JP7734554B2 - Joint cover device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a joint covering device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a joint cover device having multiple cover bodies that span the joints between adjacent buildings and cover the joints. The cover bodies include cover bodies C1' and C2' that cover the intersections (corners) of the joints, and cover bodies C1 and C2 that are disposed outside the intersections. Cover bodies C1' and C2' are divided into a pair of left and right covers along the diagonal of the intersection, and the side edges facing cover bodies C1 and C2 are connected to cover bodies C1 and C2 via hinge connections. When the buildings are displaced relative to each other during an earthquake, the other side edges of end cover bodies C1' and C2' at the joint intersections slide upward along the inclined bearing surfaces that are positioned perpendicular to each other, and end cover bodies C1' and C2' tilt around the hinge connections, thereby escaping the relative displacement.

Patent Document 2 discloses a floor joint device structure equipped with a joint plate connector that connects a joint plate and a corner joint plate via a spring.

Patent No. 3942742 Patent No. 4842902

Consider the case in Patent Document 1 where the cover (cover bodies C1', C2') divided at the intersection of the joints is supported on the building side, for example, inside the joint, and the inclined bearing surface is provided on the ground side, outside the joint. The gap between the divided sections is generally constant and small in its initial state, but during an earthquake, the cover moves diagonally across the intersection of the joints. When the cover slides up and returns to the inclined bearing surface, the covers move up and down separately, which can cause the gap between the covers at the divided sections to remain wide. Because the cover is supported on the building side, inside the joint, this gap widens from the inside to the outside of the joint, making it easily noticeable.

If the separate covers were restrained from each other in order to prevent this gap from occurring, the vertical movement of each cover would be restricted, which could cause deformation of the covers or damage to the hinges connecting cover bodies C1, C2 and cover bodies C1', C2'.

In Patent Document 2, the covers are connected using a joint plate connector that uses a spring. However, relative displacement of the cover is permitted only in the direction of the joint, and relative displacement of the cover in the vertical direction is not permitted. Therefore, this joint plate connector cannot be applied to the divided portion of the cover in the diagonal direction of the intersection of the joints.

The purpose of this invention is to prevent the gap between covers from widening after they move in a joint cover device, without forcibly restraining adjacent covers at the intersection of the joints.

The joint cover device of the first aspect extends from one building to the other building surrounding the one building, across a joint, to cover the joint, and includes covers adjacent to each other along the diagonal direction at the intersection where the joints intersect, and a stopper attached to one of the adjacent covers and positioned closely opposite the other cover from the side opposite the one cover, allowing the adjacent covers to move relative to each other in the vertical direction and preventing the adjacent covers from moving apart laterally.

In this joint cover device, stoppers are provided on adjacent covers diagonally at the intersection where the joints intersect. The stopper is provided on one of the adjacent covers and is positioned closely opposite the other cover on the side opposite the one cover. Furthermore, relative vertical displacement of adjacent covers is permitted, but the adjacent covers are prevented from moving apart laterally. In other words, relative vertical displacement of the covers is permitted, while relative horizontal displacement is prevented. Therefore, without forcibly restraining adjacent covers at the intersection of the joints, it is possible to prevent the gap between the covers from widening after they move.

In the second aspect, in the joint cover device according to the first aspect, the stopper is provided at a corner of the cover that is located diagonally outside the intersection.

In this joint cover device, the stoppers are located at the corners of the cover that are diagonally outward of the intersection, effectively preventing the cover from separating laterally at those corners.

In a third aspect, in the joint cover device according to the first or second aspect, the stopper has a base portion provided on one of the covers at a location facing the other structure, and a protruding portion positioned adjacent to and facing the location of the other cover facing the other structure.

In this joint cover device, the stopper has a base and an overhang. The base is provided on one cover at a location facing the other building. The overhang is positioned closely opposite the location on the other cover facing the other building. This allows for a simple, low-cost configuration.

This invention allows a joint cover device to prevent the gap between covers from widening after the covers move without forcibly restraining adjacent covers at the intersection of the joints.

