JP2020095062A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce influence caused by deformation even when a key is deformed.SOLUTION: A keyboard device comprises: a frame; a key which rotates relative to the frame about a key fulcrum; a first guide which includes a first frame guide connected with the frame and a first key guide connected with the key and for sandwiching the first frame guide; and a second guide which includes a second key guide connected with the key and a second frame guide connected with the frame and for sandwiching the second key guide, and is provided below the first guide. The key fulcrum, the first guide, and the second guide are provided at three portions which are not aligned in a straight line when viewed from a first direction to which the key is adjacent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a keyboard device.

The keyboard device includes a plurality of keys arranged side by side. The accuracy of arrangement of a plurality of keys has a great influence on the aesthetics of a musical instrument. Therefore, if the shape of the key is deformed due to a manufacturing error, the aesthetic appearance of the musical instrument is deteriorated. Therefore, a technique relating to a key guide connected to a frame for adjusting the position of the key has been developed even if a manufacturing error occurs (for example, Patent Document 1). Of the key guides, the key guides that are particularly located closer to the performer not only arrange the arrangement of multiple keys, but also affect the feel of the performer's fingers during playing (hereinafter referred to as the touch feeling). ..

Patent No. 3846426

In an electronic keyboard instrument such as an electronic piano, generally, the key is rotatably supported by a frame on the rear end side of the key (back side as viewed from the player). The amount that can be pressed on the front end side of the key is designed according to the acoustic piano. On the other hand, the position where the key is supported by the frame, that is, the center of rotation of the key is located closer to the player than the center of rotation of the key in the acoustic piano.

With this configuration, the length of the key can be shortened, and the size of the electronic keyboard instrument in the depth direction can be reduced. In this case, the keys of the electronic keyboard instrument and the keys of the acoustic piano are different in the position of the center of rotation of the keys, so that the feeling when pressing the keys changes. On the other hand, when the key of the electronic keyboard instrument is lengthened and the center of rotation of the key is moved to the inner side, the size of the electronic keyboard instrument in the depth direction increases. In addition, the lengthening of the key further increases the influence of deformation due to manufacturing errors and changes over time. For example, when the key is bent in the scale direction, the long key has a greater influence of deformation on the scale direction than the short key.

One of the objects of the present invention is to reduce the influence of deformation even if the key is deformed.

A keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame, a key that rotates about a key fulcrum with respect to the frame, a first frame guide connected to the frame, and the key connected to the key. A first guide including a first key guide sandwiching the first frame guide, a second key guide connected to the key, and a second frame guide connected to the frame sandwiching the second key guide, A second guide provided below the first guide, wherein the key fulcrum, the first guide, and the second guide are when viewed from a first direction in which the key is adjacent. It is installed in three places that are not lined up in a straight line.

The first frame guide may slide on the surface of the first key guide, and the second frame guide may slide on the surface of the second key guide.

The second key guide may be integral with the key, and the second frame guide may be integral with the frame.

The second frame guide may protrude from the frame in a direction in which the key extends.

A reinforcing member that suppresses deformation of the second frame guide in the first direction may be further provided between the second frame guide and the frame.

The second frame guide may have a protrusion that protrudes toward the second key guide and slides on the second key guide.

The sliding area of the first frame guide and the first key guide when viewed from the first direction is such that the first frame guide and the first key guide when viewed from the first direction are It may be smaller than the overlapping area.

The first frame guide may include a protrusion that protrudes toward the first key guide and slides on the first key guide.

The first frame guide may protrude upward from the frame.

The protrusion may be provided on an upper end of the first frame guide.

According to the present invention, even if the key is deformed, the influence of the deformation can be reduced.

It is a figure showing composition of a keyboard device in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the sound source device in one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing at the time of seeing the structure inside a housing|casing in one Embodiment of this invention from a side surface. It is an explanatory view at the time of seeing the keyboard assembly in one embodiment of the present invention from the upper surface. It is a side view and a perspective view explaining a detailed structure of a key in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the detailed structure of the frame in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the detailed structure of the 1st frame guide and the 2nd frame guide in one embodiment of the present invention. It is an expanded side view of the 1st guide and the 2nd guide in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of the first guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a B-B' sectional view of the 2nd guide in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the key and the guide in the keyboard assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the detailed structure of the 1st frame guide and the 2nd frame guide in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the detailed structure of the sliding member in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the state where the sliding member was attached to the 1st frame guide in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of the 1st guide in one embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. Note that in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals or similar reference numerals (reference numerals having only A, B, etc. added after the numeral), and the repetition thereof. May be omitted. In addition, dimensional ratios in the drawings (ratios between components, ratios in the vertical and horizontal height directions, etc.) may be different from the actual ratios for convenience of description, or some of the components may be omitted from the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
[Keyboard device configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The keyboard device 1 is, in this example, an electronic keyboard musical instrument, such as an electronic piano, which sounds in response to a user's (player) pressing a key. The keyboard device 1 may be a keyboard-type controller that outputs control data (for example, MIDI) for controlling an external tone generator device in response to a key press. In this case, the keyboard device 1 may not have the tone generator device.

The keyboard device 1 includes a keyboard assembly 10. The keyboard assembly 10 includes a white key 100w and a black key 100b. A plurality of white keys 100w and black keys 100b are arranged side by side. The number of keys 100 is N, which is 88 in this example. The direction in which the plurality of white keys 100w and the black keys 100b are arranged is called the scale direction. The white key 100w and the black key 100b may be referred to as the key 100 if they can be described without making a distinction. Also in the following description, when the suffix "w" is added to the reference numeral, it means that the configuration corresponds to the white key. Further, when "b" is added to the end of the code, it means that the configuration corresponds to the black key.

