Patent ID: 7402741

Claim:
A keyboard apparatus comprising: a support member; a plurality of pivots that are provided on said support member; a plurality of keys that are each pivotally supported on said support member for pivotal movement about an associated one of said pivots, said plurality of keys each having a key operating part; a key return device that imparts a returning habit to each of said keys such that the key returns into a non-depressed state when the key is not depressed; and a key touch feeling-imparting mechanism that imparts a predetermined feeling characteristic to each of said keys when the key is depressed, wherein said key touch feeling-imparting mechanism comprises a receiving part that is provided on said support member, and an elastic engaging unit that has one end thereof held by said key operating part of an associated one of said keys and another end thereof slidably engaged with said receiving part, and wherein said elastic engaging unit is disposed such that said elastic engaging unit is bent during a forward stroke of key depression caused by a key depressing operation to give a reaction force to said associated key, and said elastic engaging unit moves such that the other end thereof starts to slide on said receiving part due to a change in a sliding frictional state between the other end thereof and said receiving part during the forward stroke of key depression so as to suddenly decrease in an amount of bend thereof to thereby decrease the reaction force given to said associated key.