Pickup Device

Abstract

To provide a pickup device having soft sound quality and no deterioration in frequency response. [Solution] A pickup device attached to a vibrating body, the pickup device comprising: a frame connected to the vibrating body; a rod-shaped member having one end supported by the frame and the other end extending as a free end; a damper provided on the fixed end side of the rod-shaped member; a first electromagnetic element provided on the free end side of the rod-shaped member; and a second electromagnetic element supported by the frame; the pickup device is configured such that relative motion occurs between the first electromagnetic element and the second electromagnetic element when the vibrating body vibrates, and an electrical signal is generated based on electromagnetic induction associated with the relative motion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pickup device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the most common method for electrically capturing the sound of a musical instrument is to use a microphone to pick up air vibrations caused by the vibration of the instrument's body and then amplify the resulting electrical signal.

[0003] On the other hand, in order to reduce the influence of external disturbances, a method using a pickup that directly detects mechanical vibrations of a vibrated body such as the body or strings of a musical instrument and converts the vibrations into an electrical signal is also widely adopted.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for electrically picking up string vibrations in a stringed instrument such as a guitar, amplifying the signal, and driving an actuator to generate mechanical vibration sound from the instrument body.

[0005] The detection principles of pickups are broadly divided into electromagnetic, piezoelectric, optical, etc., and the mounting types include in-bridge (under-saddle) type and body-attached type (contact), and are selected depending on the application.

[0006] Among these, piezoelectric pickups are widely used because they have the following advantages: they are resistant to feedback because they do not directly pick up air vibrations; they are less likely to pick up ambient noise or the sounds of other instruments; they are relatively easy to retrofit because of their in-bridge and contact types; and the in-bridge type provides excellent string separation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-295865 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in piezoelectric pickups, a piezoelectric element is generally sandwiched between the vibrated body and the mass body, and this configuration tends to result in mismatches in mechanical impedance and increased mechanical constraints, which can lead to hard sound quality and a deterioration in frequency response (e.g., reduced mid-low range sensitivity or peaking near resonance).

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pickup device that produces soft sound quality and does not degrade frequency response. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the pickup device of the present invention comprises: A pickup device attached to a vibrating body, the pickup device comprising: a frame connected to the vibrating body; a rod-shaped member having one end supported by the frame and the other end extending as a free end; a damper provided on the fixed end side of the rod-shaped member; a first electromagnetic element provided on the free end side of the rod-shaped member; a second electromagnetic element supported by the frame; Equipped with When the vibrating body vibrates, relative motion occurs between the first electromagnetic element and the second electromagnetic element, and an electrical signal is generated based on electromagnetic induction associated with the relative motion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a pickup device that has a soft sound quality and does not deteriorate in frequency response. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a pickup device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the behavior of the pickup device according to this embodiment when the vibrating body vibrates. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the behavior of the pickup device according to this embodiment when the vibrating body vibrates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, a pickup device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (Overall composition) 1 shows a configuration example of a pickup device according to this embodiment. The pickup device 100 of this embodiment is mechanically attached to a vibrating body 110 and obtains an electrical signal corresponding to the vibration of the vibrating body 110. The pickup device 100 has a frame 120 that forms the outer periphery of the pickup device 100.

[0015] The frame 120 is a component that determines the mechanical strength and vibration transmission characteristics of the entire pickup device 100. Its material can be metal (aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, stainless steel, etc.), resin (polycarbonate, polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide, etc.), ceramic, or composite (carbon fiber reinforced resin, glass fiber reinforced resin, etc.). For example, metal materials provide high rigidity and stability, while resin materials can reduce weight and improve processability. Furthermore, lightweight metal materials such as aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys can achieve both high rigidity and moderate weight reduction, enabling stable vibration transmission. On the other hand, high-strength resin materials such as polycarbonate and polyphenylene sulfide can reduce weight and increase internal loss, suppressing unwanted resonance, thereby contributing to noise reduction and improved sound quality.

[0016] Furthermore, the shape of the frame 120 is not limited to a simple frame shape, but can be formed as a plate shape, a box shape, or a shape having a rib structure in order to efficiently transmit the input vibration from the vibrating body 110. By adopting a honeycomb shape or a hollow structure for the frame, it is possible to maintain rigidity while being lightweight, making it easy to apply to portable devices and small devices. Note that the thickness and shape of the frame 120 may be adjusted as necessary to control the resonance frequency.

