Cajon percussion instrument

A cajón percussion instrument includes a mallet mechanism and a pedal mechanism. The mallet mechanism has a first upright frame disposed on a first bottom plate. A first rotating member is insertedly connected to the first upright frame. The first rotating member is provided with a mallet. The pedal mechanism has a second upright frame disposed on a second bottom plate. A second rotating shaft is insertedly connected to the second upright frame. Two ends of a pedal are pivotally connected to the second bottom plate and the second rotating member, respectively. A fixing seat is provided on each of the first bottom plate and the second bottom plate. A sleeve is connected to the second fixing seat. The sleeve is configured to receive a cable therein. Two ends of the cable are connected to the first rotating member and the second rotating member, respectively.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a percussion instrument, and more particularly to a cajón percussion instrument.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US Patent Application Early Publication No. US20170206868A1, U.S. Pat. No. 8,624,097B1 and US Patent Application Early Publication No. US20150059555A1 disclose a cajón percussion instrument. The cajón percussion instrument is composed of a mallet assembly, a pedal assembly and a sleeve. Two ends of the sleeve are fixed to the mallet assembly and the pedal assembly, respectively. A cable passes through the sleeve. Two ends of the cable are connected to the mallet assembly and the pedal assembly, respectively. The cable is pulled by stepping on the pedal assembly, and the mallet assembly is pulled by the cable to strike the cajón. However, the sleeves of the above-mentioned three cajón percussion instruments are arranged in a curved shape and have a considerable curvature, so the cable passing through the sleeve will be flexibly deformed along the sleeve. The cable is in contact with the inner wall surface of the sleeve, leading to a significant increase in the frictional resistance of the cable. When the user steps on the pedal assembly to pull the cable to drive the mallet assembly to strike the cajón, the user needs to exert a great force to pull the cable. After a period of time, the user may have aches in the foot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a cajón percussion instrument. Through the technique of arranging a cable, a mallet mechanism and a pedaling mechanism in a straight line and reducing the contact between the cable and a sleeve, the force required for pulling the cable is reduced greatly, thereby achieving the labor-saving effect.

In order to achieve the aforesaid object, a cajón percussion instrument is provided. The cajón percussion instrument comprises a mallet mechanism and a pedal mechanism.

The mallet mechanism has a first bottom plate and a first upright frame disposed on the first bottom plate. A first rotating member is insertedly connected to the first upright frame. A mallet and a first cable rotating member are disposed on the first rotating member. The first cable rotating member has a first connecting portion. One end of a cable is connected to the first connecting portion. A first fixing seat is provided on the first bottom plate. One end of a sleeve is connected to the first fixing seat. The cable is inserted into the sleeve.

The pedal mechanism has a second bottom plate and a second upright frame disposed on the second bottom plate. A second rotating shaft is insertedly connected to the second upright frame. Two ends of a pedal are pivotally connected to the second bottom plate and the second rotating member, respectively. One end of the second rotating shaft is provided with a second cable rotating member. The second cable rotating member has a second connecting portion. Another end of the cable is connected to the second connecting portion. A second fixing seat is provided on the second bottom plate. Another end of the sleeve is connected to the second fixing seat.

An extending direction of the first rotating shaft is defined as a first axis. An extending direction of the second rotating shaft is defined as a second axis. A linear distance between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion is defined as a third axis. The first axis and the second axis are spaced apart from each other. The third axis is located between the first axis and the second axis. An included angle is defined between the third axis and the first axis as well as between the third axis and the second axis. The cable and the sleeve are disposed along the third axis.

Preferably, one end of the first rotating shaft is provided with the first cable rotating member. Another end of the first rotating shaft is provided with a spring rotating member. A spring fixing seat is provided on the first bottom plate. Two ends of a spring are connected to the spring fixing seat and the spring rotating member, respectively.

Preferably, the spring fixing seat has an aperture and a screw member passing through the aperture. An outer periphery of the screw member has a threaded portion. The screw member has a head end at one side of the threaded portion and a hook hole at another side of the threaded portion. A nut is disposed on the threaded portion. The screw member is clamped to the spring fixing seat by the head end and the nut. The hook hole of the screw member is connected with the spring.

