Keyboard device and method for restricting key swing

Abstract

To provide a keyboard device capable of precisely detecting after-touch and a method for restricting a key swing.SOLUTION: Since a hard layer 121 harder than a first cushion layer 120 is laminated on a surface side of the first cushion layer 120 which is relatively soft, the hard layer 121 can provide comparatively hard full stroke feeling to a player. Thus, the white key 2a is prevented from being pushed to a performance area of after-touch. When the hard layer 121 is strongly pressed during performance of after-touch, the white key 2a can largely be displaced by deformation of the comparatively soft first cushion layer 120. Thus, after-touch can precisely be detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a keyboard device and a method for regulating the swing of keys, and more particularly to a keyboard device capable of accurately detecting aftertouch and a method for regulating the swing of keys.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for detecting, by a pressure-sensitive sensor 5, a performance (hereinafter referred to as "aftertouch") in which the keyboard 2 is further pushed in after the displacement of the keyboard 2 (keys) at the time of key pressing is regulated by stoppers 8a and 8b. In this technique, a stopper 14 is integrally provided on the pressure-sensitive sensor 5, and an aftertouch is detected by the hammer 3 interlocked with the swing of the keyboard 2 pushing in the pressure-sensitive sensor 5 via the stopper 14.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a keyboard device having a function of detecting aftertouch as in the above-described conventional technique, if the stoppers 8a and 8b for regulating the displacement of the keyboard 2 are formed relatively hard, a full-stroke feeling (a feeling of reaching the end of normal performance) is likely to be obtained when the keyboard 2 contacts the stoppers 8a and 8b at the time of key pressing. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a performer performing normal performance from pushing the keyboard 2 into the aftertouch area.

[0005] However, if the stoppers 8a and 8b are formed hard, even if the keyboard 2 in contact with the stoppers 8a and 8b is further pushed in, it becomes difficult to greatly displace the hammer 3 (keyboard 2). That is, even though a performance with an aftertouch is intended, the pressure-sensitive sensor 5 may not be appropriately pushed in by the hammer 3, so that the aftertouch cannot be accurately detected.

[0006] On the other hand, if the stoppers 8a and 8b are simply formed soft, it is difficult to obtain a full-stroke feeling when the keyboard 2 contacts the stoppers 8a and 8b, so that a performer intending to perform a normal performance may push the keyboard 2 into the aftertouch area. Therefore, the key-pressing operation intended for normal performance may be erroneously detected as an aftertouch.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a keyboard device capable of accurately detecting an aftertouch and a method for regulating the swing of a key.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve this object, the keyboard device of the present invention includes a key, a key-pressing stopper that regulates the swing of the key when the key is pressed, and a sensor that detects the displacement of the key when the key is further pushed in after the swing of the key is regulated by the key-pressing stopper as an aftertouch. The key-pressing stopper includes a relatively soft first cushion layer and a hard layer laminated on the surface side of the first cushion layer and harder than the first cushion layer.

[0009] The method for regulating the swing of a key according to the present invention is a method for regulating the swing of a key in a keyboard device including a key, a key-pressing stopper that regulates the swing of the key when the key is pressed, and a sensor that detects the displacement of the key when the key is further pushed in after the swing of the key is regulated by the key-pressing stopper as an aftertouch. The swing of the key is regulated by the key-pressing stopper including a relatively soft first cushion layer and a hard layer laminated on the surface side of the first cushion layer and harder than the first cushion layer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the keyboard device 1 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 in the first embodiment. Note that the arrow U-D direction, F-B direction, and L-R direction in FIG. 1 indicate the vertical direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction (the arrangement direction of a plurality of keys 2. Hereinafter referred to as the "scale direction") of the keyboard device 1, respectively, and the same applies to FIGS. 2 and subsequent figures. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 cut along a plane orthogonal to the scale direction.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the keyboard device 1 includes a plurality (88 in this embodiment) of keys 2 and constitutes a keyboard instrument (synthesizer). The keys 2 are composed of a plurality (52 in this embodiment) of white keys 2a for playing fundamental tones and a plurality (36 in this embodiment) of black keys 2b for playing derived tones, and these plurality of white keys 2a and black keys 2b are arranged in the scale direction (arrow L-R direction).

[0013] The keyboard device 1 includes a bottom plate 3 for supporting the keys 2. The bottom plate 3 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the scale direction using synthetic resin, steel plate, etc., and a chassis 4 is supported on the upper surface of the bottom plate 3.

[0014] A front leg portion 40 is provided at the front end portion (the end portion on the arrow F side) of the chassis 4, and this front leg portion 40 is fixed to the bottom plate 3. The front leg portion 40 extends upward from the bottom plate 3, and from the upper end of the front leg portion 40, a support portion 41 for supporting the keys 2 extends rearward (arrow B side). These front leg portion 40 and support portion 41 are integrally formed by bending a metal plate.

[0015] The rear end of the support portion 41 is fixed (screwed or welded) to a metal rear leg portion 42 extending vertically, and the chassis 4 composed of these respective portions 40 to 42 is formed in a U-shaped (C-shaped) having a space between the support portion 41 and the bottom plate 3 in the scale direction view.

[0016] Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the details of the configuration for rotating the white key 2a and the configuration for interlocking the displacement member 8 with the rotation of the white key 2a will be described, but such a configuration is substantially the same also for the black key 2b. Therefore, the actions and effects by the configuration of the white key 2a described below are also similarly achieved for the black key 2b. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the keyboard device 1 showing a state where the white key 2a and the displacement member 8 are removed.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the white key 2a includes an upper plate 20 configured such that its upper surface (the surface on the arrow U side) is a key-pressing surface pressed by the player, and a pair of side plates 21 extending downward from both left and right ends (in the arrow L-R direction) of the upper plate 20. These plate-shaped upper plate 20 and side plates 21 are integrally formed using a resin material, and the white key 2a is formed in a box shape having an opening downward.

[0018] From the rear end (the end on the arrow B side) of the white key 2a, plate-shaped protrusions 22 protrude rearward. The protrusions 22 are provided in a pair at intervals in the scale direction (arrow L-R direction) (see FIG. 2), and this pair of protrusions 22 is pivotally supported by the key shaft member 5.

[0019] The key shaft member 5 includes a mounted portion 50 to be mounted on the upper surface of the chassis 4 (support portion 41). The mounted portion 50 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape extending in the scale direction, and from the rear end side of the mounted portion 50, an insertion portion 51 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 2) rises upward.

[0020] A plurality of insertion portions 51 are arranged in the scale direction, and a substantially cylindrical shaft portion 52 is formed on the upper end side of the insertion portion 51. Each of the portions 50 to 52 of these key shaft members 5 is integrally formed using a resin material (synthetic resin).

[0021] The shaft portion 52 protrudes from the insertion portion 51 to both sides in the scale direction, and a circular insertion hole 23 into which the shaft portion 52 can be inserted is formed in each of the pair of protrusions 22 of the white key 2a. When inserting the shaft portion 52 into the insertion hole 23, the insertion is guided by an inclined surface 53 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 2) formed on the shaft portion 52.

[0022] The inclined surface 53 rises and inclines so as to obliquely notch (approach the insertion portion 51) the upper end of the front end surface of the shaft portion 52. Therefore, by pushing the pair of protruding portions 22 of the white key 2a into the insertion portion 51 from the upper side (inserting the insertion portion 51 between the pair of protruding portions 22), the protruding portions 22 slide along the inclined surface 53 of the shaft portion 52. Due to this sliding, the pair of protruding portions 22 elastically deform so as to expand the distance between them, so that the shaft portion 52 can be easily inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the white key 2a. When each of the pair of shaft portions 52 is inserted into the insertion hole 23, the white key 2a is pivotally supported on the key shaft member 5.

[0023] On the upper surface of the front end side (the end portion on the arrow F side) of the attached portion 50, a cylindrical holding wall 54 for holding the coil spring 6 (see FIG. 1) is formed, and a plurality of holding walls 54 are arranged in the scale direction. At the central portion on the inner peripheral side of each holding wall 54, a conical convex portion 55 protruding upward is formed.

[0024] On the white key 2a, a holding wall 24 (see FIG. 1) is formed at a position facing the holding wall 54 up and down. The holding wall 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward from the upper plate 20 of the white key 2a, and a conical convex portion 25 protruding downward is formed on the inner peripheral side of the holding wall 24. The coil spring 6 is sandwiched from above and below by the convex portion 55 of the key shaft member 5 and the convex portion 25 of the white key 2a, so that the coil spring 6 is held on the inner peripheral sides of the holding walls 24 and 54. When the white key 2a is pressed, a key pressing feel is imparted by the elastic force of the coil spring 6, while when the key is released, the white key 2a returns to the stationary position (the height at which it was stationary before being pressed) by the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 6.

[0025] At a substantially central portion of the white key 2a in the front-rear direction (arrow F-B direction), a plate-shaped partition plate 26 (see FIG. 1) extending downward from the upper plate 20 is formed, and the partition plate 26 is provided in a pair at intervals in the front-rear direction. The partition plate 26 is integrally formed with the upper plate 20 and the side plates 21 so as to connect the pair of side plates 21 in the scale direction, and the interlocking member 7 is attached to the recess 27 surrounded by these plates 20, 21, and 26.

[0026] The linkage member 7 is a member for interlocking the displacement member 8 with the swing of the white key 2a when the key is pressed and released. The linkage member 7 includes a columnar insertion portion 70 extending vertically, a plate-like protruding portion 71 protruding forward and backward from the lower end of the insertion portion 70, and a plate-like protruding portion 72 protruding downward from the front end portion of the protruding portion 71 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 1), and these portions 70 to 72 are integrally formed using a resin material.

[0027] The insertion portion 70 is formed in a shape corresponding to the concave portion 27 of the white key 2a, and the linkage member 7 is attached to the white key 2a by adhering the insertion portion 70 inserted into the concave portion 27 to the white key 2a. A columnar guide pin 73 protruding in the scale direction (arrow R side) is integrally formed at the lower end of the protruding portion 72, and this guide pin 73 is hooked on a groove 80 formed in the displacement member 8.

[0028] The groove 80 penetrates both side surfaces of the displacement member 8 facing the scale direction and extends in a direction orthogonal to the scale direction (in a state where the white key 2a is in the stationary position, it rises and inclines forward and upward). In the stationary position (the state in FIG. 1) before the white key 2a is pressed, the groove 80 extends so as to intersect the displacement locus of the guide pin 73 around the shaft portion 52. The displacement member 8 is interlocked with the rotation of the white key 2a by the slide of the guide pin 73 along this groove 80. In the following description, among the grooves 80 of the displacement member 8, the upper and lower surfaces where the guide pin 73 slides when the white key 2a is pressed (released) are described as the upper slide surface 80a and the lower slide surface 80b.

[0029] A shaft hole 81 penetrating the displacement member 8 in the scale direction is formed in the displacement member 8, and a rotation shaft 90 (see FIG. 1) formed in the holder 9 is inserted into this shaft hole 81. Thereby, the displacement member 8 is rotatably supported by the holder 9. In the following description, in a state where the displacement member 8 is supported by the rotation shaft 90, the outer surface of the displacement member 8 facing a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (scale direction) of the rotation shaft 90 is described as the "outer peripheral surface".

[0030] On the outer peripheral surface of the displacement member 8, a detected portion 82 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 1) is formed by adhering a metal plate or applying plating. A substrate 10 is provided at a position facing the detected portion 82 (below the displacement member 8), and a coil 100 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 1) that generates a magnetic field is formed on the substrate 10.

[0031] The coil 100 is formed by the conductive pattern of the substrate 10. In FIG. 1, the coil 100 (the thickness of the coil 100) on the substrate 10 is schematically illustrated. Although details will be described later, the key pressing information of the white key 2a is detected by the displacement of the detected portion 82 of the displacement member 8 toward the region facing the coil 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "detection region").

[0032] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the detailed configuration of the holder 9 will be described, and reference will also be made to FIGS. 1 and 2 as appropriate. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder 9. In FIG. 3, the holder 9 is illustrated from the same angle as in FIG. 2.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the holder 9 includes a plate-shaped wall portion 91 in which a rotation axis 90 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 3) is integrally formed, and the space between a pair of wall portions 91 facing each other in the scale direction is connected by the rotation axis 90. The rotation axis 90 is formed in an elliptical shape extending vertically, and a notch 83 for inserting the rotation axis 90 into the shaft hole 81 is formed in the displacement member 8. The notch 83 is a groove (a hole penetrating the displacement member 8 in the scale direction) that linearly connects the outer peripheral surface of the displacement member 8 and the shaft hole 81, and extends in a direction opposite to the groove 80 with the shaft hole 81 interposed therebetween. The groove width of the notch 83 is set to be substantially the same as the longitudinal dimension of the elliptical rotation axis 90 (the width dimension of the rotation axis 90 in the direction of arrow F - B).

[0034] Therefore, as shown by arrow A in FIG. 3, with the notch 83 of the displacement member 8 facing downward, the displacement member 8 is inserted between the pair of wall portions 91 by inserting the rotary shaft 90 into the notch 83, so that the rotary shaft 90 is inserted into the shaft hole 81. The diameter of the shaft hole 81 is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the rotary shaft 90 (the longitudinal dimension of the rotary shaft 90 in the arrow U-D direction). After inserting the rotary shaft 90 from the notch 83 into the shaft hole 81, the displacement member 8 is rotated so that the notch 83 faces the rear side (arrow B side), whereby the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported by the rotary shaft 90.

