Keyboard device for keyboard instrument

Abstract

A keyboard device includes a swingable key, an action unit that performs a predetermined operation in conjunction with the key being pressed down, a hammer support disposed on a rear side of the key, and a hammer rotatably supported by the hammer support and placed on the action unit. The key includes, at a rear end portion of the key, a guide groove extending in a front-rear direction and opening rearward. A holder of an action unit fixed to a rear end portion of a key includes a left side wall coupled to a left side surface of the key, an upper wall coupled to an upper surface of the key, a rear wall positioned on a rear side of the rear surface of the key, and a guide rib extending forward from the rear wall and inserted into a guide groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to keyboard devices for keyboard musical instruments such as digital pianos, and particularly to keyboard devices for keyboard musical instruments that implement the same action as that of a grand piano. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, keyboard devices such as those described in JP 2024-93320 A, filed by the applicant, are considered to be of this type. The keyboard device includes keys extending in a longitudinal direction and capable of pivoting about a center point in the longitudinal direction, and an action unit attached to the rear portion of the keys to perform a predetermined operation in conjunction with key pressing. The action unit includes a cage attached to the keys, and a vibrato lever and a push rod rotatably supported by the cage.

[0003] The cage of the action unit is formed from a molded product made of synthetic resin and has a key attachment portion that is fixed to the rear end of the keys at the front portion. The key attachment portion is configured such that the side surfaces form a U-shape through the upper wall, rear wall, and lower wall, and the left ends of these walls are connected by the left side wall. When the cage, formed as described above, is attached to the rear end of the keys during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly, adhesive is applied to the left and upper surfaces of the keys, and the key attachment portion of the cage adheres to the keys while the entire left side wall is in close contact with the left side surface of the keys. In this case, to more firmly fix the cage to the keys, a U-shaped pin is driven into the rear end of the keys from above the upper wall of the key attachment portion of the cage.

[0004] Citation List Patent documents Patent document 1: JP 2024-93320 A. Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, as described above, when the U-shaped pin is driven into the key attachment portion of the cage, the key attachment portion of the cage may be attached to the key in a state of tilting left or right relative to the proper posture along the length of the key in a plan view due to vibrations, etc. For example, in the key attachment portion of the cage, when the rear portion of the left side wall lifts off the left surface of the rear end of the key, the cage tilts to the left in a plan view, and in particular, the further back this portion of the cage is positioned, the greater the displacement from the proper position becomes. In cases where the cage attached to the rear end of the key involves the large displacement described above, depending on the operation of the key when it is pressed, the cage moving upward and downward may come into contact with the hammer support. In this case, the operation of the key may be hindered or noise may be generated, and stable key operation or a good playing sound cannot be obtained when the key is pressed.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the problems mentioned above, and the object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument, which makes it possible to attach the retainer of the action unit to be attached to the rear end of the keys in an appropriate posture during the manufacture of the keyboard device, thereby obtaining stable key operation and good playing sound when the keys are pressed.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the invention according to technical solution 1 includes: a keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument, the device comprising: a key extending a predetermined length in a front-rear direction, the key being oscillating about a fulcrum near a center point in the length direction; an action unit disposed in the rear portion of the key and performing a predetermined operation in conjunction with key pressing; a hammer support disposed on the rear side of the key; and a hammer extending a predetermined length in a front-rear direction, the hammer being rotatably supported at the rear end of the hammer via a hammer shaft extending in a left-right direction along the hammer support, the hammer being positioned to strike the string via a hammer protrusion. On the action unit, the hammer protrusion is provided on the front side immediately adjacent to the hammer shaft so as to protrude downward, and the hammer is driven upward by the action unit according to the key being pressed. The key has a guide groove at its rear end that extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the rear. The action unit includes a retainer fixed to the rear end of the key, and the retainer includes: a side wall that is coupled to one of the side surfaces of the rear end of the key in the left-right direction; an upper wall that is coupled to the upper surface of the rear end of the key; a rear wall that is positioned on the rear side of the rear surface of the rear end of the key; and a guide rib that extends forward from the rear wall and inserts into the guide groove.

[0008] According to this configuration, the action unit is located at the rear portion of the keys, and the hammer, whose rear end is rotatably supported by the hammer shaft of the hammer support member, is placed on the action unit via a hammer protrusion on the immediate front side of the hammer shaft. When the front end of the key is pushed downward when the key is pressed, the rear end of the key moves upward integrally with the cage of the action unit, and correspondingly, the hammer is driven upward by the action unit performing a predetermined operation.