Preferably, the first cable rotating member is substantially T-shaped and has an upper portion parallel to the first rotating shaft and a lower portion perpendicular to the upper portion. The upper portion has a connecting hole corresponding to the first rotating shaft. The first cable rotating member is sleeved on the first rotating shaft through the connecting hole of the upper portion. The lower portion has a screw hole therein. The first connecting portion is a screw corresponding to the screw hole. The screw is screwed to the screw hole. The screw has a connecting end extending out of the screw hole. The connecting end has a through hole. One end of the cable passes through the through hole and is fixedly connected to the screw.

Preferably, a soft block is provided in the through hole. The cable passes through the soft block and is positioned in the through hole of the first cable rotating member.

Preferably, the second cable rotating member is substantially T-shaped and has an upper portion parallel to the second rotating shaft and a lower portion perpendicular to the upper portion. The upper portion has a connecting hole corresponding to the second rotating shaft. The second cable rotating member is sleeved on the second rotating shaft through the connecting hole of the upper portion. The lower portion has a screw hole therein. The second connecting portion is a screw corresponding to the screw hole. The screw is screwed to the screw hole. The screw has a connecting end extending out of the screw hole. The connecting end has a through hole. The other end of the cable passes through the through hole and is fixedly connected to the screw.

Preferably, a soft block is provided in the through hole. The cable passes through the soft block and is positioned in the through hole of the second cable rotating member.

The above objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 7, embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, the present invention discloses a cajón percussion instrument which is mainly composed of a mallet mechanism1and a pedal mechanism2.

The mallet mechanism1has a first bottom plate11and a first upright frame disposed on the first bottom plate11. A fixing device31is disposed at a front end of the first bottom plate11. The fixing device31is composed of a U-shaped clamping member32and a locking member33screwedly connected to the clamping member32. A cajón41is disposed on the clamping member32. The locking member33is screwed towards the cajón41, so that the cajón41is clamped on the fixing device31through the end faces of the clamping member32and the locking member33. In this embodiment, the first upright frame is composed of two plate members12. A first rotating shaft13is insertedly connected to the two plate members12. The first rotating shaft13is formed with a first restricting portion14having a substantially hexagonal cross section between the two plate members12. A mallet15is provided with an opening16corresponding in shape to the first restricting portion14. The opening16of the mallet15is engaged with the first restricting portion14, so that the rotation of the first rotating shaft13can drive the mallet15to be displaced between an initial position A and a striking position B (as shown inFIG. 3). When the mallet15is moved from the initial position A to the striking position B, the mallet15is pivoted toward the cajón41and strikes the cajón41. One end of the first rotating shaft13is provided with a first cable rotating member51. The first cable rotating member51has a first connecting portion. One end of a cable42is connected to the first connecting portion. In this embodiment, the first cable rotating member51is substantially T-shaped and has an upper portion511parallel to the first rotating shaft13and a lower portion512perpendicular to the upper portion511. The upper portion511has a connecting hole513corresponding to the first rotating shaft13. The first cable rotating member51is sleeved on the first rotating shaft13through the connecting hole513of the upper portion511. The lower portion512has a screw hole514therein. The first connecting portion is a screw52corresponding to the screw hole514. The screw52is screwed to the screw hole514. The screw52has a connecting end522extending out of the screw hole514. The connecting end522has a through hole521. One end of the cable42passes through the through hole521and is fixedly connected to the screw52. Another end of the first rotating shaft13is provided with a spring rotating member53. The spring rotating member53has a hook portion54. The first bottom plate11is provided with a spring fixing seat55spaced apart from the first upright frame. The spring fixing seat55has an aperture56. A screw member57passes through the aperture56. The outer periphery of the screw member57has a threaded portion571. The screw member57has a head end572at one side of the threaded portion571and a hook hole573at another side of the threaded portion571. A nut58is disposed on the threaded portion571, such that the screw member57is clamped to the spring fixing seat55by the head end572and the nut58. A spring59has two ends respectively connected to the hook hole573of the screw member57and the hook portion54of the spring rotating member53. The spring59can pull the spring rotating member53to drive the first rotating shaft13to rotate, thereby maintaining the mallet15in the initial position by the pulling of the spring59. The first bottom plate11is provided with a first fixing seat61spaced apart from the two plate members12. One end of a sleeve62is connected to the first fixing seat61. In this embodiment, the sleeve62is a hollow plastic tube. The cable42is inserted into the sleeve62, thereby making the cable42less susceptible to damage and rust.