1A is a plan view showing a joint covering device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion 1B in FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a joint covering device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion 2B in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the joint covering device according to the present embodiment. This is a front view showing the state in which the cover on the right side of the paper is shifted above the cover on the left side of the paper when viewed from the outside in the diagonal direction of the joint. This is a front view showing the cover on the right side of the paper and the cover on the left side of the paper aligned vertically when viewed from the outside in the diagonal direction of the joint. This is a front view showing the state in which the cover on the left side of the paper is shifted lower than the cover on the right side of the paper when viewed from the outside in the diagonal direction of the joint. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the configuration of a connecting means for connecting the cover to one of the buildings. This is an oblique view showing a state in which the height of the cover on the right side of the paper and the height of the cover on the left side of the paper are the same in a joint cover device according to a modified example, when viewed from the outside in the diagonal direction of the joint. This is an oblique view showing a state in which, in a joint cover device relating to a modified example, the height of the cover on the right side of the paper is shifted higher than the height of the cover on the left side of the paper, and the stopper 20 has moved upward, when viewed from the outside in the diagonal direction of the joint.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Components designated with the same reference numerals in each drawing are identical or similar components. Note that duplicated descriptions and reference numerals may be omitted in the embodiments described below. Furthermore, all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element between multiple drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones.

In Figures 1 and 2, the joint cover device 10 according to this embodiment is installed in a joint 16 between two adjacent buildings 12 and 14. The first building 12 is a building with a seismic isolation structure, the lower part of which is supported by a seismic isolation device (not shown). The joint 16 is formed with a predetermined width along the perimeter of the first building 12, and is designed to absorb relative horizontal shaking between the first building 12 and its surrounding building (the second building 14) during an earthquake. In Figures 1 to 3, the joint cover device 10 has a cover 26 and a stopper 20.

The covers 26 extend from one structure 12 to the other structure 14 surrounding the first structure 12, across the joints 16, to cover the joints 16, and are adjacent to each other along the diagonal direction (the direction of line X) at the intersection 17 where the joints 16 intersect. The covers 26 are formed as flat plates with a predetermined thickness that matches the depth of the horizontal receiving edge 18, and their base ends are swingably connected to the side edges of one of the structures 12 via connecting means 38. Trapezoidal covers 26A1 and 26A2 are arranged at the intersection 17 of the joints 16, and a rectangular cover 26B is arranged elsewhere than at the intersection 17. Openings provided in parts of the base ends of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 are covered with lids 28.

In Figure 7, the connecting means 38 is configured, for example, with a swing rail 40 provided on one of the buildings 12 and a swing bolt 42 provided on the cover 26. The surface of the swing rail 40 on the cover 26 side is curved convexly toward the cover 26. The swing rail 40 also has an elongated hole extending in the vertical direction. The swing bolt 42 can move up and down within the range of the elongated hole, allowing the cover 26 to swing.

As shown in Figure 2, a sliding support frame 24 is disposed on the side edge of the other building 14. The sliding support frame 24 includes a horizontal support edge 18 and an inclined support edge 22 that slopes upward from the outer edge of the horizontal support edge 18. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an end plate 34, for example, is provided at the free end 26F on the tip side of the cover 26. This end plate 34 has an end shielding plate 30 that protrudes approximately horizontally from the free end 26F of the cover 26. The end shielding plate 30 is able to swing slightly up and down around a fulcrum (not shown) provided on the end plate 34. The end plate 34 also has a shielding plate support 36 that limits the downward swing of the end shielding plate 30.

In normal operation as shown in Figure 1, the cover 26 extends from one building 12 to the other building 14, covering the joint 16, and as shown in Figure 2, the free end 26F slides slidably on the horizontal support edge 18 of the sliding support frame 24. The upper side of the operating gap 32 created between the free end 26F and the inclined support edge 22 of the sliding support frame 24 is shielded by the end shielding plate 30.

In Figures 1(B) and 3, the stopper 20 is provided on one of the adjacent covers 26A1 along the diagonal direction (line X direction) at the intersection 17 where the joints 16 intersect, and is also arranged closely opposite the side of the other cover 26A2 opposite the one cover 26A1. This stopper 20 is a component that allows the adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2 to move relative to each other in the vertical direction and prevents the adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2 from moving apart laterally.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the stopper 20 is provided at the corner of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 located diagonally outside the intersection 17 (direction of line X). The stopper 20 also has a base 20A provided at a portion of the cover 26A1 facing the other building 14, and a protruding portion 20B positioned adjacent to a portion of the cover 26B1 facing the other building 14. The base 20A and the protruding portion 20B are each formed as flat plates and intersect with each other at approximately right angles in a plan view. This results in the stopper 20 being formed into a substantially L-shape in a plan view. As an example, the base 20A is fixed by welding to the vertical center of the free end 26F of the cover 26A2. The protruding portion 20B extends to overlap the outside of the free end 26F of the cover 26A2 and faces closely to the free end 26F.

