US3663733A - Interconnecting device for movable contacts of keyboard switches - Google Patents

Interconnecting device for movable contacts of keyboard switches Download PDF

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Publication number
US3663733A
US3663733A US57077A US3663733DA US3663733A US 3663733 A US3663733 A US 3663733A US 57077 A US57077 A US 57077A US 3663733D A US3663733D A US 3663733DA US 3663733 A US3663733 A US 3663733A
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United States
Prior art keywords
movable contacts
perforations
base plate
sets
row
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US57077A
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English (en)
Inventor
Shin-Ichi Murakami
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Application filed by Nippon Gakki Co Ltd filed Critical Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Publication of US3663733A publication Critical patent/US3663733A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/32—Constructional details
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10B—ORGANS, HARMONIUMS OR SIMILAR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ASSOCIATED BLOWING APPARATUS
    • G10B3/00—Details or accessories
    • G10B3/10—Actions, e.g. key actions, couplers or stops
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/58—Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals
    • H01H1/5805—Connections to printed circuits
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/58—Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals
    • H01H1/5805—Connections to printed circuits
    • H01H2001/5816—Connections to flexible or curved printed circuit boards

Definitions

  • nnnnnnnnnnnnnflnnnnnnn G a 1 f. a 8" 20 g F L: f is. a :a a a :(hil 21/1: -l6
  • the present invention relates to connectors for use in a keyboard switches assembly, and more particularly, to an interconnecting device for movable contacts of multistage keyboard switches in an electronic musical instrument.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide an interconnecting device to insure operational reliability of the electronic musical instrument and to insure freedom of this instrument from cross-talking.
  • vA further object of the present invention is to provide an interconnecting device simple in construction and easy to manufacture and low in cost.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the interconnecting device of the present invention for movable contacts of pre-arranged multistage keyboard switches;
  • FIG. 2 is cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. I;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, on an along the line III-[11in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a front view of the interconnecting device of FIG. I mounted on some of the terminal members of the movable contacts projecting from the rear side of the keyboard switches;
  • FIG. 5 is across sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 6 is an explanatory representation, showing the electric connections in a conventional keyboard switch assembly; and v I FIG. 7 is a front view of the interconnecting body showing another embodiment of the present invention.
  • C C, C is provided with a plurality of switches, for example, three switches 102, 103 and 104, all of which are adapted to be either closed or opened simultaneously by actuating any single key.
  • the switches generally indicated by 103 which are contained in the intermediate stage are those for keying the respective tone signals C (65 Hz) C C C C (1,047 Hz) of8-footregister notes (notes having pitches same as the key note names).
  • the switches generally indicated by 102 which are contained in the uppermost stage represent those for keying the respective tone signals C (131 Hz) C C C C (2,093 Hz) of 4-foot register notes (notes having pitche one octave higher than the key note names).
  • the switches generally indicated by 104 which are contained in the lowermost stage represent those for keying the respective tone signalsC (33I-Iz)...C,...C,...C,...C,(523I-Iz)ofl6- foot register notes (notes having pitches one octave lower than the key note names).
  • Each switch comprises a movable contact and a stationary contact. Movable contacts are provided individually so as to correspond to the respective switches whereas the stationary contacts are provided in the form of busbars and in common for each stage.
  • the stationary contacts for each stage are connected, at one terminal thereof, to one common output line among thethree separate output lines 1,, 1, and 1 These respective common output lines, in turn, are connected to circuits such as tone coloring circuits A,, A, and A respectively. Thereafter, via tone volume controls B B and B respectively, the output terminals of the volume controls are connected in common and this common line is connected to an amplifier G and a loud speaker S successively.
  • wiring is arranged among the movable contacts so that the movable contacts for providing the same pitch tone signals contained in the different stages of the switches are connected with each other.
  • wiring is provided between the tone source circuits and the terminals of the respective movable contacts of the 16-foot notes (C, C contained in the lowermost stage and the terminals of the respective movable contacts of the notes of those 8-foot register and 4-foot register not contained in the 16-foot register (i.e., CI, C in the 8-foot register, and C C, in the 4-foot register) to provide such tone signals as will correspond to the respective tone pitches.
  • a key corresponding to, for example, C may be depressed. whereupon, the switch in 4-foot register for C tone signal, the switch in 8-foot register for C tone signal and the switch in 16-foot register for C tone signal are closed simultaneously.
  • tone signals having pitches of C C and C are supplied to the common output lines 1,, l and 1 respectively.
  • These tone signals are then passed through the respective tone coloring circuits and supplied to the tone volume controls 8,, B and B respectively, in which the input tone signals are selected into a single tone or a composite tone. Thereafter, the outputs of the tone volume controls are amplified by the amplifier G and are radiated from the loudspeaker S as acoustic musical sounds.