As shown inFIG. 4, the pedal mechanism2has a second bottom plate21and a second upright frame disposed on the second bottom plate21. The second upright frame is composed of two plate members22. A second rotating shaft23is insertedly connected to the two plate members22. The second rotating shaft23is formed with a second restricting portion24having a substantially hexagonal cross section between the two plate members22. A connecting seat25is provided with an opening251corresponding in shape to the second restricting portion24. The second restricting portion24is fixedly connected to the connecting seat25. The opening251of the connecting seat25is engaged with the second restricting portion24. One end of a linking rod26is pivotally connected to the connecting seat25. Another end of the linking rod26is pivotally connected to one end of a pedal27. Another end of the pedal27is pivotally connected to the second bottom plate21. One end of the second rotating shaft23is provided with a second cable rotating member28. The second cable rotating member28has a second connecting portion. Another end of the cable42is connected to the second connecting portion. In this embodiment, the second cable rotating member28is substantially T-shaped and has an upper portion281parallel to the second rotating shaft23and a lower portion282perpendicular to the upper portion281. The upper portion281has a connecting hole283corresponding to the second rotating shaft23. The second cable rotating member28is sleeved on the second rotating shaft23through the connecting hole283of the upper portion281. The lower portion282has a screw hole284therein. The second connecting portion is a screw29corresponding to the screw hole284. The screw29is screwed to the screw hole284. The screw29has a connecting end292extending out of the screw hole284. The connecting end292has a through hole291. The other end of the cable42passes through the through hole291and is fixedly connected to the screw29. A second fixing seat63is provided on the second bottom plate21. Another end of the sleeve62is connected to the second fixing seat63. When the pedal27is applied with an external force, the pedal27links the linking rod26to drive the connecting seat25, thereby rotating the second rotating shaft23and simultaneously driving the second cable rotating member28to deflect. In this way, the cable42is pulled by the second connecting portion, and then the cable42is driven to synchronously pull the first cable rotating member51to deflect, so that the first cable rotating member51links the first rotating shaft13, and the mallet15is pivoted to the striking position B to strike the cajón41. In this embodiment, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion include soft blocks43in the through holes521,291. The cable42passes through the soft blocks43and is positioned in the through holes of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, so that the frictional resistance between the cable42and the through holes521,291can be reduced through the soft blocks43to prevent the cable42from being worn and broken.

Preferably, the arrangement of the mallet mechanism1and the pedal mechanism is shown inFIG. 5. The extending direction of the first rotating shaft13is defined as a first axis X1. The extending direction of the second rotating shaft23is defined as a second axis X2. The linear distance between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion is defined as a third axis X3. The third axis X3is located between the first axis X1and the second axis X2. In this embodiment, the first axis X1and the second axis X2are parallel to each other. An included angle θ is defined between the third axis X3and the first axis X1as well as between the third axis X3and the second axis X2. The cable42and the sleeve62are disposed along the third axis X3.

FIG. 6andFIG. 7illustrate the actual use of the present invention composed of the above-mentioned structures. The user applies an external force by stepping on the pedal27, and the pedal27links the linking rod26to drive the connecting seat25to move, thereby rotating the second rotating shaft23and simultaneously driving the second cable rotating member28to deflect, so that the second connecting portion drives the cable42to pull the first cable rotating member51to deflect, the first cable rotating member51links the first rotating shaft13to rotate, the mallet15is pivoted from the initial position A to the striking position B to strike the cajón41. When the first rotating shaft13is rotated, the hook portion54of the spring rotating member53is also pulled to pull the spring59to be stretched and deformed. When the user stops applying an external force to the pedal27, the spring rotating member53is deflected by the return elastic force of the spring59, thereby rotating the first rotating shaft13and pivoting the mallet15to the initial position A. When the first rotating shaft13is rotated, the first cable rotating member51is driven to pull the cable42and further to pull the second rotating shaft23to rotate, so that the linking rod26of the second rotating shaft23pulls the pedal27to a position when the user is not stepping on for the user to step on it again.

Through the cable42and the sleeve62arranged along the third axis X3, the present invention can reduce the flexural deformation of the sleeve62and the cable42effectively. When the user steps on the pedal27to link the second cable rotating member28, there is no need to apply a great force to pull the cable42for pivoting the mallet15. It is easy to step on the pedal27for pivoting the mallet15to the striking position B to strike the cajón41, thereby saving labor. Furthermore, the two ends of the cable42are disposed in the through holes521,291respectively via the soft blocks43, and the friction between the cable42and the through holes521,291is reduced effectively when the cable42is pulled, thereby preventing the cable42from being worn and broken so as to prolong the service life of the cable42.