JPH10240261A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the operation efficiency and to lower the cost by relaxing the required precision of key mounting. SOLUTION: At the rear end of a common base end part 5, an elastic piece 6 is provided which has a claw 6a projected behind its lower end. A lower case rear part 20D is provided with front and rear rail parts 20f and 20g to overall width in a key array direction and also provided with holes 20e for a claw which is wider than the elastic piece 6 corresponding to elastic pieces 6. The rear end surface of the front rail part 20f abuts against the abutting surface 5c of the common base end part 5 at the time of key mounting and functions as a reference surface 20h for restricting the front-rear directional position of the key unit 1. At the end of the key mounting, the common base end part 5 is fitted between the front rail part 20f and rear rail part 20g and the elastic piece 6 is inserted into the claw hole 20e. By depression from the elastic piece 6, the abutting surface 5c is pressed against the reference surface 20h so that it can slide.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a keyboard device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a keyboard device with improved assemblability during manufacturing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a keyboard device used for a musical instrument having a keyboard such as an electronic piano is manufactured by separately manufacturing a key and a key support member such as a key frame, and attaching the key to the key support member. The keyboard device body is configured to be assembled. In such a keyboard device, generally, a key-pressing operation detecting means such as a key switch is attached to a key support member in correspondence with each key, and the key-pressing operation detecting means has an elastic bulging portion made of rubber or the like. The key is provided with an actuator for pressing the elastic bulging portion when the key is pressed, and a key-on signal is obtained by detecting a key-pressing operation by key-pressing operation detecting means.

In order for the key press operation detecting means to function properly, a key must be mounted at a position where the actuator appropriately abuts the elastic bulge. Therefore the first
In the conventional keyboard device (JP-A-6-110450), a guide member also serving as a guide for mounting a key is provided on the lower surface of a common base end of a key, and a hole corresponding to the guide member is provided in a key support. The key is temporarily positioned by piercing the member and inserting the guide member into the hole, and then the common base end of the key is fixed to the key support member with a screw or the like.

A second conventional keyboard device (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
In Japanese Patent No. 318076), one positioning pin protrudes from the lower surface of the common base end of the key for each key unit.
A hole corresponding to this pin is drilled in the key support member,
A rising portion that contacts the rear end of the common base end portion is provided on the key support member. Then, the key is positioned by holding the key at one point with the positioning pin and stopping the minute horizontal rotation of the key caused by the holding at the rising portion. And finally,
The common base end of the key is fixed to the key support member by screwing.

[0005]

However, since the key-pressing operation detecting means, the key supporting member, and the key are usually manufactured separately, not only a manufacturing error in a single unit but also a position in mounting each other. Due to the displacement, the actuator may not properly contact the elastic bulging portion. Further, when a plurality of key units are mounted on the keyboard device main body, a similar phenomenon may occur due to the influence of manufacturing errors or mounting errors of other key units.

Even if such various errors occur, if the lower surface of the actuator is formed flat and has a sufficient length in the longitudinal direction of the key, the errors can be absorbed to some extent in the longitudinal direction of the key. The actuator can be brought into contact with the elastic bulging portion in an appropriate range. However, regarding the key arrangement direction, the key width is restricted, so that the error that can be absorbed is limited to a very small amount. If the error cannot be finally absorbed, the key (key unit) is determined to be defective, and there is a problem that not only the work efficiency is reduced due to re-attachment but also the cost is increased due to the deterioration of the key yield. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a keyboard device capable of relaxing the required accuracy in mounting a key, improving work efficiency and reducing costs. It is in.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard apparatus comprising: a key body to be depressed; a key comprising a hinge and a base end; a key support member; ,
The key is fixedly placed on the key support member via the base end of the key, and the key is mounted on the key support member so as to be movable in the key arrangement direction by moving the base end. And a movable mounting means.

Specifically, the movable mounting means includes a vertical position restricting means for restricting a vertical position of the key;
It is desirable to provide a longitudinal position regulating means for regulating the longitudinal position of the key. The longitudinal position regulating means is provided on the key support member along a direction in which the keys are arranged, a reference surface serving as a reference for a longitudinal position of the key, and a reference surface provided on the key. It is desirable to provide a contact surface facing the reference surface during the mounting operation on the key support member. Further, it is preferable that the longitudinal position regulating means includes a pressing means for slidably pressing the contact surface against the reference surface. Further, a guide member for guiding the key to a position where the key is mounted on the key support member by the movable mounting means may be provided.