The base 20A and the extension 20B may be integrally configured, or may be assembled from separate components. The base 20A does not necessarily need to be fixed to the free end 26F, but may be adjustable vertically, for example. Even in this case, it is desirable that the base 20A does not move laterally relative to the free end 26F to prevent adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2 from moving apart laterally. The base 20A may also be switchable between a state in which it can move laterally relative to the free end 26F and a state in which it cannot. During installation or maintenance of the device, the positional relationship between the extension 20B and the free end 26F of cover 26A2 can be adjusted while the base 20A is movable, and then the base 20A can be immobilized during use, thereby preventing adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2 from moving apart laterally.

Although the protruding portion 20B of the stopper 20 is not connected to the cover 26A2, this is not limited to this. The protruding portion 20B may be elastically connected to the cover 26A2, for example, to allow the adjacent covers 26A1 and 26A2 to move relative to each other in the vertical direction.

(effect)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2 , under normal circumstances, the cover 26 extends from one building 12 toward the other building 14, covering the joint 16, and the free end 26F slidably rests on the horizontal support edge 18 of the sliding support frame 24. As shown in FIG. 1B , even under normal circumstances, a small gap S exists between the adjacent covers 26A1 and 26A2 along the diagonal direction (direction X) at the intersection 17 where the joints 16 intersect. During an earthquake, when one building 12 approaches the other building 14 relatively, the cover 26 rides up onto the sliding support frame 24. At this time, the covers 26A1 and 26A2 swing upward via the connecting means 28, temporarily widening the gap S between the covers 26A1 and 26A2.

In this embodiment, a stopper 20 is provided on adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2. The stopper 20 is provided on one cover 26A1 and is arranged closely opposite the side of the other cover 26A2 opposite the one cover 26. Specifically, the stopper 20 has a base 20A and an overhang 20B. The base 20A is provided on one cover 26A1 at a location facing the other building 14. The overhang 20B is arranged closely opposite the location of the other cover 26A2 facing the other building 14.

Because the protruding portion 20B is not fixed to the cover 26A2, relative vertical displacement of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 is permitted. Figure 4 shows the state in which the cover 26A2 is shifted above the cover 26A1 when viewed from the diagonal outside of the joint 16. Figure 5 shows the state in which the covers 26A1 and 26A2 are aligned vertically. Figure 6 shows the state in which the cover 26A2 is shifted below the cover 26A1.

On the other hand, when covers 26A1 and 26A2 move relative to each other in the lateral direction, the free end 26F of cover 26A2 abuts against the protruding portion 20B, preventing covers 26A1 and 26A2 from separating from each other in the lateral direction. In this way, this embodiment allows for a simple and low-cost stopper 20 configuration.

Specifically, if the direction of movement of one of the structures 12 during an earthquake differs from the diagonal direction (line X direction) of the intersection 17 of the joint 16, the degree to which the adjacent covers 26A1 and 26A2 climb up onto the sliding receiving frame 24 will differ. In other words, the free ends 26F of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 will displace relative to each other up and down. The stopper 20 of this embodiment allows for such relative displacement in the up and down direction, so there is no unreasonable restraint.

Meanwhile, the stopper 20 prevents adjacent covers 26A1, 26A2 from separating laterally from each other, thereby preventing the gap S between covers 26A1, 26A2 from remaining wide after the earthquake subsides and one of the structures 12 and covers 26A1, 26A2 return to their normal positions. If the gap S becomes too large when covers 26A1, 26A2 ride up onto the sliding receiving frame 24, the gap S may remain wide when covers 26A1, 26A2 return to their normal positions. However, this embodiment makes such a phenomenon less likely to occur. In particular, the stopper 20 is provided at the corner of covers 26A1, 26A2 located diagonally outside the intersection 17, where the gap S is likely to become large, effectively preventing covers 26A1, 26A2 from separating laterally at the corner.

Other Embodiments
The above describes one example of an embodiment of the present invention, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The stopper 20 is provided at the corner of the cover 26 located diagonally outside the intersection 17, but the stopper 20 may also be provided at a position closer to the base end (toward one of the structures 12) than the corner.

