JP7737907B2 - sliding bearing device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a sliding bearing device in a support structure that is placed, for example, between the upper structure and lower structure of a structure as a seismic isolation mechanism and supports the upper structure.

As shown in Patent Document 1, for example, sliding bearing devices have been used to provide movable support in structures where vibrations and relative displacement occur, such as seismic isolation structures, bridges, or connections between fixed structures. Such sliding bearing devices are disposed between a supported structure such as a main girder and a supporting structure such as a bridge pier, and are able to support the structure by allowing it to move in the in-plane direction at the boundary surface, i.e., the sliding surface, between the upper shoe fixed to the supported structure and the lower shoe fixed to the supporting structure.

Specifically, the sliding bearing device described in Patent Document 1, in which the sliding surface of the lower shoe fixed to the top surface of the supporting structure slides against the sliding surface fixed to the bottom surface of the supported structure, has the sliding surface of the lower shoe made of a stainless steel sliding plate material, and the sliding surface of the upper shoe made of a synthetic resin sliding material.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-170829

In a sliding bearing device configured as described above, a synthetic resin sliding member slides on a stainless steel sliding plate, but there is a risk that the sliding member may become heated beyond the expected range due to frictional heat generated by the sliding member sliding against the sliding plate. Furthermore, there is a risk that the sliding member may become colder than the expected range due to environmental temperature.

In this way, if the sliding member and the sliding plate member are heated or cooled beyond the expected range due to frictional heat, the coefficient of friction of the sliding member changes, and the sliding properties change. As a result, there is a problem in that the desired sliding properties of the sliding bearing device cannot be ensured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sliding bearing device that can suppress changes in sliding properties due to temperature changes of the sliding material.

This invention is a sliding bearing device comprising a first shoe and a second shoe disposed at opposing portions of a first structure and a second structure, with the sliding surfaces of the first shoe and the second shoe sliding against each other at the opposing portions. The first shoe is provided with a sliding material made of synthetic resin that forms the sliding surface and a retaining member that holds the sliding material, while the second shoe is provided with a sliding target that forms the sliding surface and against which the sliding material slides, and at least one of the first shoe and the second shoe is provided with a temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material by passing electricity through it.

The sliding bearing device includes a rigid sliding bearing device, an elastic sliding bearing device, and the like.
The first and second structures may be, for example, a building in which the foundation structure is the second structure and a column is the first structure, a bridge in which the pier is the second structure and the main girder is the first structure, a connecting passage in which a building is the second structure and a walkway connecting two buildings is the first structure, a roof structure in which a column is the second structure and a truss roof is the first structure, or structures in an expansion structure in which a building is the second structure and another building is the first structure. Alternatively, the structure may be a rack on which servers are placed is the second structure and the floor board on which the rack is installed is the first structure.
The first and second shoes may be configured as a lower shoe and an upper shoe when the first structure and the second structure are arranged in the vertical direction.

The temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material may have at least one of the following configurations: a configuration that adjusts the temperature by acting directly on the sliding material; a configuration that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material via a holding member that holds the sliding material; and a configuration that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material via a sliding material that slides against the sliding material.

The temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material may be at least one of a cooling structure such as a Peltier element (also called a Peltier element) that cools the sliding material when it has been heated beyond its expected temperature range due to frictional heat, and a heating structure such as a Peltier element or resistance heating that heats the sliding material when its temperature has dropped below its expected temperature range.

In addition, if the temperature adjustment unit has both a configuration for cooling a sliding material heated by frictional heat and a configuration for heating a sliding material that has been cooled, the temperature adjustment unit for cooling and the temperature adjustment unit for heating may be provided separately, or a single temperature adjustment unit may be configured to perform both cooling and heating, like a Peltier element, which can perform both cooling and heating depending on the direction of current flow.

According to this invention, the temperature of the sliding member is adjusted by energizing the temperature adjusting section, and it is possible to suppress changes in the sliding properties due to changes in the temperature of the sliding member.
In detail, by cooling the sliding material that has been heated beyond the expected range due to frictional heat caused by sliding using an electrically powered temperature adjustment unit, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the friction coefficient of the sliding material due to heating beyond the expected range.

