JP3074797B2 - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard device such as an electronic piano.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic keyboard instrument such as an electronic piano, a rubber switch is provided below a key rotatably provided in a vertical direction, and the rubber switch is pressed by a key pressing operation to perform switching. Thus, a desired musical sound is generated. In such electronic keyboard instruments,
In order to obtain the key touch feeling of an acoustic piano, the key pressing force decreases as going from the low range to the high range. A structure is employed in which a return spring for reducing the force is provided, or a weight having a different weight is provided for the key so that the key pressing force gradually decreases from the low range to the high range.

[0003]

However, in any of the above-mentioned electronic keyboard instruments, the spring constant of the return spring and the weight of each key are adjusted so that the key pressing force becomes lighter from the lower range to the higher range. Since it must be changed every time or for each key range block, there are problems in that the types of return springs and weights increase, and the number of parts increases. An object of the present invention is to use a return spring having a different spring constant or a separate component such as a weight having a different weight, and to reduce the key pressing force from the low range to the high range without increasing the number of components. It is to provide a keyboard device that can be used.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there are provided keys which are arranged in musical order and which are rotationally displaced by a key-pressing operation, and a switch having elasticity which is depressed and switched by each key-pressing operation. A switch member is disposed at an inclined position where the distance from the center of rotation of the key to the center of the switch member gradually decreases from the low frequency range toward the high frequency range. .

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic keyboard instrument will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In this electronic keyboard instrument, as shown in FIG. 1, a keyboard chassis 2 made of sheet metal is provided on an upper surface side of an instrument body case 1 made of synthetic resin via a chassis support plate 3 made of sheet metal. On the upper surface side of the keyboard chassis 2, a plurality of keys (white keys and black keys, but only the black keys will be described) 4 made of synthetic resin are arranged in parallel in musical order as shown in FIG. The rear end of the key 4 is inserted into a rectangular support hole 6 provided in a rising portion 5 at the rear end of the keyboard chassis 2 and is rotatably engaged with the upper end of the support hole 6. 7 are provided. Key 4 and keyboard chassis 2 at rear end of key 4
Between each key 4 is pushed up by a constant spring force to
The coil spring 8 for engaging the upper end of the support hole 6 is disposed. The key 4 is urged upward by a coil spring 8 and a rubber switch 16 described later.
A substantially L-shaped stopper piece 9 suspended from the lower front end of the key 4
Is positioned at a predetermined initial position (upper limit position) by passing through a stupid hole 10 formed in the keyboard chassis 2 and contacting a belt-like stopper member 11 made of felt or the like provided on the lower surface of the keyboard chassis 2. I have. On the upper surface of the keyboard chassis 2 below the stopper piece 9, a belt-like stopper member 12 made of felt or the like for regulating the lower limit position of the key 4 is provided. A guide member 13 is provided at the front end of the keyboard chassis 2 to prevent the key 4 from moving laterally.

[0007] The key 4 has a substantially flat central portion on the lower surface substantially in the center.
A letter-shaped switch pressing portion 15 is provided. A rubber switch 16 is arranged below the switch pressing portion 15. The rubber switch 16 is provided on the upper surface of a circuit board 18 attached to the lower surface of the keyboard chassis 2 with screws 17, and protrudes above the keyboard chassis 2 through a stupid hole 19 formed in the keyboard chassis 2. The rubber switch 16 is elastically deformable in which first and second switch portions 20 and 21 are formed by forming an inverted bowl-shaped bulge portion on a rubber sheet, and the first and second switch portions 20 are formed. , 21 are in contact with the lower surface of the switch pressing portion 15 to push up the key 4. When the key 4 is pressed, the first and second switch portions 20, 21 push the key 4. Switching is performed by sequentially elastically deforming with a time difference corresponding to the key speed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the rubber switch 16 is provided with a key so that the pressing force of the key 4 becomes gradually lighter from the lower range (left side in FIG. 2) toward the higher range (right side in FIG. 2). The distance from the center of rotation of the key switch 4 (i.e., the upper end of the support hole 6 of the keyboard chassis 2 with which the engaging portion 7 of the key 4 engages) to the center of the rubber switch 16 goes from the low frequency range to the high frequency range. Are arranged along the inclined line S that becomes shorter and shorter. In this case, the upper end of the support hole 6 of the keyboard chassis 2 which is the center of rotation of the key 4 is disposed on a straight line T parallel to the arrangement direction of the keys 4. For this reason, the distance from the center of rotation of the key 4 to the center of the rubber switch 16 is long on the low range, and the distance from the center of rotation of the key 4 to the center of the rubber switch 16 is short on the high range. Is set. In connection with this, the switch pressing portion 15 of the key 4
Is provided along the inclined line S corresponding to the rubber switch 16 at the lower center of the key 4. Further, the rubber switch 16 is provided with a plurality of sets (one octave) of the first and second switch units 20 and 21 on one rubber sheet, and for each of a plurality of blocks (from the bass range to the treble range). For each octave).

