Patent Publication Number: US-7589265-B2

Title: Upright piano

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This disclosure relates to upright pianos. 
   BACKGROUND 
   A piano is a musical instrument that produces sound by striking steel strings with felt hammers that immediately rebound allowing the string to continue vibrating. These vibrations are transmitted through bridges to a soundboard, which amplifies the vibrations. Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact than grand pianos (horizontal pianos) because the frame and strings are placed vertically, extending in both directions (up and down) from the keyboard and hammers. 
     FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a prior art upright piano  10 A including a piano case  20  having an upper front panel assembly  25 , two side panels  22 , and a top lid  24 . The upper front panel assembly  25  includes an upper front panel  30 A pivotally mounted in a frame  32 . The frame  32  is removably mounted to the two side panels  22 . In this configuration, found, e.g., in Steinway “K-52” upright pianos, the entire upper front panel assembly  25  must be removed to gain access into the piano case  20  for tuning the piano  10 A. Vertical legs  42  of the frame  40  are aligned with keyboard arms  50  of the piano  10 A to provide visual continuity. 
     FIGS. 5-8  illustrate a prior art upright piano  10 B including a piano case  20  having an upper front panel  30 B, two side panels  22 , and a top lid  24 . The upper front panel  30 B is removably pivotally mounted directly to the two side panels  22 . In this configuration, found, e.g., in the Steinway “1098” upright piano, the entire upper front panel  22  is removed to gain access into the piano case  20  for tuning the piano  10 B. The upper front panel  30 B defines grooves  33  that provide visual continuity with one or more components of the piano  10 B. 
   SUMMARY 
   In one aspect, an upright piano includes a piano case having an upper front panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a top lid. The upper front panel is pivotally mounted below and generally abutting the top lid. A keyboard is supported by the piano case. The keyboard has left and right keyboard arms and a plurality of keys. A keyboard lid is operable to pivot between a closed position covering the keys and an open position providing access to the keys. The keyboard lid has a width substantially equal to a width of the upper front panel, so as to provide visual continuity along their outer edges. The piano includes left and right upper front panel strips fixedly mounted to the corresponding left and right side panels above and substantially parallel to the corresponding left and right keyboard arms. The upper front panel is removably and pivotally supported by the left and right upper front panel strips to rotate between a closed position and an open position. The upper front panel is generally parallel to and substantially between the left and right upper front panel strips while in the closed position. The upper front panel is operable to rest against the key lid while the key lid and the upper front panel are each in their respective open positions. 
   Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following features. In some implementations, the upper front panel defines a smooth uninterrupted front surface and may have a polyester finish. In some examples, the left upper front panel strip has a surface substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface of the left keyboard arm, and the right upper front panel strip has a surface substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface of the right keyboard arm. The left and right upper front panel strips may have substantially the same width as the corresponding left and right keyboard arms. The left and right upper front panel strips may be positioned to provide visual vertical continuity between the upper front panel strips and the keyboard arms, such that the left and right upper front panel strips and the keyboard arms appear contiguous from a front view. 
   In some implementations, the left and right upper front panel strips engage on inwardly facing sides and/or front facing sides of the respective left and right side panels. Each upper front panel strip and its associated side panel together may define a substantially L-shaped configuration in top view. 
   In some implementations, an upper portion of the upper front panel is pivotally attached to the left and right upper front panel strips, allowing a lower portion of the upper front panel to swing freely. The key lid may include a music sheet rest configured to support a music sheet resting against the upper front panel while the key lid and the upper front panel are each in their respective open positions 
   The upright piano may include a panel stop disposed on at least one of the left and right upper front panel strips. The upper front panel stop is configured to prevent rotation of the upper front panel past the closed position into an interior area of the piano case. In some examples, the upper front panel is removably attached to the upper front panel strips. For instance, left and right pivot pegs may be inserted in or disposed on the corresponding left and right upper front panel strips. Left and right clips configured to engage the pivot pegs are disposed on the upper front panel. The upper front panel is releasably clipped onto the pivot pegs and allowed to swing between its open and closed positions. 
   The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a prior art upright piano. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial top view of a piano case of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partial front view of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partial side view of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of another prior art upright piano. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial top view of a piano case of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a partial front view of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 8  is a partial side view of the prior art upright piano of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of an upright piano. 
       FIG. 10  is a partial perspective view of the upright piano of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a partial top view of a piano case of the upright piano of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 12  is a partial front view of the upright piano of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 13  is a partial side view of the upright piano of  FIG. 9  with an upper front panel and a keyboard lid in their open positions. 
       FIG. 14  is a partial side view of the upright piano of  FIG. 9  with an upper front panel and a keyboard lid in their closed positions. 
   

   Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 9-10 , an upright piano  100  includes a piano case  200  having an upper front panel  210 , a left side panel  220 , a right side panel  230 , and a top lid  240 . The upper front panel  210  is pivotally mounted below and generally abutting the top lid  240 . A keyboard  300  is supported by the piano case  200  and has a plurality of keys  310 . The upright piano  100  includes left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232 , respectively, disposed on the corresponding left and right side panels  220  and  230 . The upper front panel strips  222  and  232  may be formed integral with the side panels  220  and  230  or affixed to the side panels  220  and  230  (e.g. by adhesive or fasteners  85  (see  FIG. 11 )). The upper front panel strips  222  and  232  may be configured to provide increased rigidity of the piano case  200 . The upper front panel  210  is pivotally attached to the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  to rotate between a closed position and an open position. The upper front panel  210  is generally parallel to and substantially between the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  while in the closed position. 
   In some implementations, an upper portion  212  of the upper front panel  210  is pivotally attached to the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232 , thereby allowing a lower portion  214  of the upper front panel  210  to swing freely. The upper front panel  210  may have a polyester finish, which may not be amenable to routed grooves or edges. In some examples, the upper front panel  210  has a contiguous uninterrupted front surface  211  (e.g. free of grooves or recessions). 
   In the example illustrated, the upright piano includes left and right keyboard arms  320  and  330 , respectively, supporting the keyboard  300  therebetween. The left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  are disposed above and substantially parallel to the corresponding left and right keyboard arms  320  and  330 . In some examples, the left upper front panel strip  222  has a surface  224  substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface  324  of the left keyboard arm  320  (e.g. to provide visual continuity). Similarly, the right upper front panel strip  232  has a surface  234  substantially co-planar with a corresponding surface  334  of the right keyboard arm  330 . In some examples, the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  have substantially the same width as the corresponding left and right keyboard arms  320  and  330  (e.g. to provide visual continuity). 
   In some implementations, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the upright piano  100  includes a key lid  340  operable to pivot between a closed position covering the keys  310  and an open position providing access to the keys  310 . The key lid  340  is configured to support the upper front panel  210  while the key lid  340  and the upper front panel  210  are each in their respective open positions. The key lid  340  in the example shown includes a music sheet rest  345  configured to support a music sheet (not shown) resting against the upper front panel  210  while the key lid  340  and the upper front panel  210  are each in their respective open positions. The music sheet rest  345  may be a rib or ridge extending along the key lid  340 , as shown. In some instances, the music sheet rest  345  is configured to fold down into the key lid  340 . In some examples, the upper front panel  210  has a width substantially equal to a width of the key lid  340  (e.g. to provide visual continuity). 
   Referring to  FIG. 11 , in some examples, the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  are disposed on inwardly facing sides  221  and  231  and/or front facing sides  223  and  233  of the respective left and right side panels  220  and  230 . In the example shown, the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232  are disposed on both the inwardly facing sides  221  and  231  and the front facing sides  223  and  233  of the respective left and right side panels  220  and  230 . In preferred examples, each upper front panel strip  222  and  232  and its associated side panel  220  and  230  together define a substantially L-shaped configuration in top view, as shown. 
   In the example illustrated in  FIGS. 12-13 , the upright piano  100  includes a upper front panel stop  216  disposed on at least one of the left and right upper front panel strips  222  and  232 . The upper front panel stop  216  is configured to prevent rotation of the upper front panel  210  past the closed position into an interior area  202  (see e.g.  FIG. 10 ) of the piano case  200 . The upper front panel stop  216  may also be configured to support the key lid  340  in the open position, and prevent the key lid  340  from rotating past the open position into or further into the interior area  202  of the piano case  200 .  FIG. 13  provides a partial side view of the upright piano  100  with the upper front panel  210  and the keyboard lid  340  in their open positions. To hold the upper front panel  210  in its open position, the upper front panel  210  is pulled open, the key lid  340  is then rotated to its open position (e.g. resting against the upper front panel stop  216 ), and the upper front panel  210  is lowered onto the key lid  340 , which supports the upper front panel  210  in its open position. In this configuration, the upper front panel  210  and the key lid  340  are arranged to support sheet music, music books, and other objects (e.g. against the upper front panel  210  and on the music sheet rest  345 ) for viewing by a piano player. The steps are repeated in reverse to move the upper front panel  210  and the key lid  340  back to their closed positions.  FIG. 14  provides a partial side view of the upright piano  100  with the upper front panel  210  and the keyboard lid  340  in their closed positions. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 12 , in some implementations, the upper front panel  210  is removably attached to the upper front panel strips  222  and  232 . In the example shown, a pivot peg  510  is disposed on each of the upper front panel strips  222  and  232 . Clips  520  are disposed on the upper front panel  210  and configured to reasonably engage the corresponding pivot pegs  510  on the upper front panel strips  222  and  232 . While hung on the pivot pegs  510 , the upper front panel  210  is free to swing between its open and closed positions. For tuning the piano  100 , the upper front panel  210  is unclipped from the pivot pegs  510  and removed from the piano case  200 , thereby allowing access to the interior area  202  of the piano  100 . 
   Removal of a single panel (e.g. the upper front panel  210 ) for tuning may be less cumbersome than removing a upper front panel assembly including a upper front panel pivotally attached to a frame. As a result, one or more of the disclosed implementations advantageously provide a removable upper front panel for access inside the piano. The disclosed piano configurations also provide visual continuity between the upper front panel strips  222  and  232  and the keyboard arms  320  and  330 , as well as between the upper front panel  210  and the key lid  340  and/or the keyboard  300 . 
   A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.