Directional musical instrument fixture

Abstract

To secure musical instruments to a floor while enhancing acoustic effects.SOLUTION: A musical instrument fixture 10 comprises: a directional support plate 13 formed from a plate that is either square or square with rounded corners; and a non-adhesive low-rebound portion 21 covering the underside of the directional support plate 13, an outer edge thereof, and an area near the outer edge on a top surface. The fixture is adhered to a floor surface with square corners 15 facing audiences to secure a musical instrument.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixture for fixing a musical instrument such as a piano to a floor surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Many large musical instruments, such as grand pianos, cannot be lifted by the player and are therefore placed on the floor for playing. Because these instruments are heavy, securing the legs has been considered to prevent them from slipping or falling over during earthquakes and other events. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a slip prevention measure that uses a container-shaped receptacle made of drawn steel plate and a circular rubber base to support it, in order to secure the bottom ends of each leg of the piano to the floor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-52943 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] These instruments vibrate to produce sounds for the audience, and the inventors thought that by improving the part of the instrument that supports it and connects it to the floor, it might be possible to bring out the original sound quality and volume of the instrument.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is not only to fix a large musical instrument but also to improve the listening environment of the instrument using a fixture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention is A directional support plate made of a square or square plate with rounded ends; a non-adhesive low-resilience portion having a type A durometer hardness of 50 or more and 70 or less, which covers the lower surface, the outer edge, and the vicinity of the outer edge of the upper surface of the directional support plate; having The above problem was solved by the first solution, which was to use the instrument as a fixture.

[0007] In addition, in the present invention, a second solution can be adopted in which, in the first solution, the plate is made of iron.

[0008] Furthermore, in the present invention, in the first or second solving means, a third solving means can be employed in which the corner or the corner with a rounded tip is a triangle or a triangle with a rounded tip. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] When an instrument is placed on the instrument fixture of this invention and played, it has been confirmed that the sound is louder and the sound quality is improved in the direction of the square or rounded-edge square corners. On the other hand, the sound is quieter in the direction of the edge between the corners, and no improvement in sound quality was confirmed. Taking a grand piano as an example, by attaching this instrument fixture to all three legs and aligning them, it is possible to enhance the sound quality and volume of the sound transmitted in that direction, which was previously attenuated by conventional anti-tip devices. In live music venues and other venues where the range of angles from the grand piano to the audience is limited, the grand piano can be placed on top of the instrument fixtures, oriented in the same direction, to improve the sound quality facing the audience. This effect is achieved by the multifaceted effects of the non-adhesive low-resilience portion, which has a Type A durometer hardness of 50 or more, which has extremely high sound transmission while also providing excellent noise blocking capabilities that interfere with the sound.

[0010] Furthermore, since the casters on the piano's legs can be fixed to the floor, it also functions as an earthquake-resistant fixing device. Because the non-adhesive, low-resilience material secures the piano to the floor, it can be moved without leaving any scratches on the floor. This makes it suitable as a fixing method that allows the piano to be easily restored to its original condition whenever it is set up for a concert or other event. Even if a lateral earthquake occurs during a concert, it can prevent the piano from shifting too far and hitting the performers or audience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a musical instrument fixing device according to the present invention, which is installed under the legs of a grand piano; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of a grand piano where one embodiment of the musical instrument fixing device according to the present invention is installed under a caster on the leg of the grand piano. [Figure 3] (a) is a plan view of one embodiment of the musical instrument fixture according to the present invention; (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in (a); [Figure 4] A conceptual diagram showing the direction in which the musical instrument fixing device according to one embodiment of the present invention produces a good sound. [Figure 5] 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the musical instrument fixing device according to the present invention installed in the same direction on three legs of a grand piano. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is described in detail below. The present invention relates to a musical instrument fixing device 10 having a directional support plate 13 and a non-adhesive, low-resilience portion 21 that covers the lower surface 18 and outer edges (17, 18) of the directional support plate 13 and the vicinity of the outer edge of the upper surface 14.

