Method for calculating excitation force, method for evaluating staircase sway, excitation force calculation system, and evaluation system

Abstract

This invention provides a method for calculating excitation force, a method for evaluating staircase shaking, an excitation force calculation system, and an evaluation system that can reduce the burden of evaluating staircase shaking. [Solution] The system comprises: a user vibration measurement step that measures the vibration of the stairs 2 in a predetermined direction when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 to be measured; a vibrator vibration measurement step that measures the vibration of the stairs 2 in a predetermined direction when vibration is applied to the stairs 2 using a vibrator 21; a vibration force acquisition step that acquires the vibration force of the vibrator 21 in the vibrator vibration measurement step; and a vibration force calculation step that calculates an estimated value of the vibration force when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 based on the measurement results of the user vibration measurement step, the measurement results of the vibrator vibration measurement step, and the acquisition results of the vibration force acquisition step.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration force calculation method, a method for evaluating the sway of stairs, a vibration force calculation system, and an evaluation system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques related to stairs are known. For example, it is as described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an open staircase provided without a kick-in plate connecting the upper and lower treads. Further, in the above open staircase, the side surface of the stringer supporting the tread is not fixed to the wall.

[0004] Stairs as described above may sway due to the vibration force applied when a user ascends or descends. When evaluating the sway of the above stairs, a method of evaluating based on the sway when a plurality of ascenders and descenders actually ascend and descend the stairs to be evaluated can be considered. However, in the above method, since it is necessary to prepare a plurality of ascenders and descenders each time the stairs are evaluated, large-scale preparation is required. Therefore, a method for reducing the burden of evaluating the sway of stairs is required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the problem to be solved is to provide a vibration force calculation method, a method for evaluating the sway of stairs, a vibration force calculation system, and an evaluation system that can reduce the burden of evaluating the sway of stairs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The problems that this invention aims to solve are as described above, and the means for solving these problems will now be explained.

[0008] In other words, claim 1 comprises: a climber vibration measurement step for measuring the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when a person climbs or descends the stairs to be measured; a vibrator vibration measurement step for measuring the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when vibration is applied to the stairs to be measured using a vibrator; a vibration force acquisition step for acquiring the vibration force of the vibrator in the vibrator vibration measurement step; and a vibration force calculation step for calculating an estimated value of the vibration force when a person climbs or descends the stairs to be measured, based on the measurement results of the climber vibration measurement step, the measurement results of the vibrator vibration measurement step, and the acquisition results of the vibration force acquisition step.

[0009] Claim 2 is characterized in that the stairs to be measured include multiple sets of stairs, each with a different swaying pattern.

[0010] Claim 3 is a method for evaluating the shaking of a staircase, which includes the excitation force calculation method described in Claim 1 or Claim 2, comprising: an excitation measurement step in which the excitation machine is operated based on the calculation result of the excitation force calculation step to measure the shaking of the staircase to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the staircase to be evaluated; and an evaluation prediction step in which the measurement result of the excitation measurement step is used to predict the result of a sensory evaluation of the shaking of the staircase to be evaluated.

[0011] Claim 4 provides a system comprising: a climber vibration measuring unit that measures the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when a person climbs or descends the stairs to be measured; a vibrator capable of applying vibration to the stairs; a vibrator vibration measuring unit that measures the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when vibration is applied to the stairs to be measured using the vibrator; a vibration force acquisition unit that measures the excitation force of the vibrator when the stairs to be measured are vibrated using the vibrator; and a vibration force calculation unit that calculates an estimated value of the excitation force when a person climbs or descends the stairs to be measured, based on the measurement results of the climber vibration measuring unit, the measurement results of the vibrator vibration measuring unit, and the acquisition results of the vibration force acquisition unit.

[0012] Claim 5 provides an evaluation system comprising the excitation force calculation system described in Claim 4, the system comprising: an excitation measurement unit that operates the excitation machine based on the calculation results of the excitation force calculation unit to measure the shaking of the stairs to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the stairs to be evaluated; and an evaluation prediction unit that uses the measurement results of the excitation measurement unit to predict the results of a sensory evaluation of the shaking of the stairs to be evaluated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present invention provides the following effects:

[0014] In this invention, the burden of evaluating stair sway can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] (a) A block diagram showing an excitation force calculation system that performs an excitation force calculation method according to one embodiment of the present invention. (b) A perspective view showing a staircase that is the target of the excitation force calculation method. [Figure 2] A flowchart showing the steps involved in calculating the excitation force. [Figure 3] (a) Plan view showing the installation location of the vibration exciter on the staircase. (b) Side view showing the installation locations of the vibration meter and vibration exciter on the staircase. [Figure 4]Graph showing the vibration patterns of multiple stairs. [Figure 5] Graph showing the relationship between the vibration acceleration levels of multiple stairs when vibration is applied by a shaker, the shaker's excitation force level, and the frequency. [Figure 6] Table showing the estimated values of the excitation force levels of ascending and descending persons for each frequency band. [Figure 7] (a) Block diagram showing an evaluation system for executing the method for evaluating the sway of stairs. (b) Perspective view showing the stairs targeted by the method for evaluating the sway of stairs. [Figure 8] Flowchart showing the steps of the first evaluation method. [Figure 9] Explanatory diagram showing the content of the evaluation used in the sensory evaluation. [Figure 10] Graph showing the relationship between the measured values and predicted values of the overall evaluation average score of the sensory evaluation. [Figure 11] (a) Plan view showing the installation positions of vibration meters and horizontal displacement meters on the stairs. (b) Side view showing the installation position of the vertical displacement meter on the stairs. [Figure 12] (a) Table showing the results of the sensory evaluation. (b) Table showing the horizontal vibration levels of the stairs. (c) Table showing the displacements in the horizontal and vertical directions of the stairs. [Figure 13] (a) Table showing the correlation between the vibration level of the tread and the subjective evaluation average score. (b) Graph showing the relationship between the measured values and predicted values of the subjective evaluation average score of the sensory evaluation. [Figure 14] (a) Table showing the correlation between the displacements in the horizontal and vertical directions of the tread and the objective evaluation average score. (b) Graph showing the relationship between the measured values of the objective evaluation average score and the predicted values of the objective evaluation average score using a displacement meter. (c) Graph showing the relationship between the measured values of the objective evaluation average score and the predicted values of the objective evaluation average score using a vibration meter. [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the steps of the second evaluation method.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the excitation force calculation system 1 and the excitation force calculation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0017] Figure 1(b) shows a staircase 2 to which the excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment applies. The staircase 2 is installed, for example, inside a house. The staircase 2 is formed by a plurality of treads 3 arranged vertically, and left and right stringers 4 that support both the left and right sides of the treads 3.

