Music Box

Abstract

To provide a music box that enables a user to select an object to be played. [Solution] A music box according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cylinder with a pin attached to its side, a movable part which rotates about an axis of rotation via the pin and has a hammer attached to one end, and a sound-producing body positioned opposite the hammer, the sound-producing body being replaceable by the user.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a music box. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, music boxes that allow users to compose their own compositions have been proposed. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a music box that allows users to insert pins that pluck spring pieces at different positions on a comb-shaped spring plate into any of a number of insertion holes arranged at intervals on the surface of the cylinder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3232421 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional music boxes such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the technical idea of ​​allowing the user of the music box to select the object to be played is neither disclosed nor suggested.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a music box that allows the user to select the object to be played. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A music box according to a first aspect comprises a driving source, a cylinder which rotates by the power of the driving source and has a number of insertion holes on its side, a number of pins each of which can be removably attached by the user to an insertion hole selected by the user from among the number of insertion holes with a portion protruding from the side, a number of movable parts which are each independently rotatable around a common rotation axis and each of which has an engagement portion at one end which can engage with a portion of each of the number of pins and a hammer at the other end, and a sounding body which includes a number of struck portions which each face the hammer of each of the number of movable parts, and the sounding bodies are replaceable by the user.

[0007] A music box according to a second aspect is the music box according to the first aspect, wherein the drive source is a manually operated member.

[0008] A music box according to a third aspect may be the music box according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cylinder is a regular dodecagonal prism.

[0009] A music box according to a fourth aspect is a music box according to any one of the first to third aspects above, wherein the multiple insertion holes are provided along multiple equiangularly spaced generatrix lines on the side surface, and five insertion holes are provided along each of the multiple generatrix lines at predetermined intervals from each other.

[0010] A music box according to a fifth aspect is the music box according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the cylinder is a hollow member, and at least one bottom surface of the cylinder may have a hole through which each of the pins can pass. Such a hole may be provided on each of the two bottom surfaces of the cylinder.

[0011] The music box according to the sixth aspect may be such that, in the music box according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, for each of the plurality of pins, the shape of the part protruding from the side surface and the shape of the part inserted into the insertion hole are symmetric.

[0012] The music box according to the seventh aspect may further include an elastic body that extends parallel to the direction in which the rotation axis extends and contacts each of the plurality of movable parts to suppress the rotation of each of the plurality of movable parts, in the music box according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a music box that allows a user to select an object to sound.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the main configuration of the music box according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] It is a diagram for explaining the types of sound emitters that can be replaced by a user in the music box of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the main configuration other than the sound emitter for the music box illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view when the music box illustrated in FIG. 3 is viewed from the side opposite to FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] It is a perspective view showing an example of a cylinder for the music box of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing an example of a pin for the music box of FIG. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0016] [1.Overall Overview of the Music Box] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the main configuration of a music box (music box 10) according to the present embodiment. The music box 10 is a percussion-type music box that plays a song by striking a sounding body 9 with a hammer 43. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the music box 10 includes a cylinder 3 with a pin 5 attached to its side, a movable part 4 that rotates around a rotation axis 41 by the pin 5 and has a hammer 43 attached to one end, and a sounding body 9 arranged at a position facing the hammer 43. In the music box 10 shown in FIG. 1, when the cylinder 3 rotates clockwise, the end (engagement part 42) of the movable part 4 opposite to the end where the hammer 43 is attached is pushed down by the pin 5, and the hammer 43 temporarily leaves the struck part 91 of the sounding body 9. In other words, the pin 5 protruding from the side of the cylinder 3 rotating clockwise causes the movable part 4 to rotate counterclockwise around the rotation axis 41, and the hammer 43 and the sounding body 9 (particularly, the struck part 91 of the sounding body 9) to be in a non-contact state. After that, when the cylinder 3 further rotates clockwise and the pin 5 is disengaged from the engagement part 42, the movable part 4 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis 41. In the movable part 4 according to this embodiment, the side where the hammer 43 is provided is heavier than the side where the engagement part 42 is provided. Therefore, when the pin 5 is disengaged from the engagement part 42, the movable part 4 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis 41 in the direction in which the hammer 43 falls, in the example shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the hammer 43 strikes the sounding body 9 (particularly, the struck part 91), and the music box 10 can make the sounding body 9 produce sound.