[0017] A fixed end 130a of a rod-shaped member 130 is supported by the frame 120, and the rod-shaped member 130 extends as a cantilever with one end fixed and the other end free. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the vibration direction of the vibrating body 110 and the extension direction of the rod-shaped member 130 are arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0018] A damper 140 is provided between the rod-shaped member 130 and the frame 120 on the side of the fixed end 130a of the rod-shaped member 130. When vibrations of the vibrating body 110 are input via the frame 120, the damper 140 elastically deforms in accordance with the displacement to cause the rod-shaped member 130 to follow, and when the displacement disappears, its elastic restoring force returns the rod-shaped member 130 to its initial position relative to the frame 120 and the damper 140. The damper 140 can be made of elastic materials such as butyl rubber, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber, and the tracing characteristics and resonance frequency can be controlled by adjusting the hardness and elastic modulus.

[0019] In addition, a damper cover 150 is provided on the outer periphery of the damper 140, which holds the damper 140 in an appropriate position and suppresses unnecessary disturbance vibrations. The damper cover 150 may be made of, for example, a resin (polycarbonate, polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide, etc.) or a thin metal plate.

[0020] A first electromagnetic element 160 is attached to the free end 130b of the rod-shaped member 130. In other words, the first electromagnetic element 160 is configured so as not to come into contact with the frame 120 or the like. The first electromagnetic element 160 is configured, for example, as a permanent magnet or a coil. In the case of a permanent magnet, a ferrite magnet, a samarium-cobalt magnet, a neodymium-iron-boron magnet, or the like is preferably used as the material. On the other hand, in the case of a coil, a copper wire or an aluminum wire is used as the conductive material, and an insulating coating can be applied as necessary.

[0021] On the other hand, the second electromagnetic element 170 is supported by the frame 120 and vibrates together with the frame 120 in response to the movement of the vibrating body 110. The second electromagnetic element 170 can be composed of a magnet or a coil, just like the first electromagnetic element 160, but when a magnet is used as the first electromagnetic element 160, a coil is used as the second electromagnetic element 170, and when a coil is used as the first electromagnetic element 160, a magnet is used as the second electromagnetic element 170. As a result, when the vibrating body 110 vibrates, a relative displacement occurs between the first electromagnetic element 160 and the second electromagnetic element 170, and electromagnetic induction is generated by the power generation mechanism 180.

[0022] The power generation mechanism 180 includes the first electromagnetic element 160 and the second electromagnetic element 170, and converts the relative motion between them into an electric signal. That is, the mechanical vibration input from the vibrating body 110 can be efficiently converted into an electric signal by the power generation mechanism 180.

[0023] (Example) An example of behavior of the pickup device 100 described with reference to FIG. 1 when the vibrating body vibrates will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] Fig. 2 shows an example of the behavior of the pickup device according to this embodiment when the vibrating body vibrates. More specifically, (a) on the left side of Fig. 2 shows the behavior of the pickup device when the vibrating body is stationary, and (b) on the right side of Fig. 2 shows the behavior of the pickup device when the vibrating body is displaced (amount of displacement = Y). For the sake of explanation, in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 described later, auxiliary lines for explaining the amount of vibration displacement and a zero vibration displacement point 190 described later are shown by dotted lines.

[0025] 2(a), when the vibrating body 110 is in a stationary state, the fixed end 130a of the rod-shaped member 130 is supported by the frame 120, and is further held in its initial position by the elastic restoring force of the damper 140. Therefore, the first electromagnetic element 160 attached to the free end 130b of the rod-shaped member 130 is substantially stationary.

[0026] 2(b), when the vibrating body 110 starts to vibrate due to an external force or the like, the vibration is transmitted to the second electromagnetic element 170 and the damper cover 150 via the frame 120 and the damper 140, and the damper cover 150 and the second electromagnetic element 170 are also displaced by the vibration amount (displacement amount=Y). Accordingly, the damper 140 supported by the damper cover 150 also vibrates, and the fixed end 130a side of the rod-shaped member 130 vibrates accordingly.

