| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 084189000 | Resonance devices | 14 |
| 20110162505 | STRINGED INSTRUMENT UTILIZING SYMPATHETIC VIBRATIONS - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, wherein a global fundamental tone produces a sympathetic resonance in one or more of the plurality of strings. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a stringed musical instrument comprises a plurality of strings, and a vibration inducing device configured to create a global fundamental tone upon demand by a user, wherein at least a first string of the plurality of strings controllably produces a sympathetic resonance in response to the global fundamental tone. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20130061734 | ACOUSTIC EFFECT IMPARTMENT APPARATUS, AND PIANO - An acoustic effect impartment apparatus detects striking of any one of strings by a corresponding hammer in an acoustic piano like a grand piano, and vibrates a vibration section with a driving waveform signal obtained by synthesizing sine wave signals of the fundamental frequency and harmonic frequency of the hammer-struck string. Such vibration of the vibration section is transmitted to the keys via a soundboard and bridge of the piano. Thus, vibration is excited in the hammer-struck string by the striking with the hammer but also by the driving waveform signal, so that an acoustic effect corresponding to the driving waveform signal is imparted. Because the driving waveform signal is a simple signal using the sine wave signals corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the string, a natural feeling of the acoustic piano will not be lost even when the acoustic effect is imparted. | 03-14-2013 |
| 084192000 | Sounding boards | 12 |
| 20090320666 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE SOUND OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - The invention relates to a method for improving the sound of acoustic musical instruments by decoupling the part of a musical instrument that is directly responsible for producing the primary sound event from the elements and components that are not directly involved in producing the primary sound event. The limitation of the acoustically active part prevents elements ( | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100147131 | Electronic Keyboard Instrument - An electronic keyboard instrument with a hammer action, in which a circuit board for generating electronic musical tones can be disposed at a location for easy maintenance and for effective space utilization. Front and rear bars are bridged between side plates of an instrument main body so as to extend parallel to each other in the left-right direction and reinforce the instrument main body. A hammer action mechanism having hammers for respective keys is disposed rearward of a key-depression part of a keyboard and upward of a rear end portion of the keyboard, and a board tray is bridged between the front and rear bars. The board tray and the circuit board are located upward of the hammer action mechanism. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100147132 | ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT - An electronic keyboard instrument in which the efficiency of sound emission is enhanced by preventing a soundboard portion having a large vibration amplitude from being hidden by a musical score plate to make sound emission of the soundboard to be hardly hindered by the musical score plate. A musical stand device is disposed rearward of a key-depression part of a keyboard and right above the soundboard, and has a musical score plate disposed close to and parallel to an upper surface of the soundboard when the musical score plate is in a fallen state. The soundboard is excited for sound production by transducers disposed on a lower surface of the soundboard. The transducers are disposed at positions where the transducers do not overlap, as viewed in plan, the musical score plate which is in the fallen state. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100307313 | Digital Instrument with Physical Resonator - In an implementation of this invention, a stringed musical instrument has a resonator comprised of a bridge and a soundboard. Vibrations from the strings are transmitted through the bridge to the soundboard. A plurality of sensors are attached to or embedded in the soundboard. The sensors measure primarily the vibrations of the soundboard, rather than primarily the vibrations of the strings. Preferably, three or more sensors are used. Piezoelectric sensors sample vibrations in the soundboard. The resonator includes a printed circuit board that amplifies the signal from each sensor separately. Also, a signal processing device that is “onboard” the musical instrument processes the separate input signals to create one output signal. The resonator may be easily removed, enabling resonators to be interchanged. Also, the physical characteristics of a particular resonator, such as its mass or its boundary condition, may be adjusted, thereby changing the acoustic qualities of the soundboard. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20130092007 | KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT - In a predetermined sound generation mode, a drive signal having a frequency characteristic corresponding to an operated key is supplied to excitation units provided on a soundboard. The soundboard is vibrated in response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation units to generate an acoustic sound by the vibration of the soundboard. The frequency characteristics of the drive signal to be supplied to each of the excitation units is set in association with the vibration characteristics of the soundboard at a position of a vibration member of each excitation unit connected to the soundboard. For example, the frequency characteristics of the drive signal is set to characteristics capable of suppressing resonance of the soundboard. | 04-18-2013 |
