Keyboard harmonica

Abstract

While made of wood, it aims to be lightweight and have improved durability. [Solution] A keyboard harmonica 100 is provided, comprising a keyboard KB having multiple keys 31W, 31B corresponding to multiple pitches, and a housing 101 in which the keyboard KB is housed, wherein the housing 101 includes a plywood 43 with the arrangement of the keys 31 in the longitudinal direction (X direction), and the plywood 43 is bent and deformed in the short direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a keyboard harmonica.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a keyboard harmonica having a housing for accommodating a keyboard is known. In the keyboard harmonica of Patent Document 1, an exterior case as the housing is made of resin. In order to make the tone color softer, it is conceivable to make the housing of wood. When making the housing of wood, it is conceivable to obtain it by machining the wood.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when obtaining the housing by machining the wood, there is a problem that a certain thickness is required to ensure durability, resulting in an increase in weight.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard harmonica that is made of wood and can achieve weight reduction and improved durability.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard harmonica that can make the performance sound easily audible to the performer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a keyboard harmonica is provided, comprising a keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to a plurality of pitches, and a housing in which the keyboard is housed, wherein the housing includes plywood with the direction of arrangement of the keys as the longitudinal direction, and the plywood is bent and deformed in the short direction.

[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a keyboard harmonica is provided, comprising a keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to a plurality of pitches, a housing in which the keyboard is housed, and an intake section for taking in air, wherein sound holes for emitting sound to the outside are formed on the upper surface of the housing, the sound holes are arranged at each end of the housing in the direction of the arrangement of the keys, and the total opening area of ​​the sound holes located on the side where the intake section is located in the direction of the arrangement of the keys is larger than the total opening area of ​​the sound holes located on the opposite side of the side where the intake section is located in the direction of the arrangement of the keys. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve both lightness and improved durability while using wood.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the sound of the performance can be made more audible to the performer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a top view of a melodica. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the keyboard harmonica's casing. [Figure 3] This is a cross-section along line AA. [Figure 4] This is a schematic partial side view showing the bending process of the outer casing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is a top view of a keyboard harmonica according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the housing of the keyboard harmonica 100.

[0014] This keyboard harmonica 100 has a keyboard KB and a casing 101 in which the keyboard KB is housed. The keyboard KB has multiple keys corresponding to multiple pitches. Each of the multiple keys consists of multiple white keys 31W and multiple black keys 31B. In the following description, when it is unnecessary to distinguish between white keys 31W and black keys 31B, they will be referred to as key 31.

[0015] Hereafter, the directions of each part will be referred to using the X, Y, and Z coordinate axes shown in Figure 1, etc. For convenience, the direction in which the keys 31 are arranged on the keyboard KB will be defined as the X direction, and the direction of the length of the keys 31 will be defined as the Y direction. Therefore, the right side from the player's perspective is the +X side, and the front side is the -Y side. The +Z side is the top side. Regarding pitch, the -X side is the low-pitched side, and the +X side is the high-pitched side.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 101 includes an outer case 10, two side blocks 22L and 22R as fixing members, and two side block covers 20L and 20R. The side blocks 22L and 22R are fixed to both ends (left end and right end) of the outer case 10, respectively. The side block covers 20L and 20R are fixed to the side blocks 22L and 22R so as to cover them from above.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, an air intake 13 is provided at the left end (low-frequency end) of the side block cover 20L for taking in air. Multiple sound holes 21 for emitting sound to the outside are arranged on the upper surfaces of both the left and right ends of the housing 101. The sound holes 21 are formed on the upper surfaces of the side block covers 20L and 20R.

[0018] As will be described later, the outer case 10 is made of wood. The outer case 10 is roughly box-shaped with an open top, and the keyboard KB is arranged inside. The internal structure of the keyboard harmonica 100 will be explained mainly using Figure 3.

[0019] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 1.

