JP7529295B2 - Vibration control and monitoring systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vibration control device equipped with a vibration control member that suppresses the shaking of a structure during an earthquake or strong wind, and a monitoring system that monitors the vibration control member.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vibration control devices are installed on the inside of walls of structures such as houses and factories to suppress vibrations caused by earthquakes and strong winds.
Vibration control devices for structures are designed and manufactured to have a durability period determined according to the lifespan of the structure, and to perform vibration control functions during that durability period. However, vibration control devices for structures are used in conditions ranging from below freezing to over 50°C due to seasonal changes in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, changes in temperature between daytime and nighttime, and changes in weather. Under such conditions, it cannot be denied that the vibration control device may fail to perform its functions for some reason.
However, as described above, the vibration control device is installed in a place that is not directly visible, such as inside a wall, so that if an abnormality occurs in the vibration control device for some reason, it is difficult for the owner or manager of the structure to immediately recognize the abnormality.

Patent Document 1 discloses a monitoring system in which a temperature sensor is provided in a hydraulic vibration damper to detect the oil temperature, and the functional state of the hydraulic vibration damper is monitored based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. In this monitoring system, the oil temperature detected by the temperature sensor is transmitted to a monitoring device using a public line or/and a network line within a specified area.

JP 2001-214633 A

In the technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, if the temperature detected by some temperature sensors indicates a value far different from the temperatures detected by many other temperature sensors, it is possible to recognize that there is a hydraulic seismic damper in which an abnormality has occurred. However, if it is not possible to identify which hydraulic seismic damper in a structure is installed in which an abnormality has occurred, it is not possible to carry out inspection and repair work appropriately.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to properly recognize the state of vibration-damping members installed on the inside of a wall, etc., and to properly identify the vibration-damping member in which an abnormality has occurred.

In order to solve the above problems, a vibration damping device according to one aspect of the present invention is a vibration damping device configured to be able to communicate with a monitoring device that monitors the state of multiple vibration damping members installed in positions in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and includes vibration damping members installed in positions in the structure that cannot be seen from the outside, a detection unit that detects the state of the vibration damping members, and a transmission unit that transmits state information indicating the state of the vibration damping members detected by the detection unit and a manufacturing serial number of the vibration damping members, and the state information of the vibration damping members is used by the monitoring device to monitor the state of the vibration damping members, and the serial number is used to identify the position of the vibration damping members.

A vibration control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vibration control device configured to be able to communicate with a monitoring device that monitors the status of multiple vibration control members, and comprises: the vibration control members installed in a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside; a detection unit that detects an abnormal status of the vibration control members; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vibration control members; and a transmission unit that transmits status information indicating the abnormal status of the vibration control members detected by the detection unit, identification information of the vibration control members, and position information of the vibration control members acquired by the position information acquisition unit, wherein the status information of the vibration control members is used by the monitoring device to monitor the abnormal status of the vibration control members , and the position information of the vibration control members is information different from the identification information of the vibration control members .

A monitoring device according to one aspect of the present invention is a monitoring device that monitors the status of multiple vibration-damping members installed in positions in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the status of the vibration-damping members, manufacturing serial numbers of the vibration-damping members, and position information of the vibration-damping members, a determination unit that determines an abnormality in the vibration-damping members based on the status information of the vibration-damping members, and an output unit that outputs log information that includes at least the determination result by the determination unit, the manufacturing serial numbers of the vibration-damping members, and the position information of the vibration-damping members.

A monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the vibration damping device described above and the monitoring device configured to communicate with the vibration damping device, wherein the monitoring device comprises an acquisition unit that acquires status information of the vibration damping member, identification information of the vibration damping member, and position information of the vibration damping member, a judgment unit that judges an abnormality in the vibration damping member based on the status information of the vibration damping member, and an output unit that outputs log information including at least the judgment result by the judgment unit, the identification information of the vibration damping member, and the position information of the vibration damping member.

A monitoring method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for monitoring the status of multiple vibration-damping members installed in positions that cannot be seen from the outside of a structure, and includes an acquisition step of acquiring status information indicating the status of the vibration-damping members, manufacturing serial numbers of the vibration-damping members, and position information of the vibration-damping members, a determination step of determining an abnormality in the vibration-damping members based on the status information of the vibration-damping members, and an output step of outputting log information including at least the determination result in the determination step, the manufacturing serial numbers of the vibration-damping members, and the position information of the vibration-damping members.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the above monitoring method.

One aspect of the vibration control device according to the present invention is a vibration control device that includes a vibration control member that is installed in a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and includes a detection unit that detects the state of the vibration control member, a determination unit that determines an abnormality in the vibration control member based on the state of the vibration control member detected by the detection unit, an identification unit that identifies the installation position of the vibration control member where the abnormality is occurring within the structure, and a transmission unit that transmits log information that includes at least information related to the determination result by the determination unit and the installation position identified by the identification unit.

This allows the vibration control device to properly notify the building owner or manager of the presence or absence of an abnormality in a vibration control member installed in a location that cannot be directly seen, such as inside the building wall, and the installation location of the vibration control member where the abnormality occurred. Therefore, the building owner or manager can easily recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the vibration control member, and can properly identify the installation location of the vibration control member where the abnormality occurred, making it possible to quickly and accurately repair or replace the vibration control member.

In the vibration damping device, the determination unit may determine the level of the abnormality of the vibration damping member. In this manner, by determining the level of the abnormality (whether it is a level that can be easily monitored or a level that requires immediate repair, etc.), the state of the vibration damping member can be notified in detail.
Furthermore, in the vibration damping device, the detection unit may shorten the detection interval for the state of the vibration damping member as the level of the abnormality of the vibration damping member determined by the determination unit increases. This makes it possible to suppress the driving of the sensor that detects the state of the vibration damping member and reduce power consumption when the abnormality level of the vibration damping member is low. In addition, since the state of the vibration damping member can be monitored at short intervals after an abnormality is detected, it is possible to appropriately determine the timing when the vibration damping member needs to be repaired or replaced, and to take prompt action.

In the vibration control device, the vibration control member may be a hydraulic damper having a cylinder filled with oil and a piston provided in the cylinder, and the hydraulic damper may be installed diagonally between the one and the other structural members by connecting an end of a piston rod connected to the piston to one structural member and connecting an end of the cylinder to the other structural member. In this case, an abnormality in a hydraulic damper installed inside a wall of a building can be appropriately detected.
Furthermore, in the vibration damping device, the detection unit may be an oil leakage sensor that detects leakage of the oil from the cylinder. In this way, by detecting oil leakage from the cylinder of the hydraulic damper, it is possible to appropriately detect a situation in which the hydraulic damper is unable to perform its vibration damping function.