Conversely, by heating a sliding material whose temperature has dropped below the expected range due to environmental temperature or the like using an energized temperature adjustment unit, it is possible to prevent an increase in the friction coefficient of the sliding material due to the temperature dropping below the expected range.
If the coefficient of friction of the sliding material increases, the load acting as a reaction on the structure during sliding increases, so the rigidity of the structure needs to be improved. However, since it is possible to prevent the increase in the coefficient of friction of the sliding material by heating the sliding material that has been cooled beyond the expected range, there is no need to improve the rigidity of the structure to accommodate the increased load during sliding.

As an aspect of the present invention, the temperature adjusting portion may be provided on the second shoe and adjust the temperature of the sliding member via the sliding member.
According to this invention, the temperature adjusting section can be assembled with less influence on other members.

More specifically, if the temperature adjustment unit is positioned so that it directly contacts the sliding material, when a load acts on the sliding material, the temperature adjustment unit, which is positioned so that it directly contacts the sliding material, will affect the sliding surface, causing the load to act unevenly on the sliding surface and potentially changing the coefficient of friction. In contrast, by providing the temperature adjustment unit on the second shoe, the temperature adjustment unit will not affect the sliding surface of the sliding material, ensuring the sliding performance of the sliding surface.

As another aspect of the present invention, the second shoe may be provided with a support member that supports the sliding object, and the temperature adjusting unit may be disposed between the sliding object and the support member.
According to this invention, the temperature adjustment unit can be arranged without interfering with the sliding of the first shoe and the second shoe, and the temperature of the sliding member can be adjusted via the sliding member of the second shoe.

In another aspect of the present invention, the sliding member may be made of a highly heat-conductive steel material having a higher heat conductivity than stainless steel.
The high thermal conductivity steel material having higher thermal conductivity than the stainless steel may be, for example, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, or a copper alloy.

According to this invention, the temperature of the sliding member can be efficiently adjusted by the temperature adjusting section.
In more detail, the temperature of the sliding material is adjusted via the sliding material, and since the sliding material made of high thermal conductivity steel has higher thermal conductivity than sliding materials made of stainless steel that have been used conventionally, temperature adjustment by the temperature adjustment unit can be performed efficiently.

As another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the temperature adjustment units may be provided, and the temperature adjustment units may be arranged with a wider interval between them on the outer side than on the center side of the sliding surface.
According to this invention, since the frictional heat generated by the sliding between the first shoe and the second shoe is more likely to cause a temperature rise at the center of the sliding surface than at the outside, the distance between the temperature adjustment units is made wider at the outside of the sliding surface than at the center, that is, the temperature adjustment units are densely arranged at the center of the sliding surface, thereby making it possible to more efficiently adjust the temperature of the sliding material.

As another aspect of the present invention, a current supply circuit for supplying current to the temperature adjustment unit and a control unit for controlling the supply of current to the temperature adjustment unit may be provided.
The above-mentioned energization control refers to ON/OFF control of the energization of the energization circuit, and further to control of the energization direction.

This invention allows the temperature of the sliding material to be adjusted without loss compared to when it is constantly energized, for example by passing electricity through it when temperature adjustment is required. Furthermore, when a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element is used as the temperature adjustment unit that applies electricity to adjust the temperature, the control unit can control the direction of current flow to the current circuit, allowing the sliding material to be cooled or heated to adjust the temperature.

As another aspect of the present invention, a movement detection means may be provided that detects relative movement between the first shoe and the second shoe in the sliding direction, and the control unit may apply electricity based on the detection result of the movement detection means.
According to the present invention, the temperature of the sliding member can be efficiently adjusted.

More specifically, relative movement between the first shoe and the second shoe in the sliding direction causes the sliding surfaces to slide, and frictional heat generated by the sliding movement may heat the sliding material beyond its expected range. When the movement detection means detects relative movement between the first shoe and the second shoe, the temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the sliding material based on the detection result of the movement detection means, thereby enabling efficient temperature adjustment.

In another aspect of the present invention, a temperature detection means may be provided for detecting the temperature of the sliding member, and the control unit may apply power based on the detection result of the temperature detection means.
The temperature detection means may detect the temperature using a thermometer or the like, or may be configured to detect when a predetermined temperature is reached.

According to the present invention, the temperature of the sliding member can be efficiently adjusted.
In more detail, the sliding member can exhibit an expected coefficient of friction within a predetermined temperature range, but if the temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature range, the coefficient of friction will exceed the expected range. Therefore, if the temperature of the sliding member is within the predetermined temperature range, there is no need to adjust the temperature with the temperature adjustment unit. Therefore, by using the temperature detection means to detect when the temperature of the sliding member exceeds the predetermined temperature range or when it approaches a threshold value within the temperature range, efficient temperature adjustment can be performed.