[0009] The piano keys have guide grooves extending in the front-to-back direction and opening rearward at their rear ends. The retainer of the action unit, fixed to the rear end of the keys, includes side walls, a top wall, a rear wall, and guide ribs. When the retainer of the action unit is attached to the rear end of the keys during keyboard assembly manufacturing, the side walls and top wall of the retainer are respectively joined to the side and top surfaces of the rear end of the keys. After the rear wall of the retainer is positioned on the rear surface of the rear end of the keys, the guide ribs of the retainer are inserted into the guide grooves of the rear end of the keys. By attaching the retainer to the rear end of the keys as described above, the retainer cannot move in the left-to-right direction relative to the rear end of the keys due to the side walls and guide ribs. Therefore, as in the prior art, even when U-shaped pins are driven into the retainer and attached to the keys during keyboard assembly manufacturing, the retainer attached to the keys will not be attached in a tilted state in the left-to-right direction, and the retainer can be attached in an appropriate posture. As a result, according to the present invention, when manufacturing the keyboard device, the retainer of the action unit to be attached to the rear end of the keys can be attached in an appropriate posture, thereby obtaining stable key operation and good playing sound when the keys are pressed.

[0010] The invention according to technical solution 2 is a keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument according to technical solution 1, wherein the guide groove is formed to penetrate the rear end of the keys in a vertical direction.

[0011] According to this structure, since the guide groove provided at the rear end of the piano key is formed to penetrate in the vertical direction, the guide groove that penetrates in the vertical direction can be formed relatively easily compared to the case where a hole-shaped guide groove that opens backward is formed at the rear end of the piano key.

[0012] The invention according to technical solution 3 is a keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument according to technical solution 1 or 2, wherein the guide rib is formed into a flat plate shape with a predetermined thickness.

[0013] According to this construction, since the guide ribs are formed in a flat plate shape, the retainer is attached to the rear end portion of the key while the rear end portion of the key is securely held between the right and left sides by the guide ribs and the sidewalls of the retainer. As a result, even when the U-shaped pins are driven into the retainer, the retainer can be securely fixed in the proper position at the rear end of the key without causing the retainer to tilt in the left-right direction at this time. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a keyboard device for a digital piano, wherein the keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the digital piano, wherein... Figure 1A It is a perspective view, and Figure 1B It is the right-side view; Figure 2AThis is a perspective view of the action unit assembled to the piano keys and the hammers placed on the upper side of the action unit. Figure 2B It is an exploded perspective view of the piano keys, action unit, and hammers. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the illustrated hammer support, in which... Figure 3A It is an external view, and Figure 3B This is a view of the hammer support member in a partially cut-out state. Figure 4 shows a view of the illustrated hammer support, in which... Figure 4A It is the front view, and Figure 4B It is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA; Figure 5 shows an enlarged perspective view of the illustrated hammer and action unit, in which... Figure 5A The diagram illustrates the assembled state of the action mechanism components, and Figure 5B The illustration shows the components of the action mechanism unit being disassembled; Figure 6 This is the right-side view of the hammer shown in the diagram; Figure 7 This is a right-side view of the cage shown in the diagram; Figure 8A This is a right-side view of the vibrating rod shown in the diagram, and Figure 8B The illustration shows a right-side view of the modified vibrating rod. Figure 9A This is the right-side view of the top rod shown in the diagram, and Figure 9B The illustration shows the right side view of the modified push rod; Figure 10 shows an illustrative diagram illustrating the sequential operation of the action unit and hammers when a key is pressed, in which... Figure 10A The diagram illustrates the released state of the piano keys, and Figure 10B The diagram illustrates the state in which the vibrato lever abuts against the vibrato stop when a key is pressed. Figure 11 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 10, in which... Figure 11A The diagram illustrates the state in which the push rod abuts against the push rod stop, and... Figure 11B The diagram illustrates the state in which the push rod has moved away from the hammer protrusion; Figure 12 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 11, in which Figure 12A The diagram illustrates the state in which the hammer abuts against the hammer stop, and Figure 12B The diagram illustrates the state in which the hammer springs off the hammer stop and abuts against the return position; and Figure 13 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 12, in which Figure 13A The illustration shows the state where the push rod is positioned under the hammer protrusion when the key, which has been pressed down, slightly returns to its original position. Figure 13B The diagram illustrates the state where the piano keys return to their original released state. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG1 illustrates a portion of a keyboard device for a digital piano in the key-released state, wherein the keyboard device according to an embodiment of the invention is applied to the digital piano, wherein... Figure 1A It is a perspective view, and Figure 1B This is the right-side view.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the keyboard device 1 includes a large number of keys 2 arranged along the left-right direction of the digital piano (only one white key is shown in Figure 1), a keyboard base 3 supporting these keys 2, a hammer support 4 connected to the rear end of the keyboard base 3, a hammer 5 set for each of the keys 2 and rotatably supported by the hammer support 4, an action unit 6 located at the rear end of the key 2 and driving the hammer 5 upward as the key is pressed, a key switch 7 for detecting key press information of the key 2, etc.

