US20010037718A1 - Pedal mechanisms assembled into unit and keyboard musical instrument equipped with the same - Google Patents
Pedal mechanisms assembled into unit and keyboard musical instrument equipped with the same Download PDFInfo
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- US20010037718A1 US20010037718A1 US09/847,098 US84709801A US2001037718A1 US 20010037718 A1 US20010037718 A1 US 20010037718A1 US 84709801 A US84709801 A US 84709801A US 2001037718 A1 US2001037718 A1 US 2001037718A1
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- pedal
- plural
- damper
- strings
- base plate
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- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10C—PIANOS, HARPSICHORDS, SPINETS OR SIMILAR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ONE OR MORE KEYBOARDS
- G10C1/00—General design of pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards
- G10C1/02—General design of pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards of upright pianos
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- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10C—PIANOS, HARPSICHORDS, SPINETS OR SIMILAR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ONE OR MORE KEYBOARDS
- G10C3/00—Details or accessories
- G10C3/26—Pedals or pedal mechanisms; Manually operated sound modification means
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- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10C—PIANOS, HARPSICHORDS, SPINETS OR SIMILAR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ONE OR MORE KEYBOARDS
- G10C1/00—General design of pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards
- G10C1/04—General design of pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards of grand pianos
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- FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the arrangement of pedal mechanisms assembled into a unit
Abstract
A damper pedal mechanism, a sostenuto/muffler pedal mechanism and a damper pedal mechanism are incorporated in an acoustic piano for artistic expression, and are independently actuated by a pianist, wherein component parts are assembled into the pedal mechanisms on a base plate, and, thereafter, the pedal mechanism unit is installed in a piano housing so that a factory worker feels the assembling work comfortable.
Description
- This invention relates to a keyboard musical instrument and, more particularly, to a keyboard musical instrument equipped with pedal mechanisms for artistic expression.
- A grand piano, an upright piano and an automatic player piano are categorized in the keyboard musical instrument. These keyboard musical instruments have strings, and piano tones are generated through the vibrations of the strings. Pianists wish to bring on changes of the piano tones for artistic expression. A pianist brings on the change by prolonging the piano tone, and another pianist lessens the loudness by causing fewer than the normal number of strings to be struck or bringing the hammers nearer the strings. The tools for the artistic expression are pedal mechanisms incorporated in the grand/upright pianos. These pedal mechanisms are called as “soft pedal mechanism”, “muffler pedal mechanism”, “damper pedal mechanism” and “sostenuto pedal mechanism”. The pianists selectively actuate the pedal mechanisms during the performance as described in Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Application (laid-open) No. 2-48695 and Japanese Utility Model Publication of Examined Application No. 58-25426. A standard upright piano is equipped with the soft pedal mechanism, the muffler pedal mechanism and the damper pedal mechanism. On the other hand, the soft pedal mechanism, the sostenuto pedal mechanism and the damper pedal mechanism are incorporated in a standard grand piano. Those pedal mechanisms are briefly described hereinbelow.
- The soft pedal mechanism of the upright piano is connected to a hammer rail. Plural hammer rail felts are attached to the rear surface of the hammer rail, and hammers are resting on the hammer rail felts before the actuation of associated action mechanisms. The pianist is assumed to step on the soft pedal. The soft pedal mechanism advances the hammer rail toward the strings. The hammer rail rearward urges the hammers, and, accordingly, the gap between the hammers and the strings is decreased. When the pianist depresses the black/white key, the depressed key actuates the action mechanism. The jack escapes from the hammer, and the hammer starts free rotation toward the set of strings. Although the hammer strikes the strings, the intensity of impact is weaker than the normal intensity, because the strike takes place immediately after the escape. This results in that the strings vibrate softly, and the volume is lessened.
- The muffler pedal mechanism is linked with a muffler rail. Muffler felts are attached to the muffler rail. When the pianist steps on the muffler pedal, the muffler felts are moved into the space between the strings and the action mechanisms. The depressed key gives rise to escape of the jack from the hammer, and the hammer starts the free rotation toward the strings. The strings are struck with the hammer. However, there is the muffler felt between the hammer and the strings. For this reason, the piano tone is softened.
- The damper pedal mechanism of the upright piano is connected to a damper rod. The damper rod laterally extends in the vicinity of the array of damper levers. While the pianist does not exerts any force on the damper pedal, the damper rod is spaced from the damper levers, and the damper levers are selectively rotated by the depressed keys so as to space the damper head assemblies from the associated sets of strings. The pianist is assumed to step on the damper pedal. The damper rod urges all the damper levers so as to keep the damper head assemblies spaced from the sets of strings. The depressed key gives rise to the escape of the jack from the hammer, and the hammer strikes the associated set of strings at the end of the free rotation. The strings vibrate for generating the piano tone. When the pianist releases the depressed key, the black/white key starts to return to the rest position. Although the released key is spaced from the damper lever, the damper rod keeps the damper head assembly spaced from the set of strings. For this reason, the vibrations are continued, and the piano tone is prolonged.
- The soft pedal mechanism of the grand piano is linked with action mechanisms/hammers. While the soft pedal is resting, the hammers are directly opposed to the sets of strings. All the strings of each set are struck by the associated hammer for generating the piano tone. However, when the pianist steps on the soft pedal, the action mechanisms laterally slide, and each of the hammers is opposed to the strings fewer than the normal number of strings. When the pianist depresses the associated black/white key, the depressed key actuates the action mechanism, and, thereafter, causes the jack to escape from the hammer. The escape gives rise to free rotation of the hammer toward the strings. The fewer strings are struck with the hammer, and vibrate for generating the piano tone at loudness smaller than the usual loudness.