  • the present invetion contemplates the provision of a connector structure comprising an insulated base plate equipped with a printed circuit thereon and being capable of establishing simultaneous connections between the terminals of a plurality of selected movable contact in one stage and the terminals of the same number of selected movable contacts located in the next stage and representing the same tone pitches.
  • reference numeral 1 represents a switch box.
  • Numeral 2 generally represents movable contact arms which are arranged in multiple stages and located in such positions as will correspond to the playing keys (not shown). Each of these movable contact arms 2 has a terminal strip 2a which projects beyond the rear surface of the switch box 1.
  • the respective projecting terminal strips 2a are arranged so that those located in the uppermost stage correspond to tone signals of 4-foot notes, that those in the intermediate stage correspond to tone signals of 8-foot notes and that those in the lowermost stage correspond to tone signals of l6-foot notes.
  • Below the foremost end of each movable contact arm in the aforesaid multistage arrangement is provided a rod having a good conductivity.
  • these conductive rods are in the form of busbars and they are supported on the opposite side panels of the switch box 1 to provide common stationary contact rods 3 for each stage.
  • the actuator portion 4 of each playing key is passed vertically through the switch box 1.
  • These actuator portions 4 and the respective movable contact arms 2 are arranged that they may be brought into engagement with each other in such a way that, when a key is depressed, the respective movable contact arms 2 relating to this particular key will close the circuits simultaneously and that, conversely, when this depression is removed, they open the circuits at the same time.
  • the playing keys are arranged in a side-by-side row of C C C C C C C as shown in part in FIG. 4.
  • numeral 5 represents a base plate which constitutes the connector device for interconnecting the terminals of a plurality of movable contact arms of selected two groups, e.g. a group of C C keys and a group of C C' keys shown in FIG. 4.
  • This base plate 5 is formed with an insulated material such as a Mylar film.
  • the base plate 5 has a length which is slightly greater than the distance between the extreme outer terminal strips in which are disposed 14 of them.
  • the breadth of the base plate 5 is somewhat greater than the distance between the terminal strips of the uppermost and the lowermost stages.
  • the longitudinal upper and lower bilateral edges of the base plate 5 are prepared each in an L- shape by a vertical cutout.
  • an upwardly protruding lug portion 5a extends from the upper longitudinal edge of the base plate 5 on the extreme right side to form a shoulder thereat, and a downwardly protruding lug portion 5b extends from the lower longitudinal edge on the extreme left side, forming a similar shoulder.
  • the base plate 5 has a longitudinal portion having a reduced breadth between these two opposite lug portions 5a and 5b.
  • An elongated slit 50 having opposite vertical end faces is formed through the base plate 5 so as to lie in the central region longitudinally thereof.
  • the vertical end face line of this elongated slit 5c on the extreme right side lies aligned with the vertical inner end face line of the shoulder which is formed by vertically cutting out a part of the base plate to leave the righthand lug portion 5a.
  • the vertical end face line of the elongated slit SC on the extreme left side is positioned to be aligned with the vertical inner end face line of the vertically cutout shoulder of the left lug portion 5b.
  • This elongated slit 50 has a length sufficient for the passage therethrough of of the terminal strips which are disposed side-by-side in a row in each single stage.
  • a slit 6b having a size sufficient for receiving a terminal strip 2a therethrough.
  • This slit 6b has vertical opposite end edges and is positioned on the extension of the elongated slit 5c in such a way that the left-hand vertical wall of this slit 6b is spaced at a distance 1 (shown in FIG. 4) from the right-hand vertical end wall of the elongated slit 5c.
  • Said distance t represents the interval between the opposing edges of any two terminal strips 20 and 2a which are arranged in side-by-side relationship in a single stage.
  • Another slit 6a for the passage therethrough of a terminal strip is formed on the same extension as that on which is located the slit 6b so that this slit 6a is positioned on the outer side of the slit 6b at the same distance r from the right-hand end edge of the slit 6b.
  • Another slit 6b is formed on the outer side of the slit 6a in the lug portion 5b at the same distance r from the left end of the slit 6a, so as to lie on the extension of the elongated slit 50.
  • wirings are provided by the application thereto of copper foils having an appropriate breadth by relying on the known techniques of forming printed circuits. It should be noted that the opposite terminals of the respective wirings are each formed into an enlarged portion covering the peripheral regions surrounding the open edges of each slit.
  • peripheral regions of the slits 7a and 7b located on the right upper stage of the base plate 5 are connected to the peripheral regions of the slits 6a, and 6b,, respectively, which are located on the intermediate stage on the left end portion of the base plate by two wirings 8 and 9 which run longitudinally on the surfaces of the base plate in the region above the elongated slit 5c at appropriately spaced relationship relative to each other.
  • the peripheral regions of the slits 6a and 6b located on the intermediate stage on the right-hand end portion of the base plate are connected to the slits 7a, and 7b,, respectively, which are located on the lower stage on the left end portion of the base plate by leading the wirings l0 and 11 so as to run longitudinally on the side below the elongated slit 50.
  • an interconnecting device intramanual coupler
  • This interconnecting device is attached to the switch assembly by applying the slits 7a, 7b and 6a and 6b which are formed in the right-hand end portion of the base plate 5 onto the terminal strips 20 which are contained in the first and second vertical rows of the upper and the intermediate horizontal stages, respectively, and also by applying the slits 6a,, 6b, and 7a,, 7b, which are formed in the left-hand end portion of the base plate onto the terminal strips 2a which are contained in the 13th and 14th vertical rows of the intermediate and the lower stages, respectively, as shown in FIG. 4.