[0018] The staircase 2 according to this embodiment is a skeleton staircase (open staircase) that does not have risers connecting adjacent treads 3 vertically. Furthermore, of the two stringers 4 on the left and right sides of the staircase 2, only the left stringer 4 is fixed to the wall 5. Compared to a staircase with risers or a staircase that is fixed to the wall on both sides, it is expected that a staircase 2 as described above will be more prone to swaying when ascending or descending.

[0019] If the staircase 2 shakes significantly, users of the staircase (ascending and descending) may feel uncomfortable or anxious while doing so. This discomfort (anxiety) from the shaking of the staircase 2 could be caused by significant horizontal or vertical vibration of the treads 3, or by horizontal or vertical displacement (deflection, etc.) of the treads 3. Furthermore, not only users, but also observers not using the staircase 2 may feel uncomfortable or anxious upon seeing others using the staircase 2 and witnessing its shaking.

[0020] One possible method for evaluating the swaying of Staircase 2, as described above, is to conduct a sensory evaluation by multiple evaluators. However, sensory evaluation requires multiple evaluators to assess the swaying of Staircase 2 on multiple items (subjective and objective evaluations, etc.). Therefore, adopting this method would require extensive work.

[0021] Therefore, the applicant developed an evaluation method to predict the results of sensory evaluation using measurements of the vibration of the stairs 2 taken with measuring instruments (vibration meter and displacement meter). More specifically, the applicant found through verification that the vibration level of the treads 3 of stairs 2 (especially the horizontal vibration level) and the horizontal and vertical displacement of the treads 3 correlate with the results of sensory evaluation. Based on the above results, the applicant developed an evaluation method (the first evaluation method shown in Figures 8 to 14) in which the vibration level and displacement of the treads 3 are measured using a vibration meter and displacement meter when multiple people ascend and descend the stairs 2 to be evaluated (for example, stairs that are generally similar to stairs A to F described later), and the results of sensory evaluation are predicted by calculations based on the above measurement results. A further detailed explanation of the first evaluation method will be given later.

[0022] According to the evaluation method described above, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted by measuring the shaking of only one section of the stairs 2, thereby reducing the burden of evaluating the shaking of stairs 2. However, even when adopting the evaluation method described above, measuring the shaking of stairs 2 requires multiple people to actually ascend and descend the stairs 2 being evaluated. Therefore, multiple people need to be prepared each time stairs 2 is evaluated.

[0023] Therefore, the applicant has developed a method that can further reduce the burden of evaluating the swaying of the stairs 2. Specifically, according to the excitation force calculation method shown in Figure 2, the force that shakes the stairs 2 when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 (excitation force described later) can be calculated. Furthermore, according to the second evaluation method shown in Figure 15, by operating the excitation device 20 with the excitation force calculated by the above excitation force calculation method, the swaying of the stairs when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 is reproduced by the excitation device 20, thereby enabling the evaluation of the swaying of the stairs 2 without a person actually ascending or descending the stairs 2. A detailed explanation of the excitation force calculation method and the second evaluation method will be given later.

[0024] The excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment is performed using the excitation force calculation system 1 shown in Figure 1(a). The excitation force calculation system 1 comprises a vibration meter 10, an excitation device 20, and a control unit 30. In the example shown in Figure 3, the vibration meter 10 and the excitation device 20 (exciter 21) are schematically shown.

[0025] The vibration meter 10 is capable of measuring the vibration of the treads 3 of the stairs 2, which are the object of measurement. The vibration meter 10 can measure vibrations in the horizontal and vertical directions. An appropriate acceleration sensor can be used as the vibration meter 10. The vibration meter 10 is installed on the tread 3 that is expected to vibrate the most among the multiple treads 3. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the vibration meter 10 is installed on the tread 3 approximately in the center in the vertical direction (see Figure 3(b)). The vibration meter 10 is also installed in the center in the horizontal direction on the underside of the tread 3. The vibration meter 10 can be directly fixed to the tread 3 without the use of jigs or the like.

[0026] The vibration exciter 20 is capable of applying vibration to the treads 3 of the stairs 2. The vibration exciter 20 comprises a vibration exciter 21 and a vibration control unit 22.

[0027] The vibration exciter 21 applies vibration to the installed stair tread 3. In this embodiment, the vibration exciter 21 applies vertical and horizontal (left-right) vibration to the stair tread 3. The vibration exciter 21 is installed on the stair tread 3 approximately in the center in the vertical direction, similar to the vibration meter 10 (see Figures 3(a) and (b)). The vibration exciter 21 is installed on the upper surface of the stair tread 3 in the center in the left-right direction. The vibration exciter 21 can shake the stairs 2 by the excitation force. Here, the excitation force by the vibration exciter 21 refers to the force generated when a weight swings in a predetermined direction (vertical or horizontal). The above excitation force can be calculated by multiplying the weight of the vibration exciter 21 by the acceleration of the swinging weight. In the following, the excitation force level (dB) will be used as the value indicating the excitation force.

[0028] In this embodiment, the vibration exciter 21, when placed on the upper surface of the step plate 3 in its normal position, can apply vertical vibration to the step plate 3 by swinging a weight vertically. In this embodiment, when applying horizontal (left-right) vibration to the step plate 3 using the vibration exciter 21, the vibration exciter 21 is installed on the step plate 3 in a tilted position so that the weight can be swung in the left-right direction. In this case, it is possible to use fixing devices such as fixing bands to secure the vibration exciter 21 in its tilted position to the step plate 3.

[0029] The vibration control unit 22 is capable of controlling the operation of the vibrator 21. Specifically, the vibration control unit 22 can operate the vibrator 21 at a set frequency and excitation force level. The vibration control unit 22 is configured to accept input for setting the above frequency and excitation force level. The vibration control unit 22 can control the operation of the vibrator 21 to perform "sweep excitation," which performs excitation at a generally constant excitation force across multiple frequency bands.

[0030] The control unit 30 is capable of processing various types of information. The control unit 30 includes a processing unit such as a CPU, and a storage device such as RAM or ROM. For example, a personal computer can be used as the control unit 30. The control unit 30 receives information such as the measured values ​​from the vibration meter 10 and the measured values ​​of the excitation force from the vibration exciter 21, and can perform calculations using the input information.

[0031] The excitation force calculation system 1 according to this embodiment has been described above. Below, the excitation force calculation method using the excitation force calculation system 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment comprises a passenger sway measurement step (S101), a vibration exciter sway measurement step (S102), an excitation force acquisition step (S103), and an excitation force calculation step (S104). Below, each step of the excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment will be described.