- The sostenuto pedal mechanism of the grand piano is linked with a sostenuto rod. The sostenuto rod laterally extends in the vicinity of the dampers. While the sostenuto pedal is resting, the dampers are free from the sostenuto rod, and the dampers are spaced from and brought into contact with the associated strings depending upon the key positions. The pianist is assumed to step on the sostenuto pedal after depressing the black/white key. The sostenuto rod keeps the damper head assembly spaced from the strings, and does not permit the damper head assembly to be brought into contact with the strings. Even though the pianist releases the depressed key, the damper head assembly remains spaced, and the piano tone is prolonged. Thus, the pianist individually prolongs the piano tone by means of the sostenuto pedal mechanism.
- The damper pedal mechanism of the grand piano also keeps the damper head assemblies spaced from the sets of strings for prolonging the piano tones. The damper pedal mechanism is connected to a lifting rail laterally extending under damper levers. While the damper pedal is resting, the lifting rail remains spaced from the damper levers, and the damper head assemblies are spaced from and brought into contact with the sets of strings depending upon the key positions. The pianist is assumed to step on the damper pedal. The lifting rail pushes up all the damper levers, and causes the damper wires to space all the damper head assemblies from the sets of strings. A depressed key actuates the action mechanism, and gives rise to the free rotation of the hammer through the escape of the jack. The strings are struck with the hammer, and the strings vibrate for generating the piano tone. When the pianist releases the depressed key, the black/white key starts to return toward the rest position. Although the released key does not urge the damper lever, the lifting rail keeps the damper head assemblies spaced from the sets of strings, and the piano tone is prolonged. While the pianist is keeping the damper pedal depressed, all the piano tones are prolonged.
- As will be understood, the pedal mechanisms independently bring on the changes for the artistic expression. Accordingly, each of the pedal mechanisms is independent of the other pedal mechanisms. In order to make the independent pedal mechanisms clear, description is made on the arrangement of the prior art pedal mechanisms.
- FIGS.1 to 6 show the prior art pedal mechanisms incorporated in the standard grand piano. The standard grand piano comprises a
piano housing 1 and apedal box 2. Thepedal box 2 is hung from thepiano housing 1 by means of a lyre block and a lyre post, and asoft pedal 3, asostenuto pedal 4 and adamper pedal 5 are swingably supported by thepedal box 2. Thesoft pedal 3 and thedamper pedal 5 project from the left side and the right side of thepedal box 2, and thesostenuto pedal 4 is located between thesoft pedal 3 and thedamper pedal 5. Threepedal rods soft pedal 3, thesostenuto pedal 4 and thedamper pedal 5, respectively, and extend from thepedals - Various boards are assembled into the
piano housing 1. One of the boards is a key bed 1 a. A keyboard 1 b includes black/white keys and a key frame 1 c, and is mounted on the key bed 1 a. Action mechanisms id are linked with the black/white keys of the keyboard 1 b.Hammer assemblies 1 e are rotatably supported by a shank flange rail if, which in turn is supported byaction brackets 1 g. Thehammers 1 e are linked with the action mechanisms 1 d, respectively.Strings 1 h are stretched over thehammers 1 e, and are to be struck with thehammers 1 e. Dampers 1 i are linked with the rear portions of the black/white keys, and are spaced from and brought into contact with the associatedstrings 1 h. - When a pianist depresses one of the black/white keys, the front portion of the depressed key is sunk, and, accordingly, the rear portion is lifted so as to actuate the associated action mechanism id. The rear portion of the depressed key pushes the damper1 i upwardly, and the damper 1 i is spaced from the associated
strings 1 h. Then, thestrings 1 h get ready for vibrating. When the jack (not shown) escapes from thehammer 1 e, thehammer 1 e is driven for free rotation toward thestrings 1 h. Thestrings 1 h are struck with thehammer 1 e at the end of the free rotation, and vibrates for generating the piano tone. Thehammer 1 e rebounds on the strings 1 i, and returns to the action mechanism 1 d. After the generation of the piano tone, the pianist releases the depressed key, and the rear portion of the released key is sunk. The released key allows the damper 1 i to be brought into contact with thestrings 1 h, and the vibrations are absorbed. Thus, the component parts 1 b/1 d/1 e/1 g/1 h are sequentially activated along the well-known process for generating the piano tone. - The prior art pedal mechanisms includes the soft/sostenuto/
damper pedals 3/4/5 and thepedal rods 10/11/12 as described hereinbefore. Thepedal rods 10/11/12 are connected to the soft/sostenuto/damper pedals 3/4/5, respectively, and are vertically moved by means of the associatedpedals 3/4/5. Three link works are connected between thepedal rods 10/11/12 and the key frame 1 c, a sostenuto lift rod 1 j and a liftingrail 1 k, respectively. - As will be better seen in FIG. 3, the link work of the soft pedal mechanism includes a
pedal lever 6, a bearingunit 13, apin 14 and astopper 20. Thepedal rod 10 is held in contact with the left end portion of thepedal lever 6. The right end portion of thepedal lever 6 is connected to another lever, and is supported by the bearingunit 13 through thepin 14. Thestopper 20 sets a limit to the moving range of the pedal lever 6 (see FIG. 4). Thestopper 20 and the bearingunit 13 are directly attached to the lower surface of thekey bed 9. - The link work of the sostenuto pedal mechanism includes
pedal levers 7, a bearingunit 13, apin 14, a return spring 15 (see FIG. 5) and astopper 20. The pedal levers 7 are connected to each other. Thepedal rod 11 is held in contact with the right end portion of thepedal lever 7, and the left end portion of the otherpedal lever 7 is connected to the sostenuto lift rod 1 j. Thepedal lever 7 is supported by the bearing through thepin 14, and the return spring urges thepedal lever 7 downwardly. The stopper sets a limit on the moving range of thepedal lever 7. The bearingunit 13 and thestopper 20 are directly attached to the lower surface of thekey bed 9, and thereturn spring 15 is inserted between the lower surface of thekey bed 9 and thepedal lever 7. - The link work of the damper pedal mechanism includes a
