Keyboard instrument and fallboard structure thereof

Abstract

A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument capable of selectively shielding or opening the inside of the instrument from or toward a player. A fallboard covers a keyboard section when it is closed, and permits the keyboard section to be operated for performance when it is open. A front plate pivotally supports the fallboard and shields a space upward and rearward of the keyboard section against a player when it is in a first state. When the fallboard is made open and engaging portions of the front plate are moved along displacement guides provided at supporting portions disposed at side portions of a keybed, the front plate is moved in unison with the fallboard and changed to a second state where the space upward and rearward of the keyboard section is open toward the player.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a keyboard instrument to which a fallboard structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the inside of a body of the keyboard instrument;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing an A portion in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front view showing a right side part of the instrument body;

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the fallboard structure;

FIG. 6 is a right side view showing the fallboard structure, with an opening/closing fallboard unit being in a half-open state;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the fallboard structure, in which the opening/closing fallboard unit set in a fully open state is being accommodated into the instrument body;

FIG. 8 is a right side view showing the fallboard structure in a state where the opening/closing fallboard unit has been accommodated into the instrument body;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section view showing a front part of a panel section;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view showing a cover member;

FIG. 11A is a fragmentary side view showing a modification of a guide groove; and

FIG. 11B is a section view showing a modification of the cover member.

Claims

1. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument including an instrument body (101), a keybed (21) having side portions and provided in the instrument body, and a keyboard section (KB) having a rear portion (KBa) and provided in the instrument body, the fallboard structure comprising: a pair of left and right supporting portions (23, 22) fixed to the keybed of the instrument body and respectively disposed at the side portions of the keybed;a fallboard (60) capable of being selectively made in a closed state and an open state, said fallboard covering the keyboard section when it is in the closed state and permitting the keyboard section to be operated for performance when it is in the open state;a front plate (65) having side portions and at least one pivot shaft (63) and having a width thereof at least equal to that of the keyboard section, said front plate being capable of having at least first and second states of posture, said front plate supporting said fallboard so as to be pivotable around said pivot shaft in opening and closing directions and shielding a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section against a player when it is in the first state of posture;a pair of left and right engaging portions (69) provided at the side portions of said front plate; anda pair of left and right displacement guides (45) provided in inner sides of respective ones of said supporting portions so as to correspond to said engaging portions;wherein when said fallboard is made in the open state and each of said engaging portions of said front plate is caused to move along a corresponding one of the displacement guides, said front plate is caused to move in unison with said fallboard and changed over from the first state of posture to the second state of posture, whereby the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is made open toward the player.

2. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument including an instrument body (101), and a keyboard section (KB) having a rear portion (KBa) and provided in the instrument body, the fallboard structure comprising: a fallboard (60) capable of being selectively made in a closed state and an open state, said fallboard covering the keyboard section when it is in the closed state, and permitting the keyboard section to be operated for performance when it is in the open state;a front plate (65) having at least one first pivot shaft (63) and having a width that is at least equal to that of the keyboard section, said front plate being capable of being selectively made in at least first and second states of posture, said front plate supporting said fallboard so as to be pivotable around said first pivot shaft in opening and closing directions, said front plate having an end portion which is positioned on a lower side, and shielding a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section against a player when it is in the first state, said first pivot shaft being located at the end portion that is on the lower side when said front plate is in the first state; anda pair of left and right pivotably holding members (42) each having a second pivot shaft (67) and provided in the instrument body, said pivotably holding members supporting said front plate so as to be pivotable around said second pivot shafts, said second pivot shafts being located upward of said first pivot shaft when said front plate is in the first state;wherein when said fallboard is made in the open state and said front plate is caused to rotate around said second pivot shafts, said front plate is caused to be pivoted together with said fallboard so that said front plate is changed over from the first state of posture to the second state of posture, whereby the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is made open toward the player.

3. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument including an instrument body (101), a keybed (21) having side portions and provided in the instrument body, and a keyboard section (KB) having a rear portion (KBa) and provided in the instrument body, the fallboard structure comprising: a pair of left and right supporting portions (23, 22) fixed to the keybed of the instrument body and respectively located at the side portions of the keybed;a fallboard (60) capable of being selectively made in a closed state and an open state, said fallboard covering the keyboard section when it is in the closed state and permitting the keyboard section to be operated for performance when it is in the open state;a front plate (65) having side portions and at least one first pivot shaft (63) and having a width thereof at least equal to that of the keyboard section, and being capable of being selectively made in at least first and second states of posture, said front plate holding said fallboard so as to be pivotable around said first pivot shaft in opening and closing directions, said front plate having an end portion that is located on a lower side, and shielding a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section against a player when it is in the first state, said first pivot shaft being located at the end portion that is positioned on the lower side when the front plate is in the first state;a pair of left and right pivotably holding members (42) having a second pivot shaft (67) and provided in said supporting portion, said pivotably holding members holding said front plate so as to be pivotable around said second pivot shafts, said second pivot shafts being located upward of said first pivot shaft when said front plate is in the first state;a pair of left and right engaging portions provided at the side portions of said front plate; anda pair of left and right displacement guides (45) provided inside of respective ones of said supporting portions so as to correspond to said engaging portions and each having an arc portion (45a) thereof extending around said second pivot shaft;wherein when said fallboard is made in the open state and said front plate is caused to be pivoted around said second pivot shafts, said engaging portions are moved along the displacement guides and said front plate is moved together with said fallboard so that said front plate is changed over from the first state of posture to the second state of posture, whereby the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is made open toward the player.

4. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one retainer (45b, 46) for maintaining said front plate in the second state.

5. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one electronic instrument's functional element (11, 12, and 13) disposed in the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section which is open toward the player when said front plate is in the second state.

6. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 1, wherein said fallboard and said front plate are in a folded state where they face each other when said fallboard is in the open state, and when said fallboard is in the open state and said front plate is in the second state, said fallboard and said front plate can be accommodated into the instrument body by causing them to slidingly move in a rearward direction.

7. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument including an instrument body (101), a keybed (21) having side portions and provided in the instrument body, and a keyboard section (KB) having a rear portion (KBa) and provided in the instrument body, the fallboard structure comprising: a pair of left and right supporting portions (23, 22) fixed to the keybed of the instrument body and located at the side portions of the keybed;a fallboard (60) capable of being selectively made in a closed state and an open state;a fallboard holder (65) having at least one first pivot shaft (63) and holding said fallboard so as to be pivotable around said first pivot shaft in opening and closing directions; anda pair of left and right movable holder members (42) each having a second pivot shaft (67) and disposed for slide motion relative to said supporting portion in a longitudinal direction of keys, said movable holder members being for making said fallboard holder pivotable around said second pivot shafts and for selectively holding said fallboard holder in at least first and second states, said fallboard holder being flipped up from the first state when it is made in the second state;wherein when said fallboard holder is in the first state and said fallboard is in the closed state, the keyboard section is covered by said fallboard,when said fallboard is in the open state, the keyboard section can be made operative for performance;when said fallboard holder is in the first state and said fallboard is in the open state, said fallboard and said fallboard holder are made in a flip-up state by causing said fallboard holder to be pivoted together with said fallboard around said second pivot shafts to bring said fallboard holder in the second state; andsaid fallboard and said fallboard holder are made accommodated in the instrument body by causing said movable holder members to slidingly move in a rearward direction while maintaining said fallboard and said fallboard holder in the flip-up state.

8. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 7, wherein when said fallboard holder is in the first state, a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is shielded against a player by said fallboard holder, whereas the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is open toward the player when said fallboard holder is in the second state.

9. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 7, wherein the instrument body is provided with a pair of left and right displacement guides (45) for guiding a pivotal motion of said fallboard holder around said second pivot shafts.

10. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 9, wherein said fallboard holder has a width thereof at least equal to that of the keyboard section and has side portions thereof provided with a pair of left and right engaging portions (69), and said displacement guides are provided so as to correspond to respective ones of said engaging portions and each have an arc portion (45a) centered on said second pivot shaft, and when said fallboard holder is not in the second state, the movable holder member is prevented from slidingly moving in a rearward direction due to engagement between the arc portion of said displacement guide and said engaging portion.

11. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 9, wherein each of said displacement guides is provided with a retainer (45b, 46) for maintaining said fallboard and said fallboard holder in the flip-up state.

12. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 11, wherein said retainer is a longitudinal motion guide portion (45b) of each of said displacement guides, which is provided in a front-to-rear direction so as to be formed continuously with said arc portion and configured to maintain said fallboard and said fallboard holder in the flip-up state when said movable holder member is in a slide motion process.

13. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument according to claim 7, wherein: when said fallboard holder is in the first state, said second pivot shafts are located upward of said first pivot shaft, androtational moment around said second pivot shafts generated due to application of weight of said fallboard via said first pivot shaft to said fallboard holder when said fallboard holder is in the first state is exerted in a direction for resisting changeover of said fallboard holder from the first state to the second state.

14. A keyboard instrument comprising: a keyboard section (KB) comprised of a plurality of keys and having a rear portion (KBa);an opening/closing fallboard (UNT) capable of opening and closing the keyboard section and of opening and closing a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section relative to a player, said opening/closing fallboard capable of selectively assuming a first state where only the keyboard section is made in an open state to thereby permit the keyboard section to be operated for performance and a second state where both the keyboard section and the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section are made in an open state thereby permitting the keyboard section to be operated for performance;a cover member (70, 80) having a semi light-transparent portion (73, 81a) and located at a location that is visible through a gap between said opening/closing fallboard placed in the first state and the keyboard section, said cover member being disposed so as to cover the rear portion of the keyboard section; anda plurality of optical display sections (72, 82) disposed inside said cover member so as to correspond to respective ones of the plurality of keys of the keyboard section, light being visible through the semi light-transparent portion from the player only when any one of said optical display sections emits light having not less than predetermined brightness.

15. A keyboard instrument according to claim 14, wherein said cover member is comprised of a cover body (71) and said semi light-transparent portion, and said semi light-transparent portion is comprised of a sheet member (73) having a semi-light transparency and disposed to face said optical display sections in said cover body.

16. A keyboard instrument according to claim 14, further comprising: at least one electronic instrument's functional element (11, 12, and 13) disposed in the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section which is open toward the player when said opening/closing fallboard is in the second state.

17. A fallboard structure of a keyboard instrument including an instrument body (101), a keybed (21) having side portions and provided in the instrument body, and a keyboard section (KB) having a rear portion (KBa) and provided in the instrument body, the fallboard structure comprising: a pair of left and right supporting portions (23, 22) fixed to the keybed of the instrument body and respectively disposed at the side portions of the keybed;a fallboard (60) capable of being selectively made in a closed state and an open state, said fallboard covering the keyboard section when it is in the closed state and permitting the keyboard section to be operated for performance when it is in the open state; anda front plate (65) having side portions and at least one pivot shaft (63) and having a width thereof at least equal to that of the keyboard section, said front plate being capable of having at least first and second states of posture, said front plate supporting said fallboard so as to be pivotable around said pivot shaft in opening and closing directions and shielding a space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section against a player when it is in the first state of posture,wherein when said fallboard is made in the open state and said front plate is caused to move, said front plate is moved in unison with said fallboard and changed over from the first state of posture to the second state of posture, whereby the space upward of the rear portion of the keyboard section is made open toward the player.