WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH SLIDE AND SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING PLAYER IN PERFORMANCE

Abstract

A player changes the pitch of tones produced through a trombone by controlling the breath and a slide, and the control of slide is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the trombone, and includes a manipulating board fitted to an appropriate portion of the trombone close to the slide, a driving mechanism connected to the slide and a controlling unit connected to the manipulating board and driving mechanism; when the player wishes to change the pitch of tones through the sliding motion of the slide, he moves a lever on the manipulating board by a distance shorter than a target stroke of the slide, and the controlling unit calculates the target stroke so as to supply a driving signal to the driving mechanism; and the driving mechanism exerts force on the slide so as to assist the player in varying the length of the column of air.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-off schematic view showing the structure of a wind musical instrument according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a driving mechanism incorporated in the wind musical instrument,

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the driving mechanism,

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-off schematic view showing the structure of another wind musical instrument according to the present invention, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the structure of yet another wind musical instrument according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A wind musical instrument for producing tones through breath of a human player, comprising: a pipe structure defining a column of air therein, permitting said human player to excite the column of air for vibrations, and including a slide varying the length of said column of air through elongation and shrinkage thereof for changing the pitch of said tones; anda supporting system assisting said human player in changing said pitch of said tones, and includinga manipulating board having a manipulator moved by said human player so as to indicate a target length of said column of air and a signal generator producing a detecting signal representative of said target length,a driving mechanism connected to said slide and responsive to a driving signal so as to elongate and shrink said slide, anda controller connected to said signal generator and said driving mechanism and supplying said driving signal to said driving mechanism so as to elongate and shrink said slide until said column of air becomes said target length.

2. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, in which said slide has an inner tube connected to a remaining portion of said pipe structure and an outer slide tube telescopically combined with said inner tube so that said slide is elongated and shrunk through a sliding movement of said outer slide tube on said inner tube.

3. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 2, in which said driving mechanism includes an actuator having a stationary portion stationary with respect to said inner tube anda movable portion connected to said outer slide tube so as to give rise to said sliding movement.

4. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, in which said stationary portion gives rise to a certain sort of movement of said movable portion different from said sliding movement of said slide, wherein said driving mechanism further includes a converter provided between said movable portion and said slide so as to convert said certain sort of movement to said sliding movement.

5. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 4, in which said certain sort of movement is revolutions.

6. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 4, in which said certain sort of movement is vibrations.

7. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, in which said driving mechanism further includes a reaction canceller canceling a reaction due to an actuation of said actuator so as to prevent said human player from said reaction.

8. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 7, in which said driving mechanism further includes a converter provided between said movable portion and said slide so as to convert a certain sort of movement of said movable portion to said sliding movement of said slide, wherein said reaction canceller gives rise to another sliding movement opposite in direction to said sliding movement of said slide.

9. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, in which said human player gives rise to a certain sort of motion of said manipulator, and said slide elongates and shrinks said column of air through said certain sort of motion thereof.

10. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 9, in which said certain sort of motion is a sliding movement.

11. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 9, in which a full stroke of said manipulator is shorter than a full stroke of said slide so that said controller calculates a target stroke of said slide on the basis of an actual stroke of said manipulator.

12. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, in which said pipe structure further includes a mouthpiece on which said human player buzzes,a bell flared toward the outside of said pipe structure, andother pipes connected between said mouthpiece and said slide and between said slide and said bell.

13. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 12, in which said mouthpiece, said bell, said slide and said other pipes form in combination a trombone.

14. A supporting system combined with a wind instrument equipped with a slide for changing the pitch of tones produced through said wind instrument, comprising: a manipulating board including a manipulator moved by said human player so as to indicate a target length of a column of air created in said wind instrument anda signal generator producing a detecting signal representative of said target length;a driving mechanism connected to said slide, and responsive to a driving signal so as to elongate and shrink said slide; anda controller connected to said signal generator and said driving mechanism and supplying said driving signal to said driving mechanism so as to elongate and shrink said slide until said column of air becomes said target length.

15. The supporting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said slide has an inner tube connected to a remaining portion of said pipe structure and an outer slide tube telescopically combined with said inner tube so that said slide is elongated and shrunk through a sliding movement of said outer slide tube on said inner tube.

16. The supporting system as set forth in claim 15, in which said driving mechanism includes an actuator having a stationary portion stationary with respect to said inner tube anda movable portion connected to said outer slide tube so as to give rise to said sliding movement.

17. The wind musical instrument as set forth in claim 16, in which said stationary portion gives rise to a certain sort of movement of said movable portion different from said sliding movement of said slide, wherein said driving mechanism further includes a converter provided between said movable portion and said slide so as to convert said certain sort of movement to said sliding movement.

18. The supporting system as set forth in claim 17, in which said driving mechanism further includes a reaction canceller canceling a reaction due to an actuation of said actuator so as to prevent said human player from said reaction.

19. The supporting system as set forth in claim 14, in which said human player gives rise to a certain sort of motion of said manipulator, and said slide elongates and shrinks said column of air through said certain sort of motion thereof.

20. The supporting system as set forth in claim 19, in which a full stroke of said manipulator is shorter than a full stroke of said slide so that said controller calculates a target stroke of said slide on the basis of an actual stroke of said manipulator.