Keyboard musical instrument with fallboard located at proper position and rotary connector used for fallboard

Abstract

A front fallboard, a rear fallboard and a hinge connected between them form in combination a fallboard assembly connected between side arms of a piano cabinet by means of a pair of rotary connectors, and each of the rotary connectors includes a front metal plate connected to the side surface of the front fallboard, a rear metal plate connected to the bottom surface of the side art defining a recess and a rotary damper; since the recess is wider than the rear metal plate already combined with the rotary damper, the rear metal plate is movable on a virtual plane defined by a fore-and-aft direction and an up-and-down direction; while a worker is seeking the optimum positions of the rotary connectors, self-tapping screws keep the rear metal plates in the recesses so that the worker drives woodscrews into the side arms through main holes or auxiliary holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the rotary connector and keyboard musical instrument will be more clearly understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a plane view showing essential parts of a keyboard musical instrument according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-out side view taking along line A-A of FIG. 1 and showing the structure of the keyboard musical instrument,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the component parts of a rotary connector,

FIG. 4 is a plane view showing a front portion of a side arm forming a part of the cabinet of the keyboard musical instrument,

FIGS. 5A to 5C are cross sectional views showing bolts and bolt holes formed in the side arm,

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a rotary connector provided between the cabinet and the fallboard assembly,

FIG. 7 is a partially cut-out side view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 and showing the behavior of the fallboard assembly UNT,

FIG. 8 is a partially cut-out side view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 and showing the fallboard assembly folded during an assembling work,

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a rotary connector incorporated in another keyboard musical instrument of the present invention,

FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the rotary connector,

FIG. 11 is a rear view showing yet another rotary connector, and

FIG. 12 is a side view showing still another rotary connector.

Claims

1. A rotary connector provided between a case of a musical instrument and a cover plate rotatable about an axis extending in a lateral direction of said case, comprising: a stationary portion connected to one of said cover plate and said case;a rotatable portion connected to the other of said cover plate and said case, and rotatable with respect to said stationary portion; anda position adjuster provided in association with one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion, and permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved to an optimum position on a virtual plane defined by an up-and-down direction and an fore-and-aft direction of said case.

2. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 1, in which said position adjuster has a main fastener for fastening said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portions to associated one of said case and said cover plate in an assemblage between said case and said cover plate andan auxiliary fastener for fastening said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portions to said associated one of said case and said cover plate in another assemblage after a movement from the position in said assemblage to said optimum position.

3. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 2, in which said main fastener has a screw and a peripheral portion of said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion for defining a hole wider than a cross section of said screw so that said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion is two-dimensionally movable on said virtual plane.

4. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 3, in which said screw is a truss head self-tapping screw.

5. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 3, in which said main fastener further has another screw and another peripheral portion of said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion as wide as a cross section of said another screw.

6. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 5, in which said another screw has a countersunk head, and said another peripheral portion has a conical inner surface to be tightly held in contact with said countersunk head.

7. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 1, in which said position adjuster has a first position adjusting mechanism permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved in said up-and-down direction anda second position adjusting mechanism permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved in said fore-and-aft direction.

8. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 7, in which said first position adjusting mechanism has female screws formed in said case and extending in said up-and-down direction,a female screw formed in said one of said stationary portion and said movable portion and aligned with said female screws,male screws held in threaded engagement with said female screws and said female screw and rotatable with respect to said one of said stationary portion and said movable portion so as to move said one of said stationary and movable portions in said up-and-down direction andlock nuts held in threaded engagement with said male screws and prohibiting said male screws from the rotation.

9. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 7, in which said second position adjusting mechanism includes a first block located at a proper position with respect to said case by means of said first position adjusting mechanism,a second block movably supported by said first block,a rail formed in one of said first and second blocks and extending in said fore-and-aft direction,a guide groove formed in the other of said first and second blocks, extending in said fore-and-aft direction and receiving said rail so as to permit said stationary and movable portions and said case to change relative position therebetween in said fore-and-aft direction, anda fastener provided in association with one of said first and second blocks and fixing said stationary portion and said movable portion to said optimum position.

10. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 9, in which said fastener has a periphery of said one of said first and second blocks defining a hole elongated in said fore-and-aft direction,a female screw formed in the other of said first and second blocks anda male screw passing through said hole and held in threaded engagement with said female screw so as to press said one of said first and second blocks to said other of said first and second blocks.

11. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 1, in which said position adjuster includes a damper for exerting resistance on said cover plate while said cover plate is being moved from an open position to a closed position,a connecting member connected between said damper and said cover plate andanother connecting member connected between said damper and said case.

12. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 11, in which said damper has a cylinder having an inner space,a shaft inserted into said inner space anda damping mechanism provided in association with said shaft and generating said resistance.

13. The rotary connector as set forth in claim 12, in which said shaft is clamped between a movable finger and a stationary finger, and said movable portion has said movable finger and said stationary finger.

14. A musical instrument for producing tones, comprising: a case having a fore-and-aft direction, a lateral direction and an up-and-down direction;an array of manipulators arranged in said lateral direction for specifying a pitch of said tones, and mounted on said case;a cover plate supported by said case for preventing said array of manipulators from damages, and rotatable about an axis extending in said lateral direction;a tone generating system housed in said case, and connected to said array of manipulators for producing said tones; androtary connectors provided between said case and said cover plate, and each includinga stationary portion connected to one of said cover plate and said case,a rotatable portion connected to the other of said cover plate and said case and rotatable with respect to said stationary portion anda position adjuster provided in association with one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion, and permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved to an optimum position on a virtual plane defined by said up-and-down direction and said fore-and-aft direction.

15. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 14, in which said array of manipulators is a keyboard having white keys connected to said tone generating system and black keys connected to said tone generating system.

16. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 15, in which said tone generating system includes action units respectively connected to said white and black keys,hammers linked with said action units and selectively driven for rotation when associated one or ones of said black and white keys are depressed andstrings stretched in said case and opposed to said hammers so that said hammers are brought into collision therewith at the end of said rotation.

17. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 14, in which said cover plate has a rear board slidable on guide blocks of said case, anda front board rotatably connected to said case by means of said rotary connectors and hinged to said rear board so as to be folded over said rear portion when said array of manipulators are exposed to a player.

18. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 14, in which said position adjuster has a main fastener for fastening said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portions to associated one of said case and said cover plate in an assemblage between said case and said cover plate andan auxiliary fastener for fastening said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portions to said associated one of said case and said cover plate in another assemblage after a movement from the position in said assemblage to said optimum position.

19. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 14, in which said position adjuster has a first position adjusting mechanism permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved in said up-and-down direction anda second position adjusting mechanism permitting said one of said stationary portion and said rotatable portion to be moved in said fore-and-aft direction.

20. The keyboard musical instrument as set forth in claim 14, in which said position adjuster includes a damper for exerting resistance on said cover plate while said cover plate is being moved from an open position to a closed position,a connecting member connected between said damper and said stationary portion andanother connecting member connected between said damper and said movable portion.