  • the manner of attachment of said interconnecting device is such that the third to 11th terminal strips contained in the upper stage are allowed to project along the upper passageway, i.e., along the longitudinal cutout edge of the base plate 5 and that the first to twelfth terminal strips contained in the lower stage are allowed to project along the lower passageway, i.e., along the lower longitudinal cutout edge of the base plate. Also, the third to 12th terminal strips contained in the intermediate stage are allowed to project through the elongated slit 50.
  • the interconnecting device can be attached closely to the rear side of the switch box 1.
  • the first two terminal strips (corresponding to C and C: keys and fed with C and C; tone signals) of the 8-foot register contained in the intermediate stage are connected to the two terminal strips (corresponding to C and C" keys and fed with C and C, tone signals) of 16-foot register contained in the lower stage, respectively.
  • the slits formed in the right-hand end portion of another similar interconnecting device are mounted on the third and fourth projecting terminal strips contained in the upper and the intermediate stages and the slits in the left-hand end portion of the device are mounted on the 15th and 16th terminal strips contained in the intermediate and the lower stages.
  • those terminal strips containedin the respective stages and dealing with the same tone pitch signals are electrically connected with each other.
  • the lead wires extending from the tone source circuits may be connected to only those terminal strips of the movable contacts contained in the 16-foot register of the lowermost stage, those terminal strips contained in the 8-foot register to deal with the tone signals C#,, C, corresponding to the key names Ca C and those in the 4-foot register to deal with the tone signals c, C corresponding to the key names C# C whereupon, all of the terminal strips of the movable contacts of the 4-foot, 8- foot and l6-foot registers may now be supplied with signals having respective tone pitches designated for these respective terminal strips.
  • the multistage switches are those, for example, four-stage switches
  • there are formed in the left-hand end portion of the base plate three side-by-side slits in three stages so that they may receive therethrough those side-byside terminal strips contained in the second, third and fourth stages.
  • Wirings are provided between the respective slits located in the right-hand portion of the base plate in the first, second and third stages and the respective slits located in the left-hand end portion of the base plate in the second, third and fourth stages by the use of conductors made of a material such as copper foils.
  • conductors made of a material such as copper foils.
  • the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved interconnecting device for movable contacts of multi-stage keyboard switches in an electronic musical instrument.
  • an L-shaped cutout or a passageway in each of the opposite end portions of the base plate and also there may or may not be formed, depending on the requirement, an elongated slit or slits or passageways in that portion of the base plate having a reduced breadth between the cutouts formed on both longitudinal sides of the base plate.
  • this interconnecting device to the rear face of the switch box to interconnect the required terminal strips contained in two adjacent stages without causing the unnecessary projecting terminal strips contained in the uppermost, intermediate and lowermost stages to be blocked by the wall of the base plate since these terminal strips are freely passed through these passageways.
  • this interconnecting device in the left-hand lug portion of the base plate, there are formed slits or perforations for the passage therethrough of a plurality of terminal strips contained in the respective stages excluding the uppermost stage.
  • the present invention not only markedly simplities and facilitates the wiring operation but also eliminates the fear for the occurrence of erroneous connections. Furthermore, there was the problem, in the past, of cross-talking to occur in high-pitch zones owing to stray capacitances existing between the connections. According to the present invention, there takes place no such inconvenience because the respective Wirings or connections are spaced relative to each other.
  • a musical instrument of the type having a circuit for electronically producing a plurality of musical tones, switching apparatus having a plurality of electrically conductive contacts movable between deactuated and actuated positions, said plurality of movable contacts being arranged in a selected number of sets each of said sets corresponding to a different musical tone, each of said movable contacts of a said set having movable actuating means operably interconnecting each of said movable contacts in a said set so that movement of a said actuating means of a said set will effect substantially simultaneous movement of each of said contacts of a said set between said deactuated and actuated positions, a plurality of stationary conducting members each positioned so as to be engaged by a saidcontact when a said contact is moved to its said actuated position to produce a musical tone, the improvement which comprises an electrically insulated oblong base plate having end portions spaced apart a predetermined distance, each end portion having at least one row of spaced perforations, each end portion having the same number of perfor
  • said base plate having a portion intermediate said end portions which is provided with passageways for receiving portions of the said sets of said movable contacts extending between said one and said another of said sets.
  • each one of said perforations in a said row of one end portion of said base plate is electrically connected on the surface of said base plate with one of said perforations in a said row of the other of said end portions of said plate by means of a conductor printed on the surface of said plate.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
US57077A 1969-07-26 1970-07-22 Interconnecting device for movable contacts of keyboard switches Expired - Lifetime US3663733A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1969070962U JPS505401Y1 (ja) 1969-07-26 1969-07-26