In the vibration damping device, the determination unit may determine the level of the abnormality of the vibration damping member based on the amount of oil leakage detected by the oil leakage sensor. When an abnormality that may cause oil leakage occurs in the hydraulic damper, oil gradually leaks out of the cylinder, and when the amount of oil leakage reaches a certain value, the hydraulic damper is no longer able to perform its vibration damping function. Therefore, by monitoring the amount of oil leakage, it is possible to appropriately determine and notify whether the abnormality is at a level that can be monitored over time or is at a level that requires immediate repair.
Furthermore, in the vibration damping device, the oil leak sensor may be disposed in the vicinity of a vertically lower end of the piston rod, thereby making it possible to appropriately detect oil leakage from the cylinder.

The vibration damping device may further include a storage unit that stores a database that associates identification information of the vibration damping member with an installation position of the vibration damping member, and a transmitter that is provided on the vibration damping member and transmits the identification information of the vibration damping member, and the identifying unit may identify the installation position by referring to the database stored in the storage unit based on the identification information transmitted by the transmitter. In this case, the installation position of the vibration damping member can be easily and appropriately identified.
Furthermore, the vibration damping device may further include a creation unit that creates the database and causes the holding unit to hold the database. If the database is created after the vibration damping members are installed inside the wall, etc., a highly reliable database can be obtained, and the installation positions of the vibration damping members can be more appropriately identified.

The vibration damping device may further include a transmitter provided on the vibration damping member for transmitting position information of the vibration damping member, and the identifying unit may identify the installation position based on the position information transmitted by the transmitter. In this manner, if the vibration damping member is configured to be able to transmit position information, it is possible to easily identify the installation position of the vibration damping member in which an abnormality has occurred.
Furthermore, in the vibration damping device, the transmission unit may transmit the log information by email to a predetermined destination, thereby making it possible to appropriately notify a building owner or manager in a remote location of the state of the vibration damping member.
The vibration damping device may further include a recording unit that records the log information, whereby the recorded log information can be effectively used in creating a maintenance plan for the vibration damping device or in designing the next model of the vibration damping device.

Furthermore, one aspect of the monitoring system of the present invention is a monitoring system that monitors a vibration-damping member installed in a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and includes a detection unit that detects the state of the vibration-damping member, a judgment unit that judges an abnormality in the vibration-damping member based on the state of the vibration-damping member detected by the detection unit, an identification unit that identifies the installation position of the vibration-damping member where the abnormality is occurring within the structure, and a transmission unit that transmits log information including at least information regarding the judgment result by the judgment unit and the installation position identified by the identification unit.
This makes it possible to provide a system that can properly notify the owner or manager of a building of the presence or absence of an abnormality in a vibration-damping member installed in a position that cannot be directly seen, such as inside the wall of a building, and the installation location of the vibration-damping member where the abnormality has occurred. Therefore, the owner or manager of a building can easily recognize that an abnormality has occurred in a vibration-damping member, and can properly grasp the installation location of the vibration-damping member where the abnormality has occurred, making it possible to quickly and accurately repair or replace the vibration-damping member.

Furthermore, one aspect of the method for monitoring a vibration-damping device according to the present invention is a method for monitoring a vibration-damping member installed in a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and includes the steps of detecting a state of the vibration-damping member, judging an abnormality in the vibration-damping member based on the detected state of the vibration-damping member, identifying the installation position within the structure of the vibration-damping member where the abnormality is occurring, and transmitting log information to an external device that includes at least the result of the abnormality judgment and information related to the identified installation position.
This allows the owner or manager of a building to properly grasp whether an abnormality has occurred in a vibration-damping member installed in a position that cannot be directly seen, such as inside the wall of a building, and the installation position of the vibration-damping member where an abnormality has occurred. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in a vibration-damping member, it becomes possible to quickly and accurately repair or replace the vibration-damping member where the abnormality has occurred.

According to the present invention, it is possible to properly recognize the condition of vibration-damping members installed on the inside of a wall, etc., and to properly identify the vibration-damping member in which an abnormality has occurred. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the vibration-damping member, repair or replacement can be carried out quickly, and the function of the vibration-damping device can be properly maintained.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment in which a vibration damping device according to the present embodiment is applied to a building. FIG. FIG. 1A and 1B are enlarged views of a piston portion showing a piston valve, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line aa of (b), and (b) is a side view. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the damping force characteristics of a hydraulic damper. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a valve seat plate of the piston valve is bent. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an oil leakage monitoring device. 4 is a flowchart showing an abnormality determination process executed by the monitoring device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a notification by email.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A vibration control device A having a hydraulic damper 1, which is a vibration control member, is installed diagonally between a column 2 and a beam 3 of a building, as shown in Fig. 1. This vibration control device A is suitable for use in wooden houses constructed using a framework method or a 2x4 method, but is not limited to this and can be applied to buildings with light steel frame structures, heavy steel frame structures, and other structures such as towers and bridges, and can be applied not only to new buildings but also to earthquake-resistance reinforcement of existing structures.
The method of installing the hydraulic damper 1 is not limited to the method of diagonally installing it between the column 2 and the beam 3 as shown in Fig. 1, but it may be installed, for example, between the columns 2. The hydraulic damper 1 may be installed between various structural members, such as between the column 2 and the foundation (not shown) or between the connection parts that connect the column 2 and the beam 3. The vibration control device A is also not limited to the one in which the hydraulic damper 1 is directly connected between the structural members, but the hydraulic damper 1 may be interposed as part of a brace structure.

The hydraulic damper 1 has a cylinder 5 and a piston rod 6, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. One end of the cylinder 5 is closed by a cap member 7, and the other end is closed by a connecting member 9. One end of the piston rod 6 is a small diameter portion 6a, into which a piston 10 is fitted. A boss portion 11 is fixed integrally to the other end of the piston rod 6. A mounting bracket 13 is rotatably connected to the boss portion 11 via a bolt 12. A boss portion 15 is fixed integrally to the other end connecting member 9 of the cylinder 5, and the other mounting bracket 17 is rotatably connected to the boss portion 15 via a bolt 16.

An annular end member 19 is fitted to one side of the cylinder 5, and the end member 19 is determined by a snap ring 20 so that its axial position is integral with the cylinder 5. An O-ring 21 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the end member 19, and an O-ring 22 is also attached to the inner peripheral surface through which the piston rod 6 passes, and the end member 19 divides the spaces before and after in the axial direction into an oil-tight state. A float member 23 is fitted to the other side of the cylinder 5 so as to be freely movable in the axial direction, and a slide ring 25 and a seal ring 26 are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the float member 23 in line in the axial direction. The float member 23 divides the spaces before and after in the axial direction into an oil-tight and airtight state.

The space between the end member 19 and the float member 23 in the cylinder 5 is filled with oil of a predetermined viscosity to form a hydraulic chamber 27. Note that oil means a liquid having a predetermined viscosity, and generally means oil, but is not limited to oil in the narrow sense. An inert gas such as nitrogen gas of a predetermined pressure is sealed in the space between the float member 23 and the connecting member 9 in the cylinder 5 to form a gas chamber (pre-pressure chamber) 29. The cap member 7 at one end of the cylinder has a guide hole 7a through which the piston rod 6 is inserted slidably to support the piston rod, and a scraper 30 is attached to the guide hole 7a to scrape off dust and other particles adhering to the piston rod 6 by sliding against the piston rod 6. The space between the end member 19 and the cap member 7 in the cylinder 5 is an air chamber (extra clearance) 31 through which air can freely enter and exit. The axial distance of the air chamber 31 is longer than the stroke of the hydraulic damper 1.

