JP7528053B2 - Electronic Flute - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic flute.

Prior art electronic wind instruments are known, which are provided with controls for modifying (improving) and controlling the sound emission. Electronic wind instruments are very expensive due to the difficulties and techniques encountered during their construction.

US2015/0101477 discloses an electronic flute with a PCB supporting a number of proximity sensors disposed in holes in the flute body. The PCB is disposed inside a tubular channel defined by the flute body. Apparently, the PCB interferes with the air flowing through the flute channel, adversely affecting the sound emitted by the flute. US2015/0101477 discloses an infrared LED with no signaling function and does not disclose the possibility of using pressure and tilt sensors.

US2006/0283312 discloses a wind instrument, such as a transverse flute, which is substantially different from a vertical flute. In fact, such a wind instrument is provided with keys that are used to cover the holes. A position sensor is integrated into each key and detects the closure of the holes. The position sensor is therefore not mounted on the PCB. US2006/0283312 refers generally to a pressure sensor, which is not represented in the drawings and no mounting position is specified. A system consisting of a sensor, a receptor and an emitter is arranged inside the cavity of the wind instrument to detect the keys pressed by the user.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283312 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0101477 disclose electronic musical instruments that cannot be used as acoustic instruments because sensors are disposed inside the instrument's cavity and interfere with airflow.

In particular, the instrument disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283312 should be fitted with two different mouthpieces depending on the type of use (acoustic or electronic).

EP 2017823 discloses an electronic wind instrument, such as a saxophone, which is substantially different from a flute. Such a saxophone comprises a sensor arranged inside the channel through which the air flows, thus interfering with the sound emitted by the instrument.

JP 01-243096 A discloses the use of tilt sensors in wind instruments such as flutes.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0101477 US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283312 European Patent Application Publication No. 2017823 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-243096

The goal of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by disclosing an electronic flute that is inexpensive, versatile, and easy to use.

Another object of the present invention is to disclose an electronic flute in which the electronic components do not change the structure of the flute and do not interfere with the sound produced by the flute.

Another goal of the present invention is to disclose an electronic flute that can communicate with smart devices.

These objects are achieved by the present invention with the characteristics of the attached independent claim 1.

Advantageous configurations become apparent from the dependent claims.

The electronic flute according to the present invention is defined by claim 1.

For clarity, the description of the electronic flute according to the present invention continues with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative and of no limiting value.

1A-1C show exploded views of an electronic flute according to the present invention from various angles. 1A-1C show exploded views of an electronic flute according to the present invention from various angles. 1A-1C show exploded views of an electronic flute according to the present invention from various angles. FIG. 2 is an axial cross-sectional view of the flute of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the central body and first PCB of the flute according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the central body. FIG. 2 is a side view of the central body. FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the central body and the first PCB; FIG. 2 is a top view of the first PCB. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the first PCB. FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the second PCB.

Referring to the drawings, an electronic flute according to the present invention is disclosed, generally designated by reference numeral 100.

The flute (100) comprises a central body (1), a lower cover (2), and an upper cover (3).

Referring to FIG. 4, the central body (1) has a channel (10) that runs longitudinally from an inlet (10a) to an outlet hole (10b). The user blows into the inlet (10a) to introduce air into the channel (10). It should be noted that the channel (10) is free of obstructions or electronic components, allowing free circulation of air without adversely affecting the acoustics. In this way, the central body (1) can operate as a standard vertical flute.

The central body (1) has a flat top wall (11) provided with seven holes (12) in communication with the channel (10). The holes (12) are aligned in a row and suitable for closing by the user's fingers to produce the desired sound. A shank (12a) projects from the top wall (11) around the holes (12) to an upper position. A seat (13) for an LED is provided in the top wall (13) near the shank (12a).

The central body (1) has a flat lower wall (14) provided with a pilot hole (15) communicating with the channel (10). The pilot hole (15) is suitable for closing by the user's thumb. A lower shank (15a) projects from the lower wall (14) around the pilot hole (15) to a lower position.

An outlet for emitting air, consisting of a rectangular hole (16) communicating with the channel (10), is provided in the upper wall (11) of the central body near the inlet (10a). A labium (9) (shown in FIG. 3) is arranged inside the channel (10) at the inlet (10) corresponding to the rectangular hole (16) 3) for generating vibrations and sound.

