Cover device between buildings

Abstract

To provide an inter-building cover device that can reduce the space required in a space part between two buildings when a cover plate support mechanism is installed in the space part.SOLUTION: An inter-building cover device is configured to include a cover plate 10, a hinge member 20, and a tension support unit 30. The tension support unit 30 includes a case member 40 extending in the vertical direction and attached to an end surface 5g of a second building side structure 5, an elastic tension member 50 housed in the case member 40, and a direction change unit 60 provided at both longitudinal ends of the case member 40. The elastic tension member 50 includes a tension spring 51 and wires 52 each attached to both longitudinal ends of the tension spring 51. The wires 52 each extend from the vertical ends of the case member 40 via the direction change unit 60, and the tips of the extended wires 52 are fixed to the cover plate 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a building-covering device that connects two buildings by covering a space between two adjacent buildings with a cover plate.

Background Art

[0002] This type of building-covering device is also referred to as an expansion joint cover and is used, for example, to enable the integrated use of two structurally separated buildings. In a building-covering device, a support mechanism (also referred to as a "cover plate support mechanism") that can vary and support the cover plate so as to follow the variation even when the two buildings relatively vary due to strong winds, earthquakes, etc. is required.

[0003] Conventionally, a technique is known in which a cover plate support mechanism having link members that expand, contract, rotate, etc. following the relative variation between two buildings is provided in the space between the two buildings to support the cover plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The cover plate support mechanism having a link member has an advantage that a large amount of movement can be obtained in various directions in response to relative movement between two buildings. However, since the link member is configured to be disposed within the space between the two buildings, a large space for accommodating the link member within the space must be secured. As the installation space for the cover plate support mechanism within the space increases, it is necessary to widen the separation distance (clearance) between the two buildings. Widening the separation distance accordingly requires the cover plate to be configured larger, which becomes a factor in cost increase.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cover device between buildings capable of reducing the space required within the space when installing a cover plate support mechanism within the space between two buildings.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a building - to - building covering device having a cover plate that covers a space formed between side faces of adjacent first and second buildings. The first and second buildings each have a front face portion (e.g., outer wall face portions 4a and 5a in the first embodiment) and side face portions (e.g., end face portions 4g and 5g in the first embodiment) that extend vertically from ends of the front face portion. The front face portions are positioned in the same plane perpendicular to the front - rear direction, and the side face portions face each other in the left - right direction. The cover plate has a hinge member that connects an edge portion on the side of the first building to the first building so as to be swingable about a vertically extending vertical swing axis, a case member formed to extend in the vertical direction and attached to the second building, and an elastic tension member that has an extendable and contractible elastic expansion - contraction portion, is linearly formed, has a base end portion housed in the case member in a state where the base end portion extends in the vertical direction, a portion following the base end portion extends from the vertical end portion of the case member, and a tip end portion is attached to the cover plate. The elastic tension member pulls the cover plate toward the second building by an elastic force that causes the elastic expansion - contraction portion to contract. The device further includes a direction - conversion portion provided at the vertical end portion of the case member and configured to be able to convert the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion thereof. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, the elastic expansion - contraction portion expands and contracts according to the amount and direction of the change in the relative position, so that the extending amount of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion is adjusted, the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion is converted through the direction - conversion portion, and / or the edge portion of the cover plate swings about the vertical swing axis through the hinge member. As a result, the cover plate is configured to be able to follow the change in the relative position. Here, the front - rear direction, the left - right direction, and the vertical direction are used to define three mutually perpendicular directions, and do not necessarily coincide with the actual front - rear, left - right, and vertical directions in space. The direction perpendicular to the front face portion is defined as the front - rear direction, the direction perpendicular to the side face portion is defined as the left - right direction, and the direction parallel to the front face portion and the side face portion is defined as the vertical direction. The device is provided with a direction - conversion portion provided at the vertical end portion of the case member and configured to be able to convert the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion thereof. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, according to the amount and direction of the change in the relative position, the elastic expansion - contraction portion expands and contracts, so that the extending amount of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion is adjusted, the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the vertical end portion is converted through the direction - conversion portion, and / or the edge portion of the cover plate swings about the vertical swing axis through the hinge member. As a result, the cover plate is configured to be able to follow the change in the relative position. Note that the front - rear direction, the left - right direction, and the vertical direction are used to define three mutually perpendicular directions, and do not necessarily coincide with the actual front - rear, left - right, and vertical directions in space. The direction perpendicular to the front face portion is defined as the front - rear direction, the direction perpendicular to the side face portion is defined as the left - right direction, and the direction parallel to the front face portion and the side face portion is defined as the vertical direction.