[0035] The holder 9 includes a substantially flat plate-shaped attached portion 92 extending in the scale direction, and this attached portion 92 is attached to the support portion 41 (see FIG. 1) of the chassis 4. From the attached portion 92, a plurality of wall portions 91 arranged in the scale direction stand upward. Taking a pair of wall portions 91 provided with the displacement member 8 in between as a set, a plurality of sets of wall portions 91 are arranged in the scale direction. In the present embodiment, 12 displacement members 8 for one octave are pivotally supported by one holder 9. The attached portion 92 is fixed (screwed) to the lower surface of the support portion 41 (see FIG. 1) of the chassis 4, and the wall portion 91 is inserted into a through hole 43 (see FIG. 2) formed in the support portion 41 from below.

[0036] A through hole 93 (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 3) penetrating the attached portion 92 vertically is formed between the pair of wall portions 91, and a part of the displacement member 8 is inserted into this through hole 93. That is, in a state where the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported by the holder 9, the portion on the lower end side of the displacement member 8 is located below the attached portion 92 (the support portion 41 of the chassis 4) (see FIG. 1), and the displacement of the displacement member 8 in such a position is allowed by the through hole 93.

[0037] From the attached portion 92 of the holder 9, a flat hanging portion 94 slopes downward toward the front lower side. When a pair of hanging portions 94 facing each other with the displacement member 8 sandwiched therebetween is taken as a set, a plurality of sets of hanging portions 94 are arranged in the scale direction, and the lower ends of the plurality of sets of hanging portions 94 are connected in the scale direction by a connecting portion 95. Each part 91 - 95 of the holder 9 including the rotating shaft 90 is integrally formed using a resin material, but the holder 9 may be formed from a plurality of parts.

[0038] The front end portion of the substrate 10 (see FIG. 1) is supported by the connecting portion 95, and the rear end portion of the substrate 10 is supported by the chassis 4 (support portion 41) via a fixing member 11 (see FIG. 1). Details of the support structure of this substrate 10 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0039] As shown by the arrow B in FIG. 3, in a state where the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported by the holder 9, the displacement member 8 can be moved in a twisting manner in the scale direction (the displacement member 8 can be swung in the scale direction). This is because, in addition to a slight gap being formed between the rotating shaft 90 and the shaft hole 81, the pair of wall portions 91 can be elastically deformed. By utilizing the swinging of the displacement member 8 in the scale direction, the guide pin 73 (see FIG. 4(a)) of the interlocking member 7 is engaged with the groove 80.

[0040] This engagement method will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 4(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 showing the state before the guide pin 73 of the interlocking member 7 is inserted into the groove 80 of the displacement member 8, and FIG. 4(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 showing the state where the displacement member 8 rotates under its own weight. In FIG. 4(a), the state where the holder 9 is assembled to the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 is illustrated, but FIG. 4(a) corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along the line IVa-IVa shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 3. Also, FIG. 4 is a view of the displacement member 8 seen from the side, but in order to facilitate understanding, the detected portion 82 is hatched.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the groove 80 of the displacement member 8 extends in a direction away from the rotation axis 90 of the holder 9 (the shaft hole 81 shown in FIG. 3), and the groove width of the groove 80 gradually expands as it moves away from the rotation axis 90.

[0042] More specifically, the lower slide surface 80b of the displacement member 8 (see FIG. 4(a)) is a plane that linearly extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotation axis 90 (substantially parallel to the arrow F-B direction in FIG. 4(a)), while the upper slide surface 80a is composed of a plane parallel to the lower slide surface 80b, an inclined surface that rises forward and upward from the front edge (the end on the arrow F side) of the plane portion, and a curved surface that smoothly connects these planes and inclined surfaces.

[0043] On the outer peripheral surface of the displacement member 8, an opening of the groove 80 is formed by the front edge of the inclined surface of the upper slide surface 80a and the front edge of the lower slide surface 80b, and the guide pin 73 of the interlocking member 7 is inserted along the insertion direction C from this opening. The insertion direction C of this guide pin 73 is the same direction as the sliding direction of the guide pin 73 along the groove 80 (the part where the upper and lower slide surfaces 80a and 80b face each other in parallel).

[0044] On the displacement member 8, at the opening portion of the groove 80, a regulating wall 84 is formed that connects the inclined surface of the upper slide surface 80a and the front end portion of the lower slide surface 80b. The regulating wall 84 is a wall for regulating the guide pin 73 of the interlocking member 7 from coming out of the groove 80. Although not shown, in the assembled state of the white key 2a with the guide pin 73 engaged with the groove 80 (the state of FIG. 1), it is formed at a position where the regulating wall 84 and the guide pin 73 overlap in the insertion direction C of the guide pin 73.

[0045] Therefore, when the white key 2a is pivotally supported by the key shaft member 5 (see FIG. 1) and the guide pin 73 is simply inserted along the insertion direction C from the opening of the groove 80, the regulating wall 84 will interfere with the insertion. Although this interference can be generally avoided by the swinging of the displacement member 8 indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, a front inclined surface 84a (see FIG. 4(a)) for making the insertion of the guide pin 73 into the groove 80 easier is formed on the side surface of the regulating wall 84. The side surface of the regulating wall 84 is the surface facing the side opposite to the protruding direction of the guide pin 73 in the scale direction (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4(a)).

[0046] The front inclined surface 84a is inclined so as to obliquely notch the front edge portion of the side surface of the regulating wall 84. Therefore, when the guide pin 73 is inserted along the insertion direction C from the opening of the groove 80, by slightly causing the swinging of the displacement member 8 indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3 (slightly twisting the displacement member 8 toward the back side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4(a)), the guide pin 73 can be engaged with the groove 80 while sliding the guide pin 73 along the front inclined surface 84a. Therefore, the guide pin 73 can be easily engaged with the groove 80, so that the workability of the assembly work of the white key 2a can be improved.

[0047] Also, a rear inclined surface 84b is formed on the side surface of the regulating wall 84. Since the rear inclined surface 84b is inclined so as to obliquely notch the rear edge (the end portion on the arrow B side) portion of the side surface of the regulating wall 84, when the guide pin 73 is pulled out from the groove 80 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction C, by slightly causing the swinging of the displacement member 8 indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3 (slightly twisting the displacement member 8 toward the back side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4(a)), the guide pin 73 can be removed from the groove 80 while sliding the guide pin 73 along the rear inclined surface 84b. Therefore, the guide pin 73 can be easily removed from the groove 80, so that the workability of the replacement and maintenance work of the white key 2a can be improved.

[0048] Here, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when the guide pin 73 is not engaged with the groove 80, the displacement member 8 rotates by its own weight around the rotation axis 90. When the displacement member 8 contacts the coil 100 of the substrate 10 due to this rotation, the coil 100 may be damaged.

[0049] If the detected portion 82 of the displacement member 8 is formed in a single arc shape centered on the rotation axis 90, even if the displacement member 8 rotates by its own weight around the rotation axis 90, the detected portion 82 will not contact the coil 100. However, although details will be described later, the detected portion 82 of the present embodiment is composed of an arc-shaped curved surface portion 82a centered on the rotation axis 90 and a linear flat surface portion 82b continuous with the leading edge of the curved surface portion 82a. Therefore, when the guide pin 73 is removed from the groove 80, if the displacement member 8 rotates by its own weight around the rotation axis 90, the flat surface portion 82b of the detected portion 82 may contact the coil 100.

[0050] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a configuration is provided that can prevent such contact between the flat surface portion 82b and the coil 100. Specifically, a convex portion 85 surrounding the groove 80 (upper and lower sliding surfaces 80a, 80b) protrudes from the side surface of the displacement member 8, and a wall portion 91 (mounting portion 92) of the holder 9 is formed on the displacement locus around the rotation axis 90. When the displacement member 8 rotates by its own weight around the rotation axis 90, before the flat surface portion 82b of the detected portion 82 contacts the coil 100, the wall portion 91 (mounting portion 92) of the holder 9 is configured to contact the convex portion 85 at the contact point P1.

[0051] Also, simultaneously with the contact between the wall portion 91 and the convex portion 85 at the contact point P1, the connecting portion 95 of the holder 9 is also configured to contact the displacement member 8 at the contact point P2. That is, a part of the holder 9 (wall portion 91, mounting portion 92, and connecting portion 95) located on the displacement locus of the displacement member 8 functions as a regulating member that regulates the contact between the detected portion 82 (flat surface portion 82b) and the coil 100.

[0052] As a result, even when the detected portion 82 is not a single arc centered on the rotation axis 90 (for example, a flat portion 82b is formed), when the displacement member 8 rotates by its own weight around the rotation axis 90, the contact between the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 can be restricted by the holder 9. Therefore, damage to the coil 100 due to such contact can be prevented.

[0053] Next, the mounting structure of the substrate 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the keyboard device 1 with the substrate 10 and the fixing member 11 removed. FIG. 6(a) is a side view of the keyboard device 1 as viewed in the direction of arrow VIa in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6(b) is a side view of the keyboard device 1 showing how the substrate 10 is attached to the holder 9 and the fixing member 11. Note that in FIG. 6(a), the state where the fixing member 11 is fixed to the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 is illustrated.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of protrusions 110 arranged in the scale direction (arrow L-R direction) protrude from the upper surface of the fixing member 11, and through holes 44 are formed in the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 at positions corresponding to the protrusions 110. By inserting the pair of protrusions 110 into the through holes 44, the mounting position of the fixing member 11 with respect to the support portion 41 is positioned.

[0055] A through hole 111 penetrating the fixing member 11 vertically is formed on the rear side of the pair of protrusions 110. By fastening a screw (not shown) inserted from below into the through hole 111 to the tapped hole 45 of the support portion 41 of the chassis 4, the fixing member 11 is attached to the lower surface of the support portion 41.

[0056] From the front surface of the fixing member 11 (the surface facing the arrow F side), a fixing portion 112 for fixing the substrate 10 protrudes forward, and a vertical tapping hole 113 is formed in the fixing portion 112. A plurality of fixing members 11 are arranged in the scale direction, and a through hole 101 is formed at a position corresponding to the tapping holes 113 of the plurality of fixing members 11 at the rear end side (the end portion on the arrow B side) of the substrate 10. By fastening a screw (not shown) inserted into the through hole 101 of the substrate 10 from below to the tapping hole 113 of the fixing member 11, the rear end portion of the substrate 10 is fixed to the fixing member 11.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6(a), a protrusion 96 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the hanging portion 94 of the holder 9, and a protrusion 97 protrudes rearward from the rear surface (the surface facing the arrow B side) of the connecting portion 95. Each of these protrusions 96, 97 is integrally formed with the hanging portion 94 and the connecting portion 95. Although not shown, a plurality of each of the protrusions 96, 97 are arranged in the scale direction.

[0058] An inclined surface 96a that rises and inclines upward and forward is formed at the front edge (the end portion on the arrow F side) of the protrusion 96, and an inclined surface 97a that descends and inclines downward and rearward is formed at the rear edge (the end portion on the arrow B side) of the protrusion 97. Each of these inclined surfaces 96a, 97a is formed in parallel. The distance between the inclined surfaces 96a, 97a and the distance between the lower surface of the protrusion 96 and the upper surface of the protrusion 97 are substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate 10.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6(b), when attaching the substrate 10 to the holder 9 and the fixing member 11, first, the substrate 10 is inserted between the protrusions 96, 97 in a state where the substrate 10 is inclined parallel to the inclined surfaces 96a, 97a. Next, as shown by the arrow D, the front end of the substrate 10 is rotated between the protrusions 96, 97, and the rear end portion of the substrate 10 is screwed to the fixing member 11. Thereby, the substrate 10 is supported by the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 via the holder 9 and the fixing member 11.

[0060] Thus, in this embodiment, the substrate 10 is supported by the holder 9 by inserting the front end of the substrate 10 between the projections 96 and 97 (insertion portion). That is, since the substrate 10 is simply inserted between the projections 96 and 97 without being screwed to the holder 9, it is not necessary to form a through hole (such as the through hole 101) for screwing to the holder 9 in the front end portion of the substrate 10. Thereby, the front-rear dimension of the substrate 10 can be shortened, and the manufacturing cost of the substrate 10 can be reduced.

[0061] Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the operation of the displacement member 8 accompanying the key pressing (key releasing) of the white key 2a will be described. FIG. 7(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 showing the state during key pressing of the white key 2a from the state of FIG. 1 (before the white key 2a contacts the key pressing stopper 12), and FIG. 7(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 showing the state where the white key 2a further key-pressed from the state of FIG. 7(a) contacts the key pressing stopper 12.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 7, when the guide pin 73 rotates downward (clockwise in FIG. 7) when the white key 2a is key-pressed, the lower slide surface 80b is pushed in by the guide pin 73. Thereby, the displacement member 8 rotates around the rotation axis 90 of the holder 9 (clockwise in FIG. 7).

