Keyboard device for keyboard instrument

Abstract

A keyboard device includes a swingable key, an action unit that performs a predetermined operation in association with key pressing, a hammer support provided on a rear side of the key, and a hammer rotatably supported by the hammer support and placed on the action unit. The action unit includes a holder fixed to a rear end of the key, and a jolting rod and a push rod rotatably attached to the holder. A mandril stopper of the hammer support has forwardly and downwardly inclined abutment surfaces on which the rear end of the mandril abuts from below when the key is pressed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument such as a digital piano, and more particularly to a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument that performs the same actions as a grand piano. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, keyboard devices, such as those described in the applicant's JP 2024-93320A filing, are referred to as this type of keyboard device. The keyboard device includes: a key extending in a front-rear direction and capable of pivoting at a center along its length as a fulcrum; and an action unit attached to the rear of the key, the action unit performing a predetermined operation in association with key pressing. The action unit includes a retainer attached to the key, and a vibrato bar and a push rod rotatably supported by the retainer. The vibrato bar is formed in a predetermined shape extending in a front-rear direction and is rotatably supported by the retainer through a mounting hole in the front portion, with a push rod guide hole located behind the mounting hole. The push rod, on the other hand, is rotatably supported by the retainer through a mounting hole in the lower portion, and includes a hammer pusher and a rear arm extending upward and rearward from the mounting hole, respectively, and engages with the vibrato bar when the hammer pusher is inserted from below into the push rod guide hole of the vibrato bar.

[0003] Furthermore, a hammer support is provided on the rear side of the key, and the hammer, extending in the front-rear direction, is rotatably supported at its rear end by the hammer support. Additionally, a downwardly protruding hammer protrusion is provided at the rear of the hammer, and the hammer protrusion is located above the guide hole on the upper surface of the vibrating rod.

[0004] In the keyboard assembly configured as described above, when a key is pressed, the retainer at the rear end of the key rises, and the vibrato lever and push rod move upward together with the retainer. Simultaneously, the vibrato lever first pushes the hammer upward via the hammer protrusion, causing the hammer to rotate upward. Then, the rear end of the vibrato lever is locked by abutting against a horizontal vibrato stop from below the hammer support, causing the push rod to push the hammer protrusion upward via the hammer pusher, causing the hammer to rotate upward. As the hammer rotates until just before pressing the key switch, the rear end of the push rod's rear arm contacts the horizontal push rod stop from below the hammer support, causing the hammer pusher of the push rod to disengage from the hammer protrusion. With the disengagement of the push rod, the hammer separates from the action unit, allowing the key switch to be pressed in a free-rotating state, thus producing a piano sound. Here, a click is produced due to the change in the contact weight of the key when the push rod disengages, and the player experiences a sense of release from the contact when playing the keyboard instrument.

[0005] Citation list Patent documents Patent document 1: JP 2024-93320A. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In the aforementioned keyboard assembly, the following problem may occur due to manufacturing issues. Specifically, when the action unit is attached to the rear end of the key during manufacturing, the retainer may shift in the front-rear direction from its proper position relative to the key. For example, if the retainer is attached to the rear side of the proper position, the rear end of the push rod's rear arm is also correspondingly positioned rearward. In this case, the rear end of the rear arm, which rises as the key is pressed, rises faster and higher. Consequently, the moment when the rear end of the rear arm abuts against the push rod stop from below becomes earlier, and the subsequent rotation of the push rod increases. As a result, the hammer pusher of the push rod rotates rearward faster and further, the release moment when the hammer disengages from the hammer protrusion is advanced, and the arrival height of the hammer to be pushed upward is reduced.

[0007] On the other hand, when the retainer is attached to the front side in the appropriate position, the opposite of the above situation occurs: the moment when the rear end of the rear arm abuts against the push rod stop from below is delayed, and as a result, the release moment is delayed.