This invention provides a sliding bearing device that can suppress changes in sliding properties due to temperature changes in the sliding material.

FIG. FIG. FIG. Plan view of the lower shoe. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory plan view of a lower shoe according to another embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 are explanatory views of a sliding bearing device 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sliding bearing device 1. As shown in FIG.

In detail, Fig. 1(a) shows a front view of the sliding bearing device 1, and Fig. 1(b) shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the sliding bearing device 1. Fig. 2(a) shows a perspective view of the sliding bearing device 1 from above, and Fig. 2(b) shows a perspective view of the sliding bearing device 1 from below. Note that Fig. 2(b) shows the lower shoe 20 in a see-through state. The up-down direction in Figs. 1 to 3 is referred to as the up-down direction H.

The sliding bearing device 1 is a seismic isolation device arranged between the upper structure 100 and the lower structure 200 to form a seismic isolation structure. It consists of an upper shoe 10 fixed to the upper structure 100 and a lower shoe 20 fixed to the lower structure 200. The boundary surface between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20, i.e., the sliding surface (10a, 20a), slides, providing support that allows for in-plane displacement at the boundary surface (sliding surface). This enables seismic isolation by absorbing vibration energy caused by, for example, earthquakes or strong winds.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the sliding bearing device 1 is composed of an upper shoe 10 fixed to the bottom surface 101 of the upper structure 100 and a lower shoe 20 fixed to the upper surface 201 of the lower structure 200.
More specifically, the lower shoe 20 is composed of a sole plate 21 fixed to the upper surface 201 of the lower structure 200, a slide plate 22 attached to the sole plate 21, and a thermoelectric element 23 that functions as a temperature adjustment unit. In the lower shoe 20, the upper surface of the slide plate 22 forms a lower shoe sliding surface 20a that slides against an upper shoe sliding surface 10a of the upper shoe 10, which will be described later.

The sole plate 21 is a plate material that is fixed to the upper surface 201 of the lower structure 200 and supports the slide plate 22, and is also called a back plate or a base plate.
The slide plate 22 is an octagonal plate member in a plan view that is placed on the upper surface of the sole plate 21, and is made of an aluminum alloy plate member that has higher thermal conductivity than a stainless steel plate.
The shapes of the sole plate 21 and the slide plate 22 are not limited to the above-mentioned shapes, and may be formed in any suitable shape, such as a rectangle or a circle.

The thermoelectric element 23 is configured as a Peltier element whose temperature changes when a direct current is passed through it from the current-carrying circuit 300 shown in Fig. 5. More specifically, the thermoelectric element 23 is formed in a plate shape, and when a direct current is passed through it, one surface is heated and the other surface is cooled.
As shown in FIG. 4, the thermoelectric elements 23 are arranged in a lattice pattern at predetermined intervals between the top surface of the sole plate 21 and the bottom surface of the slide plate 22 in the area where the slide plate 22 is arranged.

The upper shoe 10 is composed of a steel base pot 11 fixed to the bottom surface 101 of the upper structure 100 and a sliding part 30 which is circular in plan view and is arranged in a mounting recess 113 in the center of the bottom side of the base pot 11.
The base pot 11 is composed of a base portion 111 that is circular in plan view, and a circular small-diameter portion 112 that is located on the underside of the base portion 111 and has a smaller diameter than the base portion 111. The bottom surface of the small-diameter portion 112 is provided with a mounting recess 113 that is a cylindrical space that is open downward.

The sliding portion 30 mounted in the mounting recess 113 of the base pot 11 includes an elastic plate 31 and an assembled bearing 32, as shown in FIG.
In the sliding portion 30, a shim or a seal ring may be provided between the elastic plate 31 and the assembled bearing 32. Also, the elastic plate 31 may not be provided.

The elastic plate 31 is a rubber plate having a circular shape in a plan view.
As described above, the elastic plate 31 is housed in the mounting recess 113 of the base portion 111 together with the upper portion of the bearing holder 33 of the assembled bearing 32, and is formed in a disk shape with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the mounting recess 113.

The assembled bearing 32 is housed in the mounting recess 113 and forms the upper shoe sliding surface 10a. It is constructed by assembling the bearing holder 33 and slide bearing 34 described below.