| 20130118333 | KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT - In response to an operation of a key, a drive signal indicating a sound waveform corresponding to the key is supplied to an excitation unit provided on a soundboard. The soundboard is vibrated in response to a mechanical vibration generated by the excitation unit and generates an actively-vibrated-soundboard sound as well as an acoustic effect generated by propagation of the vibration of the soundboard to a string. The excitation unit has a voice coil excited by the drive signal. The length of the voice coil is equal to or smaller than a sum of a magnetic path width (mw) of a magnetic path space and a double of a maximum deflection amount (sw) of the vibration member connected to the soundboard. In this way, an effective drive force for exciting the soundboard can be obtained and an enhanced responsiveness in a high frequency band can be obtained. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130298745 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE PIANO SOUND REFLECTOR - A portable sound reflector designed to be placed under the soundboard of a piano in order to reflect sound laterally. The preferred embodiment includes a main panel which is held in the proper reflecting orientation by a pair of lateral wings. The lateral wings are preferably hinged to the main panel so that the entire assembly may be folded flat for transportation and storage. A pair of automatically-deploying stays are preferably included. These fold outward and downward to latch the lateral wings in the deployed state when the device is to be used. The hinges are preferably spring-biased toward the open position. This allows the device to assist the user in the unfolding process. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20140150623 | RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION OF WAVEFORM BASED ON SOUND BOARD VIBRATIONS - In a musical instrument, such as a piano, having a sound board, the sound board vibrates in response to vibrations of a string responsive to depression of a key. A waveform corresponding to such vibrations of the sound board is detected and recorded. The recorded vibration waveform is usable for reproduction of a sound based on sound board vibrations. In a sound reproduction apparatus, such as a piano, having a sound board, an excitation device physically excitable in response to an input waveform is provided on the sound board. A signal indicative of a vibration waveform of the sound board is received, and the excitation device is driven in accordance with the received waveform signal so that the sound board is vibrated. Thus, a sound based on the sound board vibrations can be replicated or reproduced with a high quality. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140150624 | RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION OF WAVEFORM BASED ON SOUND BOARD VIBRATIONS - In a musical instrument, such as a piano, having a sound board, the sound board vibrates in response to vibrations of a string responsive to depression of a key. A waveform corresponding to such vibrations of the sound board is detected and recorded into a memory for each of the keys. The recorded vibration waveform is usable for reproduction of a sound based on sound board vibrations. In a sound reproduction apparatus, such as a piano, having a sound board, an excitation device physically excitable in response to an input waveform is provided on the sound board. In response to an operation of a key, a sound board vibration waveform corresponding to the operated key is read out from the memory, and the excitation device is driven in accordance with the read-out waveform signal so that the sound board is vibrated. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20150033930 | KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT - The Invention relates to a keyboard instrument with a keyboard and a sound board including a front edge which runs substantially parallel to the keyboard. The sound board further includes a first lateral edge which forms a first angle (A) with the front edge, and a second lateral edge which forms a second angle (B) with the front edge. Strings are provided which are induced to vibrate by respective keys of the keyboard. There is also at least one sound bridge which is secured to the sound board and on which the other end of the strings which faces away from the keys is supported. The first angle (A) is >90°. The sound bridge extends at a right angle on the sound board approximately as far as a line that runs rearwards from the intersection of the front edge of the sound board and the first lateral edge. | 02-05-2015 |
| 084193000 | Materials | 2 |
| 20120174728 | METHOD FOR INCREASING RESONANCE OF INSTRUMENT AND THE INSTRUMENT - A method for increasing the resonance of an instrument such as a woodwind instrument having a cap holder inside and a pad coupled to the cap holder comprises: an agitation step for agitating a mixture of a conductive medium that contains at least one of platinum, gold, silver, copper, nickel, bronze, brass, phosphor bronze with solid silicon; a mixture heating step for heating the agitated mixture; a coagulation step for naturally cooling the heated mixture and coagulating into a solid; a mixture pulverization step for pulverizing the mixture; a mixture application step for applying the mixture to the inside of the cap holder; and a pad attaching step for attaching a pad to the interior of the cap holder after the mixture application step. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20150128782 | SOUNDING BOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - A sounding board ( | 05-14-2015 |