A part of the keyboard assembly 10 exists inside the housing 90. In other words, the housing 90 covers part of the white key 100w and the black key 100b. When the keyboard device 1 is viewed from above, the portion of the keyboard assembly 10 covered by the housing 90 is called a non-appearance portion NV, and the portion exposed from the housing 90 and visible to the user is called an exterior portion PV. .. That is, the external appearance part PV is a part of the key 100 and indicates a region in which the user can perform a performance operation. Hereinafter, the part of the key 100 exposed by the external appearance part PV may be referred to as a key body part.

A sound source device 70 and a speaker 80 are arranged inside the housing 90. The sound source device 70 generates a sound waveform signal when the key 100 is pressed. The speaker 80 outputs the sound waveform signal generated in the sound source device 70 to the external space. The keyboard device 1 may be provided with a slider for controlling the volume, a switch for switching the timbre, a display for displaying various information, and the like.

In the description in this specification, the directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back indicate the directions when the keyboard device 1 is viewed from the performer when performing. Therefore, for example, the non-appearance portion NV can be expressed as being located on the back side of the appearance portion PV. In addition, the direction may be indicated with the key 100 as a reference, such as the front end side of the key (front side of the key) or the rear end side of the key (back side of the key). In this case, the front end side of the key indicates the front side of the key 100 viewed from the player. The rear end side of the key indicates the back side of the key 100 as seen by the player. According to this definition, it can be expressed that the portion of the black key 100b from the front end to the rear end of the key body of the black key 100b is a portion protruding above the white key 100w.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sound source device in the embodiment of the present invention. The sound source device 70 includes a signal conversion unit 710, a sound source unit 730, and an output unit 750. The sensor 300 is provided corresponding to each key 100, detects a key operation, and outputs a signal according to the detected content. In this example, the sensor 300 outputs a signal according to the key depression amount in three steps. The key pressing speed can be detected according to the interval of this signal.

The signal conversion unit 710 acquires the output signal of the sensor 300 (sensors 300-1, 300-2,..., 300-88 corresponding to the key 100 of 88), and operates according to the operation state of each key 100. Generate and output a signal. In this example, the operation signal is a MIDI format signal. Therefore, the signal conversion unit 710 outputs note-on in response to a key depression operation. At this time, the key number indicating which of the 88 keys 100 has been operated and the velocity corresponding to the key pressing speed are also output in association with note-on. On the other hand, in response to the key release operation, the signal conversion unit 710 outputs the key number and note-off in association with each other. A signal corresponding to another operation of the pedal or the like may be input to the signal conversion unit 710 and reflected in the operation signal.

The sound source unit 730 generates a sound waveform signal based on the operation signal output from the signal conversion unit 710. The output unit 750 outputs the sound waveform signal generated by the sound source unit 730. This sound wave signal is output to, for example, the speaker 80 or a sound wave signal output terminal.

[Keyboard assembly configuration]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the internal configuration of the housing according to the embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the side. In the following description, the black key 100b will be described, but for convenience of description, it is simply referred to as the key 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the keyboard assembly 10 and the speaker 80 are arranged inside the housing 90. The speaker 80 is arranged on the back side of the keyboard assembly 10. The speaker 80 is arranged so as to output a sound corresponding to a key depression toward the upper side and the lower side of the housing 90. The sound output downward travels from the lower surface side of the housing 90 to the outside. On the other hand, the sound output upward passes through the space inside the keyboard assembly 10 from the inside of the casing 90, and is output from the gap between the adjacent keys 100 in the external appearance PV or the gap between the key 100 and the casing 90 to the outside. Proceed to.

The configuration of the keyboard assembly 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The keyboard assembly 10 includes a connection part 180, a hammer assembly 200, and a frame 500 in addition to the key 100 described above. The frame 500 is fixed to the housing 90. The connecting portion 180 rotatably connects the key 100 to the frame 500. The connection portion 180 includes a plate-shaped flexible member 181, a key side support portion 183, and a rod-shaped flexible member 185. The plate-shaped flexible member 181 extends from the rear end of the key 100 toward the rear end of the key. The key-side support portion 183 extends rearward from the rear end of the plate-shaped flexible member 181. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 is supported by the key side support portion 183 and the frame side support portion 585 of the frame 500. That is, the rod-shaped flexible member 185 is arranged between the key 100 and the frame 500. The bending of the rod-shaped flexible member 185 allows the key 100 to rotate with respect to the frame 500. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the key side support portion 183 and the frame side support portion 585. The keyboard assembly 10 is a structure made of resin, most of which is manufactured by injection molding or the like. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 may not be detachable by being integrated with the key-side support portion 183 and the frame-side support portion 585, or by adhesion or the like.

The key 100 includes a first key guide 151, a second key guide 153, and a side key guide 155. In other words, the first key guide 151, the second key guide 153, and the side key guide 155 are connected to the key 100. The frame 500 includes a first frame guide 511, a second frame guide 513, and a side frame guide 515. In other words, the first frame guide 511, the second frame guide 513, and the side frame guide 515 are connected to the frame 500. The first key guide 151 slides on the first frame guide 511. The second key guide 153 slides on the second frame guide 513. The side key guide 155 slides on the side frame guide 515. The first guide 51 is a concept including a first key guide 151 and a first frame guide 511. The second guide 53 is a concept including the second key guide 153 and the second frame guide 513. The third guide 55 is a concept including the side surface key guide 155 and the side surface frame guide 515. The first guide 51, the second guide 53, and the third guide 55 are guides that regulate the position of the key 100 in the scale direction and the operation direction of the key 100 when the key is released.

