JP7702102B2 - Exterior wall structure and flashing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an exterior wall structure and a water drainage system that prevent water from entering through ventilation holes formed in the exterior wall body.

Conventionally, a foundation drain as described in Patent Document 1 has been known to prevent flooding inside a structure during flood damage. This foundation drain allows ventilation in the exterior wall and under the floor through the exterior wall vents and under the floor vents, but covers the exterior wall vents and under the floor vents from the outside to restrict water from entering the interior of the building through the exterior wall vents and under the floor vents if the water level outside the building rises due to a flood or the like.

Specifically, the foundation drain includes a drain member including a drain section main body that is positioned on the outdoor side of the wooden house relative to both the exterior wall ventilation openings and the underfloor ventilation openings, a receiving member that covers the exterior wall ventilation openings and the underfloor ventilation openings from the outside and has a downward opening that opens downward, and a water stop valve that is rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of the exterior wall between a position that opens the downward opening and a position that closes it.

In the open position, the tip of the stop valve (the end facing the outdoors) is located lower than the base end (the end facing the inside). The stop valve is pushed up by the water pressure from the outdoors, blocking the downward opening. This makes it possible to prevent water from entering the interior through the exterior wall vents and underfloor vents, even during floods.

JP 2016-132869 A

In the foundation drain described in Cited Document 1, when the stop valve is pushed up by water pressure, the tip of the stop valve (the end facing the outside) covers the periphery of the downward opening, thereby sealing it off. However, this configuration does not provide a strong enough force to close the downward opening, and is therefore unable to adequately prevent water from entering the interior through the exterior wall vent and underfloor vent. In particular, when the direction of the water flow around the stop valve changes, the force with which the stop valve seals the downward opening from below weakens, causing the problem that water can easily seep in through the gap between the stop valve and the downward opening.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an exterior wall structure and a drainage system that can effectively prevent water from entering the interior of a building during floods, etc.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the exterior wall structure of the present invention comprises an exterior wall body having an exterior wall and a foundation supporting the exterior wall, and having a vent hole formed therein that opens outward for underfloor ventilation of the building; an opening forming part attached to the exterior wall body so as to cover the vent hole from the outside, the opening forming part having an upper opening that opens in the vertical direction and communicates with the vent hole, and a lower opening that opens in the vertical direction below the upper opening and communicates with the upper opening and the outside of the building, respectively; a first position that opens the upper opening and the lower opening to allow gas to flow through the vent hole, and a position above the first position that opens the upper opening and the lower opening, and a sealing unit supported on the opening forming portion so as to be displaceable up and down between a first position where the lower opening is sealed and a second position where the lower opening is sealed and water is prevented from entering the building from the outside through the vent hole into the inside of the building. The sealing unit has an upper sealing portion capable of sealing the upper opening from below, a lower sealing portion capable of sealing the lower opening from below, a connecting portion that connects the upper sealing portion and the lower sealing portion in the vertical direction, and a float that comes into contact with water when the water level outside the exterior wall body reaches a predetermined water level and receives buoyancy from the water that moves the sealing unit from the first position to the second position as the water level on the outside rises.

With this exterior wall structure, when the sealing unit is placed in the first position, an air passage for ventilation under the floor of the building can be formed through the upper and lower openings formed in the opening forming portion and the vent in the exterior wall body. On the other hand, when the water level outside the building rises due to a flood or the like, the float receives buoyancy from the water, causing the sealing unit to displace from the first position to the second position and seal the opening of the opening forming portion, thereby preventing water from entering the interior of the building. Therefore, flooding under the floor can be prevented without the need for human work.

In this case, the upper and lower sealing portions of the sealing unit can seal the upper and lower openings, respectively, so that the opening of the opening forming portion can be sealed in two stages, and water intrusion can be stably prevented. Also, compared to expanding a single opening horizontally to increase the area of the opening, the size of the opening forming portion can be prevented from increasing. In particular, the buoyancy that the float receives from the water acts upward regardless of the direction of the water flow around the float, so that the sealing unit can be reliably displaced from the first position toward the second position, and the function of sealing the upper and lower openings from below can be stably maintained.

The above configuration may further include a first watertight material that surrounds at least the upper opening and is disposed between the upper opening and the upper sealing portion when the sealing unit is disposed at the second position, and a second watertight material that surrounds at least the lower opening and is disposed between the lower opening and the lower sealing portion when the sealing unit is disposed at the second position, and the upper sealing portion may compress and deform the first watertight material at the second position of the sealing unit to seal the upper opening, and the lower sealing portion may compress and deform the second watertight material at the second position of the sealing unit to seal the lower opening.

According to this configuration, when the sealing unit is placed in the second position, the upper and lower sealing parts compress and deform the first and second watertight materials, respectively, thereby stably sealing the upper and lower openings. In addition, because two layers of watertight material, upper and lower, can be compressed, the area of the watertight region to prevent water intrusion can be increased compared to when one opening is blocked by one sealing member.

In the above configuration, the device may further include a magnetic force generating unit capable of generating a magnetic force that attracts the sealing unit, which has risen from the first position to a predetermined height due to the buoyant force, to the second position.

According to this configuration, when the sealing unit rises to a predetermined height as the water level rises, the magnetic force generated by the magnetic force generating unit can pull the sealing unit to the second position, thereby reliably sealing the opening of the opening forming part.

