White key of keyboard instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9508325-B2
Application number	US-201514880113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A white key of a keyboard instrument includes: an upper wall elongated in a front and rear direction; and a pair of side walls extending downward respectively from right and left edges of the upper wall and each elongated in the front and rear direction. The upper wall and the pair of side walls define an inner space opening downward. The upper wall and the pair of side walls include: a narrow portion and a wide portion wider in a right and left direction. The white key has right and left portions with respect to a center line of the narrow portion. The right and left portions are different in construction to adjust a balance of load between the right and left portions with respect to the center line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A white key of a keyboard instrument, the white key comprising:
an upper wall elongated in a front and rear direction; and
a pair of side walls extending downward respectively from right and left edges of the upper wall and each elongated in the front and rear direction,
the upper wall and the pair of side walls defining an inner space opening downward,
the upper wall and the pair of side walls comprising a narrow portion and a wide portion that is greater than the narrow portion in width in a right and left direction,
the white key comprising right and left portions located respectively to right and left of a center line of the narrow portion in the right and left direction,
a one-side portion as one of the right and left portions and an other-side portion as another of the right and left portions being different from each other in construction to adjust a balance of load between the right and left portions with respect to the center line.

2. The white key according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion or an entirety of the upper wall in the one-side portion is greater than a thickness of the upper wall in the other-side portion, or a thickness of a portion or an entirety of one of the pair of side walls in the one-side portion is greater than a thickness of another of the pair of side walls in the other-side portion.

3. The white key according to claim 1 , wherein a weight is secured to a portion or an entirety of an inside surface of the upper wall in the one-side portion, or a weight is secured to a portion or an entirety of an inside surface of one of the pair of side walls in the one-side portion.

4. The white key according to claim 1 , wherein the one-side portion and the other-side portion are different from each other in construction in the wide portion.

5. The white key according to claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the pair of side walls comprises an inside corner portion which divides the at least one side wall into a front side wall and a rear side wall in the front and rear direction,
wherein the narrow portion is located at a rear of the inside corner portion of the white key, and
wherein the wide portion is located in front of the inside corner portion of the white key.

6. The white key according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in the other-side wall and is not formed in the one-side wall, and
wherein a thickness of a portion or an entirety of a portion of the upper wall which is nearer to the one-side wall than to the other-side wall is greater than that of a portion or an entirety of a portion of the upper wall which is nearer to the other-side wall than to the one-side wall.

7. The white key according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in each of the one-side wall and the other-side wall,
wherein the inside corner portion formed in the other-side wall is greater than the inside corner portion formed in the one-side wall in width in the right and left direction, and
wherein a thickness of a portion or an entirety of a portion of the upper wall which is nearer to the one-side wall than to the other-side wall is greater than that of a portion or an entirety of a portion of the upper wall which is nearer to the other-side wall than to the one-side wall.

8. The white key according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in the other-side wall and is not formed in the one-side wall, and
wherein a thickness of the one-side wall in the right and left direction is greater than that of the other-side wall in the right and left direction.

9. The white key according to claim 5 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in each of the one-side wall and the other-side wall,
wherein the inside corner portion formed in the other-side wall is greater than the inside corner portion formed in the one-side wall in width in the right and left direction, and
wherein a thickness of the one-side wall in the right and left direction is greater than that of the other-side wall in the right and left direction.

10. The white key according to claim 3 ,
wherein at least one of the pair of side walls comprises an inside corner portion which divides the at least one side wall into a front side wall and a rear side wall in the front and rear direction,
wherein the narrow portion is located at a rear of the inside corner portion of the white key, and
wherein the wide portion is located in front of the inside corner portion of the white key.

11. The white key according to claim 10 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in the other-side wall and is not formed in the one-side wall, and
wherein the weight is mounted on the inside surface of the upper wall in the one-side portion and is not mounted on the inside surface of the upper wall in the one-side portion.

12. The white key according to claim 10 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in each of the one-side wall and the other-side wall,
wherein the inside corner portion formed in the other-side wall is greater than the inside corner portion formed in the one-side wall in width in the right and left direction, and
wherein the weight is mounted on the inside surface of the upper wall in the one-side portion and is not mounted on the inside surface of the upper wall in the one-side portion.

13. The white key according to claim 10 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in the other-side wall and is not formed in the one-side wall, and
wherein the weight is mounted on the inside surface of the one-side wall and is not mounted on the inside surface of the other-side wall.

14. The white key according to claim 10 ,
wherein the pair of side walls comprise a one-side wall in the one-side portion and an other-side wall in the other-side portion,
wherein the inside corner portion is formed in each of the one-side wall and the other-side wall,
wherein the inside corner portion formed in the other-side wall is greater than the inside corner portion formed in the one-side wall in width in the right and left direction, and
wherein the weight is mounted on the inside surface of the one-side wall and is not mounted on the inside surface of the other-side wall.

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Shin

Classifications

• G10C3/12 Primary

  Keyboards; Keys · CPC title