Patent Publication Number: US-6906252-B2

Title: Connection type foot pedal

Description:
This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on patent application Ser. No. 2002-314154 filed in JAPAN on Oct. 29, 2002, which is herein incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a connection type foot pedal constituted by connecting a foot pedal for a bass drum and a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   As is well-known, a drum system is constituted with a bass drum, a snare drum, a bass tom, a tom-tom, a cymbal, hi-hat cymbals and the like. 
   The hi-hat cymbals are attached to a hi-hat cymbal stand and it is played by stepping operation of a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals to beat two cymbals or by beating two cymbals which have been separated from each other or which have been brought in contact with each other by a stick(s). 
   Further, the bass drum is constituted so as to be beat by swinging of a beater according to stepping operation of a food pedal for a bass drum (hereinafter, referred to as “a bass drum foot pedal”). 
   Here, a double drum pedal which can be stepping-operated by both left and right feet of a player is used for the bass drum in some cases. The double drum pedal will be briefly explained with reference to the drawing.  FIG. 13  is an explanatory view of a double type drum pedal. As shown in  FIG. 13 , a double type drum pedal has bass drum foot pedals disposed on both left and right sides, and it swings two beaters to beat bass drums (not shown). 
   Such a double drum pedal is provided with a foot pedal  10  for a right foot of a player, a foot pedal  20  for a left foot of a player and a connecting rod portion  30 . 
   When a pedal main body  11  of the foot pedal for a right foot  10  is stepped in, a shaft  13  is rotated via a stepping force transmitting portion  12  and only a first beater  14  mounted to the shaft  13  is swung (a second beater  24  is not swung) to beat a drum (not shown). 
   Further, when a pedal main body  21  of the foot pedal for a left foot  21  is stepped in, a shaft  23  is rotated via a stepping-in force transmitting portion  22  and only a second beater  24  is swung (the first beater  14  is not swung) via the connection rod portion  30  to beat the drum (not shown). The double type drum pedal is constituted in this manner, and it can realize drum sounds of various rhythms by changing stepping-in timings of the right and/or left foot pedals  10  and  20 . 
   The foot pedal  20  for a left foot shown in  FIG. 13  is usually disposed in parallel to a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals due to a positional restriction in many cases. 
   When the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals and the bass drum foot pedal are arranged side by side, the pedals are arranged in a mechanically connected state of both the pedals in order to prevent each pedal from deviating from its predetermined position and prevent the pedals from interfering with each other. A connecting tool for a drum set used for such a connection has been disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-41032A (refer to Paragraphs [0012] to [0018], FIG.  3  and the like)). 
   According to a conventional art described in the Patent Document 1, a first connecting tool is first fixed to a frame of a stand for hi-hat cymbals. The fixation is performed by holding a strut of the frame between a first fixing portion of the first connecting tool and a plate to join the first fixing portion and the plate by two bolts. Further, a second connecting tool is fixed to the frame, but the fixation is conducted by clamping the second connecting tool with a clamping tool. A second fixing portion of the first connecting tool is placed on the second connecting tool, and the first and second connecting tool are jointed by fastening a bolt inserted into elongated holes formed in the first and second connecting tools. 
   According to the conventional art, the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals and the bass drum foot pedal can securely be connected to each other side by side, but there occur the following problems. 
   There is a problem that mounting takes much time and/or labor, because the first and second connecting tools are required for the mounting. 
   There is a possibility or concern that, since a bolt is inserted into a plurality of elongated holes and it is fastened and fixed, a fastening and fixing force becomes weak, so that, for example, when a foot pedal operation is performed hard, vibrations are transmitted to the bolt, which may result in loosening of the bolt and movement thereof in the elongated holes. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above problems. It is an object of the invention to provide a connection type foot pedal where connection of a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals and a foot pedal for a bass drum is made reliable and firm with a simple constitution. 
   In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present provides a connection type foot pedal comprising: 
   a first base plate which is attached with a foot pedal for a bass drum which beats a bass drum by swinging a beater according to stepping operation of a pedal main body of the foot pedal for a bass drum; 
   a second base plate which is attached with a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals for beating top and bottom cymbals to each other according to stepping operation of a pedal main body of the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals; 
   a connecting tool which connects the first base plate and the second base plate to each other; 
   a fixing tool which fixes the first base plate and the second base plate, wherein 
   one of two parts of a hinge serving as the connecting tool is attached to the first base plate and the other thereof is attached to the second base plate, 
   the fixing tool is provided with a first fixing portion fixed to the first base plate, a second fixing portion fixed to the second base plate and a fastening portion which fastens the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, and 
   the first base plate and the second base plate are connected to each other by the hinge and the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are connected and fixed to each other by the fastening portion. 
   A second aspect of the present invention provides the connection type foot pedal according to the first aspect, wherein the foot pedal for a bass drum is one foot pedal of two connected drum pedals. 
