Music – Instruments – General features
Patent
1996-12-19
1999-04-27
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Music
Instruments
General features
424404, 424405, G10C 312
Patent
active
058981179
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an antibacterial keyboard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, a piano, an accordion, an organ, an electronic instrument or other keyboard instrument is efficiently manufactured by injection molding acrylic resin or other synthetic resin.
The keyboard instrument is, however, played by a relatively large number of people when it is installed, for example, at school, and bacteria are conveyed from person to person via fingers and thumb. Recently, people increasingly had a liking for cleanliness. Therefore, keyboard instruments have also been demanded to be always clean.
People not only play the keyboard instrument but also own it as a piece of interior decoration. Therefore, the keyboard instrument is demanded to be firmly prevented from being discolored by grown bacterial.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been developed to solve the aforementioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an antibacterial keyboard which is kept clean and can be prevented from being discolored because of the propagation of bacteria.
To attain this and other objects, the present invention provides an antibacterial keyboard molded of synthetic resin with antibacterial agent mixed therein. The propagation of bacteria is inhibited by the antibacterial agent on the antibacterial keyboard.
The aforementioned antibacterial agent preferably contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting silver, copper and zinc (these metals are provided with antibacterial activity), and especially preferably contains silver metal. Silver metal is for use in dental products and tableware, because it is highly safe for human body. Calcium phosphate is a desirable carrier of silver metal, because it is also highly safe for human body and is allowed to be included in food additives and cosmetics.
The synthetic resin preferably contains 0.5% to 2% by weight of the aforementioned antibacterial agent. If the content of the antibacterial agent is less than the lower limit, insufficient antibacterial effect is provided. Even if the content of the antibacterial agent exceeds the upper limit, the antibacterial effect can be increased no more. The synthetic resin containing an excess quantity of the antibacterial agent is expensive, and is insufficiently rigid to be molded into the keyboard.
The antibacterial agent for use in the present invention is preferably composed of a calcium phosphate carrying a silver metal. The antibacterial agent is prepared, for example, by sintering the mixture of calcium phosphate and silver compound at 1000.degree. C. or higher temperature. Through the sintering process, silver ion in the silver compound is all converted to silver metal. By sintering calcium phosphate and silver metal, an antibacterial ceramic results. When such ceramic, processed at high temperatures, is blended in the synthetic resin to be injection molded into the keyboard, the decomposition, discoloration, and properties change of the final product or the keyboard can be avoided. The keyboard is also prevented from being yellowed because of the eluation of silver ion. The antibacterial ceramic is neither eluted nor volatized, and can maintain its antibacterial activity over a long use. The silver compound for use in the sintering process is not restricted to a specific compound, when it can be transformed to silver metal through the sintering process. Any carrier other than calcium phosphate can be used, when it has superior stability.
The antibacterial keyboard according to the invention is protected from the propagation of bacteria by the antibacterial agent blended in the synthetic resin, and can be kept clean. The antibacterial agent controls the bacterial propagation, and can prevent the keyboard from being blackened, wetted or discolored. Especially, when the antibacterial agent contains silver metal, the keyboard is protected from the discoloration and, additionally, the antibacterial agent itself can be prevented from being discolored with time. Th
Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
Lockett Kim
Shoop Jr. William M.
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