pedal lever 8, a bearingunit 13, apin 14, a return spring 15 (see FIG. 6) and astopper 20. Thepedal rod 12 is held in contact with the right end portion of thepedal lever 8, and a vertical rod is fixed to an intermediate portion of thepedal lever 8. The vertical rod is held in contact with the lower surface of the liftingrail 1 k. Thepedal lever 8 is supported by the bearing 13 through thepin 14, and the stopper sets a limit to the moving range of thepedal lever 8. Thereturn spring 15 urges thepedal lever 8 downwardly. The bearingunit 13 and thestopper 20 are directly attached to the lower surface of thekey bed 9, and thereturn spring 15 is inserted between the lower surface of thekey bed 9 and thepedal lever 8. - Thus, the three link works are directly attached to the lower surface of the
key bed 9, and the force exerted on the soft/sostenuto/damper pedals 3/4/5 is independently transmitted through the three link works to the key frame 1 c, the sostenuto lift rod 1 j and the liftingrail 1 k. - FIG. 7 shows the prior art pedal mechanisms incorporated in the standard upright piano. A soft pedal, a muffler pedal and a damper pedal are designated by
reference numerals bottom sill 28 b form parts of the piano housing. The soft pedal mechanism, the muffler pedal mechanism and the damper pedal mechanism are installed inside the piano housing, and thesoft pedal 25. Thesostenuto pedal 26 and thedamper pedal 27 are rotatably supported bybrackets 29, respectively, and the brackets are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom board 28 a. Holes are formed in thebottom sill 28 b, and thesoft pedal 25, themuffler pedal 26 and thedamper pedal 27 project through the holes to the outside of the piano housing. - The
soft pedal 25 is connected at the rear end portion thereof to the right end portion of asoft pedal lever 30 a, which in turn is connected at the left end portion to a lower end of asoft pedal rod 31. Thesoft pedal lever 30 a is swingably supported by a bearingunit 37, and acoil spring 38 urges thesoft pedal lever 30 a upwardly. The bearingunit 37 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom board 28 a, and thecoil spring 38 is inserted between the upper surface of the bottom board 28 a and the lower surface of thesoft pedal lever 30 a. - The
muffler pedal 26 is connected at the rear end thereof to a link work. The link work includesmuffler rods 33 and muffler link levers 34, and themuffler 36 is connected to the link work. - The
damper pedal 27 is connected at the rear end thereof to the right end portion of adamper pedal lever 30 b, which in turn is connected at the left end portion to the lower end of thedamper pedal rod 32. Thedamper pedal lever 30 b is swingably supported by a bearingunit 37, and acoil spring 38 urges thedamper pedal lever 30 b upwardly. The bearingunit 37 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom board 28 a, and thecoil spring 38 is inserted between the upper surface of the bottom board 28 a and the lower surface of thedamper pedal lever 30 b. Thus, the pedal mechanisms of the standard upright piano are directly supported by the bottom board, and the force exerted on the soft/muffler/damper pedals 25/26/27 is independently transmitted through the link works. - Another prior art bottom board is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application of Unexamined Application No. 7-295551. The bottom board28 a and the
bottom sill 28 b are integrated into the bottom board disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Application. Three holes are formed in the narrow portion corresponding to thebottom sill 28 b, and brackets are cut out in the wide portion corresponding to the bottom board 28 a. The brackets serve as thebrackets 29 and the parts of the bearingunits 38. Moreover, spring seats are formed on the wide portion. The bottom board disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Application forms a piano housing together with other boards. Pedals and link works are assembled with the brackets, and the springs are inserted between the spring seats and the pedal levers. - A problem is encountered in the prior art pedal mechanisms in the assembling work. As described hereinbefore, each of the three pedal mechanisms is independent of the others. The prior art pedal mechanisms of the grand piano are directly supported by the
key bed 9, and the prior art pedal mechanisms of the upright piano are directly supported by the bottom board 28 a. Namely, the three pedal mechanisms are attached to the same board member. This means that a factory worker is expected to assemble the component parts into the three pedal mechanisms individually. The piano housing is completed before the assemblage of the pedal mechanisms. The factory worker gets into the space under thekey bed 9, and starts the assembling work. The factory worker fixes thebearings 13 to the lower surface of thekey bed 9 together with the pedal levers 6, 7 and 8. The factory worker further fixes thestoppers 20 to the lower surface of thekey bed 9, and inserts the return springs 15 between thekey bed 9 and the pedal levers 7/8. The space under the piano housing is so narrow that the factory worker feels the assembling work uncomfortable. The assembling work requires much time, and work efficiency is low. This results in a high production cost. Although the component parts are assembled into the three pedal mechanisms over the bottom board 28 a, the bottom board 28 a has been already assembled into the piano housing, and the working space is narrow. A factory worker fixes thebrackets 29 and the bearingunits 37 onto the bottom board 28 a, and assembles the soft/muffler/damper pedals 25/26/27 and the pedal levers 30 a/30 b with thebrackets 29 and the bearingunits 37. Thereafter, the factory worker inserts the coil springs between the bottom board 28 a and the pedal levers 30 a/30 b, and connects thepedal rods 31/32/33 to the pedal levers 30 a/30 b and themuffler pedal 26. The work efficiency is also low, and assembling work requires much time. As a result, the production cost is increased. Although the factory worker does not need to fix thebrackets 29 and the bearingunits 37 on the bottom board disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Application No. 7-295551, thepedals 25/26/27, the pedal levers 30 a/30 b and thepedal rods 31/32/33 are to be assembled after the complication of the piano housing, and the work efficiency is also low. - It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide pedal mechanisms, which are easily assembled into a keyboard musical instrument.
- It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a keyboard musical instrument, which is reduced in production cost.
