Patents by Inventor Mitsuru Kitajima

Mitsuru Kitajima has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9449586
    Abstract: A keyboard device includes: key units each including a coupler and white or block keys coupled to the coupler at their rear ends; and a key frame assembled to the key frame and supporting the couplers stacked on each other. The coupler of one of the key units is provided with a hook having an engaging portion. The coupler of each of at least one other key unit has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The key frame has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The couplers of the key units are secured on the key frame using the engaging portion in a state in which the hook extends through the through hole of the coupler of each of the at least one other key unit and the through hole of the key frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Yamamoto, Yu Yoshizaki, Mitsuru Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20160104464
    Abstract: A keyboard device includes: key units each including a coupler and white or block keys coupled to the coupler at their rear ends; and a key frame assembled to the key frame and supporting the couplers stacked on each other. The coupler of one of the key units is provided with a hook having an engaging portion. The coupler of each of at least one other key unit has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The key frame has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The couplers of the key units are secured on the key frame using the engaging portion in a state in which the hook extends through the through hole of the coupler of each of the at least one other key unit and the through hole of the key frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Shin YAMAMOTO, Yu YOSHIZAKI, Mitsuru KITAJIMA
  • Patent number: 8541672
    Abstract: A lever is supported by a lever supporting portion. The lever is urged by a first spring and a second spring. The urging force of the first spring varies over the entire operational range of the lever. The second spring and a third spring are provided serially through a movable supporting member. The displacement of the movable supporting member is restricted by a fixed supporting member. If the urging force of the second spring exceeds the urging force of the third spring, the restriction on the displacement of the movable supporting member is removed. Therefore, the present configuration provides a player with feeling similar to that the player perceives when he manipulates a damper pedal of an acoustic piano.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwamoto, Mitsuru Kitajima, Shigeru Muramatsu, Koichi Saigo
  • Patent number: 8158876
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus having hammers each adapted for contact at its mass-unconcentrated half with a lower surface of an initial stopper that restricts initial pivot positions of the hammers, thereby reducing a contact force with which each hammer contacts the initial stopper, whereby the required thickness of the initial stopper can be reduced and height positions of key-depression surfaces of the keys in a non-key-depression state can be made uniform with ease. In the non-key-depression state, the hammers are in contact with the lower surface of the initial stopper mounted to a stopper mounting portion of the frame, whereby initial pivot positions of the hammers in a key-depression forward stroke are restricted and key-depression initial positions of respective keys are indirectly restricted, so that the height positions of key-depression surfaces of the keys are made uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Kitajima, Hirotsugu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8119895
    Abstract: A keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument comprises an integrally formed multikey unit and a keyboard frame. The multikey unit has a plurality of juxtaposed key bodies and is comprised of three subunits, a sharp key subunit, a C-E-G-B key subunit and a D-F-A key subunit, which are complementary to each other to provide a key unit for a complete one octave. The rear end of each of the key body is extended downward to form a deformable thickness-reduced member to allow a vertical swing of the key body when depressed by a player. The thickness-reduced members are connected into a common connecting member to horizontally align the key bodies in the direction of juxtaposition. The keyboard frame has a vertical rear wall member and a rear top wall member both extending in the direction of the key body alignment, and guide ribs connecting the rear top wall member and the vertical rear wall member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kitajima
  • Patent number: 8003871
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus made longitudinally compact while ensuring a pivotal motion range of hammers within a limited space. Common base ends, to which main bodies of white and black keys are connected via vertically extending hinges, are stacked one upon another and fastened to a fastening part of a frame. Hammers are each supported on a hammer pivot shaft such that its rear end is moved upward about the pivot shaft in a key-depression forward stroke. The hammers have their rear ends located forward of rearmost positions of visible parts of black keys. The hammer pivot shafts are located rearward of frontmost positions of the visible parts. A plate portion of the frame, on which key switches are disposed, is located forward of the rearmost positions of the visible parts of the black keys and upward of the fastening part of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20110138987
    Abstract: A lever is supported by a lever supporting portion. The lever is urged by a first spring and a second spring. The urging force of the first spring varies over the entire operational range of the lever. The second spring and a third spring are provided serially through a movable supporting member. The displacement of the movable supporting member is restricted by a fixed supporting member. If the urging force of the second spring exceeds the urging force of the third spring, the restriction on the displacement of the movable supporting member is removed. Therefore, the present configuration provides a player with feeling similar to that the player perceives when he manipulates a damper pedal of an acoustic piano.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki IWAMOTO, Mitsuru KITAJIMA, Shigeru MURAMATSU, Koichi SAIGO
  • Patent number: 7956261