[0008] As described above, if the attachment position of the retainer of the action mechanism unit is shifted in the front-back direction relative to the proper position, there is a possibility that the touch and sound generation time when the key is pressed will also be shifted.

[0009] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device for a keyboard instrument, which can ensure proper operation of the action unit even if the attachment of the retainer of the action unit attached to the rear end of the key is shifted in the front-back direction relative to the proper position during the manufacture of the keyboard device, so as to obtain a good tactile feel and appropriate sound production moment when the key is pressed.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the invention according to claim 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 in the length direction; an action unit disposed at the rear of the key and performing a predetermined operation in association 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 is placed on the action unit via a hammer protrusion located on the immediate front side of the hammer shaft to project downwards, and the hammer is driven upwards via the action unit according to key press of the key. The action unit includes: a retainer fixed to the rear end of the key; a vibrato bar formed in a predetermined shape extending in a front-rear direction, the vibrato bar being rotatably attached to the retainer, the vibrato bar having an upper surface on which the hammer protrusion is placed, and the vibrato bar being provided with a vertically penetrating... A guide hole extending in the front-rear direction is provided for the vibrato lever, which pushes the hammer upward by moving upward with the key being pressed, thereby rotating the hammer upward via the hammer protrusion; and a guide rod including a hammer pusher extending vertically and a rear arm extending rearward from a portion near the lower end of the hammer pusher, the guide rod being rotatably attached to a retainer, the hammer pusher having an upper end inserted from below into the guide hole of the vibrato lever and movably engaging the guide hole in the front-rear direction, the guide rod passing through the middle of the rise of the vibrato lever associated with the key being pressed. The hammer is pushed upward by the hammer pusher to rotate it upward via the hammer protrusion. The hammer support includes a pusher stop that locks the pusher as the rear end of the rear arm abuts against it from below when the pusher pushes the hammer upward. The pusher stop disengages the hammer pusher of the pusher from the hammer protrusion by rotating the pusher together with the rear end of the rear arm, which acts as a fulcrum against the pusher stop. The pusher stop has forward-sloping and downward-sloping abutment surfaces that allow the rear end of the rear arm to abut from below.

[0011] According to this configuration, the action unit is located at the rear of the key, and the rear end of the hammer is rotatably supported by the hammer shaft of the hammer support. The hammer is placed on the action unit via a hammer protrusion on the immediate front side of the hammer shaft. The action unit includes a retainer fixed to the rear end of the key, and a tremolo rod and a push rod rotatably attached to the retainer. The hammer pusher of the push rod is inserted from below into the push rod guide hole of the tremolo rod and is movably engaged in the front-rear direction. The hammer is placed on the upper surface of the tremolo rod, which has the push rod guide hole, via the hammer protrusion.

[0012] When the front end of the key is pressed down during key pressing, the rear end of the key moves upward integrally with the retainer of the action unit. Consequently, the tremolo lever of the action unit rises, and the hammer is pushed upward and rotated upward via the hammer protrusion. Furthermore, from the middle of the rising tremolo lever, the hammer pusher of the push rod pushes the hammer upward via the hammer protrusion, further rotating the hammer upward. Then, during the upward push of the hammer by the push rod, the rear end of the push rod's rear arm abuts against the push rod stop of the hammer support from below. This locks the push rod and causes it to rotate around the rear end of the contacting rear arm as a fulcrum, thereby separating the hammer pusher of the push rod from the hammer protrusion. In other words, the push rod disengages from the hammer. With the disengagement of the push rod, the hammer disengages from the action unit and the key, and rotates upward in a free-rotation state. Upon the disengagement of the push rod, a clicking sensation is produced due to the rapid increase and decrease in the contact weight of the key, thus providing a sense of release to the player pressing the key.