- To accomplish the object, the present invention proposes to assembly pedal mechanisms in a unit.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pedal system incorporated in a keyboard musical instrument comprising a base plate having a major surface and to be attached to a housing of the keyboard musical instrument, plural foot pedals swingably supported by the base plate, and plural link works provided on the major surface, movably supported by the base plate and connected to the plural foot pedals, respectively.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard musical instrument comprising a keyboard having plural keys respectively assigned notes of a scale and selectively moved, plural sets of strings respectively associated with the plural keys and independently vibrating for generating tones at the notes, plural vibration generating mechanisms respectively connected to the plural keys for generating vibrations in the strings of the plural sets when the plural keys are selectively moved, a housing for accommodating the plural sets of strings and the plural vibration generating mechanisms and supporting the keyboard in such a manner as to expose the keyboard to the player, and plural pedal mechanisms linked with the plural vibration generating mechanisms, selectively actuated for changing attributes of the tones and including a base plate and component parts assembled into a unit attached to the housing.
- The features and advantages of the pedal mechanisms and the keyboard musical instrument will be more clearly understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
- FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away side view showing the structure of the prior art grand piano;
- FIG. 2 is a front view showing the arrangement of the three pedals of the prior art grand piano;
- FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the arrangement of the pedal mechanisms incorporated in the prior art grand piano;
- FIG. 4 is a side view showing the arrangement of the prior art soft pedal mechanism;
- FIG. 5 is a side view showing the arrangement of the prior art sostenuto pedal mechanism;
- FIG. 6 is a side view showing the arrangement of the prior art damper pedal mechanism;
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the prior art pedal mechanisms incorporated in the upright piano;
- FIG. 8 is a partially cut-away side view showing the structure of a grand piano according to the present invention;
- FIG. 9 is a front view showing three pedals incorporated in the grand piano;
- FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the arrangement of pedal mechanisms assembled into a unit;
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a bearing unit incorporated in the pedal mechanism; and
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing pedal mechanisms assembled in a unit and incorporated in an upright piano.
- First Embodiment
- Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, a grand piano embodying the present invention largely comprises a
piano housing 41, a keyboard 42,action mechanisms 43,hammer assemblies 45, strings 46,dampers 47 and apedal system 48. Thepiano housing 41 defines an inner space, and akey bed 41 a forms a part of thepiano housing 41. The keyboard 42 includesblack keys 42 a,white keys 42 b and akey frame 42 c, and is mounted on thekey bed 41 a. A pianist selectively depresses the front portions of the black/white keys 42 a/42 b. Then, the front portion of the depressed key 42 a/42 b is sunk, and, accordingly, the rear portion is lifted. - The
action mechanisms 43 are respectively linked with the black/white keys 42 a/42 b, and are located over the rear portions of the black/white keys 42 a/42 b. Thehammer assemblies 45 are rotatably supported byaction brackets 41 b through ashank flange rail 41 c, and are driven for rotation by theaction mechanisms 43. Thestrings 46 are stretched over thehammer assemblies 45, and vibrate for generating piano tones. Theaction mechanisms 43 are selectively actuated by the associateddepressed keys 42 a/42 b, and the jacks (not shown) of theaction mechanisms 43 escape from the associatedhammer assemblies 45. The escape gives rise to free rotation of thehammers 45, and thestrings 46 are struck by thehammer assemblies 45 at the end of the free rotation. - The
dampers 47 are linked with the rear portions of the black/white keys 42 a/42 b, and are spaced from and brought into contact with the associated strings 46. While the black/white keys 42 a/42 b are resting, thedampers 47 are held in contact with the associatedstrings 46, and prohibits the strings from vibrations. When the pianist selectively depresses the black/white keys 42 a/42 b, the rear portions of thedepressed keys 42 a/42 b upwardly push the associateddampers 47, and thedampers 47 are spaced from thestrings 46. Thedampers 47 permit the associatedstrings 46 to vibrate. Thereafter, thehammers 45 are brought into collision with thestrings 46, and thestrings 46 vibrate for generating the piano tones. - A
sostenuto rod 47 a and a liftingrail 47 b are associated with thedampers 47. The liftingrail 47 b laterally extends under thedampers 47, and is used for keeping thedampers 47 spaced from thestrings 46. Thesostenuto rod 47 a laterally extends in front of thedampers 47, and selectively prohibits thedampers 47 from being brought into contact with the associated strings 46. - The
pedal system 48 includes a soft pedal mechanism, a sostenuto pedal mechanism and a damper pedal mechanism. Thesostenuto rod 47 a forms a part of the sostenuto pedal mechanism, and the liftingrail 47 b is incorporated in the damper pedal mechanism. When the pianist actuates the sostenuto pedal mechanism after depressing the black/white key 42 a/42 b, thesostenuto rod 47 a is rotated, and prohibits the associateddamper 47 from absorbing the vibrations through the contact with thestrings 46, and the piano tone is prolonged. The pianist actuates the damper pedal mechanism for lifting all thedampers 47. The liftingrail 47 b keeps thedampers 47 spaced from thestrings 46 regardless of the key positions. For this reason, the pianist can prolong the piano tones by actuating the damper pedal mechanism. - On the other hand, the soft pedal mechanism is linked with the
key frame 42 c, and thekey frame 42 c is driven for lateral movement on thekey bed 41 a. When thekey frame 42 c is laterally moved, thehammer assemblies 45 are slightly offset from the associated strings 46. For this reason, thehammer assemblies 45 strike the associatedstrings 46 less than the normal number of thestrings 46. Thus, the pianist actuates the soft pedal mechanism for reducing the loudness. - The