[0020] Inside the keyboard harmonica 100, an air chamber 14, a flute chamber 17, and an exhaust chamber 42 are formed. The air chamber 14 is a single space having a length substantially the same as the length of the keyboard KB in the left-right direction. The air chamber 14 is located below the lead portion 47 and is connected to the intake portion 13. The same number of flute chambers 17 as the keys 31 are formed. Each of the flute chambers 17 has an air inlet 18 and an air outlet 19.

[0021] The keyboard harmonica 100 includes an upper frame 40, a lower frame 48, a spring 41, etc. The upper frame 40 and the lower frame 48 are made of resin, for example. The space mainly partitioned by the lower frame 48 and the lead portion 47 is the air chamber 14. The space mainly partitioned by the outer case 10, the upper frame 40, and the lower frame 48 is the exhaust chamber 42. The exhaust chamber 42 is mainly arranged behind the flute chamber 17 and communicates with the outside of the keyboard harmonica 100 through the sound holes 21.

[0022] The lead portion 47 has the same number of lead holes 16 as the flute chambers 17 and leads 15 corresponding to each of the lead holes 16. The metal lead 15 is in a flat plate shape and has a length corresponding to the pitch. The lead 15 is attached to the air inlet 18 of the flute chamber 17. The front end of the key 31 is biased upward by a spring 41 hooked to the rear end portion of the key 31 and the rear portion of the upper frame 40. A valve 33 that interlocks with each of the keys 31 and opens and closes the air outlet 19 is arranged at the air outlet 19. The valve 33 is integrally formed with the key 31. When the valve 33 is in the closed state, the space between the air outlet 19 and the valve 33 is sealed by a valve packing.

[0023] In the unpressed state, when the key 31 is not pressed, the valve 33 closes the air outlet 19. On the other hand, when the key 31 is pressed, the valve 33 rotates in accordance with the downward rotation of the front end of the key 31, and the air outlet 19 is opened. Accordingly, corresponding to the pressed key 31, an air passage R1 is formed that goes from the air chamber 14 through the air inlet 18 to the whistle chamber 17, and an air passage R2 goes from the whistle chamber 17 through the air outlet 19 to the exhaust chamber 42. Furthermore, the air in the exhaust chamber 42 is released to the outside through the left and right sound holes 21. As a result, the reed 15 vibrates and sound is produced. That is, when air is blown in from the intake 13 and the key 31 is pressed, the valve 33 opens, the reed 15 vibrates due to the airflow, and sound is emitted to the outside from the sound holes 21.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the outer case 10, which is the main part of the enclosure 101, will be explained.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the outer case 10 has a bottom portion 10a, a front portion 10b, and a rear portion 10c. The bottom portion 10a is substantially parallel to the XY plane. The length of the bottom portion 10a in the Y direction is longer than the longitudinal length of the key 31. The connection between the rear of the bottom portion 10a and the lower part of the rear portion 10c is a curved bent portion 51. The connection between the front of the bottom portion 10a and the lower part of the front portion 10b is a curved bent portion 52. In a side view, the front portion 10b and the rear portion 10c extend from the bottom portion 10a in the substantially thickness direction (+Z direction) of the key 31.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic partial side view showing the bending process of the outer case 10. The outer case 10 includes one sheet of plywood 43 (see Figure 4) with the X direction as its longitudinal direction, and the plywood 43 is bent in the short direction (Y direction). The plywood 43 is formed integrally by stacking multiple plate members 44 and bending them (so-called bending and kneading). Therefore, the number of plywood 43 constituting the outer case 10 is one sheet.

[0027] The plywood 43 is composed of six individual board members 44, but the number is not limited. Furthermore, the material of the board members 44 is not limited, and board members 44 of multiple materials may be combined. The grain direction of the board members 44 may also differ between adjacent board members 44.

[0028] The outer case 10 is manufactured as follows. First, the worker stacks six sheet members 44, bonding them together one by one with adhesive, to obtain a flat plywood sheet 43. Next, as shown in Figure 4, the flat plywood sheet 43 is placed on a mold member 45 and pressed down with a pusher 46. This bending process forms a bent deformation section 51. Although only the portion corresponding to the bent deformation section 51 is shown in Figure 4, the bent deformation section 52 is formed in the same manner as the bent deformation section 51.