[0032] In the excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment, the stairs 2 to be measured in the ascending / descending motion measurement step, the excitation machine motion measurement step, the excitation force acquisition step, and the excitation force calculation step use multiple (6 types) of stairs A to F, each with different motion patterns (magnitude of horizontal and vertical vibrations for the same excitation force). As stairs A to F, skeleton stairs with a shape generally similar to stairs 2 shown in Figure 1(b) are used. The graph in Figure 4 shows the magnitude of horizontal and vertical vibrations for each of stairs A to F. The horizontal axis of the graph shows the magnitude of horizontal vibration, and the vertical axis shows the magnitude of vertical vibration. The horizontal and vertical axes of the graph indicate the approximate magnitude of vibration as "large," "medium," and "small."

[0033] The climber-climber vibration measurement process (S101) is a process for measuring the magnitude of vibration of stairs A to F when a person climbs or descends the stairs. In the climber-climber vibration measurement process according to this embodiment, 30 climbers aged 20 to 60 climbed or descended stairs A to F under the same conditions, and the vertical and horizontal vibration levels (vibration acceleration levels (dB)) of the treads 3 of each stair A to F were measured using a vibration meter 10. In the climber-climber vibration measurement process, the vibration acceleration levels (dB) for each frequency band from 1 to 80 (Hz) with a 1 / 3 octave band center frequency are measured for each stair A to F, and the measurement results are recorded. In the climber-climber vibration measurement process according to this embodiment, measurement results for 30 people are obtained for each of the stairs A to F.

[0034] The vibration exciter vibration measurement step (S102) is a step in which the magnitude of vibration of each staircase A to F is measured when the staircase A to F is vibrated using the vibration exciter 20. In the vibration exciter vibration measurement step according to this embodiment, the vibration acceleration level (dB) of the treads 3 of each staircase A to F is measured by the vibration meter 10 when the staircase A to F is vibrated by the vibration exciter 21 under the same conditions. In the vibration exciter vibration measurement step according to this embodiment, the acceleration level (dB) is measured when sweep vibration is performed by the vibration exciter 21. In addition, in the vibration exciter vibration measurement step, the acceleration level (horizontal acceleration level) when the staircase A to F is vibrated horizontally (left and right direction) by the vibration exciter 21 and the acceleration level (vertical acceleration level) when the staircase A to F is vibrated vertically are measured.

[0035] In the vibration exciter vibration measurement process, similar to the climber vibration measurement process, the vibration acceleration level (dB) for each staircase A to F is measured for each frequency band from 1 to 80 Hz at the center frequency of a 1 / 3 octave band, and the measurement results are recorded. In this embodiment, the above vibration acceleration level (horizontal and vertical acceleration levels) is measured once for each staircase A to F. It is also possible to perform the above measurement multiple times for each staircase A to F. In this case, the average value of the multiple measurements can be used as the measurement result for each staircase A to F. Figure 5 shows an example of the measurement results of the vibration acceleration level (dB) for each frequency band of staircases A to F. Figure 5 shows an example of the measurement results of the vibration acceleration level (dB) when staircases A to F are vibrated horizontally by the exciter 21.

[0036] The excitation force acquisition process (S103) is a process for acquiring the excitation force of the exciter 21 that was operated in the exciter vibration measurement process described above. In the excitation force acquisition process, the excitation force level (dB) for each staircase is acquired for each frequency band from 1 to 80 (Hz) with a 1 / 3 octave band center frequency, and the acquisition results are recorded. In addition, the excitation force acquisition process acquires the excitation force level when stairs A to F are vibrated horizontally by the exciter 21 (horizontal excitation force level) and the excitation force level when stairs A to F are vibrated vertically (vertical excitation force level). The acquisition of the excitation force level (dB) can be performed, for example, by acquiring data on the acceleration of the weight of the exciter 21 while it is in operation, and by performing a calculation using the acceleration data and the weight data of the exciter 21. The acceleration data can be acquired, for example, from the excitation control unit 22. The calculation using the above data can be performed using the control unit 30. Alternatively, instead of acquiring acceleration data from the vibration control unit 22, it is also possible to measure the acceleration of the weight of the vibrator 21. In this case, for example, it is possible to acquire (measure) acceleration data using another device capable of detecting the acceleration of the weight of the vibrator 21.

[0037] Figure 5 shows an example of the acquisition results of the excitation force level (dB) for each frequency band of the exciter 21. Figure 5 also shows an example of the measurement results of the excitation force level (dB) in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the example shown in Figure 5 uses an exciter 21 that cannot perform excitation at a constant excitation force level (dB) in frequency bands below 5 Hz. However, instead of the above example, it is also possible to use an exciter 21 that can perform excitation at a constant excitation force level (dB) even in frequency bands below 5 Hz.

[0038] The excitation force calculation process (S104) is a process of calculating an estimated value of the excitation force when a person ascends or descends the stairs, based on the results of the above-described excitation machine vibration measurement process, excitation force acquisition process, and excitation force calculation process. In the excitation force calculation process, the control unit 30 calculates the estimated value of the excitation force. More specifically, in the excitation force calculation process, the operator inputs the results of each of the above processes into the control unit 30 and uses the control unit 30 to calculate an estimated value of the excitation force based on each result.

[0039] The following describes the calculations performed in the excitation force calculation process. The relationship between the vibration acceleration level (dB) of the stairs when the stairs are vibrated using the exciter 21 and the excitation force level (dB) of the exciter 21 can be roughly expressed by the following formula 1. (Math 1) Y1 = X1 × F X1: Excitation force level (dB) of the vibration exciter 21 Y1: Vibration acceleration level (dB) of the stairs vibrated by the vibration exciter 21. F: Function to convert excitation force level (dB) to vibration acceleration level (dB)

[0040] Furthermore, the relationship between the vibration acceleration level (dB) of the stairs when a person ascends or descends them, and the excitation force level (dB) when a person ascends or descends the stairs, can be roughly expressed by the following equation 2. (Math 2) Y² = X² × F X2: Excitation force level for the person ascending / descending (dB) Y2: Vibration acceleration level (dB) of the stairs when a person ascends or descends the stairs. F: Function to convert excitation force level (dB) to vibration acceleration level (dB)

[0041] The operator can calculate the value of the function F by substituting the measured value of the excitation force level (dB) obtained in the excitation force calculation process and the vibration acceleration level (dB) obtained in the vibration exciter vibration measurement process into X1 and Y1, respectively, in the formula in Equation 1 above. The "vibration acceleration level obtained in the vibration exciter vibration measurement process" can be the average value of the measured vibration acceleration levels of each staircase A to F. Furthermore, the calculation of the function F is performed for each frequency band from 1 to 80 (Hz). In the calculation of the function F, two functions are obtained: a function F calculated using the horizontal excitation force level and vibration acceleration level (horizontal function F), and a function F calculated using the vertical excitation force level and vibration acceleration level (vertical function F).