[0063] With this rotation, the detected portion 82 of the displacement member 8 is displaced relative to the substrate 10 supported by the holder 9. That is, as the stroke amount of the white key 2a increases from the state before key pressing, the intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 into the detection region increases. The intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 is the size of the area where the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 face each other in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the substrate 10.

[0064] On the other hand, when the white key 2a is released after being pressed, the guide pin 73 rotates (counterclockwise in FIG. 7) to return to the stationary position by the elastic force of the coil spring 6 (see FIG. 1). Due to the rotation of this guide pin 73, the upper slide surface 80a of the groove 80 is pushed up by the guide pin 73, causing the displacement member 8 to rotate around the rotation axis 90 (clockwise in FIG. 7). At this time, the intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 into the detection region decreases.

[0065] Since the detected portion 82 is formed using a non-magnetic metal (such as copper), when a current is passed through the coil 100 to generate a magnetic field and the intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 into the detection region is increased, the inductance of the coil 100 decreases, and when the intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 into the detection region is decreased, the inductance of the coil 100 increases. Based on the increase and decrease of the inductance of this coil 100, the sensor output value (V) changes (see FIG. 8(b)). Based on the increase and decrease of this sensor output value, the key press information (note information) is detected.

[0066] Regarding the technology of detecting key press information with this type of non-contact sensor, the applicant of the present application has filed a patent application for the invention shown in FIG. 20 (PCT / JP2022 / 032673, which was not published at the time of filing this application). FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional keyboard device 301.

[0067] In this conventional keyboard device 301, there has been a problem that the stationary position (angle) of the displacement member 207 before key pressing and the displacement amount (rotation amount) of the displacement member 207 accompanying key pressing may deviate from the design values.

[0068] As a reason for the above problems, in the structure shown in FIG. 19, while the holder 210 that rotatably supports the key 202 is fixed to the chassis 204, the holder 10 that rotatably supports the displacement member 207 is fixed to the bottom plate 3 via the substrate 9. That is, since the key 202 and the displacement member 207 are assembled to different components, the relative positional accuracy between the key 202 and the displacement member 207 is likely to decrease due to assembly errors or the like. For this reason, the engagement position between the guide pin 229 of the key 202 and the groove 270 of the displacement member 207 is likely to deviate from the design value.

[0069] In contrast, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, there is a structure including a chassis 4 (first support member), a white key 2a (a plurality of keys 2) swingably supported by the chassis 4, a displacement member 8 interlocked with the swing of the white key 2a, a holder 9 (second support member) that displaceably supports the displacement member 8 and is attached to the chassis 4, and a coil 100 (sensor) that faces the detected portion 82 of the displacement member 8 and detects the displacement of the displacement member 8.

[0070] That is, since the white key 2a and the holder 9 on which the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported are assembled to the same chassis 4, the relative positional accuracy between the white key 2a and the displacement member 8 can be improved. As a result, the guide pin 73 of the interlocking member 7 and the groove 80 of the displacement member 8 can be accurately engaged at the designed positions, so that the stationary position (angle) of the displacement member 8 before pressing the key and the displacement amount (rotation amount) of the displacement member 8 accompanying the key pressing are also likely to be as designed. Therefore, the key pressing information of the white key 2a can be accurately detected.

[0071] Also, in the stationary position before the key is pressed (the state in FIG. 1), the lower slide surface 80b of the groove 80 slopes upward toward the front upper side. When the displacement member 8 rotates to an angle along the horizontal direction when the key is pressed, the guide pin 73 slides toward the rear end side (arrow B side) of the lower slide surface 80b (see FIGS. 1 and 7(a)). On the other hand, when the displacement member 8 further rotates from the angle where the lower slide surface 80b is along the horizontal direction when the key is pressed, the guide pin 73 slides toward the front end side (arrow F side) of the lower slide surface 80b (see FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)).

[0072] That is, since the sliding direction of the guide pin 73 along the groove 80 reverses during key pressing (the guide pin 73 reciprocates in the groove 80 when the key is pressed), the sliding range of the guide pin 73 with respect to the groove 80 can be narrowed. As a result, the groove 80 can be formed shorter, making it easier to improve the accuracy of the shape of the groove 80. Also, this makes it easier for the engagement position between the guide pin 73 and the groove 80 to be as designed, so that the key pressing information of the white key 2a can be detected accurately.

[0073] In addition, since the substrate 10 is directly attached to the holder 9 to which the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported, the relative positional accuracy between the displacement member 8 and the coil 100 of the substrate 10 can also be improved. As a result, the clearance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 of the displacement member 8 is also likely to be the dimension as designed, so that the key pressing information of the white key 2a can be detected accurately.

[0074] In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is directly attached to the holder 9, but a configuration in which the substrate 10 is attached to a support component provided separately from the holder 9 may also be used. As an example of this configuration, the vertical portion 94 and the connecting portion 95 of the holder 9 are omitted, the substrate 10 is extended forward (arrow F side), and the front end portion of such a substrate 10 is supported by a component similar to the fixing member 11 (see FIG. 6). Even in such a structure, since the substrate 10 provided with the coil 100 and the holder 9 to which the displacement member 8 is pivotally supported can be supported by the same chassis 4, the clearance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 is likely to be the dimension as designed. Therefore, the key pressing information of the white key 2a can be detected accurately.

[0075] Here, it is also possible to integrally form a key shaft member 5 (see FIG. 2) that swingably supports the white key 2a and a fixing member 11 (see FIG. 6) to which the rear end of the substrate 10 is fixed with the holder 9. However, if these components are integrally formed, the components become larger and errors are likely to occur in the dimensions of the components themselves (for example, the length in the front-rear direction). When such dimensional errors occur, the engagement position between the guide pin 73 and the groove 80 and the clearance between the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 are likely to deviate from the design values. Therefore, the key pressing information of the white key 2a cannot be accurately detected.

[0076] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the key shaft member 5 (see FIG. 2), the holder 9, and the fixing member 11 are separate components, each of these components can be miniaturized. As a result, the dimensional accuracy of the key shaft member 5, the holder 9, and the fixing member 11 themselves is likely to be improved.

[0077] Although not shown, the key shaft member 5 (see FIG. 2) pivotally supports 12 keys for one octave, and the holder 9 pivotally supports 12 displacement members 8 for one octave (see FIG. 3) as described above.

[0078] That is, a plurality of key shaft members 5 and holders 9 are arranged in the scale direction. As a result, compared with a configuration in which all the keys 2 arranged in the scale direction are pivotally supported by one key shaft member 5 or a configuration in which all the displacement members 8 arranged in the same direction are pivotally supported by one holder 9, the key shaft member 5 and the holder 9 can be miniaturized. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the key shaft member 5 and the holder 9 themselves is likely to be improved.

[0079] Also, as described above, since the fixing member 11 (see FIG. 6) is also arranged in the scale direction, the fixing member 11 can be miniaturized compared with the case where the substrate 10 is supported by one fixing member 11 extending in the scale direction. As a result, the dimensional accuracy of the fixing member 11 itself is likely to be improved.

[0080] In this way, by improving the dimensional accuracy of the key shaft member 5, the holder 9, and the fixing member 11 itself, the engagement position between the guide pin 73 and the groove 80 and the clearance between the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 are more likely to be as designed. Therefore, the key-pressing information of the white key 2a can be detected accurately.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 7(b), the swinging when the white key 2a is key-pressed is restricted by the key-pressing stopper 12. The key-pressing stopper 12 is a cushioning material adhered to the upper surface on the rear end side of the support portion 41 of the chassis 4. The area until the lower surface of the white key 2a contacts the key-pressing stopper 12 during key-pressing is the normal playing area. On the other hand, a performance in which the key is pressed deeper than the terminal position of normal performance (the state shown in FIG. 7(b) where the white key 2a contacts the key-pressing stopper 12, hereinafter referred to as the "terminal position of key-pressing") is the performance area of aftertouch. When this aftertouch performance is performed, effects (such as volume change and vibrato) are added to the musical sound during normal performance.

[0082] And in the present embodiment, in addition to the key-pressing information during normal performance, the key-pressing information during aftertouch performance is also detected based on the change in the magnetic field of the coil 100 (increase or decrease in the sensor output value). These performance detection methods will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0083] FIG. 8(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 showing a state where the white key 2a is further pushed in from the state shown in FIG. 7(b), and FIG. 8(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the stroke amount of the white key 2a and the sensor output value. The vertical axis represents the magnitude (V) of the sensor output value, and the horizontal axis represents the stroke amount of the key 2 of the white key 2a. In FIG. 8(b), for ease of understanding, the range of the aftertouch performance area and the change in the sensor output value are schematically illustrated.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 8(a), when the white key 2a is further pushed in from the terminal position of key-pressing (the state shown in FIG. 7(b)), the key-pressing stopper 12 is compressed by the white key 2a, and the lower slide surface 80b of the groove 80 is pushed downward by the guide pin 73 of the interlocking member 7. As a result, the intrusion amount of the detected portion 82 into the detection area further increases.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 8(b), as the amount of intrusion of the detected portion 82 into the detection region facing the coil 100 increases, the sensor output value decreases. That is, when the white key 2a is pressed, as the amount of depression of the white key 2a increases, the sensor output value gradually decreases, while when the white key 2a is released, the sensor output value gradually increases.

[0086] In order to accurately detect the key-pressing information based on this sensor output value, it is preferable that the difference between the sensor output value before key-pressing and the sensor output value at the end position of key-pressing (hereinafter referred to as "dynamic range") is large. In particular, in this embodiment, in addition to normal performance, the after-touch performance is also detected from the change in the sensor output value shown in FIG. 8(b). Therefore, in order to accurately detect the after-touch, it is necessary to greatly reduce the sensor output value when the white key 2a in contact with the key-pressing stopper 12 is further depressed.

[0087] This sensor output value decreases as the area where the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 face each other increases, and also decreases as the distance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 approaches. For this reason, for example, as shown by the dashed line E in FIG. 8(a), when the detected portion 82 is formed in a single arc shape centered on the rotation axis 90 of the holder 9, the distance between the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 cannot be sufficiently reduced when the displacement member 8 rotates to the after-touch performance region. Therefore, as shown by the dashed line F in FIG. 8(b), it becomes difficult for the sensor output value to decrease in the after-touch performance region.

[0088] That is, when the detected portion 82 is formed in a single arc shape centered on the rotation axis 90 of the holder 9, it becomes difficult to widen the dynamic range, so the after-touch cannot be accurately detected. Also, if the displacement member 8 (coil 100) is enlarged to widen the dynamic range, there is a problem that it leads to an increase in the size and cost of the keyboard device 1.

[0089] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the detected portion 82 is provided with a curved surface portion 82a and a flat surface portion 82b, so that after-touch can be accurately detected. This configuration will be described below. In the following description of the detected portion 82, with reference to the rotation direction of the displacement member 8, the direction in which the displacement member 8 rotates when the key is pressed is defined as the front side of the detected portion 82, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side for explanation.

[0090] Among the detected portion 82, the portion located on the front side (arrow B side) in the rotation direction of the displacement member 8 is the curved surface portion 82a, and the portion continuous with the rear side of the curved surface portion 82a in the same rotation direction is the flat surface portion 82b. The curved surface portion 82a is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis 90 (a curved shape convex in the direction away from the rotation axis 90), and the flat surface portion 82b is formed in a planar shape extending in the tangential direction of the rear end (the end on the arrow F side) of the curved surface portion 82a.

[0091] That is, since the curvature of the flat surface portion 82b is smaller than that of the curved surface portion 82a, the distance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 (flat surface portion 82b) can be reduced in the after-touch performance area compared to the case where the detected portion 82 is a single arc shape centered on the rotation axis 90 as described above. As a result, without increasing the size of the displacement member 8 (coil 100), the dynamic range can be widened (the sensor output value can be greatly reduced in the after-touch performance area). That is, while reducing the size of the displacement member 8, after-touch can be accurately detected.

[0092] In particular, in the present embodiment, since the flat surface portion 82b is formed in a planar shape, the distance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 (flat surface portion 82b) can be minimized in the after-touch performance area compared to the case where the flat surface portion 82b is a curved surface with a smaller curvature than the curved surface portion 82a. Therefore, the dynamic range can be effectively widened.

[0093] Also, at the end position of the after-touch playing area (the position where the effect of after-touch is maximized; hereinafter referred to as the "maximum after-touch position"), since the flat surface portion 82b and the coil 100 (substrate 10) face each other substantially in parallel, the distance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 (flat surface portion 82b) can be made as close as possible. This also enables the dynamic range to be effectively expanded. Note that "substantially in parallel" preferably means a state in which the flat surface portion 82b and the coil 100 (substrate 10) face each other in parallel so as not to contact each other, but they may face each other non-parallelly.

[0094] In this way, by expanding the dynamic range of the sensor output value, the key-pressing information of the white key 2a can be accurately detected. In particular, when detecting after-touch based on the change in the sensor output value as in the present embodiment, it is particularly preferable that the dynamic range is wide (the sensor output value significantly decreases in the after-touch playing area). This enables accurate detection of after-touch.

[0095] In the present embodiment, at the rest position before key-pressing (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 1), the curved surface portion 82a of the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 are arranged at a position where they overlap in the vertical direction (the thickness direction of the substrate 10). That is, since the curved surface portion 82a of the detected portion 82 and the coil 100 face each other vertically at the rest position before key-pressing, a change in the sensor output value associated with the rotation of the detected portion 82 can be caused immediately after key-pressing. This enables accurate detection of key-pressing information.

