Upright keyboard instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11037533-B2
Application number	US-202016823189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

An upright keyboard instrument reduced in depth dimension and compact as a whole. Damper levers each extend in a vertical direction and are pivotally movably supported at or in the vicinity of a longitudinal center thereof, in a side-by-side arrangement in a left-right direction at a location rearward of actions. A damper rod extends in a left-right direction. A pedal rod extends in the vertical direction and is disposed forward of the damper levers, so as to be moved upward by depression of a pedal. A damper lever drive mechanism is provided between a longitudinal end of the damper rod and an upper end of the pedal rod and drives lower portions of the damper levers such that the lower portions are pressed rearward by moving the damper rod rearward in accordance with upward movement of the pedal rod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upright keyboard instrument in which a plurality of keys and actions associated with the respective keys are arranged side by side in a left-right direction, comprising:
a plurality of damper levers each of which extends in a vertical direction and is pivotally movably supported at or in the vicinity of a longitudinal center thereof, the damper levers being provided in association with the actions, respectively, and arranged side by side in the left-right direction at a location rearward of the actions;
a damper rod which extends in the left-right direction and is supported in a manner movable in a front-rear direction in a state brought into contact with lower portions of the respective damper levers from a front side;
a pedal rod which extends in the vertical direction and is disposed forward of the damper levers, the pedal rod being configured to be moved upward by depression of a pedal; and
a damper lever drive mechanism which is provided between a longitudinal end of the damper rod and an upper end of the pedal rod and is configured to drive the lower portions of the respective damper levers such that the lower portions of the respective damper levers are pressed rearward by moving the damper rod rearward in accordance with upward movement of the pedal rod.

2. The upright keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the damper rod is configured to be pivotally movable about a pivotal portion located thereabove between a standby position where the damper rod is positioned when the pedal is in a non-operated state and a pressing position for pressing the damper levers rearward, and has a rod lever provided at a longitudinal end thereof and extending downward over a predetermined length, and
wherein the damper lever drive mechanism includes:
a pressing member which is in contact with a front surface of the rod lever and in engagement with the upper end of the pedal rod and is configured to press the rod lever rearward, and
a pivotal movement support configured to pivotally support the pressing member.

3. The upright keyboard instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the pressing member includes:
a contact portion which extends in the front-rear direction over a predetermined length and has a rear end thereof held in contact with the front surface of the rod lever,
a pivotally movable portion which extends below the rod lever in the front-rear direction over a predetermined length, and has a front end thereof, which is located forward of the pivotal portion, held in engagement with the upper end of the pedal rod, and a rear end thereof, which is located rearward of the pivotal portion, supported by the pivotal movement support such that the pivotally movable portion is pivotally movable about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and
a connection portion which connects between a front end of the contact portion and the front end of the pivotally movable portion.

4. The upright keyboard instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the contact portion is configured such that the rear end thereof to be brought into contact with the rod lever is movable in the front-rear direction.

5. The upright keyboard instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the contact portion includes:
a support portion which extends in the front-rear direction over a predetermined length and is continuous with the connection portion, and
a contact portion body which extends in the front-rear direction over a predetermined length and is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction in a state placed on the support portion, the contact portion body being fixed to the support portion, in a state protruding rearward of the support portion.

Assignees

• Kk Kawai Gakki Seisakusho

Inventors

• Yamashita Mitsuo
• Ichihara Hikari

Classifications

• G10C3/26

  Pedals or pedal mechanisms (G10C3/14 takes precedence); Manually operated sound modification means · CPC title

• G10C3/166 Primary

  for damping the strings (G10C3/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10C3/161

  specially adapted for upright pianos · CPC title

• G10C3/12

  Keyboards; Keys · CPC title

• G10C1/02

  of upright pianos · CPC title