Key switch assembly for electronic musical instruments

Claim 1

A key switch assembly for an electronic musical instrument which comprises: at least upper and lower keyboards spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the planes of said keyboards and in offset relation to each other, each keyboard having a plurality of keys arranged in parallel to each other; a plurality of actuators each provided for a respective key and coupled thereto so as to be operated by depression of said respective key; a printed circuit board common to all of said keyboards, said common printed circuit board extending substantially perpendicular to the planes of said keyboards, said common printed circuit board being mounted below the upper keyboard within the rear extremity of said upper keyboard and behind the lower keyboard; a plurality of switch means selectively operated by the keys of said keyboards and all of said switch means being mounted on said common printed circuit board with the movable contacts thereof extending substantially perpendicUlarly from said common printed circuit board, each switch means corresponding to a respective actuator and being located to be actuated thereby upon depression of a key; and a circuit disposed on said printed circuit board and electrically connected to all of said switch means by means of the printed circuits on said common printed circuit board for the production of musical tones upon depression of a key.