[0096] Here, as a prior art for detecting after-touch, a technique of pushing a pressure sensor by a hammer interlocked with the swing of a key during key-pressing is known (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-234751). In this type of keyboard device, if a key-pressing stopper that regulates the swing of the key during key-pressing is formed relatively hard, a feeling of reaching the end of normal playing (hereinafter referred to as the "full-stroke feeling") is likely to be imparted to the player when the key and the stopper contact during key-pressing.

[0097] However, if the key stopper is formed to be hard, it becomes difficult to greatly displace the key (hammer) during aftertouch performance, so the aftertouch cannot be accurately detected. On the other hand, if the key stopper is simply formed to be soft, it is difficult to obtain the full stroke feeling when the key contacts the key stopper, so a performer performing normal performance may push the key into the aftertouch area. Therefore, normal performance and aftertouch cannot be accurately separated and detected. In contrast, the key stopper 12 of the present embodiment has a configuration that can solve such problems.

[0098] The detailed configuration of this key stopper 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 taken along line IXa-IXa in FIG. 7(b), showing a cross-sectional view of the white key 2a swung to the end position of key pressing. Further, FIG. 9(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 1 taken along line IXb-IXb in FIG. 8(a), showing a cross-sectional view of the state where the white key 2a is further pushed in (aftertouch performance is performed) from the state of FIG. 9(a). In FIG. 9, only the main part of the keyboard device 1 is shown, and the illustration of other parts (for example, the key 2 adjacent to the white key 2a) is omitted.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 9, the key stopper 12 includes a first cushion layer 120 made of urethane foam adhered to the upper surface of the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 by a double-sided tape or an adhesive. On the surface layer side of this first cushion layer 120 (the side plate 21 side of the white key 2a), a hard layer 121 made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is laminated. Further, a second cushion layer 122 made of felt is laminated on the surface layer side of the hard layer 121, and these layers 120 to 122 are adhered by an adhesive, a double-sided tape, or the like.

[0100] Thus, in this embodiment, a hard layer 121 harder than the first cushion layer 120 is laminated on the surface side of the relatively soft first cushion layer 120. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when a pair of side plates 21 of the white key 2a contact the key pressing stopper 12 (the second cushion layer 122) during key pressing, a relatively hard full stroke feeling can be imparted to the performer by the hard layer 121.

[0101] Also, even when the hard layer 121 is pushed into the first cushion layer 120 side by the pair of side plates 21 during normal performance, since the first cushion layer 120 is compressed as a whole by the relatively hard hard layer 121 (the pressing force of the white key 2a is dispersed by the hard layer 121), the pressure applied to the first cushion layer 120 becomes relatively small. Thereby, even if the first cushion layer 120 is relatively soft, it is possible to suppress the white key 2a from being pushed into the performance area of aftertouch. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a key press intended for normal performance from being detected as an aftertouch.

[0102] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9(b), when the hard layer 121 is strongly pushed in during aftertouch performance, the white key 2a can be largely displaced by the deformation of the relatively soft first cushion layer 120. Therefore, aftertouch can be accurately detected. That is, normal performance and aftertouch can be accurately distinguished and detected.

[0103] Also, even when the key pressing stopper 12 is strongly pushed in by the pair of side plates 21, since the hard layer 121 deforms so as to bend, the load due to the pushing can be dispersed by the hard layer 121. That is, since the hard layer 121 can regulate the pair of side plates 21 from deforming by biting into the first cushion layer 120, the durability of the key pressing stopper 12 can be improved (the first cushion layer 120 is less likely to sag).

[0104] Further, the key pressing stopper 12 is formed linearly extending in the scale direction (arrow L-R direction), and the swinging of a plurality of keys 2 arranged in the scale direction (for example, keys 2 for one octave) is regulated by one key pressing stopper 12. Thereby, even when the key pressing stopper 12 is strongly pushed in by the pair of side plates 21, the pushing force can be effectively dispersed by the bending of the hard layer 121 extending in the scale direction. Therefore, the durability of the key pressing stopper 12 can be improved.

[0105] By improving the durability of the key pressing stopper 12, it is possible to suppress the thickness of the key pressing stopper 12 from gradually becoming thinner over time, and thus it is possible to suppress the terminal position of the key pressing from gradually becoming deeper. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the key pressing intended for normal performance from being detected as aftertouch, and thus normal performance and aftertouch can be accurately distinguished and detected.

[0106] As described above, in the present embodiment, in addition to aftertouch, the key pressing information during normal performance until contacting the key pressing stopper 12 is also detected based on the output value of the coil 100. That is, since normal performance and aftertouch are detected by one sensor, in such a configuration, it is particularly preferable to regulate the displacement of the white key 2a with the key pressing stopper 12 including the above-described respective layers 120 to 122. Thereby, normal performance and aftertouch can be accurately distinguished and detected.

[0107] However, even in a keyboard device in which a sensor (keyboard switch 4) for detecting key pressing information during normal performance and a sensor (pressure-sensitive sensor 5) for detecting aftertouch are separate sensors, as in the above-described conventional technology (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-234751), the swinging of the key may be regulated by the key pressing stopper 12 of the present embodiment.

[0108] Here, when the purpose is to simply impart the full-stroke feeling of normal performance by the hard layer 121 and to greatly displace the white key 2a by the deformation of the first cushion layer 120 during aftertouch performance, for example, the second cushion layer 122 can be omitted. However, when the white key 2a contacts the relatively hard (e.g., made of PET) hard layer 121, noise due to the contact is likely to occur.

[0109] Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to laminate a second cushion layer 122 softer than the hard layer 121 on the surface layer side of the hard layer 121. Thereby, since the impact when the pair of side plates 21 contacts the key stopper 12 can be absorbed by the second cushion layer 122, the noise generated during their contact can be reduced.

[0110] On the other hand, the first cushion layer 120 is softer than the second cushion layer 122. Thereby, while enabling the second cushion layer 122 to reduce the noise generated when the white key 2a (side plate 21) contacts the key stopper 12, the white key 2a can be greatly displaced by the deformation of the first cushion layer 120 during aftertouch performance.

[0111] The thickness of the first cushion layer 120 is 1.5 mm or more and 8.0 mm or less, the thickness of the hard layer 121 is 0.1 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less, and the thickness of the second cushion layer 122 is 1.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less.

[0112] That is, since the thickness of the hard layer 121 is thinner than the thickness of the first cushion layer 120, while enabling the hard layer 121 to impart the full-stroke feeling of normal performance, the white key 2a can be greatly displaced by the deformation of the first cushion layer 120 during aftertouch performance.

[0113] Also, the thickness of the second cushion layer 122 is greater than that of the hard layer 121 and less than that of the first cushion layer 120. This enables the hard layer 121 to impart a full-stroke feeling during normal playing, reduces noise when the white key 2a (side plate 21) contacts the second cushion layer 122, and allows the white key 2a to be largely displaced by the deformation of the first cushion layer 120 during after-touch playing.

[0114] A stopper portion 28 for restricting the swing of the white key 2a when it is released is integrally formed on the side plate 21 of the white key 2a. The stopper portion 28 extends downward from the side plate 21, and a bent portion 28a that bends rearward (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 9) is formed at the lower end of the stopper portion 28.

[0115] The bent portion 28a is hooked on the lower surface of the support portion 41 through a through-hole 46 formed in the front leg portion 40 (see FIG. 5) of the chassis 4, and a key-off stopper 13 facing the bent portion 28a vertically is adhered to the lower surface of the support portion 41 of the chassis 4.

[0116] The key-off stopper 13 has a first cushion layer 130, a hard layer 131, and a second cushion layer 132 laminated in order from the support portion 41 side of the chassis 4. These layers 130 to 132 have the same configuration as the layers 120 to 122 of the key-pressing stopper 12.

[0117] Therefore, although not shown in the figure, even when the key-off stopper 13 is pushed in by the bent portions 28a of the pair of stopper portions 28 when the white key 2a is released, the first cushion layer 130 is compressed as a whole by the relatively hard hard layer 131 (the pushing force of the white key 2a is dispersed by the hard layer 131), so the pressure applied to the first cushion layer 130 can be reduced. That is, since the hard layer 131 can regulate the pair of bent portions 28a from deforming so as to bite into the first cushion layer 130, the durability of the key-off stopper 13 can be improved.

[0118] Further, the key-off stopper 13 is formed linearly extending in the scale direction, and the swinging of a plurality of keys 2 arranged in the scale direction (for example, the keys 2 for one octave) during key-off is regulated by one key-off stopper 13. Thereby, the pushing force by the pair of bent portions 28a can be effectively dispersed by the deflection of the hard layer 131 extending in the scale direction. Thus, the durability of the key-off stopper 13 can be improved.

[0119] By improving the durability of the key-off stopper 13, it is possible to suppress the thickness of the key-off stopper 13 from gradually decreasing over time, and thus it is possible to suppress the height of the white key 2a in the stationary position from gradually increasing. Therefore, it is possible to suppress variations in the height of each key 2 arranged in the stationary position, and thus the appearance of the keyboard device 1 can be improved.

[0120] Also, by keeping the height of the white key 2a in the stationary position before key depression constant, it is possible to suppress the engagement position between the guide pin 73 (see the enlarged part in FIG. 1) and the groove 80 from deviating from the design value. Therefore, the key depression information of the white key 2a can be accurately detected based on the displacement of the displacement member 8 (change in the sensor output value).

[0121] In this way, by regulating the swinging of the white key 2a with each stopper 12, 13 having a laminated structure, it becomes difficult for the stationary position of the white key 2a before key depression and the height of the white key 2a at the end position of key depression to change over time. However, it is difficult to prevent such changes in the stationary position of the white key 2a and the end position of key depression from occurring at all.

[0122] For example, when the stationary position of the white key 2a changes over time, a difference occurs between the height of the stationary position of the white key 2a specified from the sensor output value and the height of the white key 2a in the actual stationary position. In a state where such a difference occurs, the actual movement of the white key 2a cannot be accurately detected from the sensor output value.

[0123] On the other hand, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-197910 discloses a technique for correcting the current position of a key to a stationary position when the stationary state of the key continues for a predetermined time or longer and the current position (height) of the key is a predetermined height or higher. According to this technique, even when the height of the key at the stationary position changes over time, key depression information based on the height of the key after the change can be detected.

[0124] However, the key depression information is detected based on the behavior of the sensor output values from the stationary position of the key to the end position of the key depression. Therefore, in a configuration that corrects only the stationary position of the key as in the above-described conventional technique, it is still not possible to accurately detect the key depression information.

[0125] Therefore, in the present embodiment, for the purpose of more accurately detecting key depression information, the sensor output values at each position of the stationary position of the white key 2a, the end position of the key depression (normal performance), and the maximum aftertouch position are corrected (calibrated), and the key depression information for normal performance and aftertouch is detected based on the corrected values. An outline of the correction method for each position of the white key 2a will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the keyboard device 1, FIG. 11 is a graph showing the time changes of the position (height), speed, and acceleration of the white key 2a when a normal key depression is performed, and FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the stroke amount of the white key 2a and the sensor output value, and is a graph showing the relationship between each position such as the stationary position of the white key 2a and the sounding position.

[0126] Note that the solid line in FIG. 11 shows the position of the white key 2a, the one-dot chain line shows the speed, and the broken line shows the time change of the acceleration. For the speed and acceleration of the white key 2a, the magnitudes when the key depression direction is positive are shown (the same applies to FIG. 13 described later).

[0127] As shown in FIG. 10, the position of the white key 2a (key 2) of the keyboard device 1 is detected by the above-described coil (sensor) 100, and based on the output value of this coil 100, each position of the white key 2a is corrected by the correction means 17a. The correction value by the correction means 17a is stored in the correction value storage means 17b.

[0128] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when correcting the rest position of the white key 2a, first, in order to determine whether the white key 2a has returned to the rest position, the position detection means 17c (see FIG. 10) checks whether the height (sensor output value) of the white key 2a is equal to or greater than the lower limit value Va (first rest threshold value) of the rest position (see FIG. 11). This lower limit value Va can be set arbitrarily. For example, when the stroke amount from the default rest position set at the time of factory shipment of the keyboard device 1 to the default end position is L, a configuration is exemplified in which the position where the distance (height) from the default end position is 0.7L to 0.9L is set as the lower limit value Va of the rest position.

[0129] In addition to the lower limit value Va, it is also possible to provide an upper limit value Vb (second rest threshold value) for the rest position. For example, it may be determined whether the white key 2a has returned to the rest position based on whether the distance from the default end position to the current position (height) of the white key 2a is 0.9L or more and 1.1L or less, or whether the distance from the default end position to the current position of the white key 2a is 0.7L or more and 1.3L or less.

[0130] Next, the time determination means 17d (see FIG. 10) determines, for example, whether the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or greater than the lower limit value Va of the rest position and whether the state in which the white key 2a is stationary (the state in which the height of the white key 2a is higher than the lower limit value Va of the rest position) continues for a predetermined time. When it is determined by the time determination means 17d that the stationary state of the white key 2a continues for a predetermined time, the correction means 17a corrects the sensor output value indicating the rest position of the white key 2a based on the height (sensor output value) of the white key 2a at that time.