[0017] In particular, in the music box 10, the sounding body 9 that produces sound when struck by the hammer 43 can be replaced by the user Us. For example, the user Us can select any sounding body 9 from among a plurality of sounding bodies 9, and position the selected sounding body 9 so that it is struck by the hammer 43. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the music box 10 includes a sounding body 9 (1) selected by the user Us as the sounding body 9. In other words, the music box 10 according to this embodiment includes a sounding body 9 that can be replaced by the user Us.

[0018] In this embodiment, the user Us includes a creator and a user (player) of the music box 10. For example, the user Us may be a student, and may be, for example, an elementary school student who uses the music box 10 to learn art and music. Specifically, the user Us may be an elementary school student who learns about the mechanism of music boxes and music creation. The music box 10 may be used as a teaching material that allows the user Us to learn about the mechanism of music boxes and music creation through the experience of making, observing, and playing the music box 10 (in other words, using the music box 10). The music box 10 according to this embodiment is configured as an instrument that allows the user Us to select the object to be sounded (i.e., the sounding body 9) and play improvisationally, regardless of the skill and level of development of the user Us. In addition, the music box 10 may be configured as a hand-cranked music box 10, allowing the user Us to play improvisationally while changing the playing speed. The details will be described later, but the music box 10 may be configured as an instrument that allows the user Us to play improvisationally while changing the playing speed.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the types of sound bodies 9 that can be replaced by the user Us. The music box 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a sound body 9(1) as the sound body 9. The music box 10 may include any of the sound bodies 9(2), 9(3), and 9(4) illustrated in FIG. 2 instead of the sound body 9(1). In this embodiment, when distinguishing between the multiple sound bodies 9, "(1)", "(2)", "(3)", ... "(n)" are added after "9" to distinguish between them. Note that "n" is an integer of "2" or more. When the multiple sound bodies 9 are collectively referred to without distinguishing between them, they are simply expressed as "sound bodies 9". The music box 10 includes a sound body 9 selected by the user Us from among the multiple sound bodies 9 (sound bodies 9(1), 9(2), ..., 9(n)).

[0020] FIG. 2 shows four types of sound bodies 9 (1), 9 (2), 9 (3), and 9 (4) as examples of sound bodies 9 included in the music box 10, but the types of sound bodies 9 that can be replaced by the user Us in the music box 10 are not limited to four types. The music box 10 may be provided with a sound body 9 selected by the user Us from among multiple sound bodies 9, for example, a sound body 9 selected by the user Us from multiple types of sound bodies 9. The "multiple types" may be two types, three types, four types as exemplified in FIG. 2, or five or more types.

[0021] Also, while FIG. 2 shows an example of a sound producing body 9 shaped like a xylophone (in other words, shaped like a xylophone), the shape of the sound producing body 9 is not limited to this shape. The sound producing body 9 may also be shaped like a plate including multiple comb teeth. Furthermore, the sound producing body 9 may have a shape different from that of a xylophone or a plate including multiple comb teeth. It is sufficient that the sound producing body 9 includes "multiple struck parts 91, each capable of facing a respective hammer 43 of the multiple movable parts 4."

[0022] As described above, each of the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 includes a plurality of parts to be struck 91. In the present embodiment, the user Us may arrange the sound - producing body 9 selected by the user Us from among the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 such that "each of the plurality of parts to be struck 91 faces each of the plurality of hammers 43 (the hammers 43 of each of the plurality of movable parts 4) provided in the music box 10". That is, the music box 10 includes a "sound - producing body 9 including a plurality of parts to be struck 91, each of which faces the hammer 43 of each of the plurality of movable parts 4". And such a "sound - producing body 9 including a plurality of parts to be struck 91, each of which faces the hammer 43 of each of the plurality of movable parts 4" is the sound - producing body 9 selected by the user Us from among the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9, and may be, for example, the sound - producing body 9 arranged by the user Us.

[0023] The plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 may include sound - producing bodies 9 that are already used as musical instruments, for example, sound - producing bodies 9 realized using existing musical instruments such as xylophones. Also, the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 may include sound - producing bodies 9 realized using things that have not conventionally been used as musical instruments. The plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 may include, for example, sound - producing bodies 9 realized using natural objects such as rocks, wood (for example, driftwood), or materials around the user Us. For example, by making any one of the materials, structures, and sizes of each of the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 different from each other, each of the plurality of sound - producing bodies 9 may be able to produce sounds with different timbres.

