In-line keyboard

• US 6,218,601 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vincent F. Pientka
• Original Assignee: Vincent F. Pientka
• Inventors: Pientka, Vincent F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R
• Application Number:
  US09/439,270
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00, 844/23.R, 844/39, 844/42, 844/43
• US Class Current: 84/423.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 11/00 Accordions, concertinas or the like; Keyboards therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/245 Spint accordion, i.e. mimicking accordions; Electrophonic instruments with one or more typical accordion features, e.g. special accordion keyboards or bellows, electrophonic aspects of mechanical accordions, Midi-like control therefor

Abstract

An in-line keyboard provides a large number of music producing actuators in a small space. Each actuator corresponds to a note on a musical scale. The actuators are arranged in perpendicular columns and rows. The actuators of each column are played by a single finger. The actuators corresponding to natural notes have a first tactile feel, such as cylindrical. Actuators corresponding to sharp and flat notes have a different tactile feel. The actuators corresponding to the sharp and flat notes are arranged in columns between the columns of the natural note actuators. The natural notes are further arranged such that pairs of adjacent actuators in a column correspond to perfect fifths of a musical scale.

Claims

1. A musical keyboard comprising a plurality of first actuators each connected to a different sound producing member of an instrument, all the first actuators being arranged in at least four first columns and in at least two first rows that are perpendicular to the columns, wherein the first actuators correspond to at least one octave of notes of a musical scale, and wherein pairs of adjacent first actuators in a selected column are related by respective perfect fifths of a musical scale, and wherein the first actuators are arranged in at least five columns.

2. The musical keyboard of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of second actuators each connected to a different sound producing number of a musical instrument, the second actuators being arranged in at least four second columns, each second column being between adjacent columns of the first actuators.

3. The musical keyboard of claim 2 wherein the first actuators present a different tactile feel to a person than the second actuators.

4. The musical keyboard of claim 2 wherein the first actuators are shaped as cylinders, and wherein the second actuators are shaped as parallel pipits,

such that the first and second actuators present different tactile feels to a person.

5. A musical keyboard comprising a plurality of first actuators each connected to a different sound producing member of an instrument, all the first actuators being arranged in at least four first columns and in at least two first rows that are perpendicular to the columns, wherein the first actuators correspond to at least one octave of notes of a musical scale, and wherein pairs of adjacent first actuators in a selected column are related by respective perfect fifths of a musical scale.

6. A musical instrument comprising:

a. a plurality of sound producing members; and

b. a keyboard comprising;

i. a frame; and

ii. a plurality of actuators in the frame, each actuator being connected to a corresponding sound producing member, the actuators being arranged in at least two rows and at least four columns that are perpendicular to the rows, each actuator being playable such that the corresponding sound producing member produces a selected musical note, wherein the actuators are arranged in five columns, and wherein;

i. there is a first actuator in a first row that corresponds to a first note of the musical scale; and

ii. there is a second actuator in a second row that corresponds to the first note of the musical scale,

so that the thumb is usable to play one of the columns of actuators.

7. A musical instrument comprising:

a. a plurality of sound producing members; and

b. a keyboard comprising;

i. a frame; and

ii. a plurality of actuators in the frame, each actuator being connected to a corresponding sound producing member, the actuators being arranged in at least two rows and at least four columns that are perpendicular to the rows, each actuator being playable such that the corresponding sound producing member produces a selected musical note, wherein pairs of adjacent actuators in each column correspond to respective perfect fifths of a musical scale,

so that playing pairs of adjacent actuators of column enables the instrument to produce respective harmonious chords.

8. In a musical instrument having a plurality of first members each capable of producing a different selected musical note,

an in-line keyboard for enabling selected members to produce the respective notes comprising a plurality of first actuators each in operative association with a respective first member such that each first actuator corresponds to a different musical note and playing a selected first actuator causes the associated first member to produce the corresponding note, the first actuators being arranged in a frame with at least two first rows of actuators and at least four first columns of actuators that are perpendicular to the first rows, wherein the first actuators are arranged in at least five first columns and at least two rows, wherein each of the first actuators corresponds to a selected natural note of a musical scale, and wherein pairs of adjacent first actuators of each column correspond to respective perfect fifths of a musical scale.

9. The in-line keyboard of claim 8 wherein:

a. the musical instrument has a plurality of second members each capable of producing a different selected sharp musical note; and

b. the in-line keyboard further comprises a plurality of second actuators each in operative association with a respective second member of the instrument such that each second actuator corresponds to a different sharp musical note and playing a selected second actuator causes the associated second member to produce the corresponding sharp musical note, the second actuators being arranged in second columns between the first columns and being further arranged in the rows of the first actuators.

10. The in-line keyboard of claim 9 wherein the first actuators present a first tactile feel to a person playing the musical instrument, and wherein the second actuators present a second tactile feel to a person playing the musical instrument.

11. The in-line keyboard of claim 9 wherein:

a. the in-line keyboard further comprises a frame;

b. the first actuators are in the form of cylinders that protrude above the frame; and

c. the second actuators are in the form of parallel pipits that project above the frame.

12. The in-line keyboard of claim 11 wherein the second actuators protrude above the frame a greater distance than the first actuators,

so that the second actuators guide a person'"'"'s fingers to stay in respective first columns when playing the instrument.

13. A method of playing musical notes comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of first members each capable of producing a different first musical note;

b. arranging a plurality of first actuators in at least four first columns and two first rows perpendicular to the first columns;

c. connecting each first actuator to a respective first member;

d. playing all the first actuators in a first column only with a first finger, playing all the first actuators in a second column only with a second finger, playing all the first actuators in a third column only with a third finger, and playing all the actuators in a fourth column only with a fourth finger; and

e. causing the first members to produce notes corresponding to the respective first actuators that are played.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

a. the step of arranging a plurality of first actuators comprises the step of arranging a plurality of first actuators into first, second, third, fourth, and fifth first columns; and

b. the step of playing all the first actuators comprises the step of playing all the actuators in the first column only with the thumb, playing all the actuators in the second column only with the first finger, playing all the actuators in the third column only with the second finger, playing all the actuators in the fourth column only with the third finger, and playing all the actuators in the fifth column only with the fourth finger.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising the further steps of:

a. providing a plurality of second members each capable of producing a different second musical note;

b. arranging a plurality of second actuators into first, second, third, and fourth second columns between the first and second, second and third, third and fourth, and fourth and fifth first columns, respectively;

c. connecting each second actuator to a respective second member; and

d. causing the second members to produce notes corresponding to the respective second actuators that are played.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

a. the step of providing a plurality of first members comprises the step of providing a plurality of first members each capable of producing a different natural note; and

b. the step of producing a plurality of second members comprises the step of providing a plurality of second members each capable of producing a different sharp note,

so that playing the first actuators causes the first members to produce the respective corresponding natural notes, and playing the second actuators causes the second members to produce the respective corresponding sharp notes.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

a. the step of arranging a plurality of first actuators comprises the step of providing the first actuators with a first tactile feel to a person; and

b. the step of arranging a plurality of second actuators comprises the step of providing the second actuators with a second tactile feel to a person.