Keyboard assembly for electronic musical instruments capable of receiving key touch inputs and generating musical tones that reflect a player's power of expression

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprise a first sensor and a second sensor for generating a key event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys in response to depression of the corresponding one of said keys or in response to pivotal movement of a corresponding one of said mass members responsive to the depression of the corresponding one of said keys;
• said first sensor being disposed to be activated in a first half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys to determine timing for damping of the musical tone;
• said second sensor being disposed to be activated in a second half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys to determine timing for generation of the musical tone, said second sensor further determining timing for determining a velocity of the corresponding one of said keys depending on a position obtained by calculating a position of the corresponding one of said mass members during a depression stroke relative to said support device in terms of a position of the corresponding one of the keys.

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprise a first sensor and a second sensor for generating a key depression event or a key release event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys in response to depression of the corresponding one of said keys or in response to pivotal movement of a corresponding one of said mass members responsive to the depression of the corresponding one of said keys;
• said first sensor being disposed to be activated in a first half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys to detect a third position which is a position of the corresponding one of said keys assumed during release;
• said second sensor being disposed to be activated by the corresponding one of said mass members in a second half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys to detect a first position which is a position of the corresponding one of said keys assumed during depression, and detect a second position which is closer than said first position and farther from a position of the corresponding one of said keys in a released state than said third position;
• said musical tone instruction devices each instructing generation of a corresponding musical tone when said second sensor detects said first position after detecting said second position, and preparing regeneration of the corresponding musical tone when said second sensor again detects said second position while generation of the corresponding musical tone is instructed.

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of sensor devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said sensor devices each comprises:
• a first position signal generator driven in a second half of a stroke of a corresponding one of said keys, for generating a first position signal indicative of a first position of the corresponding one of said keys in which an instruction for generation of a musical tone is to be given during depression of the corresponding one of said keys, when the corresponding one of said keys is located in said first position;
• a second position signal generator driven in said second half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys, for generating a second position signal indicative of a second position of the corresponding one of said keys in which a measurement of a depression velocity of the corresponding one of said keys is to be started during depression of the corresponding one of said keys, when the corresponding one of said keys is located in said second position;
• and
• a third position signal generator driven in a first half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys, for generating a third position signal indicative of a third position of the corresponding one of said keys in which an instruction for damping the musical tone is to be given during release of the corresponding one of said keys, when the corresponding one of said keys is located in said third position,
• said mass members being each arranged relative to said support device such that a limit position of the corresponding one of said keys in which the musical tone can be repeatedly generated due to a rebound of the mass member during generation of the musical tone is located farther from a position of the corresponding one of said keys in a released state than said second position.

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprise a first touch sensor and a second touch sensor that generate a key event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys in response to pivotal movement of a corresponding one of said mass members responsive to depression of the corresponding one of said keys, said first and second touch sensors each having a moving part and a fixed part;
• said second touch sensor being disposed to be activated in a second half of the stroke of the corresponding one of said keys, for generating a first timing related to musical tone generation, and a second timing related to musical tone generation corresponding to a shallower position of the corresponding one of said keys during the stroke than said first timing;
• said first touch sensor determining timing related to musical tone damping corresponding to a shallower position of the corresponding one of said keys during the stroke than said first timing;
• said moving part of at least one of said first and second touch sensors being driven by the corresponding one of said mass members;
• and
• said fixed part of said first touch sensor and said fixed part of said second touch sensor being arranged respectively on separate boards.

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to movement of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprises a first sensor and a second sensor for generating a key event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys or in response to pivotal movement of a corresponding one of said mass members responsive to the depression of the corresponding one of said keys;
• and
• wherein one of said first sensor and said second sensor is activated by the corresponding one of said keys, and the other is activated by the corresponding one of said mass members.

A keyboard assembly comprising:

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and damping of a musical tone in response to movement of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprises a first sensor and a second sensor for generating a key event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys or in response to pivotal movement of a corresponding one of said mass members responsive to depression of the corresponding one of said keys;
• and
• wherein said first sensor comprises a sensor driven by the corresponding one of said keys, for detecting release of the corresponding one of said keys, and said second sensor comprises a sensor driven by a corresponding one of the said mass members, for detecting depression of the corresponding one of said keys.

A keyboard assembly comprising;

• a plurality of keys;
• a plurality of mass members each disposed to be pivotally driven in response to depression of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys;
• a support device that pivotally supports said plurality of keys and said mass members corresponding respectively to said keys;
• and
• a plurality of musical tone instruction devices that are provided respectively for said plurality of keys and each instruct generation and control of a musical tone in response to movement of a corresponding one of said plurality of keys and a corresponding one of said mass members;
• wherein said musical tone instruction devices each comprise a first sensor and a second sensor for generating a key event during a stroke of the corresponding one of said keys in response to depression of the corresponding one of said keys or in response to pivotal movement of the corresponding one of said mass members responsive to the depression of the corresponding one of said keys;
• wherein one of said first sensor and said second sensor is activated by the corresponding one of said keys, and the other is activated by the corresponding one of said mass members;
• and
• wherein outputs from said first and second sensors cooperate to generate a touch response signal, based on which a corresponding one of said musical tone instruction devices instructs generation and control of said musical tone.