The first key guide 151 is in slidable contact with the first frame guide 511 while covering the first frame guide 511. In other words, the first key guide 151 is slidably in contact with the first frame guide 511 extending upward from the frame 500 from both sides in the scale direction. In other words, the first frame guide 511 is inserted inside the first key guide 151. In other words, the first key guide 151 sandwiches the first frame guide 511.

The second key guide 153 is slidably in contact with the second frame guide 513 while being sandwiched by the second frame guide 513. In other words, the second key guide 153 is sandwiched by the second frame guides 513 extending from the frame 500 to the front end side of the key from both sides in the scale direction, and slidably contacts the second frame guide 513. The second guide 53 is arranged on the key front end side and below the first guide 51.

The side surface key guide 155 is slidably in contact with the side surface frame guide 515 while being sandwiched by the side surface frame guide 515. In other words, the side surface key guide 155 slidably contacts the side surface frame guide 515 extending upward from the frame 500 from both sides in the scale direction.

The first guide 51 and the second guide 53 are arranged in the area exposed from the housing 90. The third guide 55 is arranged in a region covered by the housing 90. That is, the first guide 51 and the second guide 53 are arranged at positions corresponding to the external appearance portion PV, and the third guide 55 is arranged in a region corresponding to the non-external appearance portion NV. The third guide 55 is present on the key front end side with respect to the connecting portion 180 (the plate-shaped flexible member 181). However, the third guide 55 may be arranged in a region corresponding to the external appearance portion PV.

The hammer assembly 200 is rotatably attached to the frame 500. At this time, the shaft support portion 220 of the hammer assembly 200 and the rotary shaft 520 of the frame 500 slidably contact at at least three points. The front end 210 of the hammer assembly 200 is slidably contacted in the inner space of the hammer support 120 in the front-rear direction. The sliding portion, that is, the portion where the front end portion 210 and the hammer support portion 120 contact each other is located below the key 100 in the exterior portion PV (the key front end side rather than the rear end of the key body portion).

The hammer assembly 200 includes a weight portion 230 made of metal on the inner side of the rotary shaft. In a normal state (when the key is not pressed), the weight 230 is placed on the lower stopper 410, and the front end 210 of the hammer assembly 200 pushes the key 100 back. When the key is pressed, the weight portion 230 moves upward and collides with the upper stopper 430. The hammer assembly 200 applies a weight to the key depression by the weight portion 230. The lower stopper 410 and the upper stopper 430 are made of a cushioning material (nonwoven fabric, elastic body, etc.).

A sensor 300 is attached to the frame 500 below the hammer support 120 and the front end 210. When the sensor 300 is crushed by the key depression on the lower surface side of the front end portion 210, the sensor 300 outputs a detection signal. The sensor 300 is provided corresponding to each key 100, as described above.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram when the keyboard assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 4, the key-side support portion 183b of the black key 100b is arranged on the key rear end side with respect to the key-side support portion 183w of the white key 100w. This position is related to the positions of the rod-shaped flexible members 185w and 185b which are the rotation centers of the key 100. With such an arrangement, the difference in the center of rotation between the white key and the black key of the acoustic piano is reproduced. In this example, the plate-shaped flexible member 181b corresponding to the black key 100b is longer than the plate-shaped flexible member 181w corresponding to the white key 100w. Corresponding to such an arrangement, the frame-side support portion 585b of the frame 500 is arranged closer to the key rear end side than the frame-side support portion 585w. Therefore, the shape of the rear end of the key of the frame 500 (the frame-side support portion 585) is a shape in which the frame-side support portion 585b protrudes deeper than the frame-side support portion 585w.

In addition, in FIG. 4, the hammer assembly 200 and the frame 500 located below the key 100 are illustrated by omitting a part thereof. Specifically, the configuration of the frame 500 in the vicinity of the connection portion 180 (frame side support portion 585 and the like) is described, and a part of the configuration on the front side is omitted. In other explanations as well, a part of the description may be omitted when illustrated.

[Key structure]
FIG. 5 is a side view and a perspective view illustrating a detailed structure of the key according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a diagram of the key 100 viewed from the side. FIG. 5B is a diagram of the key 100 viewed from diagonally below. Here, the black key will be described, but the structure of the black key can be applied to the white key. As shown in FIG. 5, the key 100 is connected to the frame side support portion 585 through the connection portion 180.

First, the directions (scale direction, rolling direction, yawing direction, vertical direction) used in the following description will be defined. As described above, the scale direction corresponds to the direction in which the keys 100 are arranged (the left-right direction viewed from the player). The rolling direction corresponds to the direction in which the key 100 rotates about the direction in which the key 100 extends (from the front to the back as viewed by the player). The yawing direction is a direction in which the key 100 bends in the left-right direction when viewed from above. Although the difference between the scale direction and the yawing direction is not large, the movement of the key 100 in the scale direction means parallel movement, whereas the movement of the key 100 in the yawing direction bends (warps) in the scale direction. Equivalent to. The up-down direction corresponds to the direction in which the rod-shaped flexible member 185 extends (up-down direction as seen from the player), and can be said to be the direction of the bending axis in the yawing direction.

