IP Library Granted Patent US 12693111
Granted Patent B2
US 12693111 · App. 18/842,596 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Key depression amount sensor device

Inventors: Yuki Ogasawara (Tokyo, JP); Hayato Nishioka (Tokyo, JP); Shinichi Furuya (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
G01B11/14G10H1/344G10H2220/221G10H2220/275G10H2220/305H05K1/181H05K2201/10151
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12693111
App. No.
18/842,596
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A key depression amount sensor device ( 100 ) that is installed below keys of a piano, which keys are aligned along a longitudinal axis, and that detects a depression amount of each of the keys, the key depression amount sensor device including: an electronic circuit board ( 112 ) including a plurality of optical sensors that respectively detects the depression amounts of the keys by reflection of light; a housing ( 110 ) that extends along the longitudinal axis and houses the electronic circuit board; a clamp mechanism ( 130 ) that sandwiches an action beam ( 300 ), which is positioned below the keys, in a longitudinal axis direction; and a connection mechanism ( 120 ) that connects the clamp mechanism and the housing.

Claims (63)

1 . A key depression amount sensor device that is installed below keys of a piano, which keys are aligned along a longitudinal axis, and that detects a depression amount of each of the keys, the key depression amount sensor device comprising:

an electronic circuit board including a plurality of optical sensors that respectively detects the depression amounts of the keys by reflection of light;

a housing that extends along the longitudinal axis and houses the electronic circuit board;

a clamp mechanism that sandwiches an action beam, which is positioned below the keys, in a longitudinal axis direction; and

a connection mechanism that connects the clamp mechanism and the housing, wherein

the housing includes

a pair of side plates extending in the longitudinal axis direction, and

a bottom plate that is coupled to the pair of side plates, extends along the longitudinal axis, and supports the electronic circuit board,

the connection mechanism includes

a fixing member that supports the housing,

a first rod-shaped member that penetrates a first hole portion provided in a bottom surface of the fixing member and pushes up the bottom plate of the housing to an upper side, and

protrusion portions that are provided on the fixing member, and respectively come into contact with upper ends of the side plates of the housing and push down the housing,

the clamp mechanism includes

a frame member that includes a pair of side surface portions extending in a vertical direction, and an upper surface portion coupled to the pair of side surface portions and parallel to a horizontal plane,

a connection member coupled to one of the side surface portions and sandwiched between the fixing member and the bottom plate, and

a second rod-shaped member that penetrates a second hole portion provided in the one side surface portion and engages with a groove provided in an inner surface of the second hole portion,

the upper surface portion is placed on the action beam, and

the housing is fixed on the action beam by sandwiching of the action beam between other one of the side surface portions and a tip portion of the second rod-shaped member.

2 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first rod-shaped member is a screw that engages with a groove inside the first hole portion.

3 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein a biasing member or an elastic body is provided at a tip of the first rod-shaped member.

4 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein

the fixing member of the connection mechanism has a substantially U-shaped cross section opened upward, and

the protrusion portions are provided at upper end portions of the fixing member.

5 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rod-shaped member is a screw that engages with a groove inside the second hole portion.

6 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rod-shaped member includes a biasing member.

7 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the tip portion of the second rod-shaped member has a flat plate member in contact with a side surface of the action beam.

8 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a plurality of the connection mechanisms, and

a plurality of the clamp mechanisms.

9 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein

the electronic circuit board is arranged along the longitudinal axis and is fixed to the bottom plate of the housing by being screwed with a first screw member, and

the first screw member penetrates a long hole portion that is provided in the electronic circuit board or the bottom plate of the housing and that is elongated along the longitudinal axis.

10 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a height adjustment plate installed between the electronic circuit board and the housing.

11 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the electronic circuit boards.

12 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical sensors are photoreflector sensors.

13 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical sensors is arranged on the electronic circuit board at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis.

14 . A key depression amount sensor device that is installed above keys of a piano, which keys are aligned along a longitudinal axis, and that detects a depression amount of each of the keys, the key depression amount sensor device comprising:

an electronic circuit board including a plurality of optical sensors that respectively detects the depression amounts of the keys by reflection of light;

a housing that houses the electronic circuit board and blocks light from an outside;

a pair of fixing portions that fixes the housing above the keys; and

a pair of adjustment mechanisms that adjusts a position of the housing in a vertical direction and a lateral axis direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis on a horizontally extending plane, wherein

each of the fixing portions has a substantially U shape opened upward and supports one of the adjustment mechanisms via a first rod-shaped member sandwiched by the fixing portion,

each of the adjustment mechanisms includes

an upper member connected to the housing, and

a lower member positioned below the upper member,

the upper member includes

a first hole portion penetrating the upper member in the vertical direction, and

a first screw member that engages with a groove provided in an inner surface of the first hole portion and has one end portion connected to an upper surface of the lower member, and

the lower member includes

a second hole portion penetrating the lower member along a lateral axis, and

the first rod-shaped member that penetrates the second hole portion and is sandwiched inside the fixing portion.

15 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 14 , wherein

the housing includes

a pair of side plates extending in a longitudinal axis direction, and

a frame member sandwiched between the pair of side plates and extending along the longitudinal axis.

16 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 15 , wherein the housing is formed of a blocking member that blocks light.

17 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 15 , wherein

a lower end of one of the side plates of the housing has a plurality of recess portions arranged along the longitudinal axis at predetermined intervals, and

the plurality of recess portions engages with a plurality of black keys with a predetermined gap.

18 . The key depression amount sensor device according to claim 15 , wherein

the electronic circuit board is arranged along the longitudinal axis and is fixed to the frame member of the housing by being screwed with a second screw member, and

the second screw member penetrates a long hole portion that is provided in the electronic circuit board or the frame member of the housing and that is elongated along the longitudinal axis.