In the above configuration, the magnetic force generating unit may include a first magnet supported by the opening forming unit above the upper opening, and a second magnet supported by the upper sealing unit so as to face the first magnet in the vertical direction and enter the upper opening as the sealing unit is displaced from the first position to the second position.

With this configuration, the first magnet and the second magnet can be attracted to each other using the upper opening, which prevents the upper sealing portion from sealing the upper opening due to these magnets.

In the above configuration, the float may be attached to the upper sealing portion. Also, the float may be attached to the connecting portion.

With this configuration, since the float is attached to the upper sealing part or the connecting part, when the float receives buoyancy from the water as the water level rises, the lower sealing part is already submerged in water. Therefore, compared to when the float is attached to the lower sealing part, the sealing unit can be displaced from the first position toward the second position by a relatively small buoyancy.

The above configuration may further include a disconnecting portion that can disconnect the connection between the upper sealing portion and the lower sealing portion by the connecting portion when a predetermined external force that resists the buoyancy occurs on the lower sealing portion while the buoyancy is generated on the float.

With this configuration, even if a foreign object interferes with the lower sealing portion underwater and inhibits the displacement of the sealing unit while buoyancy acts on the float and the sealing unit rises, the decoupling portion can release the connection between the upper and lower sealing portions, allowing the upper sealing portion to seal the upper opening while leaving the lower sealing portion.

In the above configuration, the lower sealing portion may have a lower sealing base end supported to be rotatable around a first rotation center axis horizontal to the opening forming portion, and a lower sealing tip end positioned below the lower sealing base end when the sealing unit is positioned at the first position, and the connecting portion may have a connecting base end supported to be rotatable around a second rotation center axis parallel to the first rotation center axis on the lower sealing portion, and a connecting tip end positioned on the opposite side to the connecting base end and supported to be rotatable around a third rotation center axis parallel to the first rotation center axis on the upper sealing portion.

According to this configuration, when the float attached to the upper sealing portion receives buoyancy from the water, the connecting tip and base ends of the connecting portion rotate while the connecting portion pulls up the lower sealing portion, so that the upper and lower sealing portions can be raised together. In addition, because the lower sealing tip is positioned lower than the lower sealing base end when the sealing unit is positioned in the first position, the ingress paths of gas and water are limited, and the ingress of foreign matter into the opening forming portion can be suppressed.

In the above configuration, the lower sealing base end may be rotatably supported on the opening forming portion outside the lower opening so that the lower sealing portion is inclined downward from the outside of the building toward the inside of the building when the sealing unit is disposed in the first position.

With this configuration, when the sealing unit is placed in the first position, the lower sealing portion is inclined downward from the outside of the building toward the inside of the building, so that the path of entry of gas and water is limited to the inside of the building of the lower sealing portion, further suppressing the entry of foreign matter due to a rise in the water level.

In the above configuration, the vertical distance between the upper opening and the lower opening and the horizontal distance between the lower sealing tip and the outer wall body may be set so that the horizontal distance between the lower sealing tip and the outer wall body is smaller than the vertical distance between the lower sealing tip and the lower opening when the sealing unit is placed in the first position.

This configuration prevents large foreign objects from entering through the gap between the lower sealing tip and the exterior wall body when the water level outside the building rises due to flooding or other reasons, and promotes airflow into the opening formation section through the area between the lower opening and the lower sealing section during normal use.

In the above configuration, the upper sealing portion may have an opening sealing portion that can seal the upper opening from below when the sealing unit is in the second position, and a ventilation opening that is located at a position different from the opening sealing portion and allows gas to pass through when the sealing unit is in the first position.

With this configuration, the upper sealing portion has an opening sealing portion and a ventilation opening, so that air flow is permitted through the upper sealing portion under normal circumstances, and the opening sealing portion can reliably seal the upper opening during floods, etc.

The water drain of the present invention is a water drain that is attached to an exterior wall body having an exterior wall and a foundation supporting the exterior wall and that has a vent hole that opens to the outside for underfloor ventilation of a building, and is provided with an opening forming part attached to the exterior wall body so as to cover the vent hole from the outside, the opening forming part having an upper opening that opens in the vertical direction and communicates with the vent hole, and a lower opening that opens in the vertical direction below the upper opening and communicates with the upper opening and the outside of the building, respectively; and a sealing unit supported on the opening forming part so as to be vertically displaceable between a first position that opens the upper opening and the lower opening and allows gas to flow through the vent hole, and a second position that is higher than the first position and seals the upper opening and the lower opening, restricting water from entering the interior of the building from the outside through the vent hole. The sealing unit has an upper sealing part capable of sealing the upper opening from below, a lower sealing part capable of sealing the lower opening from below, a connecting part that connects the upper sealing part and the lower sealing part in the vertical direction, and a float that comes into contact with water when the water level outside the exterior wall body reaches a predetermined water level and receives buoyancy from the water that moves the sealing unit from the first position toward the second position as the water level on the outside rises.