[0027] However, the rod-shaped member 130 has a cantilever structure with one end fixed and the other end free, and the first electromagnetic element 160 is provided as a vibrating arm having a certain mass on the free end 130b side. Therefore, due to the law of inertia, the vibration zero point 190 of the first electromagnetic element 160 on the free end 130b side does not synchronize with the vibration on the fixed end side, and tends to be relatively stationary with a certain delay or phase difference. In other words, when observed from the second electromagnetic element 170 side, the first electromagnetic element 160 appears to be vibrating (moving) relatively.

[0028] As a result, relative motion occurs between the first electromagnetic element 160 and the second electromagnetic element 170, and the combination of the magnets and coils that make up both elements operates the power generation mechanism 180. That is, the magnetic flux changes over time, causing electromagnetic induction, which is extracted as an electric signal.

[0029] Fig. 3 shows another example of the behavior of the pickup device according to this embodiment when the vibrating body vibrates. More specifically, (a) on the left side of Fig. 3 shows the behavior of the pickup device when the vibrating body is stationary, and (b) on the right side of Fig. 3 shows the behavior of the pickup device when the vibrating body is displaced (displacement amount = -Y).

[0030] As shown in the left diagram (a) of Fig. 3, when the vibrating body 110 is in a stationary state, as described with reference to the left diagram (a) of Fig. 2, the fixed end 130a of the rod-shaped member 130 is supported by the frame 120, and is further held in its initial position by the elastic restoring force of the damper 140. Therefore, the first electromagnetic element 160 attached to the free end 130b of the rod-shaped member 130 is substantially stationary.

[0031] 3(b), when the vibrating body 110 starts to vibrate due to an external force or the like, the vibration is transmitted to the second electromagnetic element 170 and the damper cover 150 via the frame 120 and the damper 140, and the damper cover 150 and the second electromagnetic element 170 are also displaced by the vibration amount (displacement amount = -Y). Accordingly, the damper 140 supported by the damper cover 150 also vibrates, and the fixed end 130a side of the rod-shaped member 130 vibrates accordingly.

[0032] However, the rod-shaped member 130 has a cantilever structure with one end fixed and the other end free, and the first electromagnetic element 160 is provided as a vibrating arm having a certain mass on the free end 130b side. Therefore, due to the law of inertia, the vibration zero point 190 of the first electromagnetic element 160 on the free end 130b side does not synchronize with the vibration on the fixed end side, and tends to be relatively stationary with a certain delay or phase difference. In other words, when observed from the second electromagnetic element 170 side, the first electromagnetic element 160 appears to be vibrating (moving) relatively.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible. For example, the positions and shapes of the first electromagnetic element 160 and the second electromagnetic element 170 can be changed as needed, and they may be swapped, arranged facing each other, or multiple sets of electromagnetic elements may be combined. Furthermore, by changing the material and hardness of the damper 140, the vibration response characteristics and frequency band can be adjusted, allowing for an optimal design depending on the application.

[0034] The pickup device according to this embodiment avoids the problems of conventional piezoelectric pickups, such as mechanical impedance mismatch and increased mechanical constraints due to the clamping structure of the piezoelectric element. In the pickup device according to this embodiment, the vibration system of the vibrating body is structured such that the damper functions as the fulcrum, the damper holder functions as the force point, and the fixed end of the rod-shaped member functions as the point of application. That is, when vibration is input to the force point, the force point also vibrates around the fulcrum, causing the rod-shaped member to elastically bend and exhibit a wriggling motion. Meanwhile, the first electromagnetic element located at the free end tends to remain relatively stationary due to the law of inertia, preventing direct transmission of vibrations from the fixed end. Therefore, the pickup device according to this embodiment employs a configuration that generates electromagnetic induction based on the relative motion between the first electromagnetic element located at the free end of the rod-shaped member and the second electromagnetic element supported by the frame. This allows input vibrations to be converted into electrical signals efficiently and with high precision without excessive mechanical constraints on the vibrated body.

