Support assembly and keyboard apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9812108-B2
Application number	US-201615287440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A support assembly including a support rotatably disposed with respect to a frame, a repetition lever hinge mounted to the support, and a repetition lever supported by the repetition lever hinge and rotatably disposed with respect to the support, wherein the repetition lever has a contact surface and the contact surface contacts a hammer shank roller provided to a hammer shank for rotating a hammer, and the repetition lever hinge is mounted to the support in a mounting direction that crosses with a tangent-line direction of a line tangent to the hammer shank roller at the contact between the hammer shank roller and the contact surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support assembly comprising:
a support rotatably disposed with respect to a frame;
a repetition lever hinge mounted to the support; and
a repetition lever supported by the repetition lever hinge and rotatably disposed with respect to the support, wherein
the repetition lever has a contact surface and the contact surface contacts a hammer shank roller provided to a hammer shank for rotating a hammer, and
the repetition lever hinge is mounted to the support in a mounting direction that crosses with a tangent-line direction of a line tangent to the hammer shank roller at the contact between the hammer shank roller and the contact surface.

2. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting direction of the repetition lever hinge is defined by a plane and the tangent-line direction is defined by a plane.

3. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the repetition lever hinge is oriented in a direction parallel to a direction of a force of the hammer shank roller acting on the repetition lever.

4. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a coupling portion of the repetition lever hinge coupled to the repetition lever is tilted to a rotation center side of the support from one end on the support side.

5. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the repetition lever hinge is tilted with respect to the direction of the tangent line of the line of contact where the hammer shank roller makes contact with the repetition lever.

6. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the repetition lever and the repetition lever hinge are integrally formed.

7. The support assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the repetition lever and the repetition lever hinge includes a resin-made structure.

8. A keyboard apparatus comprising:
a plurality of support assemblies; and
keys disposed correspondingly to respective support assemblies among the plurality of support assemblies;
wherein
each of the support assemblies includes:
a support rotatably disposed with respect to a frame;
a repetition lever hinge mounted to the support; and
a repetition lever supported by the repetition lever hinge and rotatably disposed with respect to the support, wherein the repetition lever has a contact surface and the contact surface contacts a hammer shank roller provided to a hammer shank for rotating a hammer, and
the repetition lever hinge is mounted to the support in a mounting direction that crosses with a tangent-line direction of a line tangent to the hammer shank roller at the contact between the hammer shank roller and the contact surface.

9. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising:
a sound output unit for outputting a sound signal generated in accordance with key pressing of a key among the keys.

10. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising:
a string for generating a sound by striking a hammer in accordance with key pressing of a key among the keys.

11. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the repetition lever hinge is oriented in a direction parallel to a direction of a force of the hammer shank roller acting on the repetition lever.

12. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a coupling portion of the repetition lever hinge coupled to the repetition lever is oriented to a rotation center side of the support from one end on the support side.

13. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the repetition lever hinge is tilted with respect to the direction of the tangent line of the point of contact where the hammer shank roller makes contact with the repetition lever.

14. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the repetition lever and the repetition lever hinge are integrally formed.

15. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the repetition lever and the repetition lever hinge include a resin-made structure.

16. The support assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic body which provides a rotational force to the repetition lever;
an elastic body support portion supporting the elastic body; and
a contact portion protruding from the repetition lever and contacting with the elastic body,
wherein an elastic force of the elastic body acts at the contact portion in a direction orthogonal to the tangent line.

17. The support assembly according to claim 16 , further comprising a jack rotatably disposed with respect to the support,
wherein an elastic force of the elastic body acts on the jack.

18. The support assembly according to claim 17 ,
wherein the repetition lever includes two plate-shaped members for interposition from sides of both side surfaces of the jack.

19. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sound output unit comprises:
a loudspeaker for outputting the sound signal generated in accordance with key pressing of a key among the keys.

20. The keyboard apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sound output unit comprises:
a terminal for outputting the sound signal generated in accordance with key pressing of a key among the keys.

21. The support assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the elastic body is a coil spring.

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• OHBA Akito

Classifications

• G10C3/24

  Repetition [tremolo] mechanisms · CPC title

• G10C3/22

  specially adapted for grand pianos · CPC title

• G10H1/346 Primary

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

• G10C3/16

  Actions · CPC title

• G10C3/168

  with hanging jacks, i.e. jacks connected to hammer-butts or hammer-shanks · CPC title