Keyboard Lid Guide Groove Deceleration Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing keyboard instruments with lid opening and closing mechanisms experience strong impacts during lid closure, requiring shock absorbers to mitigate these impacts, but these mechanisms can be inefficient and may not ensure safe and controlled lid operation.

Innovation Solution

A lid opening and closing apparatus featuring a shaft guide member with guide grooves, braking members, and spring-damper systems that slow down the lid's movement using guide grooves and braking members to absorb the impact, ensuring controlled opening and closing of the lid.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a shock absorber is provided to absorb strong impact during lid closure, then impact damage is reduced, but the device complexity increases and the lid closing control becomes less smooth

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact damageVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide groove is designed with an inclined surface that gradually increases in slope angle along the closing direction. This beforehand cushioning approach allows the lid to naturally decelerate through the changing geometric constraints of the guide groove, eliminating the need for additional shock absorbing components while reducing device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional shock absorber mechanical system with a geometric constraint system formed by the guide groove's inclined surface. The mechanical impact absorption function is substituted by the kinematic control provided by the guide groove's shape, achieving impact reduction through pure geometric design rather than mechanical damping components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If hinges are used to rotatably attach the lid, then ease of operation is improved, but strong impact occurs during closing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidimpact force
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The guide groove's inclined surface creates a dynamic deceleration effect during lid closure. As the lid moves along the guide groove, the progressively steeper slope automatically reduces the closing speed, transforming the static hinge attachment into a dynamic control system that manages impact forces throughout the closing motion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If a simple hinge connection is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the lid closing speed cannot be controlled and strong impact occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidlid closing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The guide groove employs a curved inclined surface with varying slope angles rather than a straight line. This curvature allows smooth, continuous control of the lid's closing speed through geometric progression of the slope, providing progressive deceleration without requiring complex mechanical speed control mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

The apparatus effectively decelerates the lid's closing movement, reducing impact and ensuring safe operation by using guide grooves and braking members to absorb the force, thus preventing damage and noise from sudden impacts.

Implementation Method 1

a spring member (24) whose one end portion (24b) is arranged on the trajectory of a movement to be made by the corresponding front side guide shaft (16a) and brakes the closing movement of the opening and closing lid (11)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a first damper section (23) whose one end is braked when the one end portion (24b) of the spring member (24) is pressed by the front side guide shaft (16a)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscous damping: Viscous Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3506251B1Lid opening and closing apparatus and keyboard instrument
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD
  • EP3506251B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3506251B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3506251B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A lid opening and closing apparatus including a lid (11), a shaft guide member (12) which has a guide groove (17), a front side guide shaft (16a) which is provided on a front side of the lid (11) and moved along the guide groove (17), a first braking member (24) whose at least one portion is arranged on a movement trajectory of the front side guide shaft (16a), and which brakes a closing movement of the lid (11), and a second braking member (23) which brakes movement of the one portion of the first braking member (24) which occurs by the front side guide shaft (16a) pressing the one portion of the first braking member (24) on the movement trajectory when the closing movement is made.