The bearing holder 33 is made of stainless steel and has a generally cylindrical shape, and is formed to have the same diameter as the elastic plate 31 .
As described above, the bearing holder 33 is mounted in the mounting recess 113 of the base pot 11 together with the elastic plate 31, but is formed higher than the depth of the mounting recess 113.

The bearing holder 33 also has a mounting recess 331 on the bottom side for mounting and holding the slide bearing 34 .
The mounting recess 331 is a cylindrical space that is shallower than the thickness of the slide bearing 34 and is open downward. Note that the bearing holder 33 may not have the mounting recess 331, and the assembled bearing 32 may be configured by affixing the slide bearing 34 to the bottom surface of the bearing holder 33.

The slide bearing 34 is a self-lubricating plate made of PTFE with a low coefficient of friction and a circular shape in plan view. The bottom surface 341 (see Figures 2(b) and 3) forms the upper shoe sliding surface 10a that slides against the lower shoe sliding surface 20a, which is the surface of the slide plate 22 of the lower shoe 20.

The slide bearing 34 is not limited to being circular in plan view, and may be formed in any suitable shape, such as an octagon. Furthermore, the slide bearing 34 does not have to be made of PTFE; it may be made of any suitable material, such as polyamide resin, as long as the surface has a low coefficient of friction.

The slide bearing 34 is formed in a disk shape that is formed to a height that protrudes downward from the mounting recess 331 when mounted in the mounting recess 331 of the bearing holder 33 .
The bearing holder 33 and slide bearing 34 configured as described above are fixed by bonding to the upper surface of the slide bearing 34 housed in the mounting recess 331 to form the assembled bearing 32 .

In the sliding bearing device 1, each element of which is configured as described above, the slide bearing 34 is placed in the mounting recess 331 of the bearing holder 33 and adhesively fixed therein, and the elastic plate 31 is placed on the upper surface of the bearing holder 33 and placed in the mounting recess 113 of the base pot 11, and the upper shoe 10 is assembled.
Furthermore, the thermoelectric element 23 is appropriately arranged on the upper surface of the sole plate 21, and the slide plate 22 is attached thereon, and the lower shoe 20 is then assembled.

The base portion 111 of the base pot 11 of the upper shoe 10 configured in this manner is fixed to the bottom surface 101 of the upper structure 100, and the upper shoe 10 is disposed on the upper structure 100, and the sole plate 21 of the lower shoe 20 is fixed to the upper surface 201 of the lower structure 200, and the lower shoe 20 is disposed on the lower structure 200. In this way, the sliding bearing device 1 can be assembled, in which the upper shoe sliding surface 10a of the upper shoe 10 provided on the upper structure 100 and the lower shoe sliding surface 20a of the lower shoe 20 provided on the lower structure 200 are configured to be slidable on each other.
The sliding bearing device 1 is a high-friction bearing device with a friction coefficient of, for example, about 0.09.

The thermoelectric element 23 thus assembled to the sliding bearing device 1 is connected to a current-carrying circuit 300 as shown in FIG. 5(a).
The energization circuit 300 includes a power supply unit 301 and a control unit 302 that controls the energization of the thermoelectric element 23 .

The power supply unit 301 is a power supply for supplying a direct current to the thermoelectric element 23, and can be configured by a battery or the like.
If the power supply unit 301 is an alternating current power supply, an AC-DC converter (not shown) or the like may be provided.

The control unit 302 is configured not only to control whether electricity supplied from the power supply unit 301 is passed through the thermoelectric element 23 (i.e., to control ON/OFF), but also to control the direction of current flow through the thermoelectric element 23.

The temperature of the thermoelectric element 23 connected to the current-carrying circuit 300 changes under the control of the control unit 302. More specifically, when a direct current is passed through the plate-shaped thermoelectric element 23 in a predetermined conduction direction (hereinafter referred to as the heating direction) under the control of the control unit 302, the surface of the thermoelectric element 23 facing the slide plate 22 is heated.
Conversely, when a direct current is passed through the thermoelectric element 23 in a conduction direction opposite to the predetermined conduction direction (hereinafter referred to as the cooling direction) under the control of the control unit 302, the surface on the slide plate 22 side is cooled.