[0024] In the music box 10 according to the present embodiment, the sounding body 9 can be replaced by the user Us, and therefore the music box 10 allows the user Us to "select the object to be sounded." The user Us can select the object to be sounded (i.e., the sounding body 9) not only from existing musical instruments but also from natural objects, for example. In particular, since the music box 10 is a percussion-type music box, the user Us can freely change the sound to be sounded by the music box 10 (for example, the tone of the sound) by simply changing the object (sounding body 9) placed under the hammer 43. The music box 10 allows the user Us to easily replace the object to be sounded, thereby enabling the user Us to select the object to be sounded by himself or herself when creating music after listening to the sound that is actually sounded. In addition, the user Us can freely change the sound to be sounded by the sounding body 9, for example, depending on the material, structure, size, etc. that constitutes the sounding body 9, and the music box 10 allows the user Us to realize flexible music creation. Furthermore, the user Us can learn, for example, the relationship between the material, structure, size, etc. constituting the sounding body 9 and the sound (tone, etc.) produced by the sounding body 9. Next, the music box 10, the outline of which has been described above, will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 6.

[0025] [2. The main components of a music box other than the sound body] Fig. 3 is a perspective view that shows an example of the main components of the music box 10 shown in Fig. 1, other than the sound generating body 9. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the music box 10 shown in Fig. 3, seen from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 3. However, unlike the music box 10 shown in Fig. 3, the music box 10 shown in Fig. 4 includes an elastic body 8. The elastic body 8 will be described in detail later.

[0026] 1 and 2, the music box 10 may further include a base 1, a drive source 2 including a handle, a cylinder 3, a plurality of movable parts 4, a plurality of pins 5, a gear 6, and a ratchet mechanism 7, as shown in Fig. 3 and 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the music box 10 may further include an elastic body 8 that controls the operation (rotation in this embodiment) of the movable part 4.

[0027] The base 1 is a thin plate on which the main components of the music box 10 other than the sound generating body 9 are placed. However, it is not essential for the music box 10 to have the base 1.

[0028] [3. Power source] The driving source 2 generates power to rotate the cylinder 3. The driving source 2 according to this embodiment includes a handle, that is, the driving source 2 according to this embodiment is a manual operation member. That is, the music box 10 according to this embodiment is a hand-cranked music box (hand-cranked music box). By configuring the music box 10 as a hand-cranked music box, the user Us can arbitrarily control the playing speed, and for example, can play the music box 10 while freely changing the playing speed. The user Us can play the music box 10 while tinkering with the speed at which the handle is turned by the driving source 2, which is a manual operation member. In particular, when the user Us is an elementary school student who uses the music box 10 to learn, for example, by making the driving source 2 a manual operation member, the user Us can understand the relationship between the speed at which the handle is turned and the playing speed. In addition, the user Us can understand the mechanism of the music box more happily and more spontaneously, and play free and creative music by tinkering with the speed at which the handle is turned. By making the drive source 2 a manually operated member, the music box 10 enables the user Us to have the physical experience of playing the music by himself / herself (for example, controlling the playing speed by himself / herself).

[0029] By configuring the music box 10 as a hand-cranked music box, the user Us can control the rhythm of the sound to be produced by the music box 10 (particularly the sounding body 9) while listening to the sound produced by the music box 10. However, it is not essential for the music box 10 to be configured as a hand-cranked music box, and the music box 10 may use a spring, a motor, or the like as the driving source 2, that is, the driving source 2 does not have to be a manually operated member.

[0030] [4. Cylinder] The cylinder 3 is a member that rotates by the power of the drive source 2. For example, the cylinder 3 has a cross-shaped hole in the center of both sides (i.e., both bottom surfaces), and is structured so that by inserting a rotating shaft that meshes with the cross, it can rotate integrally with the rotating shaft.

[0031] The cylinder 3 may be a cylinder or a polygonal prism (for example, a regular polygonal prism). In this embodiment, an example in which the cylinder 3 is a regular dodecagonal prism will be described. By making the cylinder 3 a regular dodecagonal prism, the music box 10 achieves the following effects. That is, as described above, the music box 10 according to this embodiment is a hand-cranked music box. Therefore, by configuring the cylinder 3 as a regular dodecagonal prism, the music box 10 enables the user Us to play three bars if the bars are 4 / 4 bars, or four bars if the bars are 3 / 4 bars, by rotating the cylinder 3 once.

[0032] A plurality of insertion holes 31 are provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3. The plurality of insertion holes 31 are provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3 along a plurality of generating lines at equiangular intervals on the side surface of the cylinder 3. For example, when the cylinder 3 is a regular polygonal prism, m insertion holes 31, where "m" is an integer equal to or greater than "2", are provided on each side surface (each rectangular side surface) at predetermined intervals (for example, first intervals) from each other in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cylinder 3 along each generating line.