As explained above, the exterior wall structure and flashing of the present invention can effectively prevent water from entering the interior of a building during floods, etc.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a building according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the exterior wall structure of the building shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sealing unit has been moved upward in the exterior wall structure of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an upper sealing part of the sealing unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which an air current passes through each opening of the sealing unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which only an upper sealing portion of a sealing unit has moved upward in the exterior wall structure of FIG. 2 . FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a portion of an exterior wall structure of a building according to a first modified embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sealing unit has moved upward in the exterior wall structure of FIG. 7. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a portion of an exterior wall structure of a building according to a second modified embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

The following describes a building 1 to which the present invention is applied, with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, in this embodiment, a wooden building is used as the building 1, but the building to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a wooden building 1, and may be other buildings such as a reinforced concrete building or a lightweight steel frame building.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a building 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the exterior wall structure of the building 1 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the building 1 of this embodiment has an exterior wall structure 20 and a floor structure 10 provided inside the exterior wall structure 20. In FIG. 1 and each of the subsequent figures, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are illustrated based on the viewpoint of a worker standing outside the building. The front direction corresponds to the inward direction (the direction toward the inside of the building 1), and the rear direction corresponds to the outward direction (the direction toward the outside of the building 1). The left-right direction perpendicular to the paper surface is also referred to as the width direction. The same applies to each of the subsequent figures. Note that these directions are specified to explain the building 1 of this embodiment, and do not limit the building or the exterior wall structure of the building according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floor structure 10 has a floor 12, an inner wall 16 rising from the periphery of the floor 12, and beams (not shown) that support the floor 12 on the ground.

A space under the floor 12 is formed to ventilate the space under the floor 12. Air flows into this space from outside the building, ventilating the space under the floor 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior wall structure 20 includes an exterior wall body 24 having a vent V that opens outward for underfloor ventilation, and a water drain 30 attached to the exterior wall body 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior wall body 24 has a foundation 22 rising from the ground, an exterior wall 26 supported by the foundation 22, and a plurality of spacers 25 arranged in the width direction and interposed between the exterior wall 26 and the upper surface of the foundation 22 so as to form a space (vent V) between the exterior wall 26 and the foundation 22. The exterior wall 26 has a mounting member 264 rising from the upper surface of the foundation 22 and supported by the foundation 22, and an exterior wall panel 262 attached to the outer surface of the mounting member 264.

The mounting member 264 is a member for mounting the exterior wall panel 262, and is supported on the upper surface of the foundation 22 via a number of spacers 25. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a C-shaped steel frame is used as the mounting member 264. The exterior wall panel 262 is attached to the mounting member 264 with the mounting member 264 covering the mounting member 264 from the outside and with an intra-wall ventilation passage A formed between the mounting member 264 and the exterior wall panel 262.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ventilation holes V are formed between the lower end of the mounting member 264 and the upper surface of the foundation 22 in order to connect the underfloor space to the outside of the building 1 and ventilate the underfloor space. Note that multiple ventilation holes V are provided along the width direction, and these multiple ventilation holes V are each formed between adjacent spacers 25, 25 between the lower end of the mounting member 264 and the upper surface of the foundation 22.

The water drain 30 prevents rainwater from penetrating into the foundation 22. The water drain 30 has an opening forming part 30H that is attached to the exterior wall main body 24 so as to cover the vent V from the outside and has an opening that communicates with the vent V, and a sealing unit 31 that can seal the opening of the opening forming part 30H.

In this embodiment, multiple ventilation holes V are provided along the width direction, and opening forming portions 30H and sealing units 31 are provided corresponding to each of the multiple ventilation holes V.

As shown in FIG. 2, the opening forming portion 30H is a member for forming an opening that communicates with the ventilation opening V, and is provided for each of the multiple ventilation openings V. The opening forming portion 30H covers each ventilation opening V from the outside, and is attached to the exterior wall main body 24 so that the opening of the opening forming portion 30H communicates with the ventilation opening V (and also communicates with the wall ventilation passage A via a communication passage not shown in this embodiment).

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the opening forming portion 30H is located below the upper end of the foundation 22 in a side view. A sealant 300 (FIG. 2) is provided between the inner surface of the lower end of the opening forming portion 30H and the outer surface of the upper end of the foundation 22, and this sealant 300 prevents water from passing through the gap between the opening forming portion 30H and the foundation 22.

1 and 2, the opening forming portion 30H allows ventilation between the outside of the exterior wall main body 24 and the vent hole V. The opening forming portion 30H has a box-like shape that extends long in the left-right direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2. The upper surface of the opening forming portion 30H is inclined downward toward the outside of the building to guide rainwater downward. The opening forming portion 30H is supported by the mounting member 264 (FIG. 1) via the support portion 264H. The opening forming portion 30H is fixed to the support portion 264H by the bolt B. The lower end of the opening forming portion 30H is formed with an airflow inlet portion 30J that functions as an airflow inlet, and the inner surface of the upper end of the opening forming portion 30H is formed with an airflow outlet portion 30K that functions as an airflow outlet. The opening forming portion 30H is made of metal or resin material.

The opening forming section 30H has three partitions, from the top: an upper partition 301, a middle partition 302, and a lower partition 303. These partitions extend horizontally. As a result, three spaces are formed inside the opening forming section 30H: an upper space 30H1, a middle space 30H2, and a lower space 30H3. The airflow outlet section 30K mentioned above is opened on the inner side of the upper space 30H1.

An upper opening 301K is formed in the center of the upper partition 301 in the front-to-rear direction. The upper opening 301K opens in the upper partition 301 along the vertical direction and communicates with the ventilation port V via the airflow outlet portion 30K described above. Note that when the opening forming portion 30H is attached, the upper opening 301K is formed above the ventilation port V (Figure 1).