According to the keyboard device of the first aspect, the key is fixedly mounted on the key support member via the base end of the key by the movable mounting means, and the key is moved by the movement of the base end. Thus, the key is mounted on the key support member so as to be movable in the direction in which the keys are arranged. Therefore, the key can be freely moved in the key arrangement direction as the base end is moved in the key arrangement direction, and a manufacturing error of the key or the key support member in the key arrangement direction or the mounting of an adjacent key. Even if there is an error, the position of the key in the key arrangement direction can be set to some extent freely, so that manufacturing errors and mounting errors can be absorbed.
Therefore, the required accuracy of key mounting can be eased, and work efficiency can be improved by avoiding key mounting again, and cost can be reduced by improving key yield.

According to the keyboard device of the second aspect, the vertical position of the key and the longitudinal position of the key are regulated. The longitudinal position of the key is regulated by a reference surface and a contact surface facing the reference surface.

According to the keyboard device of the third aspect, the position of the key in the longitudinal direction is regulated by slidably pressing the contact surface against the reference surface.

According to the keyboard device of the fourth aspect, since the key is guided to a position where the key is mounted on the key support member by the movable mounting means, the key can be mounted more easily. .

The present invention may be more specifically configured as follows.

The key may be a single unit or a key unit in which a white key and a black key are stacked.

It is preferable that the contact surface is, for example, a front end surface or a rear end surface of the base end for simplifying the structure. Alternatively, both the front end surface and the rear end surface may be the contact surfaces.

[0017] As the pressing means, a ridge member for inserting and fitting the base end portion in the front-rear direction may be provided on the key support member. Alternatively, for example, the contact surface may be slidably pressed against the reference surface by urging with an elastic piece. This elastic piece may be provided on either the key side or the key support member side.

The vertical position regulating means may regulate the vertical position of the key by abutting an upper surface of the key support member with a lower surface of the base end. If the contact force in this case is appropriately set, the key can be made unnecessary to be screwed to the key support member, and the process can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced.

It is preferable that the guide member is provided with a member for regulating a key arrangement direction and a member for regulating a vertical direction in order to make mounting of a key easier. The guide member may be provided on either the key side or the key support member side, or a plurality of guide members may be provided.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the keyboard device according to the present embodiment.

In this keyboard device, the key unit 1 is mounted on the lower case 20 as a key support member (hereinafter referred to as "key mounting").
Further, an upper case (not shown) is joined to the lower case 20. FIG. 1 shows the key unit 1 and the lower case 20 before the key is mounted. The state after mounting the key is shown in FIG. 8 described later.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the key unit 1 of the present keyboard device as viewed from the back (lower) side. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the lower case 20 from the left end to the substantially center of the keyboard device as viewed from above, and shows a state in which the key unit 1 for one octave is mounted on the left end.

In FIG. 1, the key unit 1 has a three-layer structure in which a black key unit 1a, and a white key unit 1b and a white key unit 1c, which are divided into two, are stacked on each other at their base ends. , For each octave. The key unit 1 includes a white key 2 and a black key 3 as a key body to be pressed.
Are supported by the common base end 5 via the hinge 4 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction.

The mouth bar 20A is formed integrally with the lower case 20 at the front end of the lower case 20 over the entire key width in the key arrangement direction. The ridge portion 9 is provided over the entire key width in the key arrangement direction on the upper surface of the mouth stick portion 20A, and is formed integrally with the mouth stick portion 20A. This serves as reinforcement of the front end of the lower case 20. Further, the ridge 9 has a lower end 2b of a white key front end of the white key 2 when the key unit 1 is slid backward (rightward in FIG. 1) for key attachment.
The key unit 1 (particularly, the front half) is slidably supported through the white key front end lower portion 2b.

Below the black key 3, a black key guided piece 8 is formed integrally with the black key 3. The black key guided piece 8 is 1
Two black keys 3 are provided two each (FIG. 2). A guided groove 3e is formed between these two black key guided pieces 8, that is, between the black key right inner surface 3b and the black key left inner surface 3c of the black key 3. Similarly, a white key guided piece 7 is formed below the white key 2.

On the other hand, the lower case 20 has a key press stopper 1
1 is provided. The key pressing stopper 11 is fixed on the lower case front portion 20B over the entire key width in the key arrangement direction, and the white and black key guided pieces 7 and 8 have the white key lower ends 7b of the white and black key guided pieces 7 and 8 at the time of key pressing.
And contacts the black key lower end 8b to serve as a key-pressing stopper.

