Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-29
2003-04-08
Lockett, Kim (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
active
06545203
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a front lid opening and closing assist with which a front lid of a keyboard instrument can be opened or closed more easily and safely.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a keyboard instrument, namely a conventional grand piano
101
, is provided with a lid
103
for the purpose of opening a top portion of a piano main body
102
such that acoustic effects can be increased at the time of performance as well as for the purpose of reflecting played sound at a predetermined angle.
The lid
103
comprises a front lid
103
a
and a back lid
103
b
. The front lid
103
a
is pivotably attached, via a hinge
103
c
, to a front edge of the back lid
103
b
, and when the lid
103
is in a closed position, the front lid
103
a
covers a folded-back music stand
104
for protection.
On the other hand, the back lid
103
b
is also pivotably attached, via hinges
105
, to the top of a side wall of the piano main body
102
on the lower-key side, and has a plurality of receiving pans
108
and
109
disposed on its rear surface on the higher-key side. The receiving pans
108
and
109
receive and support a tip of either of a plurality of projecting sticks
106
and
107
of different lengths, both of which extend from the piano main body
102
on the higher-key side.
When opening the lid
103
to play the grand piano
101
, a user first folds back the front lid
103
a
relative to the back lid
103
b
as shown in
FIG. 8
, and in this state lifts up the lid
103
. The user then selects either of the projecting sticks
106
and
107
, and inserts the tip of the selected stick
106
or
107
into its associated receiving pan
108
or
109
, thereby supporting and setting the lid
103
in a desired open state.
Now, a problem is the weight of the front lid
103
a
, which is approximately 10 kg. This weight may not be much trouble for a strong man. However, it is sometimes difficult, especially, for women and children, to lift up the front lid
103
a
, and furthermore, it is very dangerous if they pinch their hands in the front lid
103
a
by accidentally dropping it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made to solve the aforementioned problem. More particularly, the object of the present invention is to provide a front lid opening and closing assist which enables a user to operate a front lid of a keyboard instrument more easily and more safely, at the time of adjusting an open state of the front lid.
In order to attain this object, there is provided a front lid opening and closing assist comprising a buffer to be interposed between a front lid and a back lid constituting a lid of a keyboard instrument, the front lid being pivotably connected to the back lid, for damping pivot motion of the front lid between a closed position where the front lid is level to the back lid, a neutral position where the front lid is perpendicular to the back lid, and an open position where the front lid is superimposed upon the back lid. The buffer comprises a first damping mechanism for damping the front lid when it is pivoted from the neutral position to the closed position, and a second damping mechanism for damping the front lid when it is pivoted from the neutral position to the open position.
According to this structure, in cases where the user opens (lifts up) the front lid relative to the back lid for opening of the entire lid, neither of the first and second damping mechanisms functions while the front lid is pivoted from the closed position to the neutral position. Accordingly, this operation of lifting up the front lid from the closed position is not hindered by those damping mechanisms. Now, in a usual status, once the front lid is pivoted beyond the neutral position, it spontaneously pivots toward the open position because of its own weight. However, this motion is damped by the second damping mechanism, which results in a slow pivot motion of the front lid. As a result, the user can safely superimpose the front lid upon the back lid, with only minimal force for supporting the front lid.
On the other hand, in cases where the user pivots the front lid to the closed position after closing the back lid, neither of the first and second damping mechanisms functions while the front lid is pivoted from the open position to the neutral position. Accordingly, this operation of lifting up the front lid from the open position is not hindered by those damping mechanisms. Now, in a usual status, once the front lid is pivoted beyond the neutral position, it spontaneously pivots toward the closed position because of its own weight. However, this motion is damped by the first damping mechanism, which results in a slow pivot motion of the front lid. As a result, the user can safely close the front lid, with only minimal force for supporting the front lid.
In this manner, when the front lid is laid down from the neutral position to either a closed or open position, the front lid is slowly pivoted because of a damping function of the corresponding damping mechanism. As a result, there is less risk of an accident that the user might catch his/her hand in the front lid by a sudden drop thereof, and further safety is ensured.
As a specific example of the first and second damping mechanisms, each damping mechanism may comprise a rotary damper for applying a rotational resistance within a predetermined range of rotation angles. A rotary damper, for example, a hydraulic-type rotary damper is useable, as described below.
The predetermined range of rotation angles may be set to be approximately 90 degrees from the neutral position to the closed position with respect to the first damping mechanism. Alternatively, it may be set from a position away from the neutral position at a predetermined angle (for example, from 10 to 30 degrees) toward the closed position, such that the first damping mechanism provides no damping force while the front lid is pivoted within the predetermined angle from the neutral position and start to provide a damping force when the front lid is pivoted beyond the predetermined angle toward the closed position. This is possible because the torque applied to the front lid by its own weight is small immediately after the front lid starts to pivot from the neutral position. In this manner, therefore, the pivot motion of the front lid is facilitated, rather than being damped, immediately after the start thereof from the neutral position. The setting of such a range of rotation angles where the damping force is applied to the front lid can be achieved by contriving the structure of the rotary damper, as described below. In the same manner, as to the second damping mechanism, the range of rotation angles may be set to be approximately 90 degrees from the neutral position to the open position, or it may be set such that a damping force is applied only after the front lid is pivoted beyond a predetermined angle from the neutral position toward the open position.
In addition, in view of installation errors, or the like, in fixing the first and second damping mechanisms to the front and back lids, it is also advantageous to set the predetermined range of rotation angles including a spare angle beyond the closed or open position. In this case, damping functions of the rotary dampers are still effective even after the front lid has reached the open or closed position. By this structure, the front lid itself can have some leeway in its pivot angles, and consequently, the front lid can be surely pivoted to a position where it is completely level relative to the back lid.
Also, the rotary damper may be provided with a spring member for applying an urging force which works in the same direction as a direction in which the rotational resistance of the rotary damper acts (that is, a direction in which the front lid is lifted up).
In this structure, if the rotary damper is a hydraulic type, a damping force caused by a spring force can be applied in addition to a damping force caused by a hydraulic pressure. Consequently, the rotary damper c
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
Lockett Kim
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