Patents by Inventor MUTSUO SAWADA

MUTSUO SAWADA 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).

  • Publication number: 20250210018
    Abstract: Since the curvature of a plane part 82b is smaller than that of a curved surface part 82a, it is possible for the distance between a coil 100 and the detected part 82 (plane part 82b) to be short in the aftertouch performance region than the case where the detected part 82 is one arc shape centered on a rotation shaft 90. Accordingly, the dynamic range can expand (with a significantly decrease in the sensor output value in the aftertouch performance region) without enlarging the displacement member 8 (coil 100). Accordingly, aftertouch can be accurately detected while the displacement member 8 can be miniaturized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihide Takata, Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20240428764
    Abstract: A keyboard device includes: a support member; and keys swingably supported by the support member. One of the support member and the key includes a guide groove guiding swinging of a key rear portion, and the other includes a guide shaft extending in a scale direction, inserted into the guide groove, and sliding along the guide groove when the key swings. The keys comprise white and black keys. When a point where a guide shaft center is positioned in a pre-key-pressed state is a starting point of the guide groove, a point where the guide shaft center is positioned in a state where the key is pressed to an ending edge position is an ending point of the guide groove, and a line connecting the starting and ending points is an angle of the guide groove, the angle of the guide groove differs between the white or black keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20240428765
    Abstract: Since an entire guided surface (from an upper end of an inclined surface to a lower end of a curved surface) faces a guide surface in a scale direction at an initial position before key pressing, even if grease is scraped upward due to swinging of a white, the grease is likely to stay in sliding regions on the guided surfaces. In addition, since a spacing between the guide and guided surfaces gradually widens from the upper end sides to the lower ends of the guided surfaces, even if the guided surfaces slides downward with respect to the guide surface when the white key is pressed, the grease applied to each of the surfaces is unlikely to be scraped off downward. This also makes it easier to retain the grease in the sliding regions on the guided surfaces. Thus, a feeling of pressing the white key can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihide Takata, Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20240428766
    Abstract: Swinging of a rear portion of a white key 2a is guided through sliding between a shaft portion 41 and a guide groove 60, and an attachment member 6 having the guide groove 60 is formed using a soft material having a lower hardness than a resin (for example, an ABS resin) which will become a material of the white key 2a and a chassis 4. Accordingly, for example, compared to when the attachment member 6 is formed using the same material (relatively hard) as the white key 2a and the chassis 4, it is possible to curb occurrence of noise when the guide groove 60 slides along the shaft portion 41 of the chassis 4. Thus, it is possible to give a favorable feeling of playing to a player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20240212657
    Abstract: A keyboard device includes a support member, a plurality of keys swingably supported by the support member and arranged side by side in a scale direction, and a hammer interlocked with swinging of each key. The hammer includes a receiving part recessed downward. Each key includes a protrusion protruding downward and inserted into the receiving part. An arc surface is formed on at least one of a bottom surface of the receiving part and a lower surface of the protrusion. When each key swings, the protrusion rotates about a center of a circle including the arc surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihide Takata, Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Patent number: 11776512
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard device for which the number of parts can be reduced. The present invention is provided with: hammers rotatably linked to a chassis; keys rotatably linked to the hammer thereof; guiding pins provided to the keys and extending in the widthwise direction of the keys; and a guiding groove provided to the chassis side and into which the guiding pins are inserted. The downward displacement of the front-end sides of the keys is guided by the rotation of the hammers with respect to the chassis, and the downward displacement of rear-end parts of the keys is guided by the sliding of the guiding pins with respect to the guiding groove. This eliminates the need for links to guide the displacement of the rear-end parts of the keys, thus allowing the number of parts to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kasubuchi, Hitoshi Sato, Yukihide Takata, Mutsuo Sawada
  • Patent number: 11776511
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard device that can suppress a reduction in the operability of a key. A rear guiding member comprises a pair of guiding surfaces that, in a side view of a key, face forward and rearward and are formed along an arc that is convex toward the front. The key comprises a pair of sliding surfaces that slide against the pair of guiding surfaces. Due to this sliding of the guiding surfaces and the sliding surfaces, rotation of the key can be guided while displacement of the key in the front-rear direction is regulated. Consequently, because forward and rearward displacement of the key during key pressing can be suppressed, a reduction in operability (feeling of touch) during pressing of the key can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihide Takata, Hitoshi Sato, Masaki Kasubuchi, Mutsuo Sawada
  • Patent number: 11735150
    Abstract: A keyboard device is provided, and includes multiple keys and multiple hinges. Each of the keys is supported by a support member. Each of the hinges has: a pair of base parts, joined to the support member and separated from each other with a predetermined gap therebetween in a width direction of the keys, and a connection part, connecting the pair of base parts and each of the keys to each other in a longitudinal direction of the keys. A dimension of the connection part in the longitudinal direction of the keys is set to be larger than dimensions of the base parts in the width direction of the keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Yoshitaka Fujiwara, Mutsuo Sawada
  • Publication number: 20230029113
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard device for which the number of parts can be reduced. The present invention is provided with: hammers rotatably linked to a chassis; keys rotatably linked to the hammer thereof; guiding pins provided to the keys and extending in the widthwise direction of the keys; and a guiding groove provided to the chassis side and into which the guiding pins are inserted. The downward displacement of the front-end sides of the keys is guided by the rotation of the hammers with respect to the chassis, and the downward displacement of rear-end parts of the keys is guided by the sliding of the guiding pins with respect to the guiding groove. This eliminates the need for links to guide the displacement of the rear-end parts of the keys, thus allowing the number of parts to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki KASUBUCHI, Hitoshi SATO, Yukihide TAKATA, Mutsuo SAWADA