The rectangular frame (16a) surrounds the rectangular hole (16) in the labium and protrudes to an upper position.

A hole (17) for the pressure sensor is provided in the upper wall (11) between the inlet (10a) and the rectangular hole (16) for the labium. The hole (17) for the pressure sensor communicates with the channel (10).

A rectangular opening (18) is provided in the upper wall (11) between the rectangular hole (16) and the sound hole (12).

The central body has flat side walls (19). Longitudinal ribs (19a) project outwardly from each side wall and create reference elements for the top and bottom covers.

The lower cover (2) is shaped as a half body with a flat lower wall (20) and two side walls (21) branching off from the lower wall at an upper position. A pilot hole (22) is provided in the lower wall (20) corresponding to the pilot hole (15) of the central body. The pilot hole (22) of the lower cover is engaged by the lower shank (15a) of the central body.

The lower cover (2) has a recessed seat (23) disposed at a rear position corresponding to the inlet (11) of the central body. The recessed seat (23) is suitable for receiving a battery (B).

The top cover (3) is shaped as a half body with a flat top wall (30) and two side walls (31).

Seven holes (32) are provided in the top wall (30) of the top cover that correspond to the sound holes (12) of the central body. The seven holes (32) of the top cover are engaged by the shank (12a) of the central body.

A rectangular hole (33) is provided in the upper wall (30) of the upper cover that corresponds to the rectangular hole (16) in the labium of the central body. The rectangular hole (33) in the upper cover is engaged by the rectangular frame (16a) of the central body.

The bridge (34) protrudes above the top wall (30) of the top cover. The bridge (34) is provided with three rectangular windows or recessed seats (35) for receiving keys or buttons, and three holes for receiving LEDs.

The following is a description of the electronics of the flute (100). The flute (100) comprises a first printed circuit board (PCB) (5) and a second printed circuit board (PCB) (6).

The first PCB (5) is arranged in a sandwich configuration between the upper wall (11) of the central body and the upper wall (30) of the upper cover. The second PCB (6) is arranged in a sandwich configuration between the lower wall (20) of the lower cover and the lower wall (14) of the central body.

The first PCB (5) has an upper side (50a) (Figure 9) facing the top cover (4) and a lower side (50b) facing the central body (1).

The first PCB (5) has seven holes (51) for receiving the shanks (12a) of the central body so that the sound holes (12) of the central body communicate with the outside. A proximity sensor (52) is arranged corresponding to each hole (51) of the first PCB to detect the moment when the user's finger approaches the hole (51) to close it. The proximity sensor (52) is a capacitive sensor arranged on the upper side (50a) of the first PCB around the hole (51) and realized by an annular pad of conductive material. Advantageously, two or more proximity sensors (52) can be arranged corresponding to some of the holes (51) to detect two or more positions of the user's finger.

The first PCB (5) has a rectangular hole (53) that receives the rectangular frame (16a) of the central body so that the rectangular hole (16) for the labium of the central body communicates with the outside.

Three keys (54) are provided on the top side (50a) of the first PCB. The keys (54) are engaged in windows (35) in the bridge (34) of the top cover for user access. The keys (54) can be touch type.

The LED string (7) is mounted on the top side (50a) of the first PCB near the keys (54). The LED string (7) comprises three signal LEDs (70) engaged in holes (36) in the bridge (34) of the top cover for user visibility. The signal LEDs (70) indicate the status of the flutes (100).

Referring to Figures 8 and 11, learning LEDs (L1, L2) are mounted on the underside (50b) of the first PCB near each of the holes (51) in the first PCB. Advantageously, two learning LEDs (L1, L2) are provided in each hole (51). The learning LEDs (L1, L2) should emit visible light for the user so that the user knows which key to press.

The learning LEDs (L1, L2) are mounted in recesses in the seat (13) on the top wall of the central body and are in contact with or close to the shank (12a). In order for the light of the learning LEDs (L1, L2) to be visible to the user, the central body (1) or at least the shank (12a) is made of a light-transmitting material, such as a translucent or milky material, while the top cover (3) is made of a matte material. In this way, the light emitted by the learning LEDs (L1, L2) is transmitted by the illuminated shank (12a) and can be seen on the top cover (3).

A pressure sensor (55) is disposed on the underside (50b) of the first PCB near one end of the first PCB. The pressure sensor (55) is disposed inside the hole (17) in the central body. The pressure sensor communicates with the channel (10) in the central body near the inlet (10a) but does not protrude into the channel (10) and therefore does not interfere with the air flowing through the channel (10), allowing the laminar flow impinging on the labium to generate sound-generating air vibrations.