[0008] In the building - to - building covering device having the above configuration, the direction - changing part has a roller member rotatably attached to the case member around a left - right rotation axis extending in the left - right direction. When the extension amount from the upper - lower end part of the elastic tension member is adjusted, the elastic tension member is configured to extend while contacting the peripheral surface of the roller member so as to rotate the roller member. This is preferable.

[0009] Also, in the building - to - building covering device having the above configuration, it is preferable that a deviation - preventing piece is provided at the end face part of the roller member to prevent the elastic tension member, which extends while contacting the peripheral surface of the roller member, from coming off the roller member.

[0010] Also, in the building - to - building covering device having the above configuration, the cover plate is configured to have a first plate arranged on the first - building side and a second plate arranged on the second - building side of the first plate side - by - side in the left - right direction. The edge part of the first plate on the first - building Object side side is connected to the first building via the hinge member so as to be swingable around the up - down swing axis. The edge part of the first plate on the second - plate side and the edge part of the second plate on the first - plate side are pivotally connected so as to be swingable around an up - down pivot axis extending in the up - down direction. The tip part of the elastic tension member is attached to the second plate. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, the second plate is pulled toward the second building by the elastic force of the elastic expansion - contraction part, and the second plate is configured to be swingable around the up - down pivot axis so as to be in a valley - fold state when viewed from the space - part side with respect to the first plate. This is preferable.

[0011] Also, in the building - to - building covering device having the above configuration, instead of the hinge member, it is provided between the edge part of the cover plate on the first - building side and the first building, and the edge part is On the objectA support unit (for example, the slide guide unit 100 in the third embodiment) is provided to be movable in the vertical direction and swingable in the front-rear direction with respect to the first building and is supported by the first building. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, the elastic expansion and contraction part is expanded and contracted according to the amount and direction of the change in the relative position, so that the extension amount from the vertical end of the elastic tension member is adjusted. At the same time, the extension direction from the vertical end of the elastic tension member is converted through the direction conversion part, and / or the edge part of the cover plate moves vertically with respect to the first building through the support unit, and / or the edge part of the cover plate swings in the front-rear direction with respect to the first building through the support unit, so that the cover plate may be configured to follow the change in the relative position.

Effect of the Invention

[0012] In the building-to-building cover device according to the present invention, a cover plate support mechanism is constituted by a hinge member, a case member, an elastic tension member, and a direction conversion part. The hinge member is the cover plate Since the edge portion on the first building side of the cover is configured to be swingably connected to the first building about a vertically extending vertical swing axis, even when the hinge member is installed in the space between the first building and the second building, the space required in the space for installation can be small. Further, the case member is configured to be formed so as to extend in the vertical direction parallel to the front surface portion and the side surface portion and to be attached to the second building, and since the direction conversion portion is provided at the vertical end portion of the case member, even when the case member provided with the direction conversion portion is installed in the space, the space required in the space for installation can be small. Furthermore, the elastic tension member has an elastically expandable and contractible elastic expansion and contraction portion and is formed in a linear shape, the base end portion is housed in the case member in a state of extending in the vertical direction, and the portion following the base end portion extends from the vertical end portion of the case member through the direction conversion portion and the tip end portion is attached to the cover plate. And the elastic tension member is configured such that, according to the amount and direction of variation in the relative position between the first building and the second building, the elastic expansion and contraction portion expands and contracts and the amount of extension from the vertical end portion of the case member is adjusted, and the extension direction from the vertical end portion of the case member is converted through the direction conversion portion. Therefore, even when the case member housing the elastic tension member is installed in the space, the space required in the space for the elastic tension member to operate can be small. Thus, according to the building-to-building cover device according to the present invention, even when the cover plate support mechanism (hinge member, case member, elastic tension member, and direction conversion portion) is installed in the space between the first building and the second building, it is possible to reduce the space required in the space therefor.