[0018] As illustrated in Figure 1, the keyboard base 3 is formed by assembling three support blocks 10 and a plurality of (e.g., five) reinforcing ribs 14 (only one is shown in Figure 1) into a grid-like shape. The three support blocks 10 include a front block 11, a middle block 12, and a rear block 13, each of which extends in the left-right direction and in the front-back direction. Figure 1B The reinforcing ribs 14 extend in the front-to-back direction and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-to-right direction. The support blocks 10 and ribs 14 are formed from iron plates that are formed into predetermined shapes, for example by stamping and bending with a press, and are connected to each other by screws.

[0019] The front bumper 11 includes a horizontal top plate portion 11a, a front plate portion 11b that bends downward at a right angle from the front end of the top plate portion 11a, and a bottom plate portion 11c that bends backward at a right angle from the lower end of the front plate portion 11b. A front spring 15 is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate portion 11a by screws or the like. The front spring 15 is formed as a thick plate made of synthetic resin and extends integrally above the front bumper 11 in the left-right direction. The front spring 15 has a plurality of front pins 16 at front and rear positions corresponding to the white piano key 2 and the black piano key (not shown). These front pins 16 are erected and aligned in the left-right direction, penetrating the top plate portion 11a of the front bumper 11.

[0020] The intermediate stop 12 has a horizontal intermediate spring placement portion 12a, and its front and rear ends are bent upward at right angles. With the intermediate spring 17 in place, the intermediate spring is fixed to the intermediate spring placement portion 12a by screws or the like. The intermediate spring 17 is formed into a thick plate shape made of synthetic resin and extends horizontally above the intermediate stop 12 as a whole. The intermediate spring 17 has a number of balance pins 18 at the front and rear positions corresponding to the white key 2 and the black key, and these balance pins 18 are upright in a horizontally aligned state.

[0021] The rear stop 13 includes: a receiving recess 13a that opens upward and engages with the lower portion of the hammer support 4 in a state of receiving the lower portion of the hammer support 4; a pad placement portion 13b that bends at a right angle from the upper end of the front plate portion of the receiving recess 13a and extends horizontally forward, and a pad 19 extending in the left-right direction is attached to the pad placement portion 13b in a placed state; and a connecting portion 13c that steps down from the front end of the pad placement portion 13b and extends further horizontally forward. A plurality of mounting holes penetrating in the front-rear direction are provided in the front plate portion of the receiving recess 13a, and the lower end of the hammer support 4 is screwed to the rear stop 13 through these mounting holes. The receiving recess 13a and the connecting portion 13c are screwed to the rear end of each of the ribs 14.

[0022] Figure 2A The diagram illustrates the action unit 6 assembled to the key 2 and the hammer 5 placed on the upper side of the action unit 6. Figure 2B The piano key 2, action unit 6, and hammer 5 are illustrated in an exploded view. As shown in the figure, the piano key 2 includes a wooden key body 21 extending along a predetermined length in the front-to-back direction and having a rectangular cross-section, and a synthetic resin key cover 22 attached to the upper and front surfaces of the front half of the key body 21. A balance pin hole 23 penetrating vertically is provided at the center of the length direction adjacent to the key body 21, and the key 2 is pivotally supported by a balance pin 18 that passes through the balance pin hole 23 and stands upright on the intermediate reed 17.

[0023] The balance pin hole 23 is formed in a substantially circular shape near the lower surface of the key body 21, and the entire upper portion connected to this hole is formed into an elongated hole shape extending along the length of the key body 21. Furthermore, felt pieces 23a are provided on the left and right inner surfaces of the balance pin hole 23 to allow smooth sliding relative to the balance pin 18 when the key 2 swings. A pad 20 is attached to the upper surface of the key body 21 on the rear side of the balance pin hole 23, and the pad 20 prevents the front end of the hammer 5 from directly impacting the key 2 during maintenance, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, a downward-opening front pin hole 24 is provided at a predetermined position on the front part of the key body 21 (see...). Figure 1B The front pin hole 24, which engages with the front pin 16 erected on the front spring 15, prevents the key 2 from wobbling in the left and right directions when it swings.

