Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-14
2003-12-30
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S185000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670532
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a keyboard musical instrument and, more particularly, to a leg for supporting a musical instrument and a keyboard musical instrument having a case supported by legs on a floor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
An acoustic piano is a typical example of the keyboard musical instrument. The acoustic piano is broken down into a keyboard, piano case and tone generating mechanism. Key actions, hammers, dampers and strings form parts of the tone generating mechanism. The tone generating mechanism is accommodated in the piano case, and is actuated with the keys for generating tones. The keys are laid on the well-known black-and-white pattern, and are essential parts of the keyboard. The keyboard is mounted on the key bed which forms a part of the piano case, and is exposed to a pianist for fingering.
FIG. 1
shows a typical example of the grand piano. Reference numerals
100
,
120
and
140
designate the piano case, the keyboard and the tone generating mechanism, respectively. The piano case
100
has a case body
101
and three legs
102
. A key bed
101
a
and a frame (not shown) define the bottom of the piano case
100
, and a side board
101
b
extends along the periphery of the key bed
101
a
and the frame. Thus, the key bed
101
a
, the frame and the side board
101
b
define an inner space of the case body
101
, and permits the manufacturer to install the tone generating mechanism
140
in the case body
101
. A top board
108
is hinged to the side board
101
b
, and is opened and closed.
Three legs
102
are arranged at the vertexes of a triangle under the case body
101
. Two legs
102
are arranged in substantially parallel, and are directly bolted to the key bed
101
a
. The remaining leg
102
is provided at the back of the two legs
102
, and is fixed to the frame.
The leg
102
is not a monolithic body. Various woody parts are assembled into the leg
102
as shown in
FIG. 2. A
leg column
103
, a leg block
104
and a caster
105
are the essential parts of the leg
102
. The leg column
103
and the leg block
104
are formed of wood. The leg column
103
is an inverted prismoid. A tenon
103
A is formed on the relatively wide top surface, and the caster
105
is attached to the relatively narrow bottom surface of the leg column
103
. The tenon
103
A is a short cylindrical projection, and two slits
103
B are formed in the tenon
103
A. The slits
103
B extend across the upper surfaces of the tenon
103
A in parallel to each other, and are exposed to the side surface of the tenon
103
A. The leg block
104
has an anvil-like configuration. The leg block
104
is gently increased in thickness from both ends toward the mid portion, and a cylindrical hole
104
A is formed in the mid portion. The cylindrical hole
104
A is open to both of the upper and lower surfaces of the mid portion, and is equal in diameter to the tenon
103
A. A pair of through-holes
104
B is formed in the leg block
104
. The through-holes
104
B are provided on both sides of the cylindrical hole
104
A. Though not shown in the drawings, threaded holes are formed in the key bed
101
A, and are spaced equally to the through-holes
104
B.
The leg column
103
and the leg block
104
are assembled into the leg
102
as follows. First, the worker aligns the tenon
103
A with the cylindrical hole
104
A, and inserts the tenon
103
A into the cylindrical hole
104
A. The lower surface of the leg block
104
is brought into contact with the upper surface of the leg column
103
, and the upper surface of the tenon
103
A becomes coplanar with the upper surface of the leg block
104
. The worker pushes the edge of a wedge
107
into one of the slits
103
B, and another wedge
107
into the other slit
103
B. The worker strikes the wedges
107
with a hammer, by way of example. Then, the wedges
107
are implanted into the tenon
103
A, and expands the slits
103
B. The upper portion of the tenon
103
is pressed against the inner surface of the leg block
104
, and the leg block
104
is fixed to the leg column
103
.
The leg
102
thus assembled is fixed to the key bed
101
a
as follows. The worker aligns the through-holes
104
B with the threaded holes formed in the key bed
101
a
. The worker inserts a bolt
106
into one of the through-holes
104
B, and screws the bolt
106
into the threaded hole. Similarly, the worker inserts another bolt
106
into the other of the through-holes
104
B, and screws the bolt
106
into the other threaded hole. Thus, the leg block
104
is bolted to the key bed
101
a
, and the leg
102
downwardly projects from the case body
101
.
A problem is encountered in the prior art keyboard musical instrument in that the piano case
100
is liable to be rickety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a keyboard musical instrument the case of which is steady and durable.
The present inventor contemplated the problem encountered in the prior art keyboard musical instrument, and noticed that the wedges
107
failed to work. The present inventor reasoned that the connection between the tenon
103
A and the leg block
104
was repeatedly subjected to the bending moment. When the user wanted to relocate the prior art keyboard musical instrument, he or she pushed the case body
101
, and exerted force thereon. The force gave rise to rotation of the casters
105
, and the prior art keyboard musical instrument slid on the floor. However, the casters
105
were vertically spaced from the case body
101
on which the force was exerted. This resulted in that bending moment was exerted on the connection between the tenon
103
A and the leg block
104
. The slits
103
B were strangulated, and, accordingly, the wedges
107
were partially pushed out. As a result, the tenon
103
A was loosened, and the piano case
101
became rickety.
A solution had been proposed. Plural bolts were embedded into the upper portion of the leg column
103
, and through-holes were formed in the leg block
104
. The bolts were inserted into the through-holes, and projected over the leg block
104
. The worker turned nuts on the bolts, and held the bolts in their places with nuts. However, the solution was costly and risky. Time and labor were consumed in the implantation of the bolts into the leg column
103
. This resulted in the high production cost. Moreover, the leg column
103
was not thick enough to receive the plural bolts. When the worker compelled the leg column
103
to receive plural bolts, extremely thin peripheral portion took place between the implanted bolt and the outer surface of the leg column
103
, and was liable to be broken under the application of the bending moment. The present inventor concluded that a monolithic leg was preferable. However, a monolithic leg shaped from a piece of wood was extremely expense.
To accomplish the object, the present invention proposes to form laminated members into a core of a leg.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a leg incorporated in a keyboard musical instrument, and the leg comprises plural plates laminated on one another and assembled into a core and a coupling means for fixing the core to a body of the keyboard musical instrument.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard musical instrument comprising a case having an inner space, a keyboard mounted on the case and having keys assigned notes of a scale, a tone generating mechanism accommodated in the inner space and connected to the keyboard for generating tones with the notes and plural legs, and each of the legs includes plural plates laminated on one another and assembled into a core and a coupling means for fixing the core to the body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2232445 (1941-02-01), Gazlay
patent: 2640527 (1953-06-01), Kreizelman
patent: 3001433 (1961-09-01), Merkel
patent: 4297937 (1981-11-01), Mayerjak
patent: 5062618 (1991-11-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5237935 (1993-08-01), Newhouse et al.
patent: 55587
Lockett Kimberly
Yamaha Corporation
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