In the sliding bearing device 1 configured in this manner, when vibrations such as earthquake motions are input, the upper structure 100 and the lower structure 200 move relative to each other in the horizontal direction.
When the upper structure 100 and the lower structure 200 move relative to each other in the horizontal direction, the lower shoe sliding surface 20a of the lower shoe 20 slides against the upper shoe sliding surface 10a of the upper shoe 10. When the lower shoe sliding surface 20a of the lower shoe 20 slides against the upper shoe sliding surface 10a of the upper shoe 10, the slide bearing 34 that constitutes the upper shoe sliding surface 10a and the slide plate 22 that constitutes the lower shoe sliding surface 20a are heated by frictional heat generated by the sliding between the upper shoe sliding surface 10a and the lower shoe sliding surface 20a. When the slide bearing 34 is heated beyond the expected range, the coefficient of friction of the slide bearing 34 falls below the expected coefficient of friction, and the expected sliding performance of the sliding bearing device 1 changes.

Therefore, the control unit 302 of the current supply circuit 300 controls the power supply unit 301 to supply DC current in a cooling direction that cools the surface of the thermoelectric element 23 facing the slide plate 22. In this way, when DC current in the cooling direction is supplied to the thermoelectric element 23 under the control of the control unit 302, the surface of the thermoelectric element 23 facing the slide plate 22 is cooled, and the slide plate 22, which has been heated beyond the expected range due to frictional heat caused by sliding, can be cooled.

When the slide plate 22 is cooled by the thermoelectric element 23, the slide bearing 34 that slides against the slide plate 22 is cooled to within the expected range via the slide plate 22, resulting in the slide bearing 34 having the expected coefficient of friction and allowing the expected sliding performance of the sliding bearing device 1 to be maintained.

Conversely, if the temperature of the sliding bearing 34 drops below the expected range due to factors such as the ambient temperature, the friction coefficient of the sliding bearing 34 will increase beyond the expected friction coefficient, resulting in a change in the expected sliding performance of the sliding bearing device 1.

Therefore, under control of the control unit 302 of the current supply circuit 300, a direct current is passed from the power supply unit 301 in a heating direction that heats the surface of the thermoelectric element 23 facing the slide plate 22. In this way, when a direct current in the heating direction is passed through the thermoelectric element 23 under the control of the control unit 302, the surface of the thermoelectric element 23 facing the slide plate 22 is heated, and the slide plate 22, which has been cooled beyond the expected range due to the ambient temperature, can be heated.

When the slide plate 22 is heated by the thermoelectric element 23, the slide bearing 34 that slides against the slide plate 22 is heated to an expected range via the slide plate 22, causing the slide bearing 34 to have an expected coefficient of friction, allowing the expected sliding performance of the sliding bearing device 1 to be maintained.

As described above, the sliding bearing device 1 is composed of an upper shoe 10 and a lower shoe 20 arranged at opposing portions of the upper structure 100 and the lower structure 200, with the sliding surfaces 10a, 20a of the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20 sliding against each other at the opposing portions. The upper shoe 10 is equipped with a synthetic resin slide bearing 34 that forms the sliding surface 10a and a bearing holder 33 that holds the slide bearing 34, while the lower shoe 20 is equipped with a slide plate 22 that forms the sliding surface 20a and on which the slide bearing 34 slides. Furthermore, the sliding bearing device 1 is equipped with a thermoelectric element 23 in the lower shoe 20 that adjusts the temperature of the slide bearing 34 by passing electricity through it. Therefore, the sliding bearing device 1 adjusts the temperature of the slide bearing 34 by passing electricity through the thermoelectric element 23, and is able to suppress changes in sliding properties due to temperature changes in the slide bearing 34.

In more detail, by cooling the slide bearing 34, which has been heated beyond the expected range due to frictional heat caused by sliding, with the thermoelectric element 23 being energized, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the coefficient of friction of the slide bearing 34 due to heating beyond the expected range.

Conversely, by heating the slide bearing 34, whose temperature has dropped below the expected range due to the ambient temperature or the like, with the thermoelectric element 23 that is energized, it is possible to prevent an increase in the friction coefficient of the slide bearing 34 due to the temperature dropping below the expected range.
If the coefficient of friction of the slide bearing 34 increases, the load acting as a reaction on the structure during sliding increases, making it necessary to improve the rigidity of the structure. However, because it is possible to prevent an increase in the coefficient of friction of the slide bearing 34 by heating the slide bearing 34, which has been cooled beyond the expected range, to within the expected range, there is no need to increase the rigidity of the structure to accommodate the increased load during sliding.

In addition, the thermoelectric element 23 is mounted on the lower shoe 20 and adjusts the temperature of the slide bearing 34 via the slide plate 22, so the thermoelectric element 23 can be installed with minimal impact on other components.