[0025] Furthermore, such as Figure 2B As illustrated, a guide groove 21a is provided at the rear end of the key body 21, penetrating vertically and opening rearward. The guide groove 21a has a width of a predetermined length in the left-right direction and is formed to extend for a predetermined length in the front-back direction while being parallel to the left side surface of the key body 21 in a plan view. The guide groove 21a formed in this way is used to attach the retainer 51 of the action unit 6, which will be described later, to the rear end of the key body 21 in an appropriate posture.

[0026] Figures 3 and 4 show the hammer support 4. As illustrated in both figures, the hammer support 4 is formed from a molded product made of synthetic resin, and is screwed to the backrest 13 of the keyboard base 3, for example, when multiple molded products for one octave are connected to each other in a left-right direction. The hammer support 4 includes a hammer support portion 31 that stands upright near the backrest 13, a switch attachment portion 32 that extends upward and forward obliquely from the upper end of the hammer support portion 31, etc. A hammer shaft 33 is provided at the upper end of the hammer support portion 31 for rotatably supporting the corresponding hammer 5.

[0027] The hammer support 4 has a plurality of partition walls 34 that separate adjacent hammers 5 in a left-right direction at predetermined intervals, and each of the hammer shafts 33 extends in a left-right direction between adjacent partition walls 34. Figure 4B As illustrated in the enlarged view, the hammer shaft 33 has a so-called elliptical cross-sectional shape, in which two portions are cut off in front of and behind a circle centered on the axial center of the hammer shaft 33.

[0028] Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the hammer shaft 33 includes a pair of upper curved surfaces 33a and lower curved surfaces 33a, and a pair of front flat surfaces 33b and rear flat surfaces 33b extending between the curved surfaces 33a and 33a. In the hammer shaft 33 constructed as described above, the upper curved surfaces 33a and lower curved surfaces 33a are set to an arcuate shape with a diameter of length L1, while the distance between the front flat surfaces 33b and rear flat surfaces 33b is set to a length L2 that is shorter than the length L1.

[0029] As illustrated in Figure 1, the key switch 7 is attached to the switch attachment portion 32 of the hammer support 4. The key switch 7 includes a switch substrate 7a made of a printed circuit board and a switch body 7b made of a rubber switch, which is attached to the switch substrate 7a on one side of the hammer 5 for each of the keys 2.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a vibratory stop 35 is provided on the back side of the hammer support 4, below and behind the hammer shaft 33. The vibratory lever 52 of the action unit 6 (described later) abuts against this vibratory stop 35 when the key is pressed, and the vibratory stop 35 locks the vibratory lever 52. The vibratory stop 35 has an abutment surface 35a that slopes forward and downward, and the vibratory lever 52 abuts against this abutment surface 35a. Note that a pad, such as felt, may be attached to the abutment surface 35a to suppress noise and vibration when the vibratory lever 52 abuts.

[0031] Furthermore, on the back side of the hammer support 4, below the vibratory stop 35, a push rod stop 36 is provided. The push rod 53 of the action unit 6 (described later) abuts against this push rod stop 36 when the key is pressed, and the push rod stop 36 locks the push rod 53. Similar to the vibratory stop 35 described above, the push rod stop 36 has an abutment surface 36a that slopes forward and downward, and the push rod 53 abuts against this abutment surface 36a. Note that a pad, such as felt, may also be attached to the abutment surface 36a to suppress noise and vibration when the push rod 53 abuts.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, a hammer stop 38 is provided at the upper part of the front end of the hammer support 4. When the hammer 5 rotates upward, the hammer 5 abuts against the hammer stop 38 from below, and the hammer stop 38 prevents the hammer 5 from rotating further.

[0033] Figure 5 illustrates the hammer 5 and the action unit 6, in which... Figure 5A The diagram illustrates the assembled state of the components of the action mechanism unit 6, and... Figure 5B The illustration shows the components of the action mechanism unit 6 disassembled. Furthermore, Figure 6 This is a right-side view of the hammer 5. As illustrated in these figures, the hammer 5 includes an arm-shaped hammer body 41 extending to a predetermined length in the front-rear direction, and two weight plates 42 and 42 attached to the front ends of the left and right surfaces of the hammer body. The hammer body 41 is made of synthetic resin, and the weight plates 42 are made of a metal material such as iron with a relatively high specific gravity.