The middle partition 302 is positioned below the upper partition 301 so as to protrude slightly inward from the front and rear inner wall portions of the opening forming portion 30H. In other words, the middle partition 302 opens a central opening 302K over a wide range, leaving only the front and rear ends of the opening forming portion 30H. In FIG. 2, the upper sealing portion 32 of the sealing unit 31 described below is positioned so as to cover the central opening 302K from above.

The opening forming section 30H further includes an upper watertight material 301S (first watertight material). The upper watertight material 301S is located above the middle partition 302 and is fixed to the lower surface of the upper partition 301. The upper watertight material 301S is an elastic member arranged to cover the upper partition 301 from below, and is, for example, a sponge material. When the sealing unit 31 is arranged in the second position of FIG. 3, the upper watertight material 301S is arranged to surround the four sides of the upper opening 301K and to be interposed between the upper opening 301K and the upper sealing section 32. The upper watertight material 301S may be arranged to cover the upper opening 301K from below.

The lower partition 303 corresponds to the bottom of the opening forming portion 30H. A lower opening 303K is formed on the outer portion of the lower partition 303, and a connecting portion insertion portion 303J is formed on the inner side of the lower opening 303K. The lower opening 303K opens in the vertical direction below the upper opening 301K and the central opening 302K. The connecting portion 34 of the sealing unit 31 described below is inserted into the connecting portion insertion portion 303J.

Furthermore, an extension portion 304 is disposed at the lower end of the outer wall portion of the opening forming portion 30H. The extension portion 304 extends so as to protrude downward from the lower partition 303. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the extension portion 304 is located outside the foundation 22 and lower than the upper end of the foundation 22. This makes it possible to prevent rainwater from infiltrating into the foundation 22 from the outside. In addition, the opening forming portion 30H has a mesh member 305 disposed so as to block the airflow outflow portion 30K described above. The mesh member 305 has multiple meshes (openings) formed therein. In this embodiment, the mesh member 305 is made of stainless steel mesh.

The sealing unit 31 is disposed inside the opening forming portion 30H. The sealing unit 31 is supported by the opening forming portion 30H so that it can be displaced up and down between a first position in which the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K are opened and gas is allowed to flow through the vent V, and a second position which is higher than the first position and seals (closes) the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K, thereby restricting the intrusion of water from the outside of the building to the inside of the building through the vent V. The position of the sealing unit 31 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the first position. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the sealing unit 31 has moved upward in the exterior wall structure 20 (FIG. 2) according to this embodiment. The position of the sealing unit 31 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the second position.

The sealing unit 31 has an upper sealing portion 32, a lower sealing portion 33, and a connecting portion 34. Figure 4 is a plan view of the upper sealing portion 32 of the sealing unit 31 according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which air flows through each opening of the sealing unit 31 according to this embodiment.

The upper sealing portion 32 can seal the upper opening 301K from below as the sealing unit 31 moves. As shown in FIG. 2, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the upper sealing portion 32 is supported by the middle partition 302 of the opening forming portion 30H. The upper sealing portion 32 has an upper plate 321, a float support portion 322, a float 323, an engagement portion 324, a lower magnet 325, a shaft support portion 326, and a pair of protrusions 32S.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper plate 321 is a plate material having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The float support part 322 is disposed on the lower surface of the upper plate 321 (the rear surface of the upper plate 321 in FIG. 4), and is configured by a pair of front and rear plate-shaped parts protruding from the upper plate 321. The upper plate 321 and the float support part 322 have an integral structure, and are configured, for example, from a resin member.

The float 323 is fixed inside the float support portion 322, i.e., between the pair of plate-shaped portions. In this embodiment, the float 323 is made of polystyrene foam. The float 323 comes into contact with water when the water level outside the exterior wall main body 24 reaches a predetermined water level, and receives a buoyant force from the water that moves the sealing unit 31 from the first position toward the second position as the water level on the outside rises.

The engagement portion 324 is disposed on the innermost of the pair of plate portions of the float support portion 322, and has a U-shape that opens upward. A hook F, which will be described later, can be engaged with the engagement portion 324 (see FIG. 6). The lower magnet 325 is a magnet fixed to the center in the front-to-rear direction on the upper surface of the upper plate 321. As shown in FIG. 4, multiple lower magnets 325 are fixed to the upper plate 321 at intervals along the left-to-right direction.

The pivot support 326 is a bearing located below the engagement portion 324. In this embodiment, the pivot support 326 is configured by forming the tip of the float support portion 322, which is made of a resin member, into a C-shape facing downward. The pivot support 326 rotatably supports the connecting tip portion 342 of the connecting portion 34, which will be described later.

The pair of protrusions 32S (opening sealing portions) are made of ribs protruding from the upper plate 321 on both the front and rear sides of the lower magnet 325. The protrusions 32S have the function of pressing (crushing) the upper watertight material 301S (Figure 2) when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the second position. As a result, the pair of protrusions 32S are capable of sealing the upper opening from below when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the second position. The widthwise ends of the pair of protrusions 32S are connected to each other along the front-to-rear direction, forming a rectangular shape that surrounds the upper opening 301K.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a plurality of upper plate openings 321K (ventilation openings) are provided on both the front and rear sides of the pair of protrusions 32S of the upper plate 321. Each upper plate opening 321K allows airflow to pass through when the sealing unit 31 is disposed in the first position of Fig. 2.

