A STORAGE AND TRANSPORT UNIT FOR A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH A KEYBOARD

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage and transport unit (1) for an electronic musical instrument with a keyboard (100), said unit (1) comprising a first portion (6) for receiving the entire musical instrument and at least one second portion (4) which may, during use of said instrument when the unit (1) delimits a first volume, form a space which is substantially outwardly delimited. The unit is characterised in that one portion (6) of the minimum of two portions (4, 6) is arranged for completely or partially receiving at least one (4) of the remaining portions in order to provide a transport position for the unit (1), in which transport position the unit delimits a second volume which is reduced relative to the first volume.

Description: A storage and transport unit for a musical instrument with a keyboard The present invention relates to a storage and transport unit for a musical instrument with a keyboard, said unit comprising a first portion for receiving the musical in¬ strument in its entirety and at least one second portion which may, during use of the musical instrument when the unit delimits a first volume, form a substantially out- wardly delimited space. The unit is intended for use in particular in connection with electronic musical instru¬ ments . FR 2 644 682 features a furniture element for the storage of an electronic musical instrument with a keyboard. This furniture element comprises a storage cavity for the mu¬ sical instrument and a socket and a superstructure pro¬ vided with shelves on which miscellaneous hi-fi equipment or the like may be arranged. The disclosure describes that the lateral elements of the furniture element are to be adapted to the lateral elements of the musical instru¬ ment. At its front, the furniture element further com¬ prises a number of doors. When said doors are closed, the furniture is identical in appearance with an upright pi- ano. Moreover a cabinet is known under the trade name "Roland" intended for an electronic musical instrument with a key¬ board. The shape of this cabinet is identical with that of a conventional grand piano, the musical instrument it¬ self with the keyboard being incorporated into a front- most and readily accessible part of the cabinet while the rearmost portion of the cabinet, seen from above, is curved whereby the appearance of a conventional grand- piano is imparted to the cabinet. The cabinet is provided with legs that are mounted with screws following delivery from the production site. The legs are provided with wheels that allow the cabinet to be moved about in the room in which it is arranged. It applies to all of the prior art disclosures that they relate to substantially stationary storage units intended for use at a specific location. However, a unit that may readily be transported from one location to another, e.g. between two concert halls, is very much in demand among the intended users which unit simultaneously allows the unit to impart the impression of being an actual conven¬ tional musical instrument and/or may be for containing accessories during use of the musical instrument. It is a particular object of the invention to provide a unit of the type described in the introductory part, said unit being easier to transport between different loca¬ tions of use. Thus, according to the invention a unit of this type is provided which is characterised in that at least one portion of the two portions of the unit is ar¬ ranged for completely or partially receiving at least one of the remaining portions in order to provide a transport position for the unit, in which transport position the unit delimits a second volume which is reduced compared to the first volume. In this manner a volume is provided which has a transport position in which the unit may readily be handled, e.g. by one single person. According to an advantageous embodiment, a number of the construc¬ tive elements that constitute the unit may moreover be hollow to provide a unit of reduced weight. According to the invention it is possible that at least the one second part of the unit is configured to be able to contain accessories, e.g. loudspeakers, which, when necessary, need only be rotated or in any other way ar- ranged in its correct position in the unit when the musi¬ cal instrument is to be used. According to a particularly convenient embodiment of the invention which relates in particular to those particular cabinets for musical instruments whose appearances are to convey the impression of being a conventional instrument, e.g. an ordinary piano, the first and the minimum of one second portion are so provided that, when delimiting the first volume, the unit has the appearance of a conven¬ tional piano, in particular a grand piano or a pianette. This is preferably obtained by the first part of the unit having rectilinear delimiting walls with dimensions that correspond substantially to the corresponding parts of a conventional instrument. Thus it has been found that by imitation of an actual, conventional grand piano it is important to maintain the dimensions of this part of the instrument in order to keep up the illusion