[0131] An example of correcting the sensor output value at this stationary position is illustrated in FIG. 12. This example shows the case where the stationary position of the white key 2a is corrected to a position higher (shallower) than the default stationary position (the left side of FIG. 12). By performing such correction, even when the stationary position of the white key 2a changes (e.g., becomes higher) due to deterioration of the key-off stopper 13 or the like, it is possible to accurately determine whether the white key 2a is located at the stationary position.

[0132] Next, an outline of the correction of the end position of the key press will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the correction of the end position of the key press is performed when the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or less than the upper limit value Vc (end threshold) (see FIG. 11) of the end position. Thereby, the movement of the white key 2a that has not been pressed to the end position can be excluded from the correction conditions, so that, for example, it is possible to suppress the end position from being set to an excessively high (shallow) position. Although the upper limit value Vc of this end position can also be arbitrarily set, for example, a configuration is exemplified in which a position where the distance from the default stationary position of the white key 2a set at the time of factory shipment of the keyboard device 1 is 0.7L to 0.9L is set as the upper limit value Vc of the end position.

[0133] When the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or less than the upper limit value Vc of the end position, the deceleration detection means 17e (see FIG. 10) detects whether the magnitude of the negative acceleration (deceleration) generated when the white key 2a contacts the key press stopper 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vd (first deceleration threshold) (see FIG. 11). When the deceleration detected by the deceleration detection means 17e is equal to or greater than the lower limit value Vd, the arrival determination means 17f (see FIG. 10) determines that the white key 2a has reached the end position of the key press. When this arrival condition is satisfied, the correction means 17a corrects the position of the white key 2a at the time of arrival (the sensor output value at that position) to the end position of the key press.

[0134] An example of correcting the sensor output value at this end position is illustrated in FIG. 12. In this example, a case where the end position of the white key 2a is corrected to a position lower (deeper) than the default end position (the right side in FIG. 12) is shown. By performing such correction of the sensor output value, even when the end position of the key press changes (for example, becomes deeper) due to deterioration of the key press stopper 12 or the like, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the white key 2a has reached the end position of the key press.

[0135] Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the arrival determination means 17f determines that the white key 2a has reached the end position of the key press when the magnitude of the negative acceleration of the white key 2a is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Ve (second deceleration threshold value). That is, when the magnitude of the negative acceleration of the white key 2a exceeds the upper limit value Ve, the correction of the end position (sensor output value) by the correction means 17a is not performed, so that a key press of the white key 2a that is too strong can be excluded from the target of the end position correction.

[0136] Furthermore, the arrival determination means 17f determines that the white key 2a has reached the end position of the key press when the magnitude of the positive acceleration (which may be the velocity or the velocity indicating the strength of the key press) of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vf (first pre-arrival threshold value). Thereby, a key press of the white key 2a that is too weak can be excluded from the target of the end position correction. In this way, by correcting the end position only when the white key 2a is pressed with an appropriate strength, the end position of the key press can be corrected to an appropriate position (height).

[0137] Note that it is not only determined whether or not the magnitude of the positive acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vf (first pre-arrival threshold value). For example, it may be determined whether or not the magnitude of the same acceleration (which may be the velocity or the velocity) is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value Vg (second pre-arrival threshold value). In this case, by correcting the end position when the acceleration is equal to or less than the upper limit value Vg, a key press of the white key 2a that is too strong can be excluded from the target of the end position correction.

[0138] Next, an overview of the method for correcting the maximum after-touch position will be described with reference to FIGS. 10, 12, and 13. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the time changes in the position, velocity, and acceleration of the white key 2a when after-touch is performed after a normal key press.

[0139] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, when correcting the maximum after-touch position, first, the speed detection means 17g (see FIG. 10) detects whether the speed (or acceleration) of the white key 2a is in a low-speed state where it is equal to or higher than a predetermined lower limit value Vh and equal to or lower than an upper limit value Vi (rest threshold value) (see FIG. 13). When the time determination means 17d determines that such a low-speed state of the white key 2a has continued for a predetermined time, the current maximum after-touch position stored in the correction value storage means 17b (see FIG. 10) is compared with the current position of the white key 2a. And when the current position of the white key 2a is lower than the current maximum after-touch position, the correction means 17a corrects the position of the white key 2a at that time (the sensor output value at that position) to the maximum after-touch position.

[0140] An example of the case where the sensor output value at the maximum after-touch position is corrected is illustrated in FIG. 12. This example shows the case where the maximum after-touch position of the white key 2a is corrected to a position lower (deeper) than the predetermined maximum after-touch position. By performing such correction of the maximum after-touch position, even when the maximum after-touch position changes (for example, becomes deeper) due to deterioration of the key stopper 12 or the like, it is possible to accurately determine whether the white key 2a has reached the maximum after-touch position.

[0141] By correcting the sensor output values at the rest position of the white key 2a, the end position of the key press, and the maximum aftertouch position in this way, the consistency between the sensor output values indicating (determining) that the white key 2a is located at each of these positions and the actual position of the white key 2a can be enhanced. Therefore, the key press information of the white key 2a can be accurately detected, so that, for example, normal performance and aftertouch can be accurately distinguished and detected. The relationship between each position of the white key 2a before and after such correction and the sound generation position when the white key 2a is pressed will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 12, the stroke amount of the white key 2a from the default rest position set at the time of factory shipment of the keyboard device 1 to the default sound generation position is defined as La, the stroke amount of the white key 2a from the default sound generation position to the default end position is defined as Lb, and the stroke amount from the default end position to the default maximum aftertouch position is defined as Lc.

[0143] The sound generation position is the position at which a normal performance sound generation (sound production) instruction is given based on the key press information of the white key 2a from the rest position to the sound generation position. The maximum aftertouch position is the position at which the effect of aftertouch becomes maximum when the white key 2a reaches that position. That is, the application of the effect of aftertouch starts from a position between the end position of the key press and the maximum aftertouch position, and the effect applied to the musical sound changes (for example, gradually increases) from the start position to the maximum aftertouch position.

[0144] At the time of factory shipment of the keyboard device 1, the stroke ratio (Lb / La) between the stroke amount La from the rest position to the sound generation position and the stroke amount Lb from the sound generation position to the end position is set to approximately 3:1 (Lb / La = 1 / 3). That is, when the stroke amount of normal performance from the default rest position to the default end position is defined as L (L = La + Lb), the sound generation position is set 0.2L to 0.3L before the end position.

[0145] By correcting each position of the white key 2a described above, for example, when the end position of the key press is corrected to a position lower (deeper) than the default value (right side of FIG. 12), the stroke amount of the white key 2a from the default sounding position to the corrected end position becomes longer. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to make the stroke amount of the white key 2a from the sounding position to the corrected end position closer to the state at the time of factory shipment, correction is performed to shift the sounding position toward the corrected end position side.

[0146] More specifically, the stroke ratio (Lb' / La') of the stroke amount La' of the white key 2a from the corrected rest position to the corrected sounding position and the stroke amount Lb' of the white key 2a from the corrected sounding position to the corrected end position is made close to the default stroke ratio (Lb / La) at the time of factory shipment, and the sounding position is corrected. As a result, even if the height at each position of the white key 2a changes due to deterioration of the key press stopper 12 or the key release stopper 13, etc., the playing feeling of the keyboard device 1 before and after the change can be kept constant. Therefore, a good playing feeling can be imparted to the player.

[0147] In addition, when the stroke amount from the corrected end position to the corrected maximum aftertouch position is Lc', the correction amounts of the end position and the maximum aftertouch position may be adjusted so as to keep the corrected stroke amount Lc' at an appropriate length. As an example of this adjustment method, for example, when correcting the end position or the maximum aftertouch position of the key press, the error between the stroke amount Lc from the default end position to the maximum aftertouch position and the stroke amount Lc' from the corrected (current) end position to the maximum aftertouch position is within a predetermined range, and a configuration for adjusting the correction amounts of the end position and the maximum aftertouch position is exemplified.

[0148] In addition, the correction (calibration) of the sensor output value at each position of the above-mentioned white key 2a explains the correction method when the sensor output value decreases as the stroke amount of the white key 2a increases during key pressing. However, the same correction is possible when the sensor output value increases during key pressing. For example, when the sensor output value increases during key pressing, if it can be determined from the change over time of the sensor output value that the sensor output value is in a state lower than the lower limit value of the stationary position, the sensor output value may be corrected to be determined as the stationary position before key pressing. Also, it may be corrected so that the value when the sensor output value becomes the highest is determined as the maximum aftertouch position.

[0149] Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, when the magnitude of the negative acceleration of the white key 2a during key pressing becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vd, it is determined that the white key 2a has reached the end position. On the other hand, for example, as in the portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11, based on the change in speed and acceleration when the key is released from the end position (that is, the magnitude of the negative speed and acceleration when the key pressing direction is defined as positive), it is also possible to determine whether the white key 2a has reached (or has reached) the end position.

[0150] However, since the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment has an aftertouch performance function, if the above-described discrimination method is performed, as in the portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, the end position is corrected based on the negative speed and acceleration when the key is released from the maximum aftertouch position. Therefore, there is a possibility that the end position of the key press is corrected to an excessively low (deep) position.

[0151] Therefore, when the keyboard device 1 has an aftertouch performance function as in the present embodiment, it is preferable to correct the end position based on the negative acceleration generated during key pressing. Thereby, the end position of the key press can be accurately corrected.

[0152] Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the electrical configuration of the keyboard device 1 and the key position correction process will be described. FIG. 14(a) is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the keyboard device 1, and FIG. 14(b) is a flowchart of the key position correction process.

[0153] As shown in FIG. 14(a), the keyboard device 1 includes the above-described substrate 10 (coil 100), a CPU 16a, a flash ROM 16b, a RAM 16c, a setting key 16d, a sound source 16e, and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 16f, and each of these components is connected via a bus line 16g.

[0154] The CPU 16a is an arithmetic unit that controls each part connected by the bus line 16g. The flash ROM 16b is a rewritable non-volatile storage device that stores programs executed by the CPU 16a, fixed-value data, etc., and stores a control program 160b and a correction value memory 161b that constitutes the above-described correction value storage means 17b (see FIG. 10). When the control program 160b is executed by the CPU 16a, the key position correction process of FIG. 14(b) is executed.

[0155] In the correction value memory 161b, sensor output values (values detected by the coil 100) indicating that the white key 2a is located at each of the stationary position, the key-pressing end position, and the maximum after-touch position are stored as default values (initial values). The default values of this correction value memory 161b are preset at the time of factory shipment of the keyboard device 1.

[0156] The default values stored in the correction value memory 161b are corrected (updated) by the correction processes (S2 to S4) of each position of the white key 2a described later. The default values and the correction values (values for the past one or more times) of each position of the white key 2a are stored in the correction value memory 161b as a history. The correction values stored in this correction value memory 161b may be one value for all the keys 2, one value for each key range (e.g., 12 keys), or one value for each key 2.

[0157] The RAM 16c is a memory for the CPU 16a to store various work data, flags, etc. in a rewritable manner during program execution. In the RAM 16c, a key position memory 160c, a speed memory 161c, an acceleration memory 162c, and a stationary flag 163c used in the correction processes (S2 to S4) of each position of the white key 2a are provided.

[0158] In the key position memory 160c, the change history of the position (height) of the white key 2a specified from the sensor output value is stored. In the speed memory 161c, the change history of the speed of the white key 2a calculated based on the sensor output value (the change of the position of the white key 2a over time) is stored, and in the acceleration memory 162c, the change history of the acceleration of the white key 2a calculated based on the sensor output value (the change of the position or speed of the white key 2a over time) is stored. The stationary flag 163c is a flag for determining whether the white key 2a is in a stationary state.

[0159] The setting key 16d is a key for the performer to perform various settings such as the performance mode in the keyboard device. For example, a switch provided on the housing of the keyboard device 1 or an operation key displayed on the touch panel is exemplified. The sound source 16e is a device that outputs waveform data based on the key-pressing information (note information) of the white key 2a, and the DSP 16f is an arithmetic device for performing arithmetic processing on the waveform data input from the sound source 16e.

[0160] A DAC (Digital - to - Analog Converter) 16h is connected to the DSP 16f. In the DAC 16h, the musical tone signal processed by the DSP 16f is converted into an analog signal. A speaker 16j is connected to the DAC 16h via an amplifier 16i. The analog signal output from the DAC 16h is amplified by the amplifier 16i, and the musical tone based on the signal is emitted from the speaker 16j.

[0161] As shown in Fig. 14(b), in the key position correction process, first, the position of the white key 2a at the current time (hereinafter referred to as "the current position of the white key 2a"), speed, and acceleration are stored in each memory 160c to 162c (S1), and the correction process of the rest position of the white key 2a (S2) is executed. After executing the correction process of the rest position of the white key 2a (S2), the correction process of the end position of the key press (S3) and the correction process of the maximum after-touch position (S4) are executed in sequence, and the process returns to the process of S1.

[0162] Note that this key position correction process is automatically executed when the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on (during the performance of the keyboard device 1 by the performer), but it is not limited to this. For example, when the performer operates the setting key 16d to switch to the "correction mode", the key position correction process may be executed.