[0042] The operator can calculate an estimated value of the excitation force level (dB) of a person ascending or descending stairs by substituting the measured vibration acceleration level (dB) obtained in the ascending / descending motion measurement process into Y2 in formula 2 above, and by using the value of function F calculated in formula 1 above. In this process, the operator uses the measurement results for 30 people for each staircase A to F (a total of 180 measurement results) as the "vibration acceleration level obtained in the ascending / descending motion measurement process," and calculates an estimated value of the excitation force level for 30 people for each staircase A to F. Furthermore, the calculation of the estimated excitation force level is performed for each frequency band from 1 to 80 (Hz). In addition, in calculating the estimated excitation force level, an estimated value of the excitation force level calculated using the horizontal vibration acceleration level and function F (estimated value of the horizontal excitation force level) and an estimated value of the excitation force level calculated using the vertical vibration acceleration level and function F (estimated value of the vertical excitation force level) are obtained.

[0043] The table in Figure 6 shows the estimated excitation force levels (dB) for climbers in each frequency band. Figure 6 also shows an example of the estimated excitation force level in the horizontal direction. The table above shows the mean, standard deviation, variability, and maximum value for each frequency band of multiple estimated excitation force levels (estimated excitation force levels for 30 people for each staircase A to F) calculated using the formula in Equation 2 above.

[0044] The method for calculating the excitation force according to this embodiment has been described above. According to the above method, an estimated value of the swaying of the stairs 2 (excitation force level) caused by people going up and down can be calculated. Furthermore, by operating the vibration exciter 21 using the estimated value of the excitation force level obtained by the above excitation force calculation method to excite the stairs 2, the swaying of the stairs 2 caused by people going up and down can be reproduced. The technique for reproducing the swaying of the stairs 2 during going up and down can be used for evaluating the vibration of the stairs 2, which will be described later.

[0045] The following describes the method for evaluating the sway of the staircase 2 according to this embodiment. The method for evaluating the sway of the staircase 2 according to this embodiment uses the estimated excitation force level obtained by the excitation force calculation method described above to evaluate the sway of the staircase 2.

[0046] Here, the applicant has developed an evaluation method (hereinafter referred to as the "first evaluation method") in which the shaking of the stairs 2 when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 is measured using measuring instruments (vibration meter 10, and horizontal displacement meter 40 and vertical displacement meter 50 described later), and the results of the sensory evaluation are predicted using the measured values ​​of the shaking of the stairs 2 (see Figure 8). The evaluation method for the shaking of the stairs 2 according to this embodiment shown in Figure 15 (hereinafter referred to as the "second evaluation method") is a modification of the first evaluation method.

[0047] Below, we will first explain the first evaluation method using Figures 8 through 14.

[0048] The method for evaluating the sway of the stairs according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, can predict the results of a sensory evaluation using the measured values ​​of the sway of the stairs 2 obtained from measuring instruments (vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50). The evaluation method according to the present invention is performed by an evaluation system described later (see Figure 7(a)).

[0049] The values ​​and formulas used in the evaluation method according to the present invention are determined based on the results of a sensory evaluation conducted by the applicant in advance and a measurement of stair sway using equipment. In order to identify the factors causing discomfort (anxiety) for stair users and observers, the applicant conducted sensory evaluations and measurements using equipment on several (six types) of staircases (staircases A to F explained using Figure 4) with different swaying patterns, and determined the values ​​and formulas used in the evaluation method based on the measurement results. The sensory evaluation and measurements using equipment will be explained below.

[0050] First, let's explain the sensory evaluation. The applicant conducted a sensory evaluation of stairs A to F with multiple evaluators. The above sensory evaluation was carried out by approximately 30 to 40 evaluators (for example, 30 people) in the age range of 20 to 60 years old. In addition, the above sensory evaluation evaluated the vibration of stairs A to F when ascending and descending under the same conditions. Stairs A to F are skeleton stairs with a shape generally similar to stairs 2 shown in Figure 7. The graph in Figure 3 shows the magnitude of horizontal and vertical vibration of stairs A to F. The horizontal axis of the above graph shows the magnitude of horizontal vibration, and the vertical axis shows the magnitude of vertical vibration. The horizontal and vertical axes of the above graph indicate the magnitude of vibration as "large," "medium," and "small."

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, Staircase A has small horizontal vibrations and medium vertical vibrations. Staircase B has slightly larger horizontal vibrations than Staircase A and medium vertical vibrations. Staircase C has large horizontal vibrations and medium vertical vibrations. Staircase D has small horizontal vibrations and large vertical vibrations. Staircase E has medium horizontal vibrations and small vertical vibrations. Staircase F has small horizontal vibrations and small vertical vibrations.

[0052] In the sensory evaluation, the applicant asked evaluators the five questions shown in Figure 9. Of the questions in Figure 9, questions 1 to 3 were for subjective evaluation (subjective evaluation) based on the evaluators' own experiences ascending and descending each staircase (staircase A to F), while question 4 was for objective evaluation (objective evaluation) based on the observation of other evaluators ascending and descending each staircase by evaluators located outside the staircase, and question 5 was for overall evaluation (overall evaluation) based on both subjective and objective evaluations. The details of each question will be explained below.

[0053] Question 1 asks, "How much shaking do you feel when going up and down stairs?" Question 1 includes a straight line extending horizontally across the page, with "I don't feel any shaking at all" written at the left end and "I feel a lot of shaking" at the right end. The evaluator indicates the degree of shaking they felt while going up and down stairs by marking any point on the straight line in Question 1.

[0054] Question 2 asks, "Do you feel anxious or uncomfortable when the stairs are shaking?" Question 2 includes a straight line similar to Question 1, with "Not anxious or uncomfortable at all" at the left end and "Very anxious or uncomfortable" at the right end. Evaluators indicate their assessment of the anxiety and discomfort they felt from the shaking while going up and down the stairs by marking any point on the straight line in Question 2.

[0055] Question 3 asks, "Which do you feel is stronger, vertical shaking or horizontal shaking?" Here, "vertical shaking" refers to shaking in the vertical direction, and "horizontal shaking" refers to shaking in the horizontal direction. Question 3 has three options: "vertical shaking," "horizontal shaking," and "I don't know." The evaluator indicates their assessment of the type of shaking they felt while going up and down the stairs by marking one of the options.

[0056] Question 4 asks, "Do you feel anxious or uncomfortable when you see other people going up and down the stairs (vibration and flexing)?" Question 4 includes a straight line similar to Question 1, with "Not anxious or uncomfortable at all" at the left end and "Very anxious or uncomfortable" at the right end. Evaluators indicate their assessment of anxiety or discomfort felt when watching other people (other evaluators) go up and down the stairs by marking any position on the straight line in Question 4.