At the lower ends of the white and black key guided pieces 7 and 8,
A white key locking piece 7a and a black key locking piece 8a extending rearward are formed, respectively. Each of the locking pieces 7a and 8a has an upper end 7c of the white key locking piece and an upper end 8c of the black key locking piece abutting on an upper limit stopper member 13 described later when the key is not pressed.

The lateral guide rib 10 is formed integrally with the lower case 20 and protrudes from the upper surface of the lower case front portion 20B behind the key press stopper 11 described above. Lateral guide rib 1
0 is the guided groove 3 at the position of the key unit 1 at the start of the key mounting operation (the initial position shown in FIG. 4 described later).
e, and is arranged at a position where the key pressing operation after key attachment is not hindered.

More specifically, the horizontal guide rib 10 is provided on the lower tone side (C #) of the five black keys 3 in the key unit 1.
Key) and the treble side (A # key).
The black key 3 is disposed at a substantially central portion (on a dashed line 3f shown in FIG. 2) of the guided groove 3e in the key arrangement direction. The lateral guide rib 10 functions to regulate the position of the key unit 1 in the key arrangement direction by the black key right inner surface 3b or the black key left inner surface 3c when the key unit 1 is displaced in the key arrangement direction during the key mounting operation. Fulfill. Note that at least one lateral guide rib 10 is required for one key unit 1,
It may be provided every time.

The white key 2 and the black key 3 are provided with a white key actuator 2a and a black key actuator 3a, respectively. The white key actuator 2 a is formed integrally with the white key 2, and projects downward from the ceiling surface of the white key 2 behind the white key guided piece 7. The white key actuator 2a is formed in a cross-girder shape (FIG. 2), and its lower surface is formed on the same plane as the lower end of the white key 2. The black key actuator 3 a is formed integrally with the black key 3 behind the black key guided piece 8, and its lower surface is formed flush with the lower end of the black key 3.

Since each of the key actuators 2a, 3a is formed not in a projecting shape but in a cross-shaped or flat shape, the degree of freedom of alignment with the elastic bulging portion 14a of the key switch 14, which will be described later, is ensured. Also, each key actuator 2a,
Since the lower surface of 3a is flush with the lower ends of keys 2 and 3, respectively,
When the key is attached, the key unit 1 is less likely to be caught by the elastic bulging portion 14a, so that the key unit 1 is not only easily attached and detached, but also the occurrence of so-called "sink" during the production of the key unit 1 by a mold is reduced. be able to. In addition,
The shape of the lower surface of each key actuator 2a, 3a may be another shape as long as it is flat.

The key switches 14 are provided on the switch board 12 provided in the lower case 20 so as to correspond to the respective keys.
The switch board 12 is fixed to the lower case 20 by screwing a screw 15 into a boss 15A protruding at an appropriate position on the lower case center 20C.

The key switch 14 is disposed on the switch board 12 at a position opposite to the white key actuator 2a and the black key actuator 3a via a rubber sheet (not shown) after the key mounting is completed. At the upper end of the key switch 14, an elastic bulging portion 14a made of rubber or the like having elasticity is attached. The elastic bulging portion 14a is lightly in contact with the actuators 2a and 3a when the key is not pressed, and is deformed by the pressing force from the actuators 2a and 3a when the key is pressed. The key switch 14 detects a key pressing operation by contact of a movable contact and a fixed contact (not shown), but may use an optical sensor such as a photo reflector.

The hinge 4 of the key unit 1 is disclosed in
A so-called wide type as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 92963 is adopted. That is, each hinge portion 4 of the keys 2 and 3 is wider than the key width at the rear end of each key 2 and 3 and a part thereof overlaps with the hinge portion of the adjacent key. As a result, a key can be depressed without causing a lateral shake or a twist without a key guide. Therefore, in this keyboard device, no key guide is provided. The lower hinge 4a is a hinge of the white key unit 1c.

A recess 3d is formed in the lower part of the key body of the black key 3 (FIG. 2). The recess 3d is formed from the rear end of the black key 3 to the rear end of the black key actuator 3a, and its width is substantially the same as that of the guided groove 3e.

The front and rear direction guide ribs 16 are
And is formed integrally with the lower case rear portion 20D so as to protrude therefrom. The front-rear direction guide rib 16 is in contact with the lower surface of the lower hinge 4a of the hinge portion 4 during the period from the start to the end of the key mounting operation, and is disposed at a position where it can be accommodated in the recess 3d after the key mounting is completed.