[0013] In addition, in the building - to - building covering device with the above configuration, the direction - changing part has a roller member rotatably attached to the case member around a left - and - right rotation axis extending in the left - and - right direction. When the extension amount of the elastic tension member from the upper and lower ends of the case member is adjusted, the elastic tension member is extended while contacting the circumferential surface of the roller member and the roller member is rotated. In this way, when the elastic tension member extends from the upper and lower ends of the case member through the direction - changing part, it is possible to suppress the elastic tension member from sliding and wearing against the direction - changing part, and it is also possible to smoothly extend the elastic tension member.

[0014] In addition, in the building - to - building covering device configured such that the direction - changing part has a roller member as described above, a deviation - preventing piece is provided on the end face part of the roller member to prevent the elastic tension member, which extends while contacting the circumferential surface of the roller member, from coming off the roller member. In this way, when the elastic tension member extends from the upper and lower ends of the case member through the direction - changing part, it is possible to prevent the elastic tension member from coming off the roller member and thus malfunctioning normally.

[0015] In addition, in the building - to - building covering device with the above configuration, the cover plate is configured to have a first plate arranged on the first - building side and a second plate arranged on the second - building side of the first plate side - by - side in the left - and - right direction. The first building side of the first plate Object sideThe edge part is connected to the first building so as to be swingable about the vertical swing axis via a hinge member. The edge part on the second plate side of the first plate and the edge part on the first plate side of the second plate are pivotally connected so as to be swingable about the vertical pivot axis extending in the vertical direction. The tip of the elastic tension member is attached to the second plate. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, the second plate is pulled toward the second building by the elastic force of the elastic expansion and contraction part, so that the second plate is in a valley-fold state when viewed from the space part side with respect to the first plate. It is preferably configured to be swingable about the vertical pivot axis. Thereby, when the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, it is possible to prevent the edge part on the second building side of the second plate from being greatly separated from the front part of the second building.

[0016] In the building - to - building cover device according to another aspect of the present invention, a cover plate support mechanism is constituted by a support unit, a case member, an elastic tension member, and a direction conversion part instead of the hinge member. The support unit is provided between the edge part on the first building side of the cover plate and the first building, and supports the edge part so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the first building and swingable in the front - rear direction with respect to the first building. Therefore, even when the support unit is installed in the space between the first building and the second building, the space required in the space for installation can be small. Also, the case member, the elastic tension member, and the direction conversion part are configured in the same manner as the other building - to - building cover devices described above. Therefore, according to this building - to - building cover device of another aspect, even when the cover plate support mechanism (support unit, case member, elastic tension member, and direction conversion part) is installed in the space between the first building and the second building, it is possible to reduce the space required in the space for that purpose. On the object

Brief Description of the Drawings

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1(A), the first building 1 and the second building 2 are illustrated as application targets of the building-connecting cover device according to the present invention. First, with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, an overview of this application target example will be described. In the explanations related to Figs. 1 and 2, when referring to the up-down, left-right directions, it shall follow the directions of the respective arrows shown in Fig. 1(A). Also, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Fig. 1(A) shall be the front-rear direction. The up-down direction coincides with the vertical direction at the location where the first building 1 and the second building 2 are built.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1(A), a corridor 3 connecting the two buildings 1 and 2 is provided between the first building 1 and the second building 2 arranged side by side left and right. This corridor 3 is composed of a first building-side housing 4 provided in the first building 1 and a second building-side housing 5 provided in the building 2. As shown in Figs. 1(B) and (C), the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 are arranged such that their respective ends face each other with a predetermined distance d in the left-right direction. The first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 are structurally separated, and a space (clearance) is formed between the two housings 4 and 5. Hereinafter, this space will be referred to as the "corridor separation part". This corridor separation part is set so that the two housings 4 and 5 do not come into contact even if the relative positions of the two housings 4 and 5 vary due to an earthquake or the like of an assumed scale.