pedal system 48 includes asoft pedal 49, asostenuto pedal 50, adamper pedal 51, asoft pedal rod 52, asostenuto pedal rod 53 and adamper pedal rod 54. Thesoft pedal 49, thesostenuto pedal 50 and thedamper pedal 51 project from apedal box 55 as shown in FIG. 9. Thesoft pedal 49 and thedamper pedal 51 are located on the left side portion and the right side portion of thepedal box 55, and thesostenuto pedal 50 is provided between thesoft pedal 49 and thedamper pedal 51. Thesoft pedal rod 52, thesostenuto pedal rod 53 and thedamper pedal rod 54 are connected to the rear portions of thesoft pedal 49, thesostenuto pedal 50 and thedamper pedal 51, respectively, and vertically extend from the rear portions. Thesoft pedal 49, thesostenuto pedal 50 and thedamper pedal 51 are independently turnable with respect to brackets (not shown) provided inside thepedal box 55. When the pianist steps on the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal 49/50/51, the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal 52/53/54 is upwardly moved. When the pianist releases the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal 49/50/51, the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal rod 52/53/54 is pushed down so as to return the rest position thereof. - The
pedal system 48 further includes three link works assembled into aunit 56. Theunit 56 is fixed to the lower surface of thekey bed 41 a, and the three link works are connected between the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal rods 52/53/54 and the key frame/sostenuto rod/liftingrail 42 c/47 a/47 b, respectively. The force exerted on each soft/sostenuto/damper pedal 49/50/51 is transmitted through the associated link work to thekey frame 42 c, thesostenuto rod 47 a or the liftingrail 47 b. - Turning to FIG. 10, the
unit 56 includes abase plate 57, asoft pedal lever 58, sostenuto pedal levers 59 a/59 b, adamper pedal lever 60, bearingunits 61/62/63, coil springs 64/65 andstoppers 66/67/68. Thesoft pedal lever 58, the bearingunit 61 and thestopper 66 form parts of the link work between thesoft pedal rod 52 and thekey frame 42 c, and the sostenuto pedal levers 59 a/59 b, the bearingunit 62, thecoil spring 64 and thestopper 67 are incorporated in the link work connected between thesostenuto pedal rod 53 and thesostenuto rod 47 a. The link work for thedamper pedal rod 54 includes thedamper pedal lever 60, the bearingunit 63, thecoil spring 65 and thestopper 68. Thus, the link works are similar in structure to those of the prior art link works. However, the bearingunits 61/62/63 and thestoppers base plate 57, and the coil springs 64/65 are inserted between thebase plate 57 and the pedal levers 59 a/60. - The
base plate 57 is formed from a steel plate through a pressing, and three pairs of bearingplates 69/70/71 are cut out in thebase plate 57. As a result,hollow spaces 57 a are left in thebase plate 57. Through-holes 72 are formed in each pair of bearingplates 69/70/71 (see FIG. 11), and the through-hole of each pair is aligned with the other through-hole of the same pair. Apin 73 is inserted into the through-holes 72, and the pedal levers 58/59 a/59 b/60 are engaged with thepins 73. Thus, the pedal levers 58/59 are rotatable with respect to thepins 73. Thebase plate 57 is fixed to the lower surface of thekey bed 41 a by means ofbolts 74. - The
pedal system 48 is installed in the grand piano as follows. A steel plate is machined so as to form thebase plate 57. The bearingplates 73 are cut out, and are upright on thebase plate 57. Thebase plate 57 is placed on a working table, and a factory worker assembles the pedal levers 58/59 a/59 b/60, thepins 73, thestoppers 66/67/68 and the coil springs 64/65 into the three link work. While the factory worker is assembling the parts into the link works, the factory worker is free from the piano housing, and does not feel the assembling work uncomfortable. - Upon completion of the assembling work, the factory worker conveys the
resultant base plate 57 to the piano housing, and fixes thebase plate 57 to the lower surface of thekey bed 41 a by means of thebolts 74. Although the factory worker forces himself to get into the narrow space under thekey bed 41 a, the work is simple, and the factory worker can complete the work within a short time. - Finally, the
soft pedal rod 52, thesostenuto pedal rod 53 and thedamper pedal rod 54 are connected between the soft/sostenuto/damper pedals 49/50/51 and the soft/sostenuto/damper pedal levers 58/59/60, respectively. - As will be understood from the foregoing description, the link works are assembled into the unit according to the present invention, and the factory worker simply fixes the
base plate 57 to the lower surface of thekey bed 41 a by means of thebolts 74. The assemblage of the link works is carried out on the working table, and the work efficiency is enhanced. Moreover, the bearingplates 69 are cut out in thebase plate 57. This results in reduction of the number of component parts. The manufacturer can reduce the production cost by virtue of the high work efficiency and the reduction of component parts. Thus, the pedal system according to the present invention is advantageous over the prior art pedal system in the production cost. - In the above-described embodiment, the
action mechanisms 43, thehammer assemblies 45 and thedampers 47 serve as plural vibration generating mechanisms. - Second Embodiment
- Turning to FIG. 12 of the drawings, a
pedal system 90 is incorporated in an upright piano embodying the present invention. Although the upright piano has a keyboard, action mechanisms, hammer assemblies, strings, dampers, a damper rail and a damper rod, they are similar to those of the standard upright piano. For this reason, only thepedal system 90 is shown in FIG. 12 together with amuffler 91. - The
pedal system 90 includes asoft pedal mechanism 92 connected to the damper rail, amuffler pedal mechanism 93 connected to themuffler 91 and adamper pedal mechanism 94 connected to the damper rod. Thesoft pedal mechanism 92 includes asoft pedal 95 a and alink work 95 b, themuffler pedal mechanism 93 includes amuffler pedal 96 a and alink work 96 b, and thedamper pedal mechanism 94 includes adamper pedal 97 a and alink work 97 b. Various boards are assembled into a piano housing. Abottom board 98 a and abottom sill 98 b form parts of the piano housing. Thesoft pedal mechanism 92, themuffler pedal mechanism 93 and thedamper pedal mechanism 94 are installed inside the piano housing. The three pedal mechanisms 95, 96 and 97 are assembled into aunit 98 according to the present invention. - The