Specifically, the front-rear direction guide ribs 16 are provided corresponding to the horizontal guide ribs 10, and the number, thickness, and position in the key arrangement direction of the front-rear direction guide ribs 16 are substantially the same as the horizontal guide ribs 10 ( The position is a dashed line 3 shown in FIG.
f)). The position of the front-rear direction guide rib 16 in the front-rear direction (the longitudinal direction of the white and black keys 2 and 3) is set such that the rear end of the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is ahead of the rear end of the black key 3 after the key is attached. You. The height of the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is set to a range that does not interfere with the ceiling surface of the black key 3 when the key is pressed. The upper and lower ends of the front and rear direction guide ribs 16 abut on the lower hinge 4a when the key unit 1 is slid backward to mount the key, and the key unit 1 (especially the rear half) is slidable via the lower hinge 4a. To support.

As will be described later, the longitudinal guide ribs 16
Supports the key unit 1 in cooperation with the ridges 9 described above, and avoids contact between the white and black key actuators 2a and 3a and the elastic bulging portion 14a until just before the key mounting is completed. Further, the front-rear direction guide ribs 16 and the ridges 9 appropriately guide the key unit 1 to the key mounting position in combination with the operation of the lateral guide ribs 10 described above. And the front and rear direction guide rib 1
6 is housed in the concave portion 3d of the black key 3 after the key is attached,
Does not hinder key press operation.

In this keyboard device, the means (movable mounting means) for movably mounting the key unit 1 on the lower case 20 comprises a vertical position restricting means and a longitudinal position restricting means. The vertical position regulating means includes an elastic piece 6, a pawl 6a, a pawl hole 20e, and a lower case rear portion 20D which will be described later. The longitudinal position regulating means includes a reference surface 20h, an abutting surface 5c, and a pressing means, which will be described later, respectively.
The pressing means includes a front rail portion 20f, a rear rail portion 20g, an elastic piece 6, and a nail hole 20e, which will be described later.

As will be described later, the lower case rear portion 20D is
It functions to regulate the position of the key unit 1 in the vertical direction. The longitudinal position regulating means regulates the longitudinal position of the key unit 1. At this time, the pressing means has a function of slidably pressing the reference surface 20h against the contact surface 5c.

The front end face of the front end lower part 5a of the common base end part 5 is
It functions as a contact surface 5c that faces and contacts a reference surface 20h described later when a key is attached.

The elastic piece 6 is provided at the rear end of the common base end 5. The elastic piece 6 is formed integrally with the black key 3, protrudes rearward from the rear end of the common base end 5, and then bends downward. As shown in FIG. 2, the center of the elastic piece 6 is arranged on an extension line extending rearward of the lateral guide rib 10 (on a dashed line 3 f). At the lower end of the elastic piece 6, a claw 6a projecting rearward is formed integrally with the elastic piece 6.

The lower case rear portion 20D includes a front rail portion 20.
f, a rear rail portion 20g, a front guide stopper 17, a rear guide stopper 18, and a catching means 21 comprising a nail hole 20e (FIG. 3) described later. Lower case 20
The key unit 1 is supported by the locking means 21 via the common base end 5.

Front rail 20f and rear rail 20g
Are formed integrally with the lower case 20 in a ridge shape,
It is provided over the entire key width in the key arrangement direction on the lower case rear portion 20D. The front rail portion 20f is disposed forward of the rear rail portion 20g. The rear end surface of the front rail portion 20f comes into contact with the contact surface 5c of the common base end portion 5 when the key is attached, and functions as a reference surface 20h that regulates the position of the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction.

When the key mounting is completed, the lower front end portion 5a and the lower rear end portion 5b of the common base end portion 5 come into contact with the upper surface of the lower case rear portion 20D, and the common base end portion 5 becomes the front rail portion 20f and the rear rail portion 20g. It is inserted and fitted between them. Thereby, the position of the common base end portion 5 in the vertical direction and the position of the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction are easily determined. Further, the key unit 1 is fixedly disposed on the upper surface of the lower case rear portion 20D via the common base end portion 5, and the key unit 1 is movable in the key arrangement direction with the movement of the base end portion 5. .