In more detail, if the thermoelectric element 23 is positioned so as to be in direct contact with the slide bearing 34, when a load acts on the slide bearing 34, the effect of the thermoelectric element 23, which is positioned so as to be in direct contact with the slide bearing 34, will extend to the upper shoe sliding surface 10a, and the load will not act uniformly on the upper shoe sliding surface 10a, which may change the coefficient of friction.
In contrast, by providing the thermoelectric element 23 in the lower shoe 20, the influence of the thermoelectric element 23 does not extend to the upper shoe sliding surface 10a of the slide bearing 34, and the sliding performance of the upper shoe sliding surface 10a can be ensured.

The lower shoe 20 is also provided with a sole plate 21 that supports the slide plate 22, and the thermoelectric element 23 is positioned between the slide plate 22 and the sole plate 21. Therefore, the thermoelectric element 23 can be positioned without interfering with the sliding movement between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20, and the temperature of the slide bearing 34 can be adjusted via the slide plate 22 of the lower shoe 20.

Furthermore, since the slide plate 22 is made of a highly heat-conductive steel material that has higher thermal conductivity than stainless steel, the temperature of the slide bearing 34 can be efficiently adjusted by the thermoelectric element 23 .
More specifically, the temperature of the slide bearing 34 is adjusted via the slide plate 22, and since the slide plate 22 is made of highly thermally conductive steel and has higher thermal conductivity than the stainless steel slide plates that have been used conventionally, temperature adjustment by the thermoelectric element 23 can be performed efficiently.

In addition, a current supply circuit 300 that supplies current to the thermoelectric element 23 and a control unit 302 that controls the current supply to the thermoelectric element 23 are provided. Therefore, for example, when temperature adjustment of the slide bearing 34 is required, current is supplied to adjust the temperature. This allows the temperature of the slide bearing 34 to be adjusted without loss compared to when current is supplied all the time.

Furthermore, when a Peltier element is used as the thermoelectric element 23 that is energized to adjust the temperature, the control unit 302 controls the direction of current flow (heating direction, cooling direction) to the energizing circuit 300, thereby switching between heating and cooling the slide bearing 34 to adjust the temperature.

In the above description, the current-carrying circuit 300 connected to the thermoelectric element 23 includes a power supply unit 301 and a control unit 302. However, in addition to the power supply unit 301 and the control unit 302, a sensor 303 may also be included, as shown in Figure 5(b).

Specifically, the sensor 303 may be a movement detection sensor that detects the relative movement of the upper structure 100 or the upper shoe 10 relative to the lower structure 200 or the lower shoe 20.
When the sensor 303, which is composed of a movement detection sensor, detects the relative movement of the upper structure 100 or upper shoe 10 with respect to the lower structure 200 or lower shoe 20, the control unit 302 controls the thermoelectric element 23 to pass a direct current in a cooling direction, thereby cooling the slide bearing 34, which has been heated beyond the expected range due to frictional heat caused by sliding, via the slide plate 22, and suppressing the temperature rise of the slide bearing 34.

As described above, a sensor 303 consisting of a movement detection sensor is provided to detect relative movement in the sliding direction between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20. Based on the detection results of the sensor 303, the control unit 302 applies electricity to the thermoelectric element 23, thereby efficiently adjusting the temperature of the slide bearing 34.

More specifically, when the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20 move relative to each other in the sliding direction and the movement detection sensor 303 detects this relative movement between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20, the sliding surfaces 10a, 20a slide, and the frictional heat generated by the sliding movement may heat the slide bearing 34 beyond its expected range. In response to this, the temperature of the slide bearing 34 can be efficiently adjusted by adjusting the temperature of the slide bearing 34 using the thermoelectric element 23 based on the detection results of the sensor 303.

The sensor 303 may also be a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the slide bearing 34 .
When the sensor 303, which is a temperature sensor, detects that the temperature has dropped below the threshold temperature, the control unit 302 controls the thermoelectric element 23 to pass a direct current in the heating direction, heating the slide bearing 34, which has been cooled beyond the expected range due to the ambient temperature, via the slide plate 22, thereby suppressing the temperature drop of the slide bearing 34.

Furthermore, the sensor 303, which is composed of a temperature sensor, detects the temperature of the slide bearing 34, which has been heated by friction caused by the sliding between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20. The control unit 302 then controls the thermoelectric element 23 to pass a direct current in a cooling direction, thereby cooling the slide bearing 34, which has been heated beyond the expected range by frictional heat caused by the sliding, via the slide plate 22, and suppressing the temperature rise of the slide bearing 34.