[0013] As described above, during the operation of the action unit when the key is pressed, the rear end of the push rod's rear arm abuts against the abutment surface of the push rod stop of the hammer support from below. The abutment surface of the push rod stop is configured to be inclined forward and downward. When the abutment surface of the push rod stop is configured to be horizontal, the moment when the retainer of the action unit, which is to be attached to the rear end of the key during the manufacture of the keyboard device, abuts against the abutment surface of the push rod stop becomes earlier; conversely, when the retainer is attached to the front end of the appropriate position, this moment becomes later. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the abutting surface of the push rod stop is configured to be inclined forward and downward, even if the retainer of the action unit attached to the rear end of the key is attached to be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the proper position during the manufacture of the keyboard device, the rear end of the push rod arm can abut against the abutting surface of the push rod stop at the appropriate time, and thus a good tactile feel and appropriate sound generation time can be obtained when the key is pressed. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 shows a portion of the keyboard device of a digital piano employing a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein...Figure 1A It is a perspective view. Figure 1B It is the right-side view; Figure 2A This is a perspective view showing the action unit assembled onto the key and the hammer placed on the upper side of the action unit. Figure 2B It is an exploded perspective view showing the key, action unit, and hammer; Figure 3 shows a perspective view illustrating the hammer support, in which... Figure 3A It is an external view. Figure 3B This is a view showing the hammer support in a partially cut-out state; Figure 4 shows a view illustrating the hammer support, in which Figure 4A It is a front view. Figure 4B It is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA; Figure 5 shows an enlarged perspective view illustrating the hammer and action unit, in which... Figure 5A This shows the assembled state of the components of the action mechanism unit. Figure 5B The diagram shows the state of the action mechanism unit after its components have been disassembled. Figure 6 This is a right-side view showing the hammer; Figure 7 This shows a right-side view of the retainer; Figure 8A This is a right-side view showing the vibrating lever. Figure 8B This is a right-side view showing a variant of the vibrating rod; Figure 9A This shows the right side view of the top rod. Figure 9B This shows a right-side view of a modified top rod; Figure 10 shows an illustrative diagram for sequentially describing the operation of the striking mechanism unit and the hammers when the key is pressed, wherein, Figure 10A The key release status is shown. Figure 10B This shows the state in which the vibratory lever abuts against the vibratory stop when the key is pressed; Figure 11 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 10, in which... Figure 11A This shows the state in which the push rod abuts against the push rod stop. Figure 11B This shows the state in which the push rod is removed from the hammer protrusion; Figure 12 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 11, in which Figure 12A This shows the state in which the hammer abuts against the hammer stop. Figure 12B This shows the state in which the hammer rebounds from the hammer stop and abuts against the echo; and Figure 13 shows an explanatory diagram following Figure 12, in which Figure 13AThis shows the state of the push rod rotating below the hammer protrusion when the pressed key returns slightly. Figure 13B This shows the state the key returned to when it was in the initial key-released state. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a portion of a keyboard device for a digital piano, wherein the keyboard device according to an embodiment of the invention is applied in the key-released state, wherein... Figure 1A It is a perspective view. Figure 1B This is the right-side view.

[0016] 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 key 2 and rotatably supported by the hammer support 4, an action unit 6 set 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.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the keyboard base 3 is formed by assembling three support rails 10 and multiple (e.g., five) reinforcing ribs 14 (only one is shown in Figure 1) into a grid shape. The three support rails include a front rail 11, a middle rail 12, and a rear rail 13, each extending in the left-right direction and in the front-back direction. Figure 1B The reinforcing ribs are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and extend in the front-back direction and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The support rails 10 and ribs 14 are formed of iron plates and are connected to each other by threaded connections. The iron plates are formed into predetermined shapes by, for example, stamping and bending.

[0018] The front track 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 a threaded connection or the like. The front spring 15 is formed as a thick plate made of synthetic resin and extends integrally in the left-right direction on the front track 11. The front spring 15 is provided with a plurality of front pins 16, which are upright, passing through the top plate portion 11a of the front track 11, and aligned in the left-right direction at positions corresponding to the white key 2 and the black key (not shown).