A spring bearing metal fitting 32 is disposed adjacent to the hydraulic chamber 27 side of the end member 19, and a spring bearing ring member 33 is disposed by fitting to the small diameter portion 6a of the piston rod 6. A nut 36 is screwed to the tip of the small diameter portion 6a of the piston rod 6 via a washer 35. The spring bearing ring member 33 is abutted against the small diameter portion step portion 6b. The first and second piston valves 37 ₁ and 37 ₂ are disposed on both sides of the piston 10 so as to sandwich the piston 10. The spring bearing ring member 33, the piston 10, and both piston valves 37 ₁ and 37 ₂ are positioned relative to the piston rod 6 by the nut 36. The piston 10 divides the hydraulic chamber 27 into a rod side oil chamber 27a and a non-rod side oil chamber 27b. A coil spring 40 is compressed between the spring bearing metal fitting 32 and the spring bearing ring member 33 in the rod side oil chamber 27a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the piston 10 has annular convex protrusions 45, 45 formed on both sides 10a, 10b, centered on the piston rod 6. Annular hydraulic space 46, 46 is formed between the protrusion 45 and the boss portion 44 into which the small diameter portion 6a of the piston rod is inserted. The protrusion 45 and the boss portion 44 have the same protruding height from both sides 10a, 10b of the piston, that is, are flush with each other. The piston 10 has a plurality (three) of push-side oil passages 47... that connect the hydraulic space 46 on one side 10a to the outer diameter side of the protrusion 45 on the other side 10b, and a plurality (three) of pull-side oil passages 49 that connect the hydraulic space 46 on the other side 10b to the outer diameter side of the protrusion 45 on the one side 10a. These oil passages 47, 49 are of the same shape and number, and have a rectangular cross section that is long in the circumferential direction.

The first and second piston valves 37 ₁ , 37 ₂ are made of annular leaf springs, and have a valve seat plate 50 whose outer circumferential portion abuts against the annular projection 45, and a disc spring 51 which presses the valve seat plate 50 against the annular projection 45 with a predetermined biasing force. The first and second piston valves 37 ₁ , 37 ₂ on the left and right sides of the piston 10 function as check valves which regulate the movement of oil through the oil passages 47 or 49 of both oil chambers 27 a, 27 b in response to the movement of the piston 10 in one direction. The first and second piston valves 37 ₁ , 37 ₂ also control the flow of oil through the oil passages 47 or 49 of both oil chambers 27 a, 27 b to predetermined characteristics in response to the movement of the piston 10 in the other direction.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the first and second piston valves _37-1 , _37-2 have damping force characteristics in which, when the movement speed V of the piston 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined value P, the change in the load F moving the piston in response to the change in the movement speed is large (part S), and, when the movement speed V of the piston 10 is greater than the predetermined value P, the change in the load F moving the piston in response to the change in the movement speed is small (part T).
The predetermined value P is substantially indicated by a dot in Fig. 5. It is preferable that the steep gradient (S portion) and the gentle gradient (T portion) are switched in a narrow region like the dot, but as shown by the chain line in Fig. 5, the gradient may be switched smoothly in a certain range, and the predetermined value includes this concept. In this embodiment, the first and second piston valves 37 ₁ and 37 ₂ each have two valve seat plates 50 and three disc springs 51, but the number, radial dimensions, and plate thickness are appropriately set according to the above characteristics. In addition, a pressure ring 53 having a predetermined oil-tight property and slidingly contacting the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 5 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the piston 10.

Since this embodiment is configured as described above, the hydraulic damper 1 is installed diagonally between the pillar 2 and the beam 3 of the house by attaching the mounting brackets 13 and 17 to the pillar 2 and the beam 3 of the house, respectively, with screws or the like. Changes in the ambient temperature affect the temperature of the oil in the hydraulic chamber 27, causing the oil to expand or contract. Then, the float member 23, which is slidably supported by the cylinder 5 and forms a free piston, moves against or in accordance with the biasing force of the high-pressure gas in the gas chamber 29 in response to the volume change of the hydraulic chamber 27 due to the expansion or contraction of the oil. As a result, even if the volume of the oil in the hydraulic chamber changes due to the ambient temperature, the float member 23 moves and is absorbed by the elastic compression of the high-pressure gas, and excessive pressure is not applied to the O-rings 21 and 22 of the end member 19 and the slide ring 25 and seal ring 26 of the float member 23, and oil leakage and air intake from the above rings can be prevented.

The piston rod 6 extends into the rod-side oil chamber 27a of the hydraulic chamber 27 so as to protrude outside the cylinder 5, and the piston rod 6 does not extend into the non-rod-side oil chamber 27b, so that a hydraulic pressure difference of the cross-sectional area of the piston rod 6 occurs on both sides of the piston 10. Therefore, due to the area difference between the two oil chambers 27a and 27b relative to the piston 10, a biasing force acts on the piston 10 in a direction to move it toward the piston rod 6, but in this embodiment, the biasing force of the spring 40 arranged in the rod-side oil chamber 27a acts on the piston 10, and the piston 10 is held in an intermediate position between the fully compressed position of the spring 40 and the float member 23, where the biasing force of the spring and the biasing force due to the area difference are balanced.

The oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber 27 based on the biasing force of the spring 40 acts on the float member 23, but high-pressure gas is sealed in the gas chamber 29, and the float member 23 is held in a predetermined position by a balance between the oil pressure on the oil pressure chamber 27 side and the gas pressure on the gas chamber 29 side.
As a result, the hydraulic damper 1 is at a predetermined length in a natural state where no external force is applied, and the hydraulic damper 1 of the predetermined length is attached between the column 2 and the beam 3 as described above. In this state, the piston 10 is located approximately in the center of the possible stroke range of the hydraulic chamber 27.