As described above, a sensor 303 consisting of a temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature of the slide bearing 34, and the control unit 302 applies electricity based on the detection results of the sensor 303, thereby efficiently adjusting the temperature of the slide bearing 34.

More specifically, within a predetermined temperature range, the slide bearing 34 can exhibit an expected coefficient of friction, but if the temperature exceeds the predetermined range, the coefficient of friction will exceed the expected range. Therefore, if the temperature of the slide bearing 34 is within the predetermined temperature range, there is no need to adjust the temperature using the thermoelectric element 23. Instead, the sensor 303, which is composed of a temperature sensor, can detect when the temperature of the slide bearing 34 exceeds the predetermined temperature range, or when the temperature approaches the threshold value of the temperature range, allowing for efficient temperature adjustment.

In the above description, the thermoelectric elements 23 are arranged in a grid pattern between the sole plate 21 and the slide plate 22 as shown in FIG. 4, but they may be arranged in various ways as shown in FIG.
6A, the thermoelectric elements 23 may be arranged along a plurality of concentric circles centered on the center in a plan view of the slide plate 22. In this case, the thermoelectric elements 23 are arranged so that the distance between the thermoelectric elements 23 on the radially outer side is wider than the distance between the thermoelectric elements 23 on the center side in a plan view.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6(b), the thermoelectric elements 23 may be arranged along a spiral from the radially outer side toward the center in a planar view. By arranging the thermoelectric elements 23 along a spiral at equal intervals in this way, the thermoelectric elements 23 on the radially outer side are arranged so that the intervals between the thermoelectric elements 23 on the center side in a planar view are wider.

As mentioned above, frictional heat caused by the sliding between the upper shoe 10 and the lower shoe 20 tends to cause the temperature to rise more easily towards the centre of the sliding surfaces 10a, 20a than towards the outside. However, by making the spacing between the thermoelectric elements 23 wider on the outside of the sliding surfaces 10a, 20a than towards the centre, in other words, by densely arranging the thermoelectric elements 23 towards the centre of the sliding surfaces 10a, 20a, the temperature of the slide bearing 34 can be adjusted more efficiently.

As described above, in the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence between the configuration and the above-mentioned embodiment, the first structure of the present invention corresponds to the upper structure 100,
Similarly,
The second structure corresponds to the lower structure 200,
The first shoe corresponds to the upper shoe 10,
The second shoe corresponds to the lower shoe 20;
The sliding surfaces correspond to the sliding surfaces 10a and 20a.
The sliding bearing corresponds to the sliding bearing 1,
The sliding member corresponds to the slide bearing 34,
The holding member corresponds to the bearing holder 33,
The sliding member corresponds to the slide plate 22,
The temperature adjusting unit corresponds to the thermoelectric element 23,
The support member corresponds to the sole plate 21,
The energizing circuit corresponds to the energizing circuit 300;
The control unit corresponds to the control unit 302.
The movement detection means corresponds to the sensor 303 which is composed of a movement detection sensor,
The temperature detection means corresponds to the sensor 303 which is configured by a temperature sensor, but is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above explanation, the sliding bearing device 1 is disposed between the substructure 200 and the superstructure 100. However, the sliding bearing device 1 may also be disposed in a building in which the substructure 200 is the foundation structure and the columns are the superstructure 100; a bridge in which the substructure 200 is the pier and the superstructure 100 is the main girder; a connecting corridor in which the substructure 200 is a building and the superstructure 100 is a walkway connecting two buildings; a roof structure in which the substructure 200 is a column and the superstructure 100 is a truss roof; or an expansion structure in which a building is the substructure 200 and another building is the superstructure 100. Alternatively, the sliding bearing device 1 may be disposed in a structure in which the substructure 200 is a rack on which servers are placed and the superstructure 100 is a floor plate on which the rack is installed.

In the above explanation, the thermoelectric element 23 is placed between the sole plate 21 and the slide plate 22, and the temperature of the slide bearing 34 is adjusted via the slide plate 22, but a thermoelectric element may also be provided in the upper shoe 10. Specifically, the thermoelectric element may act directly on the slide bearing 34 to adjust the temperature, or a thermoelectric element may be provided in the bearing holder 33 that holds the slide bearing 34, and the temperature of the slide bearing 34 may be adjusted via the bearing holder 33.