[0019] The intermediate track 12 has a horizontal intermediate spring placement portion 12a, and its front and rear ends are bent upward at right angles. When the intermediate spring is in its placement position, the intermediate spring 17 is fixed to the intermediate spring placement portion 12a by a threaded connection or the like. The intermediate spring 17 is formed as a thick plate made of synthetic resin and extends integrally in the left-right direction on the intermediate track 12. The intermediate spring 17 is provided with a large number of balance pins 18, which are erected in a left-right aligned state at the front and rear positions corresponding to the white key 2 and the black key.

[0020] The rear rail 13 has: a receiving recess 13a that opens upward and engages with the lower part of the hammer support 4 in a state of receiving the lower part 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 in the placed state; and a connecting portion 13c that extends horizontally forward from the front end of the pad placement portion 13b by a step downward. A plurality of mounting holes extending in the front-rear direction are provided in the front plate portion of the receiving recess 13a, through which the lower end of the hammer support 4 is threaded to the rear rail 13. The receiving recess 13a and the connecting portion 13c are threaded to the rear end of each rib 14.

[0021] Figure 2A The image shows 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 key 2, action unit 6, and hammer 5 are shown in an exploded view. As shown, the key 2 includes: a wooden key body 21 extending a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction and having a rectangular cross-section; and a synthetic resin keycap 22, which is bonded to the upper and front surfaces of the front half of the key body 21. A balance pin hole 23 extending vertically through the center of the key body 21 is provided, and the key 2 is pivotally supported by a balance pin 18 erected on the intermediate spring 17 through the balance pin hole 23.

[0022] The balance pin hole 23 has a substantially circular hole formed near the lower surface of the key body 21, and the entire upper portion connected to this hole is formed into an elongated hole extending along the length of the key body 21. Additionally, 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 tip of the hammer 5 from directly impacting the key 2 during maintenance, etc.

[0023] Additionally, a downward-opening front pin hole 24 is provided at a predetermined position on the front of the key body 21 (see...). Figure 1BThe front pin hole 24, which engages with the front pin 16 erected on the front spring 15, prevents the key 2 from swinging in the left and right directions when it is oscillating.

[0024] Additionally, as shown in Figure 2(B), a guide groove 21a is provided at the rear end of the key body 21, which extends vertically and opens rearward. This guide groove 21a has a predetermined width in the left-right direction and is formed to extend a predetermined length in the front-back direction while being parallel to the left side of the key body 21 in the top view. The guide groove 21a, formed in this way, is used to attach the retainer 51 of the action mechanism unit 6, which will be described later, to the rear end of the key body 21 in an appropriate orientation.

[0025] Figures 3 and 4 show the hammer support 4. As shown in both figures, the hammer support 4 is formed from a molded product made of synthetic resin, and is threadedly connected to the rear rail 13 of the keyboard base 3, for example, with multiple molded products of an octave connected to each other in the left-right direction. The hammer support 4 includes a hammer support portion 31 standing upright near the rear rail 13, a switch attachment portion 32 extending obliquely upward and forward 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 individual hammers 5.

[0026] The hammer support 4 has a plurality of partition walls 34 that separate adjacent hammers 5 at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, and each hammer shaft 33 extends in the left-right direction between adjacent partition walls 34. Figure 4B As shown in the enlarged view, the hammer shaft 33 has a so-called elliptical cross-sectional shape, in which two portions, one in front of the circle and one behind the circle centered on the axial center of the hammer shaft 33, are cut off.

[0027] 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 configured as described above, the upper and lower curved surfaces 33a, 33a are set to be arcuate with a diameter of length L1, while the distance between the front and rear flat surfaces 33b, 33b is set to a length L2 that is shorter than the length L1.