When an earthquake causes a building to sway, the hydraulic damper 1 receives a force that expands and contracts, causing the piston 10, located approximately in the center of the stroke range, to move in the left-right direction in Fig. 2. When the piston 10 attempts to move rightward (pushing direction) in the hydraulic chamber 27, the oil in the non-rod-side oil chamber 27b flows through the push-side oil passage 47 into the left hydraulic space 46, bending the valve seat plate 50 of the first piston valve _37-1 and acting in a direction that causes the oil to flow into the rod-side oil chamber 27-a. Conversely, when the piston 10 attempts to move leftward (pushing direction) in the hydraulic chamber 27, the oil in the rod-side oil chamber 27-a flows through the pull-side oil passage 49 into the right hydraulic space 46, bending the valve seat plate 50 of the second piston valve _37-2 and acting in a direction that causes the oil to flow into the non-rod-side oil chamber 27-b.
At this time, when the piston 10 moves toward the push side, the valve seat plate 50 of the second piston valve _37-2 abuts against the annular protrusion 45, blocking the flow of oil from the non-rod side oil chamber 27-b through the right hydraulic space 46 and the pull side oil passage 49 to the rod side oil chamber 27-a. On the other hand, when the piston 10 moves toward the pull side, the valve seat plate 50 of the first piston valve _37-1 abuts against the annular protrusion 45, blocking the flow of oil from the rod side oil chamber 27-a through the left hydraulic space 46 and the push side oil passage 47 to the non-rod side oil chamber 27-b.

When the earthquake is weak and the building sways little, the force acting on the hydraulic damper 1 in the expansion/contraction direction is also weak. In this case, the force that moves the piston 10 in the hydraulic chamber 27 is also weak, and the speed is also slow. When the hydraulic damper 1 contracts, i.e., when the piston 10 moves toward the non-rod side oil chamber 27b, the oil in the non-rod side oil chamber 27b tries to flow through the push side oil passage 47 to the left hydraulic space 46, but since the force that moves the piston 10 is also weak and slow, the hydraulic pressure increase acting on the left hydraulic space 46 is also small. Therefore, the first piston valve _37-1 is held in a state (closed state) in which the valve seat plate 50 is approximately in contact with the annular protrusion 45 by the biasing force of the disc spring 51.
Similarly, when the hydraulic damper 1 extends, i.e., when the piston 10 moves toward the rod side oil chamber 27a, the oil in the rod side oil chamber 27a attempts to flow through the pull side oil passage 49 to the right hydraulic space 46, but the hydraulic pressure in the right hydraulic space 46 is also low, and the second piston valve ₃₇₂ is maintained in a state (closed state) where the valve seat plate 50 is approximately in contact with the annular protrusion 45.

Therefore, when the scale of the earthquake is relatively small and the energy acting on the building is small, the hydraulic damper 1 is in a state of large damping force characteristics in which the flow of oil attempting to flow into the non-rod side oil chamber 27b and the rod side oil chamber 27a is restricted in both the contraction and extension directions, and the expansion and contraction movement of the hydraulic damper 1 receives a large resistance force. In other words, when the movement speed of the piston 10 is slow, as shown in part S of Figure 5, the amount of oil circulating in both oil chambers 27a, 27b is small due to the gap between the valve seat plate 50 and the annular protrusion 45, etc., a large load (resistance force) acts, and the hydraulic damper 1 is in a state close to a rigid body with a large gradient of the load F relative to the piston speed V.

As a result, when the earthquake is small or when a vehicle passes over a road, the vibration energy is small and the building sways relatively small, the vibration control device A consisting of the hydraulic damper 1 functions as a brace or a support that is close to a rigid body for the building, suppressing the swaying of the building and improving the strength of the building. In this case, even if a concentrated load acts on the mounting parts 13, 17 of the column 2 and the beam 3 of the hydraulic damper 1, the vibration energy is relatively small, so the mounting parts will not be damaged. In addition, the oil flowing between the two oil chambers 27a, 27b flows through narrow passages such as the gap between the valve seat plate 50 and the annular protrusion 45 while facing great resistance, so it is converted into heat and becomes hysteresis, effectively absorbing the swaying energy of the building. In this way, for small vibration energy that occurs relatively frequently, the building's swaying is suppressed by the hydraulic damper with its high damping force characteristics, and the quality of the structure, such as the habitability of the building, can be improved.

When the earthquake is large and the building sways greatly, the force acting on the hydraulic damper 1 in the expansion/contraction direction also becomes large, and the stroke also becomes large and the speed also becomes fast. In this state, the piston 10 moves with a large stroke and quickly, and when the piston 10 moves to the right, the oil pressure flowing from the non-rod side oil chamber 27b through the push side oil passage 47 into the left hydraulic space 46 becomes high, and the valve seat plate 50 of the first piston valve _37-1 bends in a direction away from the annular protrusion 45 against the spring force of the seat plate itself and the biasing force of the disc spring 51 as a backup, as shown in Figure 6. Similarly, when the piston 10 moves to the left, the oil pressure flowing from the rod side oil chamber 27a through the pull side oil passage 49 into the right hydraulic space 46 becomes high, and the valve seat plate 50 of the second piston valve _37-2 bends in a direction away from the annular protrusion 45.

As a result, in the first and second piston valves 37 ₁ and 37 ₂ , flow paths C and D are formed between the valve seat plate 50 and the annular protrusion 45 as shown in Fig. 6, and oil flows through the flow paths C and D into both oil chambers 27a and 27b, resulting in a low damping force characteristic with a low gradient of the load F relative to the velocity V as shown in part T of Fig. 5, and the hydraulic damper 1 expands and contracts due to low resistance. Therefore, in the event of a large earthquake, the hydraulic damper 1 suppresses the vibration of the building with a relatively low damping force characteristic and absorbs the earthquake energy. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6, the outer diameter part of the valve seat plate 50 separates from the annular protrusion 45 all around, and the above-mentioned flow paths C and D with a relatively wide area are formed in one go between the annular protrusion 45 with a long circumference. As a result, the damping force characteristic of the hydraulic damper is instantly switched from a steep gradient (S) to a gentle gradient (T) at a predetermined value P as shown in Fig. 5.

In this state, the hydraulic damper 1 performs vibration control while expanding and contracting, so that excessively large concentrated loads are not applied to the vicinity of the mounting brackets 13, 17, and the destruction of the mounting parts or the columns 2 and beams 3 of the mounting parts is reduced. In addition, the earthquake energy is converted into heat and absorbed by the relatively large amount of oil flowing while being throttled through the upper flow paths C, D. Even if the building is deformed to the plastic deformation region by the earthquake, when the earthquake ends, the hydraulic damper 1 is biased to return to the initial positions of both oil chambers 27a, 27b due to the area difference of the piston rod 6 as the gas pressure of the spring 40 and the gas chamber 29 is balanced, and the building that has been deformed to the plastic deformation is returned to its original state (initial position) by the bias of the hydraulic damper 1 to the stroke center position. As a result, in the event of a large earthquake, which is rare, the building is effectively vibration-controlled by this vibration control device A, preventing the building from being destroyed and improving the earthquake resistance.

The hydraulic damper 1 has an air chamber (extra space) 31 on the side where the piston rod 6 protrudes from the cylinder 5, and the piston rod 6 in the air chamber 31 is in a clean state, with dust, rust, water, etc. removed by the scraper 30 of the cap member 7. Therefore, even if the hydraulic damper 1 expands and contracts due to the earthquake and the piston rod 6 slides against the through hole of the end member 19, the sliding contact portion is in the above-mentioned clean state, and it is possible to prevent dust, etc. that has adhered to the piston rod during the sliding contact from damaging the seal 22 of the end member 19, and to prevent the dust, water, etc. from entering the hydraulic chamber 27.