[0034] A engagement portion 43 is provided at the rear end of the hammer body 41, which engages with the hammer shaft 33 of the hammer support 4. An arc-shaped shaft hole 44 is provided in the engagement portion 43, which penetrates in the left-right direction and has a C-shaped side surface shape, with the opening of the shaft hole 44 expanding outwards. The shaft hole 44 has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter (length L1) of the upper curved surface 33a and lower curved surface 33a of the hammer shaft 33, and the width L3 of the opening is slightly larger than the length L2 between the front flat surface 33b and the rear flat surface 33b of the hammer shaft 33 but smaller than the length L1. The hammer 5 can be separated from the hammer shaft 33 of the hammer support 4 through the opening of the shaft hole 44 and is rotatably supported by the hammer support 4 by fitting the shaft hole 44 to the hammer shaft 33.

[0035] In the rear portion of the hammer 5, a switch pressing portion 45 and a hammer protrusion 46 are respectively provided above and below the front side immediately adjacent to the shaft hole 44. The switch pressing portion 45 has a flat upper surface and presses the switch body 7b of the key switch 7 when the hammer 5 rotates upward, thereby detecting the key press information of the key 2 corresponding to the hammer 5.

[0036] On the other hand, the hammer protrusion 46 corresponds to the shank roller of the hammer of a grand piano. The hammer protrusion 46 is formed by attaching a roller bushing 49 made of elastic material to a protrusion body 48 integrally formed with the hammer body 41.

[0037] Then, with the keys released, the hammer protrusion 46 is placed on the hammer placement portion 74 (described later) of the tremolo lever 52 of the action unit 6.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a return stop engagement portion 47 is provided at a predetermined position on the front portion of the hammer 5. This return stop engagement portion 47 is integrally molded with the hammer body 41 and protrudes downward, and can engage with the return stop 62 of the action unit 6 (described later). Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the stop engagement portion 47 has a vertically long side surface, a flat front surface, and a gently curved rear surface.

[0039] Next, the action unit 6 will be described. As illustrated in FIG5, the action unit 6 includes a retainer 51 fixed to the rear end of the key 2, a vibrating rod 52 and a push rod 53 rotatably attached to the retainer 51, and a vibrating spring 54 and a push rod spring 55. The vibrating spring 54 and the push rod spring 55 respectively bias the vibrating rod 52 and the push rod 53 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and both of them are helical springs.

[0040] Figure 7A right-side view of the retainer 51 is shown. As illustrated in this figure and Figure 5, the retainer 51 is made of synthetic resin and is formed from a molded product having a predetermined shape extending in the front-rear direction. The retainer 51 includes: a key attachment portion 61 disposed at the front portion of the retainer and fixed to the rear end of the key 2; a return stop 62 disposed above the key attachment portion 61; a vibrato shaft 63 disposed at the upper end of the retainer adjacent to the center in the front-rear direction and rotatably supporting the vibrato rod 52; and a push rod shaft 64 disposed at the rear end of the retainer and rotatably supporting the push rod 53.

[0041] The key attachment portion 61 is configured such that its side surface forms a U-shape through the upper wall 61a, rear wall 61b, and lower wall 61c, and that the left ends of these walls are connected by the left side wall 61d. The key attachment portion 61 is provided with a guide rib 60, which is formed to protrude forward from the rear wall 61b by a predetermined length. The guide rib 60 is formed as a flat plate with a predetermined thickness, has a gap between the upper wall 61a and the lower wall 61c, and is arranged parallel to the left side wall 61d at a predetermined distance.

[0042] With the retainer 51 attached to the rear end of the key 2, the guide rib 60 of the retainer 51 is inserted from the rear into the guide groove 21a of the key body 21 (see [link]). Figure 2B The retainer 51 is fixed in place by joining its upper wall 61a and left side wall 61d to the upper and left side surfaces of the rear end portion of the key body 21, respectively. Furthermore, U-shaped pins (not shown) are driven into the retainer 51 from above the upper wall 61a and from the left side of the left side wall 61d. Thus, the retainer 51 is securely fixed to the rear end portion of the key body 21.

[0043] The return stop 62 has a predetermined length in the vertical direction and is formed into a gently curved shape when it is inclined upward and forward. When the return stop engagement portion 47 of the hammer 5 is engaged, the return stop 62 is configured to lock the return stop engagement portion 47 of the hammer 5 while making sliding contact.