The fitting strength of the front rail portion 20f and the rear rail portion 20g with the common base end portion 5 is set such that the common base end portion 5 can move in the key arrangement direction. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the position in the key arrangement direction in key mounting. Further, the fitting strength is set to such an extent that a key-pressing operation that can withstand practical use can be performed without screwing described later. This simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces the number of parts.

The front guide stopper 17 and the rear guide stopper 18 are both formed integrally with the lower case 20 and protrude above the lower case rear portion 20D. Front guide stopper 1
7 is disposed forward with respect to the rear guide stopper 18.

The front guide stopper 17 has a lower portion of the rear edge thereof flush with the rear end surface (reference surface 20h) of the front rail portion 20f, and a guide portion 17a inclined forward above the front end.
Are formed. The lower part of the front edge of the rear guide stopper 18 is flush with the front end surface of the rear rail part 20g, and a guide part 18a inclined rearward is formed on the upper part of the front edge.

The guide portions 17a and 18a are brought into contact with the lower front end portion 5a or the lower rear end portion 5b when the common base end portion 5 is lowered immediately before the end of key mounting, so that the common base end portion 5 is properly fitted. Guide to position. Further, after the key mounting is completed, the front guide stopper 17 plays a role as a reinforcement against external force forward, and the rear guide stopper 18 plays a role as a reinforcement against external force backward.

The pawl holes 20e are provided at positions facing the respective elastic pieces 6 as shown in FIG. The width (length in the front-rear direction) of the claw hole 20e is set to an appropriate value at which the elastic piece 6 is inserted and the claw 6a is locked. Further, the length of the claw hole 20e (the length in the key arrangement direction) is set with some margin to the width of the elastic piece 6 in the key arrangement direction (several meters).
m). Thereby, the key unit 1 can be moved in the key arrangement direction, and the movement amount is restricted. Specifically, in order to avoid interference between the front-rear direction guide rib 16 and the black key 3, the clearance between the elastic piece 6 and the claw hole 20e in the key arrangement direction is determined by the front-rear direction guide rib 16 and the recess 3d.
It is desirable to set a value smaller than the clearance in the key arrangement direction.

The common base 5 is further provided with an oval hole 19 having a slightly larger diameter in the key arrangement direction (FIG. 2).
A screw hole 20i is provided on the lower case rear portion 20D at a position facing the hole 19 after the key is mounted (FIG. 3). After the key is attached, the common base end 5 is screwed to the screw hole 20i, so that the movement of the key unit 1 in the key arrangement direction is restricted.

In this keyboard device, as described above, there is a degree of freedom in the alignment between the key actuators 2a and 3a and the elastic bulging portion 14a, and the lower case central portion 20C in which the key switch 14 is disposed is connected to the lower case central portion 20C. Since the lower case rear portion 20D to which the common base end portion 5 is attached is integrated as the lower case 20, it is advantageous in terms of accuracy, and the positioning of the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction can be performed only by the locking means 21. is there. Therefore, by setting the fitting strength of the locking means 21 to the common base end 5 appropriately, the device can withstand practical use in a normal use mode, so that the screwing by the screw hole 20i described above becomes unnecessary. That is, the key actuator 2
a, 3a in a state where the key unit 1 can be moved in the key arrangement direction within a range in which the elastic bulging portion 14a can be appropriately pressed.
The keyboard device body can be a completed product.

However, it is preferable that the screws are screwed with the screw holes 20i in consideration of safety against unexpected external force due to drop or the like and abnormal handling.

Next, the key mounting operation of this keyboard device will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 and appropriately referring to FIGS.

FIGS. 4 to 8 are vertical longitudinal sectional views showing the procedure of the key mounting operation of the keyboard device according to the present embodiment. FIG.
8, 30a to 30m indicate contact points between the key unit 1 side and the lower case 20 side.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the operator places the key unit 1 on the lower case 20 (initial position). At this time, the position of the key unit 1 in the key arrangement direction is adjusted so that the lateral guide rib 10 fits in the guided groove 3e of the black key 3.
At this time, the lower part 2b of the front end of the white key 2
And the lower front end of the lower hinge 4a is in contact with the upper surface of the front-rear direction guide rib 16 (contact point 30a).

Since the clearance between the lateral guide rib 10 and the guided groove 3e is about several millimeters as described above, the alignment in the key arrangement direction is easy. If the horizontal guide ribs 10 are fitted with, for example, the adjacent black keys 3 if they are placed with their positions in the key arrangement direction shifted, the position shift is immediately recognized, and the position in the key arrangement direction is set to the key mounting operation. Can be corrected at an early stage.

