IP Library › Granted Patent US 12664962
Granted Patent B2
US 12664962 · App. 18/587,557 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Keyboard device

Inventor: Akihiro Suzuki (Hamamatsu, JP)
Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
G10H1/344
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12664962
App. No.
18/587,557
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a keyboard device, a white-key actuator and a black-key actuator are arranged so as not to coincide in position with each other in a front-rear direction. A common hammer member is employed for a white-key hammer and for a black-key hammer. The common hammer member is provided with a white-key sliding surface to be pressed by the white-key actuator and a black-key sliding surface to be pressed by the black-key actuator. The white-key sliding surface and the black-key sliding surface differ in position and/or shape from each other. The white-key sliding surface of the common hammer member is pressed by the white-key actuator at key-pressing of a white key, and the black-key sliding surface of the common hammer member is pressed by the black-key actuator at key-pressing of a black key.

Claims (34)

1 . A keyboard device with a keyboard in which keys are provided so as to be each pivotally movable, the keys including white keys and black keys, the keyboard device comprising:

elements related to the white keys, the elements related to the white keys including:

a white-key key-body extending in a front-rear direction;

a white-key actuator extending downward from the white-key key-body; and

a white-key hammer configured to be pivotally moved by being pressed by the white-key actuator at key-pressing of each white key, and

elements related to the black keys, the elements related to the black keys including:

a black-key key-body extending in the front-rear direction;

a black-key actuator extending downward from the black-key key-body; and

a black-key hammer configured to be pivotally moved by being pressed by the black-key actuator at key-pressing of each black key,

the white-key actuator and the black-key actuator being arranged so as not to coincide in position with each other in the front-rear direction,

the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer each including a common hammer member, the common hammer member being provided with a white-key sliding surface to be pressed by the white-key actuator and a black-key sliding surface to be pressed by the black-key actuator, the white-key sliding surface and the black-key sliding surface being provided so as to differ in position and/or shape from each other, and

the white-key sliding surface of the common hammer member being configured to be pressed by the white-key actuator at key-pressing of the white key, and the black-key sliding surface of the common hammer member being configured to be pressed by the black-key actuator at key-pressing of the black key.

2 . The keyboard device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the white-key sliding surface and the black-key sliding surface are formed so as to differ in inclination from each other.

3 . The keyboard device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the white-key sliding surface and the black-key sliding surface each have a curved shape, and the curved shape of the white-key sliding surface and the curved shape of the black-key sliding surface are different from each other.

4 . The keyboard device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the white-key sliding surface and the black-key sliding surface are divided by a level difference and provided so as to differ in position in a height direction.

5 . The keyboard device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the common hammer member is arranged on a front side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer, and a weight is arranged on a rear-end side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer.

6 . The keyboard device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a weight is attached to a rear end of the common hammer member.

7 . The keyboard device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the common hammer member is arranged on a front side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer, and a weight is arranged on a rear-end side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer.

8 . The keyboard device according to claim 2 ,

wherein a weight is attached to a rear end of the common hammer member.

9 . The keyboard device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the common hammer member is arranged on a front side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer, and a weight is arranged on a rear-end side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer.

10 . The keyboard device according to claim 3 ,

wherein a weight is attached to a rear end of the common hammer member.

11 . The keyboard device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the common hammer member is arranged on a front side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer, and a weight is arranged on a rear-end side of each of the white-key hammer and the black-key hammer.

12 . The keyboard device according to claim 4 ,

wherein a weight is attached to a rear end of the common hammer member.