Portable electronic musical keyboard instrument

• US 7,361,826 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 081-0300 QUEBEC INC
• Original Assignee: 081-0300 QUEBEC INC
• Inventors: Brun, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLIKIN, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US11/397,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 844/23.R, 844/29, 844/68, 847/19, 847/44, 984/257
• US Class Current: 84/719
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 5/005 while playing, e.g. cord, strap or harness rests or guards as part of the instruments, see the particular instruments, e.g. G10D3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/221 Keyboards, i.e. configuration of several keys or key-like input devices relative to one another details of individual keys or key-like devices G10H2220/265; continuous keyboards or keyboards implementing specific musical scales, e.g. quartertone G10H2210/395; switch matrix keyboards, e.g. on guitar necks G10H2220/295
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/065 Spint piano, i.e. mimicking acoustic musical instruments with piano, cembalo or spinet features, e.g. with piano-like keyboard; Electrophonic aspects of piano-like acoustic keyboard instruments; MIDI-like control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/365 Ergonomy of electrophonic musical instruments

Abstract

A portable electronic musical device has a keyboard disposed in a housing connected to a strap and a support plate connected thereto for suspension of housing by strap on shoulders of a person while housing is simultaneously supported on waist of person to allow person to easily move from one geographical position to another while playing instrument. Housing is pivotally connected to support plate by at least one member defining an axis around which housing is rotatable to playing of instrument and to facilitate viewing of hands of person and keys of keyboard while user is playing instrument. To further facilitate playing of instrument and visibility of hands and keys housing is curved with keyboard generally aligned therewith.

Claims

1. A portable electronic musical keyboard instrument comprising:

a housing having an electronic musical keyboard housed therein and extending along a top portion thereof and situated generally opposite a bottom portion thereof, said electronic musical keyboard having a plurality of keys extending adjacent one another between longitudinally opposed first and second housing ends of said housing, said keys having respective generally opposed first key ends and second key ends situated respectively proximal first and second sides of said housing extending between said first and second housing ends and defining said top and bottom portions therewith, said first side being situated proximal a person when playing said instrument, said top portion and said electronic musical keyboard being curved generally vertically away from said first and second housing ends towards a first apex situated at a central position of said housing situated generally centrally between said first and second housing ends;

a support plate;

at least one elongate member connecting said support plate to said housing; and

a strap connected to said member and to said housing, said strap and said support plate being respectively adapted for suspending said housing from at least one shoulder of said person and abuttingly contacting a waist of said person for supporting said housing on said waist.

2. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said electronic musical keyboard is disposed generally centrally between said first and second housing ends.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said housing is positionable in a rest position in which said top portion extends upwardly away from said first and second housing ends towards said central position.

4. The instrument of claim 3, wherein said first and second sides flare outwardly away from said central position toward each said housing end.

5. The instrument of claim 3, wherein said top portion is slanted, when said instrument is in said rest position, from said first side downwardly towards said second side at decreasing slope from said central position to each said housing end.

6. The instrument of claim 5, wherein said slope at said central position is approximately zero degrees (0°

).

7. The instrument of claim 3 wherein said housing is connected to said support plate by said at least one elongate member at said central position.

8. The instrument of claim 3, wherein said top portion is tapered inwardly toward said central position in proximity to each said housing end.

9. The instrument of claim 3, wherein each said housing end is tapered, from said second side to said first side, towards said central position.

10. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said keys have respective playing surfaces for engagement by fingers of said person while playing said instrument, said keys being configured on said top portion with said playing surfaces extending in parallel alignment with said top portion.

11. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said bottom portion is curved to define a bottom portion curve extending between said first and second housing ends.

12. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said bottom portion extends generally parallel to said top portion between said first and second housing ends.

13. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said top portion has a hand plate extending from said keyboard, at said first key ends, to said first side, said hand plate being sized and shaped for contacting engagement by at least one of a hand and a wrist of said person while playing said instrument.

14. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said strap has strap adjustment means for adjusting length of said strap.

15. The instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one elongate member comprises a first member pivotally mounted on said support plate and defining a first axis around which said housing is rotatable.

16. The instrument of claim 15, wherein at least one of said first member and said strap has a strap connecting means for connecting said strap to said first member, said strap connecting means and said first member being rotatable relative one another around said first axis.

17. The instrument of claim 16, further comprising a strap positioning means for retaining said strap connecting means on a fixed portion of said first member defined by said strap positioning means.

18. The instrument of claim 15, further comprising a first member connecting means and wherein said at least one elongate member further comprises a second member connecting said housing and said first member to one another, said second member being pivotally adjustably connected to said first member by said first member connecting means which defines a second axis around which said second member, and thereby said housing, can be selectively rotated relative said first member.

19. The instrument of claim 18, further comprising a second member connecting means pivotally adjustably connecting said second member to said housing, said second member connecting means defining a fourth axis around which said housing can be selectively rotated relative said second member.

20. The instrument of claim 15, wherein said at least one elongate member further comprises a second member connecting said housing and said first member, said second member being selectively telescopically extensible along a third axis defined by said second member.

21. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said at least one elongate member is connected to said housing on said bottom portion.