This application claims the benefits of the Taiwan Patent Application Serial Number 112125912, filed on Jul. 11, 2023, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism, particularly to a seismically suspended isolation device composed of seismically suspended isolation elements capable of bearing tension.
In regions frequently experiencing earthquakes, equipment, instruments, cabinets, and stored items in buildings are susceptible to damage due to the impact of seismic vibrations. As a result, the seismic isolation technology is employed in structural engineering. Its main function is to reduce the transmission of energy from earthquakes or other vibrations to the structure or the protected object, thereby protecting the structure or the object from damage caused by excessive vibration energy.
Currently, the seismic isolation technology available on the market often utilizes sloped or sliding seismic isolation. It reduces the impact of vibrations on the protected object through the rolling or sliding mechanisms of components within the isolation structure, along with the additional use of the energy dissipation mechanisms such as fluid dampers, friction dampers, or lateral friction plates. However, the current application of the aforementioned seismic isolation technology is to install at the bottom of the object structure, and the seismic isolation device is capable of gravity load. When an earthquake occurs, it can isolate the seismic energy, significantly mitigating the extent of vibration transmission to the protected object, reducing the acceleration and displacement of the protected object, and reducing the damage to the protected object caused by earthquake. Nevertheless, since the existing seismic isolation is only limited to moving in accordance with the design of bearing type, effective seismic isolation measures cannot be provided for equipment installed on the ceiling or suspended transportation systems.
In view of the above, the present invention provides a seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism to solve the problem in the prior art that it cannot be effectively used for vibration isolation in suspended equipment or suspended transportation system.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism and a seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism. The seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism comprises two horizontal one-way tension type support modules, and the assembly of fixing element and moving element in the support modules enables the support modules to exhibit the self-centering capability after being disturbed. Among them, the support modules further comprise displacement suppressing modules capable of reducing the displacement caused by earthquakes and lowering the space requirement for seismic isolation.
In addition, the seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism is composed of a plurality of the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism connected in parallel. The seismically suspended isolation system is capable of systematically isolating large suspended equipment or the protected objects with irregular shapes. Therefore, the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism and the seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism can provide seismic protection for suspended objects. Furthermore, the structures that internally install the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism or the seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism have the function of tuned mass, reducing the seismic response of the structure during earthquakes.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism is used for hanging an object. The seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism comprises a first support module, a second support module, a first displacement suppressing module and a second displacement suppressing module. The first support module includes a first fixing element, a first moving element and a plurality of first rollers. The first fixing element has at least one pair of first extension arms. The first moving element has at least one pair of second extension arms. The first extension arms are staggered with the second extension arms. The first rollers are disposed between the first fixing element and the first moving element, capable of rolling along a first direction and allowing the first moving element to move relative to the first fixing element in the first direction. The second support module includes a second fixing element, a second moving element and a plurality of second rollers. The second fixing element has at least one pair of third extension arms. The second moving element has at least one pair of fourth extension arms. The third extension arms are staggered with the fourth extension arms. The second rollers are disposed between the second fixing element and the second moving element, capable of rolling along a second direction and allowing the second moving element to move relative to the second fixing element in the second direction. The first displacement suppressing module is connected to the first fixing element and the first moving element, providing the displacement suppression force to the first moving element along the first direction. The second displacement suppressing module is connected to the second fixing element and the second moving element, providing the displacement suppression force to the second moving element along the second direction. The first support module and the second support module are stacked together in an orthogonal manner. The first moving element is connected to the second fixing element and the second moving element is connected to the object, so that the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism absorbs an external force in both the first direction and the second direction when subjected to the external force.
In one embodiment, the first fixing element further comprises at least one first cross arm connected to the first extension arm. The first moving element further comprises at least one second cross arm connected to the second extension arm. At least one of the inner side of the first cross arm and the second cross arm is non-planar. The first rollers move along the first direction between the first cross arm and the second cross arm when the first moving element moves relative to the first fixing element.
In one embodiment, the first roller further has a first gear. The first cross arm further has a first upper gear rack, and the second cross arm further has a first lower gear rack. The first gear engages with both the first upper gear rack and the first lower gear rack.
In one embodiment, the second fixing element further comprises at least one third cross arm connected to the third extension arm. The second moving element further comprises at least one fourth cross arm connected to the fourth extension arm. At least one of the inner side of the third cross arm and the fourth cross arm is non-planar. The second rollers move along the second direction between the third cross arm and the fourth cross arm when the second moving element moves relative to the second fixing element.
In one embodiment, the second roller further has a second gear. The third cross arm further has a second upper gear rack, and the fourth cross arm further has a second lower gear rack. The second gear engages with both the second upper gear rack and the second lower gear rack.
In one embodiment, the first displacement suppressing module and the second displacement suppressing module are friction damper, fluid viscous damper, or flywheel inerter.
In one embodiment, the first displacement suppressing module and the second displacement suppressing module are respectively flywheel inerter. The first displacement suppressing module includes a first body, a first moving gear and a first vertical bearing. The second displacement suppressing module includes a second body, a second moving gear and a second vertical bearing. The first vertical bearing is disposed through the first body and the first moving gear, and is fixed on the first moving element. The second vertical bearing is disposed through the second body and the second moving gear, and is fixed on the second moving element.
In one embodiment, the first cross arm further comprises a first guide rack formed on the outer side of the first cross arm. The third cross arm further comprises a second guide rack formed on the outer side of the third cross arm. The first moving gear engages with the first guide rack. The second moving gear engages with the second guide rack. The first moving gear and the second moving gear are capable of moving along the first guide rack and the second guide rack when the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism is subjected to the external force.