The lower sealing part 33 can seal the lower opening 303K from below as the sealing unit 31 moves. The lower sealing part 33 has a lower plate 331, a pivot shaft part 332 (lower sealing base end), a grip part 333, a tip part 334 (lower sealing tip end), and a shaft support part 333S.

The lower plate 331, like the upper plate 321, is made of a plate material that extends long in the left-right direction. The pivot shaft portion 332 corresponds to the base end portion of the lower plate 331, and is supported rotatably around a horizontal pivot axis (first pivot axis) by the pivot support portion 30P that is located directly below the lower partition 303 of the opening forming portion 30H.

The gripping portion 333 is a protrusion protruding from the lower surface of the lower plate 331, and can be gripped by an operator through the space below the extension portion 304. The tip portion 334 is the tip portion of the lower plate 331 opposite the pivot shaft portion 332. As shown in FIG. 2, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the tip portion 334 is placed below the pivot shaft portion 332. In other words, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the pivot shaft portion 332 is rotatably supported by the opening forming portion 30H outside the lower opening 303K (FIG. 2) so that the lower sealing portion 33 is inclined downward from the outside of the building toward the inside of the building. In addition, in the first position, the tip portion 334 is located at a position approximately equal to or higher than the extension portion 304 in the vertical direction, thereby improving the design of the exterior of the building.

The pivot support 333S is formed at the base end of the grip 333. The pivot support 333S rotatably supports the connecting base end 341 of the connecting part 34.

The sealing unit 31 further includes a lower watertight material 331S (second watertight material). The lower watertight material 331S is fixed to the upper surface of the lower plate 331. The lower watertight material 331S is an elastic member arranged to cover the lower opening 303K and the connecting part insertion part 303J from below, and is, for example, a sponge material. When the sealing unit 31 is arranged in the second position of FIG. 3, the lower watertight material 331S is arranged to surround the lower opening 303K and the connecting part insertion part 303J and to be interposed between the lower opening 303K and the connecting part insertion part 303J and the lower plate 331 of the lower sealing part 33. In other words, the lower watertight material 331S is arranged to cover the lower opening 303K and the connecting part insertion part 303J from below.

The connecting portion 34 connects the upper sealing portion 32 and the lower sealing portion 33 in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 34 is arranged to extend in the vertical direction and has a connecting base end 341 and a connecting tip end 342. The connecting base end 341 is supported by the pivot support portion 333S so as to be rotatable around a horizontal rotation center axis (second rotation center axis). Meanwhile, the connecting tip end 342 is supported by the pivot support portion 326 of the upper sealing portion 32 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal rotation center axis (third rotation center axis). The first, second, and third rotation center axes are set parallel to each other.

Furthermore, the opening forming part 30H has a magnet support part 35. The magnet support part 35 is a support member fixed to the back surface of the upper surface part of the opening forming part 30H. As shown in FIG. 2, the magnet support part 35 has a U-shape in a side view. The opening forming part 30H also has an upper magnet 351 (first magnet). The upper magnet 351 is supported by the magnet support part 35 above the upper opening 301K. On the other hand, the lower magnet 325 mentioned above faces the upper magnet 351 in the vertical direction, and is supported by the upper sealing part 32 so that the sealing unit 31 enters the upper opening 301K by being disposed in the second position.

The upper magnet 351 and the lower magnet 325 constitute the magnetic force generating unit of the present invention. The magnetic force generating unit is capable of generating a magnetic force that attracts the sealing unit 31, which has risen from the first position to a predetermined height due to the buoyancy of the float 323 itself, to the second position.

The operation of the sealing unit 31 will be described below. When the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper sealing part 32 is supported by the middle partition 302, and the connecting part 34, which is rotatably supported by the pivot support part 326, hangs down from the upper sealing part 32. The lower sealing part 33, which is connected to the connecting part 34 via the connecting base end 341, opens the lower opening 303K and is inclined downward from the pivot support part 30P.

As a result, inside the opening forming portion 30H, from the bottom, the airflow inlet portion 30J, the lower opening 303K, the upper plate opening 321K, the upper opening 301K, and the airflow outlet portion 30K (mesh member 305) are opened, and airflow can be formed as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2 and the arrow DR in FIG. 5. As a result, ventilation of the building is possible through the air vent V, and the function of the drain 30 prevents rainwater from entering the foundation 22.

On the other hand, when the water level outside the exterior wall body 24 rises due to flooding or the like, water enters the lower space 30H3 through the airflow inlet 30J and the lower opening 303K in FIG. 2. Eventually, when the water level exceeds the middle partition 302, the float 323 receives buoyancy from the water, causing the sealing unit 31 to rise. At this time, since the lower sealing part 33 is connected to the upper sealing part 32 via the connecting part 34, it begins to rotate upward around the pivot part 30P. In addition, the upper plate 321 of the upper sealing part 32 moves upward while being guided along the inner wall of the opening forming part 30H. As a result, the upper plate 321 can rise while maintaining a horizontal posture.

When the lower magnet 325 rises to a predetermined height in the middle space 30H2 as the sealing unit 31 rises, the magnetic force (attraction force) acting between the upper magnet 351 and the lower magnet 325 pulls the sealing unit 31 further upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealing unit 31 is placed in the second position, and the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K are sealed by the upper sealing portion 32 and the lower sealing portion 33, respectively. At this time, the upper plate 321 of the upper sealing portion 32 moves upward while being guided along the inner wall of the opening forming portion 30H, so the position of the upper plate 321 is maintained, and the upper sealing portion 32 can stably seal the upper opening 301K.