[0029] The worker then removes the bent and kneaded plywood 43 from the mold member 45 and places it on a base (jig) not shown. The base has a shape corresponding to the bent and kneaded plywood 43. The worker clamps the plywood 43 between the base (not shown) and a vise for a certain period of time to prevent the plywood 43 from returning to its original shape and to stabilize its shape after bending and kneading. The plywood 43 is formed to a length exceeding the total width in the X direction of the keyboard KB (multiple keys 31).

[0030] Since the plywood 43 is bent in the short direction, the outer case 10, while made of wood, is lighter and more durable. If the bending direction of the plywood were the long direction, the outer case 10 would be assumed to be constructed by joining multiple sheets of plywood in the X direction. Moreover, it may be necessary to fix multiple cover members in the X direction with adhesive or the like. With such a configuration, costs may increase in order to ensure the precision of the plywood joints and the cover members. Furthermore, depending on how the plywood is joined, the weight may also increase.

[0031] In contrast, by bending the plywood 43 in the shorter direction as in this embodiment, it becomes easy to construct the outer case 10 from a single sheet of plywood, which is advantageous in terms of maintaining accuracy, reducing weight, and maintaining durability.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, ribs 12 are provided on the inside of the plywood 43 by adhesive or other means. The thickness direction of the ribs 12 is the X direction, and the length direction is the Y direction. That is, the ribs 12 are arranged in the short direction (Y direction) of the plywood 43 (Figure 3). Three ribs 12 are arranged at different positions in the X direction, but the number of ribs is not specified. The ribs 12 are arranged across the bent deformation section 51, the bottom section 10a, and the bent deformation section 52. The rigidity of the plywood 43 in the short direction is improved by the provision of the ribs 12.

[0033] In particular, the bent deformation portions 51 and 52 are subjected to forces that try to return them to their original shape due to changes over time and aging. The ribs 12 have the effect of suppressing the change in shape of the bent deformation portions 51 and 52 over time and maintaining their shape stably. From this viewpoint, the ribs 12 should be arranged in the region of the plywood 43 that includes at least the bent deformation portion 51 or the bent deformation portion 52.

[0034] Regarding the height of the ribs 12, increasing the height of the parts corresponding to the bent deformation sections 51 and 52 is advantageous for maintaining the rigidity of the outer case 10 (plywood 43) and suppressing shape changes, but the side view shape of the ribs 12 is not limited to the example shown.

[0035] Furthermore, the fact that the side blocks 22L and 22R are fixed to both the left and right ends of the plywood 43 also contributes to maintaining the rigidity of the outer case 10 (plywood 43) and suppressing changes in shape.

[0036] The main components of the Key Harmonica 100 are assembled as follows:

[0037] First, the worker creates the outer case 10 from the plywood 43 as described above, and fixes the ribs 12 to the inside of the outer case 10. Next, the worker fixes the side blocks 22L and 22R to both the left and right ends of the outer case 10 with screws or the like. Next, the worker places the keyboard KB, which has been fixed to the upper frame 40 and lower frame 48, into the outer case 10 from above and fixes it in place. Furthermore, the worker fixes the side block covers 20L and 20R to the side blocks 22L and 22R with screws or the like. Other parts (not shown), such as handles, are also fixed to the outer case 10, but the order of fixing each part does not matter.

[0038] Next, I will explain the configuration of tone hole 21.

[0039] Generally, keyboard harmonicas have sound holes in the casing to emit sound externally. For example, in the keyboard wind instrument described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-42144, sound holes are provided on both the left and right ends of the top surface of the casing. However, details such as the arrangement and area of ​​the sound holes are not described. Therefore, there is room for consideration from the perspective of obtaining better acoustics, such as how the sound is heard by the performer.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, four sound holes 21 of the same shape are arranged on the side block cover 20L, and two are arranged on the side block cover 20R. The total opening area of ​​the sound holes 21 arranged on the side block cover 20L is larger than the total opening area of ​​the sound holes 21 arranged on the side block cover 20R.