[0033] The multiple insertion holes 31 are provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3 along multiple imaginary lines (imaginary lines) which are intersecting lines between the side surface of the cylinder 3 and each of the following multiple imaginary planes (imaginary surfaces). That is, the multiple imaginary surfaces are imaginary planes which are orthogonal to the multiple generatrix lines (i.e., orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cylinder 3) and are provided at predetermined intervals (for example, the above-mentioned first interval) from each other in the direction in which the multiple generatrix lines extend.

[0034] The music box 10 is configured so that the user Us can select an arbitrary insertion hole 31 as a selected insertion hole 31S from among a plurality of insertion holes 31 provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3, and detachably attach the pin 5 to the selected insertion hole 31S. As illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, etc., each insertion hole 31 has a shape, for example, a combination of a rectangle and a circle. The user Us can fix the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 by rotating the pin 5 after inserting the pin 5 into the insertion hole 31 in a horizontal state (for example, in a state in which the thickness direction of the pin 5 illustrated in FIG. 6 is parallel to the short side direction of the rectangle of the insertion hole 31). The pin 5 will not come off the insertion hole 31 unless it is turned sideways (in other words, unless the thickness direction of the pin 5 is parallel to the short side direction of the rectangle of the insertion hole 31). Therefore, when the cylinder 3 is rotated and the pin 5 collides with the hammer 43, the pin 5 will not come off the insertion hole 31. Since the insertion hole 31 has the above-mentioned shape that combines a rectangle and a circle, a user Us, such as an elementary school student, can easily attach the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 and also easily remove the pin 5 from the insertion hole 31.

[0035] In the music box 10 according to this embodiment, the user Us can select a selected insertion hole 31S from among a plurality of insertion holes 31 provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3, and attach a pin 5 to the selected selected insertion hole 31S. In other words, the music box 10 is configured so that the user Us can arrange the pins 5 in any way, thereby allowing the user Us to freely compose a tune to be played using the music box 10. The fact that the user Us can freely compose music is particularly useful for the user Us's learning as a music creation activity.

[0036] When the cylinder 3 is a regular polygonal prism, the numbers may be assigned to each side in order in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the cylinder 3. As described above, the cylinder 3 according to this embodiment is a regular dodecagonal prism, and in the examples shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, etc., the numbers 1 to 12 are assigned to each side of the cylinder 3 in order in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the cylinder 3. The music box 10 according to this embodiment is configured so that, for example, the user Us can freely compose a song to be played using the music box 10. By assigning numbers to each side of the cylinder 3 in order in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the cylinder 3, the music box 10 makes it easy for the user Us to compose a song (in other words, to consider the position to attach the pin 5 according to the composition). The user Us can consider which position (in other words, which insertion hole 31) on each side the pin 5 should be attached to according to the song to be played using the music box 10, referring to the numbers assigned to each side of the cylinder 3.

[0037] As described above, the multiple insertion holes 31, to which the pins 5 are detachably attached, are provided along multiple generatrix lines at equiangular intervals on the side surface of the cylinder 3. On the side surface of the cylinder 3, m insertion holes 31 are provided along each generatrix line at a first interval from each other. The above-mentioned "m" may be, for example, "5." That is, in this embodiment, the multiple insertion holes 31 are provided along multiple generatrix lines at equiangular intervals on the side surface of the cylinder 3, and five insertion holes 31 may be provided along each of the multiple generatrix lines at a first interval from each other.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cylinder 3 is a regular dodecagonal prism, and m insertion holes 31 are provided on each of the twelve side surfaces of the cylinder 3, along the respective generatrix lines, with a first interval between each of them. When the above-mentioned "m" is "5", the multiple insertion holes 31 according to this embodiment can be explained as follows. That is, the multiple insertion holes 31 are provided along the twelve generatrix lines at equal angular intervals on the side surface of the cylinder 3, and five insertion holes 31 may be provided along each of the twelve generatrix lines, with a first interval between each of them. As a result, a total of 60 insertion holes 31 may be provided on the side surface of the cylinder 3.