[0057] Question 5 asks, "Considering Questions 1-4, would you find this level of shaking acceptable if you imagined your home's stairs swaying this much?" Question 5 includes a straight line similar to Question 1, with "acceptable" written at the left end and "unacceptable" at the right end. The evaluator indicates their overall assessment of the stairs, taking Questions 1-4 into account, by marking any point on the straight line in Question 5.

[0058] In questions 1, 2, 4, and 5 above, an evaluation score is assigned based on the ratio of the mark's position to the length of the line, with the left end of the line being 0 points and the right end being 100 points. A higher score indicates a more negative evaluation.

[0059] The applicant's analysis of the sensory evaluation results revealed a high correlation between the evaluation score for Question 5 and the evaluation scores for Questions 2 and 4. Therefore, the following discussion will focus on the evaluation scores for Questions 2, 4, and 5. The table shown in Figure 12(a) shows the results of the sensory evaluation for Questions 2, 4, and 5. Hereafter, the evaluation score for Question 2 will be referred to as the "subjective evaluation score," the evaluation score for Question 4 as the "subjective evaluation score," and the evaluation score for Question 5 as the "overall evaluation score" (see Figure 9). The applicant calculated the subjective evaluation score, the average score of the subjective evaluation score and the overall evaluation score (the average score of each evaluator's evaluation score) for each of the stages A to F. Hereafter, these average scores will be referred to as the "subjective evaluation average score," the "objective evaluation average score," and the "overall evaluation average score," respectively.

[0060] The applicant conducted a multiple regression analysis on the average subjective evaluation score, the average objective evaluation score, and the average overall evaluation score. The results of the above multiple regression analysis led to the conclusion that the relationship between the average subjective evaluation score, the average objective evaluation score, and the average overall evaluation score can be roughly expressed by the following formula (Equation 3). (Math 3) Overall average score = d × subjective average score + e × objective average score + f Here, d:0.216307 e:0.952061 f:-3.69867

[0061] As described above, the relationship between the average subjective evaluation score, the average objective evaluation score, and the average overall evaluation score can be expressed by the formula in Mathematics 3. Based on this, the applicant considered that the overall evaluation score could be predicted using the subjective and objective evaluation scores by performing calculations using the formula in Mathematics 3, and conducted verification. Specifically, the applicant compared the value of the average overall evaluation score calculated using the formula in Mathematics 3 based on the average subjective and objective evaluation scores (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted value") with the value of the average overall evaluation score actually given by the evaluators in response to the questions in Figure 9 (hereinafter referred to as the "actual value").

[0062] The graph in Figure 10 shows the relationship between the predicted and actual average overall evaluation scores for stairs A through F. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the actual average overall evaluation score, and the vertical axis represents the predicted average overall evaluation score. As shown in Figure 10, the predicted average overall evaluation score for stairs A through F and the actual average overall evaluation score are in general agreement. From this, it can be said that by performing calculations using the formula in Mathematics III, it is possible to predict the overall evaluation score using subjective and objective evaluation scores.

[0063] Next, we will describe the measurements using measuring equipment. The applicant installed equipment to measure the vibration during ascent and descent on stairs A to F and performed vibration measurements. The equipment includes a vibration meter 10, a horizontal displacement meter 40, and a vertical displacement meter 50. The equipment will be described below using Figure 11. Note that the example in the figure shows an example of the equipment being installed on staircase 2. The example in the figure also shows the equipment schematically. Note that the explanation of the configuration of the vibration meter 10 is generally the same as the explanation using Figure 3(b), so it will be omitted.

[0064] The horizontal displacement meter 40 shown in Figure 11(a) is capable of measuring the horizontal displacement of the step plate 3. Similar to the vibration meter 10, the horizontal displacement meter 40 is installed on the step plate 3 approximately in the vertical center. The horizontal displacement meter 40 is installed on one end of the lower surface of the step plate 3 in the left-right direction (the right end in the illustrated example). The horizontal displacement meter 40 is fixed to the step plate 3 via an appropriate jig.

[0065] The vertical displacement meter 50 shown in Figure 11(b) is capable of measuring the vertical displacement of the step plate 3. Similar to the vibration meter 10, the vertical displacement meter 50 is installed approximately in the center of the step plate 3 in the vertical direction. The vertical displacement meter 50 is installed in the center of the left-right direction on the underside of the step plate 3. The vertical displacement meter 50 is fixed to the step plate 3 via an appropriate jig.

[0066] Figures 12(b) and (c) show the results of measurements taken by the applicant using the vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50. Figure 7(b) shows the results of measuring the horizontal vibration level (dB) for stairs A to F using the vibration meter 10. Specifically, it shows the average, maximum, minimum, and standard deviation of multiple measurements taken for stairs A to F using the vibration meter 10.

[0067] Figure 12(c) shows the results of measurements of horizontal and vertical displacements (mm) for stairs A to F, performed by the applicant using a horizontal displacement meter 40 and a vertical displacement meter 50. Specifically, it shows the maximum values ​​of both amplitudes of horizontal displacement obtained when measuring stairs A to F with the horizontal displacement meter 40, and the maximum value of one amplitude of vertical displacement obtained when measuring stairs A to F with the vertical displacement meter 50. The average value obtained from multiple measurements can be used for each of the above values.

[0068] The applicant's analysis of the sensory evaluation results showed that, as shown in the table in Figure 12(a), stairs C and E, which had relatively large horizontal vibrations (vibration levels), had relatively high average scores for each question (see also Figure 4). Furthermore, when comparing stairs A and B, which had roughly similar vertical vibrations (displacement), stairs B, which had slightly larger horizontal vibrations (vibration levels and displacements), had relatively higher average scores for each question than stairs A. From this, it can be said that horizontal vibrations significantly influence the results of the sensory evaluation.

[0069] Furthermore, the applicant's further analysis of the measurement results shown in Figure 12(b) revealed a high correlation between the horizontal vibration level (dB) measured using the vibration meter 10 and the average subjective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation (see Figure 13(a)). On the other hand, the correlation between the vertical vibration level (dB) and the average subjective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation was found to be low.