[0028] As shown 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 key 2.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a vibratory stop 35 is provided on the rear side of the hammer support 4, below and behind the hammer shaft 33. When the key is pressed, the vibratory rod 52 of the action unit 6 (described later) abuts against this vibratory stop, and the vibratory stop locks the vibratory rod 52. The vibratory stop 35 has an abutment surface 35a that is inclined forward and downward, and the vibratory rod 52 abuts against this abutment surface. Note that a pad, such as felt, may be attached to the abutment surface 35a to suppress noise and vibration when the vibratory rod 52 abuts.

[0030] Furthermore, a push rod stop 36 is provided on the rear side of the hammer support 4, below the vibratory stop 35. When the key is pressed, the push rod 53 of the action unit 6 (described later) abuts against the push rod stop, and the push rod stop locks the push rod 53. Similar to the vibratory stop 35, the push rod stop 36 has an abutment surface 36a that is inclined forward and downward, and the push rod 53 abuts against this abutment surface. 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.

[0031] 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 from below, and the hammer stop prevents the hammer 5 from rotating further.

[0032] Figure 5 shows the hammer 5 and the action unit 6, in which Figure 5A The diagram shows the assembled state of the components of the action mechanism unit 6. Figure 5B The diagram shows the state of the action mechanism unit 6 after its components have been disassembled. Furthermore, Figure 6 The figures show a right-side view of the hammer 5. As shown in these figures, the hammer 5 includes an arm-shaped hammer body 41 extending a predetermined length in the front-rear direction, and two counterweight plates 42 and 42 attached to the front ends of the left and right side surfaces of the hammer body. The hammer body 41 is made of synthetic resin, and the counterweight plates 42 are made of a metal material with a relatively high specific gravity, such as iron.

[0033] At the rear end of the hammer body 41, a joint portion 43 is provided to engage with the hammer shaft 33 of the hammer support member 4. An arc-shaped shaft hole 44, extending through the joint portion 43 in a left-right direction and having a C-shaped side surface, is provided, and the opening of the shaft hole 44 expands outward. The diameter of the shaft hole 44 is slightly larger than the diameter (length L1) of the upper and lower curved surfaces 33a, 33a of the hammer shaft 33, and the width L3 of the opening is slightly larger than the length L2 between the front and rear flat surfaces 33b, 33b of the hammer shaft 33 and smaller than the length L1. The hammer 5 can be detached from the hammer shaft 33 of the hammer support member 4 through the opening of the shaft hole 44 and is rotatably supported by the hammer support member 4 by fitting the shaft hole 44 onto the hammer shaft 33.

[0034] At the rear of the hammer 5, a switch pressing part 45 and a hammer protrusion 46 are respectively provided above and below the immediate front side of the shaft hole 44. The switch pressing part 45 has a flat upper surface, and when the hammer 5 rotates upward, the switch pressing part presses the switch body 7b of the key switch 7, thereby detecting the key pressing information of the key 2 corresponding to the hammer 5.

[0035] 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 constructed by attaching a roller sleeve 49 made of elastic material to a protruding body 48 integrally formed with the hammer body 41.

[0036] Then, in the key-released state, the hammer protrusion 46 is placed on the hammer placement part 74 of the tremolo lever 52 of the action unit 6, which will be described later.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a resonator engagement 47 is provided at a predetermined position at the front of the hammer 5. This resonator engagement is integrally molded with the hammer body 41 and protrudes downwards. The resonator engagement can engage with the resonator 62 of the action unit 6, which will be described later. Figure 6 As shown, the echo joint 47 has a vertically long side surface, a flat front surface, and a gently curved rear surface.

[0038] Next, the action unit 6 will be described. As shown 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, which respectively bias the vibrating rod 52 and the push rod 53 to rotate in a predetermined direction, and both springs are helical springs.

[0039] Figure 7A right-side view of the retainer 51 is shown. As shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6, 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 of the retainer and fixed to the rear end of the key 2; an echo 62 disposed above the key attachment portion 61; a vibrato shaft 63 disposed at the upper end of the retainer near the center in the front-rear direction and rotatably supporting the vibrato shaft 52; and a push rod shaft 64 disposed at the rear end of the retainer and rotatably supporting the push rod 53.