[0013] This invention can be used with instruments that are played in contact with the floor. String instruments such as harps, cellos, and double basses can be used, as they are attached to the floor via endpins. However, it cannot be used with violins, violas, or guitars, which do not touch the floor. Percussion instruments such as marimbas, brockenhorns, timpani, drums, and bass drums can be used, as they are attached to the floor. However, it cannot be used with tambourines, triangles, handbells, or other percussion instruments that are lifted and struck. It is generally not suitable for wind instruments. It can be used with stationary keyboard instruments such as organs and pianos, but not with accordions. It can also be used with speakers that output sound from electric guitars and keyboards. Among these, instruments that are attached to the floor via pins or legs are the easiest to use. The most suitable of these is a grand piano. It is recommended to install the instrument fixture 10 under the three legs.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of this musical instrument fixture 10 used on a grand piano 1 as a musical instrument. Grand pianos 1 are generally supported by three legs 2, each of which is fitted with a caster 3 for moving the piano. The musical instrument fixture 10 is installed beneath these casters 3. Specifically, the musical instrument fixture 10 is attached to the floor at the location where the grand piano 1 is to be placed. The legs 2 of the grand piano 1 are then moved to the position of the musical instrument fixture 10, and the casters 3 are fixed in place as shown in FIG.

[0015] This will be described in detail using one embodiment of the instrument fixture 10 as an example. Figure 3(a) shows a plan view, and Figure 3(b) shows a cross-sectional view (bb). The directional support plate 13 of the instrument fixture 10 is made of a plate that is angular or angular with rounded tips. A "angular" refers to a polygon, preferably a triangular or hexagonal shape. A shape with more corners than a heptagon approaches a circle, making the effect of louder sound and improving sound quality less pronounced. To achieve a more pronounced effect, fewer corners are preferred, and a triangular or quadrangular shape is preferable. Note that the shape is not limited to an equilateral triangle or square, and may be an isosceles triangle, rhombus, rectangle, or the like. Furthermore, the shape does not need to be a perfect triangle; a corner with rounded tips, i.e., near the vertices, may be used. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, corners 15 are formed in a manner similar to an equilateral triangle with rounded vertices.

[0016] The directional support plates 13 must be strong enough to support the weight of a stationary musical instrument. In particular, when used with a grand piano 1, each plate will be subjected to a load of approximately 100 kg, so they must be strong enough to withstand that load without cracking or bending. Suitable materials include copper, iron, and stainless steel.

[0017] The thickness of the directional support plate 13 is not particularly limited as long as it sufficiently exhibits the strength described above. Although it depends on the strength of the material used and the weight of the instrument being used, a thickness of 2 mm or more is preferable, and 3 mm or more is even more preferable. On the other hand, if the instrument that needs to be lifted and placed on it is particularly heavy, such as a grand piano, a thickness that is too thick can make it difficult to use, so a thickness of 3 cm or less is preferable. When used with an instrument that can be easily placed by one person, such as a cello, a thicker plate may be acceptable, but no further improvement in sound has been confirmed by increasing the thickness, and it is considered to be a waste.

[0018] The maximum width of the directional support plate 13 should be large enough to stably support the pins and legs of the musical instrument being used, and is preferably 5 cm or more. However, the effectiveness of placing two or more legs together has not been confirmed, so it is considered preferable to install a directional support plate 13 for each leg, and a width of 20 cm or less is thought to be sufficient for most musical instruments being used.

[0019] The directional support plate 13 is covered with a non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 except for the central portion of the upper surface 14. Specifically, this is as follows.

[0020] First, the non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 has a flat bottom plate portion 22 that covers the entire lower surface 18 of the directional support plate 13. The size of the bottom plate portion 22 is 3 mm or more larger than that of the directional support plate 13, and it is preferable that the shape of the bottom plate portion 22 is similar to or approximates that of the directional support plate 13.

[0021] The non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 also has an outer wall portion 23 that rises from the edge of the bottom plate portion 22 and covers the outer edge of the directional support plate 13. Here, the outer edge of the directional support plate 13 refers to the rounded tops 16 and all of the side portions 17 connecting the tops 16. By covering the entire outer edge evenly, it is thought that extraneous noise is less likely to be introduced into the amplified sound. For this reason, it is preferable that the thickness of the outer wall portion 23 is uniform at least along the side portions 17, and it is desirable that the thickness of the portion covering the tops 16 is close to the thickness of the portion covering the side portions 17.

[0022] Furthermore, the non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 has a roof portion 24 that covers the vicinity of the outer edge of the upper surface 14 of the directional support plate 13. The roof portion 24 preferably has an inclination that rises from the outer edge toward the center so that the caster 3 can easily climb over it. The inner periphery of this roof portion 24 is a circular inner edge portion 25, and the central portion of the upper surface 14 of the directional support plate 13 is preferably surrounded by this inner edge portion 25 and exposed. The inner edge portion 25 is also preferably not vertical but inclined inward. However, it is desirable that the inclination of the inner edge portion 25 is greater than the inclination of the roof portion 24. This acts as a stopper to prevent the caster 3 from easily climbing over it even when it rolls during an earthquake. However, in the case of a grand piano that is supported by only three legs 2, if the casters 3 are fixed in complete contact with the inner edge 25, the shaking during an earthquake cannot be absorbed by the casters 3 slipping and is instead concentrated on the legs 2, which could lead to the breakage of the legs 2. Therefore, it is desirable that there is enough space inside the inner edge 25 for the casters 3 to move to a certain extent. On the other hand, in the case of an upright piano that has four legs 2, there is no such restriction as the casters are less likely to break.