link work 95 b includes abracket 95 c, asoft pedal lever 95 d, asoft pedal rod 95 e, a bearing unit 95 f and acoil spring 95 g. Similarly, thelink work 97 b includes abracket 97 c, a damper pedal lever 97 d, adamper pedal rod 97 e, a bearing unit 97 f and acoil spring 97 g. On the other hand, thelink work 96 b includes a bracket (not shown),muffler pedal rods 96 c/96 d/96 e and muffler pedal levers 96 f/96 g. The link works 95 b, 96 b and 97 b are assembled on aboard 99 as follows. - The
soft pedal 95 a is swingably supported by thebracket 95 c. Thesoft pedal 95 a is connected at the rear end portion thereof to the right end portion of thesoft pedal lever 95 d, which in turn is connected at the left end portion to a lower end of thesoft pedal rod 95 e. Thesoft pedal lever 95 d is rotatably supported by the bearing unit 95 f, and thecoil spring 95 g urges thesoft pedal lever 95 a upwardly. The bearing unit 95 f is similar in structure to the bearingunits 61/62/63 of the first embodiment, and is fixed to the upper surface of thebase plate 99. Thecoil spring 95 g is inserted between the upper surface of thebase plate 99 and the lower surface of thesoft pedal lever 95 d. When the pianist steps on thesoft pedal 95 a, thesoft pedal 95 a pushes down the right portion of thesoft pedal lever 95 d against the elastic force of thecoil spring 95 g, and thesoft pedal lever 95 d turns around the bearing unit 95 f. This results in that the left portion of thesoft pedal lever 95 d is moved upwardly. The left portion of thesoft pedal lever 95 d pushes thesoft pedal rod 95 e upwardly, and the movement of thesoft pedal rod 95 e gives rise to decrease of the gap between the damper rail and the strings. When the pianist releases thesoft pedal 95 a, thecoil spring 95 g causes thesoft pedal 95 a and thelink work 95 b to return to the rest position. - The
muffler pedal 96 a is swingably supported by the bracket (not shown), and is connected at the rear end thereof to themuffler pedal rod 96 c. Themuffler pedal rod 96 c upwardly extends from the rear portion of themuffler pedal 96 a, and is connected to one end of themuffler pedal lever 96 f. Themuffler pedal lever 96 f is turnably supported by a board (not shown), and the muffler pedal rod 96 d is connected to the other end of themuffler pedal lever 96 f. The muffler pedal rod 96 d laterally extends. Thus, themuffler pedal lever 96 f changes the movement of themuffler pedal rod 96 c in the up-and-down direction to the movement of the muffler pedal rod 96 d in the lateral direction. The muffler pedal rod 96 d is connected at the other end to one end of the muffler pedal lever 96 g, and the muffler pedal lever 96 g is turnably sup-ported by the board. The muffler pedal lever 96 g is connected at the other end to the lower end of themuffler pedal lever 96 e, and themuffler pedal rod 96 e is connected at the upper end thereof to themuffler 91. The muffler pedal lever 96 g converts the lateral movement of the muffler pedal rod 96 d to the movement of themuffler pedal rod 96 e in the up-and-down direction. When the pianist steps on themuffler pedal 96 a, themuffler pedal rod 96 c is pulled down, and causes themuffler pedal lever 96 f to move the muffler pedal rod 96 d rightward. The muffler pedal rod 96 d causes the muffler pedal lever 96 g to move themuffler pedal rod 96 e downwardly, and the downward motion of themuffler pedal rod 96 e gives rise to rotation of themuffler 91 around pins 91 b against the elastic force of areturn spring 91 c until themuffler 91 is brought into contact with astopper 91 d. When the pianist releases themuffler pedal 96 a, themuffler pedal 96 a and thelink work 96 b return to the rest position due to the elastic force of thereturn spring 91 c. - The
damper pedal 97 a is swingably supported by thebracket 97 c, and is connected at the rear end thereof to the right end portion of the damper pedal lever 97 d, which in turn is connected at the left end portion to the lower end of thedamper pedal rod 97 e. The damper pedal lever 97 d is rotatably supported by the bearing unit 97 f, and thecoil spring 97 g urges the damper pedal lever 97 d upwardly. The bearing unit 97 f is similar in structure to the bearingunits 61/62/63, and is fixed to the upper surface of thebase plate 99. Thecoil spring 97 g is inserted between the upper surface of thebase plate 99 and the lower surface of the damper pedal lever 97 d. When the pianist steps on thedamper pedal 97 a, thedamper pedal 97 a pushes down the right portion of the damper pedal lever 97 d against the elastic force of thecoil spring 97 g, and the damper pedal lever 97 d turns around the bearing unit 97 f. This results in that the left portion of the damper pedal lever 97 d is moved upwardly. The left portion of the damper pedal lever 97 d pushes thedamper pedal rod 97 e upwardly, and the movement of thedamper pedal rod 97 e causes the dampers to be spaced from the strings regardless of the key positions. When the pianist releases thedamper pedal 97 a, thecoil spring 97 g causes thedamper pedal 97 a and thelink work 97 b to return to the rest position. - As described hereinbefore, the
brackets 95 c/97 c and the bearing units 95 f/97 f are directly fixed to thebase plate 99, and the coil springs 95 g/97 g are inserted between the upper surface of thebase plate 99 and the associated pedal levers 95 d/97 d. Therefore, a factory worker places thebase plate 99 on a working table (not shown), and assembles the component parts intounit 98. Upon completion of the assemblage, the factory worker conveys theunit 98 to the piano housing, and fixes thebase plate 99 to thebottom board 98 a by means of bolts (not shown). - While the factory worker is assembling the component parts into the
unit 98, the factory worker stands in a comfortable position before the working table, and handles the tools. The factory worker does not feel the assembling work uncomfortable, and the work efficiency is enhanced. The bearing plates are cut out, and the component parts are reduced. As a result, the production cost is lowered. - Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
- A pedal system may be constituted by the soft pedal mechanism and the damper pedal mechanism, only.
- The present invention is applicable to other kinds of keyboard musical instrument in so far as pedal mechanisms form parts of the keyboard musical instruments. One of these kinds of keyboard musical instrument is an electric piano. The electric piano is fabricated on the basis of an acoustic piano, and a pickup unit such as an array of piezoelectric elements is incorporated therein. The vibrations of strings are converted to electric signals by means of the pickup unit, and electric tones are generated from the electric signals through an equalizer. The dampers according to the present invention are used for absorbing the vibrations.