The key 100 includes a first key guide 151, a second key guide 153, and a side key guide 155. In FIG. 5, the first key guide 151, the second key guide 153, and the side key guide 155 are integrally formed. However, the first key guide 151, the second key guide 153, and the side key guide 155 may be formed as separate members, and may be bonded or fixed to the key 100.

The first key guide 151 is provided on the key front end side of the key 100 and inside the recess 150 that is open below the key 100. A step portion 157 is provided in the recess 150 of the key 100. The width of the recess 150 on the key front end side of the step portion 157 in the scale direction is smaller than the width of the recess 150 on the key rear end side of the step portion 157 in the scale direction. The first key guide 151 is on the key front end side (player side) with respect to the step portion 157. With the first frame guide 511 inserted in the recess 150 of the key 100, the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 slide.

The second key guide 153 extends below the key 100 at the front end of the key 100. The second key guide 153 has a plate-shaped portion. The upper end of the second key guide 153 enters the inside of the recess 150 and is connected to both side walls of the recess 150 in the scale direction. With this structure, the mechanical strength of the second key guide 153 in the scale direction is improved. The second key guide 153 and the second frame guide 513 slide while the second key guide 153 is sandwiched by the second frame guides 513. The hammer support 120 is connected below the second key guide 153.

The side key guide 155 is provided at a position corresponding to the non-appearance portion NV of the key 100. The side key guide 155 has a plate shape in which a part of the side surface of the key 100 in the longitudinal direction of the key is recessed in the scale direction. The side surface key guide 155 and the side surface frame guide 515 slide while the side surface key guide 155 is sandwiched by the side surface frame guides 515.

The plate-shaped flexible member 181 is a plate-shaped member having flexibility in the yawing direction. The plate-shaped flexible member 181 is arranged such that the normal line direction of the plate surface faces the scale direction. As a result, the plate-shaped flexible member 181 can be deformed in the rolling direction and the yawing direction by bending or twisting. That is, the plate-shaped flexible member 181 has flexibility in the rolling direction and the yawing direction of the key 100 due to its flexibility. It can be said that the plate-shaped flexible member 181 has a degree of freedom also in the scale direction by combining the deformations in the yawing direction. On the other hand, the plate-shaped flexible member 181 hardly deforms in the vertical direction. The normal direction of the plate-shaped flexible member 181 does not have to be completely the same as the scale direction, as long as it has a component in the scale direction. When the normal direction of the plate-shaped flexible member 181 does not coincide with the scale direction, the smaller the angle between the normal direction and the scale direction is, the more preferable.

The rod-shaped flexible member 185 is a rod-shaped member having flexibility. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 includes the rotation center (key fulcrum) of the key 100 when the key is pressed. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 can be deformed in the rolling direction and the yawing direction by bending or twisting. That is, the rod-shaped flexible member 185 has flexibility in the rolling direction and the yawing direction of the key 100 due to its flexibility. It can be said that the rod-shaped flexible member 185 has a degree of freedom also in the scale direction by combining deformations in the rolling direction. On the other hand, the rod-shaped flexible member 185 hardly deforms in the vertical direction. Note that the rod-shaped flexible member 185 can twist more than the plate-shaped flexible member 181 because of its shape characteristics.

The cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped flexible member 185 (cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod) is a shape surrounded by a combination of curved lines and straight lines, and is a semicircular shape in this example. In the semicircular shape, the straight line portion is on the back side and the curved line portion is on the front side, but it may be in the opposite direction. The cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped flexible member 185 may be a shape surrounded by only a curved line (for example, a circular shape) or a shape surrounded by only a straight line (for example, a rectangular shape). That is, the rod-shaped flexible member 185 can be bent and deformed in a direction other than the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the rod-shaped flexible member 185 (two of three directions that define three dimensions), and The cross-sectional shape may be any shape as long as it can be twisted and deformed about the longitudinal direction. The rod-shaped flexible member 185 may be a cone-shaped member whose thickness changes along the longitudinal direction.

In the above configuration, the key fulcrum, the first key guide 151, and the second key guide 153 restrict the movement of the key 100 at three locations that are not aligned on a straight line when the key 100 is viewed in the scale direction. .. The at least three guides arranged in this manner restrict the movement of the key 100 in the scale direction, the yawing direction, and the rolling direction.

[Frame structure]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed structure of the frame according to the embodiment of the present invention. The frame 500 includes a first frame guide 511, a second frame guide 513, a side frame guide 515, and a tip frame guide 521. The frame 500 also includes a first rib 540, a first wall portion 542, a support column 544, a second rib 550, a third rib 551, a second wall portion 552, and a third wall portion 554. The plurality of first frame guides 511 and the plurality of second frame guides 513 are connected by columns 544. The first frame guide 511 projects upward from the column 544. The second frame guide 513 projects from the column 544 toward the key front end side (the direction in which the key 100 extends). The first frame guide 511 and the second frame guide 513 are arranged corresponding to the black key 100b. However, the first frame guide 511 and the second frame guide 513 may be arranged corresponding to the white key 100w.