    Abstract: A lever 40 is supported by a lever supporting portion 41. The lever 40 is urged by a first spring 45 and a second spring 46. The urging force of the first spring 45 varies over the entire operational range of the lever 40. The second spring 46 and a third spring 47 are provided serially through a movable supporting member 48. The displacement of the movable supporting member 48 is restricted by a fixed supporting member FR. If the urging force of the second spring 46 exceeds the urging force of the third spring 47, the restriction on the displacement of the movable supporting member 48 is removed. Therefore, the present invention provides a player with feeling similar to that the player perceives when he manipulates a damper pedal of an acoustic piano.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwamoto, Mitsuru Kitajima, Shigeru Muramatsu, Koichi Saigo
  • Patent number: 7897860
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus configured that heavy loads to support keys and hammers are perpendicularly applied to front-side and rear-side contact portions and the area of a front part of a frame as seen from side can be reduced, thereby suppressing an amount of use of resin. The keyboard apparatus includes a frame integrally formed by resin and mounted with a stopper mounting portion to which an initial stopper is mounted. The frame is supported on a keybed only by front-side and rear-side supporting portions respectively contacting the keybed at locations beneath hammer pivot shafts and beneath key supports. In a longitudinal region between the stopper mounting portion and the front-side supporting portion, the height position of a lowermost part of the frame become higher at a position closer to the stopper mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Kitajima, Ichiro Osuga
  • Publication number: 20110005370
    Abstract: A keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument comprises an integrally formed multikey unit and a keyboard frame. The multikey unit has a plurality of juxtaposed key bodies and is comprised of three subunits, a sharp key subunit, a C-E-G-B key subunit and a D-F-A key subunit, which are complementary to each other to provide a key unit for a complete one octave. The rear end of each of the key body is extended downward to form a deformable thickness-reduced member to allow a vertical swing of the key body when depressed by a player. The thickness-reduced members are connected into a common connecting member to horizontally align the key bodies in the direction of juxtaposition. The keyboard frame has a vertical rear wall member and a rear top wall member both extending in the direction of the key body alignment, and guide ribs connecting the rear top wall member and the vertical rear wall member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsuru KITAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20100071532
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus made longitudinally compact while ensuring a pivotal motion range of hammers within a limited space. Common base ends, to which main bodies of white and black keys are connected via vertically extending hinges, are stacked one upon another and fastened to a fastening part of a frame. Hammers are each supported on a hammer pivot shaft such that its rear end is moved upward about the pivot shaft in a key-depression forward stroke. The hammers have their rear ends located forward of rearmost positions of visible parts of black keys. The hammer pivot shafts are located rearward of frontmost positions of the visible parts. A plate portion of the frame, on which key switches are disposed, is located forward of the rearmost positions of the visible parts of the black keys and upward of the fastening part of the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru KITAJIMA, Hirotsugu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100071534
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus configured that heavy loads to support keys and hammers are perpendicularly applied to front-side and rear-side contact portions and the area of a front part of a frame as seen from side can be reduced, thereby suppressing an amount of use of resin. The keyboard apparatus includes a frame integrally formed by resin and mounted with a stopper mounting portion to which an initial stopper is mounted. The frame is supported on a keybed only by front-side and rear-side supporting portions respectively contacting the keybed at locations beneath hammer pivot shafts and beneath key supports. In a longitudinal region between the stopper mounting portion and the front-side supporting portion, the height position of a lowermost part of the frame become higher at a position closer to the stopper mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru KITAJIMA, Ichiro OSUGA
  • Publication number: 20100071531
    Abstract: A keyboard apparatus made longitudinally compact while ensuring a pivotal motion range of hammers within a limited space. Common base ends, to which main bodies of white and black keys are connected via vertically extending hinges, are stacked one upon another and fastened to a fastening part of a frame. Hammers are each supported on a hammer pivot shaft such that its rear end is moved upward about the pivot shaft in a key-depression forward stroke. The hammers have their rear ends located forward of rearmost positions of visible parts of black keys. The hammer pivot shafts are located rearward of frontmost positions of the visible parts. A plate portion of the frame, on which key switches are disposed, is located forward of the rearmost positions of the visible parts of the black keys and upward of the fastening part of the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kitajima
  • Publication number: 20090235803
    Abstract: A lever 40 is supported by a lever supporting portion 41. The lever 40 is urged by a first spring 45 and a second spring 46. The urging force of the first spring 45 varies over the entire operational range of the lever 40. The second spring 46 and a third spring 47 are provided serially through a movable supporting member 48. The displacement of the movable supporting member 48 is restricted by a fixed supporting member FR. If the urging force of the second spring 46 exceeds the urging force of the third spring 47, the restriction on the displacement of the movable supporting member 48 is removed. Therefore, the present invention provides a player with feeling similar to that the player perceives when he manipulates a damper pedal of an acoustic piano.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki IWAMOTO, Mitsuru KITAJIMA, Shigeru MURAMATSU, Koichi SAIGO