Furthermore, providing the pressure sensor (55) in the hole (17) in the top wall (11) of the central body prevents compression occurring within the flute during use by contacting the pressure sensor, preventing damage to the pressure sensor or inaccurate pressure detection.

A USB port (56) for a USB cable used to recharge the battery (B), a connector (57) for a cable used to connect the second PCB (6), a tilt detector (58), and the control unit (4) are mounted on the underside (50b) of the first PCB. The tilt detector (58) can be an accelerometer.

The USB port (56), connector (57), tilt detector (58), and control unit (4) are disposed in a seat (18) on the upper wall of the central body.

The second PCB (6) has an upper side (60a) facing the lower wall (14) of the central body and a lower side (60b) facing the lower cover (2).

The second PCB (6) has a hole (61) for receiving the lower shank (15a) of the central body so that the lower hole (15) of the central body communicates with the outside. At least one proximity sensor (62) is arranged corresponding to the hole (61) of the second PCB to detect when a user's finger approaches the hole (61) to close it. Advantageously, two proximity sensors (62) are provided to detect when the hole is fully closed or when it is partially closed. The proximity sensor (62) is a capacitive sensor realized by an annular pad of conductive material arranged on the underside (50a) of the first PCB around the hole (51).

A first connector (63) for connection to a battery (B) and a second connector (64) for connection to the connector (57) of the first PCB by a cable (8) are attached to the second PCB (6). By way of example, the cable (8) can be a 4-pole flat cable. The cable (8) is clearly routed outside the central body (1) so as not to interfere with the inside of the channel (10) of the central body.

To assemble the flute (100), the first PCB (5) is disposed between the central body (1) and the upper cover (3), the second PCB (6) is disposed between the lower cover (2) and the central body, and the two covers (2, 3) are connected to surround the central body (1). Such connection can be performed by click means provided on the side walls of the covers at the central body. Alternatively, the edges of the side walls of the covers and the edges of the central body can be connected to each other by adhesive or welding.

The control unit (4) is electrically connected to the proximity sensor (52, 62), the pressure sensor (55), and the tilt sensor (58) and receives information from these sensors. The control unit (4) is a microprocessor.

The control unit (4) comprises a sound generator (Q) suitable for synthesizing acoustic information according to the electrical signals received from the control unit (4). The sound generator (Q) consists of a chip suitable for synthesizing the signals coming from the control unit (4). The sound generator (Q) can be programmed via software to imitate different types of tones or different types of musical instruments.

The control unit (4) also comprises a transceiver (40) suitable for connecting in wireless mode to a smart device such as a mobile phone. The transceiver (40) can be connected to the smart device, for example by means of a Bluetooth system. In such a case, an app is installed on the smart device and cooperates with the control unit (4) to control the operation of the flute (1). Such an app is particularly useful for controlling the learning LEDs (L1, L2).

The key (54) is used to switch on/off and configure the power supply device (2). The signal LED (70) acts as an indicator of the status of the flute. For example, the signal LED can indicate that the flute (100) is switched on, the battery status, the operating mode of the flute (100), etc.

The keys (54) are connected to switches that are connected to the control unit (4). Each key (54) can be used to select an operating mode of the instrument (100). The switches are electrically connected to the control unit (4) and send information of which key is pressed to define the operating mode of the instrument (100).

The learning LEDs (L1, L2) are connected to the control unit (4) to indicate correct playing or to pre-notify which holes should be closed during the playing of a piece of music. Furthermore, by providing two LEDs (L1, L2) for each hole, correct playing can be indicated when the flute (100) is played by a left-handed user and when the flute (1) is played by a right-handed user.