However, it cannot be denied that there is a possibility that a hydraulic damper may not be able to function properly due to some cause. For example, if oil leaks out of the cylinder of a hydraulic damper, the hydraulic damper will no longer be able to perform its vibration damping function. Possible causes of such oil leakage include repeated expansion and contraction of the oil due to changes in the surrounding temperature. Other possible causes include damage to metal parts such as the cylinder and piston rod, or oil seal components, and deterioration of these components over time.

However, hydraulic dampers are installed in places that are not directly visible, such as inside walls, and therefore the condition of the hydraulic damper cannot be directly checked unless the wall is demolished. Therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the hydraulic damper for some reason, it is difficult to immediately recognize the abnormality.
Therefore, the vibration control device A in this embodiment is configured to monitor the state of the hydraulic damper 1 installed in a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, and to immediately recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1. Furthermore, the vibration control device A in this embodiment is configured to be able to identify the installation position within the structure of the hydraulic damper 1 in which an abnormality has been detected.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, an oil leak sensor 60 is provided on the piston rod 6 of the hydraulic damper 1. The oil leak sensor 60 detects oil that has leaked from the cylinder 5 due to some reason and flowed down the piston rod 6. The oil leak sensor 60 is installed near the lower end of the piston rod 6 in the vertical direction.
A detection signal (sensor signal) from the oil leak sensor 60 is transmitted to a monitoring device, which will be described later. The monitoring device has a function of determining whether there is an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1 based on the sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60 and notifying an administrator or the like of the determination result.

The oil leak sensor 60 includes a sheet of a predetermined color attached to the piston rod 6 and a sensor (e.g., a CCD camera) that detects a change in color of the sheet. The sheet is coated or impregnated with a color developer that changes from a predetermined color (e.g., white) to a specific color (e.g., red or fluorescent) when it comes into contact with the oil filled in the cylinder 5. When an oil leak occurs in the hydraulic damper 1 and the sheet absorbs the oil leaking from the cylinder 5, the color of the sheet changes from the predetermined color to the specific color.
The oil leak sensor 60 detects whether an oil leak has occurred by detecting whether the color of the sheet has changed, and transmits the detection result to a monitoring device. The oil leak sensor 60 can also detect the amount of oil leaking by detecting the degree of change in the color of the sheet or the time since the color of the sheet started to change, and transmit the detection result to a monitoring device.

The oil leak sensor 60 is configured to include a communication device capable of wireless communication with the monitoring device. The wireless communication method is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, communication conforming to a wireless LAN standard (for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series). In other words, the oil leak sensor 60 is capable of, for example, Wi-Fi communication using a wireless LAN communication function.
The communication method used by the oil leak sensor 60 is not limited to wireless LAN, and may be a wireless communication method such as near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Furthermore, the communication method used by the oil leak sensor 60 is not limited to wireless communication, and may be a wired communication method. However, if the oil leak sensor 60 uses a wired communication method, wiring equipment is further required.
The power source for the oil leak sensor 60 may be, for example, a dry cell battery.

In this embodiment, the oil leak sensor 60 is described as including a sheet that changes color when it comes into contact with oil and a sensor that detects the change in color of the sheet, but is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the oil leak sensor 60 may be composed of a member whose electrical characteristics change in response to oil. In this case, the member may be provided on the piston rod 6, and the oil leak may be detected by detecting the change in the electrical characteristics. The oil leak sensor 60 may have a structure that does not interfere with the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic damper 1, be installed in a position that does not interfere with the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic damper 1, and be configured to be able to detect oil leaks from the cylinder 5.

Also, an IC chip 61 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 5 of the hydraulic damper 1. The IC chip 61 can be, for example, a μ-chip. The μ-chip is an RFID chip that uses RFID technology and can read and transmit internal memory information without a battery. In other words, the μ-chip can receive radio waves generated by a dedicated reader and use the electromagnetic wave energy to drive a circuit and transmit memory information. The IC chip 61 is configured to be able to transmit identification information (for example, a manufacturing serial number) for identifying the hydraulic damper 1 as the memory information.
The location of the IC chip 61 is not limited to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 5 , but may be any location that does not interfere with the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic damper 1 .

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring device 70 that monitors the state of the hydraulic damper 1. The monitoring device 70 includes an operation unit 71, a display unit 72, a control unit 73, a transmission unit 74, a recording unit 75, and a power supply unit 76. This monitoring device 70 is configured, for example, by a personal computer (PC) or the like, and can be installed, for example, in a building at a location where it can be operated by the owner or manager of the building.
The operation unit 71 has switches and the like used for various inputs from the operator, including instructions to turn on/off and reset the monitoring device 70. Operational inputs to the operation unit 71 are input to the control unit 73. The display unit 72 is configured to include a monitor such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), and displays the state of the oil leak sensor 60, the abnormality determination results, and the operational inputs from the operation unit 71.
The control unit 73 acquires a sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60. The control unit 73 is made up of a microcomputer including a CPU, and executes processing for implementing the functions of the monitoring device 70 according to a predetermined program. Specifically, the control unit 73 performs an abnormality determination process that determines an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1 based on the sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60, determines the level of the abnormality, and instructs a transmitting unit 74 (described later) to transmit the determination result. The abnormality determination process will be described in detail later.

The transmission unit 74 has a wireless communication function. The transmission unit 74 also has an e-mail transmission function, and transmits an e-mail including the determination result of the anomaly determination process to a predetermined destination according to instructions from the control unit 73. Examples of destinations include the owner of the building and the management company. The destination can be appropriately selected by the operator of the monitoring device 70 by operating the operation unit 71. Information on the selected destination is recorded in the recording unit 75. Note that the method of setting the destination is not limited to the method in which the operator sets it using the operation unit 71, and a method of transmitting the destination from an external device using wireless communication may also be used.

The communication method used by the transmitting unit 74 is not limited to a wireless communication method, but may be a wired communication method. However, if the transmitting unit 74 uses a wired communication method, wiring facilities are further required. Furthermore, the method of transmitting the determination result of the abnormality determination process is not limited to a method using an email function, but may be a method using other data transmission functions such as facsimile or short message. The transmitting unit 74 may also be configured to transmit voice data.

The recording unit 75 is configured with a memory element such as a USB memory, and records log information including the determination result of the abnormality determination process performed by the control unit 73. The log information recorded in the recording unit 75 can be used during maintenance, etc.
The recording unit 75 also functions as a storage unit that stores a database that manages the installation positions within a building of a plurality of hydraulic dampers 1 installed in the building. The database is, for example, a table that associates identification information (manufacturing serial numbers) of the hydraulic dampers 1 with information regarding the installation positions within the building. The database is recorded in the recording unit 75 prior to the execution of the abnormality determination process.