[0035] In other words, in this embodiment, the pickup main body is installed in close contact with the vibrating body, while the movable piece arranged on the free end side of the rod-shaped member, i.e., the first electromagnetic element, is configured to be separated from the main body. By providing the movable piece as the free end in this way, input vibration from the force point is transmitted to the action point via the fulcrum, but the first electromagnetic element on the free end side tries to remain relatively stationary due to inertia, resulting in apparent relative vibration between the two.

[0036] This configuration improves the fidelity of the input signal by generating an electrical signal using electromagnetic induction based on relative motion without directly restraining the actual vibration of the vibrating body 110. In particular, since there is no need to firmly sandwich the vibrating body and mass body as in conventional piezoelectric pickups, it is possible to avoid deterioration in sound quality due to mismatches in mechanical impedance and increased restraints.

[0037] As a result, compared to conventional piezoelectric pickups, the sound quality can be prevented from becoming hard, and natural, smooth acoustic characteristics can be achieved.In addition, the structure in which the rod-shaped member is supported via a damper allows for appropriate control of resonance characteristics, suppressing peaks and dips in specific frequency bands and achieving a flat, well-balanced frequency response across a wide range, including the mid-low range.

[0038] Furthermore, in the pickup device according to this embodiment, the configuration of the first electromagnetic element and the second electromagnetic element can be appropriately selected by combining magnets and coils, so the output voltage level, impedance characteristics, and sensitivity characteristics can be designed according to the application. This allows for flexible retrofitting and modification of musical instruments, and also enables the realization of sound quality suited to the playing environment and style.

[0039] Therefore, the pickup device of the present invention exhibits remarkable effects in terms of natural sound quality, superior frequency characteristics, and design freedom compared to conventional piezoelectric types, and is extremely useful as a pickup for musical instruments.

[0040] The pickup device according to the present embodiment converts mechanical vibrations from a vibrating body into an electrical signal through electromagnetic induction, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. For example, when a stringed instrument such as an electric acoustic guitar or violin is used as the vibrating body, the vibrations of the strings are transmitted to the pickup device via the body and bridge, resulting in an electrical signal with a more natural and rich tone than conventional piezoelectric pickups. This provides practical benefits in live performance environments, such as suppressing feedback and preventing interference from other instruments, and also enables faithful reproduction of the original sound in recording applications. Furthermore, by using the diaphragm or striking surface of a percussion instrument as the vibrating body, it is possible to detect a wide range of vibration components generated by striking with high sensitivity. This configuration allows it to be used as a sound source trigger in electronic drums or hybrid percussion systems, enabling signal generation that faithfully reflects the performer's nuances. Furthermore, the pickup device according to the present invention can be used not only in musical instruments but also as various sensors. For example, by attaching it to a mechanical structure as an acceleration sensor or vibration sensor, it can detect external forces and vibration conditions with high accuracy. In this case, by adjusting the damper characteristics and the combination of electromagnetic elements, the detection sensitivity and response frequency band can be freely designed, making it possible to apply the technology to a variety of industrial applications, such as detecting abnormalities in industrial machinery, vibration monitoring in buildings, and motion detection in wearable devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100 Pickup device 110 Vibration body 120 frames 130 Rod-shaped member 130a fixed end 130b free end 140 Damper 150 damper cover 160 First Electromagnetic Element 170 Second electromagnetic element 180 Power Generation Mechanism 190 Vibration Zero Point Y oscillation mutation

Claims

1. A pickup device attached to a vibrating body, the pickup device comprising: a frame connected to the vibrating body; a rod-shaped member having one end supported by the frame and the other end extending as a free end; a damper provided on the fixed end side of the rod-shaped member; a first electromagnetic element provided on a free end side of the rod-shaped member; a second electromagnetic element supported by the frame; Equipped with When the vibrating body vibrates, a relative motion occurs between the first electromagnetic element and the second electromagnetic element, and an electric signal is generated based on electromagnetic induction caused by the relative motion, Further, a damper cover is provided on the outer periphery of the damper, for holding the damper and suppressing external vibrations. Pickup device.

2. the first electromagnetic element is a magnet and the second electromagnetic element is a coil; The pickup device according to claim 1 .

3. The first electromagnetic element is a coil and the second electromagnetic element is a magnet. The pickup device according to claim 1 .

4. The damper is made of an elastic member. The pickup device according to claim 1 .

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