[0023] It is desirable that at least the underside of the bottom surface 22 of this non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 has a flat surface. This is because it needs to be fixed to the floor surface by normal force. However, since it is required that there is no residue of glue or peeling of the floor surface when it is removed from the floor surface, it is desirable that it be made of a resin material with reduced adhesiveness. One method for reducing adhesiveness is to knead in talc, for example.

[0024] A material that can achieve both non-stickiness and low resilience, which will be described later, can be a low-resilience urethane elastomer, etc. For example, the instrument fixing device 10 can be manufactured by using a low-resilience urethane elastomer material that has been kneaded with talc to achieve non-stickiness, and integrally molding the material to cover the periphery of the directional support plate 13 to form the non-stick low-resilience portion 21.

[0025] The non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 and the directional support plate 13 may be fixed together via an adhesive, or may be held together by integral molding with the non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 itself.

[0026] The instrument fixture 10 is installed on the floor. At this time, one of the corners 15 is attached so that it faces the direction of the audience, who will hear the piano's original high-quality sound. Specifically, the bisector of the corner 15 should be extended toward the top 16 so that it faces the direction of the audience. A conceptual diagram of the expected direction is shown in Figure 4. The seats of the audience should be arranged in the direction indicated by the arrows. When multiple instrument fixtures 10 are used, such as for a grand piano 1, they are installed on the floor with their expected directions aligned, as shown in the plan view of Figure 5.

[0027] The instrument fixture 10 is used on floors that are not suitable for use with uneven materials such as carpet, as it is attached by adhesion. However, it can be used effectively on wood-based flooring. However, if the flooring is damaged, care must be taken when removing it, as parts of the wood may come off. If the floor is tile, linoleum, or painted flooring, the fixture will exert sufficient adhesive strength and provide high stability. Furthermore, if the hardness of the non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 is softened, it can be sufficiently fixed even on concrete floors. However, this will inevitably result in sound attenuation.

[0028] The non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 constituting this invention must have a Type A durometer hardness of 50 or more and 70 or less. If the low-resilience is less than 50, noise is likely to be introduced into the sound transmission, resulting in insufficient sound improvement. A Type A durometer hardness of 50 or more provides high transmission performance across most of the frequency range used in music. Sound that is attenuated or lost due to noise with conventional rubber buffers can be transmitted to the floor with high efficiency with the musical instrument fixture 10 of this invention, and sound can be transmitted particularly strongly in the direction indicated by the corners of the square shape. On the other hand, if the hardness exceeds 70, the instrument becomes too hard and practically difficult to use. A preferred hardness is 55 or more and 65 or less. A hardness tester used to measure this Type A durometer hardness is, for example, the Asker Rubber Hardness Tester Type A manufactured by Kobunshi Keiki Co., Ltd.

[0029] Furthermore, a suitable material for the non-adhesive low-resilience portion 21 is a low-resilience urethane elastomer obtained by blending a prepolymer obtained by reacting (A) a polyol component with (B) a polyisocyanate component with other materials including a curing agent. The Type A durometer hardness of this low-resilience urethane elastomer should be adjusted to fall within the above range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Grand Piano 2 legs 3 Casters 10 Instrument Fixtures 13 Directional support plate 14 Top side 15 Corner 16 Top 17 Side 18 Bottom side 21 Non-adhesive low-resilience part 22 Bottom plate part 23 Exterior wall 24 Roof 25 Inner edge

Claims

1. A directional support plate made of a square or square plate with rounded ends; a non-adhesive low-resilience portion having a type A durometer hardness of 50 or more and 70 or less, which covers the lower surface, the outer edge, and the vicinity of the outer edge of the upper surface of the directional support plate; An instrument fixture having:

2. The musical instrument fixture of claim 1 , wherein the directional support plate is made of steel.

3. 3. The musical instrument fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the angular shape or the angular shape with rounded tips of the directional support plate is a triangle or a triangle with rounded tips.

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