"Keyboard for musical instruments having improved ergonomics''

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a keyboard for musical instruments comprising at least one octave, wherein the black keys have a different size with respect to standard keyboards, in order to improve the ergonomics thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The keyboard is a set of keys that are in general pressed with the fingers of the hands to play certain musical instruments, such as the piano and the organ.

The need to shape the sides of the black keys in a non-traditional way (see Figure 1 for example), inter alia defining a standardisable and improved measure before a non-uniform production, derives from the difficulty experienced by many pianists with a sturdy build, with large fingers or fingers that insufficiently taper at the tips, in using long fingers between the black keys, or in all piano performance techniques in which the little finger and, above all, the thumb must use the black keys forcing the other fingers to act between the black keys.

In this sense, the inventor has conducted a survey to measure the width of the middle finger of the right hand at the centre of the nail between the root of the nail itself and fingertip, in subjects of different age, sex, build, pianists and non- pianists. The results are reported in Table below: age (mm)

Female child 12 years of age 13.85

Man 44 years of age 17.53

Man 60 years of age 18.85

Woman 48 years of age 15.08

Girl 20 years of age 15.78

Woman 45 years of age 16.59

Woman 42 years of age 15.35

Woman 35 years of age 14.40

Male child 12 years of age 15.32

Man 47 years of age 16.49

Man 27 years of age 17.70

Woman 42 years of age 16.15 Woman 30 years of age 15.32

Man 60 years of age 17.27

Female child 13 years of age 14.76

Man 19 years of age 17.47

Man 36 years of age 17.53

Man 45 years of age 18.31

Man 23 years of age 17.46

Woman 50 years of age 14.55

Man 46 years of age 19.91

Man 52 years of age 19.50

The penultimate subject is an overweight pianist. All subjects except the last one are engaged in non-manual activities.

Musical instrument manufacturers currently modify the width of the white keys, in the section located between the black keys, leaving the black keys unaltered. This concurs to the reduction of the space for the fingers, especially for the Fa, Sol, La and Ti keys increasing performer discomfort.

There are in fact pianos of different brand, construction year and model, having the following measurements (expressed in mm), wherein:

A: width of the top surface of the black key;

B: width of the black key at the plane defined by the surface of the white keys;

C: width of the portion of white key between one black key and the other, fugues included.

max. 17.15 min. 15.75

Yamaha, studio upright, 2008 9.48 1 1 .20

max. 17.1 1 min. 15.30

Yamaha C5, 2005, Ivorite keys 10.10 1 1 .55

max. 17.42

In all keyboards in the prior art, there is a much greater distance (measure C) between the keys Do sharp and Re sharp.

There is therefore a need to take into consideration the increase, which is proportional to the passing of time, of the average size of a man's body, as widely recorded by evolutionary studies, and thus also of the hands of those who plays keyboard instruments.

The aim of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome the disadvantages set out above in relation to keyboards in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-indicated aim was achieved by means of a keyboard for musical instruments comprising at least one octave, wherein:

- the keys DO# and RE# have a width AB HI, HT, ΗΊ", H"T" of 1 1 .10 ± 0.20 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width DC, ML, M'U, M"L", M"'U" of 9.90 ± 0.20 mm at the top surface; and

- the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# have a width EF, NO, NO', N"O", E'F', Ν'Ό'" of 10.40 ± 0.20 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width D'C, QP, Q'P', Q"P", D"C", Q"'P"' of 9.90 ± 0.20 mm at the top surface.

In fact, it has been surprisingly found that keyboard ergonomics can be significantly improved by differentiating the widths of the keys DO# and RE# with respect to the keys FA#, SOL# and LA#.

Under another aspect, the invention concerns a musical instrument comprising said keyboard.

For the purposes of the present invention, "musical instruments" shall mean all those instruments equipped with manual keyboard, such as piano (upright/grand), player piano, automatic/midi pianos, electric/electronic/hybrid keyboard, electric/electronic/hybrid piano, "celesta" (or "celeste" ), mellotron, harpsichord, synthesizer, organ.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present invention shall become clear from the detailed description provided below, and from the attached drawings, in which

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a keyboard for a piano of the traditional type;

- Figure 2 is a schematic top view of a keyboard;

- Figure 3 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of a key DO# or RE# according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 4 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of a key FA#, SOL# or LA# according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 5 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of the keys DO# and RE# according to a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 6 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# according to a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 7 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of the keys DO# and RE# according to a third embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 8 is a schematic cross section front view along the plane X-X' of the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# according to a third embodiment of the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is thus a keyboard for musical instruments comprising at least one octave, wherein:

- the keys DO# and RE# have a width AB, HI, HT, ΗΊ", H"T" of 1 1 .10 ± 0.20 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width

DC, ML, M'U, M"L", M"'L"' of 9.90 ± 0.20 mm at the top surface; and

- the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# have a width EF, NO, NO', N"O", E'F', N'"O'" of 10.40 ± 0.20 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width D'C, QP, Q'P', Q"P", D"C", Q"'P"' of 9.90 ± 0.20 mm at the top surface.

