Hammer assembly, keyboard instrument, and hammer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10636394-B2
Application number	US-201916536424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A hammer assembly includes: a pivot member that pivots about a pivot axis; and a weight supported by the pivot member and including a plate portion. The plate portion has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The plate portion has: a first region with a thickness defined by a length between the first surface and the second surface in a pivot-axis direction at a portion farthest from the pivot axis; and a second region with a thickness greater than that in the first region. In a case where the areas of the first region and the second region on a projected plane when the first region and the second region are viewed in the pivot-axis direction are compared with each other, the area of the first region is less than the area of the second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hammer assembly, comprising:
a pivot member configured to pivot about a pivot axis; and
a weight supported by the pivot member and comprising a plate portion extending in a direction intersecting the pivot axis, the weight having a specific gravity greater than that of the pivot member,
wherein the plate portion comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
wherein the plate portion comprises: a first region with a thickness defined by a length between the first surface and the second surface in a pivot-axis direction at a portion farthest from the pivot axis; and a second region with a thickness greater than that in the first region, and in a case where the areas of the first region and the second region on a projected plane when the first region and the second region are viewed in the pivot-axis direction are compared with each other, the area of the first region is less than the area of the second region.

2. A hammer assembly, comprising:
a pivot member configured to pivot about a pivot axis; and
a weight supported by the pivot member and having a specific gravity greater than that of the pivot member,
wherein the hammer assembly further comprises a plate portion comprising at least the weight and extending in a direction intersecting the pivot axis,
wherein the plate portion comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
wherein the plate portion comprises: a first region with a thickness defined by a length between the first surface and the second surface in a pivot-axis direction at a portion farthest from the pivot axis; and a second region with a thickness greater than that in the first region, and in a case where the areas of the first region and the second region on a projected plane when the first region and the second region are viewed in the pivot-axis direction are compared with each other, the area of the first region is less than the area of the second region.

3. The hammer assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot member is configured to cover at least a surface of a portion of the weight, which surface extends in a direction directed along the pivot axis.

4. The hammer assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first region is a region with a first thickness that is a length between the first surface and the second surface in the pivot-axis direction at a portion of the plate portion which is located farthest from the pivot axis in the plate portion, and
wherein the second region is an entire region with a thickness greater than the first thickness in the plate portion.

5. The hammer assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the second region comprises: a region with a second thickness greater than the first thickness; and a region with a third thickness greater than the second thickness.

6. The hammer assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the region with the third thickness is located nearer to the pivot axis than the region with the second thickness in the second region.

7. The hammer assembly according to claim 6 , wherein a step is formed between the region with the third thickness and the region with the second thickness.

8. A keyboard instrument, comprising:
a plurality of hammer assemblies each as the hammer assembly according to claim 1 ; and
a plurality of keys each configured to cause pivotal movement of a corresponding one of the plurality of hammer assemblies when pressed.

9. The keyboard instrument according to claim 8 , wherein a distance, in the direction directed along the pivot axis, between adjacent two of the plurality of hammer assemblies increases with increase in distance from the pivot axis.

10. A hammer configured to pivot about a pivot axis, the hammer comprising a plate portion extending in a direction intersecting the pivot axis,
wherein the plate portion comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
wherein the plate portion comprises: a first region with a thickness defined by a length between the first surface and the second surface in a pivot-axis direction at a portion farthest from the pivot axis; and a second region with a thickness greater than that in the first region, and in a case where the areas of the first region and the second region on a projected plane in the pivot-axis direction are compared with each other, the area of the first region is less than the area of the second region.

11. A hammer assembly, comprising:
a pivot member configured to pivot about a pivot axis; and
a weight supported by the pivot member and comprising a plate portion extending in a direction intersecting a pivot-axis direction in which the pivot axis extends, the weight having a specific gravity greater than that of the pivot member,
wherein a thickness of the plate portion which is defined by a length in the pivot-axis direction between a first surface of the plate portion and a second surface of the plate portion which is opposite to the first surface is a first thickness at a first position farthest from the pivot axis in the plate portion, and the thickness of the plate portion is a second thickness greater than the first thickness at a second position located nearer to the pivot axis than the first position.

12. The hammer assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the plate portion is a third thickness greater than the second thickness, at a third position located nearer to the pivot axis than the second position.

13. The hammer assembly according to claim 11 , wherein a length of the plate portion in an up and down direction at the third position is greater than a length of the plate portion in the up and down direction at the first position.

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• Takahashi Ken

Classifications

• G10C3/12 Primary

  Keyboards; Keys · CPC title

• G10C3/16

  Actions · CPC title

• G10C3/18 Primary

  Hammers · CPC title

• G10H1/346

  Keys with an arrangement for simulating the feeling of a piano key, e.g. using counterweights, springs, cams · CPC title

• G10H1/055

  by switches with variable impedance elements · CPC title