FIG. 14 shows a hole 30 formed on the key frame 8 side through which the vertical assembly guide member 25 according to the embodiment of the present invention is inserted. A guide groove 29 for guiding the boss 24 on the key block side to slide horizontally on the key frame 8 and guide the hole 30 is formed in the hole 30 when the key block and the key frame are assembled and coupled. . The guide groove 29 may be formed so as to penetrate the key frame 8 similarly to the hole 30, or may be formed as a recess on the key frame 8 by pressing or the like.

The lower end portion 25a of the vertical assembly guide member 25 of the boss 24 is fitted into the guide groove 29 and guided in the horizontal direction according to the assembling operation to guide the boss 24 into the hole 30.
At this time, the width of the guide groove 29 is formed such that the width D1 of the starting end portion is wider than the width D2 of the ending end portion. With such a shape, when the boss 24 is mounted, first, the lower end portion of the taper outer edge of the vertical assembly guide member 25 is inserted into the guide groove 29 at a rough position, and the path is narrowed as it slides to accurately fit into the hole 30. The insertion operation of the boss 24 is facilitated. The width D3 of the hole 30 corresponds to the outer diameter of the boss 24.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of a modified example of the hole 30 formed in the key frame 8. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3B, a stop hole 32 is provided at the tip of the hole 30 at a right angle to the end of the hole 30, and the hole 30 is formed in a substantially L-shape. As shown in (A) of FIG.
The claws 31 formed on the black key block 21 at the uppermost stage of the key assemblies 21, 22, 23 are elastically locked so that the key assemblies 21, 22, 23
Is fixedly held in the key frame 8.

16 (A) to 17 (F), the white key block 2 provided with the vertical assembly guide member 25 described above.
3 is an operation explanatory view showing the states when 3 is attached to the key frame 8 in order. In this embodiment, a key assembly composed of three key blocks is attached to the key frame 8 at the same time as an assembly. , Assembly mounting operation and white key block 2
Since the operation of mounting only 3 is exactly the same, the description will be continued below for a single block for convenience of description.
In the figure, the two-dot chain line shows the position of the edge of the hole for inserting the boss formed in the key frame 8. First, as shown in FIG. 16 (A), the boss 24 is placed on the key frame 8 of the hole forming portion. From this state, the rear end of the taper member (vertical assembly guide member) 25 is advanced along the guide groove 29 (FIG. 14) described above and the boss 24 is slid to the position of the hole, as shown in FIG. Let FIG. 6C shows a state where the rear end of the taper member 25 reaches the edge of the hole (two-dot chain line). In this state, the actuator 6 on the key block 23 side is positioned almost directly above the key switch 10 on the key frame 8 side. As described above, until the actuator 6 reaches this position, the actuator 6 does not come into contact with the key switch 10 by the action of the horizontal assembly guide piece 12 continuously formed on the actuator 6.

From this state, the key block 23 is rotated around a position near the upper limit stopper 5 located below the key pressing guide 14 of the key frame 8 so that the boss 24 together with the taper member 25 is in the hole of the key frame 8. Drop it into. 17D, the lower end 25a of the taper member 25 slightly falls below the key frame 8, and the actuator 6 vertically descends from above the key switch 10 and abuts on the head of the key switch 10. Indicates the status. At this time, the key is pressed at the moment when the guide 14 also deeply enters from the end of the assembly guide piece 12 on the key side. After this state, the protrusion 61 of the actuator 6 stops fitting on the head of the key switch 10, and if the shock or vibration occurs when the actuator 6 descends, the actuator 6
The key switch 10 and the key switch 10 are not displaced. Also,
By this locking, the key itself also has a function of automatically balancing the position of the key switch 10 as the center position.
FIG. 6E shows a state in which the outer edge of the taper member 25 is slid on the edge of the hole while being dropped. In this state, the actuator 6 continues to descend almost vertically and pushes in the head of the key switch 10 made of an elastic body. (F) The figure shows the boss 24
The insertion completion state is shown, and the state where the base portion of the taper member 25 has entered the hole of the key frame 8 is shown. At this time, since the actuator 6 always descends from the vertical direction (switch driving direction) with respect to the key switch 10, no horizontal force is applied to the key switch 10, so that the key switch 10 made of an elastic body moves laterally. It will not be deformed by being biased by.

18 (A) to 19 (F), an operation for sequentially showing an assembled state of another configuration example of the key block 23 having the boss 24 with a tapered member according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention. FIG. This example is shown in FIG. 16 and FIG.
In the configuration of FIG. 7, the assembly guide ribs 18 formed separately from the actuator 6 are provided in place of the assembly guide pieces 12 formed continuously with the actuator 6. The function and effect of the assembly guide rib 18 are as described above with reference to FIGS. Regarding the operation of the taper member 25, in the initial state (Fig. (A)), the upper end of the key pressing guide 14 directly contacts the ceiling surface of the key 1, so that the key block 23 of the key block 23 is different from that in the state of Fig. 16 (A). Except that the inclination becomes steep, it is substantially the same as the case of the configuration of FIG. 16 and FIG. That is, the boss 24 is slid from the state of FIG. 7A to guide it to the hole position (FIGS. 7B and 7C), and when the rear end of the taper member 25 reaches the edge of the hole (D). (Fig.) As described above, the boss 24 is lowered while sliding the outer edge of the taper member 25 to the edge of the hole (Fig. E), and the mounting is completed (Fig. (F)). Thus, the boss structure having the vertical assembly guide member (taper member) 25 according to the present embodiment is
The actuator 6 provided on the inner surface of the white key as in this embodiment.
It can also be applied in combination with a horizontal assembly guide rib 18 having a separate structure.