[0039] As described above, in the music box 10, five insertion holes 31 are provided at a predetermined interval from each other along each of the equiangularly spaced busbars on the side surface of the cylinder 3. The user Us can select any one of the five insertion holes 31 as a selected insertion hole 31S and attach a pin 5 to the selected selected insertion hole 31S. Therefore, the user Us can freely compose a song to be played using the music box 10 in a scale consisting of five tones (pentatonic scale). Here, there are many pop songs and world folk music that use the pentatonic scale. In addition, the melody creation activity in the music class is centered on the activity of creating a melody based on the pentatonic scale. Therefore, in this embodiment, the number (m) of insertion holes 31 provided on each side surface of the cylinder 3 is set to five so that the user Us can select five tones. In addition, it is desirable to have about five sound materials, not only when creating a melody but also when using natural objects as objects to be sounded (i.e., sound generating bodies 9) to avoid chaos caused by a mixture of sounds. However, it is not essential for the music box 10 that the number (m) of the insertion holes 31 provided at the first intervals along each generatrix is ​​five. m may be an integer other than 5, for example, 7.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the cylinder 3. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cylinder 3 may be a hollow member, and at least one bottom surface of the cylinder 3 may be provided with a hole 32 through which the pin 5 can pass. As described above, in this embodiment, the pin 5 is attached by the user Us to the selected insertion hole 31S selected by the user Us from among the multiple insertion holes 31. And, as described above, the user Us is, for example, a student such as an elementary school student. Therefore, when the cylinder 3 is configured as a hollow member, it is assumed that the user Us may accidentally drop the pin 5 into the inside of the cylinder 3 when attaching the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 (particularly the selected insertion hole 31S). Even if such a situation occurs, at least one bottom surface of the cylinder 3 may be provided with a hole 32 through which the pin 5 can pass so that the user Us can easily take out the pin 5 from inside the cylinder 3. The hole 32 may be provided on each of the two bottom surfaces of the cylinder 3. In other words, the hole 32 through which the pin 5 can pass may be provided on both sides of the cylinder 3. The hole 32 may be configured in an annular sector shape as exemplified in FIG. 5. However, the shape of the hole 32 is not particularly limited, and the hole 32 may have a size through which the pin 5 can pass. The hole 32 allows the user Us to easily remove the pin 5 from inside the cylinder 3 even if the user Us accidentally drops the pin 5 inside the cylinder 3 when attaching the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31. In particular, when the hole 32 through which the pin 5 can pass is provided on each of the two bottom surfaces of the cylinder 3, the user Us can easily remove the pin 5 from inside the cylinder 3 from either side of the cylinder 3. The user Us can easily remove the pin 5 from the hole 32 provided on the bottom surface from which it is easier to remove the pin 5 out of the two bottom surfaces.

[0041] [5. Pin] As described above, the music box 10 includes a plurality of pins 5. In this embodiment, each pin 5 is detachably attached by the user Us to an insertion hole 31 (selected insertion hole 31S) selected by the user Us from among a plurality of insertion holes 31, with a portion of the pin protruding from the side surface of the cylinder 3. In the music box 10, each pin 5 is attached by the user Us to the insertion hole 31 (selected insertion hole 31S) selected by the user Us, that is, the user Us can determine the arrangement of the pins 5. Therefore, the music box 10 allows the user Us to freely compose music and create music freely.

[0042] In particular, each pin 5 is detachably attached to the insertion hole 31 by the user Us, and for example, the user Us can fix the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 or remove the pin 5 from the insertion hole 31 by simply turning the pin 5. Therefore, the music box 10 enables the user Us to create music while trying many times. For example, the user Us can enjoy learning that the sound and tune change according to the arrangement while trying various arrangements of the pins 5. In the music box 10, the pins 5 and the insertion hole 31 are configured so that the user Us can easily fix the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 and easily remove it from the insertion hole 31. Therefore, for example, the user Us can observe and understand the relationship between the position of the pin 5 (in other words, the selected insertion hole 31S) and the sound generated by the sound generating body 9 (particularly the struck part 91) while actually trying.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the pin 5. In the pin 5, the shape of a part protruding from the side surface of the cylinder 3 and the shape of the part inserted into the insertion hole 31 provided in the side surface of the cylinder 3 may be symmetrical. In the pin 5 illustrated in FIG. 6, the shape of the upper part 51 above the plane PI and the shape of the lower part 52 below the plane PI are symmetrical. The plane PI is a plane (imaginary plane) that passes through the center (center of gravity) in the longitudinal direction of the pin 5 and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. By making the shape of the upper part 51 and the shape of the lower lower part 52 symmetrical, the user Us can attach the pin 5 to the insertion hole 31 in either the upside or downside direction. For example, when the user Us is an elementary school student, it is particularly effective to make the shape of the upper part 51 and the shape of the lower lower part 52 symmetrical so that the pin 5 can be attached to the insertion hole 31 in either the upside or downside direction.