The first frame guide 511 and the second frame guide 513 are formed integrally with the support column 544. However, the first frame guide 511 and the second frame guide 513 may be formed as separate members from the support column 544 and may be bonded or fixed to the frame 500. The above-mentioned “rib” and “wall portion” are both plate-shaped members, but the “rib” is a plate-shaped member extending in the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the key 100, and the “wall portion” of the key 100. The plate-shaped member extends in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

The side frame guide 515 is arranged between the adjacent keys 100. At the position where the white key 100w and the black key 100b are adjacent to each other (for example, between A and B), the side frame guide 515 contacts both the white key 100w and the black key 100b. At the position where the white keys 100w are adjacent to each other (for example, between B and C), the side surface frame guide 515 contacts only the white key 100w. By disposing the side surface frame guide 515 between the adjacent keys 100, it is possible to prevent the adjacent keys 100 from coming into contact with each other even if the keys 100 move in the scale direction in the non-appearance portion NV. ..

The first rib 540 is provided between the hammer assemblies 200 arranged adjacent to each other. In other words, the hammer assembly 200 is arranged in the space defined by the first ribs 540. The plurality of first ribs 540 are connected by the columns 544 and the first wall portion 542. The second wall portion 552 is provided at a position facing the first wall portion 542. The second wall portion 552 is connected to the third wall portion 554. The first wall portion 542 and the second wall portion 552 are connected by the second rib 550 and the third rib 551. The second rib 550 has a larger plate-shaped portion area and higher rigidity than the third rib 551. The circuit board on which the sensor 300 is formed is disposed between the first wall portion 542 and the second wall portion 552. The tip frame guide 521 is connected by the third wall portion 554. The tip frame guide 521 is arranged corresponding to the white key 100w. However, the tip frame guide 521 may be arranged corresponding to the black key 100b.

[Structure of frame guide]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed structure of the first frame guide and the second frame guide in the embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the scale direction is the first direction D1, the longitudinal direction of the key 100 is the second direction D2, and the direction orthogonal to the plane including the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is the third direction D3. The above three directions correspond to the x axis, y axis, and z axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. When defining the direction on the xyz axes, the direction opposite to the first direction D1 is the first direction D4, the direction opposite to the second direction D2 is the second direction D5, and the direction opposite to the third direction D3 is the third direction D6. .. Note that the third direction D3 can be simply referred to as upward.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first frame guide 511 projects from the column 544 in the third direction D3. In other words, the first frame guide 511 projects in the third direction D3 with respect to the frame 500. A protrusion 5110, a first recess 5111, and a second recess 5115 are provided at the tip of the first frame guide 511. The protrusions 5110 are provided on both sides of the first frame guide 511 in the first directions D1 and D4, and protrude from the first frame guide 511 toward both sides of the first directions D1 and D4. The protrusion 5110 is provided above the first frame guide 511. In the example of FIG. 7, the protrusion 5110 is provided on the upper end of the first frame guide 511. The position of the protrusion 5110 is not limited to the position above the first frame guide 511, and can be appropriately changed depending on the positional relationship between the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 when pressing and releasing the key. A curved surface 5113 is provided at the end of the first recess 5111. The first frame guide 511 is formed integrally with the frame 500, but each may be formed as a separate member and bonded to the frame 500.

The second frame guide 513 projects from the column 544 in the second direction D2. The second frame guide 513 is provided with a third recess 5131. The second frame guide 513 is provided with a protrusion 5133 that protrudes toward the inside of the third recess 5131. At the bottom of the third recess 5131, a reinforcing member 5137 is provided to connect between the opposing side walls of the third recess 5131 (side walls provided with the protrusion 5133). Reinforcing members 5135 are provided on both sides of the second frame guide 513 in the first directions D1 and D4. The reinforcing member 5135 connects the support 544 and the second frame guide 513. In other words, the reinforcing member 5135 is provided between the second frame guide 513 and the frame 500. The reinforcing member 5135 suppresses the deformation of the second frame guide 513 in the first direction D1. The second frame guide 513 is formed integrally with the frame 500, but may be formed as a separate member and bonded to the frame 500.

As described above, since the reinforcing member 5137 and the reinforcing member 5135 are provided on the second frame guide 513, the change in the interval between the third recesses 5131 is suppressed. In other words, the change in the distance between the two protruding portions 5133 is suppressed. As a result, rattling of the front end of the key 100 in the first direction D1 can be suppressed. Note that if the second frame guide 513 has sufficient strength, the reinforcing members 5135 and 5137 may not be provided separately from the second frame guide 513. In FIG. 7, the second frame guide 513 is formed integrally with the frame 500, but each may be formed as a separate member and bonded to the frame 500.

In this embodiment, the first frame guide 511 projects from the support 544 in the third direction D3, and the second frame guide 513 projects from the support 544 in the second direction D2. However, the configuration is not limited to this. The first frame guide 511 and the second frame guide 513 may be provided so as to satisfy the condition that the key fulcrum, the first guide 51, and the second guide 53 are not aligned on a straight line when viewed from the scale direction. .. For example, the first frame guide 511 may project from the column 544 in the third direction D3 (upward), and the second frame guide 513 may project from the column 544 in the third direction D6 (downward). As another example, the first frame guide 511 may project from the column 544 in the second direction D2 (front of the key), and the second frame guide 513 may project from the column 544 in the third direction D6 (down).

[Mounting structure of the key 100 to the frame 500]
FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the first guide and the second guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line AA′ of the first guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a BB′ cross-sectional view of the second guide according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the first guide 51, the first frame guide 511 is inserted inside the first key guide 151. In other words, the first key guide 151 sandwiches the first frame guide 511. As shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 5110 projects from the first frame guide 511 toward the first key guide 151. When the key is released, the protrusion 5110 slides on the first key guide 151. As shown in FIG. 8, when the key 100 is viewed from the scale direction, the first key guide 151 and the protrusion 5110 slide relative to each other compared to the area where the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 overlap. The sliding area (the area of the hatched portion in FIG. 8) is small. The protrusion 5110 is a continuous sliding portion, and the first key guide 151 is an intermittent sliding portion.