The database recorded in the recording unit 75 can be created in advance based on specification information (which hydraulic damper 1 is to be installed at which position in the building) regarding the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 that is determined before (during) the construction of the building. However, since there is a possibility that the hydraulic damper 1 may not be installed in a position according to the specifications for some reason, it is preferable to create the above database after the hydraulic damper 1 is actually installed in the building.
For example, the database can be created by acquiring the identification information transmitted by the IC chip 61 and the position information of the IC chip 61 after the hydraulic damper 1 is installed. Specifically, the reader 62 is brought close to the hydraulic damper 1 installed on the inside of the wall of a building from the outside of the wall, and the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1 is read from the IC chip 61. At this time, the reader 62 also acquires the position information of the IC chip 61. Here, the position information of the IC chip 61 may be position information acquired by the IC chip 61 based on GPS information, or may be position information acquired by the reader 62 based on GPS information.
The power supply unit 76 supplies power to drive each component of the monitoring device 70 .

Next, the abnormality determination process executed by the monitoring device 70 will be specifically described with reference to FIG.
The abnormality determination process shown in Fig. 8 is started, for example, when the operator operates the operation unit 71 to turn on the monitoring device 70, and is executed until the operator operates the operation unit 71 to turn off the monitoring device 70. However, the start and end timings of the process in Fig. 8 are not limited to the above timings. The monitoring device 70 can realize each process shown in Fig. 8 by the control unit 73 reading and executing a necessary program.

First, in S1, the monitoring device 70 acquires a sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60. For example, the monitoring device 70 transmits a signal to the oil leak sensor 60 requesting the transmission of a sensor signal, and acquires the sensor signal transmitted by the oil leak sensor 60 in response to the request from the monitoring device 70. In this way, the oil leak sensor 60 is configured to transmit a sensor signal upon receiving a push notification from the monitoring device 70.
Also, in S1, the monitoring device 70 acquires identification information of the hydraulic damper 1. For example, the monitoring device 70 transmits a signal requesting the oil leak sensor 60 to transmit the identification information. The oil leak sensor 60 then reads the identification information from the IC chip 61 in response to the request from the monitoring device 70, and transmits the read identification information to the monitoring device 70. The monitoring device 70 acquires the identification information transmitted from the oil leak sensor 60.

Next, in S2, the monitoring device 70 compares the sensor signal acquired in S1 with a preset reference value TH1. Here, the sensor signal is a value that represents the amount of oil leakage in the hydraulic damper 1, such as the degree of change in color of the seal described above, and a larger value indicates a larger amount of oil leakage. The reference value TH1 is a threshold value for determining whether the hydraulic damper 1 is normal or not, and can be set to TH1 = 0, for example. If the monitoring device 70 determines that the sensor signal is equal to or less than the reference value TH1, it determines that no oil leakage has occurred and that the hydraulic damper 1 is normal, and proceeds to S3. On the other hand, if the monitoring device 70 determines that the sensor signal is greater than the reference value TH1, it determines that an oil leak has occurred, and proceeds to S9.

In S3, the monitoring device 70 starts a timer, and in S4, it is determined whether the timer value has reached a preset period T1. Here, period T1 can be, for example, one week. If the monitoring device 70 determines that the timer value has not reached period T1, it waits until period T1 has elapsed, and when the timer value reaches period T1, it moves to S5. Note that the period T1 is not limited to one week. The period T1 may be any period equivalent to a detection interval that allows the power source (e.g., a dry cell) of the oil leak sensor 60 to be usable over the durability period of the vibration damping device A, and may be, for example, shorter or longer than one week.

In S5, the monitoring device 70 acquires a sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60, similar to S1, and proceeds to S6. In S6, the monitoring device 70 determines whether the sensor signal acquired in S5 is equal to or less than the reference value TH1, similar to S2. If the monitoring device 70 determines that the sensor signal is equal to or less than the reference value TH1, it proceeds to S7, and if the monitoring device 70 determines that the sensor signal is greater than the reference value TH1, it proceeds to S9.

In S7, the monitoring device 70 notifies a predetermined destination that the hydraulic damper 1 is normal by using an e-mail from the transmission unit 74. The monitoring device 70 stores the text data of the e-mail in advance in the internal memory of the control unit 73, and sends the e-mail by adding necessary information to the text data. The information added to the text data includes time information, position information, and the like.
Specifically, the monitoring device 70 sends log information by email, including (1) a sentence indicating the status (normal/abnormal) of the hydraulic damper 1, (2) the date and time when the email was sent (year, month, day, hour, minute) or the date and time when the abnormality determination of the hydraulic damper 1 was made, (3) the abnormality level (high/medium/low), (4) identification information of the hydraulic damper 1 (manufacturing serial number), (5) the location of the building (address), and (6) the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 within the building (wall position).

The date and time data in (2) above can be, for example, information from an internal timer in the control unit 73. The abnormality level in (3) above can be set to "low" if the hydraulic damper 1 is normal. If an abnormality occurs in the hydraulic damper 1 but is at a level that can be monitored for a while, the abnormality level can be set to "medium," and if it is at a level that requires immediate repair, the abnormality level can be set to "high." The information regarding the installation location in (6) above can be identified by referring to a database recorded in the recording unit 75 based on the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1.

Furthermore, in S7, the monitoring device 70 records the above log information as history information in the recording unit 75. This history information can be fed back to creating a maintenance plan for the vibration damping device A and to the design of the next model of the vibration damping device A.
In S8, the monitoring device 70 resets the timer and returns to S4.
In this way, while the hydraulic damper 1 is determined to be normal, the monitoring device 70 acquires the sensor signal of the oil leak sensor 60 every period T1 (e.g., one week) and monitors the state of the hydraulic damper 1. Then, when the monitoring device 70 detects that an abnormality has occurred in the hydraulic damper 1 (No in S2 or S6), it executes the processing from S9 onwards.

In S9, the monitoring device 70 determines whether the sensor signal is equal to or lower than a preset reference value TH2. Here, the reference value TH2 is a threshold value for determining whether the abnormality level of the hydraulic damper 1 is at a level that requires immediate repair (abnormality level: high) or at a level that requires only periodic observation (abnormality level: medium). If the monitoring device 70 determines that the sensor signal is below the reference value TH2, it determines that the abnormality level is "medium" and proceeds to S10, and if the sensor signal is equal to or higher than the reference value TH2, it determines that the abnormality level is "high" and proceeds to S14.

In S10, the monitoring device 70 notifies a predetermined destination by email from the transmitting unit 74 that an abnormality has occurred in the hydraulic damper 1 and that follow-up observation is necessary. At this time, the monitoring device 70 sends an email in which, among the log information described above, the sentence in (1) above is a sentence indicating that follow-up observation of the hydraulic damper 1 is necessary, and the abnormality level in (3) above is set to "medium."
In S11, the monitoring device 70 resets the timer and proceeds to S12. In S12, the monitoring device 70 determines whether the timer value has reached a preset period T2. Here, the period T2 is a period shorter than the period T1, and can be, for example, three days. If the monitoring device 70 determines that the period T2 has not been reached, it waits until the period T2 has elapsed, and proceeds to S13 when the period T2 is reached. Note that the period T2 is not limited to three days, and can be set to any period shorter than the period T1.
In S13, the monitoring device 70 acquires a sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60, similar to S1, and then the process returns to S9.