[0044] [6. Movable parts] The music box 10 has a plurality of movable parts 4 that can each rotate independently around a common rotation axis 41. Each movable part 4 has an engagement part 42 that can engage with a pin 5 at one end, and a hammer 43 at the other end.

[0045] The music box 10 has hammers 43 in a number equal to the number (m) of insertion holes 31 provided at a first interval from each other along each of the equiangularly spaced generatrix on the side surface of the cylinder 3. In this embodiment, the "m" is, for example, "5." Therefore, the music box 10 according to this embodiment has five moving parts 4. As exemplified in Figs. 3 and 4, for example, five moving parts 4 are arranged in a horizontal row. Each moving part 4 has a circular hole through which the rotating shaft 41 passes, which allows each moving part 4 (the hammers 43 of each moving part 4) to move independently.

[0046] The shape of the engaging portion 42 of each movable portion 4 is not particularly limited as long as it can engage with the pin 5 (particularly, a part of the pin 5 protruding from the side surface of the cylinder 3) attached to the side surface of the cylinder 3. The shape of the engaging portion 42 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to come into contact with the pin 5 as the cylinder 3 rotates and be once pushed down by the pin 5, and to disengage the pin 5 as the cylinder 3 further rotates. Similarly, the shape of the hammer 43 of each movable portion 4 is not particularly limited as long as it can strike the sound-producing body 9 (particularly, the struck portion 91). As exemplified in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, etc., the shape of the hammer 43 may be semicircular, referring to the shape of a piano hammer.

[0047] The music box 10 may further include an elastic body 8 that extends parallel to the direction in which the rotating shaft 41 extends and contacts each of the multiple movable parts 4 to suppress the rotation of each of the multiple movable parts 4. For example, a recess (concave) may be formed on both ends of the rotating shaft 41. Both ends of the elastic body 8 that extends parallel to the direction in which the rotating shaft 41 extends may be fixed to the recess. FIG. 4 shows an example of a rubber band (elastic body 8) that extends parallel to the direction in which the rotating shaft 41 extends across the multiple movable parts 4 and has both ends fixed to the recess of the rotating shaft 41. The music box 10 can control the rotation of each of the multiple movable parts 4 by the elastic body 8, and can control, for example, the movable range of each movable part 4. The elastic body 8 (rubber band) illustrated in FIG. 4 can prevent the hammer 43 of the movable part 4 from jumping up vigorously after striking the sounding body 9 (particularly the struck part 91).

[0048] As described above, the music box 10 is equipped with a sound producing body 9 including "multiple struck parts 91, each facing a respective hammer 43 of a respective one of the multiple movable parts 4." The number of struck parts 91 included in the sound producing body 9 may be equal to or greater than the number of hammers 43 (in other words, the number of movable parts 4). For example, for m hammers 43, the sound producing body 9 may include m or more struck parts 91. In the music box 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, the number of hammers 43 (in other words, the number of movable parts 4) is "5," but the number of struck parts 91 included in the sound producing body 9 is "5" or more.

[0049] [7. Other configurations] The music box 10 may have a configuration other than the driving source 2, the cylinder 3, the multiple movable parts 4, the multiple pins 5, and the sounding body 9 described above, and may have, for example, a gear 6 and a ratchet mechanism 7. The gear 6 has, for example, a module of 1.25, and uses 32 teeth on the rotating shaft (driven shaft) side of the cylinder 3 and 16 teeth on the driving side. However, the gear 6 of the music box 10 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be any gear that can transmit rotation from the driving source 2 to the cylinder 3. In the music box 10, the gear 6 may be replaceable with a gear other than the above configuration. The music box 10 transmits rotation from the driving source 2 to the cylinder 3 via the gear 6. Therefore, the user Us can rotate the cylinder 3 with less force.

[0050] In addition, the music box 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 and the like incorporates a ratchet mechanism 7 in the drive shaft because reverse rotation can lead to breakdown. The ratchet mechanism 7 allows the music box 10 to limit the direction of rotation to one direction. The ratchet mechanism 7 limits the direction in which the user Us can rotate the handle of the drive source 2 to one direction (clockwise in the example illustrated in FIG. 1 and the like). Therefore, the user Us can play the music box 10 with a simple and single operation of "rotating the handle of the drive source 2 in a direction in which the handle of the drive source 2 can be rotated." In other words, the music box 10 is configured to be usable (in other words, playable) with a simple and single operation, regardless of the skill or level of development of the user Us.