Claims (12)

An electronic flute (100),
A central body (1),
A lower cover (2) and an upper cover (3) surrounding the central body;
a first printed circuit board (PCB) (5) disposed between the central body (1) and the top cover (3);
a second printed circuit board (PCB) (6) disposed between the bottom cover (2) and the central body;
a control unit (4) connected to the first and second PCBs (5, 6);
a battery (B) connected to the control unit (4);
The central body (1)
A channel (10) extending longitudinally from an inlet (10a) to an outlet hole (10b);
a flat upper wall (11) communicating with said channel (10) and provided with a hole (12) suitable for being closed by a user's finger to produce a desired sound;
a shank (12a) protruding from the upper wall (11) to an upper position around the sound hole (12);
a flat lower wall (14) communicating with said channel (10) and provided with a lower hole (15) suitable to be closed by the thumb of a user;
a lower shank (15a) protruding from the lower wall (14) to a lower position around the pilot hole (15);
the first PCB (5) comprises a through hole (51) and a proximity sensor (52) arranged around the hole (51) to detect the approach of a user's finger to the hole (51) to close the hole (51); the first PCB is arranged on the top wall (11) of the central body such that the shank (12a) of the central body penetrates into the hole (51) of the first PCB;
The top cover (3) is provided with a hole (32) into which the shank (12a) of the central body is engaged;
the second PCB (6) comprises a through hole (61) and at least one proximity sensor (62) arranged around the hole (61) in the second PCB to detect the approach of a user's finger to the hole (61) in the second PCB, the second PCB being arranged on the lower wall (14) of the central body such that the lower shank (15a) of the central body penetrates into the hole (61) in the second PCB;
The lower cover (2) is provided with a hole (22) into which the lower shank (15a) of the central body is engaged, electronic flute (100). the first PCB (5) has an upper side (50a) directed towards the top cover and a lower side (50b) directed towards the central body, each of the proximity sensors (52) of the first PCB being a capacitive sensor realised by an annular pad of conductive material arranged on the upper side (50a) of the first PCB around the hole (51) in the first PCB,
2. The electronic flute (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second PCB (6) has an upper side (60a) directed towards the central body and a lower side (60b) directed towards the bottom cover, and each of the proximity sensors (62) of the second PCB is a capacitive sensor realised by an annular pad of conductive material arranged on the lower side (60b) of the second PCB around the hole (61) of the second PCB. The electronic flute (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper wall (11) of the central body has a rectangular hole (16) communicating with the channel (10) of the central body for emitting air, and a rectangular frame (16a) surrounding the rectangular hole (16) and protruding to an upper position for engaging with the rectangular hole (53) of the first PCB and the rectangular hole (33) of the upper cover. 3. The electronic flute (100) of claim 2, comprising a pressure sensor (53) attached to the underside (50a) of the first PCB and disposed in a hole (17) provided in the top wall (11) of the central body near the inlet (10a) communicating with the channel (10) of the central body so as not to protrude into the channel (10) of the central body. The electronic flute (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising a learning LED (L1, L2) attached to the underside (50b) of the first PCB near the hole (51) in the first PCB and engaged in a seat (13) provided on the top wall of the central body near the shank (12a) of the central body, the shank (12a) of the central body being made of a light-transmitting material so that light emitted by the learning LED illuminates the shank (12a) and the shank (12a) can be seen on the top cover (3). 6. The electronic flute (100) of claim 2 or 5, comprising a key (54) attached to the top side (50a) of the first PCB and a bridge (34) protruding from the top cover (3), the bridge (34) having a window (35) corresponding to the key (54) so that a user can press the key. The electronic flute (100) of claim 6, further comprising an LED array (7) mounted on the top side (50a) of the first PCB near the keys (54), the LED array (7) comprising a signal LED (70) engaged with a hole (36) in the bridge (34) of the top cover for viewing by a user. The electronic flute (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, comprising a tilt detector (58) mounted on the underside (50b) of the first PCB near the control unit (4), and the central body (1) has a rectangular opening (18) in the top wall (11) for receiving the control unit (4) and the tilt detector (58). The electronic flute (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first PCB (5) is electrically connected to the second PCB (6) by an electrical cable (8) that is routed around the outside of the central body (1) and arranged inside the lower cover and the upper cover. a connector (57) attached to the underside (50b) of the first PCB near the control unit (4) for connection with an electrical cable (8) connected to the second PCB;
a USB port (56) mounted on the underside (50b) of the first PCB near the control unit (4) for recharging the battery (B);
The electronic flute (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the connector (57) and the USB port are arranged in a rectangular opening (18) provided in the top wall (11) of the central body. The electronic flute (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the battery (B) is housed in a recessed seat (23) of the lower cover and is electrically connected to the second PCB (6). The electronic flute (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit (4) comprises an acoustic generator (Q) suitable for emitting an acoustic signal and a transceiver (40) suitable for connecting in wireless mode to a smart device.

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