In S14, the monitoring device 70 notifies a predetermined destination by email from the transmitting unit 74 that an abnormality has occurred in the hydraulic damper 1 and that immediate repair is required. At this time, the monitoring device 70 changes the above sentence (1) of the above log information to a sentence indicating that immediate repair of the hydraulic damper 1 is required, and sets the abnormality level of the above sentence (3) to "high" and sends the email. An example of the email sent in S14 is shown in Figure 9.
In S16, the monitoring device 70 judges whether the hydraulic damper 1 has been restored to a normal state. For example, the monitoring device 70 judges that the hydraulic damper 1 has been restored to a normal state when it confirms that the hydraulic damper 1 in which an abnormality has occurred has been repaired or replaced in response to an instruction from an operator, or when it confirms that the sensor signal of the oil leak sensor 60 has become a normal value. The monitoring device 70 waits until the hydraulic damper 1 has been restored to a normal state, and when it determines that the hydraulic damper 1 has been restored to a normal state, it proceeds to S3.

As described above, the vibration control device A in this embodiment includes a vibration control member (hydraulic damper 1) that is installed in a position in the structure that cannot be seen from the outside. The vibration control device A includes an oil leak sensor 60 as a detection unit that detects the state of the hydraulic damper 1, and determines an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1 based on the state of the hydraulic damper 1 detected by the oil leak sensor 60. The vibration control device A also identifies the installation position within the structure of the hydraulic damper 1 that has been determined to have an abnormality. The vibration control device A then transmits log information to an external device that includes at least the abnormality determination result of the hydraulic damper 1 and information related to the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 that has been determined to have an abnormality.

In this way, the vibration control device A can properly notify the owner or manager of a building of the presence or absence of an abnormality and the level of the abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1 installed in a location that cannot be directly seen, such as inside the wall of a building. The vibration control device A can also notify the installation location of the hydraulic damper 1 where the abnormality is occurring. Therefore, the owner or manager of a building can easily recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the hydraulic damper 1, and can properly grasp the installation location of the hydraulic damper 1 where the abnormality has occurred, making it possible to quickly and accurately repair or replace the hydraulic damper 1. This allows the vibration control device A to properly maintain the function of the hydraulic damper 1.

Here, the oil leakage sensor 60 is a sensor that detects oil leakage from the cylinder 5 of the hydraulic damper 1, and is installed near the vertically lower end of the piston rod 6. Therefore, the vibration damping device A can properly detect the presence or absence of oil leakage from the cylinder 5, and can properly determine whether or not a situation exists in which the hydraulic damper cannot exert its vibration damping function.
Furthermore, the vibration damping device A judges the level of abnormality of the hydraulic damper 1 based on the amount of oil leakage detected by the oil leakage sensor 60. In the hydraulic damper 1, the function as the hydraulic damper 1 is maintained until the amount of oil leakage reaches a certain amount. Therefore, by monitoring the amount of oil leakage, it is possible to judge whether the level of abnormality is at a level where it is sufficient to simply observe the progress or at a level where repair or replacement is required. As a result, it is possible to avoid unnecessary repair or replacement of the hydraulic damper 1.

Furthermore, in the vibration damping device A, the higher the level of abnormality of the hydraulic damper 1, the shorter the interval for detecting oil leakage by the oil leakage sensor 60 can be set. As a result, when the level of abnormality of the hydraulic damper 1 is low, the operation of the oil leakage sensor 60 can be suppressed and power consumption can be reduced. Furthermore, after an oil leakage is detected, the sensor signal can be obtained from the oil leakage sensor 60 at short intervals to monitor the condition of the hydraulic damper 1, making it possible to appropriately determine the timing when the hydraulic damper 1 needs to be repaired or replaced, and to take prompt action.
Furthermore, the monitoring device 70 measures a timer to determine the detection timing of the oil leak sensor 60, and transmits a push notification to the oil leak sensor 60 requesting the transmission of a sensor signal. Then, upon receiving the push notification from the monitoring device 70, the oil leak sensor 60 transmits a sensor signal to the monitoring device 70. With this configuration, it is no longer necessary to constantly operate the oil leak sensor 60, and power consumption can be reduced.

The oil leak sensor 60 that detects the state of the hydraulic damper 1 is installed inside a wall of a structure that cannot be seen from the outside, similar to the hydraulic damper 1. For this reason, the oil leak sensor 60 is required to be maintenance-free over the life of the hydraulic damper 1. Also, for example, in an ordinary house, it may be difficult to run wiring or place a power source inside the wall. The oil leak sensor 60 in this embodiment is configured to achieve low power consumption, and can be powered by, for example, a dry cell. Therefore, no wiring or large power source is required inside the wall, and the hydraulic damper 1 can be maintained maintenance-free over its life.

The vibration control device A also records a database that associates the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1 with the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1, and can identify the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 by referring to the database. Specifically, the hydraulic damper 1 is provided with an IC chip 61 that transmits the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1, and the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 is identified by referring to the database based on the identification information transmitted from the IC chip 61. Therefore, the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 can be easily identified.

Furthermore, if the vibration control device A is provided with a creating unit for creating the above database, and the above database is created using the identification information transmitted from the IC chip 61 after the hydraulic damper 1 is installed inside a wall or the like, a highly reliable database can be obtained. Therefore, the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 can be more appropriately identified.
The hydraulic damper 1 is installed on the inside of a wall, and in order to repair or replace the hydraulic damper 1 in which an abnormality has occurred, it is necessary to demolish the wall at the corresponding position. By appropriately identifying the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 in which an abnormality has occurred, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the wall corresponding to the normal hydraulic damper 1 is demolished by mistake.

Furthermore, the vibration control device A can transmit log information including the abnormality determination result and the like to a predetermined destination by e-mail, so that the state of the hydraulic damper 1 can be appropriately notified to a building owner or manager in a remote location.
Furthermore, the vibration damping device A can also record the log information in a recording unit 75 such as a USB memory. This makes it possible to effectively use the recorded log information in creating a maintenance plan for the vibration damping device A and in designing the next model of the vibration damping device A.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the case where an oil leak is detected as an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1 has been described, but other abnormalities, such as a decrease in the elastic force of the spring 40, may also be detected.
In addition, in the above embodiment, the monitoring device 70 has been described as determining two abnormality levels (follow-up observation/repair) as the level of abnormality of the hydraulic damper 1, but it may also be configured to determine three or more abnormality levels.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a means for detecting an abnormality in the oil leak sensor 60 itself may be provided, so that when it is detected that an abnormality has occurred in the oil leak sensor 60 itself, this fact is notified.