Thus, according to the exterior wall structure 20 of this embodiment, when the sealing unit 31 is arranged in the first position, an air passage for underfloor ventilation of the building can be formed through the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K formed in the opening forming portion 30H and the vent V of the exterior wall main body 24. During regular inspections of the exterior wall structure 20, a worker can check that the lower sealing portion 33 is arranged at an angle by checking the tip 334 of the lower sealing portion 33 through the space below the extension portion 304, i.e., that the sealing unit 31 is normally arranged in the first position and the underfloor ventilation function is maintained.

On the other hand, when the water level outside the building rises due to a flood or the like, the float 323 receives buoyancy from the water, causing the sealing unit 31 to shift from the first position to the second position and seal each opening of the opening forming section 30H, thereby preventing water from entering the inside of the building. At this time, when the float 323 attached to the upper sealing section 32 receives buoyancy from the water, the connecting tip 342 and connecting base 341 of the connecting section 34 rotate, allowing the connecting section 34 to pull up the lower sealing section 33.

As a result, the upper sealing portion 32 and the lower sealing portion 33 of the sealing unit 31 can seal the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K, respectively, and therefore the opening of the opening forming portion 30H can be sealed in two stages, and water intrusion can be stably prevented. In addition, compared to the case where one opening is expanded horizontally to expand the area of the opening, the size of the opening forming portion 30H can be prevented from increasing. In particular, the buoyancy that the float 323 receives from the water acts upward regardless of the direction of the water flow around the float 323, so that the sealing unit 31 can be reliably displaced from the first position toward the second position, and the function of sealing the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K from below can be stably maintained.

At this time, the upper sealing portion 32 compresses and deforms the upper watertight material 301S to seal the upper opening 301K, and the lower sealing portion 33 compresses and deforms the lower watertight material 331S to seal the lower opening 303K and the connecting portion insertion portion 303J. Therefore, the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K can be stably sealed. In addition, in this embodiment, since two layers of watertight material, upper and lower, can be compressed, the area of the watertight region to prevent water intrusion can be increased compared to the case where one opening is blocked by one sealing member.

In addition, in this embodiment, the upper sealing portion 32 has a pair of protrusions 32S (opening sealing portions) and an upper plate opening 321K (ventilation opening), so that air flow is permitted through the upper sealing portion 32 under normal circumstances, and the upper sealing portion 32 can reliably seal the upper opening 301K in the event of a flood, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the sealing unit 31 rises to a predetermined height as the water level rises, the sealing unit 31 can be attracted to the second position by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic force generating section (upper magnet 351, lower magnet 325), so that the opening of the opening forming section 30H can be reliably sealed.

In particular, in this embodiment, the upper magnet 351 is disposed above the upper opening 301K, and the lower magnet 325 is supported by the upper sealing portion 32 so as to enter the upper opening 301K as the sealing unit 31 is displaced from the first position to the second position. Therefore, the upper magnet 351 and the lower magnet 325 can be attracted to each other by utilizing the space including the upper opening 301K, so that these magnets can be prevented from preventing the upper sealing portion 32 from sealing the upper opening 301K.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the float 323 is attached to the upper sealing portion 32, when the float 323 receives buoyancy from the water as the water level rises, the lower sealing portion 33 is already submerged in water. Therefore, compared to when the float 323 is attached to the lower sealing portion 33, the sealing unit 31 can be displaced from the first position toward the second position by a relatively small buoyancy. Note that in other embodiments, a float instead of the float 323 may be attached to the connecting portion 34. Also, as in the modified embodiment described below, the float 323 may be attached to the lower sealing portion 33.

In addition, in this embodiment, the openings for underfloor ventilation and the sealing units 31 that seal them are located inside the drip edge 30. This means that these structures are less likely to deteriorate due to sunlight, rain, and wind, and the underfloor ventilation function and water intrusion prevention function can be maintained even in the event of repeated flooding.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the float 323 is attached to the upper sealing portion 32, the lower sealing portion 33 is already submerged in water when buoyancy is generated in the float 323. Therefore, if a foreign object is caught between the lower sealing portion 33 and the lower opening 303K while the sealing unit 31 is displacing from the first position (FIG. 2) to the second position (FIG. 3), the rotation of the lower sealing portion 33 may be hindered. In this case, the rise of the upper sealing portion 32 connected to the lower sealing portion 33 via the connecting portion 34 is also hindered, and there is a concern that not only the lower opening 303K but also the upper opening 301K may not be sealed.

However, in this embodiment, the lower sealing portion 33 is supported by the opening forming portion 30H so that it can rotate around the pivot shaft 332. Therefore, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the tip portion 334 is positioned below the pivot shaft 332, so that the ingress paths of gas and water are limited as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the opening forming portion 30H.

In particular, in this embodiment, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the lower sealing portion 33 is inclined downward from the outside of the building toward the inside of the building. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the inflow path for gas and water is formed to go around the inside of the lower sealing portion 33. As a result, it is possible to further suppress the intrusion of foreign matter due to rising water levels during floods, etc.