[0051] [8. A music box in which each component (movement of each component) can be observed from the outside] As described above, the music box 10 includes a cylinder 3 to which a pin 5 is attached by the user Us on the side, a hammer 43 that moves up and down by the pin 5, and a sound-producing body 9 that is arranged opposite the hammer 43 and can be replaced by the user Us. Therefore, the music box 10 is larger in size than a normal music box. The large-sized music box 10 allows the user Us to place various objects such as musical instruments, natural objects, and everyday materials under the hammer 43 as the sound-producing body 9, allowing the user Us to try out various sounds. Furthermore, the music box 10 may be configured so that, for example, the driving source 2, the cylinder 3, the multiple movable parts 4, the gears 6, and the ratchet mechanism 7 can be observed from the outside, as exemplified in FIG. 1, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, etc.

[0052] In a conventional music box, the cylinder, gears, ratchet mechanism, etc. are stored in, for example, a barrel. However, from the viewpoint of technical education in particular, such conventional music boxes have the following problems. That is, since the cylinder, gears, ratchet mechanism, etc. in the barrel cannot be observed from the outside, it is difficult for a user of the music box to fully understand the mechanism by which these components work. Therefore, the music box 10 may be configured so that the internal structure of the music box 10, such as the driving source 2, cylinder 3, multiple moving parts 4, gears 6, and ratchet mechanism 7, can be observed from the outside. For example, the music box 10 is configured so that the internal structure of the music box 10 can be observed from the outside so that the user Us can observe how the driving source 2, cylinder 3, moving parts 4, gears 6, ratchet mechanism 7, etc. work together. The user Us can learn the mechanism of the music box 10 by using the music box 10.

[0053] For example, by making the internal structure of the music box 10 observable from the outside, the user Us can visually grasp how the drive source 2, the cylinder 3, the movable part 4, the gear 6, the ratchet mechanism 7, and the like work together. By making the internal structure of the music box 10 observable from the outside, the music box 10 allows the user Us to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanism of the music box 10 and to advance their learning. For example, the user Us can understand that the ratchet mechanism 7 controls the direction of rotation, and that the gear 6 transmits rotational motion while changing the speed, by observing while moving the music box 10 himself. In addition, as described above, for example, the gear 6 can be replaced, so the user Us can also understand with a sense the difference in torque depending on the number of teeth of the gear 6.

[0054] Furthermore, by making it possible to observe the internal structure of the music box 10 from the outside, the user Us can understand the relationship between the position of the pin 5 that he or she attached (in other words, the position of the selection insertion hole 31S) and the sound produced by the struck part 91 of the sound producing body 9. The user Us can freely and improvise the tune that he or she makes the music box 10 play by changing the insertion hole 31 (selection insertion hole 31S) to which the pin 5 is attached while imagining the sound that the struck part 91 produces.

[0055] As described above, the music box 10 is a percussion-type music box that includes a sounding body 9 that can be replaced by the user Us. In the music box 10, the pin 5 that raises and lowers the hammer 43 that strikes the sounding body 9 may be attached to a selected insertion hole 31S selected by the user Us from among a plurality of insertion holes 31. The music box 10 may be configured so that the internal structure of the music box 10, such as the driving source 2, the cylinder 3, the movable part 4, the gear 6, and the ratchet mechanism 7, can be observed from the outside. Furthermore, the music box 10 may include a manual operation member as the driving source 2 that rotates the cylinder 3, that is, it may be configured as a hand-cranked music box. The user Us can freely select the object to be sounded (i.e., the sounding body 9) not only from existing musical instruments but also from natural objects, for example. The user Us can also understand that the playing speed of the music box 10 changes depending on the speed at which the handle of the driving source 2 is rotated, the number of teeth of the gear 6, and the like, and can freely change the playing speed. Furthermore, the user Us can visually and physically understand, by operating the music box 10 himself, the relationship between the position of the pin 5 and the sound body 9 and the sound produced by the sound body 9, the mechanism by which rotation is transmitted by the gear 6, and the mechanism by which reverse rotation is prevented by using the ratchet mechanism 7.