In the above embodiment, a database that associates the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1 with information about the installation position within the building is recorded in the recording unit 75, and the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 is identified by referring to the database based on the identification information of the hydraulic damper 1. However, the oil leak sensor 60 may be configured to transmit the position information of the hydraulic damper 1 together with the sensor signal to the monitoring device 70. In other words, it is not necessarily required to record the database in the recording unit 75. Also, it is not necessarily required to install an IC chip 61 in the hydraulic damper 1.

In the above embodiment, the database is used to identify the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1, but the method of identifying the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 is not limited to the above. For example, when the monitoring device 70 detects an abnormality in the hydraulic damper 1, it may instruct a transmitter installed in the hydraulic damper 1, such as an IC chip 61, to transmit a predetermined abnormality signal. In this case, the abnormality signal transmitted from the transmitter can be captured by short-range communication or the like at a position close to the hydraulic damper 1 outside the wall, thereby identifying the installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 where the abnormality occurred.

The monitoring device 70 may be configured to be able to notify the result of the abnormality determination of the hydraulic damper 1 and information related to the installation location of the hydraulic damper 1 in which the abnormality has occurred, and the abnormality determination process executed by the monitoring device 70 is not limited to the process shown in Fig. 8. For example, the monitoring device 70 may grasp in advance the installation locations of all hydraulic dampers 1 installed in a building, sequentially specify each hydraulic damper 1 one by one, receive a sensor signal from the oil leak sensor 60, and perform abnormality determination. In this case as well, it is possible to notify the result of the abnormality determination and information related to the installation location of the hydraulic damper 1 in which the abnormality has occurred together.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the identification information and installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 are notified by email even when the hydraulic damper 1 is normal, but it is also possible to configure so that the identification information and installation position of the hydraulic damper 1 in which the abnormality has occurred are notified by email only when the abnormality has occurred.

In the above embodiment, the monitoring device 70 changes the detection interval of the oil leak sensor 60 depending on the abnormality level of the hydraulic damper 1. However, the detection interval may be constant regardless of the abnormality level. In this case, however, it is preferable that the detection interval is a period suitable for observing the progress of the hydraulic damper 1 in which an abnormality has occurred.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the monitoring device 70 executes the abnormality determination process shown in Fig. 8, but if the power source (e.g., a dry cell) of the oil leak sensor 60 is usable over the durability period of the vibration damping device A, the oil leak sensor 60 may achieve the same function as the monitoring device 70 described above. In other words, the oil leak sensor 60 may have a configuration corresponding to the control unit 73, transmission unit 74, and recording unit 75 of the monitoring device 70.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the vibration-damping member is a hydraulic damper, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vibration-damping member may be a damper using a viscoelastic material such as rubber, a damper using plastic deformation of metal, a damper using a friction material, etc. In these cases, it is possible to detect the state of the vibration-damping member (such as the hardened state of the rubber or the deformed state of the metal) and determine whether or not it is in a state where it cannot perform as a vibration-damping member.

Reference Signs List 1: Hydraulic damper, 2: Structural member (column), 3: Structural member (beam), 5: Cylinder, 6: Piston rod, 10: Piston, 60: Oil leak sensor, 61: IC chip, 70: Monitoring device, 73: Control unit, 74: Transmission unit

Claims (15)

A vibration damping device configured to be capable of communicating with a monitoring device that monitors the states of a plurality of vibration damping members,
The vibration-damping member is installed at a position in a structure that cannot be seen from the outside; and
A detection unit that detects a state related to an abnormality of the vibration damping member;
a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vibration damping member;
a transmission unit that transmits status information indicating a status related to an abnormality of the vibration-damping member detected by the detection unit, identification information of the vibration-damping member, and position information of the vibration-damping member acquired by the position information acquisition unit,
the state information of the vibration damping member is used by the monitoring device to monitor an abnormal state of the vibration damping member ;
A vibration damping device , wherein the position information of the vibration damping member is information different from identification information of the vibration damping member . The vibration damping device according to claim 1, wherein the position information is information obtained based on GPS information. The vibration damping device according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the vibration damping member is a manufacturing serial number of the vibration damping member. The vibration damping device according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit that records log information including at least the status information regarding an abnormality in the vibration damping member, identification information of the vibration damping member, and position information of the vibration damping member acquired by the position information acquisition unit. the vibration damping member is a hydraulic damper having a cylinder filled with oil and a piston provided in the cylinder,
5. The vibration damping device according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic damper is installed between one structural member and the other structural member by connecting an end of a piston rod connected to the piston to one structural member and connecting an end of the cylinder to the other structural member. The vibration damping device according to claim 5, characterized in that the detection unit is an oil leak sensor that detects leakage of the oil from the cylinder. The vibration damping device according to claim 6, characterized in that the oil leak sensor is installed near the lower end of the piston rod in the vertical direction. The vibration damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vibration damping member is a damper using a viscoelastic material, a damper using plastic deformation of metal, or a damper using a friction material. The detection unit detects an abnormality in the vibration damping member,
9. The vibration damping device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission section transmits abnormality information indicating an abnormality as the state information of the vibration damping member. A vibration damping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
The monitoring device is provided so as to be able to communicate with the vibration damping device;
Equipped with
The monitoring device includes:
an acquisition unit that acquires state information of the vibration damping member, identification information of the vibration damping member, and position information of the vibration damping member;
a determination unit for determining whether or not the vibration-damping member is abnormal based on state information of the vibration-damping member;
A monitoring system comprising: an output unit that outputs log information including at least a result of the determination by the determination unit, identification information of the vibration-damping member, and position information of the vibration-damping member. The monitoring system according to claim 10, characterized in that the determination unit has a plurality of reference values for determining the level of abnormality, and determines the level of abnormality of the vibration-damping member by comparing the plurality of reference values with the state information of the vibration-damping member. The monitoring system according to claim 11, wherein the acquisition unit shortens the interval for acquiring status information of the vibration-damping member as the level of the abnormality of the vibration-damping member determined by the determination unit increases. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the output unit includes a transmission unit that transmits the log information to a destination that is registered in advance. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising a recording unit for recording the log information. A monitoring device for monitoring the state of a plurality of vibration-damping members installed in a structure at positions that cannot be seen from the outside, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires state information of the vibration damping member, identification information of the vibration damping member, and position information of the vibration damping member;
a determination unit for determining whether or not the vibration-damping member is abnormal based on state information of the vibration-damping member;
an output unit that outputs log information including at least a result of the determination by the determination unit, identification information of the vibration-damping member, and position information of the vibration-damping member;
Equipped with
the determination unit has a plurality of reference values for determining a level of abnormality, and determines a level of abnormality of the vibration damping member by comparing the plurality of reference values with state information of the vibration damping member;
The acquisition unit is a monitoring device that shortens the interval for acquiring status information of the vibration-damping member as the level of the abnormality of the vibration-damping member determined by the determination unit increases.