Also, referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, when the sealing unit 31 is arranged in the first position, the vertical distance between the upper opening 301K and the lower opening 303K and the horizontal distance between the tip 334 and the outer wall main body 24 (foundation 22) are set so that the horizontal distance L1 between the tip 334 of the lower sealing portion 33 and the outer wall main body 24 (foundation 22) is smaller than the vertical distance L2 between the tip 334 and the lower opening 303K. Therefore, foreign matter having a dimension larger than the distance L2 is prevented from flowing into the periphery of the lower opening 303K. As a result, even if a foreign matter enters through the gap between the tip 334 and the foundation 22, the foreign matter can be prevented from blocking the gap between the lower opening 303K and the lower sealing portion 33. It also prevents large foreign objects from entering through the gap between the tip 334 of the lower sealing portion 33 and the exterior wall body 24, and promotes airflow into the opening forming portion 30H through the portion between the lower opening 303K and the lower sealing portion 33.

Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which only the upper sealing part 32 of the sealing unit 31 has moved upward in the exterior wall structure 20 of Figure 2. In this embodiment, if a foreign object is sandwiched between the lower opening 303K and the lower sealing part 33 while buoyancy is generated in the float 323, and a predetermined external force that resists the buoyancy is generated in the lower sealing part 33, the connecting tip part 342 is detached from the pivot support part 326, and the connection between the upper sealing part 32 and the lower sealing part 33 by the connecting part 34 can be released. As a result, even if a foreign object is sandwiched as described above, as shown in Figure 6, the upper sealing part 32 rises, leaving the lower sealing part 33, and can seal the upper opening 301K. Therefore, even in such a case, it is possible to reliably prevent water from entering the interior of the building. In order to enable the detachment of the connecting tip part 342 as described above, the pivot support part 326 has a C-shape and is elastically deformable.

As shown in FIG. 6, if the surrounding water level drops with only the upper sealing part 32 of the sealing unit 31 in the second position, the operator can return the upper sealing part 32 to the first position by hooking the hook F onto the engagement part 324 through the lower opening 303K or the connecting part insertion part 303J and pulling down the upper sealing part 32. Then, the sealing unit 31 can be used again by again attaching the connecting tip part 342 of the connecting part 34 to the pivot part 326 of the upper sealing part 32.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the entire sealing unit 31 is disposed in the second position, the operator can grasp the gripping portion 333 of the lower sealing portion 33 and rotate the lower sealing portion 33 downward to move the sealing unit 31 from the second position to the first position. At this time, if the connecting tip portion 342 is detached from the pivot portion 326 due to the magnetic force between the upper magnet 351 and the lower magnet 325, the upper sealing portion 32 can be pulled down to the first position using the hook F in the same manner as described above.

The above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. As an example, the present invention can adopt the following modified embodiment.

(1) In the above embodiment, the vent V was formed between the exterior wall 26 and the foundation 22, but the position where the vent V is formed is not limited to between the exterior wall 26 and the foundation 22. For example, the vent V may be formed in the foundation 22 so as to penetrate the foundation 22 and communicate between the inside and outside of the building.

(2) FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing the exterior wall structure of a building according to a first modified embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the sealing unit 31 has moved upward in the exterior wall structure of FIG. 7. In the previous embodiment, the lower sealing portion 33 was supported by the opening forming portion 30H so as to be rotatable around the rotating shaft portion 332, but the lower sealing portion 33 may be connected to the upper sealing portion 32 via the connecting portion 34 in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, when the sealing unit 31 is placed in the first position, the lower sealing portion 33 is supported by the support protrusions 306 in front and behind the opening forming portion 30H. The opening forming portion 30H has an inner extension portion 30HJ that is spaced apart from the inner side of the extension portion 304, and an inner opening 30HK is opened in the inner extension portion 30HJ. Therefore, in this modified embodiment, a ventilation path is formed inside the opening forming portion 30H through the inner opening 30HK.

On the other hand, when the water level around the exterior wall structure 20 rises and water enters the opening forming portion 30H through the inner opening 30HK, the buoyant force acting on the float 323 displaces the sealing unit 31 to the second position as shown in FIG. 8, as in the previous embodiment. As a result, the lower sealing portion 33 can seal the lower opening 303K from below. Note that a member similar to the mesh member 305 may be attached to the inner opening 30HK to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.

(3) Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the exterior wall structure of a building according to a second modified embodiment of the present invention. In the above first modified embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, the float 323 is attached to the upper sealing portion 32, but a lower float 335 similar to the float 323 may be attached to the lower sealing portion 33. In this case as well, the buoyancy that the lower float 335 receives from the water can displace the sealing unit 31 from the first position to the second position. In addition, the action of the upper magnet 351 and the lower magnet 325 can assist in the movement of the sealing unit 31 to the second position.

1 Building 20 Exterior wall structure 22 Foundation 24 Exterior wall body 26 Exterior wall 30 Water cutout 301 Upper partition 301K Upper opening 301S Upper watertight material (first watertight material)
302 Middle partition 303 Lower partition 303K Lower opening 30H Opening forming portion 30H1 Upper space 30H2 Middle space 30H3 Lower space 30HK Inner opening 30J Air flow inlet portion 30K Air flow outlet portion 31 Sealing unit 32 Upper sealing portion 321 Upper plate 321K Upper plate opening 322 Float support portion 323 Float 324 Engagement portion 325 Lower magnet (magnetic force generating portion, second magnet)
326 Axial support (uncoupling part)
32S Projection part (opening sealing part)
33 Lower sealing portion 331 Lower plate 331S Lower watertight material (second watertight material)
332 Rotating shaft portion (lower sealing base end portion)
333 Gripping part 334 Tip part (lower sealing tip part)
335 Lower float 34 Connection part 341 Connection base end part 342 Connection tip part 35 Magnet support part 351 Upper magnet (magnetic force generating part, first magnet)
B Bolt F Hook V Vent