Next, the operation of the electronic keyboard instrument will be described. When the key 4 is pressed against the elastic force of the coil spring 8 and the rubber switch 16, the key 4 is centered on the engaging portion 7 of the key 4 engaged with the upper end of the support hole 6 of the keyboard chassis 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the switch 4 is downwardly displaced clockwise, and the switch pressing portion 15 of the key 4 presses the rubber switch 16. Then
The rubber switch 16 is elastically deformed, and the first and second switch sections 20 and 21 of the rubber switch 16 are sequentially elastically deformed and switched with a time difference corresponding to the key pressing speed of the key 4. By the switching of the second switch 21, key-on data for instructing the tone generator to start generating a musical tone is obtained, and the data relating to the key pressing speed, that is, the tone characteristics such as the volume and timbre of the musical tone are initialized by the time difference. Initial touch data to be controlled is obtained. When the key pressing operation on the key 4 is released, the key 4 is returned to the original initial position by the elastic return force of the coil spring 8 and the rubber switch 16.

Thus, in this electronic keyboard instrument, the key 4
Is pressed, and the rubber switch 16 switches, the distance from the center of rotation of the key 4 to the center of the rubber switch 16 is longer on the low-tone side and shorter on the high-frequency side. The key depressing force of the key 4 becomes heavier in the low range and lighter in the high range. Therefore, with this electronic keyboard instrument, it is possible to give the player a feeling that the key pressing force gradually becomes lighter from the lower frequency range toward the higher frequency range, and the key touch feeling similar to the key touch feeling of an acoustic piano. Can be obtained. Also,
In this electronic keyboard instrument, the rubber switch 16 is disposed along the inclined line S in which the distance from the center of the rubber switch 16 to the center of rotation of the key 4 gradually decreases from the low-pitched side toward the high-pitched side. Therefore, there is no need to use separate components such as a return spring having a different spring constant or a weight having a different weight, as in the related art, and an increase in the number of components can be prevented.

In the above-described embodiment, the switch pressing portion 15 of the key 4 corresponds to the arrangement of the rubber switches 16.
Is provided on each key 4 in a state of being inclined in parallel with the same inclined line S as the center portion of the rubber switch 16. It may be formed. If you do this,
Each key 4 can be formed in the same shape.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the rubber switch is used as the switch member for switching by the key pressing operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a coil spring may be used.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the inclined state in which the distance from the center of rotation of the key to the center of the switch member becomes gradually shorter from the low-frequency side to the high-frequency side. Since the switch member is located at the position, there is no need to use separate parts such as return springs with different spring constants or weights with different weights, preventing an increase in the number of parts, and pressing keys from the lower range to the higher range. Power can be reduced, and a key touch feeling similar to that of an acoustic piano can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a main part of an electronic keyboard instrument.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the electronic keyboard instrument, showing an arrangement relationship between a key rotation center and a rubber switch center;

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 key 16 rubber switch

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G10B 3/12 G10C 3/12 G10H 1/34

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A key that is arranged in musical order and that is rotated and displaced in response to a key-pressing operation; and a switch member having elasticity that is pressed and switched in accordance with the key-pressing operation of the key,
A keyboard device, wherein the switch member is disposed at an inclined position where the distance from the center of rotation of the key to the center of the switch member gradually decreases from the low-frequency side toward the high-frequency side. .