[0040] 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 through 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 positioned parallel to the left side wall 61d, with a predetermined distance between them.

[0041] 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...). Figure 2B The retainer 51 is fixed by adhesive in that its upper wall 61a and left side wall 61d are in contact with the upper and left side surfaces of the rear end of the key body 21, respectively. Additionally, 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. Therefore, the retainer 51 is securely fixed to the rear end of the key body 21.

[0042] The echo 62 has a predetermined length in the vertical direction and is formed into a gentle arc when tilted upwards and facing forward. The echo 62 is configured to lock the echo joint 47 of the hammer 5 in sliding contact when the echo joint 47 of the hammer 5 is engaged.

[0043] Both the vibrating shaft 63 and the push rod shaft 64 are formed into 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.

[0044] Additionally, the retainer 51 is provided with a vibrating spring locking part 65, which locks the upper end of the vibrating spring 54 at a predetermined position located in front of the vibrating shaft 63 between the echo 62 and the vibrating shaft 63. Furthermore, the retainer 51 is provided with a push rod spring locking part 66, which locks the upper end of the push rod spring 55 at a predetermined position located in front of the push rod shaft 64 between the vibrating shaft 63 and the push rod shaft 64.

[0045] Figure 8A A right-side view of the vibrating lever 52 is shown. (As shown) Figure 8A As shown in Figure 5, the vibrating rod 52 is made of synthetic resin and is formed from a molded product having a predetermined shape extending in the front-rear direction. The vibrating rod 52 includes: a mounting hole 71 through which a vibrating shaft 63 is rotatably mounted to a retainer 51 in the left-right direction; a forearm 72 extending forward from near the mounting hole 71; and a hammer placement arm 73 extending rearward from near the mounting hole 71, on which the hammer 5 is placed, and a push rod 53 engages with the hammer placement arm.

[0046] 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 rearward for a predetermined length from the mounting hole 71; and an extension portion 75 that extends obliquely downward and rearward and further rearward from the rear end of the hammer placement portion 74. Additionally, the hammer placement arm 73 is provided with a top rod guide hole 73a that passes through it in the vertical direction and extends across the hammer placement portion 74 and the extension portion 75 in the front-rear direction.

[0047] A protruding portion 76 is provided at the rear end of the vibrating lever 52. When the vibrating lever 52 rotates, the upper part of the protruding portion 76 abuts against the aforementioned vibrating stop member 35 from below. Although Figure 8A The upper part of the protrusion 76 is shown to have a flat surface 76a, but for example, as Figure 8B As shown, the upper part of the protrusion 76 can be formed as an inclined surface 76b that is inclined 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.

[0048] Figure 9A A right-side view of the push rod 53 is shown. (As shown) Figure 9A As shown in Figure 5, the ejector pin 53 is made of synthetic resin and is formed from a molded product having a predetermined shape. The ejector pin 53 includes: an ejector pin shaft 64 that passes through a mounting hole 81 in a left-right direction and is rotatably mounted to the retainer 51; a front arm 82 extending forward from near the mounting hole 81; a hammer pusher portion 83 extending upward for a predetermined length from near the mounting hole 81; and a rear arm 84 extending rearward from near the mounting hole 81.

[0049] The hammer pusher 83 extends upward and forward at a predetermined angle relative to the forearm 82 and rear arm 84, which extend approximately horizontally in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the hammer pusher 83 is formed to have a width in the longitudinal direction that is smaller than the width at the lower 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 side surface shape of the protrusion 84a is shown to be formed as an arc shape, but for example, as Figure 9B As shown, the rear end of the rear arm 84 can also be formed as an inclined surface 84b that is inclined 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.

