Keyboard Weight Member Cross-Sectional Shape for Depth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic keyboards face challenges in reducing depth while maintaining touch feeling similar to acoustic pianos, as thicker weight members are required to maintain mass, leading to interference with ribs and bosses in the frame.
Innovation Solution
The keyboard apparatus employs hammer assemblies with different moments of inertia by using weight members with varying cross-sectional shapes and positions, allowing for a compact design without the need for multiple weight members, utilizing the same weight member for different hammer assemblies to achieve varying moments of inertia.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thicker weight members are used to maintain mass for touch feeling, then touch feeling similar to acoustic piano is achieved, but keyboard depth increases and interference with ribs and bosses occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The weight member has different cross-sectional shapes at different locations: a first cross-sectional shape at the first location and a second cross-sectional shape at the second location. This allows different portions of the weight member to have different mass distributions, achieving varied moments of inertia for different keys while using a single integrated component, thus reducing overall depth requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of varying weight member thickness only in the depth direction (one dimension), the invention utilizes cross-sectional shape variations in horizontal dimensions. The weight member transitions from a first cross-sectional shape to a second cross-sectional shape, allowing moment of inertia adjustment without increasing keyboard depth
2Reliability
If multiple different weight members are used for different hammer assemblies to achieve varying moments of inertia, then touch feeling balance is achieved, but manufacturing cost and workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single weight member design serves multiple functions by incorporating both a first cross-sectional shape and a second cross-sectional shape within the same component. This universal design can be applied across different hammer assemblies to achieve various moments of inertia, eliminating the need for multiple specialized weight member types and simplifying manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The weight member is divided into different sections with distinct cross-sectional shapes (first and second cross-sectional shapes at different locations). This segmentation allows each portion to contribute differently to the moment of inertia, enabling precise tuning of touch feeling while maintaining a single manufacturable component
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
This configuration enables a reduction in keyboard depth while maintaining touch feeling balance between light and strong key presses, achieving similar static and dynamic touch feelings across different keys with reduced manufacturing costs and workload.
Implementation Method 1
an electronic keyboard apparatus has adopted a configuration in which a hammer assembly having different moments of inertia for keys belonging to different scales is used
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard apparatus, which can provide a keyboard apparatus that a size in depth direction is miniaturized, including a frame, a first member, a key, one or more hammer assemblies configured to rotate in accordance with movement of the key. The one or more hammer assemblies including a rotation member rotatably connected to the frame with respect to a rotation axis as a center of rotation and a weight member attached to the rotation member and having a first portion and a second portion. The second portion faces the first member in a first direction extending along the rotation axis, a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion in the first direction, and a length of the second portion is larger than a length of the first portion in a rotation direction of the weight member.