- Another kind of keyboard musical instrument to which the present invention appertains is a silent piano. The silent piano is also fabricated on the basis of an acoustic piano, and a silent system and an electronic sound generating system are incorporated therein. The silent system has a hammer stopper provided between the sets of strings and the hammer shanks, and is changed between a free position and a blocking position. When a pianist wishes to play a tune through the piano tones, the hammer stopper is changed to the free position. The hammer stopper at the free position is out of the trajectories of the hammer shanks. While the pianist is playing the tune, the hammers strike the associated sets of strings, and rebound on the strings. On the other hand, when the pianist wishes to practice the fingering without any acoustic tone, the pianist changes the hammer stopper to the blocking position. The hammer stopper at the blocking position is on the trajectories of the hammer shanks. Although the action mechanisms escape from the hammers, the hammers rebound on the hammer stopper before striking the sets of strings, and any acoustic tone is generated from the strings. However, the electronic sound generating system monitors the key/hammer motions, and generates electronic tones through a headphone. Thus, the pianist can check the fingering without disturbance to the neighborhood. In the silent system, the dampers according to the present invention are also used for absorbing the vibrations of the strings.
- Yet another kind of keyboard musical instrument is an automatic player piano. The automatic player piano is also fabricated on an acoustic piano. The automatic player piano has an array of solenoid-operated key actuators embedded in the key bed, and a controller supplies driving signals to the solenoid-operated key actuators for actuating the action mechanisms without any fingering on the keyboard. A set of music data codes is loaded to the controller, and the controller determines the black/white keys to be moved, times to move the black/white keys and the magnitude of the key velocity on the basis of the music data codes. The controller produces the driving signals, and selectively supplies the driving signals to the solenoid-operated key actuators. The solenoid-operated key actuators are selectively energized with the driving signals, and the plungers project so as to move the associated black/white keys. The dampers according to the present invention are provided in the automatic player piano, and absorb the vibrations of the strings. The automatic player piano is further equipped with the silent system.
Claims (17)
1. A pedal system incorporated in a keyboard musical instrument, comprising:
a base plate having a major surface and to be attached to a housing of said keyboard musical instrument;
plural foot pedals swingably supported by said base plate; and
plural link works provided on said major surface, movably supported by said base plate and connected to said plural foot pedals, respectively.
2. The pedal mechanism as set forth in , in which said base plate is attached to a lower surface of a key bed forming a part of said housing, and said housing is incorporated in a grand piano.
claim 1
3. The pedal mechanism as set forth in , in which said base plate is attached to an upper surface of a bottom board forming a part of said housing, and said housing is incorporated in an upright piano.
claim 1
4. The pedal mechanism as set forth in , further comprising bearing units provided on said major surface and permitting said link works to move with respect to said base plate.
claim 1
5. The pedal mechanism as set forth in , in which each of said bearing units has a pair of walls projecting from said major surface and formed with a pair of holes and a pin supported by said pair of walls for movably supporting associated one of said link works.
claim 4
6. The pedal mechanism as set forth in , in which said pair of walls is formed from portions of said base plate partially cut out from a remaining portion of said base plate.
claim 5
7. A keyboard musical instrument comprising:
a keyboard having plural keys respectively assigned notes of a scale, and selectively moved;
plural sets of strings respectively associated with said plural keys, and independently vibrating for generating tones at said notes;
plural vibration generating mechanisms respectively connected to said plural keys for generating vibrations in the strings of said plural sets when said plural keys are selectively moved;
a housing for accommodating said plural sets of strings and said plural vibration generating mechanisms, and supporting said keyboard in such a manner as to expose said keyboard to said player; and
plural pedal mechanisms linked with said plural vibration generating mechanisms, selectively actuated for changing attributes of said tones, and including a base plate and component parts assembled into a unit attached to said housing.
8. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said component parts are broken down into foot pedals, supporting members attached to said base plate and link works supported by said supporting members and connected between said foot pedals and said plural vibration generating mechanisms.
claim 7
9. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said base plate is fixed to said housing by means of bolts.
claim 7
10. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which each of said plural vibration generating mechanisms includes an action mechanism connected to associated one of said plural keys, a hammer assembly linked with said action mechanism and driven for rotation when said associated one of said plural keys actuates said action mechanism and a damper actuated by said associated one of said plural keys so as to be spaced from associated one of said plural sets of strings before said hammer assembly strikes said associated one of said plural sets of strings.
claim 7
11. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said action mechanism is provided on a key bed forming a part of said housing together with other action mechanisms associated with others of said plural keys, and said base plate is fixed to a lower surface of said key bed.
claim 10
12. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said action mechanism and said hammer assembly are mounted on a frame provided on a key bed of said housing and connected to one of said plural pedal mechanisms, and said hammer assembly is offset from said associated one of said plural sets of strings for decreasing the number of the strings to be struck by said hammer assembly when said one of said plural pedal mechanisms is actuated for moving said frame.
claim 10
13. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said damper and other dampers associated with others of said plural keys are connectable to one of said plural pedal mechanisms, and said one of said plural pedal mechanisms keeps said damper and said other dampers spaced from said plural sets of strings for prolonging said tones regardless of positions of said plural keys when said one of said plural pedal mechanisms is actuated.
claim 10
14. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said damper is connected to one of said plural pedal mechanisms, and said one of said plural pedal mechanisms prohibits said damper from being brought into contact with said associated one of said plural sets of strings after said associated one of said plural keys is released.
claim 10
15. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which said action mechanism, said hammer assembly and said damper are provided in an upper chamber of said housing separated by a key bed from a lower chamber, and said base plate is fixed to an upper surface of a bottom board partially defining said lower chamber.
claim 10
16. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in , in which one of said plural pedal mechanisms includes a muffler moved into and out of a space between said hammer assembly and said associated one of said plural sets of strings.