[0044] Both the vibrating shaft 63 and the push rod shaft 64 are formed as cylindrical shapes that protrude to the right by a predetermined length and have a predetermined diameter. The vibrating shaft 63 is formed at a predetermined position higher than the position of the push rod shaft 64.

[0045] Furthermore, the retainer 51 is provided with a vibrating spring locking portion 65, which locks the upper end of the vibrating spring 54 at a predetermined position in front of the vibrating shaft 63 between the return position 62 and the vibrating shaft 63. Additionally, the retainer 51 is provided with a push rod spring locking portion 66, which locks the upper end of the push rod spring 55 at a predetermined position in front of the push rod shaft 64 between the vibrating shaft 63 and the push rod shaft 64.

[0046] Figure 8A A right-side view of the vibrating lever 52 is shown. (As shown) Figure 8A As illustrated in Figure 5, the vibrato bar 52 is made of synthetic resin and is formed from a molded product having a predetermined shape extending in the front-rear direction. The vibrato bar 52 includes: a mounting hole 71 that penetrates in the left-right direction and is rotatably mounted to a vibrato shaft 63 of a retainer 51; a forearm 72 that extends forward from near the mounting hole 71; and a hammer placement arm 73 that extends rearward from near the mounting hole 71, on which the hammer 5 is placed and where a push rod 53 engages.

[0047] The hammer placement arm 73 of the vibrating lever 52 includes: a hammer placement portion 74 having a side surface shape that extends obliquely upward and backward from the mounting hole 71 for a predetermined length; and an extension portion 75 that extends obliquely downward and backward from the rear end of the hammer placement portion 74 and further backward. Furthermore, the hammer placement arm 73 is provided with a push rod guide hole 73a that penetrates vertically and extends transversely across the hammer placement portion 74 and the extension portion 75 in a front-rear direction.

[0048] A protruding portion 76 is provided at the rear end of the vibrating lever 52. When the vibrating lever 52 rotates, the upper portion of the protruding portion 76 abuts against the vibrating stop member 35 described above from below. Although Figure 8A The illustration shows that the upper portion of the protrusion 76 has a flat surface 76a, but for example, as shown in the figure... Figure 8B As illustrated, the upper portion of the protruding part 76 can also be formed as an inclined surface 76b that slopes forward and downward, similar to the abutment surface 35a of the vibrating stop 35. In this case, when the vibrating rod 52 rotates and abuts against the vibrating stop 35, the inclined surface 76b abuts against the abutment surface 35a as a whole.

[0049] Figure 9A The diagram shows a right-side view of the push rod 53. (As shown...) Figure 9A As illustrated in Figure 5, the ejector pin 53 is made of synthetic resin and formed from a molded product having a predetermined shape. The ejector pin 53 includes: an ejector pin shaft 64 that penetrates in a left-right direction and is rotatably fitted to the retainer 51; a front arm 82 that extends forward from the vicinity of the mounting hole 81; a hammer pusher portion 83 that extends upward to a predetermined length from the vicinity of the mounting hole 81; and a rear arm 84 that extends rearward from the vicinity of the mounting hole 81.

[0050] The hammer pusher portion 83 extends upward and obliquely forward at a predetermined angle relative to the forearm 82 and rear arm 84, which extend substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the hammer pusher portion 83 is formed to have a width in the front-rear direction that is smaller than the width at the portion below the upper end. The rear end of the rear arm 84 is provided with an upwardly projecting protrusion 84a. When the push rod 53 rotates, the protrusion 84a abuts against the push rod stop 36 from below. Note that although... Figure 9A The illustration shows that the side surface shape of the protruding portion 84a is formed into an arc shape, but as for example... Figure 9B As illustrated, the rear end of the rear arm 84 may be formed with an inclined surface 84b that slopes forward and downward, similar to the abutment surface 36a of the push rod stop 36. In this case, when the push rod 53 rotates and abuts against the push rod stop 36, the inclined surface 84b abuts against the abutment surface 36a as a whole.

[0051] In the push rod 53, plate-shaped reinforcing ribs 85a, 85b, and 85c are respectively provided between the front arm 82 and the hammer pushing portion 83, between the hammer pushing portion 83 and the rear arm 84, and between the rear arm 84 and the front arm 82. The strength of the push rod 53 is increased by the reinforcing ribs 85a to 85c.