In this embodiment, the configuration in which the projection 5110 is provided on the first frame guide 511 in order to reduce the sliding area between the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 has been described. Not limited. The protrusion 5110 may not be provided on the first frame guide 511, and the side surface of the first frame guide 511 and the side surface of the first key guide 151 may slide. That is, when the key 100 is viewed from the scale direction, the area where the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 overlap may be the sliding area of both. A cushioning member may be provided between the key 100 and the frame 500 in order to mitigate a collision between the key 100 and the column 544 that is a part of the frame 500 when a key is pressed. The cushioning member may be provided on the lower end 102 of the key 100, may be provided on the upper surface 546 of the column 544, or may be provided on both the lower end 102 of the key 100 and the upper surface 546 of the column 544. Good.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, in the second guide 53, the second key guide 153 is sandwiched by the second frame guides 513. In other words, the second key guide 153 is inserted inside the third recess 5131 of the second frame guide 513. The second frame guide 513 is provided with a protrusion 5133 that protrudes toward the second key guide 153, and the protrusion 5133 slides on the second key guide 153 when the key is released. The second frame guide 513 is a continuous sliding portion, and the second key guide 153 is an intermittent sliding portion.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the projecting portion 5133 is provided on the second frame guide 513 in order to reduce the sliding area between the second key guide 153 and the second frame guide 513 has been described. Not limited to. The protrusion 5133 may not be provided on the second frame guide 513, and the side surface of the second frame guide 513 and the side surface of the second key guide 153 may slide. That is, when the key 100 is viewed from the scale direction, the area where the second key guide 153 and the second frame guide 513 overlap may be the sliding area between the two.

With the configuration in which the first frame guide 511 is inserted inside the first key guide 151, the first guide 51 on the upper side of the key 100, which is likely to receive a force from the player, can have high mechanical strength. Due to the configuration in which the second frame guide 513 sandwiches the second key guide 153, the second guide 53 on the front end side of the key 100 where the shift of the key 100 in the scale direction is noticeable can have high positional accuracy.

[Keyboard assembly operation]
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the key and the guide in the keyboard assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11A is a diagram when the key 100 is in the rest position (the key is not pressed). FIG. 11B is a diagram when the key 100 is at the end position (a state where the key is pressed to the end). When the key 100 is pressed, the rod-shaped flexible member 185 bends around the center of rotation. Then, the hammer support portion 120 pushes down the front end portion 210, so that the hammer assembly 200 rotates about the rotation shaft 520. When the weight 230 collides with the upper stopper 430, the rotation of the hammer assembly 200 is stopped and the key 100 reaches the end position. Further, when the sensor 300 is crushed by the front end portion 210, the sensor 300 outputs a detection signal in a plurality of stages according to the crushed amount (key pressing amount).

On the other hand, when the key is released, the weight portion 230 moves downward, the hammer assembly 200 rotates, and the key 100 rotates upward. When the weight 230 comes into contact with the lower stopper 410, the hammer assembly 200 stops rotating and the key 100 returns to the rest position.

As described above, according to the keyboard device 1 according to the first embodiment, the first frame guide 511 is inserted inside the first key guide 151, and the second frame guide 513 sandwiches the second key guide 153. This makes it possible to achieve both high mechanical strength and high positional accuracy of the key 100 with respect to the frame 500. Since the second key guide 153 is integral with the key 100 and the second frame guide 513 is integral with the frame 500, the above mechanical strength and positional accuracy are further improved. Since the second frame guide 513 projects in the second direction D2, the above positional accuracy is further improved. Since the second frame guide 513 is provided with the reinforcing member 5137 and the reinforcing member 5135, rattling of the key 100 in the first direction D1 is suppressed. As a result, a smooth sliding operation of the key 100 when the key is released can be obtained. Since the second frame guide 513 has the protrusion 5133, the sliding area can be reduced. As a result, a smooth sliding operation of the key 100 when the key is released can be obtained.

When the key 100 is viewed from the scale direction, the sliding area where the first key guide 151 and the protrusion 5110 slide is smaller than the area where the first key guide 151 and the first frame guide 511 overlap. Thus, a smooth sliding operation of the key 100 when the key is released can be obtained. For example, by providing the projection 5110 on the first frame guide 511, the sliding area can be reduced. Since the first frame guide 511 projects upward, the operation of the key 100 is controlled at a position close to the player's hand. As a result, the mechanical strength against the force applied to the key 100 in the rolling direction is improved. Since the protrusion 5110 is provided at the upper end of the first frame guide 511, the mechanical strength against the force applied in the rolling direction is further improved.

<Second Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, a keyboard device 1A including a first guide 51A having a configuration different from that of the first guide 51 in the first embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which a sliding member 600A is provided between the first frame guide 511A and the first key guide 151A will be described.

[Structure of the first frame guide]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed structure of the first frame guide and the second frame guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. The first frame guide 511A shown in FIG. 12 is similar to the first frame guide 511 shown in FIG. 7, but the first frame guide 511A is different from the first frame guide 511A in that the upper end thereof has no protrusion. Different from 511.