of the audi¬ ence that this is an actual, conventional string instru- ment. Observance of the exact dimensions of the grand pi¬ ano curve compared to that of a conventional grand piano, however, has proven not to be absolutely necessary. According to a particularly preferred embodiment the unit thus consists of two portions, one of the second portions having a contour which corresponds to the curved portion of a grand piano. According to the invention this portion may be displaced into the first portion by means of a number of grooves with matching protruding profile ele- ments arranged interiorly of the first portion and exte¬ riorly of the second portion, respectively. According to a further particularly advantageous embodi¬ ment, the unit may be provided with a transversal tubular member or a transversal bore, the extremities of the lat¬ ter being provided with wheels to allow the unit to be transported from one locality to another when in its up¬ right position. The invention also relates to a particularly advanta¬ geously configured, rigid and box-shaped protective pack¬ aging for containing the unit, wherein said transport wheels may also serve as a lock to secure the unit ar¬ ranged in the protective packaging when mounted on the protective packaging via the tubular member or the bore. The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings - Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodi¬ ment of a unit according to the invention, Figure 2 is an adaptor portion for the unit shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 illustrates the unit shown in Figure 1 delimit¬ ing a smaller volume. Figure 4 is a perspective view, seen from below, of the unit shown in Figure 3 along the arrow IV and wherein the support legs abut on the bottom plate and the transport wheels are tightly se¬ cured below the bottom plate, Figure 5 illustrates the unit shown in Figures 1-4 in its transport position. Figure 6 is a rear view of the unit shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7 illustrates a transport packaging for the unit shown in Figures 1-6. Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a unit 1 according to the invention, the unit 1 being depicted in the state in which the musical instrument is usually used. The unit shown 1 is intended for receiving and se¬ curing a musical instrument with a keyboard which is, however, omitted for the sake of clarity. The unit 1 com- prises a frontmost or first portion 6 with two lateral walls 10 and 12, respectively, that extend from the front A of the unit 1 to the rear B, and a rearmost or second portion 4 with a rounded or curved wall 45 at the rear B of the unit. The rearmost or second portion 4 is config- ured for being displaceable into the frontmost or first portion 6 as will be described below with reference to Figure 3. Additionally the unit 1 comprises a supporting bottom plate 20 to which the lateral walls 10 and 12 are secured and moreover serving to support the remaining structural parts of the unit 1, including a number of support legs 25 and 27 that are hingedly connected to the bottom side of the bottom plate 20 and may be provided with driving wheels 28. The support legs 25 and 27 may alternatively be releasably connected to the bottom plate 20. As will appear, the unit 1 has the general appearance of a small, conventional grand piano, the front dimensions H, D and L of the unit 1 corresponding to the corresponding dimen- sions of a corresponding grand piano, wherein the dimen¬ sion D preferably corresponds to the dimension of the rectilinear lateral wall of a grand piano. The fact that these dimensions have been maintained has proved to be of significance whey conveying to the audience the illusion that this is an actual, conventional string instrument. As will appear more specifically from Figure 1 the lat¬ eral walls 10 and 12 are made with recesses 13 at the front A of the unit, very much like a conventional piano. Preferably the unit 1 moreover comprises a longitudinal partition wall 15 that extends completely or partially between the lateral walls 10 and 12 in a predetermined distance from the recesses 13. The recesses 13 are made to fluctuate with recesses 13' in the lateral walls 32 and 34 in a separately formed adapter element 30 which is shown in further detail in Figure 2 and which is, pref¬ erably on the location of sale and in accordance with the wishes of the consumer, mounted securely on the bottom plate 20 of the unit 1 for abutment on the lateral walls 10 and 12 and the longitudinal partition wall 15. Said lateral walls 32 and 34 of the adapter element 30 are connected to each other by means of a plate element 38, By means of hinges or in any other way, a front plate 40 is secured to the lateral elements 32 and 34 or the plate element 38. As will appear, the adapter element 30 hereby delimits an open front space in which an electronic musi¬ cal instrument with a keyboard may be received, the thickness of the lateral walls 32, 34 or the remaining dimensions of the adapter element 30 may be selected so as to permit said space to be in exact correspondence with the dimensions of the instrument. During use of the unit 1, the front plate 40 may be caused to occupy a po¬ sition in