[0052] In the action mechanism unit 6 formed as described above, such as Figure 5A As shown in the figure, the hammer-pushing portion 83 of the push rod 53 engages with the push rod guide hole 73a of the vibrating rod 52 from below when inserted into the push rod guide hole 73a. As shown in the figure, while the forearm 72 of the vibrating rod 52 is biased downward by the vibrating spring 54, the forearm 82 of the push rod 53 is biased downward by the push rod spring 55. As a result, the vibrating rod 52 and the push rod 53 move along the vibrating axis 63 and the push rod axis 64, respectively. Figure 5A The counterclockwise direction is offset.

[0053] Next, the operation of the action unit 6 and the hammer 5 when the key of the key 2 is pressed will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13.

[0054] Figure 10A The diagram illustrates the keyboard assembly 1 in the key-released state. In this state, the hammer 5 is placed on the hammer placement portion 74 of the vibrating rod 52 via the hammer protrusion 46, and the upper end of the hammer pushing portion 83 of the push rod 53 faces the hammer protrusion 46, with a gap between them. In the key-released state, a gap is provided between the return position engagement portion 47 of the hammer 5 and the return position 62 of the cage 51.

[0055] In the released state, when the front end of key 2 is pressed down, key 2 swings forward and downward around balance pin 18, and the rear end of key 2 moves upward. Correspondingly, the action unit 6 also moves upward integrally with the rear end of key 2, and hammer 5 is pushed upward by vibrating rod 52 via hammer protrusion 46. This causes hammer 5 to rotate upward (clockwise in Figure 10) around hammer shaft 33.

[0056] Next, as the keys are pressed and the action unit 6 moves upward, as... Figure 10B As illustrated, the protruding portion 76 of the rear end of the vibrating lever 52 abuts against the forward-sloping abutment surface 35a of the vibrating stop member 35 in the hammer support member 4 from below. As a result, while the rear end of the vibrating lever 52 is locked, the upper end of the hammer pushing portion 83 of the push rod 53 abuts against the hammer protrusion 46 from below. As a result, the hammer 5 is pushed upward by the hammer pushing portion 83 of the push rod 53 and rotates further upward.

[0057] Next, as the keys are pressed further and the action unit 6 moves further upward, as... Figure 11A As illustrated, the protruding portion 84a of the rear end of the push rod 53 abuts against the forward-inclined abutment surface 36a of the push rod stop 36 in the hammer support 4 from below. Correspondingly, with the rear end of the rear arm 84 locked, the push rod shaft 64 moves upward, and the push rod 53 moves along the rear end of the rear arm 84 as a fulcrum. Figure 11A Rotate clockwise. As a result, such as Figure 11B As illustrated, the upper end of the hammer-pushing portion 83 of the push rod 53 moves backward and separates from the hammer protrusion 46 of the hammer 5. Through the escape of the push rod 53, the hammer 5 disengages from the action unit 6 and the key 2 and rotates further upward in a free-rotation state.

[0058] Note that when the top lever 53 escapes, a clicking sensation occurs due to the sharp increase and decrease in the tactile weight of the key 2, and thus the player obtains a sense of escape in the touch of the key presser.

[0059] Figure 12AThe illustration shows the upward-rotating hammer 5 abutting against the hammer stop 38 at the upper part of the front end of the hammer support 4. In this case, the front part of the hammer body 41 of the hammer 5 abuts against the hammer stop 38 from below, preventing further rotation of the hammer 5. In this case, the switch body 7b of the key switch 7 is pressed from below by the switch pressing part 45 of the hammer 5 to turn on the key switch 7, and the key press information of the key 2 corresponding to the rotation speed of the hammer 5 is detected and output to the sound generation control device (not shown). Then, the sound generation control device outputs piano sound from the speaker (not shown) of the digital piano based on the key press information.

[0060] Figure 12B The illustration shows the state of the hammer 5 immediately after it comes into contact with the hammer stop 38, and specifically, the state of the hammer 5 after it springs back from the hammer stop 38, rotates downward (counterclockwise) toward its original position before the key was pressed, and the return stop engagement portion 47 of the hammer 5 is locked into the return stop position 62 of the cage 51. In this case, when the return stop engagement portion 47 is locked with the return stop position 62 in sliding contact, the hammer 5 is stopped by being prevented from rotating further downward, and the rebound and vibration of the hammer 5 are prevented.