[Structure of sliding member]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed structure of the sliding member according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the sliding member 600A has a main body portion 610A, a protrusion 620A, a first stopper 630A, a second stopper 640A, and a buffer portion 650A. The sliding member 600A has flexibility. By utilizing this flexibility, the sliding member 600A is attached to the first frame guide 511A. As the sliding member 600A, a member softer than the key 100A or the frame 500A can be used. That is, the Young's modulus of the sliding member 600A is smaller than the Young's modulus of the key 100A or the frame 500A. As the sliding member 600A, for example, a cushioning material such as an elastic body or a non-woven fabric can be used. As the elastic body, for example, rubber such as nitrile rubber (NBR) or ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), or elastomer can be used.

The main body 610A has a shape arranged along the side wall of the first frame guide 511A and has a length in the third direction D3. The main body portion 610A is arranged along three side walls of the four side walls of the first frame guide 511A. That is, the one end 612A of the main body 610A is opened. One side end 612A of the main body portion 610A has flexibility in the first directions D1 and D4. The protrusions 620A are provided on both sides of the sliding member 600A in the first directions D1 and D4, and project toward both sides of the first directions D1 and D4, respectively. The protrusion 620A is provided above the main body 610A. In the example of FIG. 13, the protrusion 620A is provided on the upper end of the sliding member 600A. The protrusion 620A is movable in the first directions D1 and D4. In the present embodiment, the sliding member 600A has flexibility, and since the first stopper 630A described later is provided at a position different from the protrusion 620A in the second direction D2, both sides of the sliding member 600A are provided. The distance between the protrusions 620A provided on the surface is variable. The position of the protrusion 620A is not limited to the position above the main body 610A, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the positional relationship between the first key guide 151A and the first frame guide 511A during key depression and key release.

The first stopper 630A is provided above the main body 610A. In the example of FIG. 13, the first stopper 630A is provided on the upper end of the sliding member 600A. The first stopper 630A connects opposite side walls of the side walls of the main body 610A. The second stopper 640A is provided below the main body 610A. In the example of FIG. 13, the second stopper 640A is provided at the lower end of the sliding member 600A. The second stopper 640A is bent from the tip of one of the side walls of the main body 610A. The second stopper 640A is provided with an opening 642A. Of the side walls of the opening 642A, one side wall functions as the locking portion 644A. The functions of the first stopper 630A and the second stopper 640A will be described in detail later.

The buffer portion 650A extends from the body portion 610A in the first directions D1 and D4 on both sides of the body portion 610A. The cushioning portion 650A is provided with an abutting portion 652A protruding from the cushioning portion 650A in the third direction D3. The buffer portion 650A and the contact portion 652A alleviate the collision between the key 100A and the support 544A when the key 100A is pressed with a strong force. Since the contact portion 652A projects in the third direction, the key 100A first comes into contact with the contact portion 652A when the key is pressed, so that the collision noise between the key 100A and the buffer portion 650A can be reduced. it can. In FIG. 13, the contact portion 652A exemplifies the configuration provided at the end portion of the buffer portion 650A in the second direction D5, but may be provided at a position other than that. A plurality of contact portions 652A may be provided above the buffer portion 650A.

[Mounting Structure of Sliding Member to First Frame Guide]
FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the sliding member is attached to the first frame guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 14, when the sliding member 600A is attached to the first frame guide 511A, the first stopper 630A is arranged inside the first recess 5111A. Since the first stopper 630A is locked to the inner wall of the first recess 5111A, the movement of the sliding member 600A in the second direction D5 is restricted. Although the configuration in which the first stopper 630A is arranged in the first recess 5111A is shown in FIG. 14, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, instead of the first recess 5111A, when the sliding member 600A tries to move in the second direction D5, a stepped portion to which the first stopper 630A engages is provided in the first frame guide 511A. May be.

12 to 14 illustrate the configuration in which the first recess 5111A is provided at the upper end of the first frame guide 511A and the first stopper 630A is provided at the upper end of the sliding member 600A, but the configuration is not limited to this. As described above, if the movement of the sliding member 600A in the second direction D5 is restricted, the shapes and attachment positions of the first recess 5111A and the first stopper 630A can be changed as appropriate.

When removing the sliding member 600A from the first frame guide 511A, a pin is inserted from the second concave portion 5115A below the first stopper 630A, and the sliding member 600A is lifted upward by the pin. It may be moved in the second direction D5.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the sliding member 600A is attached to the first frame guide 511A, the protrusions 620A provided at both ends in the first directions D1 and D4 are in contact with the first frame guide 511, respectively. . As described above, the sliding member 600A in the region where the protrusion 620A is provided has flexibility in the first directions D1 and D4. Here, due to variations in the shapes of the first frame guide 511A and the sliding member 600A, the width of the first frame guide 511A in the first direction D1 and the distance between the two protrusions 620A may not match. For example, when the width of the first frame guide 511A is smaller than the distance between the two protrusions 620A, a gap is generated between the first frame guide 511A and the protrusion 620A. In this case, if the region of the sliding member 600A where the protrusion 620A is provided does not have flexibility in the first directions D1 and D4, the sliding member 600A rattles with respect to the first frame guide 511A. . Under the influence, rattling of the key 100A occurs. However, since the region of the flexible sliding member 600A where the projection 620A is provided bends in the first directions D1 and D4, even in the above case, the first frame guide 511A and the projection 620A are The gap between them disappears. As a result, rattling of the sliding member 600A with respect to the first frame guide 511A can be suppressed.