Next, when the key unit 1 is pushed backward, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the lower part 2b of the front end of the white key slides on the upper end of the ridge 9 (contact point 30d) and the lower hinge 4a.
Slides on the upper surface of the front-rear direction guide rib 16 (contact point 30c). At this time, even if the key unit 1 is displaced in the key arrangement direction, the lateral guide rib 10 abuts on the black key right inner surface 3b or the black key left inner surface 3c, so that the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is in the concave portion 3d. The position of the key unit 1 in the key arrangement direction is restricted within a range in which the key unit 1 can be accommodated. Further, as the key unit 1 slides, the key locking pieces 7a and 8a horizontally move rearward below the upper limit stopper member 13. Up to this point, the white key actuator 2a and the black key actuator 3a do not come into contact with the elastic bulging portion 14a of the key switch 14.

When the key unit 1 is further moved rearward and the lower front end of the lower hinge 4a passes over the rear end of the upper surface of the front-rear guide rib 16, as shown in FIG.
The first half of the key unit 1 is lowered by its own weight. Accordingly, each of the key actuators 2a, 3a is
(Contact point 30f). Then, key unit 1
Rotates backward (clockwise in the drawing) around the elastic swelling portion 14a as a fulcrum due to a loss of balance due to its own weight. When the key unit 1 is rotated, the lower part 2b of the front end of the white key is separated from the ridge 9, and the lower part 5b of the rear end of the common base 5 is brought into contact with the guide part 18a of the rear guide stopper 18 (the contact point 30).
e). At this time, the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is housed in the concave portion 3 d of the black key 3. By such an operation, each key actuator 2a, 3a abuts on the elastic bulging portion 14a from almost directly above, so that it is possible to prevent the key from being mounted while the elastic bulging portion 14a is turned up or deformed. Can be.

Next, when the vicinity of the common base end portion 5 is pressed from above, the key unit 1 is further rotated rearward with the elastic bulging portion 14a as a fulcrum. Along with this, the common base 5
The rear end lower portion 5b is guided by the guide portion 18a, and comes into contact with the rear rail portion 20g as shown in FIG.
h) The lower front end portion 5a contacts the front rail portion 20f (contact point 30k). The key unit 1 is pressed when pressed from above.
Is shifted forward, the lower portion 5a of the front end is guided by the guide portion 17a, and again the state shown in FIG. 7 is obtained. The guide portion 17a and the guide portion 18a can guide the common base end portion 5 to an appropriate fitting position in the front-rear direction.

Further, with the rotation of the key unit 1 by pressing the vicinity of the common base end portion 5 from above, the key locking pieces 7a and 8a move upward as shown in FIG. The upper end portions 7c and 8c of the stopper pieces come into contact with the lower surface of the upper limit stopper member 13 (contact point 30j). As a result, the upper limit positions of the keys 2 and 3 during the key press return operation are regulated. Further, along with this, the elastic piece 6 is temporarily inserted into the entrance of the claw hole 20e (contact point 30h). The key actuator 2
a, 3a remain in contact with the elastic bulging portion 14a (contact point 30i).

When the vicinity of the common base end portion 5 is further pressed from above, as shown in FIG.
b comes into contact with the upper surface of the lower case rear portion 20D, and the common base end 5 is connected to the front guide stopper 17 and the rear guide stopper 1.
8 between them. At the same time, the elastic piece 6 is inserted into the claw hole 20e, and the claw 6a is locked in the claw hole 20e. Thus, the position of the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction and the position of the common base end 5 in the vertical direction are regulated. Further, the contact state between the key actuators 2a, 3a and the elastic bulging portion 14a is such that the contact surfaces are substantially parallel to each other (the contact point 30m). The upper ends 7c and 8c of the key locking pieces remain in contact with the lower surface of the upper limit stopper member 13 (contact points 30n).

At this time, the rear end face of the rear end lower portion 5b is in contact with the front end face of the rear rail portion 20g (the contact point 30).
o). In addition, since the common base end 5 is urged forward by the elastic force of the elastic piece 6 and the reaction force from the rear rail 20g, the contact surface 5c of the common base end 5 is the reference surface of the front rail 20f. It is pressed against the surface 20h (contact point 30l). Therefore, what becomes a true reference surface for positioning the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction is the reference surface 20h of the front rail portion 20f. In this sense, in order to position the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction, it is sufficient to provide either of the rear rail portion 20g and the elastic piece 6 without providing both.