   A third aspect of the present invention provides the connection type foot pedal according to the first or the second aspect, wherein the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals is fixable to the first base plate after being swung by a predetermined angle within a plane defined by a face of the first base plate. 
   According to the above aspects of the present invention, a connection type foot pedal where a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals and a foot pedal for a bass drum are firmly connected with a simple structure can be provided. 
   That is, in the invention, the foot pedal for a bass drum and the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals are connected to each other via the first base plate and the second base plate. Further, with the connecting tool, the first and second base plates are connected by inserting the axial portion of one part of two parts of the hinge in the hole portion of the other of the parts which has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the axial portion and they are fixed to each other by the fixing tool. Therefore, even if vibrations are transmitted to the first and second base plates due to hard pedal operation of a player, the first and second base plates are prevented from being separated from each other, so that positions of the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals and the foot pedal for a bass drum, and an angle between the both foot pedals can be kept constant. 
   Further, since the first base plate and the second base plate are connected integrally to be brought in plane contact with a floor face, both the pedals can be fixed in a stable state and deviation and/or unstableness or chattering of both the pedals can be prevented during playing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front and perspective view for explaining an actual use aspect of a connected type foot pedal; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear and perspective view for explaining an actual use aspect of the connected type foot pedal; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a connection type foot pedal of an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is an upper view of the connection type foot pedal of the embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a left side view of the connection type foot pedal of the embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a right side view of the connection type foot pedal of the embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a rear view of the connection type foot pedal of the embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the connection type foot pedal; 
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  are enlarged views of a hinge of a specific example of a connecting tool; 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  are enlarged views of a specific example of a fixing tool; 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  are views for explaining an angle adjusting mechanism of a pedal main body in a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals; 
       FIG. 12  is an explanatory view of an angle adjustment using the angle adjusting mechanism; and 
       FIG. 13  is an explanatory view of a double type drum pedal. 
   

   PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
   An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings. 
   First,  FIG. 1  is a front and perspective view for explaining an actual use aspect of a connection type foot pedal, and  FIG. 2  is a rear and perspective view for explaining the actual use aspect of the connection type foot pedal. Further,  FIG. 3  is a front view of the connection type foot pedal,  FIG. 4  is a top view thereof,  FIG. 5  is a left side view thereof,  FIG. 6  is a right side view thereof, and  FIG. 7  is a rear view thereof. 
   Incidentally, for the convenience of explanation, a state where an upper portion of a hi-hat cymbal stand and hi-hat cymbals have been detached is shown in  FIG. 1  to FIG.  7 . 
   A shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a connection type foot pedal comprises a foot pedal  100  for a bass drum, a foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals and a hi-hat cymbal stand  300 . The foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals and the hi-hat cymbal stand  300  are mechanically jointed in one unit, and the connection type foot pedal is constituted by connecting the foot pedal  100  for a bus dram to the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals. 
   Next, the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum will be explained. 
   A “U”-or channel-shaped frame  102  (refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 , FIG.  4  and  FIG. 7 ) as viewed from a front side is provided in a standing manner at a front end portion of a first base plate  101  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 ) on a surface thereof, and the frame  102  comprises a pair of struts  103  and  104  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) and a bottom plate  105  (refer to FIG.  4 ). Incidentally, anchor screws are arranged at root portions of the struts  103  and  104 , and distal end portions of the anchor screws are pierced in a floor face by screwing the anchor screws downwardly, so that the hoot pedal is prevented from deviating from the fixed position thereof. 
   Bearing portions  108  and  109  (refer to  FIG. 1 , FIG.  3  and  FIG. 7 ) are provided at upper end portions of the struts  103  and  104 , and a shaft  110  (refer to FIG.  3  and  FIG. 4 ) is rotatably provided so as to be bridged between these bearing portions. A rocker  111  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 5 ) is integrally fixed to the shaft  110 , and a beater fixing portion  112  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) is mounted adjacent to the rocker  111 . 
   Since the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum is constituted such that it can be used as a foot pedal for a right foot of a player and a foot pedal for a left foot thereof, the beater fixing portion  112  is provided though a beater is not mounted thereto. In this embodiment, however, since the foot pedal  100  is used as the foot pedal  20  for a left foot of a player in the double foot pedal shown in  FIG. 13 , a beater is not required. 
   Further, a clamp fixture  151  shown in  FIG. 2  remains, because the foot pedal  100  has been constituted by improving an existing foot pedal. Therefore, since the clamp fixture  151  is not required in this embodiment, it may be removed. 
   A spring  113  (refer to FIG.  3  and  FIG. 6 ) for applying a returning force to the shaft  110  is mounted between one end portion of the shaft  110  and a proximal end portion of the strut  104 . 