[0070] The applicant conducted regression analysis on each of the stairs A through F, relating the horizontal vibration level to the average subjective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation. As a result of the above regression analysis, it was concluded that the relationship between the horizontal vibration level and the average subjective evaluation score can be expressed in approximately the following formula (Equation 4). (Math 4) Subjective evaluation average score = g × horizontal vibration level (dB) - h g:4.041 h:328.936

[0071] As described above, the relationship between the horizontal vibration level and the average subjective evaluation score can be expressed by formula 4. Therefore, the applicant considered that the average subjective evaluation score could be predicted using the horizontal vibration level by performing calculations using formula 4, and conducted verification. Specifically, the applicant compared the predicted value of the average subjective evaluation score calculated using formula 4 based on the horizontal vibration level measured using the vibration meter 10 with the measured value of the average subjective evaluation score based on the actual answers to the questions in Figure 9.

[0072] The graph in Figure 13(b) shows the relationship between the predicted and measured subjective average scores for stairs A through F. The horizontal axis of the graph shows the measured subjective average scores, and the vertical axis shows the predicted subjective average scores. As shown in the graph, the predicted and measured subjective average scores for stairs A through F are close to each other. From this, it can be said that subjective evaluation scores can be predicted using the horizontal vibration level measured with the vibration meter 10 by performing calculations using the formula in Equation 4.

[0073] Furthermore, the applicant's further analysis of the measurement results shown in Figure 12(c) revealed a high correlation between the values ​​based on the measurement results of both the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50 and the average objective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation. Specifically, it was found that there was a high correlation (large correlation coefficient) between the "horizontal and vertical displacement vectors," which are the horizontal and vertical displacement amounts obtained based on the measurement results of the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50, and the average objective evaluation score (see Figure 14(a)).

[0074] The applicant conducted regression analysis on each of the stairs A through F, relating the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors to the average objective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation. As a result of the above regression analysis, it was concluded that the relationship between the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors and the average objective evaluation score can be expressed in roughly the following formula (Equation 5). (Math 5) Objective evaluation average score = i × horizontal and vertical displacement vectors (mm) + j i:9.413 j:6.436

[0075] As described above, the relationship between horizontal and vertical displacement vectors and the average objective evaluation score can be expressed by formula 5. Therefore, the applicant considered that the average objective evaluation score could be predicted using horizontal and vertical displacement vectors by performing calculations using formula 5, and conducted verification. Specifically, the applicant compared the predicted value of the average objective evaluation score calculated using formula 5 based on horizontal and vertical displacement vectors measured using horizontal displacement meter 40 and vertical displacement meter 50, with the measured value of the average objective evaluation score based on the actual answers to the questions in Figure 9.

[0076] The graph in Figure 14(b) shows the relationship between the predicted and measured objective average scores for stairs A through F. The horizontal axis of the graph shows the measured objective average scores, and the vertical axis shows the predicted objective average scores. As shown in the graph, the predicted and measured objective average scores for stairs A through F are close to each other. From this, it can be said that by performing calculations using the formula in Equation 5, it is possible to predict the objective evaluation score using the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors measured with the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50.

[0077] In the example described above, the displacement values ​​(horizontal and vertical displacement vectors) measured using the horizontal displacement gauge 40 and the vertical displacement gauge 50 can also be measured by converting the measurement results of the vibration meter 10. Further analysis by the applicant revealed that not only the measurement results of the horizontal displacement gauge 40 and the vertical displacement gauge 50, but also the displacement values ​​(horizontal and vertical displacement vectors) obtained by converting the measurement results of the vibration meter 10, showed a high correlation (large correlation coefficient) with the average objective evaluation score (see Figure 14(a)).

[0078] The applicant conducted a regression analysis for each of the stairs A to F, comparing the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors (hereinafter referred to as "converted values") obtained by converting the measurement results of the vibration meter 10 with the average objective evaluation score in the sensory evaluation. As a result of the above regression analysis, it was concluded that the relationship between the converted values ​​of the vibration meter 10 and the average objective evaluation score can be expressed in general terms by the following formula 6. (Math 6) Objective evaluation average score = k × converted value (horizontal and vertical displacement vectors (mm) converted from the measurement results of vibration meter 10) + l k:9.232 l:9.986

[0079] As described above, the relationship between the converted value of the vibration meter 10 and the average objective evaluation score can be expressed by formula 6. Therefore, the applicant considered that the average objective evaluation score could be predicted using the converted value of the vibration meter 10 by performing calculations using formula 6, and conducted verification. Specifically, the applicant compared the predicted value of the average objective evaluation score calculated using formula 6 based on the converted value of the vibration meter 10 with the measured value of the average objective evaluation score based on the actual answers to the questions in Figure 9.

[0080] The graph in Figure 14(c) shows the relationship between the predicted and measured objective average scores for stairs A through F. The horizontal axis of the graph shows the measured objective average scores, and the vertical axis shows the predicted objective average scores. As shown in the graph, the predicted and measured objective average scores for stairs A through F are close to each other. From this, it can be said that the objective evaluation score can also be predicted by using the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors obtained by converting the measured values ​​of the vibration meter 10 using the formula in Equation 6.

[0081] The method for evaluating the sway of the stairs according to this embodiment is performed using the evaluation system shown in Figure 7(a). The evaluation system comprises a vibration meter 10, a control unit 30, a horizontal displacement meter 40, and a vertical displacement meter 50. The configuration and installation of the vibration meter 10, control unit 30, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50 (see Figure 11) are the same as those already described, so their explanation will be omitted as appropriate. The control unit 30 receives the measured values ​​from the vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50, and uses the input measured values ​​to perform calculations using the above-mentioned mathematical formulas, thereby predicting the evaluation results of the sensory evaluation of the stairs 2.

[0082] As shown in Figure 8, the evaluation method according to this embodiment comprises a measurement step (S201), a subjective prediction step (S202), an objective prediction step (S203), and an overall prediction step (S204). Each step of the evaluation method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0083] The measurement process (S201) involves installing a vibration meter 10, a horizontal displacement meter 40, and a vertical displacement meter 50 on the stairs 2, and measuring the shaking (vibration and displacement) of the stairs using each of these devices.

[0084] In the measurement process (S201), the worker uses a vibration meter 10 to measure the horizontal vibration level (dB) of the stair treads 3 of the stairs 2. The worker also uses a horizontal displacement meter 40 and a vertical displacement meter 50 to measure the horizontal and vertical displacement of the stair treads 3, and obtains horizontal and vertical displacement vectors based on the measured values. The above measurements are performed while the user (person ascending or descending) is ascending or descending the stairs 2. The average value of multiple measurements can be used for each of the above measurements. The measured values ​​are input to the control unit 30.

[0085] The subjective prediction step (S202) is a step in which the subjective evaluation score is predicted using the horizontal vibration level measured using the vibration meter 10 in the measurement step (S201). In the subjective prediction step (S202), the control unit 30 calculates the predicted value of the subjective evaluation score by performing a calculation using the formula 4 described above.