[0061] Figure 13A The illustration shows the state where a pressed key 2 returns slightly (e.g., 1 / 3 of the keyboard depth) after being released from the key. This is in the state described above. Figure 12B When the state shown in the diagram is released, as follows: Figure 13A As illustrated, the front end of key 2 moves upward, while the rear end of key 2 moves downward, and correspondingly, the action unit 6 moves downward integrally with the rear end of key 2. In this case, by moving the stop position 62 downward and obliquely backward, the hammer 5 disengages from the stop position 62 and is released from the stopped state. Furthermore, the forearm 72 of the tremolo lever 52 is pushed downward by the biasing force of the tremolo spring 54, and as a result, the tremolo lever 52 moves around the tremolo axis 63 along... Figure 13A The push rod rotates counterclockwise. Similarly, the forearm 82 of the push rod 53 is pushed downward by the biasing force of the push rod spring 55, and as a result, the push rod rotates around the push rod axis 64. Figure 13A Rotate counterclockwise within. Correspondingly, as... Figure 13A As shown in the diagram, the upper end of the hammer pusher 83 of the push rod 53 comes under the hammer protrusion 46 of the hammer 5, and as a result, even assuming that the key 2 has not fully returned to the key release position, the hammer 5 can be driven by the action unit 6.

[0062] When key 2 is fully released, as Figure 13BAs shown in the diagram, the key 2, hammer 5, and the vibrating rod 52 and push rod 53 of the action unit 6 return to their original positions in the key release state.

[0063] As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the keyboard device 1, which includes the keys 2, the action unit 6, and the hammers 5, can perform operations similar to those of a grand piano, thereby obtaining a touch and playing characteristics equivalent to those of a grand piano when playing.

[0064] Furthermore, in the hammer support 4 of the keyboard assembly 1, when a key is pressed, the rear end of the tremolo rod 52 of the action unit 6 and the rear arm 84 of the push rod 53 abut against the abutment surfaces 35a of the tremolo stop 35 and 36a of the push rod stop 36, respectively, both tilt forward and downward. As a result, even when the retainer 51 of the action unit 6, which is to be attached to the rear end of the key 2, is attached in a forward-backward direction relative to the appropriate position during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly 1, the rear end of the tremolo rod 52 and the rear end of the rear arm 84 of the push rod 53 can abut against the abutment surfaces 35a of the tremolo stop 35 and 36a of the push rod stop 36 at the appropriate time. As a result, it is possible to obtain a good tactile feel and an appropriate timing for sound production when the key is pressed.

[0065] Furthermore, in the keyboard assembly 1, a guide groove 21a is formed in the rear end of the key 2, and a guide rib 60 is provided in the retainer 51 of the action unit 6. Therefore, during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly 1, the retainer 51 is attached to the rear end of the key 2 with the guide rib 60 inserted into the guide groove 21a from the rear. As a result, the retainer 51 cannot move in the left-right direction relative to the rear end of the key 2 due to the left side wall 61d and the guide rib 60. Therefore, even if the U-shaped pin is driven into the retainer 51 and attached to the key 2 during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly 1, the retainer 51 attached to the key 2 will not be attached in a tilted state in the left-right direction, and the retainer 51 can be attached in an appropriate posture. Thus, since the retainer 51 is attached in an appropriate posture during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly 1, the retainer 51 does not contact the hammer support 4 when the key is pressed, and stable key operation and good playing sound can be obtained.

[0066] Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various modes. The detailed construction of the keyboard device 1, keys 2, hammer support 4, hammer 5, action unit 6, cage 51, vibraphone 52, and push rod 53 described in the embodiments are merely examples and can be appropriately varied within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument, the device comprising: A piano key that extends a predetermined length in the front-back direction, the key being able to swing about a pivot point near the center in the length direction; The action unit is located in the rear portion of the piano keys and performs a predetermined operation in conjunction with the pressing of the piano keys; A hammer support is disposed on the rear side of the key; as well as A hammer, extending a predetermined length in the front-rear direction, is rotatably supported at its rear end via a hammer shaft extending in the left-right direction of the hammer support. The hammer is placed on the action unit via a hammer protrusion disposed on the immediate front side of the hammer shaft to project downwards. The hammer is driven upwards by the action unit according to the pressing of the piano keys. The piano key has a guide groove at its rear end that extends along the front-back direction and opens to the rear. The action unit includes a retainer fixed to the rear end of the keys, and The cage includes: Sidewalls, which are joined in the left-right direction to one of the side surfaces of the rear end of the piano key in the left-right direction; The upper wall, which is attached to the upper surface of the rear end portion of the piano key; The rear wall is positioned on the rear side of the rear surface of the rear end portion of the piano key; and A guide rib extends forward from the rear wall and inserts into the guide groove.

2. The keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein... The guide groove is formed to penetrate the rear end of the piano key in a vertical direction.

3. The keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein... The guide rib is formed into a flat plate shape with a predetermined thickness.

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