   A cam member  114  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) is fixed on an outer peripheral face of the rocker  111 , and a stepping force transmitting member  115  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) such as a chain, a belt, a timing belt or the like is mounted along an outer peripheral face of the cam member  114 . The stepping force transmitting member  115  is connected to a distal end portion of a pedal main body  116  (refer to FIG.  4  and FIG.  6 ). 
   On the other hand, the other end of the pedal main body  116  is pivoted to a heel  118  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 ) connected to the first base plate  101  by a fixing screw  117  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 ) swingably in a stepping direction. 
   The second beater  24  shown in  FIG. 13  is caused to beat a bass drum (not shown) by stepping operation of such a pedal main body  116 . 
   Then, the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals and the hi-hat cymbal stand  300  will be explained in a connecting manner. 
   A generally square frame-shaped frame  202  (refer to  FIG. 7 ) as viewed from a front thereof is provided in a standing manner at a front end portion of the second base plate  201  (refer to  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) of the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals on a surface thereof, and the frame  202  comprises a pair of struts  203  and  204  (refer to  FIG. 7 ) and a bottom plate  205  (refer to FIG.  4  and FIG.  7 ). 
   An anchor screw  206  (refer to  FIG. 2 ) is disposed in the bottom plate  205 , and a distal end portion thereof is pierced into a floor face by screwing the anchor screw  206  downwardly, so that the foot pedal  200  is prevented from deviating from its predetermined position. 
   Bearing portions  207  and  208  (refer to  FIG. 2 , FIG.  5  and  FIG. 6 ) is provided at the struts  203  and  204 , and a shaft  209  (refer to  FIG. 2 ) is rotably provided so as to be bridged between the bearing portions  207  and  208 . A rocker  210  (refer to  FIG. 2 ) is integrally fixed to the shaft  209 . A cam member  211  (refer to  FIG. 2 ) is fixed to an outer peripheral face of the rocker  210 , and a stepping force transmitting member  212  (refer to FIG.  2  and  FIG. 7 ) such as a chain, a belt, a timing belt or the like is mounted along an outer peripheral face of the cam member  211 . The stepping force transmitting member  212  is connected to a pedal main body  213  (refer to FIG.  4 ). On the other hand, a rear end portion of the pedal main body  213  is pivoted to a heel  215  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 ) connected to the second base plate  201  by a fixing screw  214  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 4 ) swingably along a stepping direction. 
   Further, another rocker  216  (refer to  FIG. 7 ) is mounted to the shaft  209  adjacent to the rocker  210 . A stepping force transmitting member  217  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) is entrained about the rocker  216 . The stepping force transmitting member  217  is inserted and received in a pipe body  303  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 3 ) of the hi-hat cymbal stand  300  and it is attached to an upper cymbal of a pair of hi-hat cymbals (not shown). The stepping force transmitting member  217  is biased by a spring (not shown) disposed in the pipe body  303  and it is applied with a returning force for ascending the pedal main body  213  stepped (namely, for ascending a top or upper side cymbal (not shown)). 
   The top cymbal can be moved vertically by stepping operation on the pedal main body. 
   The hi-hat cymbal stand  300  is provided with legs  301  and  302  (refer to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 2 ) and it is also provided at a central portion with the pipe body  303 . The hi-hat cymbal stand  300  is supported at three points comprising the second base plate  201  and the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals in addition to these legs  301  and  302 , so that it can stand stably. 
   Then, a connection structure of the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum and the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals will be explained with reference to the drawings. 
     FIGS. 8A and 8B  are bottom views of the connection type foot pedal,  FIG. 8A  being an explanatory view of a disconnected state and  FIG. 8B  being an explanatory view of a connected state.  FIGS. 9A and 9B  are enlarged views of a hinge which is a specific example of a connecting tool,  FIG. 9A  being an explanatory view of a disconnected state of the hinge and  FIG. 9B  being an explanatory view of a connected state thereof.  FIGS. 10A and 10B  are enlarged views of one specific example of a fixing tool,  FIG. 10A  being an explanatory view of a disconnected state and  FIG. 10B  being an explanatory view of a connected state. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8A , two first hinge members  120  are mounted to the first base plate  101 , and two second hinge members  220  are mounted to the second base plate  201 . As shown in  FIG. 9A , the first hinge  120  has a hole portion  121  and the second hinge member  220  has an axial portion  221 , and a pair of the first hinge member  120  and the second hinge member  220  is constituted by fitting the axial portion  221  into the hole portion  121 , as shown in FIG.  9 B. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8B , the first base plate  101  and the second base plate  201  are connected in a state that the hinge has been formed. 
   Incidentally, as shown in  FIG. 5 , rubber plates  218  and  219  are attached to bottom faces of the first base plate  101  and the second base plate  201 . For convenience sake, these rubber plates are omitted in FIG.  8 . 
