This disclosure relates to upright pianos.
A piano is a musical instrument that produces sound by striking steel strings with felt hammers that immediately rebound allowing the string to continue vibrating. These vibrations are transmitted through bridges to a soundboard, which amplifies the vibrations. Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact than grand pianos (horizontal pianos) because the frame and strings are placed vertically, extending in both directions (up and down) from the keyboard and hammers.
In one aspect, an upright piano includes a piano case having an upper front panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a top lid. The upper front panel is pivotally mounted below and generally abutting the top lid. A keyboard is supported by the piano case. The keyboard has left and right keyboard arms and a plurality of keys. A keyboard lid is operable to pivot between a closed position covering the keys and an open position providing access to the keys. The keyboard lid has a width substantially equal to a width of the upper front panel, so as to provide visual continuity along their outer edges. The piano includes left and right upper front panel strips fixedly mounted to the corresponding left and right side panels above and substantially parallel to the corresponding left and right keyboard arms. The upper front panel is removably and pivotally supported by the left and right upper front panel strips to rotate between a closed position and an open position. The upper front panel is generally parallel to and substantially between the left and right upper front panel strips while in the closed position. The upper front panel is operable to rest against the key lid while the key lid and the upper front panel are each in their respective open positions.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following features. In some implementations, the upper front panel defines a smooth uninterrupted front surface and may have a polyester finish. In some examples, the left upper front panel strip has a surface substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface of the left keyboard arm, and the right upper front panel strip has a surface substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface of the right keyboard arm. The left and right upper front panel strips may have substantially the same width as the corresponding left and right keyboard arms. The left and right upper front panel strips may be positioned to provide visual vertical continuity between the upper front panel strips and the keyboard arms, such that the left and right upper front panel strips and the keyboard arms appear contiguous from a front view.
In some implementations, the left and right upper front panel strips engage on inwardly facing sides and/or front facing sides of the respective left and right side panels. Each upper front panel strip and its associated side panel together may define a substantially L-shaped configuration in top view.
In some implementations, an upper portion of the upper front panel is pivotally attached to the left and right upper front panel strips, allowing a lower portion of the upper front panel to swing freely. The key lid may include a music sheet rest configured to support a music sheet resting against the upper front panel while the key lid and the upper front panel are each in their respective open positions
The upright piano may include a panel stop disposed on at least one of the left and right upper front panel strips. The upper front panel stop is configured to prevent rotation of the upper front panel past the closed position into an interior area of the piano case. In some examples, the upper front panel is removably attached to the upper front panel strips. For instance, left and right pivot pegs may be inserted in or disposed on the corresponding left and right upper front panel strips. Left and right clips configured to engage the pivot pegs are disposed on the upper front panel. The upper front panel is releasably clipped onto the pivot pegs and allowed to swing between its open and closed positions.
The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Referring to
In some implementations, an upper portion 212 of the upper front panel 210 is pivotally attached to the left and right upper front panel strips 222 and 232, thereby allowing a lower portion 214 of the upper front panel 210 to swing freely. The upper front panel 210 may have a polyester finish, which may not be amenable to routed grooves or edges. In some examples, the upper front panel 210 has a contiguous uninterrupted front surface 211 (e.g. free of grooves or recessions).
In the example illustrated, the upright piano includes left and right keyboard arms 320 and 330, respectively, supporting the keyboard 300 therebetween. The left and right upper front panel strips 222 and 232 are disposed above and substantially parallel to the corresponding left and right keyboard arms 320 and 330. In some examples, the left upper front panel strip 222 has a surface 224 substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface 324 of the left keyboard arm 320 (e.g. to provide visual continuity). Similarly, the right upper front panel strip 232 has a surface 234 substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface 334 of the right keyboard arm 330. In some examples, the left and right upper front panel strips 222 and 232 have substantially the same width as the corresponding left and right keyboard arms 320 and 330 (e.g. to provide visual continuity).
In some implementations, as shown in
Referring to
In the example illustrated in
Referring again to
Removal of a single panel (e.g. the upper front panel 210) for tuning may be less cumbersome than removing a upper front panel assembly including a upper front panel pivotally attached to a frame. As a result, one or more of the disclosed implementations advantageously provide a removable upper front panel for access inside the piano. The disclosed piano configurations also provide visual continuity between the upper front panel strips 222 and 232 and the keyboard arms 320 and 330, as well as between the upper front panel 210 and the key lid 340 and/or the keyboard 300.
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
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465506 | Weser | Dec 1891 | A |
637160 | Richter | Nov 1899 | A |
855143 | Steinway | May 1907 | A |
1101367 | Wilberg | Jun 1914 | A |
1728815 | Waddington | Sep 1929 | A |
2110946 | Worthington | Mar 1938 | A |
2249978 | Pfaff | Jul 1941 | A |
2263839 | Farny | Nov 1941 | A |
2505805 | Frederick | May 1950 | A |
2993807 | Abbott, Jr. et al. | Jul 1961 | A |
3248989 | Schroth | May 1966 | A |
3309335 | Walton | Mar 1967 | A |
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20090165628 | Kenagy et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090165628 A1 | Jul 2009 | US |