Next, the key unit 1 is moved to the front rail portion 20f.
Then, the key is slid in the key arrangement direction along the rear rail portion 20g, and the position in the key arrangement direction is appropriately determined. This work
When a plurality of key units 1 are mounted, it may be performed after all the key units 1 are mounted. After the position in the key arrangement direction is determined, a screw (not shown) is screwed into the screw hole 20i through the hole 19, whereby the mounting of the key unit 1 to the lower case 20 is completed.

When removing the key unit 1 from the lower case 20, the pawl 6a is pushed from the rear to release the lock with the pawl hole 20e, and then the operation reverse to that of the key mounting is performed. In the present keyboard device, since no key guide is provided, the key unit 1 can be removed very easily.

According to the present embodiment, the key unit 1 is supported by the ridges 9 when the key is mounted, so that the stability of the support is improved as compared with the conventional case where the key unit is supported by the key guide. The key mounting operation is facilitated. Also, ridge 9
Has a simple structure and also serves to reinforce the keyboard apparatus body, so that the cost can be reduced. In addition, since it is not necessary to separately provide a member that comes into contact with the ridge portion 9 in the white key 2, not only the structure is simplified and the cost is reduced, but also the “sink” phenomenon at the time of manufacturing with a mold is achieved. Can be reduced. Moreover, the ridges 9 do not prevent the key unit 1 from being removed. In addition, by appropriately setting the height of the ridge portion 9, the white key 2 serves as a lowermost stopper at the time of the strongest hit of the white key 2, so that the hinge portion 4 is protected and the keypress stopper 11 is made thinner. be able to.

The provision of the lateral guide ribs 10 ensures that the front-rear direction guide ribs 16 are accommodated in the recesses 3 d of the black key 3. Since the lateral guide rib 10 has a clearance with respect to the guided groove 3e, compared to the case where the position in the key arrangement direction by the key guide is regulated as in the related art,
The initial position can be easily set. Moreover, the lateral guide rib 1
0 does not hinder the key pressing operation and the key unit 1 removing operation.

The ridge 9 of the longitudinal guide rib 16
The key actuators 2a and 3a contact the elastic bulging portion 14a from directly above just before the end of key mounting, thereby preventing the elastic bulging portion 14a from being turned up or deformed,
The reliability of the function of the key switch 14 can be ensured. Further, at the end of key attachment, the front-rear guide rib 1
Since 6 is accommodated in the concave portion 3d of the black key 3, a dead space does not occur after the key mounting is completed, not only does not impair the mounting space for other components, but also does not affect the appearance. In particular, it is possible to prevent the keyboard device body from becoming thick.

When the key is mounted, the front and rear direction guide ribs 1 are provided.
6 so that the lower surface of the lower hinge 4a is in contact with
It is not necessary to separately provide a member for contacting the front-rear direction guide rib 16 on the key unit 1 side. Moreover, since the recess 3d is normally provided in the black key 3 and is used, the structure is extremely simple and the cost is low. In addition, since the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is in a loosely fitted state with the concave portion 3d, the key pressing operation and the detaching operation of the key unit 1 are not hindered. Further, the conventional guide rib 1
The handling of the key unit 1 before mounting the key is easier than when the supporting member corresponding to 6 is provided on the key unit 1 side.

Further, the key actuator 2 is different from the conventional one.
a, 3a and the elastic bulging portion 14a are not used as a reference for temporary positioning of the key unit 1, and the position of the key unit 1 in the front-rear direction is determined by the front rail portion 20f. It can be facilitated.
Further, before screwing with the screw holes 20i, the key unit 1 can be freely moved in the key arrangement direction while appropriately maintaining the position in the front-rear direction. Therefore, since the degree of freedom is obtained in the position of the key unit 1 in the key arrangement direction when screwing, the manufacturing error of the key unit 1 itself or the accuracy error between the key unit 1 and the lower case 20 can be absorbed. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid a decrease in work efficiency due to re-attachment of the key and an increase in cost due to the yield of the key unit 1 being deteriorated due to the defective key unit 1. If the screwing is eliminated, the manufacturing process can be simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, and the like.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to maintain the ease of handling of the key unit 1 before the key is mounted, to further reduce the key touch feeling, or to turn over or deform the elastic bulging portion 14a. While avoiding such inconveniences and the like, the mounting operation of the key unit 1 to the lower case 20 and the space saving can be achieved with low cost and a simple structure.