   After the first base plate  101  and the second base plate  201  is connected to each other, both the base plates  101  and  201  (namely, the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum and the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals) are fixed to each other by a fixing tool. 
   As shown in  FIG. 10A , the fixing tool comprises a first fixing portion  130  which is an L-shaped member and is fixed to a surface of the first base plate  101 , a second fixing portion  230  which is an L-shaped member and is fixed to a surface of the second base plate  201 , and a fixing screw  250  (one specific example of a fastening portion) for fixing the first fixing portion  130  and the second fixing portion  230  to each other. Therefore, the first base plate  101  and the second base plate  201  are connected to each other and the first fixing portion  130  and the second fixing portion  230  are connected to each other, and the first fixing portion  130  and the second fixing portion  230  are connected and fixed to each other by the fixing screw  250 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 10A , fastening or fixation is conducted by inserting a screw portion  250   a  of the fixing screw  250  into a groove or hole portion  231  of the second fixing portion  230  to screw the screw portion  250   a  into a screw hole portion  131  of the first fixing portion  130 , then removing a drum key (exclusive trench)  140  shown in FIG.  2  and  FIG. 4 , and rotating the drum key  140  and a column portion  250   b  with a rectangular section of the fixing screw  250  which have been fitted to each other to achieve a state such as shown in FIG.  10 B. The first base plate  101  and the second base plate  201  connected by the connecting tool can be firmly fixed by the fixing tool. 
   Incidentally, as shown in FIG.  2  and  FIG. 4 , it is preferable that the drum key  140  is held by a key holding portion  141 . As a mechanism for the holding, a mechanism clamping the drum key  140  utilizing a recovering force of a spring can be employed. That is, the drum key  140  is usually held in the key holding portion  141 , and it is made in a usable state by pulling out the drum key  140  in a horizontal direction at a time of use. After the key has been used, the key holding mechanism  141  is opened to be capable of holding an end portion of the drum key  140  by catching a lever  142  shown in  FIG. 4  with a finger to lift up the same. 
   Though the embodiment of the present invention has been explained above, such a constitution is preferably employed that an angle of the pedal main body can be adjusted in a horizontal plane. That is, the angle between the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum and a foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals is eventually determined evenly according to the above structure. However, since an angle most suitable for playing will exist for each player, for example, it is preferable that the angle of the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals is adjustable within a horizontal plane. 
   The angle adjusting mechanism will be explained below with reference to the drawings. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B  are explanatory views for explaining an angle adjusting mechanism of a pedal main body in the foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals, and  FIG. 12  is an explanatory diagram of an angle adjustment used in the angle adjusting mechanism. 
   In the angle adjusting mechanism, the frame  102  is movable to the second base plate  201  such as shown in  FIG. 4  in an arc manner within a horizontal plane, which allows pivoting of the pedal main body  213  about the fixing screw  214 , and the pedal main body  213  is moved in a direction of arrow B, as shown in FIG.  12 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , rubber plates  218  and  219  are attached to a back face of the second base plate  201  (incidentally, rubber plates (not shown) are also attached to a back face of the first base plate  101 ). Arc-shaped elongated holes  201   a  and  218   a  such as shown in  FIG. 11B  as viewed in a direction of arrow A in  FIG. 11A  are provided on a front end sides of the rubber plate  218  and the second base plate  201 . Further the elongated holes  201   a  and  218   a  are constituted so as to be insertable with a nut  260 . 
   On the other hand, a hole  205   a  with a counterbore is bored in the bottom plate  205  of the frame  202 , and a fixing screw  261  is inserted into the hole  205   a  via a washer  262 . The fixing screw  261  is screwed into the nut  260  so that the frame  202  is movable to the second base plate  201  in an arc manner. 
   When the frame  202  is moved in this manner, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the pedal main body  213  is pivoted about the fixing screw  214  in a direction of arrow B. The above-described drum key  140  is fitted into the column  216   b  with a rectangular section of the fixing screw  261  at a predetermined position so that the bottom plate  205  of the frame  202  is fixed. For example, the pedal main body  213  of the foot pedal  200  for hi-hat cymbals can be positioned at a position shown by a broken line in  FIG. 12  or at a position shown by a dotted chain line, so that the angle of the pedal main body  213  can be changed to the pedal main body  116  of the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum. 
   The embodiment of the connection type foot pedal of the present invention has been explained. In the connection type foot pedal, the above explanation has been made assuming that the foot pedal  100  for a bass drum is a foot pedal for a left foot of a player of the dual drum pedal. However, for example, the present invention is, of course, applicable to a case that a foot pedal for a left foot of a player in a drum set of a double type drum system is connected to a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals or a case that a left-handed player connects a foot pedal for a right foot to a foot pedal for hi-hat cymbals. 
   These matters can be modified by those skilled in the art properly according to actual situations.