[0086] The objective prediction step (S203) is a step in which the objective evaluation score is predicted using the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors measured in the measurement step (S201). In this embodiment, the objective prediction step (S203) uses the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors measured using the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50. In the objective prediction step (S203), the control unit 30 calculates the predicted value of the objective evaluation score by performing a calculation using the formula 5 described above.

[0087] The overall prediction process (S204) is a process that predicts the overall evaluation score using the subjective evaluation score calculated in the subjective prediction process (S202) and the objective evaluation score calculated in the objective prediction process (S203). In the overall prediction process (S204), the control unit 30 calculates the predicted value of the overall evaluation score by performing a calculation using the formula 3 described above.

[0088] The first evaluation method has been explained above. According to the above method, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted simply by measuring the vibration level and horizontal and vertical displacement vectors that occur when ascending or descending stairs 2. Furthermore, according to the above method, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted by taking both the subjective evaluation of the user ascending or descending stairs 2 and the objective evaluation of the user ascending or descending stairs 2 as observed by others, simply by performing the above measurements.

[0089] Next, a second evaluation method according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 15. Note that explanations similar to those given for the first evaluation method will be omitted as appropriate in the following description.

[0090] The second evaluation method can be performed using an evaluation system that adds the horizontal displacement meter 40 and vertical displacement meter 50 described above to the excitation force calculation system 1 according to this embodiment. The second evaluation method differs from the first evaluation method shown in Figure 8 in that it performs an excitation measurement step (S201A) instead of a measurement step (S201).

[0091] In the vibration measurement process (S201A), the operator operates the vibration exciter 21 to vibrate the stairs 2 based on the estimated vibration force level (dB) calculated by the vibration force calculation method (vibration force calculation process) according to this embodiment (estimated value of the horizontal vibration force level and estimated value of the vertical vibration force level).

[0092] In the vibration measurement process, the operator operates the vibration exciter 21 for each frequency band (for example, an excitation force level of 142.5 dB for the 10 Hz frequency band) using the average of the estimated excitation force levels shown in the table in Figure 6. The operator operates the vibration exciter 21 by inputting the average of the estimated excitation force levels into the excitation control unit 22. The input value is not limited to the average value. For example, instead of the average value, it is possible to use a value that has been appropriately corrected by considering the standard deviation, or the maximum, minimum, or median of the estimated excitation force levels.

[0093] Furthermore, in the vibration measurement process, the worker operates the vibration exciter 21 as described above to excite the stairs 2, and then measures the horizontal vibration level (dB) of the stair treads 3. When measuring the horizontal vibration level (dB) of the stair treads 3, the vibration exciter 21 can be operated using an estimated value of the horizontal excitation force level.

[0094] Furthermore, the worker uses a horizontal displacement meter 40 and a vertical displacement meter 50 to measure the horizontal and vertical displacements of the step plate 3, and obtains horizontal and vertical displacement vectors based on the measured values. When measuring the horizontal displacement of the step plate 3, the vibration exciter 21 can be operated using an estimated value of the horizontal excitation force level, and when measuring the vertical displacement of the step plate 3, the vibration exciter 21 can be operated using an estimated value of the vertical excitation force level.

[0095] After performing the vibration measurement process described above, the operator performs the subjective prediction process, the objective prediction process, and the overall prediction process in a manner largely similar to that of the first evaluation method.

[0096] The second evaluation method has been described above. According to the above method, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted based on the measured values ​​of the swaying of the stairs 2 by people ascending and descending, which are reproduced by the vibration excitation device 20. This makes it possible to evaluate the swaying of the stairs 2 without having to prepare multiple people ascending and descending each time an evaluation is performed, thereby reducing the effort required to evaluate the swaying of the stairs 2.

[0097] It should be noted that the evaluation methods described above (the first evaluation method and the second evaluation method) are not limited to the embodiments described above, and the content of each process can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the example described above, the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors were measured using the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50 in the measurement process (S201) and the vibration measurement process (S201A), but the example is not limited to the above. For example, the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors may be measured by converting the vibration values ​​measured by the vibration meter 10. In this case, the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50 may not be installed on the stairs 2. With the above configuration, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted by installing only one vibration meter 10 and measuring vibration. With the above configuration, the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted even when it is difficult to install the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50, such as when it is difficult to attach the jig. Furthermore, this can prevent damage to the stairs 2 and the wallpaper of the wall 5 by attaching the jig.

[0098] Furthermore, in the example described above, an example was shown in which the objective evaluation score is predicted using horizontal and vertical displacement vectors (horizontal and vertical displacement amounts) measured by the horizontal displacement meter 40 and the vertical displacement meter 50 in the objective prediction process (S203), but the method is not limited to the example described above. For example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the objective evaluation score is predicted using only the horizontal displacement amount instead of the horizontal and vertical displacement vectors. In this case, the content of the formula in Equation 5 is changed as appropriate. The horizontal displacement amount may be the measured value from the horizontal displacement meter 40, or it may be a value obtained by converting the vibration value measured by the vibration meter 10. Also, when predicting the objective evaluation score using only the horizontal displacement amount, the excitation force calculation method according to this embodiment may calculate only an estimated value of the horizontal excitation force level. In this case, in the exciter vibration measurement process (S102), vibration in the horizontal direction only may be applied to the stairs 2.

[0099] As described above, the excitation force calculation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is A climber vibration measurement step (S101) measures the vibration of the stairs 2 to be measured, at least in the horizontal direction, when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 to be measured, A vibration exciter vibration measurement step (S102) is performed to measure the vibration of the stairs 2 to be measured at least in the horizontal direction when vibration is applied to the stairs 2 to be measured using the vibration exciter 21, The vibration force acquisition step (S103) for acquiring the vibration force of the vibration exciter 21 in the vibration exciter vibration measurement step, Based on the measurement results of the climber sway measurement step, the measurement results of the vibrator sway measurement step, and the acquisition results of the excitation force acquisition step, an excitation force calculation step (S104) is performed to calculate an estimated value of the excitation force when a climber ascends or descends the stairs 2 that are the subject of measurement. It is equipped with the following features.

[0100] This configuration reduces the burden of evaluating the sway of staircase 2. Specifically, by estimating the excitation force generated when ascending or descending staircase 2, it becomes possible to evaluate the sway of staircase 2 using the estimated excitation force. This makes it possible to evaluate the sway of staircase 2 without having to prepare multiple people to ascend or descend each time an evaluation is performed.

[0101] Furthermore, the stairs 2 to be measured include: This includes multiple staircases A through F, each with a different pattern of swaying.

[0102] This configuration allows us to estimate the excitation force generated when ascending or descending staircase 2, by considering the measured values ​​of multiple staircases A to F, each with different swaying patterns.