In the state shown in FIG. 14, the buffer section 650A is in contact with the support column 544A. However, the buffer portion 650A may not be in contact with the support column 544A.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the first guide according to the embodiment of the present invention. The sectional view of FIG. 15 corresponds to the sectional view of FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 15, the protrusions 620A are provided on both sides of the sliding member 600A in the first directions D1 and D4. When the key 100A is attached to the frame 500A, the protrusion 620A projects toward the first key guide 151A. The protrusion 620A slides on the first key guide 151A. The protrusion 620A is a continuous sliding portion.

In the state where the sliding member 600A is attached to the first frame guide 511A, the second stopper 640A contacts the column 544A from below. Further, the second stopper 640A is locked to the projecting portion 5117A provided on the lower portion of the column 544A. Specifically, the protrusion 5117A is arranged inside the opening 642A shown in FIG. 13, and the locking portion 644A is locked to the protrusion 5117A. The second stopper 640A regulates the movement of the sliding member 600A in the third direction D3. The protrusion 5117A regulates the movement of the second stopper 640A in the second direction D5. With these configurations, the second stopper 640A suppresses the sliding member 600A from moving in the third direction D3 and coming off the first frame guide 511A.

In addition, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the sliding area, the configuration in which the sliding member 600A has the protrusion 620A has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this. The protrusion 620A may not be provided on the sliding member 600A, and the side surface of the sliding member 600A and the side surface of the first key guide 151A may slide. That is, when the key 100A is viewed from the scale direction, the area where the first key guide 151A and the sliding member 600A overlap may be the sliding area of both.

As described above, according to the keyboard device 1A of the second embodiment, since the sliding member 600A is provided between the key 100A and the frame 500A, the design dimension of the first frame guide 511A and the first frame guide 511A Even when a deviation from the design dimension of the key guide 151A occurs, the above-mentioned deviation of the design dimension can be compensated by adjusting the shape of the sliding member 600A. By attaching the sliding member 600A, which is softer than the first frame guide 511A or the first key guide 151A, to the first frame guide 511A, it is possible to reduce noise in the first guide 51A during key release. Further, with the above configuration, the keyboard device 1A can provide the user with a smooth key operation.

In the above-described embodiment, the electronic piano is shown as an example of the keyboard device to which the first guide 51 and the second guide 53 are applied. On the other hand, the first guide 51 and the second guide 53 of the above embodiment can also be applied to an acoustic piano (a grand piano, an upright piano, etc.). In this case, the sounding mechanism corresponds to a hammer or a string. The rotating mechanism of the above embodiment can be applied to rotating parts other than the piano.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1: Keyboard device, 10: Keyboard assembly, 51: First guide, 53: Second guide, 55: Third guide, 70: Sound source device, 80: Speaker, 90: Case, 100: Key, 100b : Black key, 100w: White key, 102: Lower end, 120: Hammer support part, 150: Recessed part, 151: First key guide, 153: Second key guide, 155: Side key guide, 180: Connection part, 181: Plate-shaped flexible member, 183: Key-side support portion, 185: Rod-shaped flexible member, 200: Hammer assembly, 210: Front end portion, 220: Shaft support portion, 230: Weight portion, 300: Sensor, 410: Bottom Side stopper, 430: Upper stopper, 500: Frame, 511: First frame guide, 513: Second frame guide, 515: Side frame guide, 520: Rotating shaft, 521: Tip frame guide, 540: First rib, 542: 1st wall part, 544: support|pillar, 546: upper surface, 550: 2nd rib, 551: 3rd rib, 552: 2nd wall part, 554: 3rd wall part, 585: frame side support part, 600A: Sliding member, 610A: body part, 612A: one side end, 620A: protrusion, 630A: first stopper, 640A: second stopper, 642A: opening part, 644A: locking part, 650A: buffer part, 652A: hit. Contact part, 710: Signal conversion part, 730: Sound source part, 750: Output part, 5110: Protrusion, 5111: 1st recessed part, 5113: Curved surface, 5115: 2nd recessed part, 5117A: Projected part, 5131: 3rd recessed part , 5133: protruding part, 5135, 5137: reinforcing member, NV: non-external part, PV: external part

Claims (10)

Frame and
A key that rotates with respect to the frame around a key fulcrum,
A first frame guide connected to the frame, and a first guide including a first key guide connected to the key and sandwiching the first frame guide;
A second key guide connected to the key and a second frame guide connected to the frame and sandwiching the second key guide, and a second guide provided below the first guide;
Equipped with
The keyboard device in which the key fulcrum, the first guide, and the second guide are provided at three locations that are not aligned in a straight line when viewed from the first direction in which the keys are adjacent. The first frame guide slides on the surface of the first key guide,
The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the second frame guide slides on a surface of the second key guide. The second key guide is integral with the key,
The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein the second frame guide is integral with the frame. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein the second frame guide projects from the frame in a direction in which the key extends. The keyboard device according to claim 4, further comprising a reinforcing member that suppresses deformation of the second frame guide in the first direction between the second frame guide and the frame. The keyboard device according to claim 4, wherein the second frame guide has a protrusion that protrudes toward the second key guide and slides with the second key guide. The sliding area of the first frame guide and the first key guide when viewed from the first direction is such that the first frame guide and the first key guide when viewed from the first direction are The keyboard device according to claim 2, which is smaller than an overlapping area. The keyboard device according to claim 7, wherein the first frame guide includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the first key guide and slides with the first key guide. The keyboard device according to claim 8, wherein the first frame guide projects upward from the frame. The keyboard device according to claim 9, wherein the protrusion is provided on an upper end of the first frame guide.

Images