Alternatively, the temperature of the slide bearing 34 may be adjusted by both the thermoelectric element 23 that adjusts the temperature of the slide bearing 34 via the slide plate 22 and a thermoelectric element provided in the upper shoe 10.

Furthermore, in the above description, a Peltier element is provided as the thermoelectric element 23, but the thermoelectric element may also be configured as a heating element such as a resistance heating element that is heated by current flow.
In the above explanation, the control unit 302 switches the direction of current flow through the current flow circuit 300 between a heating direction and a cooling direction to heat or cool the thermoelectric element 23, but it is also possible to provide a configuration for cooling the slide bearing 34 and a configuration for heating the slide bearing 34 when its temperature has dropped below the expected range, separately.

The sole plate 21 described above is made of a highly thermally conductive steel material made of a copper alloy, which has higher thermal conductivity than the stainless steel that constitutes conventional sliding materials. However, it may also be made of, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or copper plate material. Furthermore, although the effects described above will be less pronounced, conventionally used stainless steel sliding materials may also be used.

The sliding bearing device 1 described above is a high-friction bearing device, but it may also be a low-friction bearing device with a lower friction coefficient than a high-friction bearing device. Even a low-friction bearing device with a friction coefficient of, for example, around 0.01 can achieve the same effect as the sliding bearing device 1 described above.

Furthermore, while the sliding bearing device 1 described above was a rigid sliding bearing device, it may also be an elastic sliding bearing device in which a laminated rubber portion is provided in the upper shoe 10, and even an elastic sliding bearing device can achieve the same effects as the sliding bearing device 1 described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Sliding bearing device 10...Upper shoe 10a...Upper shoe sliding surface 20...Lower shoe 20a...Lower shoe sliding surface 21...Sole plate 22...Slide plate 23...Thermoelectric element 33...Bearing holder 34...Slide bearing 100...Upper structure 200...Lower structure 300...Electrification circuit 302...Control unit 303...Sensor

Claims (7)

The first structure and the second structure are configured with a first shoe and a second shoe disposed on opposing portions thereof,
A sliding bearing device in which sliding surfaces at opposing portions of the first shoe and the second shoe slide against each other,
The first shoe is provided with a sliding member made of synthetic resin that constitutes the sliding surface, and a holding member that holds the sliding member,
The second shoe is provided with a sliding member that constitutes the sliding surface and on which the sliding member slides,
At least one of the first shoe and the second shoe has
A temperature adjusting unit is provided that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material by applying electricity ,
an energization circuit that energizes the temperature adjustment unit;
a control unit for controlling power supply to the temperature adjustment unit;
a movement detection means for detecting relative movement between the first shoe and the second shoe in a sliding direction;
The control unit energizes the device based on the detection result of the movement detection means.
Sliding bearing device. a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the sliding member is provided;
The control unit applies power based on the detection result of the temperature detection means.
2. The sliding bearing device according to claim 1. The first structure and the second structure are configured with a first shoe and a second shoe disposed on opposing portions thereof,
A sliding bearing device in which sliding surfaces at opposing portions of the first shoe and the second shoe slide against each other,
The first shoe is provided with a sliding member made of synthetic resin that constitutes the sliding surface, and a holding member that holds the sliding member,
The second shoe is provided with a sliding member that constitutes the sliding surface and on which the sliding member slides,
At least one of the first shoe and the second shoe has
A temperature adjusting unit is provided that adjusts the temperature of the sliding material by applying electricity ,
an energization circuit that energizes the temperature adjustment unit;
a control unit for controlling power supply to the temperature adjustment unit;
a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the sliding member is provided;
The control unit applies power based on the detection result of the temperature detection means.
Sliding bearing device. the temperature adjusting unit is provided in the second shoe,
4. A sliding bearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of said sliding member is adjusted via said sliding member. In the second shoe,
A support member is provided to support the sliding member,
5. The sliding bearing device according to claim 4 , wherein the temperature adjusting section is disposed between the sliding member and the support member. 6. A sliding bearing device according to claim 4 or claim 5 , wherein the sliding member is made of a highly heat-conductive steel material having a higher thermal conductivity than stainless steel. The temperature adjustment unit is provided in plurality,
7. A sliding bearing device according to claim 4 , wherein the temperature adjusting portions are arranged with a wider interval between them on the outer side of the sliding surface than on the center side.