Pivotal Supporting Structure for Keyboard Fallboard Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pivotal supporting structures for keyboard musical instrument fallboards require hinges and misalignment adjusting members, making it difficult to mount the fallboard accurately and uniformly exert damper function during opening and closing strokes.
Innovation Solution
A pivotal supporting structure that eliminates the need for hinges and misalignment adjusting members by using damper mechanisms and driving members on pivot sections, allowing the fallboard to pivot about the damper mechanism's pivot center, with pivoting members and retainers positioned to facilitate easy assembly and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hinge and misalignment adjusting members are used to pivotally support the fallboard, then the fallboard can be mounted on the instrument body, but the mounting process becomes complex and difficult to align accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hinge and misalignment adjusting members from the pivotal supporting structure, retaining only the essential damper mechanism and pivot sections. This extraction of unnecessary components directly reduces device complexity while maintaining the fallboard's pivotal functionality through the simplified structure of pivot sections that directly engage with the damper mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot sections are designed to perform multiple functions: they provide the pivotal connection between the fallboard and instrument body, incorporate the damper mechanism for braking control, and ensure accurate alignment through their integrated structure. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate hinge and misalignment adjusting components, resolving the contradiction between ease of mounting and device complexity.
2Reliability
If the pivot center of the fallboard does not coincide with the pivot center of the damper device, then the damper function is not exerted uniformly during opening and closing strokes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pivot center of the fallboard with the pivot center of the damper mechanism by designing the pivot sections to directly engage with the damper mechanism at its pivot center. This merging of pivot centers ensures that the damper function is uniformly exerted throughout the entire opening and closing strokes, eliminating the reliability issue while the simplified structure maintains ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot sections act as intermediaries that directly connect the fallboard to the damper mechanism's pivot center. This intermediary structure ensures accurate alignment between the fallboard and damper pivot centers without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, thereby achieving uniform damper function while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hinge and misalignment adjusting members are required for pivotal support, then the structure can accommodate misalignment, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the misalignment adjusting members from the structure, relying instead on the precision of the pivot sections and damper mechanism alignment. This extraction reduces the number of components while the integrated design of the pivot sections maintains the ability to accommodate any necessary misalignment through their direct engagement with the damper mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot sections are designed as multi-functional components that simultaneously provide pivotal support, incorporate the damper mechanism, and accommodate alignment requirements. This universality eliminates the need for separate misalignment adjusting members, reducing the total number of components while maintaining adaptability to alignment variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables stable and uniform pivoting of the fallboard, simplifies the mounting process, and ensures accurate alignment without the need for additional mechanisms, improving the ease of assembly and operation.
Implementation Method 1
a damper mechanism (DM) provided on one of the side board and the end portion of the fallboard and having a driven member (29) constructed to receive pivotal movement
Data Source
AI summary
First and second pivot sections pivotally support left and right end portions of a fallboard on left and right side boards of a keyboard musical instrument, respectively. At least one of the first and second pivot sections includes: a damper mechanism provided on one of the side board and an end portion of the fallboard and having a driven member to receive pivotal movement; and a driving member engageable with the driven member and operable in interlocked relation to the other thereof. The damper mechanism generates a load against pivotal force from the driven member. At least one of the first and second pivot sections includes: a pivoting member pivotally supported on one of the side board and the end portion of the fallboard; and a retainer fixed to the other thereof to position and retain the pivoting member at a predetermined position.