(Modification)
8 and 9 , in a joint covering device 10 according to a modified example, a stopper support member 44 is provided at the free end 26F of the cover 26A1. The stopper support member 44 is formed, for example, with a U-shaped cross section and is disposed across the base 20A of the stopper 20 from below to above. The stopper support member 44 is formed with, for example, two elongated holes 44A extending in the vertical direction. A bolt 46 is inserted into each of the elongated holes 44A from the outside. Although the bolts 46 are threaded into the base 20A of the stopper 20, the stopper 20 and the stopper support member 44 are not fixed to each other, and the stopper 20 is configured to be movable up and down within the range of the elongated holes 44A. In other words, the range of vertical movement of the stopper 20 is restricted by the elongated holes 44A.

A stopper receiver 48 is provided at the free end 26F of the cover 26A2. As shown in Figure 8, this stopper receiver 48 is positioned to abut against the underside of the protruding portion 20B of the stopper 20 when the heights of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 are aligned and the stopper 20 is positioned at the lower limit of the range of movement defined by the elongated hole 44A.

In this modified example, the protrusion 20B is not fixed to the cover 26A2, so relative vertical displacement of the covers 26A1 and 26A2 is permitted. As shown in Figure 9, when the cover 26A2 shifts above the cover 26A1 when viewed from the diagonal outside of the joint 16, the stopper receiver 48 lifts the stopper 20, causing it to move toward the upper limit of the range of movement defined by the elongated hole 44A. The cover 26A2 can then shift upward relative to the cover 26A1 until the stopper 20 reaches the upper limit of the range of movement defined by the elongated hole 44A.

The stopper 20 can move up and down within the range of the elongated hole 44A, and when the bolt 46 reaches the bottom end of the elongated hole 44A, the stopper 20 cannot move further downward. Therefore, although not shown, when the cover 26A2 shifts below the cover 26A1, the stopper 20 is held at the lower limit of its range of movement by the stopper support member 44, and the stopper receiver 48 moves away from the protruding portion 20B. The cover 26A2 can then shift downward relative to the cover 26A1, for example, until the end shielding plate 30 of the cover 26A2 abuts against the protruding portion 20B of the stopper 20.

As in the above embodiment, when covers 26A1 and 26A2 move relative to each other in the lateral direction, the free end 26F of cover 26A2 comes into contact with the protruding portion 20B, thereby preventing covers 26A1 and 26A2 from moving apart in the lateral direction.

10...Joint cover device, 12...One structure, 14...Other structure, 16...Joint, 17...Intersection, 18...Horizontal support edge, 20...Stopper, 20A...Base, 20B...Protrusion, 22...Inclined support edge, 24...Sliding support frame, 26...Cover, 26A1...Cover, 26A2...Cover, 26B...Cover, 26F...Free end, 28...Lid, 30...End shield plate, 32...Operating gap, 34...End plate, 36...Shield plate holder, 38...Connecting means, 40...Swing rail, 42...Swing bolt, 44...Stopper support member, 44A...Slotted hole, 46...Bolt, 48...Stopper holder, S...Gap, X-ray

Claims (3)

covers that extend from one building to the other building surrounding the one building across a joint to cover the joint and are adjacent to each other along the diagonal direction at the intersection where the joints intersect;
a stopper that is provided on one of the adjacent covers and that is laterally disposed on the other cover on the opposite side to the one cover side so as to closely face the other cover, allowing the adjacent covers to be displaced relative to each other in the up and down direction and preventing the adjacent covers from moving apart in the lateral direction ;
the stopper is provided at a corner of the cover that is located diagonally outside the intersection,
the stopper has a base portion provided at a portion of one of the covers facing the other building, and a protruding portion disposed adjacent to and facing the portion of the other cover facing the other building,
An end face plate is provided at a free end on the tip side of the cover,
The end surface plate is provided with an end shielding plate that protrudes from the free end of the cover in a substantially horizontal direction,
The end shielding plate is a joint cover device that is capable of swinging up and down above the stopper around a fulcrum provided on the end face plate . The joint cover device according to claim 1 , wherein the end plate is provided with a shield plate receiver. The joint cover device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stopper is provided in the space between the corner-side ends of adjacent end plates on either side of the corner, at the free end of the tip side of the cover.