Keyboard lid opening and closing apparatus and keyboard instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9430993-B2
Application number	US-201414575995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

The present invention includes a keyboard lid which is constituted by a front lid and a rear lid whose lengths in the front-rear direction of a keyboard section provided in an instrument case are different from each other being foldably connected to each other by a coupling member, and openably and closably covers the keyboard section; a rotary fulcrum section which supports the rear end portion of the rear lid such that the rear lid is rotatable with respect to the instrument case, and by which the keyboard lid is mountain-folded and the front lid is held upright above the rear portion of the keyboard section when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section; and a guide section which guides the front end portion of the front lid in the front-rear direction of the keyboard section. Accordingly, the keyboard lid can be stably and smoothly opened or closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyboard instrument comprising:
a keyboard section;
an instrument case in which the keyboard section is provided;
a keyboard lid which has a front lid and a rear lid connected by a coupling member such that the keyboard lid is foldable, and exposes the keyboard section in a folded state;
a rotary fulcrum section which is provided above the keyboard section, and rotates a rear end portion of the rear lid so that the rear lid is held above the keyboard section with a front end portion of the rear lid being positioned higher than the rear end portion of the rear lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section;
a groove section which is provided in an inner surface of the instrument case, and includes a groove extending along an upper side of the keyboard section from a front end portion of the keyboard section to the rotary fulcrum section; and
a guide projection section which is inserted into the groove;
wherein the guide projection section is positioned at a front end portion of the groove, when the keyboard lid closes the keyboard section, and is moved toward the rotary fulcrum section along the groove, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section; and
wherein a front end portion of the front lid is guided toward an area below the rotary fulcrum section so that the front lid is held above keyboard section with a rear end portion of the front lid being positioned higher than the front end portion of the front lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section.

2. The keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the instrument case further includes a base plate and a cover plate which covers a rear end portion of the keyboard section.

3. The keyboard instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the rotary fulcrum section comprises a shaft section positioned above the cover plate, and a bearing section which has a cylindrical shape and is provided on an upper side of the rear end portion of the rear lid, the rotary fulcrum section being structured such that the rear lid is vertically rotatable around the shaft section with the shaft section being inserted in the bearing section.

4. The keyboard instrument according to claim 3 , wherein a length of the front lid in a front-rear direction is longer than a length of the rear lid in the front-rear direction.

5. The keyboard instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft section of the rotary fulcrum section is provided at a position higher than a position of the groove section provided above the cover plate.

6. The keyboard instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the shaft section of the rotary fulcrum section is provided at a position which is higher than the position of the groove section and at which the shaft section does not come in contact with the guide projection section inserted in the groove section when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section.

7. The keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an energizing member which forces surfaces of the front lid and the rear lid that oppose the keyboard section in directions where the surfaces are tilted and come close to each other.

8. The keyboard instrument according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a first braking section which resiliently brakes the front end portion of the front lid when the keyboard lid is closed to cover the keyboard section; and
a second braking section which resiliently brakes the front end portion of the front lid when the keyboard lid is opened to expose the keyboard section.

9. The keyboard instrument according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a lock section which disengageably locks the front end portion of the front lid when the keyboard lid is opened to expose the keyboard section.

10. The keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary fulcrum section is provided above a rear portion of the keyboard section, and rotates a rear end portion of the rear lid so that the rear lid is held upright above the rear portion of the keyboard section with a front end portion of the rear lid being positioned higher than the rear end portion of the rear lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section, and
wherein the front end portion of the front lid is guided toward the area below the rotary fulcrum section so that the front lid is held upright above the rear portion of the keyboard section with the rear end portion of the front lid being positioned higher than the front end portion of the front lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section.

11. The keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a circuit section which outputs a signal that generates a musical sound in response to a key depression operation on the keyboard section.

12. The keyboard instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a music stand section which is provided on a surface of a front plate.

13. A keyboard lid opening and closing apparatus comprising:
an instrument case provided with a keyboard section;
a keyboard lid which has a front lid and a rear lid connected by a coupling member such that the keyboard lid is foldable, and exposes the keyboard section in a folded state;
a rotary fulcrum section which is provided above the keyboard section, and rotates a rear end portion of the rear lid so that the rear lid is held above the keyboard section with a front end portion of the rear lid being positioned higher than the rear end portion of the rear lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section;
a groove section which is provided in an inner surface of the instrument case, and includes a groove extending along an upper side of the keyboard section from a front end portion of the keyboard section to the rotary fulcrum section; and
a guide projection section which is inserted into the groove,
wherein the guide projection section is positioned at a front end portion of the groove, when the keyboard lid closes the keyboard section, and is moved toward the rotary fulcrum section along the groove, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section, and
wherein a front end portion of the front lid is guided toward an area below the rotary fulcrum section so that the front lid is held above keyboard section with a rear end portion of the front lid being positioned higher than the front end portion of the front lid, when the keyboard lid exposes the keyboard section.

14. An operation unit cover opening and closing apparatus comprising:
a case provided with a operation unit;
an operation unit cover which has a front cover and a rear cover connected by a coupling member such that the operation unit cover is foldable, and exposes the operation unit in a folded state;
a rotary fulcrum section which is provided above the operation unit, and rotates a rear end portion of the rear cover so that the rear cover is held above the operation unit with a front end portion of the rear cover being positioned higher than the rear end portion of the rear cover, when the operation unit exposes the operation unit;
a groove section which is provided in an inner surface of the instrument case, and includes a groove extending along an upper side of the operation unit from a front end portion of the operation unit to the rotary fulcrum section; and
a guide projection section which is inserted into the groove,
wherein the guide projection section is positioned at a front end portion of the groove, when the operation unit cover closes the operation unit, and is moved toward the rotary fulcrum section along the groove, when the operation unit cover exposes the operation unit, and
wherein a front end portion of the

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagatsuma Shigeyuki

Classifications

• G10H1/32

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G10C3/02 Primary

  Cases · CPC title

• G10C3/12

  Keyboards; Keys · CPC title