claim 10
17. An acoustic piano comprising
a piano housing having a stationary board partially defining an inner space,
a keyboard having plural keys and supported by said piano housing in such a manner as to permit a player to finger thereon,
plural action mechanisms accommodated in said inner space and respectively linked with said plural keys for independently transferring forces exerted on the associated keys therethrough,
plural hammer assemblies accommodated in said inner space and respectively linked with said plural action mechanisms so as to be driven for free rotation when said forces are transferred thereto,
plural sets of strings accommodated in said inner space and respectively struck by said hammer assemblies so as to vibrate for generating tones,
plural dampers accommodated in said inner space and respectively actuated by said plural keys so as to be spaced from said plural sets of strings, and
a pedal mechanism including
a base plate attached to said stationary board,
a soft pedal mechanism having a soft pedal swingably supported by said base plate and a link work movably supported by said base plate and connected between said soft pedal and a movable member associated with either plural hammer assemblies or plural dampers for lessening said tones, and
a damper pedal mechanism having a damper pedal swingably supported by said base plate and another link work movably supported by said base plate and connected between another movable member associated with said plural dampers for prolonging said tones.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2000133171A JP2001312269A (en) | 2000-05-02 | 2000-05-02 | Pedal mechanism for piano |
JPJP-2000-133171 | 2000-05-02 | ||
JP2000-133171 | 2000-05-02 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20010037718A1 true US20010037718A1 (en) | 2001-11-08 |
US6448481B2 US6448481B2 (en) | 2002-09-10 |
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/847,098 Expired - Lifetime US6448481B2 (en) | 2000-05-02 | 2001-05-01 | Pedal mechanisms assembled into unit and keyboard musical instrument equipped with the same |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US6448481B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2001312269A (en) |
KR (1) | KR100418153B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE10121334B4 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20040099133A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-27 | Wenjun Pu | Keyboard instrument having pedal mechanism |
US9812097B1 (en) * | 2016-12-15 | 2017-11-07 | Ken Rich | Portable accessory pedal and support for a musical instrument |
EP3308375A4 (en) * | 2015-06-12 | 2019-02-20 | Steinway, Inc. | Piano extended soft pedal |
US10971124B2 (en) * | 2018-10-04 | 2021-04-06 | Roland Corporation | Pedal device of electronic keyboard instrument |
Families Citing this family (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US6528713B2 (en) * | 2001-02-21 | 2003-03-04 | Yamaha Corporation | Keyboard musical instrument having height controllable pedals |
US6737567B2 (en) * | 2002-01-16 | 2004-05-18 | David Steinbuhler | Sostenuto rod bracket |
JP2003295855A (en) * | 2002-04-04 | 2003-10-15 | Yamaha Corp | Pedal device |
KR20030004168A (en) * | 2002-10-29 | 2003-01-14 | 최규현 | Pedal device of a grand piano for modulating a sound |
US20090165629A1 (en) * | 2007-12-28 | 2009-07-02 | Tolga Timuray | Devices and methods to assist in playing a piano |
WO2009108437A1 (en) | 2008-02-27 | 2009-09-03 | Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. | Pianos playable in acoustic and silent modes |
US8541673B2 (en) | 2009-04-24 | 2013-09-24 | Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. | Hammer stoppers for pianos having acoustic and silent modes |
US8148620B2 (en) * | 2009-04-24 | 2012-04-03 | Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. | Hammer stoppers and use thereof in pianos playable in acoustic and silent modes |
US8525009B2 (en) * | 2009-06-24 | 2013-09-03 | Leigh Howard Stevens | Multi-function musical instrument pedal controller |
US10607817B2 (en) * | 2016-11-18 | 2020-03-31 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Thermal repeatability and in-situ showerhead temperature monitoring |
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US422477A (en) * | 1890-03-04 | Calvin lewis weser | ||
US1090487A (en) * | 1910-06-11 | 1914-03-17 | Theodore H Lunde | Pedal-action for pianos. |
US4041829A (en) * | 1975-09-30 | 1977-08-16 | Robert Ogden Robeson | Piano pedal assembly |
JPS5469419A (en) * | 1977-11-12 | 1979-06-04 | Nippon Gakki Seizo Kk | Pedal mechanism for four-handed performance of piano |
JPS6032711Y2 (en) * | 1980-06-26 | 1985-09-30 | 株式会社河合楽器製作所 | Pedal support device for abright piano |
US4924742A (en) * | 1988-06-07 | 1990-05-15 | Yamaha Corporation | Mechanical keyboard instrument with pedal mechanisms |
JPH07295551A (en) * | 1994-04-21 | 1995-11-10 | Kawai Musical Instr Mfg Co Ltd | Bottom plate of upright piano |
JPH096330A (en) * | 1995-06-16 | 1997-01-10 | Kawai Musical Instr Mfg Co Ltd | Pedal device for keyboard musical instrument |
-
2000
- 2000-05-02 JP JP2000133171A patent/JP2001312269A/en active Pending
-
2001
- 2001-05-01 US US09/847,098 patent/US6448481B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-05-02 DE DE10121334A patent/DE10121334B4/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-05-02 KR KR10-2001-0023780A patent/KR100418153B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040099133A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-27 | Wenjun Pu | Keyboard instrument having pedal mechanism |
EP1424682A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-06-02 | Yamaha Corporation | Keyboard instrument having pedal mechanism |
US7164071B2 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2007-01-16 | Yamaha Corporation | Keyboard instrument having pedal mechanism |
EP3308375A4 (en) * | 2015-06-12 | 2019-02-20 | Steinway, Inc. | Piano extended soft pedal |
US9812097B1 (en) * | 2016-12-15 | 2017-11-07 | Ken Rich | Portable accessory pedal and support for a musical instrument |
US10971124B2 (en) * | 2018-10-04 | 2021-04-06 | Roland Corporation | Pedal device of electronic keyboard instrument |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE10121334B4 (en) | 2006-08-17 |
JP2001312269A (en) | 2001-11-09 |
KR20010100956A (en) | 2001-11-14 |
DE10121334A1 (en) | 2002-01-03 |
KR100418153B1 (en) | 2004-02-11 |
US6448481B2 (en) | 2002-09-10 |
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