Keyboard device and keyboard instrument

• US 10,115,382 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishimura, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US15/850,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20180197514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 84719
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/18 Hammers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/346 Keys with an arrangement for simulating the feeling of a piano key, e.g. using counterweights, springs, cams

Abstract

A keyboard device includes a plurality of hammer members provided corresponding to a plurality of keys, whereby each hammer member applies an action load to a depressed key by rotating in conjunction with the key, and a key load applying member which applies a key load to the key by the hammer member coming in contact therewith when the hammer member is rotated, in which the key load applying member is singly provided corresponding to the plurality of keys, and a first portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a first key and a second portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a second key are different in at least one of thickness, level of elasticity, and level of viscosity.

Claims

1. A keyboard device comprising:

a plurality of hammer members provided corresponding to a plurality of keys, whereby each hammer member applies an action load to a depressed key by rotating in conjunction with the key; and

a single key load applying member which applies a key load to each of the keys by the corresponding hammer member coming in contact therewith when the hammer member is rotated,

wherein a first portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a first key and a second portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a second key are different in at least one of thickness, level of elasticity, and level of viscosity.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of thickness, level of elasticity, and level of viscosity of the key load applying member is continuously varied along an array direction of the plurality of keys.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein the key load applying member has a thickness that gradually becomes thicker from a high-note range toward a low-note range.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the key load applying member has a portion corresponding to keys in a high-note range and a portion corresponding to keys in a low-note range which are different in at least one of amount of deformation when the hammer member comes in contact with the key load applying member and key load to be applied to the key when the hammer member comes in contact with the key load applying member.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 4, wherein a deformation amount of the key load applying member is increased from the high-note range toward the low-note range.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the key load applying member has a plurality of members with different materials laminated in a direction in which the hammer member is deformed when coming in contact with the key load applying member.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 6, wherein the key load applying member has laminated therein a plurality of members with different elasticities, and at least one of the plurality of members has a thickness continuously varied along an array direction of the plurality of keys.

8. The keyboard device according to claim 6, wherein the key load applying member includes at least two of a silencing layer made of a member for silencing an impact sound occurred by contact of the hammer member, an impact-resistant layer made of a member for receiving an impact occurred by the contact of the hammer member, and a base layer made of a member for elastically absorbing a force occurred by the contact of the hammer member.

9. The keyboard device according to claim 8, wherein the impact-resistant layer is a member resistant to impact, and the base layer is a member softer and thicker than the impact-resistant layer, and

wherein the base layer elastically absorbs elastic deformation of the impact-resistant layer when the impact-resistant layer receives the impact occurred by the contact of the hammer member.

10. The keyboard device according to claim 8, wherein the key load applying member has a three-layer structure where the silencing layer, the impact-resistant layer, and the base layer have been arranged in the order of the silencing layer, the impact-resistant layer, and the base layer from a surface side with which the hammer member comes in contact.

11. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the key load applying member includes a gel or viscous fluid.

12. A keyboard instrument comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of keys arranged from a key corresponding to a low-note range to a key corresponding to a high-note range;

a plurality of hammer members provided corresponding to the plurality of keys, whereby each hammer member applies an action load to a depressed key by rotating in conjunction with the key; and

a single key load applying member which applies a key load to each of the keys by the corresponding hammer member coming in contact therewith when the hammer member is rotated,

wherein a first portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a first key and a second portion of the key load applying member corresponding to a second key are different in at least one of thickness, level of elasticity, and level of viscosity.