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the key assembly according to the present invention. This figure shows two white key blocks 2
It is the perspective view which looked at 2 and 23 from the lower side. Each key block 2
A plurality of white keys 34 are integrally formed on the Nos. 2 and 23 so as to be rotatable by the elasticity of their roots. F key, E from the left in the figure
A key and a D key are illustrated. Projections 33 are formed at a plurality of locations on the key block 23, and recesses 37 are formed on the key block 22 in correspondence with the projections 33. Each protrusion 33
By fitting the keys into the recess 37, the key blocks 22 and 23 are assembled by stacking the keys 34 in parallel. Reference numeral 35 is a hole for positioning in the key arrangement direction, and the mating projection 36 is fitted therein. A rib 38 is integrally formed on the inner surface of the side wall of each recess 37 so as to project. By providing the ribs 38 integrally formed with the elastic material in this manner, when the protrusion 33 of the key block 23 is fitted into the recess 37 of the mating key block 22, the key block 22 is in a press-fitted state, both key blocks 22, 23 are reliably fixed and held. In FIG. 20, below the key block 22 (above as a keyboard device)
There is a black key block not shown in the figure. The common base end portion of this black key block is almost the same except that the key position is different, and is therefore omitted. The black key block is also provided with ribs 38. The same effect can be obtained by providing such ribs 38 on the outside of the protrusion 33.

[0057]

As described above, in the present invention, in order to prevent the key side member from hitting the key switch and applying external force from the side when the key and the key frame are assembled and coupled. Since the abutting prevention means (assembly guide piece 12, assembly guide rib 18) is provided, the assembly work can be achieved smoothly and reliably without deforming the key switch even if the operator does not pay special attention. Significantly improved.

Since it is not necessary to consider the external force applied to the key switch in the lateral direction, the movable contact (bulging portion) of the switch is never obliquely attached.
The reliability of the switch function is increased. Further, the rubber thickness can be reduced, so that the switch becomes soft and the feeling of key operation is improved. Further, it is not necessary to increase the fixing strength of the key switch, the fixing and reinforcing parts and man-hours can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in design is increased.

Further, by providing the taper member-shaped vertical assembly guide member 25, the actuator is guided so as to be mounted from the vertical direction to the key switch immediately before the completion of the assembly, so that the actuator can be mounted in the horizontal direction with respect to the key switch. The external force from is reliably prevented, and the reliability of the switch function after assembly is increased.

The operation and effect of the keyboard device according to the present invention is effective not only in the assembling work at the time of manufacturing but also in the attaching and detaching work of the key at the time of maintenance and inspection.
Further, the present invention is not only applied to a key assembly in which a plurality of key blocks in which a plurality of keys are arranged in parallel are stacked, but also to a structure in which each key is attached to a key frame. Applicable.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of a keyboard device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2A and 2B are configuration explanatory views of a key guide and a stopper locking piece of a keyboard device according to the present invention.

3A and 3B are configuration explanatory views of another example of the key guide and the stopper locking piece of the keyboard device according to the present invention.

4 (A) and (B) are partial perspective views showing respective different structural examples of a key assembly guide piece portion according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an assembling method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of another assembling method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an assembling method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of another assembling method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a configuration explanatory diagram of a keyboard device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

11A and 11B are perspective views showing another example of the vertical assembly guide member 25 used in the embodiment of FIG.

12 is an explanatory diagram of a usage example of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of another usage example of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a partial plan view of a key frame in the embodiment of FIG.

15A and 15B are a side view and a plan view, respectively, for explaining another example of the key frame in the embodiment of FIG.

16 (A) to 16 (C) are operation explanatory views sequentially showing the states of the assembling operation of the keyboard device to which the embodiment of FIG. 10 is applied.

17 (D) to (F) are operation explanatory diagrams sequentially showing operation states following the operation of FIG. 16.

18A to 18C are operation explanatory views sequentially showing the states of the assembling operation of another example of the keyboard device to which the embodiment of FIG. 10 is applied.

19 (D) to (F) are operation explanatory diagrams sequentially showing operation states following the operation of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a conventional keyboard device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1; white key, 2; support part, 4; guided member, 5; locking piece constituting upper limit stopper, 6; actuator, 8; key frame, 10; key switch, 11; key guide, 1
2; Assembly guide piece for horizontal movement, 13; Taper, 1
4; vertical guide member, 15; stopper member, 17; taper, 18; assembly guide ribs 21, 21 during horizontal movement
2, 23; key block, 24; hub consisting of cylindrical shaft, 2
5; Vertical assembly guide member having a taper-shaped outer edge portion.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A key rotatably supported via a fulcrum portion of a supporting member; a key switch having a bulging portion made of an elastic body attached to the supporting member driven by pressing of the key. A key device provided with the contact member provided on the support member, wherein the key side actuator member is prevented from coming into contact with a key switch on the support member when the key is assembled to the support member. For this reason, a keyboard device is provided with contact preventing means for contacting the contacted portion. 2. A support member; a key rotatably supported by the support member; a key switch provided on the support member for detecting a key pressing operation of the key; and a key switch. In a keyboard device including an actuator portion provided on the key side for pressing and driving, in an operation immediately before completion of assembly when the key is mounted on a support member, a lateral direction of the actuator portion with respect to the key switch is set. Vertical assembly guide means for restricting movement and mounting from the vertical direction is provided, and guides the key itself as the key moves to the supporting member in the mounting direction, and the key switch and the key switch facing the key switch. A keyboard device, wherein the guide means is provided with a taper portion for keeping the actuator portion at substantially the same position during a key mounting operation.