[0020] In order to enable the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5, which are separated from each other, to be integrally used as a corridor 3, a cover member (hereinafter, this name is used to distinguish it from the cover plates in each of the embodiments described later) that covers the corridor separation portion between the two housings 4 and 5 is installed so as to connect the ends of the two housings 4 and 5 to each other. As such a cover member, as shown in FIGS. 2(A) and (B), an outer wall cover member 6A, an inner wall cover member 6B, a ceiling / floor cover member 6C for the indoor ceiling, a roof cover member 6D, an indoor floor cover member 6E, and an eaves ceiling cover member 6F can be mentioned.

[0021] The outer wall cover member 6A is a cover member installed across the outer wall surface portion 4a of the first building-side housing 4 and the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building-side housing 5. The inner wall cover member 6B is a cover member installed across the inner wall surface portion 4b of the first building-side housing 4 and the inner wall surface portion 5b of the second building-side housing 5. The ceiling / floor cover member 6C for the indoor ceiling is a cover member installed across the ceiling surface portion 4c of the first building-side housing 4 and the ceiling surface portion 5c of the second building-side housing 5. Further, the roof cover member 6D is a cover member installed across the outdoor upper surface portion 4d of the first building-side housing 4 and the outdoor upper surface portion 5d of the second building-side housing 5. The indoor floor cover member 6E is a cover member installed across the indoor floor surface portion 4e of the first building-side housing 4 and the indoor floor surface portion 5e of the second building-side housing 5. The eaves ceiling cover member 6F is a cover member installed across the eaves ceiling surface portion 4f of the first building-side housing 4 and the eaves ceiling surface portion 5f of the second building-side housing 5.

[0022] Next, with additional reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, the configuration of the building-to-building cover device according to the first embodiment of the present invention (also referred to as the "cover device of the first form") will be described. The cover of this first form In the description of the device, when referring to the front-back, left-right, up-down directions, follow the directions of the respective arrow lines shown in FIGS. 3 and 4(B). Note that the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction in the first embodiment respectively correspond to the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction according to the present invention. The cover device of the first embodiment has a cover plate 10 installed across the outer wall surface portion 4a of the first building side housing 4 (corresponding to the first building in the present invention) and the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building side housing 5 (corresponding to the second building in the present invention), like the above-described outer wall cover member 6A (see FIG. 2(A)) (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the first building side housing 4 and the second building side housing 5 each have an outer wall surface portion 4a, 5a (corresponding to the front surface portion according to the present invention) and an end surface portion 4g, 5g (corresponding to the side surface portion according to the present invention) extending vertically from the end of the outer wall surface portion 4a, 5a. The first building side housing 4 and the second building side housing 5 are provided such that the end surface portions 4g, 5g face each other in the left-right direction, and the outer wall surface portions 4a, 5a are configured to be located in the same plane. A corridor separation portion is formed between the end surface portions 4g, 5g, and the cover plate 10 is installed so as to cover this corridor separation portion from the side of the outer wall surface portions 4a, 5a.