  • Publication number: 20230016374
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard device that can suppress a reduction in the operability of a key. A rear guiding member comprises a pair of guiding surfaces that, in a side view of a key, face forward and rearward and are formed along an arc that is convex toward the front. The key comprises a pair of sliding surfaces that slide against the pair of guiding surfaces. Due to this sliding of the guiding surfaces and the sliding surfaces, rotation of the key can be guided while displacement of the key in the front-rear direction is regulated. Consequently, because forward and rearward displacement of the key during key pressing can be suppressed, a reduction in operability (feeling of touch) during pressing of the key can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihide TAKATA, Hitoshi SATO, Masaki KASUBUCHI, Mutsuo SAWADA
  • Patent number: 11538444
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard apparatus including: a key, displaced about a key axis and having a cavity opening downward formed therein; and a guide member, having a guide inserted into the cavity of the key and guiding displacement of the key by contact between a guided surface of the key and the guide. The key includes a stopper formed within the cavity. The stopper includes a base connected to the key and extending downward, and a hook formed on a lower end side of the base and displaced in a position vertically side by side with the key axis. The guide includes a recess formed on a rear surface of the guide, and the hook is inserted into the recess. The hook is formed in a position overlapping the guided surface or a position vertically side by side with the guided surface in a left-right view of the key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kasubuchi, Mutsuo Sawada, Hitoshi Sato
  • Publication number: 20220208150
    Abstract: Provided is a keyboard apparatus including: a key, displaced about a key axis and having a cavity opening downward formed therein; and a guide member, having a guide inserted into the cavity of the key and guiding displacement of the key by contact between a guided surface of the key and the guide. The key includes a stopper formed within the cavity. The stopper includes a base connected to the key and extending downward, and a hook formed on a lower end side of the base and displaced in a position vertically side by side with the key axis. The guide includes a recess formed on a rear surface of the guide, and the hook is inserted into the recess. The hook is formed in a position overlapping the guided surface or a position vertically side by side with the guided surface in a left-right view of the key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kasubuchi, Mutsuo Sawada, Hitoshi Sato
  • Publication number: 20210343263
    Abstract: A keyboard device is provided, and includes multiple keys and multiple hinges. Each of the keys is supported by a support member. Each of the hinges has: a pair of base parts, joined to the support member and separated from each other with a predetermined gap therebetween in a width direction of the keys, and a connection part, connecting the pair of base parts and each of the keys to each other in a longitudinal direction of the keys. A dimension of the connection part in the longitudinal direction of the keys is set to be larger than dimensions of the base parts in the width direction of the keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi SATO, Yoshitaka FUJIWARA, Mutsuo SAWADA
  • Patent number: 9281142
    Abstract: A keyboard device capable of suppressing noise that occurs upon release of the key is provided. The key is formed with a protrusion and a hammer is formed with a sliding surface. Moreover, the hammer is provided with contact portions that come into contact with a side surface of the protrusion when the key is pressed to the bottom in a key-pressing direction. Thus, when the key is released, the contact between the side surface of the protrusion and the contact portions prevents the key from rotating before the hammer, thereby preventing the protrusion from departing from the sliding surface and suppressing the generation of noise that occurs when the protrusion falls on (hits) the sliding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: ROLAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20140083830
    Abstract: A keyboard device capable of suppressing noise that occurs upon release of the key is provided. The key is formed with a protrusion and a hammer is formed with a sliding surface. Moreover, the hammer is provided with contact portions that come into contact with a side surface of the protrusion when the key is pressed to the bottom in a key-pressing direction. Thus, when the key is released, the contact between the side surface of the protrusion and the contact portions prevents the key from rotating before the hammer, thereby preventing the protrusion from departing from the sliding surface and suppressing the generation of noise that occurs when the protrusion falls on (hits) the sliding surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ROLAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: MUTSUO SAWADA, SHIRO UNO
  • Patent number: 8445765
    Abstract: A keyboard device capable of reconstructing a unique clicking sense of an acoustic piano is provided. A first incline portion (a plane or curved surface) of a sliding surface is inclined towards a direction gradually departing from a base portion of a protrusion along a displacement direction of the protrusion in a key-pressing operation for reducing a resistance exerted on the protrusion and suppressing a gradual increase of a sense of resistance. Moreover, a bump portion located at where the protrusion reaches after sliding through the first incline portion is used to increase the resistance exerted on the protrusion for increasing the sense of resistance. When the protrusion crosses over the bump portion, the sense of resistance is reduced. Accordingly, variation in the sense of resistance before and after the bump portion is increased, and the unique clicking sense of the acoustic piano is reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsuo Sawada, Shiro Uno
  • Publication number: 20120174729
    Abstract: A keyboard device capable of reconstructing a unique clicking sense of an acoustic piano is provided. A first incline portion (a plane or curved surface) of a sliding surface is inclined towards a direction gradually departing from a base portion of a protrusion along a displacement direction of the protrusion in a key-pressing operation for reducing a resistance exerted on the protrusion and suppressing a gradual increase of a sense of resistance. Moreover, a bump portion located at where the protrusion reaches after sliding through the first incline portion is used to increase the resistance exerted on the protrusion for increasing the sense of resistance. When the protrusion crosses over the bump portion, the sense of resistance is reduced. Accordingly, variation in the sense of resistance before and after the bump portion is increased, and the unique clicking sense of the acoustic piano is reproduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: ROLAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: MUTSUO SAWADA, SHIRO UNO