It has been surprisingly found that such measurements given to the keys DO#, RE#, FA#, SOL# and LA# (or more briefly "black keys") do not alter the guiding function for the fingers towards the use of the white keys and do not reduce the width of the support surface on which the fingers press the black keys, in a greater measure than the average of the width of this surface found in the keyboards of the pianos on the market. Moreover, said measures do not fail to maintain continuity with tradition, allowing the position of the centre of the keys to remain completely unaltered, which is of great importance in allowing the performer to find the distances between the keys to which he is accustomed again, but more easily. The keyboard of the present invention also advantageously allows the measurements of the white keys, i.e. the overall length of the white key (understood as being along the plane z-z' of Figure 2) and the width of the section of the white keys outside the black keys (i.e. the width of the part of the white key facing the performer) to be left unaltered. Indeed, only one adaptation is provided for the white keys in the section inserted between one black key and the other, which advantageously consists of a widening of this section with respect to known keyboards, thus providing more space for the performer's fingers.

The width of the section of white keys between one black key and the other, obtained by calculating an approximate average estimate between the measurements recorded on multiple known pianos, corresponds, fugues excluded, to the following distribution:

- keys Do, Re, Mi: 13.10 mm;

- keys Fa, Sol, La and Ti: 12.40 mm.

If the measurement of approximately 1 .10 mm of space (or fugue) currently present between white and black keys is to be maintained, the section of the white keys located between the black keys can be adapted, subsequently to the widths of the adjacent black keys according to the present invention.

This adaptation can be advantageously made in the case of the white keys also, by maintaining the position of the centre of the keys. In this sense, in reference to Figure 2 for example, it is understood that the width of the white keys is centred with respect to the plane z-z' that is perpendicular to the the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and equidistant from the two black keys that are adjacent to the same white key.

As concerns the non-visible portions of the keys (or body of the keys), both black and white, it should be noted that said portions, advantageously, do not need to be modified, or just minimally so, given that the variation in absolute value of the widths of the visible portions according to the present invention is extremely small. The keyboard of the invention preferably comprises at least three contiguous octaves having the keys DO# and RE# and the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# as defined above.

More preferably, all the octaves in the keyboard of the invention have the keys DO# and RE# and the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# as defined above.

Said top surfaces of the keys DO#, RE#, FA#, SOL#, and LA# are conveniently parallel to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the cross section of each black key is symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular plane to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and passing at the midpoint of the width of the respective base.

With particular reference to Figure 3-4, the widths AB and CD and the distances AD and BC of the keys DO# and RE# are symmetrical with respect to the plane w- w', which is perpendicular to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and passing at the midpoint of the width AB of the base, as well as the widths EF, CD' and the distances ED' and FC of the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# are symmetrical with respect to the plane k-k', which is perpendicular to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and passing at the midpoint of the width EF.

Of course, as mentioned, figures 3-4 constitute a schematic and stylised view of the respective sections ABCD and EFC'D', in order to better highlight the symmetry of the sections themselves and the differences between the two groups of black keys DO# - RE# and FA# - SOL# - LA#. Thus for greater clarity, said sections ABCD and EFC'D' have been shown in a geometric assimilation in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, but then in practice, for example, the vertices can then be softened for either aesthetic or practical reasons.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the lateral surfaces of the keys DO# and RE#, facing each other, and/or the lateral surfaces of the keys FA# and LA# facing the key SOL#, each have an area greater than the area of the corresponding opposite lateral surface. This allows the ergonomics of the resulting octave, and thus of the keyboard that comprises it, to be increased.

With particular reference to Figures 5-6, it is observed that, in the trapezoidal geometric assimilation, the respective cross sections of the black keys are scalene trapezoids, wherein the longer oblique side faces the closest black key. Thus, in the case of the cross sections HILM and HTL'M' of the keys DO# and RE#, the respective greater oblique sides LI and LT are facing each other, while in the case of the cross sections NOPQ and N'O'P'Q' of the keys FA# and LA#, the respective greater oblique sides PQ and P'Q' are facing the key SOL#.

The key SOL# can, on the other hand, maintain the cross section EFC'D' in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, as in the first embodiment, being in a central position with respect to the keys FA# and LA#.

