This technology is an automatic restoration damper for structures that uses a primary elastic body and a disk housed within a casing, allowing the restoration force to be set by adjusting the compression rate of the primary elastic body via an adjustment unit. A secondary elastic body is also held in the housing by a locking member, providing additional restoration force during large displacements.
Conventional circular restoration dampers using shape-memory steel rods to connect friction plates cannot have their restoration force altered once manufactured, making it difficult to recalibrate them on-site to match a structure's specific load, type, or safety factor. Furthermore, friction dampers, which dissipate vibration energy as heat, often suffer from friction that slows restoration and prevents the structure from returning to its original position.
In this technology, a locking member rotatably coupled to the housing via a hinge holds the secondary elastic body with a locking portion, while a contact portion remains pressed against the housing by the secondary elastic body's restorative force. When the disk is pushed and further compresses the secondary elastic body, a spring member rotates the locking member to release it. The adjustment unit consists of an adjustment plate opposite the disk and multiple adjustment members screwed into the housing, allowing the gap between the plate and disk to be set simply by turning the adjustment members. Applicable to seismic retrofitting for buildings, vibration control for bridges and plants, and renovation of aging facilities, this system allows for on-site setting of restoration forces to match design loads and ensures structures return to their original position without residual deformation after an earthquake.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the commercialization of innovative hybrid seismic isolation devices capable of withstanding magnitude 8.5 earthquakes.
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