which the front plate 40 is pivoted rearwards and thereby reveals that part of the musical instrument which is behind the keyboard and which may comprise tun- ing buttons for the remaining functions of the instru¬ ment, whereby access to said front room is obtained. In addition the front plate 40 may comprise a cover which may cover the entire keyboard. It should be noted that the lateral wall is also provided with fitting elements or with a vertical through-going bore whereby the unit 1 may be provided with transport wheels 64 and 66 as will be described in further detail with reference to Figure 3. The rearmost portion 4 of the unit 1 is, as will appear from Figure 1, provided with a curved wall 45 which ex¬ tends at its edges into vertical lateral walls 47 and 49, and a horizontal bottom plate 70 shown in Figure 4. The lateral walls 47 and 49 as well as the bottom plate 70 extend parallel with the corresponding portions of the frontmost portion 6 but is displaced inwardly in order to be able to extend into the interior of the frontmost part 6. The bottom plate 70 of the rearmost portion 4 is, like the bottom plate 20, preferably provided with a number, preferably one, of hinged or removable support legs 75. In the illustrated service position for the unit 1, the curved wall 45 extends evenly into the lateral walls 10 and 12 of the frontmost portion 6. Interiorly of the frontmost portion 6 of the unit 1, the lateral walls 10 and 12 are provided with elongated and horizontally extending grooves 55 that form an engaging connection with associated elongated profiles or rails 50 arranged on the outside of each of the vertical lateral walls 47 and 49 of the rearmost portion 4. A correspond¬ ing engaging connection may be provided between the upper side of the bottom plate 20 and the underside of the bot¬ tom plate 70 of the rearmost part 4. The engagement con¬ nections 50 and 55 allow unimpeded displacement of the rearmost portion 4 into the frontmost portion 6 whereby the unit 1 may be caused to occupy the transport position described in further detail below. It should be noted that in the service position, i.e. when the rearmost por¬ tion is conveyed out through the frontmost portion 6, the weight of the rearmost portion 4 will preferably be received by the engagement connections 50 and 55 and by the aforementioned support leg(s) 75 that are connected to the rearmost portion 4. Thereby resonance problems with loudspeakers located in the frontmost portion 6 are avoided. In Figure 3 the unit 1 is shown in an interposed position with a view to transport in which position the unit 1 de¬ limits a smaller volume. As will appear the rearmost por¬ tion 4 is conveyed partially into the frontmost portion 6 until abutment on e.g. the longitudinal partition wall 15 interiorly of the unit 1, any support legs 75 for the portion 4 being removed or in abutment on the bottom plate 20. In the Figure a cover 60 for the unit 1 is also shown. This cover is preferably connected via a hinge connection 61 to one of the lateral walls 10 or 12 and forms a superstructure during use of the unit that may delimit the frontmost portion 6 and upwardly the rearmost portion 4, since the cover 60 may, like a conventional grand piano, by means of said hinge connection 61 be con- veyed to a lifted position. The cover 60 is also prefera¬ bly divided by a transversal hinge connection 62, whereby the rearmost, protruding portion of the cover 60 may be pivoted to the position shown in Figure 3 in which this portion overlays the remainder of the cover 60 in order to hereby form an even more compact transport unit. The unit 1 is now caused to occupy the transport position shown in Figure 5 by being set endwise following which the support legs 25 and 27 are pivoted to a position in which they abut on the underside of the bottom plate 20, as shown in Figure 4 that illustrates the bottom plane 20 seen in a direction along the arrow IV in Figure 3. Prior to this, the position of the portion 4 is conveniently locked by means of not shown lock fittings. As shown in Figure 4, the bottom plate is moreover provided with at¬ tachment means for the transport wheels 64 and 66. Thereby the transport wheels may be secured to be releas- able and hidden on the unit 1 during use of the latter as a musical instrument, and they may be removed for mount¬ ing along with an axle in a driving position in the transport position of the unit, as shown in Figure 5 in which the axle extends through said tubular member or through said transversal bore in the lateral wall 12. Figure 5 also outlines the keyboard 100 of the musical instrument, the musical instrument being safely secured in the unit 1 by means of the adapter element 30, Figure 2. Figure 6 is a rear view of an embodiment of the unit 1 on which a separate support leg 75 is releasably mounted or hinged in order to be pivoted out below or secured to the rearmost portion 4 of the unit 1 in its in-use position. Figure =7 also illustrates a particularly suitable trans¬ port packaging 105 for the unit 1. The packaging 105 com- prises a box-shaped portion 110 and a lid 120. The walls of the box-shaped portion 110 and the lid 120 are pro¬ vided with corresponding apertures through which said axle for the