The ridges 9, the lateral guide ribs 10, the longitudinal guide ribs 16, the front guide stopper 17, the rear guide stopper 18, the front rail 20f and the rear rail 20g.
May be provided separately from the lower case 20.

The shape of the ridge 9 is not limited to the illustrated one, but may be a rectangle or the like as long as it has both a guide for the key unit 1 and a reinforcement of the mouthpiece 20A when the key is attached. Other shapes may be used.

In the present embodiment, the concave portion 3 d for accommodating the front-rear direction guide rib 16 is provided on the black key 3, but may be provided on the white key 2.

In the present embodiment, the elastic piece 6 is provided at the common base end portion 5. However, the elastic piece 6 is provided at the lower case 20 side, and a corresponding claw hole 20 e is provided at the common base end portion 5 side. It may be. Further, the elastic piece 6 may be provided at the front of the common base end 5 or at the front of the lower case rear 20D.

In this embodiment, the common base end portion 5 is inserted and fitted between the front rail portion 20f and the rear rail portion 20g when the key is attached. May be reversed.

Although the key guide is not provided in the present embodiment, a key guide may be provided to prevent lateral vibration when a key is pressed. In this case, at the time of key attachment, both sides of the key guide in the key arrangement direction
May function as a guide in the key arrangement direction.

[0079]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
According to the keyboard device of the above, the key body to be depressed, a key comprising a hinge portion and a base end, a key support member, and the key fixed to the key support member via the base end of the key And a movable mounting means for mounting the key on the key support member so as to be movable in the key arrangement direction by moving the base end portion. By absorbing manufacturing errors of the members and mounting errors of the keys, the required accuracy of mounting the keys can be relaxed, and work efficiency can be improved by avoiding re-installation, and costs can be reduced by improving the yield of the keys.

According to the keyboard device of the fourth aspect, since the guide member is provided for guiding the key to a position where the key is mounted on the key support member by the movable mounting means, the key can be mounted more easily. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the key unit of the device as viewed from the back (lower) side.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion from a left end to a substantially center of a lower case of the same device as viewed from above, and shows a state in which a key unit for one octave is attached to the left end.

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure (at an initial position) of a key mounting operation of the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure of a key mounting operation of the apparatus (when sliding backward).

FIG. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure of a key mounting operation of the apparatus (at the start of descent).

FIG. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure (after descending) of a key mounting operation of the device.

FIG. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure of a key mounting operation of the apparatus (at the end of key mounting).

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key unit 2 White key (key body) 3 Black key (key body) 4 Hinge part 5 Common base end part 5a Lower front end part 5b Lower rear end part 5c Contact surface (part of longitudinal position regulating means) 20f Front rail part (Part of pressure contact means) 20g Rear rail (part of pressure contact means) 20h Reference surface (part of longitudinal position restricting means) 6 Elastic piece (part of pressure contact means, part of vertical position restricting means) 6a pawl (part of vertical position restricting means) 20e pawl hole (part of press-contact means, part of vertical position restricting means) 7 white key guided piece 8 black key guided piece 9 ridge (guide) Part of member) 10 Lateral guide rib (part of guide member) 16 Front and rear direction guide rib (part of guide member) 17 Front guide stopper (part of guide member) 18 Rear guide stopper (part of guide member) 20 Below Case (key support member) 21 Locking hand (Front rail portion 20f, the rear rail portion 20
g, front guide stopper 17, rear guide stopper 18, pawl hole 20e) 20D rear part of lower case (part of vertical position regulating means)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A key comprising a key body, a hinge portion, and a base end to be pressed, a key support member, and the key fixedly mounted on the key support member via the base end of the key. And a movable mounting means for mounting the key on the key support member such that the key is movable in the direction in which the keys are arranged by moving the base end. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable mounting unit includes a vertical position regulating unit that regulates a vertical position of the key, and a longitudinal position regulating unit that regulates a longitudinal position of the key. The position regulating means is provided on the key support member along a direction in which the keys are arranged,
A reference surface serving as a reference for a position in a longitudinal direction of the key; and a contact surface provided on the key and facing the reference surface when the key is mounted on the key support member. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein said longitudinal position restricting means includes a pressing means for slidably pressing said contact surface against said reference surface. 4. A guide member for guiding the key to a position where the key is mounted on the key support member by the movable mounting means.
Keyboard device according to item.