[0056] [9. How to use the music box] An example of how to use the music box 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described below. First, the user Us selects a sounding body 9 from among a plurality of sounding bodies 9, such as existing musical instruments and natural objects that have not been used as musical instruments in the past. The user Us arranges the selected sounding body 9 so that the plurality of struck parts 91 of the sounding body 9 face the plurality of hammers 43 of the music box 10. The user Us also selects a selected insertion hole 31S from a plurality of insertion holes 31 provided on the side of the cylinder 3, and attaches a pin 5 to the selected selected insertion hole 31S. After completing the above preparation stage, the user Us moves to the performance stage. When the user Us rotates the handle of the driving source 2 clockwise, the rotation of the driving source 2 is transmitted to the cylinder 3 via the gear 6. When the cylinder 3 rotates, the pin 5 attached to the side of the cylinder 3 is caught on the engagement part 42 of the movable part 4. When the cylinder 3 rotates further, the pin 5 comes off the engagement portion 42, and the hammer 43 falls and strikes the sound generating body 9 (particularly the struck portion 91) placed below the hammer 43, producing a sound.

[0057] [10. Features] As described above, the music box 10 according to the present embodiment includes the driving source 2, the cylinder 3, the pins 5, the movable parts 4, and the sounding body 9. The cylinder 3 rotates by the power of the driving source 2, and has a plurality of insertion holes 31 on its side. Each of the pins 5 is detachably attached by the user Us to an insertion hole 31 (selected insertion hole 31S) selected by the user Us from among the plurality of insertion holes 31, with a portion of the pins protruding from the side of the cylinder 3. The movable parts 4 are each independently rotatable about a common rotation shaft 41, and each has an engagement part 42 at one end that can engage with a portion of each of the pins 5, and a hammer 43 at the other end. The sounding body 9 includes a plurality of struck parts 91 that face the hammers 43 of the movable parts 4. In the music box 10, the sounding body 9 is replaceable by the user Us. Therefore, the music box 10 enables the user Us to select the object to be sounded (that is, the sound generating unit 9).

[0058] In the music box 10, the pins 5 are attached to an insertion hole 31 (selected insertion hole 31S) selected by the user Us from among the multiple insertion holes 31. Therefore, the music box 10 allows the user Us to freely arrange the pins 5 (i.e., arbitrarily select the selected insertion hole 31S), and the user Us can freely decide the music to be realized by the arrangement of the pins 5. Therefore, the music box 10 allows the user Us to freely perform music creation activities (e.g., composing music).

[0059] As described above, the driving source 2 may be a manually operated member, that is, the music box 10 may be a hand-cranked music box. The music box 10 realized as a hand-cranked music box allows the user Us to freely create music by changing the playing speed.

[0060] The music box 10 may be configured so that the internal structure of the music box 10, such as the drive source 2, the cylinder 3, and the multiple movable parts 4, can be observed from the outside. The music box 10 configured so that the internal structure of the music box 10 can be observed from the outside allows the user Us to easily and deeply understand the mechanism of the music box 10. Furthermore, the music box 10 allows the user Us to make improvements while observing the internal structure of the music box 10, thereby enabling more free musical creation activities.

[0061] [11. Modifications] Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 2: driving source, 3: cylinder, 4: moving part, 5: pin, 8: elastic body, 9...sounding body, 10...music box, 31...insertion hole, 32...hole, 41...rotating shaft, 42: engagement portion, 43: hammer, 91: struck portion, Us: user

Claims

1. A driving source; a cylinder that rotates by the power of the drive source and has a plurality of insertion holes on a side surface; a plurality of pins, each of which is removably attached by a user to an insertion hole selected by the user from among the plurality of insertion holes, with a portion of the pin protruding from the side surface; a plurality of movable parts each independently rotatable about a common rotation axis, each having an engagement part at one end that can engage with the portion of each of the plurality of pins, and a hammer at the other end; a sound generating body including a plurality of struck parts, each of which faces the corresponding hammer of the plurality of movable parts; Equipped with The sound-producing body is replaceable by the user. Music box.

2. The drive source is a manual operation member.

2. The music box according to claim 1.

3. The cylinder is a regular dodecagonal prism.

3. The music box according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The plurality of insertion holes are provided along a plurality of generatrix lines on the side surface at equal angular intervals, and five insertion holes are provided at predetermined intervals along each of the plurality of generatrix lines.

3. The music box according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The cylinder is a hollow member, At least one bottom surface of the cylinder is provided with a hole through which each of the plurality of pins can pass.

3. The music box according to claim 1 or 2.

6. In each of the plurality of pins, a shape of the portion protruding from the side surface is symmetrical to a shape of a portion inserted into the insertion hole.

3. The music box according to claim 1 or 2.

7. Further, an elastic body extending parallel to the direction in which the rotation shaft extends and contacting each of the plurality of movable parts to suppress rotation of each of the plurality of movable parts is provided.

3. The music box according to claim 1 or 2.

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