In this case also, Figures 5-6 constitute a schematic and stylised view of said cross sections, in order to facilitate understanding of the above-described technical characteristics.

In a third embodiment of the present invention, the lateral surfaces of the keys DO# and RE#, facing each other, and/or the lateral surfaces of the keys FA#, and LA# facing the key SOL# and/or the lateral surfaces of the key SOL# are longitudinally concave. This allows the ergonomics of the resulting octave, and thus of the keyboard that comprises it, to be increased.

With particular reference to Figures 7-8, it is observed that, in the trapezoidal geometric assimilation, the respective cross sections of the black keys are trapezoids, wherein the oblique side facing the closest black key is replaced by a concave curved line. Thus, in the case of the cross sections H"I"L"M" e H"T"L"M" of the keys DO# and RE#, the respective concave curved lines Ι_Ί" and L"T" are facing each other, while in the case of the cross sections N"0"P"Q" and N"O"'P"'Q"' of the keys FA# and LA#, the respective concave curved lines P"Q" and P"'Q"' are facing the key SOL#.

The key SOL# can maintain the cross section EFC'D' in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, as in the first embodiment, being in a central position with respect to the keys FA# and LA#, or it can have the cross section E'F'C'D" of Figure 8, wherein both the oblique sides E'D" and F'C" of the trapezoid are replaced by curved concave lines.

In this case also, Figures 7-8 are a schematic and stylised view of said cross sections, in order to facilitate understanding of the above-described technical characteristics.

Further embodiments can be obtained, within the same octave, by considering modifying the cross sections of the keys DO# and RE# differently from the cross sections of the keys FA#, SOL# and LA#, for example by producing the keys DO# and RE# according to the first embodiment and the keys FA#, SOL# and LA# according to the third embodiment, or by modifying the cross sections according to the third embodiment, but with different concavities on different black keys.

Moreover, embodiments are possible in which the keys DO# and RE# have cross sections that have the same area and are specular to each other, as provided for in the first embodiment and as also shown in Figure 5, wherein the section HILM and section HTL'M' have the same area and are symmetrical and specular with respect to the plane j-j' that is perpendicular to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and that is equidistant from the two black keys in question, or also in Figure 7, wherein the section H"I"L"M" and the section H"T"L"'M"' have the same area and are symmetrical and specular with respect to to the plan j-j' that is perpendicular to the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys and that is equidistant from the two black keys in question.

The same analogously applies to the keys FA# and LA#, for which, in Figures 6 and 8, the sections NOPQ and N"0"P"Q" have the same area and are specular with respect to the sections N'O'P'Q' and N"O"'P"'Q"'.

However, other embodiments are also possible wherein said pairs of keys are not specular to each other, in order to make the keyboard as flexible and adaptable as possible to the specific needs of the performer.

Preferably, in said keyboard:

- the keys DO# and RE# have a width AB, HI, HT, ΗΊ", H"T" of 1 1 .10 ± 0.10 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width DC, ML, M'U, M"L", M"'U" of 9.90 ± 0.10 mm at the top surface; and

- the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# have a width EF, NO, NO', N"O", E'F', Ν'Ό'" of 10.40 ± 0.10 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width D'C, QP, Q'P', Q"P", D"C", Q"'P"' of 9.90 ± 0.10 mm at the top surface.

More preferably, the keys DO# and RE# have a width AB, HI, HT, ΗΊ", Η'Ί'" of 1 1 .10 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width DC, ML, M'U, M"L", M"'U" of 9.90 mm at the top surface.

More preferably, the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# have a width EF, NO, NO', N"O", E'F', N'"O'" of 10.40 mm at the plane Y-Y' defined by the surface of the white keys, and a width D'C, QP, Q'P', Q"P", D"C", Q"'P"' of 9.90 mm at the top surface.

According to an especially preferred embodiment, the keys DO# and RE# have a width AB, HI, ΗΊ', ΗΊ", H"T" of 1 1 .10 mm at the plane Y-Y' identified by the surface of the white keys, and a width DC, ML, M'L', M'L", M"'L"' of 9.90 mm at the top surface, and the keys FA#, SOL#, and LA# have a width EF, NO, N'O', N"O", E'F', N"'O"' of 10.40 mm at the plane Y-Y' identified by the surface of the white keys, and a width D'C, QP, Q'P', Q"P", D"C", Q"'P"' of 9.90 mm at the top surface. Under another aspect, the invention concerns a musical instrument comprising the above-described keyboard. Said musical instrument is preferably a piano, organ or electric piano.

It is to be understood that all aspects identified as preferred and advantageous for the keyboard of the invention are also to be deemed analogously preferred and advantageous for the musical instrument that comprises it.