[0041] Here, the side on which the intake section 13 is located (-X side) in the direction of the arrangement of the keys 31 is the bass side, and the side opposite to the side on which the intake section 13 is located (+X side) is the treble side. The larger total opening area of ​​the tone holes 21 located on the side on which the intake section 13 is located increases the efficiency of sound emission, making the sound easier for the performer to hear.

[0042] In particular, because the intake section 13 is located on the bass side, bass sounds are clearly audible from the bass-side sound holes 21. Consequently, the balance between bass and treble in the sound is improved.

[0043] Furthermore, having multiple tone holes 21 on both the bass and treble sides provides greater flexibility, allowing for the placement of logos or other elements in areas where tone holes 21 are not located. From this perspective, the number of tone holes on at least one side of the bass and treble sides may also be multiple.

[0044] It is not necessary for the outer case 10 and the side block covers 20L and 20R to be separate components. In other words, the tone holes 21 only need to be located on the upper surfaces of both ends of the housing 101 in the direction of the arrangement of the keys 31, and it is not necessary for the tone holes 21 to be located on the side block covers 20L and 20R. Furthermore, the number or shape of the tone holes 21 may differ between the bass and treble sides.

[0045] According to the present invention, the housing 101 in which the keyboard KB is housed includes plywood 43 with the arrangement of the keys 31 in the longitudinal direction (X direction), and the plywood 43 is bent in its short direction. Therefore, even though the housing 101 is made of wood, it is possible to reduce weight and improve durability.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the total opening area of ​​the tone holes 21 located on the side where the intake portion 13 is positioned in the direction of the arrangement of the keys 31 is larger than the total opening area of ​​the tone holes 21 located on the opposite side of the direction of the arrangement of the keys 31. Therefore, the sound of the performance can be made more audible to the performer.

[0047] Furthermore, from the perspective of obtaining the effect of bending the plywood 43 in the shorter direction, the application of the present invention is not limited to melodicas, but may also be applied to other keyboard instruments. Also, it is not essential to set the total opening area of ​​the tone holes 21 as described above.

[0048] Furthermore, from the perspective of obtaining the effect achieved by setting the total opening area of ​​the sound holes 21 as described above, it is not essential that the housing 101 be made of wood; for example, it could be made of resin. Therefore, the application of bending and kneading is also not essential.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 31W, 31B keys, 43 plywood, 100-key harmonica, 101 enclosure, KB keyboard

Claims

1. A keyboard with multiple keys corresponding to multiple pitches, The enclosure comprises the aforementioned keyboard, A keyboard harmonica, wherein the housing includes plywood with the arrangement of the keys in the longitudinal direction, and the plywood is bent and deformed in the short direction.

2. The keyboard harmonica according to claim 1, wherein ribs are provided on the inside of the plywood in the direction of the shorter side.

3. The keyboard harmonica according to claim 2, wherein the ribs are arranged in a region of the plywood that includes at least a bent deformation portion.

4. The keyboard harmonica according to claim 1, wherein fixing members are fixed to both sides of the plywood in the direction of the arrangement of the keys.

5. The keyboard harmonica according to claim 1, wherein the plywood is formed over a length exceeding the total width of the plurality of keys.

6. A keyboard with multiple keys corresponding to multiple pitches, The enclosure in which the aforementioned keyboard is housed, It has an intake section for taking in air, Sound holes are formed on the upper surface of the aforementioned housing for emitting sound to the outside. The sound holes are arranged at each of the two ends of the housing in the direction of the arrangement of the keys. A keyboard harmonica in which the total opening area of ​​the tone holes located on the side where the intake portion is arranged in the direction of the arrangement of the keys is greater than the total opening area of ​​the tone holes located on the opposite side of the direction of the arrangement of the keys.

7. The aforementioned intake section is located at the end on the bass side, as described in claim 6 of the keyboard harmonica.

8. The keyboard harmonica according to claim 6, wherein the number of sound holes located on the side where the intake portion is arranged in the direction of the arrangement of the keys, or the number of sound holes located on the opposite side from the side where the intake portion is arranged, is multiple.

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