MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20070204743A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Terada, Norishige
• Granted Patent: US 7,642,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/423.R
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/02 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 13/09 with keyboards

Abstract

A musical instrument having a displacement member that is operable to vary sounds, thereby offering a wide variety of musical performances. A box-shaped sound generation unit accommodated in the inside of a musical instrument body generates a sound in response to any one of performance operators being operated. At least part of a displacement member provided for displacement relative to the musical instrument body is always disposed within the inside of the musical instrument body. When an operating section is operated to cause the displacement member to be displaced as a sound is generated from the sound generation unit, the sound varies according to the displacement of the displacement member.

Claims

1. A musical instrument comprising:

a musical instrument body having an inside;

a plurality of performance operators provided in said musical instrument body;

a box-shaped sound generation unit, accommodated in the inside of said musical instrument body, for generating a sound in response to any one of said plurality of performance operators being operated;

at least one displacement member provided for displacement relative to said musical instrument body, at least part of said displacement member being always disposed within the inside of said musical instrument body; and

an operating section for causing said displacement member to be displaced,

wherein when said operating section is operated to cause said displacement member to be displaced as a sound is generated from said sound generation unit, the sound varies according to displacement of said displacement member.

2. The musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said musical instrument body has at least one opening through which a sound generated from said sound generation unit is emitted to outside, and includes an opening varying member provided for displacement relative to said musical instrument body, said opening varying member cooperating with said displacement member to change an effective open state of the opening.

3. The musical instrument according to claim 2, wherein said opening varying member is configured to function as said operating section.

4. The musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the musical instrument is configured to be a keyboard musical instrument type and said plurality of performance operators are configured to be keys, and

said musical instrument body is provided with a fallboard for covering said plurality of performance operators, said fallboard being comprised of a front fallboard that functions as said operating section and a rear fallboard that functions as said displacement member, the front and rear fallboards are coupled together such that said rear fallboard is displaced in unison with said front fallboard when the front fallboard is operated.

5. The musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said musical instrument body is provided with a plurality of percussion units that correspond to respective ones of said plurality of performance operators and are each driven in response to a corresponding one of said plurality of performance operators being operated,

said sound generation unit is comprised of a plurality of sounding members provided so as to correspond to respective ones of said plurality of percussion units and a resonance box for causing a musical tone produced from any one of said plurality of sounding members to resonate therein, said resonance box having an opening side,

each of said plurality of sounding members vibrates and sounds a musical tone of a specific tone pitch when struck by a corresponding one of said percussion units in response to a corresponding one of said plurality of performance operators being operated, and

said resonance box is arranged to have the opening side thereof disposed close to said sounding members.