[0163] Next, with reference to Figs. 15 to 17, the details of the correction process for each position of the white key 2a will be described. Fig. 15 is a flowchart of the correction process of the rest position, Fig. 16 is a flowchart of the correction process of the end position, and Fig. 17 is a flowchart of the correction process of the maximum after-touch position.

[0164] As shown in Fig. 15, in the correction process of the rest position of the white key 2a, first, the current position of the white key 2a is acquired from the key position memory 160c, and it is confirmed whether the current position is equal to or higher than the lower limit value Va of the rest position of the white key 2a (S10). If the current position of the white key 2a is lower than the lower limit value Va of the rest position (S10: No), for example, the white key 2a is in a state of being pressed by the performer. In this case, the rest flag 163c is turned off (S11), and a series of processes are terminated.

[0165] On the other hand, in the process of S10, when the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or higher than the lower limit value Va of the stationary position (S10: Yes), since it is estimated that the white key 2a has returned to the stationary position, the key position memory 160c (speed memory 161c or acceleration memory 162c) is referred to, and it is confirmed whether the white key 2a is in a stationary state (S12). If the white key 2a is not in a stationary state (S12: No), for example, since the white key 2a is in a state of being pressed, the stationary flag 163c is turned off (S11), and a series of processes are terminated without correcting the stationary position.

[0166] On the other hand, in the process of S12, when the white key 2a is in a stationary state (S12: Yes), it is confirmed whether the stationary flag 163c is on (S13). If the stationary flag 163c is not on (S13: No), in order to confirm whether the white key 2a is stably stationary at the stationary position, the stationary flag 163c is turned on (S14), and the current time is set as the start time of the stationary state (S15), and a series of processes are terminated.

[0167] On the other hand, in the process of S13, when the stationary flag 163c is on, since the white key 2a is in a state where it has started to be stationary, it is confirmed whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start time (S16). If the predetermined time has not elapsed since the start of the stationary state (S16: No), a series of processes are terminated. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed (S16: Yes), it can be estimated that the current position of the white key 2a is the stationary position.

[0168] Therefore, when the stationary time of the white key 2a has elapsed the predetermined time (S16: Yes), it is confirmed whether the error between the current position of the white key 2a and the current stationary position stored in the correction value memory 161b is within a predetermined range (S17). If the error is outside the predetermined range (the error is too large) (S17: No), since the stationary position of the white key 2a stored in the correction value memory 161b will fluctuate greatly, a series of processes are terminated without correcting the stationary position of the white key 2a.

[0169] On the one hand, when the error in S17 is within a predetermined range (S18: Yes), refer to the correction value memory 161b, and based on the current position of the white key 2a and the stationary position of the white key 2a corrected in the past (the correction value stored in the correction value memory 161b), save the averaged position or the weighted calculated position as the correction value of the stationary position of the white key 2a in the correction value memory 161b (S18).

[0170] As an example of the process of S18, for instance, if the correction of the stationary position has been performed N times in the past before this correction, then add the sum of the past correction values (or the current position of the white key 2a when it was determined whether to perform the correction) and the current position of the white key 2a this time, and divide the sum value by N + 1 to obtain the average value as the correction value.

[0171] That is, save the value calculated from “(sum of the correction values of the past N times + current position of the white key 2a this time) / (N + 1)” as the correction value of the stationary position of the white key 2a in the correction value memory 161b. In this way, if the correction value is the average value of the correction values of the past N times and the current position of the white key 2a this time, the correction of the stationary position of the white key 2a can be performed gently.

[0172] Also, as another example of the process of S18, refer to the correction value memory 161b to obtain the correction value of the previous stationary position (i.e., the stationary position of the white key 2a set at the current time), and calculate the correction value of the current stationary position using the obtained correction value and the weighting factor P.

[0173] Specifically, for example, set the value of the weighting factor P to 0.01 (1%), and save the value calculated by “(correction value of the previous stationary position) × (1 - P) + current position of the white key 2a this time × P” as the correction value of the current stationary position in the correction value memory 161b. In this way, even in the configuration where the stationary position of the white key 2a is corrected using the weighting factor P, the correction of the stationary position of the white key 2a can be performed gently.

[0174] In this way, according to the processes of S17 and S18, the rest position of the white key 2a can be gently corrected. That is, it is possible to suppress large fluctuations in the rest position of the white key 2a stored in the correction value memory 161b, and thus it is possible to suppress an extreme change in the playing feel of the keyboard device 1. Therefore, a good playing feel can be given to the player.

[0175] After the rest position of the white key 2a is corrected in the process of S18, the rest flag 163c is turned off (S19), and a series of processes are terminated. After the execution of this rest position correction process (S2), the end position correction process (S3) shown in FIG. 16 is executed.

[0176] As shown in FIG. 16, in the end position correction process (S3), first, the current position of the white key 2a is acquired from the key position memory 160c, and it is confirmed whether or not the current position is equal to or less than the upper limit value Vc of the end position of the key press (S20).

[0177] If the current position of the white key 2a exceeds the upper limit value Vc of the end position of the key press (S20: No), a series of processes are terminated without performing end position correction. By the process of S20, for example, even if the white key 2a is released before reaching the end position (during the key press), no end position correction is performed based on the release, so it is possible to suppress the end position from being corrected to an excessively low (shallow) position.

[0178] On the other hand, in the process of S20, if the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or less than the upper limit value Vc of the end position of the key press (S20: Yes), the acceleration memory 162c is referred to, and it is confirmed whether or not the magnitude of the negative acceleration (deceleration) of the current white key 2a is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Ve (first deceleration threshold value) (S21). If the magnitude of the negative acceleration of the white key 2a exceeds the predetermined upper limit value Ve (S21: No), since there is a high possibility that the white key 2a is pushed into the stopper 12 excessively, a series of processes are terminated without performing end position correction. By the process of S21, it is possible to suppress the end position from being corrected to an excessively low (deep) position due to an overly strong key press of the white key 2a.

[0179] On the other hand, in the process of S21, when the negative acceleration of the current white key 2a is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Ve (S21: Yes), it is checked whether the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vd (S22). When the negative acceleration of the current white key 2a is less than the predetermined lower limit value Vd (S22: No), since the key press of the white key 2a is weak, a series of processes are terminated without correcting the end position.

[0180] On the other hand, in the process of S22, when the negative acceleration of the current white key 2a is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vd (S22: Yes), it can be estimated that the white key 2a pressed with an appropriate strength has reached the end position. In the present embodiment, whether this estimation is correct is more precisely determined by the process of S23.

[0181] In the process of S23, when it is estimated in the process of S22 that the white key 2a has reached the end position, the velocity memory 161c or the acceleration memory 162c is referred to, and it is checked whether the magnitude of the positive velocity (velocity) or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vf. When the velocity or acceleration is less than the predetermined lower limit value Vf (S23: No), it can be determined that the key press of the white key 2a is weak, and a series of processes are terminated without correcting the end position.

[0182] As described above, in addition to the process of S23, a configuration may also be adopted in which when the magnitude of the positive velocity (velocity) or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Vg, the process proceeds to S24 and subsequent processes.

[0183] By excluding the key presses of the white key 2a that are too strong or too weak from the conditions for correcting the end position, like the processes of S21 to S23, it is possible to suppress the correction of the end position of the key press to an excessively low position or a high position.

[0184] On the other hand, in the process of S23, when the magnitude of the positive velocity or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vf (S23: Yes), it means that the white key 2a is being pressed with an appropriate strength. In this case, the estimated value of the end position reached by the white key 2a is calculated in the process of S24.

[0185] Specifically, in the process of S24, the estimated value of the end position reached by the white key 2a is calculated based on the magnitude of the velocity (velocity) or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position. By estimating the end position from the magnitude of the velocity and acceleration of the white key 2a before reaching the end position, the end position can be corrected to an appropriate position according to the strength of the key press.

[0186] This estimated value is obtained by adjusting (subtracting or adding) the "current position (height) of the white key 2a when it is estimated to have reached the end position" with the "value calculated from the equation of velocity V or acceleration α" when the velocity of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is V and the acceleration is α. For example, the equation of motion of velocity V can be expressed as a quadratic function such as "aV^2 + bV + c", and the coefficients a, b, and c of this quadratic function are determined in advance by experiments at the development stage.

[0187] And in the case of a relatively weak key press that satisfies the condition for reaching the end position (S20~S23: Yes), the "position lower (deeper) than the current position of the white key 2a when the reaching condition is satisfied" is used as the estimated value of the end position. On the other hand, in the case of a relatively strong key press that satisfies the reaching condition, the "position higher (shallower) than the current position of the white key 2a when the reaching condition is satisfied" is used as the estimated value of the end position. By correcting the end position using this estimated value, the correction value of the end position can always be close to a constant value regardless of the strength of the key press. Therefore, the end position of the key press can be corrected to an appropriate position.

[0188] After calculating the estimated value of the end position in the process of S24, it is checked whether the error between the estimated value and the current end position stored in the correction value memory 161b is within a predetermined range (S25). When the error is outside the predetermined range (the error is too large) (S25: No), the series of processes is terminated without correcting the end position. By the process of S25, it is possible to suppress a large fluctuation in the end position stored in the correction value memory 161b, so that it is possible to suppress an extreme change in the playing feeling of the keyboard device 1.

[0189] On the other hand, when the error in S25 is within the predetermined range (S25: Yes), the correction value memory 161b is referred to, and the calculated estimated value and the end position set in the past (the correction value stored in the correction value memory 161b) are averaged, or the weighted calculated position is stored in the correction value memory 161b as the correction value of the end position of the key press (S26).

[0190] The process of S26 performs the same calculation as the process of S18 described above. That is, in the process of S26, the correction value of the end position is determined by the calculation method of "(sum of the correction values of the end positions in the past N times + estimated value of the end position this time) / (N + 1)" or "(correction value of the previous end position)×(1 - P)+estimated value of the end position this time×P (for example, P = 0.01)". Thereby, the correction of the end position of the key press can be performed gently.

[0191] After performing the correction of the end position of the key press in the process of S26, the series of processes is terminated. After the execution of this end position correction process (S3), the correction process (S4) of the maximum aftertouch position shown in FIG. 17 is executed.

[0192] As shown in FIG. 17, in the correction process (S4) of the maximum aftertouch position, first, it is checked whether the current maximum aftertouch position stored in the correction value memory 161b has elapsed a predetermined time (update time) since its update (correction) (S30). The determination of the time elapse in this S30 may be based on time, or may count whether the number of key presses of the white key 2a has reached a predetermined number or more.

[0193] That is, the process of S30 determines whether it is time to update the maximum after-touch position. For example, if the predetermined time has not elapsed since the correction of the maximum after-touch position was performed (S30: No), the process of S31 is skipped and the process proceeds to S32.

[0194] On the other hand, in the process of S30, if the predetermined time has elapsed since the correction of the maximum after-touch position was performed (S30: Yes), a position higher than the current maximum after-touch position is stored in the correction value memory 161b as the new maximum after-touch position (S31). According to this process of S31, even if the maximum after-touch position is corrected to an excessively low (deep) position, the maximum after-touch position can be restored to a higher (shallower) position. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inability to impart the maximum effect by the after-touch performance.

[0195] In this embodiment, after the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on, the processes of S30 and S31 are repeatedly performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the process of S31 is performed once each time the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on (the process of S30 is omitted) may be used. Also, instead of triggering on the power-on, for example, a configuration in which the process of S31 is performed when the performer operates the setting key 16d to give an update instruction for the maximum after-touch position may be used.

[0196] After the process of S31, the current speed or acceleration of the white key 2a is acquired from the speed memory 161c or the acceleration memory 162c. Then, it is confirmed whether or not a low-speed state in which the acquired speed or acceleration is equal to or higher than a predetermined lower limit value Vh and equal to or lower than an upper limit value Vi has continued for a predetermined time (S32). If the speed or acceleration of the white key 2a is less than the predetermined lower limit value Vh, or exceeds the upper limit value Vi, or the duration of the low-speed state of the white key 2a is short (S32: No), it can be determined that the white key 2a is in operation, and a series of processes are terminated without updating the maximum after-touch position.

[0197] On the other hand, when the low-speed state of the current white key 2a continues for a predetermined time (S32: Yes), it is checked whether the current position of the white key 2a is lower (deeper) than the current maximum aftertouch position stored in the correction value memory 161b (S33). If the current position of the white key 2a is at a height equal to or higher than the current maximum aftertouch position (S33: No), a series of processes is terminated without updating the maximum aftertouch position.

[0198] On the other hand, in the process of S33, when the current position of the white key 2a is deeper than the current maximum aftertouch position (S33: Yes), it can be estimated that the performer is applying the maximum effect by performing aftertouch performance. In this case, it is checked whether the difference between the current position of the white key 2a and the current maximum aftertouch position stored in the correction value memory 161b is within a predetermined range (S34). If the difference is outside the predetermined range (the difference is too large) (S34: No), since the maximum aftertouch position stored in the correction value memory 161b will fluctuate greatly, a series of processes is terminated without updating the maximum aftertouch position.

[0199] On the other hand, when the difference in S34 is within a predetermined range (S34: Yes), the correction value memory 161b is referred to, and the position obtained by averaging or weighted calculation of the current position of the white key 2a and the maximum aftertouch position set in the past (the correction value stored in the correction value memory 161b) is stored in the correction value memory 161b as the correction value of the maximum aftertouch position (S35), and a series of processes is terminated.