[0024] The cover device of the first embodiment is configured to have a cover plate 10, a hinge member 20, and a tension support unit 30, as shown in FIG. 3. The hinge member 20 and the tension support unit 30 constitute a cover plate support mechanism. The cover plate 10 has a finished plate member 11 formed in a rectangular shape, and a vertical frame member 12 and a horizontal frame member 13 having a rectangular cross-section attached to the rear surface side of the finished plate member 11. Two vertical frame members 12 are provided so as to extend in the up-down direction at the left end portion (the edge portion on the side of the first building side housing 4) and the right end portion (the edge portion on the side of the second building side housing 5) of the finished plate member 11, respectively. A plurality of (four in this example) horizontal frame members 13 are provided so as to extend in the left-right direction between the two vertical frame members 12. Among these, two horizontal frame members 13 are provided at the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the finished plate member 11, respectively.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 6, the hinge member 20 includes a first blade 21 and a second blade formed in a rectangular shape, two shaft cylinders 23 provided at the right end of the first blade 21, three shaft cylinders 24 provided at the left end of the second blade 22, a shaft pin 25 inserted into the shaft cylinders 23 and 24, and screw holes 26 for inserting screw members formed in the first blade 21 and the second blade 22. The first blade 21 and the second blade 22 are configured to be swingable about the central axis of the shaft pin 25. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality (four in this example) of hinge members 20 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction at the left end of the cover plate 10 (the edge portion on the side of the first building body 4). Each hinge member 20 is installed between the left end of the cover plate 10 and the end face portion 4g of the first building body 4 such that the central axis of the shaft pin 25 functions as a vertical swing axis extending in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first blade 21 is attached to the left end of the cover plate 10 via a screw member (not shown), and the second blade 22 is attached to the end face portion 4g of the first building body 4 via a screw member (not shown) (see Fig. 4(A)). Thereby, the left end of the cover plate 10 is connected to the end face portion 4g of the first building body 4 so as to be swingable about the vertical swing axis via the hinge member 20.

[0026] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the tension support unit 30 includes a case member 40 extending in the vertical direction and attached to the end face portion 5g of the second building body 5, an elastic tension member 50 extending in the vertical direction and housed in the case member 40, and direction conversion portions 60 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the case member 40. As shown in Fig. 5(A), the case member 40 integrally has a first side face portion 41, a second side face portion 42, and a third side face portion 43 each formed in a vertically long rectangular shape, and is formed in a U-shaped cross section. The case member 40 has an open portion facing the cover plate 10, and is attached to the end face portion 5g of the second building body 5 such that this open portion faces the cover plate 10. At this time, the attachment position of the case member 40 is adjusted so that the end portion 42a of the second side face portion 42 and the end portion 43a of the third side face portion 43 are substantially flush with the outer wall face portion 5a of the second building body 5.

[0027] The direction conversion parts 60 provided at both upper and lower ends of the case member 40 are, as shown in FIG. 5, composed of a wire guide roller 61 formed in a columnar shape, a disk-shaped wire deviation prevention piece 62 provided on one end surface of the wire guide roller 61, and a mounting screw 63 that pivotally supports the wire guide roller 61 and the wire deviation prevention piece 62. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the wire guide roller 61 and the wire deviation prevention piece 62 are attached to the third side surface portion 43 of the case member 40 via the mounting screw 63 so as to be rotatable around a left-right rotation axis (the central axis of the mounting screw 63 assumes its function) extending in the left-right direction. The wire guide roller 61 is arranged at a position biased closer to the third side surface portion 43 than the central position between the second side surface portion 42 and the third side surface portion 43 of the case member 40, such that the wire deviation prevention piece 62 faces the second side surface portion 42 side. At this time, a gap through which a wire 52 described later can pass is formed between the wire guide roller 61 and the first side surface portion 41 of the case member 40. On the other hand, a gap (a gap with a distance exceeding the diameter dimension of the wire 52) that would pinch the wire 52 is not formed between the wire guide roller 61 and the third side surface portion 43 of the case member 40.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4(B), the elastic tension member 50 includes a coiled tension spring 51 disposed to extend vertically at the vertical center within the case member 40, and wires 52 respectively attached to both longitudinal ends of the tension spring 51. One longitudinal end of each wire 52 is coupled to an end of the tension spring 51, extends vertically within the case member 40, and extends from the vertical end of the case member 40 via the direction conversion portion 60. Then, the tip of the wire 52 is fixed to the cover plate 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the wire 52 passes through the gap between the wire guide roller 61 of the direction conversion portion 60 and the first side surface portion 41 of the case member 40, and extends from the vertical end of the case member 40 while contacting the circumferential surface 61a of the wire guide roller 61. The tip of the wire 52 disposed above the tension spring 51 of the wire 52 is fixed to the lower surface portion of the horizontal frame member 13 provided at the upper end of the cover plate 10, and the tip of the wire 52 disposed below the tension spring 51 of the wire 52 is fixed to the upper surface portion of the horizontal frame member 13 provided at the lower end of the cover plate 10, respectively. When fixing the tip of the wire 52 to the cover plate 10, the wire 52 is pulled taut, and the tension spring 51 is pulled so as to extend vertically by the tension of the wire 52, and the tension spring 51 is set to be in a state of being elastically extended by a predetermined length (also referred to as the "initial elongation amount"). Thereby, the elastic tension member 50 pulls the cover plate 10 so that the cover plate 10 is pressed against the outer wall surface portion 4a of the first building side housing 4 and the outer wall surface 5a of the second building side housing 5 by the elastic force with which the tension spring 51 tends to contract. Note that the fixing position of the tip of the wire 52 to the cover plate 10 is set at a position where the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building side housing 5 does not interfere with the wire 52 and at a position where the extension amount of the wire 52 extending from the case member 40 via the direction conversion portion 60 is minimized as much as possible.