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US3663733A true US3663733A (en) 1972-05-16

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US57077A Expired - Lifetime US3663733A (en) 1969-07-26 1970-07-22 Interconnecting device for movable contacts of keyboard switches

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US (1) US3663733A (ja)
JP (1) JPS505401Y1 (ja)
NL (1) NL7010985A (ja)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0656134A4 (en) * 1992-08-18 1996-02-07 Kinesis Corp KEYBOARD AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME.
USD585063S1 (en) 2007-11-27 2009-01-20 Kinesis Corporation Keyboard

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3313986A (en) * 1959-05-06 1967-04-11 Texas Instruments Inc Interconnecting miniature circuit modules
US3384956A (en) * 1965-06-03 1968-05-28 Gen Dynamics Corp Module assembly and method therefor
US3454911A (en) * 1966-12-19 1969-07-08 Michel M Rouzier Reed relay matrices of crosspoints

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3313986A (en) * 1959-05-06 1967-04-11 Texas Instruments Inc Interconnecting miniature circuit modules
US3384956A (en) * 1965-06-03 1968-05-28 Gen Dynamics Corp Module assembly and method therefor
US3454911A (en) * 1966-12-19 1969-07-08 Michel M Rouzier Reed relay matrices of crosspoints

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Flexprint Wiring Handbook of Design Information Sanders Associates, Inc. Nashua, N.H., p. 1 and p. 14. *
Foldable Printed Circuits, Technograph Printed Circuits Ltd., (London, England) pp. 1 4. *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0656134A4 (en) * 1992-08-18 1996-02-07 Kinesis Corp KEYBOARD AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME.
US5610602A (en) * 1992-08-18 1997-03-11 Kinesis Corporation Keyboard and method for producing
USD585063S1 (en) 2007-11-27 2009-01-20 Kinesis Corporation Keyboard
USRE43485E1 (en) 2007-11-27 2012-06-26 Kinesis Corporation Keyboard

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS505401Y1 (ja) 1975-02-14
DE2037106A1 (de) 1971-02-18
DE2037106B2 (de) 1973-01-18
NL7010985A (ja) 1971-01-28

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