[0050] In the push rod 53, plate-shaped reinforcing ribs 85a, 85b, and 85c are respectively disposed between the front arm 82 and the hammer pusher 83, between the hammer pusher 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 improved by reinforcing ribs 85a to 85c.

[0051] In such Figure 5A In the action unit 6 formed as described above, the hammer pusher 83 of the push rod 53 engages from below with the push rod guide hole 73a of the vibrating rod 52 while being inserted into the push rod guide hole 73a. As shown, while the front arm 72 of the vibrating rod 52 is biased downward by the vibrating spring 54, the front arm 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 biased.

[0052] Next, the operation of the striking mechanism unit 6 and the hammer 5 when the key 2 is pressed will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13.

[0053] Figure 10A The keyboard device 1 in the key-released state is shown. In this state, the hammer 5 is placed on the hammer placement portion 74 of the vibraphone 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 therebetween. In the key-released state, a gap is provided between the echo engagement portion 47 of the hammer 5 and the echo 62 of the retainer 51.

[0054] In the released state, when the front end of key 2 is pressed, key 2 swings forward and downward around balance pin 18, and the rear end of key 2 moves upward. Therefore, 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 axis 33.

[0055] Next, as the key is pressed and the action unit 6 moves upward, as... Figure 10BAs shown, the protrusion 76 at the rear end of the vibrating lever 52 abuts against the forward-inclined abutment surface 35a of the vibrating stop 35 in the hammer support 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.

[0056] Next, as the key is pressed further and the action unit 6 moves further upward, as... Figure 11A As shown, the protrusion 84A at the rear end of the rear arm 84 in the push rod 53 abuts from below against the forward-inclined abutment surface 36A of the push rod stop 36 in the hammer support 4. Therefore, by moving the push rod shaft 64 upward with the rear end of the rear arm 84 locked, the push rod 53 moves along the rear end of the rear arm 84 as a fulcrum. Figure 11A Rotate clockwise. The result is as follows: Figure 11B As shown, the upper end of the hammer pusher 83 of the push rod 53 moves backward and protrudes from the hammer protrusion 46 of the hammer 5. With the disengagement 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.

[0057] Note that when the push rod 53 is released, a clicking sensation is produced due to the rapid increase and decrease in the contact weight of key 2, thereby providing a sense of relief to the player pressing the key.

[0058] Figure 12A The diagram shows the state in which the upward-rotating hammer 5 abuts against the hammer stop 38 at the upper front end of the hammer support 4. In this case, the front part of the hammer body 41 abuts against the hammer stop 38 from below, preventing further rotation of the hammer 5. In this situation, 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, thereby detecting key pressing information of the key 2 corresponding to the rotation speed of the hammer 5, and outputting it 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 pressing information.

[0059] Figure 12B The diagram shows the state immediately after the hammer 5 abuts against the hammer stop 38, specifically the state where the hammer 5 springs back from the hammer stop 38, rotates downward (counterclockwise) toward its initial position before the key is pressed, and the echo joint 47 of the hammer 5 is locked to the echo 62 of the retainer 51. In this case, since the echo joint 47 is locked in sliding contact with the echo 62, the hammer 5 is stopped by preventing further downward rotation, and the springback and vibration of the hammer 5 are prevented.

[0060] Figure 13A This illustrates the state of key 2 after being released from its position, causing it to return slightly (e.g., 1 / 3 of the keyboard depth). When key 2 is released from the above... Figure 12B When releasing the key in the state shown, as Figure 13A As shown, the front end of key 2 moves upward, while the rear end of key 2 moves downward. Therefore, the action unit 6 moves downward as a unit with the rear end of key 2. In this situation, the hammer 5 disengages from the echo 62 and is released from its stopped state by the downward and backward tilting echo 62. Additionally, the forearm 72 of the tremolo lever 52 is pushed downward by the bias force of the tremolo spring 54, resulting in the tremolo lever 52 moving 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 bias force of the push rod spring 55, resulting in the push rod rotating around the push rod axis 64 along... Figure 13A It rotates counterclockwise. Therefore, as... Figure 13A As shown, the upper end of the hammer pusher 83 of the push rod 53 rotates below the hammer protrusion 46 of the hammer 5. As a result, the hammer 5 can be driven by the action unit 6 even if the key 2 does not return to the key release position.