In one embodiment, the first fixing element further comprises at least one first side plate. The second fixing element further comprises at least one second side plate. The first side plates restrict the first roller to roll along the first direction, and the second side plates restrict the second roller to roll along the second direction.
The present invention further provides a seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism. The seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism comprises a plurality of the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism in accordance with the invention, connected in parallel to each other.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and are not intended to limit the present invention, applications, or implementations described in these embodiments. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. It shall be appreciated that, in the following embodiments and the attached drawings, elements unrelated to the present invention are omitted from depiction; and dimensional relationships among individual elements in the attached drawings are provided only for ease of understanding, but not to limit the actual scale.
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It should be noted that the first cross arms 112 of the first fixing element 11 and the second cross arm 122 of the first moving element 12 are staggered up and down for the purpose of sandwiching the first rollers 13. Another purpose is to limit the position of the first rollers 13 so that they can roll stably therein. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the number of the first cross arm 112 is 1, the number of the second cross arm 122 is greater than 1. Conversely, when the number of the second cross arm 122 is 1, the number of the first cross arm 112 can be greater than 1, or both the numbers of the first cross arm 112 and the second cross arm 122 are greater than 1 at the same time. The number can be adjusted according to actual requirements, and is not limited thereto.
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Precisely, the second moving element 22 includes two fourth extension arms 221, and one fourth cross arm 222. The fourth extension arms 221 are disposed at both ends of the second moving element 22 in the direction of the device movement. The fourth cross arm 222 is connected between the two fourth extension arms 221, and each pair of the fourth extension arms 221 is connected to each other through the fourth cross arm 222. More precisely, the third extension arms 211 and the third cross arms 212 of the second fixing element 21 are staggered with the fourth extension arms 221 and the fourth cross arm 222 of the second moving element 22, as shown in
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It should be noted that the third cross arms 212 of the second fixing element 21 and the fourth cross arm 222 of the second moving element 22 are staggered up and down for the purpose of sandwiching the second rollers 23. Another purpose is to limit the position of the second rollers 23 so that they can roll stably therein. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the number of the third cross arm 212 is 1, the number of the fourth cross arm 222 is greater than 1. Conversely, when the number of the fourth cross arm 222 is 1, the number of the third cross arm 212 can be greater than 1, or both the numbers of the third cross arm 212 and the fourth cross arm 222 are greater than 1 at the same time. The number can be adjusted according to actual requirements, and is not limited thereto.
In this embodiment, the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism 1000 of the present invention is vertically stacked by the first support module 1 and the second support module 2, with the first support module 1 is arranged along the first direction D1, and the second support module 2 is arranged along the second direction D2, which are the orthogonal directions. Thereafter, the first moving element 12 connects to the second fixing element 21, and the second moving element 22 connects to the object 2000, allowing the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism 1000 to absorb the external force in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 when subjected to it. In other words, it can provide seismic isolation effects in all horizontal directions. Within this context, the first direction D1 is perpendicular to the second direction D2.
The first displacement suppressing module 3 and the second displacement suppressing module 4 are described as follows. The first displacement suppressing module 3 connects to the first fixing element 11 and the first moving element 12, providing the displacement suppression force to the first moving element 12 along the first direction D1. The first displacement suppressing module 3 includes a first body 31, a first moving gear 32 and a first vertical bearing 33. The first vertical bearing 33 is inserted through the first body 31 and the first moving gear 32, and fixed on the first moving element 12. The first moving gear 32 aligns with the outer side of the first cross arm 112 and engages with the first guide rack 1122. Furthermore, the second displacement suppressing module 4 connects to the second fixing element 21 and the second moving element 22, providing displacement suppression force to the second moving element 22 along the second direction D2. The second displacement suppressing module 4 includes a second body 41, a second moving gear 42, and a second vertical bearing 43. The second vertical bearing 43 is inserted through the second body 41 and the second moving gear 42, and fixed on the second moving element 22. The second moving gear 42 aligns with the outer side of the third cross arm 212 and engages with the second guide rack 2122.
It should be noted that the first displacement suppressing module 3 and the second displacement suppressing module 4 can be friction damper, fluid viscous damper, or flywheel inerter. In this embodiment, the first displacement suppressing module and the second displacement suppressing module are respectively flywheel inerter. When the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism 1000 is subjected to the external force and vibrates, the first support module 1 and the second support module 2 laterally displace due to the external force. The first moving gear 32 and the second moving gear 42 are capable of moving on the first guide rack 1122 and the second guide rack 2122 respectively. The inertia mass generated by the rotation of the flywheel can reduce the transmitted vibrations. However, considering the overall structural stability and the effect of reducing vibration, the aforementioned first displacement suppressing module 3 and the second displacement suppressing module 4 each use four as an example. The number and the type can be adjusted according to actual requirements, and is not limited thereto.
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In this embodiment, a seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism is also provided. The seismically suspended isolation system comprises the aforementioned plurality of the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism 1000, which are connected in parallel through connecting components. The seismically suspended isolation system assembled and connected in parallel can significantly increase the contact area with the object 2000. It can be used in large suspended equipment or suspended transportation systems to provide the systematic seismic isolation for the objects 2000 with heavy weight, large size, or irregular shape.
According to the above, the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism of the present invention comprises two support modules in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and the displacement suppressing modules connected to the support modules. This feature enables the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism to reduce and stabilize vibrations transmitted to the device when subjected to external forces, and has self-centering capability after vibration. This contributes to the seismically suspended isolation device with displacement suppressing mechanism exhibiting stable seismic isolation effect in a 360-degree space. In addition, the seismically suspended isolation system with displacement suppressing mechanism, which is composed of multiple seismically suspended isolation devices with displacement suppressing mechanism in parallel, is capable of providing seismic protection for large suspended equipment or suspended transportation systems.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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112125912 | Jul 2023 | TW | national |