transport wheels may be conveyed, said transport wheels 64 and 66 being secured at the ends of the axle as shown. The axle may thus also serve as a lock to keep the box-shaped element 110 and 120 together. It should be noted that it is comprised within the scope of the invention to configure the rearmost portion 4 in the form of a plurality of separate sections which may optionally also be displaced into each other. Thereby it is possible to provide a transport position for the unit 1 in which e.g. a circular-arch element 45 does not pro¬ trude from the back of the unit, as shown in Figure 3. This is of particular importance when the first portion 6 of the unit 1 has such depth D that the portion 4 cannot be conveyed completely into the frontmost portion 6 of the unit 1. It is noted that particularly advantageously the unit 1 is, when it leaves its site of production, provided with the electric cables and connectors that are necessary for the functioning of the musical instrument. It is particu¬ larly preferred that the support legs 25,27,75 are hollow which allow connectors for the power supply and e.g. ex- ternal loudspeakers, microphones, etc., to be provided while simultaneously bringing about a considerable reduc¬ tion in the weight of the unit 1. It should also be noted that advantageously the unit 1 may be arranged for receiving further accessories for the musical instrument, such as amplifiers and loudspeakers. These accessories may as desired be permanently arranged in the space delimited by the longitudinal partition wall 15, the lateral walls 10 and 12, 47 and 49 and the curved wall 45 whereby they remain in the unit 1 during its transport. It should also be stressed that it is within the scope of the invention to interhinge the constructive elements 10,12,20,45,47,49 of the elements 4,6 that may also be hinged to each other in order to provide an even more collapsible construction. It will also be understood that even though it is, of course, usually preferable to use a musical instrument with the unit delimiting said first volume, it is also possible, although usually unde¬ sirable, to use the musical instrument in the transport position of the unit.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. A storage and transport cabinet (1) for a sepa¬ rate electronic musical instrument with a keyboard (100), said cabinet (1) comprising a first cabinet portion (6) intended for containing the musical instrument and at least one second cabinet portion (4), which may, during use of the musical instrument when the cabinet portions (4,6) together delimit a first volume, form a substan- tially outwardly delimited space, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that one of the cabinet portions (6) is ar¬ ranged for completely or partially receiving at least one of the remaining cabinet portions (4) in order to provide a transport position for the cabinet (1), in which trans- port position the cabinet (1) delimits a second volume which is reduced relative to the first volume. 2. A cabinet according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the first cabinet portion (6) in combination with the at least one second cabinet portion (4) is so configured that when delimiting said first vol¬ ume the cabinet portions (4,6) have the appearance of a conventional piano, in particular a grand piano or a pia¬ nette, the cabinet (1) optionally being provided with a grand piano lid (60) . 3. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cabi¬ net (1) consists of two cabinet portions (4,6), of which the said second cabinet portion (4) seen from above has a contour corresponding to the curved portion (45) of a conventional grand piano. 4. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that second cabinet portion (s) (4) is (are) arranged for being dis- 97/34286 PO7DK9700106 12 placeable into the first cabinet portion (6), optionally be means of a number of grooves (55) with matching en¬ gagement portions (50) arranged interiorly of the first cabinet portion (6) and exteriorly of one of the remain- ing cabinet portions (4), respectively, or vice versa. 5. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first cabinet portion (6) of the cabinet (1) has rectilinear delimiting surfaces (10,12,20) with dimensions (D,H,L) that correspond essentially to the dimensions of the cor¬ responding surfaces of a conventional piano. 6. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the second cabinet portion (4) is arranged for allowing storage of additional accessories, e.g. loudspeakers. 7. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first cabinet portion (6) is supported by hinged support legs (25,27) that may optionally be hollow. 8. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that interiorly of the support legs (25,27) cables have been routed to lead to permanently mounted plugs. 9. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cabi¬ net is provided with a transversal tubular member or a transversal bore for mounting of a wheel axle and/or wheels (64, 66) .

Inventors: SCHOUW HENRIK, SCHOUW, HENRIK
Applicants: SCHOUW HENRIK, WULFF JOERGEN, SCHOUW, HENRIK, WULFF, JOERGEN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G10C3
IPC codes: G10C3, G10G7