[0061] When key 2 is completely released, as Figure 13B As shown, key 2, hammer 5, and the vibrating lever 52 and push lever 53 of the action unit 6 return to their initial positions in the key release state.

[0062] As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the keyboard device 1, which includes the aforementioned key 2, action unit 6, and hammer 5, can perform operations similar to those of a grand piano, thereby obtaining the same tactile feel and playing characteristics as a grand piano during performance.

[0063] Furthermore, in the hammer support 4 of the keyboard assembly 1, both the abutment surfaces 35a and 36a of the vibratory stop 35 and the push rod stop 36 are inclined forward and downward, respectively. When the key is pressed, the rear end of the vibratory rod 52 of the action unit 6 and the rear end of the rear arm 84 of the push rod 53 abut against the abutment surfaces 35a and 36a, respectively. 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 during the manufacture of the keyboard assembly 1, is attached and shifted in the front-back direction relative to the appropriate position, the rear end of the vibratory rod 52 and the rear end of the rear arm 84 of the push rod 53 can abut against the abutment surfaces 35a and 36a of the vibratory stop 35 and the push rod stop 36, respectively, at the appropriate time. As a result, a good tactile feel and an appropriate moment of sound production can be obtained when the key is pressed.

[0064] Furthermore, in the keyboard assembly 1, a guide groove 21a is formed at 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 by means of 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 state of tilting in the left-right direction, thus allowing the retainer 51 to be attached in an appropriate posture. Therefore, 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.

[0065] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various modes. The detailed configuration of the keyboard device 1, key 2, hammer support 4, hammer 5, action unit 6, retainer 51, vibraphone 52, and push rod 53 described in this embodiment is merely an example and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A keyboard device for a keyboard musical instrument, the device comprising: A 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; A striking mechanism unit is located at the rear of the key and performs a predetermined operation in association with the key pressing. A hammer support is provided on the rear side of the key; as well as A hammer extending a predetermined length in a front-rear direction, the hammer being rotatably supported at its rear end via a hammer shaft extending in a left-right direction along the hammer support, the hammer being placed on the action unit via a hammer protrusion disposed on the immediate front side of the hammer shaft to project downwards, and the hammer being driven upwards via the action unit according to key press of the key, wherein the action unit comprises: A retainer, which is fixed to the rear end of the key; A vibrato bar, formed in a predetermined shape extending in the front-to-back direction, is rotatably attached to the retainer. The vibrato bar has an upper surface on which the hammer protrusion is placed, and is provided with a guide hole extending vertically and in the front-to-back direction. The vibrato bar pushes the hammer upward by moving upward as the key is pressed, thereby rotating the hammer upward via the hammer protrusion. A push rod includes a hammer pusher extending vertically and a rear arm extending rearward from a portion near the lower end of the hammer pusher. The push rod is rotatably attached to a retainer. The hammer pusher has an upper end that is inserted from below into a push rod guide hole of a vibrating rod and is movably engaged with the push rod guide hole in a front-rear direction. From the rising middle of a vibrating rod associated with key pressing, the push rod pushes the hammer upward via the hammer pusher to rotate the hammer upward via a hammer protrusion. The hammer support includes a push rod stop that locks the push rod as the rear end of the rear arm abuts against the push rod stop from below when the push rod pushes the hammer upward. The push rod stop disengages the hammer pusher of the push rod from the hammer protrusion of the hammer by rotating the push rod together with the rear end of the rear arm, which abuts against the push rod stop as a fulcrum. The push rod stop has forward-sloping and downward-sloping abutment surfaces that allow the rear end of the rear arm to abut from below.

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