[0029] The cover device according to the first embodiment configured as described above has the tension support unit 30 installed in the corridor separation area between the end face portion 4g of the first building-side housing 4 and the end face portion 5g of the second building-side housing 5. However, since the case member 40, the elastic tension member 50, and the direction conversion unit 60 that constitute the tension support unit 30 are configured as described above, the space required to install the tension support unit 30 in the corridor separation area can be made very small.

[0030] Next, with additional reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the operation of the cover device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 illustrates the operating state of the tension support unit 30 when the case member 40 of the tension support unit 30 and the cover plate 10 vary relatively in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction. Note that the tension support unit 30 is symmetrically configured with respect to the vertical center line CL shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 7, only the portion above the center line CL of the tension support unit 30 and the cover plate 10 is shown. FIG. 7(A) shows a state where there is no variation in the relative position between the case member 40 of the tension support unit 30 and the cover plate 10. In other words, it shows a state where there is no variation in the relative position between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) (the same state as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, hereinafter also referred to as the "normal state"). When changing from this normal state to the state shown in FIG. 7(B) (a state where the cover plate 10 has moved forward relative to the case member 40), the wire 52 is fed forward via the direction conversion unit 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. Further, in response to the feeding (increase in the extension amount) of the wire 52, the extension amount of the tension spring 51 increases from the initial extension amount, and thereby the force with which the elastic tension member 50 pulls the cover plate 10 also increases. When the wire 52 is fed via the direction conversion unit 60, the wire 52 moves while contacting the peripheral surface 61a (see FIG. 4) of the wire guide roller 61 of the direction conversion unit 60, and the wire guide roller 61 rotates in response to this contact movement.

[0031]

[0032] ​When changing from the normal state shown in Fig. 7(A) to the state shown in Fig. 7(C) (the state where the cover plate 10 moves upward relative to the case member 40), the wire 52 is fed upward through the direction conversion portion 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. At this time, the amount of elongation of the tension spring 51 increases in response to the feeding of the wire 52, and the force with which the elastic tension member 50 pulls the cover plate 10 increases. Also, when the wire 52 is fed through the direction conversion portion 60, the wire 52 moves while contacting the circumferential surface 61a of the wire guide roller 61, causing the wire guide roller 61 to rotate, which is the same as in the state shown in Fig. 7(B). When changing from the normal state shown in Fig. 7(A) to the state shown in Fig. 7(D) (the state where the cover plate 10 moves downward relative to the case member 40), the wire 52 is fed downward through the direction conversion portion 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. The actions of the elastic tension member 50 and the wire guide roller 61 of the tensile support unit 30 when the extension amount of the wire 52 increases are the same as those described above.

[0033] FIG. 8 illustrates the operating state of the tension support unit 30 when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 relatively move in the left-right direction. FIG. 8(A) shows the normal state where there is no relative movement between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. From this normal state, as shown in FIG. 8(B), when the second building-side housing 5 relatively moves leftward (toward the first building-side housing 4) with respect to the first building-side housing 4 (the state where the cover plate 10 relatively moves rightward with respect to the case member 40), the wire 52 is fed out rightward via the direction conversion portion 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. The actions of the elastic tension member 50 (tension spring 51) and the wire guide roller 61 of the tension support unit 30 when the extension amount of the wire 52 increases are the same as those described above. Further, due to the tension (elastic force of the wire 52) of the wire 52 fed out rightward via the direction conversion portion 60, the cover plate 10 is swung away from the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building-side housing 5 around the vertical swing axis of the hinge member 20, and thus the right end portion (the edge portion on the second building-side housing 5 side) of the cover plate 10 may be slightly separated from the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building-side housing 5.