[0200] This process of S35 is the same as the processes of S18 and 26 described above, and the updated value of the maximum aftertouch position is determined by the calculation method of "(sum of updated values of the maximum aftertouch position in the past N times + current position of the current white key 2a) / (N + 1)" or "(updated value of the previous maximum aftertouch position)×(1 - P)+current position of the current white key 2a×P (for example, P = 0.01)". Thereby, the update of the maximum aftertouch position can be performed gently.

[0201] As described above, according to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, the sensor output values indicating the rest position of the white key 2a, the end position of the key press, and the maximum after-touch position are corrected by the key position correction process (S4) (correction step). Then, since the key press information of the white key 2a is detected based on the corrected output value of the sensor (key press information detection step), the key press information of the white key 2a can be detected with high accuracy.

[0202] Next, with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, the keyboard device 201 of the second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the case where the detected portion 82 is formed on the displacement member 8 linked to the white key 2a was described. In the second embodiment, the case where the detected portion 82 is formed on the hammer 214 linked to the white key 202a will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the above-described first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0203] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 201 in the second embodiment. FIG. 19(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 201 in which the XIXa portion of FIG. 17 is enlarged, and FIG. 19(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the keyboard device 201 showing a state in which the white key 202a is pressed from the state of FIG. 19(a) to the maximum after-touch position.

[0204] As shown in FIG. 18, the keyboard device 201 includes a plurality (88 in this embodiment) of keys 202 and constitutes a keyboard instrument (electronic piano). The keys 202 are composed of white keys 202a and black keys 202b, and the plurality of white keys 202a and black keys 202b are arranged in the scale direction (arrow L-R direction).

[0205] On the upper surface of the bottom plate 3, a resin chassis 204 is supported via a channel member 215. On the upper surface of the rear end side (the end on the arrow B side) of the chassis 204, a rotation shaft 247 of the key 202 is provided, and the rear end portion of each key 202 is swingably supported by this rotation shaft 247.

[0206] At a substantially central portion of the chassis 204 in the front-rear direction (arrow F-B direction), the hammer 214 is rotatably supported around a rotation axis 248 along the scale direction. The hammer 214 includes a mass portion 214a (mass body) for imparting a key-pressing feel when the white key 2a is pressed, and the mass portion 214a is located on the rear side (arrow B side) of the rotation axis 248.

[0207] A portion of the hammer 214 on the front side (arrow F side) of the rotation axis 248 is configured as a facing portion 214b that faces the substrate 10 when the white key 202a is pressed. On the upper surface of the facing portion 214b, a receiving portion 214c that is recessed downward is formed, and the protrusion 229 of the white key 2a is inserted into the receiving portion 214c.

[0208] The protrusion 229 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the upper plate 20 of the white key 202a, and the bottom surface of the receiving portion 214c is configured as a sliding surface on which the tip (lower end) of the protrusion 229 slides back and forth.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 19, when the white key 202a is pressed, the protrusion 229 slides along the bottom surface of the receiving portion 214c of the hammer 214, and the facing portion 214b is pushed downward by the protrusion 229, so that the hammer 214 rotates around the rotation axis 248 (clockwise in FIG. 19). Due to the rotation of the hammer 214, the facing portion 214b of the hammer 214 is displaced relative to the substrate 10. In the following description, the outer surface of the hammer 214 facing the direction orthogonal to the axial direction (scale direction) of the rotation axis 248 will be described as the "outer peripheral surface".

[0210] On the outer peripheral surface of the facing portion 214b of the hammer 214, a detected portion 82 similar to that in the first embodiment is formed by adhering a metal plate such as a non-magnetic metal (copper, etc.) or applying plating.

[0211] As the stroke amount of the white key 202a increases from the stationary position before key depression, the amount of intrusion of the detected portion 82 into the detection region increases. On the other hand, when the white key 202a is released after being depressed, the hammer 214 rotates (counterclockwise in FIG. 19) so as to return to the stationary position by the weight of the mass portion 214a. Due to the rotation of the hammer 214, the amount of intrusion of the detected portion 82 into the detection region decreases. As a result, the inductance (sensor output value) of the coil 100 changes, and key depression information is detected based on the change.

[0212] The detected portion 82 is formed with a curved surface portion 82a located on the front side in the rotation direction of the hammer 214 at the time of key depression and a flat surface portion 82b continuous with the rear side of the curved surface portion 82a in the same rotation direction. The curved surface portion 82a is formed in a convex curved shape in a direction away from the rotation axis 248 of the hammer 214, and the flat surface portion 82b is formed in a planar shape extending in the tangential direction of the rear end (the end on the arrow F side) of the curved surface portion 82a.

[0213] Thus, also in this embodiment, since the curvature of the flat surface portion 82b is smaller than that of the curved surface portion 82a of the detected portion 82, the distance between the coil 100 and the detected portion 82 (flat surface portion 82b) in the after-touch performance region can be reduced. As a result, the dynamic range can be widened, so that the sensor output value can be greatly decreased in the after-touch performance region.

[0214] As shown in FIG. 18, the swing when the white key 202a is depressed is restricted by a key depression stopper 12a that contacts the lower surface of the white key 202a and a key depression stopper 12b that contacts the mass portion 214a of the hammer 214.

[0215] Although illustration is omitted, each of these stoppers 12a and 12b has layers 120 to 122 (see FIG. 9) similar to the key-pressing stopper 12 of the first embodiment laminated thereon. Therefore, during normal performance, the hard layer 121 (see FIG. 9) imparts a relatively hard full-stroke feeling, and during aftertouch performance, the white key 202a can be largely displaced by the deformation of the first cushion layer 120. Therefore, normal performance and aftertouch can be accurately distinguished and detected.

[0216] Also, a stopper portion 228 extends downward from the side plate 21 of the white key 202a, and a bent portion 228a bends forward (arrow F side) from the lower end of this stopper portion 228. When the key-lifting stopper 13 attached to the chassis 204 contacts this bent portion 228a, the swing of the white key 202a during key-lifting is restricted.

[0217] Although illustration is omitted, this key-lifting stopper 13 also has layers 130 to 132 (see FIG. 9) similar to the key-lifting stopper 13 of the first embodiment described above laminated thereon. Therefore, when the white key 202a is lifted, the hard layer 131 can restrict the deformation such that the bent portion 228a bites into the first cushion layer 130. Therefore, the durability of the key-lifting stopper 13 can be improved.

[0218] As described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments at all, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0219] In each of the above embodiments, the case where normal performance and aftertouch are detected based on the output value of the coil 100 has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a sensor for detecting normal performance and a sensor for detecting aftertouch may be provided separately, or a configuration that does not detect aftertouch may be used.

[0220] In each of the above embodiments, non-magnetic metal (such as copper) was exemplified as an example of the material of the detected portion 82 that changes the magnetic field of the coil 100. However, the material of the detected portion 82 may be a magnetic metal, or may be a material other than metal as long as it has conductivity. Examples of materials other than metal include conductive polymers (conductive rubber and conductive resin), carbon, graphite, and the like. That is, the material of the detected portion 82 is not limited as long as it has the property of generating eddy currents in response to changes in the magnetic field.

[0221] In each of the above embodiments, the coil 100 was exemplified as an example of a sensor that detects the key-pressing information (normal performance and aftertouch) of the white keys 2a, 202a, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a sensor that detects key-pressing information based on a change in capacitance may be used, or other known non-contact sensors (for example, the sensor described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-048295) or contact sensors (for example, the pressure-sensitive sensor described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-234751) may be used to detect the key-pressing information.

[0222] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the detected portion 82 is formed on the displacement member 8 or the hammer 214 that rotates in conjunction with the swing of the keys 2, 202 was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the detected portion 82 may be formed on a displacement member that linearly displaces in conjunction with the swing of the keys 2, 202. An example of such a linearly displacing displacement member is the displacement member 307 described in FIGS. 15 and 16 of PCT / JP2022 / 032673.

[0223] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the detected portion 82 is formed by the curved surface portion 82a formed in an arc shape (a curved shape convex in the direction away from the rotation axes 90, 248) centered on the rotation axes 90, 248 and the planar portion 82b extending in the tangential direction at the rear end of the curved surface portion 82a was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the curved surface portion 82a may be omitted and the entire detected portion 82 may be formed in a planar shape, or the planar portion 82b may be omitted and the detected portion 82 may be formed in a single arc shape. Also, the planar portion 82b may be a curved surface with a smaller curvature than the curved surface portion 82a.

[0224] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the flat portion 82b and the coil 100 (substrate 10) face each other substantially in parallel at the performance area of the aftertouch (maximum aftertouch position) has been described. However, in the same area (the end position of the key press), the flat portion 82b and the coil 100 (substrate 10) may be non-parallel.

[0225] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the key press stoppers 12 and 12a contact the lower surfaces of the white keys 2a and 202a, or the case where the key press stopper 12b contacts the hammer 214 has been described. However, the arrangement of the key press stoppers 12, 12a, and 12b can be set as appropriate. Therefore, for example, the displacement of the white keys 2a and 202a may be restricted by bringing the key press stoppers 12 and 12a into contact with the lower surfaces of the stopper portions 28 and 228 (bent portions 28a and 228a).

[0226] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the displacement of the white keys 2a and 202a during key press is restricted by the key press stopper 12 including the first cushion layer 120, the hard layer 121, and the second cushion layer 122 has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, some of these layers 120 to 122 may be omitted, or another layer may be added in addition to the layers 120 to 122. As an example of a configuration in which another layer is added, a configuration in which felt is added between the first cushion layer 120 and the support portion 41 of the chassis 4 is exemplified.

[0227] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the first cushion layer 120 is made of urethane foam, the hard layer 121 is made of PET, and the second cushion layer 122 is made of felt has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. Each of the layers 120 to 122 may be formed using other elastic materials such as rubber, resin such as elastomer (synthetic resin), or foamed materials using these resins. That is, the materials of the layers 120 to 122 can be changed as appropriate. For example, when the hardness of the layers 120 to 122 is measured with a durometer of type A in accordance with JIS K6253-3:2012, a configuration in which the hardness of the hard layer 121 (second cushion layer 122) is higher than that of the first cushion layer 120, or a configuration in which the hardness of the second cushion layer 122 is lower than that of the hard layer 121 is sufficient.

[0228] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the swinging of a plurality of keys 2, 202 arranged in the scale direction (for example, the keys 2, 202 for one octave) is restricted by a single key depression stopper 12, 12a, 12b or key release stopper 13 has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the key depression stopper 12 or the key release stopper 13 may be provided for each key 2, 202.

[0229] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the thickness of the hard layer 121 is thinner than the thickness of the first cushion layer 120, or the case where the thickness of the second cushion layer 122 is thicker than the hard layer 121 and thinner than the first cushion layer 120 has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the thickness of the hard layer 121 may be thicker than the first cushion layer 120. Also, the thickness of the second cushion layer 122 may be thinner than the hard layer 121 or may be thicker than the first cushion layer 120.

[0230] In each of the above embodiments, the case where each correction process (S2 to S4) of the stationary position, terminal position, and maximum after-touch position of the white key 2a is repeatedly executed while the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the correction process of the stationary position of the white key 2a may be sufficient to be performed once after the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on. On the other hand, for the maximum after-touch position, in order to cope with a deeper after-touch operation during performance, it is preferable to update it every time such an operation is performed. Therefore, after correcting the stationary position of the white key 2a once in the correction process of S2, the process may be skipped and only the correction processes (S3, 4) of the terminal position and maximum after-touch position of the white key 2a may be repeatedly executed.

[0231] Also, since it is difficult to obtain an accurate position with a single key depression for the estimated value of the terminal position of the key depression, it is preferable to take the average value of a plurality of estimated values as the estimated value of the terminal position. Therefore, in the correction process (S3) of the terminal position, the processes of S20 to 24 may be repeatedly executed a plurality of times and then the processes of S25, 26 may be executed.

[0232] Also, after the power of the keyboard device 1 is turned on and the end position of the key press is corrected once in the process of S26, the end position correction process (S3) can be skipped, and only the correction processes (S2, 4) of the rest position of the white key 2a or the maximum after-touch position, or only the correction process (S4) of the maximum after-touch position may be repeatedly executed.

[0233] Also, when the keyboard device 1 does not have an after-touch function as in the present embodiment, the correction process (S4) of the maximum after-touch position may be omitted, and only the correction processes (S2, 3) of the rest position of the white key 2a or the end position of the key press may be executed. That is, the timing of performing the processes of S2 to S4 can be arbitrarily changed. Also, the processes of S2 and 4 may be omitted and only the end position correction process of S3 may be performed.

[0234] In each of the above embodiments, in the process of S20 of the end position correction process (S3), "the current position of the white key 2a is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Vc", in the process of S21, "the deceleration of the white key 2a when reaching the end position is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value Ve", and in the process of S23, "the speed (velocity) or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position is equal to or more than a predetermined lower limit value Vf (equal to or less than an upper limit value Vg)" are used as conditions, respectively, and the case of determining whether the white key 2a has reached the end position has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this.