Claims (12)

An exterior wall structure,
An exterior wall body having an exterior wall and a foundation supporting the exterior wall and having an air vent opening to the outside for underfloor ventilation of the building;
an opening forming part attached to the exterior wall body so as to cover the vent from the outside, the opening forming part having an upper opening that opens along a vertical direction and communicates with the vent, and a lower opening that opens along a vertical direction below the upper opening and communicates with the upper opening and the outside of the building;
a sealing unit supported on the opening forming portion so as to be vertically displaceable between a first position in which the upper opening and the lower opening are open and gas is permitted to flow through the ventilation hole, and a second position which is a position higher than the first position and in which the upper opening and the lower opening are sealed and water is restricted from entering the building from the outside through the ventilation hole into the building;
Equipped with
The sealing unit includes:
an upper sealing portion capable of sealing the upper opening from below;
a lower sealing portion capable of sealing the lower opening from below;
a connecting portion that connects the upper sealing portion and the lower sealing portion in the up-down direction;
a float that comes into contact with water when the water level outside the exterior wall body reaches a predetermined water level, and receives a buoyancy from the water that causes the sealing unit to move from the first position toward the second position as the water level rises on the outside;
An exterior wall structure having: a first watertight material that is arranged to surround at least the upper opening and be interposed between the upper opening and the upper sealing portion when the sealing unit is arranged at the second position;
A second watertight material that is arranged to surround at least the lower opening and be interposed between the lower opening and the lower sealing portion when the sealing unit is arranged at the second position;
Further comprising:
The exterior wall structure described in claim 1, wherein the upper sealing portion compresses and deforms the first watertight material at the second position of the sealing unit to seal the upper opening, and the lower sealing portion compresses and deforms the second watertight material at the second position of the sealing unit to seal the lower opening. The exterior wall structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a magnetic force generating unit capable of generating a magnetic force that attracts the sealing unit, which has risen from the first position to a predetermined height due to the buoyancy, to the second position. The magnetic force generating unit includes:
a first magnet supported by the opening forming portion above the upper opening;
a second magnet that faces the first magnet in the up-down direction and is supported by the upper sealing portion so as to enter the upper opening as the sealing unit moves from the first position to the second position;
The exterior wall structure of claim 3 . The outer wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the float is attached to the upper sealing portion. The outer wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the float is attached to the connecting portion. The outer wall structure according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a disconnecting part that can disconnect the connection between the upper sealing part and the lower sealing part by the connecting part when a predetermined external force that resists the buoyancy occurs on the lower sealing part while the buoyancy is generated on the float. the lower sealing portion has a lower sealing base end portion supported to be rotatable about a first rotation central axis horizontal to the opening forming portion, and a lower sealing tip end portion disposed below the lower sealing base end portion when the sealing unit is disposed at the first position,
The exterior wall structure described in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the connecting portion has a connecting base end portion supported on the lower sealing portion so as to be rotatable around a second pivot center axis parallel to the first pivot center axis, and a connecting tip end portion arranged on the opposite side of the connecting base end portion and supported on the upper sealing portion so as to be rotatable around a third pivot center axis parallel to the first pivot center axis. The exterior wall structure according to claim 8, wherein the lower sealing base end is rotatably supported on the opening forming part outside the lower opening so that the lower sealing part is inclined downward from the outside of the building toward the inside of the building when the sealing unit is disposed in the first position. The exterior wall structure according to claim 9, wherein the vertical distance between the upper opening and the lower opening and the horizontal distance between the lower sealing tip and the exterior wall body are set so that the horizontal distance between the lower sealing tip and the exterior wall body is smaller than the vertical distance between the lower sealing tip and the lower opening when the sealing unit is placed at the first position. The upper sealing portion is
an opening sealing portion capable of sealing the upper opening from below when the sealing unit is disposed at the second position;
a ventilation opening that is disposed at a position different from the opening sealing portion and allows gas to pass therethrough when the sealing unit is disposed at the first position;
The exterior wall structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: A water spout is attached to an exterior wall body having an exterior wall and a foundation supporting the exterior wall and having a vent opening that opens to the outside for ventilation under the floor of a building,
an opening forming part attached to the exterior wall body so as to cover the vent from the outside, the opening forming part having an upper opening that opens along a vertical direction and communicates with the vent, and a lower opening that opens along a vertical direction below the upper opening and communicates with the upper opening and the outside of the building;
a sealing unit supported on the opening forming portion so as to be vertically displaceable between a first position in which the upper opening and the lower opening are open and gas is permitted to flow through the ventilation hole, and a second position which is a position higher than the first position and in which the upper opening and the lower opening are sealed and water is restricted from entering the building from the outside through the ventilation hole into the building;
Equipped with
The sealing unit includes:
an upper sealing portion capable of sealing the upper opening from below;
a lower sealing portion capable of sealing the lower opening from below;
a connecting portion that connects the upper sealing portion and the lower sealing portion in the up-down direction;
a float that comes into contact with water when the water level outside the exterior wall body reaches a predetermined water level, and receives a buoyancy from the water that causes the sealing unit to move from the first position toward the second position as the water level rises on the outside;
A drainer.