[0103] Furthermore, the method for evaluating the shaking of the stairs 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention is: A method for evaluating the shaking of a staircase 2, including a method for calculating excitation force according to one embodiment of the present invention, Based on the calculation results of the excitation force calculation step (S104), the vibration exciter 21 is operated to measure the shaking of the stairs 2 to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the stairs 2 to be evaluated (S201A), An evaluation prediction step (S102-S104) is performed using the measurement results of the vibration measurement step to predict the results of the sensory evaluation of the shaking of the stairs 2 to be evaluated, It is equipped with the following features.

[0104] This configuration reduces the burden of evaluating the swaying of staircase 2. Specifically, by operating the exciter 21 based on the estimated excitation force generated when ascending or descending staircase 2, the swaying of staircase 2 during ascent and descent can be reproduced, and the results of the sensory evaluation can be predicted based on the measured values ​​of the swaying of staircase 2. As a result, the swaying of staircase 2 can be evaluated without having to prepare multiple people to ascend or descend each time an evaluation is performed, thus reducing the effort required to evaluate the swaying of staircase 2.

[0105] Furthermore, the excitation force calculation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is A vibration meter 10 (climber vibration measuring unit) measures vibrations of the stairs 2 to be measured in at least horizontal direction when a person ascends or descends the stairs 2 to be measured, A vibration exciter 21 capable of applying vibration to the stairs 2, A vibration meter 10 (vibration exciter vibration measuring unit) measures vibrations of the stairs 2 to be measured at least in the horizontal direction when vibrations are applied to the stairs 2 to be measured using the vibration exciter 21, An excitation control unit 22 (excitation force acquisition unit) acquires the excitation force of the excitation device 21 when the stairs 2 to be measured are vibrated using the excitation device 21, Based on the measurement results from the climber sway measurement unit, the measurement results from the vibrator sway measurement unit, and the acquisition results from the vibration force acquisition unit, a control unit 30 (vibration force calculation unit) calculates an estimated value of the vibration force when a climber ascends or descends the stairs 2 that are the subject of measurement. It is equipped with the following features.

[0106] This configuration reduces the burden of evaluating the shaking of staircase 2.

[0107] Furthermore, the evaluation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is An evaluation system comprising a vibration force calculation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Based on the calculation results of the control unit 30, the vibration exciter 21 is operated to measure the shaking of the stairs 2 to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the stairs 2 to be evaluated, and the vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50 (vibration measurement unit) are used. A control unit 30 (evaluation prediction unit) uses the measurement results of the vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50 to predict the results of the sensory evaluation of the shaking of the stairs 2 to be evaluated, It is equipped with the following features.

[0108] This configuration reduces the burden of evaluating the shaking of staircase 2.

[0109] Furthermore, the vibration meter 10 according to this embodiment is one form of the climbing / descending motion measuring unit and the vibration exciter motion measuring unit according to the present invention. Furthermore, the vibration control unit 22 according to this embodiment is one form of the vibration force acquisition unit according to the present invention. Furthermore, the control unit 30 according to this embodiment is one form of the excitation force calculation unit and evaluation prediction unit according to the present invention. Furthermore, the vibration meter 10, horizontal displacement meter 40, and vertical displacement meter 50 according to this embodiment are one form of the vibration measurement unit according to the present invention.

[0110] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described in the claims. Furthermore, the specific numerical values ​​exemplified in the above description are examples and can be changed at will.

[0111] For example, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the control unit 30 performs calculations using each formula in the excitation force calculation step (S104), but the system is not limited to the example described above. For example, the calculations using each formula may be performed by a user without using the control unit 30. In this case, the control unit 30 may not be included in the excitation force calculation system 1.

[0112] Furthermore, the stairs 2 shown in this embodiment are not limited to the examples described above, and various types of stairs can be used. Specifically, in this embodiment, an example of stairs installed inside a house is shown as stairs 2, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. Stairs 2 can be stairs installed indoors (for example, spiral stairs, etc.). Also, stairs 2 are not limited to skeleton stairs (open stairs) without risers, but stairs with risers can also be used. In addition, instead of stairs 2 in which one of the left and right stringers 4 is fixed to the wall 5, stairs 2 in which both stringers 4 are fixed to the wall 5 can be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0113] 1. Excitation force calculation system 10 Vibration meter 20 Vibration Exciter 30 Control Unit

Claims

1. A step of measuring the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when a person ascends or descends the stairs to be measured, A vibration exciter vibration measurement step, which measures the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when vibration is applied to the stairs to be measured using a vibration exciter, An excitation force acquisition step for acquiring the excitation force of the vibration exciter in the vibration exciter shaking measurement step, An excitation force calculation step calculates an estimated value of the excitation force when a person ascends or descends the stairs being measured, based on the measurement results of the ascending / descending motion measurement step, the measurement results of the exciter motion measurement step, and the acquisition results of the excitation force acquisition step. A method for calculating excitation force comprising the following:

2. The stairs to be measured include: It includes multiple staircases, each with a different pattern of shaking. The method for calculating excitation force according to claim 1.

3. A method for evaluating the shaking of a staircase, comprising the method for calculating the excitation force according to claim 1 or claim 2, An excitation measurement step is performed by operating the vibration exciter based on the calculation results of the excitation force calculation step, and measuring the shaking of the stairs to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the stairs to be evaluated. An evaluation prediction step is performed using the measurement results of the vibration measurement step to predict the results of the sensory evaluation of the sway of the stairs to be evaluated, A method for evaluating the swaying of stairs, which is equipped with the following features.

4. A climber vibration measuring unit measures the vibration of the stairs to be measured in a predetermined direction when a person ascends or descends the stairs to be measured, A vibration exciter capable of applying vibration to stairs, A vibration measuring unit for measuring vibrations in a predetermined direction of the stairs to be measured when vibrations are applied to the stairs to be measured using the vibration exciter, An excitation force acquisition unit that measures the excitation force of the vibration exciter when the stairs to be measured are vibrated using the vibration exciter, An excitation force calculation unit calculates an estimated value of the excitation force when a person ascends or descends the stairs being measured, based on the measurement results of the ascending / descending motion measurement unit, the measurement results of the exciter motion measurement unit, and the acquisition results of the excitation force acquisition unit. A vibration force calculation system equipped with the following features.

5. An evaluation system comprising the excitation force calculation system described in claim 4, An excitation measurement unit operates the vibration exciter based on the calculation results of the excitation force calculation unit to measure the shaking of the stairs to be evaluated when vibration is applied to the stairs to be evaluated, An evaluation prediction unit that uses the measurement results of the vibration measurement unit to predict the results of the sensory evaluation of the sway of the stairs to be evaluated, An evaluation system that includes the following features.

Images