[0235] For example, some of the processes of S20, 21, and 23 may be omitted, or all of the processes of S20, 21, and 23 may be omitted, and a configuration may be adopted in which only the process of S22, "determining that the white key 2a has reached the end position when the deceleration of the white key 2a becomes equal to or more than a predetermined lower limit value", is performed.

[0236] In each of the above embodiments, in the process of S24, "estimating the end position based on the speed (velocity) or acceleration of the white key 2a immediately before reaching the end position", in the process of S25, "determining whether the difference between the estimated value and the current end position is within a predetermined range", and in the process of S26, "adjusting the correction amount of the sensor output value based on the past correction value stored in the correction value memory 161b" have been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this.

[0237] For example, some of the processes of S24 to 26 may be omitted, or all of the processes of S24 to 26 may be omitted, and the sensor output value indicating the height of the white key 2a when it is determined that the end position has been reached may be corrected to a new sensor output value at the end position.

[0238] Similarly, in the correction process (S2) of the stationary position, either one of S17 and 18 may be omitted. Also, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start time of the stationary state of the white key 2a (16: Yes) after both S17 and 18 are omitted, the sensor output value indicating the height of the white key 2a at that time may be corrected to a new sensor output value at the stationary position.

[0239] Also, in the correction process of the maximum after-touch position, some of S32, 34, and 35 may be omitted. Also, when all of S32, 34, and 35 are omitted and the current position of the white key 2a is lower than the current maximum after-touch position (S33: Yes), the sensor output value indicating the height of the white key 2a at that time may be corrected to a new sensor output value at the maximum after-touch position.

[0240] In each of the above embodiments, the case where it is determined that the white key 2a has reached the end position when the magnitude of the negative acceleration of the white key 2a during key pressing becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value Vd has been described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the change in the speed or acceleration of the white key 2a when it is released from the end position (i.e., the magnitude of the negative speed or acceleration when the key pressing direction is taken as positive) becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value, it may be determined that the white key 2a has reached (or has reached) the end position (and the end position is corrected based on the position of the white key 2a in that case).

[0241] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the substrate 10 is attached to the holder 9 and the substrate 10 is supported by the chassis 4 via (indirectly) the holder 9 has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. A configuration in which the substrate 10 is attached to the chassis 4 (the substrate 10 is directly supported by the chassis 4) may also be used. That is, the "substrate 10 supported by the chassis 4 (support member)" is a concept that includes both the case where the substrate 10 is indirectly attached to the chassis 4 and the case where the substrate 10 is directly attached to the chassis 4. However, the substrate 10 may be supported by the bottom plate 3, and the support position of the substrate 10 can be changed as appropriate.

[0242] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where one end (front end) of the substrate 10 is inserted into the protrusions 96, 97 of the holder 9 while the other end (rear end) of the substrate 10 is screwed to the fixing portion 112 of the fixing member 11 has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, one end of the substrate 10 may be screwed to the holder 9, or one end of the substrate 10 may be hooked on an elastic claw formed on the holder 9. Further, a pair of protrusions similar to the protrusions 96, 97 may be formed on the fixing member 11, and the other end of the substrate 10 may be inserted into the pair of protrusions, or the other end of the substrate 10 may be hooked on an elastic claw formed on the fixing member 11.

[0243] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the key shaft member 5, the holder 9, and the fixing member 11 are separate parts has been described. However, a part or all of these parts may be integrally formed.

[0244] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where a plurality of the key shaft member 5, the holder 9, and the fixing member 11 are arranged in the scale direction has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration in which all the keys 2 arranged in the scale direction are pivotally supported by one key shaft member 5, a configuration in which all the displacement members 8 arranged in the same direction are pivotally supported by one holder 9, or a configuration in which the substrate 10 is supported by one fixing member 11 may also be used.

[0245] In the above-described first embodiment, while the guide pin 73 is formed on the interlocking member 7 attached to the white key 2a, the case where the groove 80 with which the guide pin 73 is engaged is formed on the displacement member 8 has been described. However, while a groove may be formed on the interlocking member 7, a guide pin that engages with the groove may be formed on the displacement member 8. Further, the interlocking member 7 (guide pin 73) may be formed integrally with the white key 2a.

[0246] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where a part (wall portion 91, attached portion 92, and connecting portion 95) of the holder 9 located on the displacement locus of the displacement member 8 functions as a regulating member that regulates the contact between the detected portion 82 (flat portion 82b) and the coil 100 has been described. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a site that regulates the displacement of the displacement member 8 may be provided on the chassis 4 (support portion 41) or other components supported by the chassis 4.

[0247] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the white key 2a and the holder 9 are assembled to the same chassis 4 (support portion 41) has been described. However, the white key 2a and the holder 9 may be assembled to separate components.

[0248] <Others> The keyboard device of Technical Idea 1 includes a key (white key 2a) that is displaced between a stationary position before key pressing and a terminal position of key pressing, and a sensor (coil 100) that outputs an output value that increases or decreases according to the position of the key. The deceleration of the key in the key pressing direction is detected from the output value of the sensor, and the output value of the sensor indicating the terminal position is corrected based on the position of the key at which the deceleration occurs.

[0249] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 1, includes a deceleration detection means (17e) (processing of S22) for detecting the deceleration (magnitude of negative acceleration) of the key based on the output value of the sensor, and a reach determination means (17f) (processing of S20 to S23) for determining that the key has reached the end position when the magnitude of the deceleration of the key detected by the deceleration detection means is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value, and a correction means (17a) (processing of S26) for correcting the output value of the sensor indicating the end position based on the position (height) of the key when it is determined by the reach determination means that the end position has been reached.

[0250] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 3, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, the reach determination means (17f) (processing of S20 to S23) determines that the key has reached the end position when the magnitude of the deceleration of the key detected by the deceleration detection means is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value (S21: Yes).

[0251] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 4, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, includes a speed detection means (processing of S1) for detecting the speed or acceleration of the key in the key pressing direction based on the output value of the sensor, and the reach determination means (17f) (processing of S20 to S23) determines that the key has reached the end position when the magnitude of the speed or acceleration of the key detected by the speed detection means is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value before reaching the end position (S23: Yes).

[0252] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 5, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, includes a speed detection means (processing of S1) for detecting the speed or acceleration of the key in the key pressing direction based on the output value of the sensor, and the reach determination means (17f) (processing of S20 to S23) determines that the key has reached the end position when the magnitude of the speed or acceleration of the key detected by the speed detection means is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value before reaching the end position (modified example of the processing of S23).

[0253] The keyboard device of technical idea 6 is the keyboard device of technical idea 2, wherein the arrival determination means (processing of S20 to S23) determines that the key has reached the end position when the position of the key is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value (S20: Yes).

[0254] The keyboard device of technical idea 7 is the keyboard device of technical idea 2, and includes speed detection means (processing of S1) for detecting the speed or acceleration of the key in the key pressing direction based on the output value of the sensor, and estimation means (processing of S24) for calculating an estimated value of the end position based on the speed or acceleration of the key detected by the speed detection means before reaching the end position. The correction means corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the end position based on the estimated value calculated by the estimation means.

[0255] The keyboard device of technical idea 8 is the keyboard device of technical idea 7, and the estimation means (processing of S24) sets a position lower or higher than the position of the key when reaching the end position as the estimated value according to the magnitude of the speed or acceleration of the key before reaching the end position.

[0256] The keyboard device of technical idea 9 is the keyboard device of technical idea 2, and includes correction value storage means (17b) (correction value memory 161b) for storing the corrected value of the output value of the sensor corrected by the correction means. The correction means (17a) (processing of S26) adjusts the correction amount of the output value of the sensor based on the past corrected values stored in the correction value storage means.

[0257] The keyboard device of technical idea 10 is the keyboard device of technical idea 9, and includes calculation means (processing of S26) for calculating an average value of the output value of the sensor indicating the position (height) of the key when it is determined by the arrival determination means that the end position has been reached and the past plurality of corrected values stored in the correction value storage means. The correction means corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the end position based on the value calculated by the calculation means.

[0258] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 11, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 9, includes a calculation means (the process of S26) that calculates a weighted operation value of the output value of the sensor indicating the position (height) of the key when it is determined by the arrival determination means that the terminal position has been reached, and the past correction value stored in the correction value storage means, and the correction means corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the terminal position based on the value calculated by the calculation means.

[0259] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 12, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, includes a correction value storage means (17b) (correction value memory 161b) that stores the correction value of the output value of the sensor corrected by the correction means, and when there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the output value of the sensor indicating the position (height) of the key when it is determined by the arrival determination means that the terminal position has been reached and the current correction value stored in the correction value storage means (S25: No), the correction of the output value of the sensor is not performed.

[0260] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 13, in the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, includes a position detection means (17c) (the process of S10) that detects whether the position of the key is a height of a predetermined value or more based on the output value of the sensor, and a time determination means (17d) (the process of S16) that determines whether the detection time during which it is detected by the position detection means that the position of the key is a height of a predetermined value or more has continued for a predetermined time, and a correction means (17a) (the process of S18) that corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the stationary position based on the position (height) of the key when it is determined by the time determination means that the detection time has continued for a predetermined time, and a correction value storage means (17b) (correction value memory 161b) that stores the correction value of the output value of the sensor corrected by the correction means, and the correction means adjusts the correction amount of the output value of the sensor based on the past correction value stored in the correction value storage means.

[0261] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 14 is the keyboard device of Technical Idea 2, and includes a sensor that detects the displacement of the key when the key is pushed into an after-touch position lower than the terminal position as an after-touch, and speed detection means (17g) (processing of S32) that detects whether or not the magnitude of the speed or acceleration of the key is in a low-speed state where it is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value based on the output value of the sensor, and time determination means (17d) (processing of S32) that determines whether or not the detection time during which the low-speed state of the key is detected by the speed detection means has continued for a predetermined time, and correction means (17a) (processing of S35) that corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the after-touch position based on the position of the key when it is determined by the time determination means that the detection time has continued for the predetermined time, and correction value storage means (17b) (correction value memory 161b) that stores the output value of the sensor corrected by the correction means. When the position of the key is lower than the after-touch position stored in the correction value storage means (S33: Yes), the correction means corrects the output value of the sensor indicating the after-touch position.

[0262] The keyboard device of Technical Idea 15 is the keyboard device of Technical Idea 14, and includes update determination means (processing of S30) that determines whether or not it is time to update the current after-touch position stored in the correction value storage means (17b) (correction value memory 161b), and update means (processing of S31) that, when it is determined by the update determination means that it is time to update the after-touch position, stores a position higher than the current after-touch position in the correction value storage means as the new after-touch position.

[0263] The method for detecting key pressing information of the technical idea 16 is a method for detecting key pressing information in a keyboard device (keyboard device 1) including a key (white key 2a) that is displaced between a stationary position before key pressing and an end position of key pressing, and a sensor (coil 100) that outputs an output value that increases or decreases according to the position (height) of the key. The method includes a deceleration detection step (processing of S22) of detecting a deceleration (magnitude of negative acceleration) of the key in the key pressing direction from the output value of the sensor, a correction step (processing of S26) of correcting the output value of the sensor indicating the end position based on the position (height) of the key at which the deceleration is detected in the deceleration detection step, and a key pressing information detection step of detecting the key pressing information of the key based on the output value of the sensor corrected in the correction step, and causing a computer to execute these steps.

Explanation of Signs

[0264] 1,201 Keyboard device 2,202 Key 2a,202a White key (key) 2b,202b Black key (key) 100 Coil (sensor) 12,12a,12b Key pressing stopper 120 First cushion layer 121 Hard layer 122 Second cushion layer 13 Key release stopper 130 First cushion layer 131 Hard layer 132 Second cushion layer

Claims

1. A keyboard device comprising: a key; a key pressing stopper that regulates the swinging of the key when the key is pressed; and a sensor that detects, as an after-touch, the displacement of the key when the key is further pressed after the swinging of the key is regulated by the key pressing stopper. The key pressing stopper includes a relatively soft first cushion layer and a hard layer laminated on the surface side of the first cushion layer and harder than the first cushion layer. The keyboard device is characterized by this.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the key pressing stopper includes a second cushion layer laminated on the surface side of the hard layer and softer than the hard layer.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein the first cushion layer is softer than the second cushion layer.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the second cushion layer is greater than that of the hard layer and less than that of the first cushion layer.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the hard layer is less than that of the first cushion layer.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the swinging of the key until the swinging of the key is regulated by the key pressing stopper is detected by the sensor.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the swinging of a plurality of keys arranged in the scale direction when the keys are pressed is regulated by the key pressing stopper.

8. A key release stopper that regulates the swinging of the key when the key is released by contact of the surface with the key is provided. The key release stopper includes a relatively soft first cushion layer and a hard layer laminated on the surface side of the first cushion layer and harder than the first cushion layer. The keyboard device is characterized by this.

9. A method for regulating the swinging of a key in a keyboard device including: a key; a key pressing stopper that regulates the swinging of the key when the key is pressed; and a sensor that detects, as an after-touch, the displacement of the key when the key is further pressed after the swinging of the key is regulated by the key pressing stopper. The method for regulating the swinging of the key is characterized by regulating the swinging of the key by the key pressing stopper including a relatively soft first cushion layer and a hard layer laminated on the surface side of the first cushion layer and harder than the first cushion layer.

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