[0034] From the normal state shown in FIG. 8(A), as shown in FIG. 8(C), when the second building-side housing 5 relatively moves rightward (away from the first building-side housing 4) with respect to the first building-side housing 4 (the state where the cover plate 10 relatively moves leftward with respect to the case member 40), the wire 52 is fed out leftward via the direction conversion portion 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. The actions of the elastic tension member 50 (tension spring 51) and the wire guide roller 61 of the tension support unit 30 when the extension amount of the wire 52 increases are the same as those described above. When the wire 52 is fed out leftward via the direction conversion portion 60, the wire 5 2 is prevented from coming off the peripheral surface 61a (see FIG. 4) of the wire guide roller 61 by the deviation prevention piece 62.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 8(C), the lateral width dimension of the cover plate 10 is set to a size such that even when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 move relatively so as to be widely separated in the lateral direction (for example, separated to the maximum extent in design), the cover plate 10 can cover the corridor separation part between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. Fig. 8(D) shows a state in which the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 are widely separated in the lateral direction when the cover plate 10 is replaced with a cover plate 10P having a smaller lateral width dimension than the cover plate 10. In this state, the cover plate 10P can only cover a part of the corridor separation part between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. However, the wire 52 fed leftward through the direction conversion part 60 abuts against the vertical frame member 12 arranged at the right end part (the edge part on the second building-side housing 5 side) of the cover plate 10P from the rear, whereby the right end part of the cover plate 10P is prevented from entering the corridor separation part between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. Therefore, even when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 move relatively closer to each other in the lateral direction from the state shown in Fig. 8(D), it is possible to prevent the right end part of the cover plate 10P from contacting and damaging the end face part 5g of the second building-side housing 5 or the case member 40. Further, according to the cover plate 10P, since it is configured to be narrower and smaller in width than the cover plate 10, it is possible to suppress the manufacturing cost.

[0036] FIG. 9 illustrates the operating state of the tension support unit 30 when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 relatively fluctuate in the front-rear direction. FIG. 9(A) shows a state in which the second building-side housing 5 has relatively moved forward with respect to the first building-side housing 4 from the normal state where there is no fluctuation in the relative position between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. In this state, the cover plate 10 is pressed forward by the second building-side housing 5. As a result, the cover plate 10 swings about the vertical swing axis of the hinge member 20 in a direction in which the right end portion (the edge portion 9 on the second building-side housing 5 side) of the cover plate 10 moves away from the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building-side housing 5. Further, in response to the swing of the cover plate 10, the wire 52 is fed out to the left via the direction conversion portion 60, and the amount of extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 increases. The actions of the elastic tension member 50 (tension spring 51) and the wire guide roller 61 of the tension support unit 30 when the extension amount of the wire 52 increases are the same as those described above. Also, the point that the wire 52 fed out to the left via the direction conversion portion 60 is prevented from coming off the peripheral surface 61a of the wire guide roller 61 by the deviation prevention piece 62 is the same as that described above.

[0037] FIG. 9(B) shows a state in which the second building-side housing 5 has relatively moved backward with respect to the first building-side housing 4 from the normal state where there is no fluctuation in the relative position between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5. In this state, as the cover plate 10 and the case member 40 separate in response to the backward movement of the second building-side housing 5, the extension amount of the wire 52 fed out forward from the case member 40 via the direction conversion portion 60 increases. The actions of the elastic tension member 50 (tension spring 51) and the wire guide roller 61 of the tension support unit 30 when the extension amount of the wire 52 increases are the same as those described above. Also, at this time, the cover plate 10 is pulled backward via the wire 52. As a result, the cover plate 10 swings about the vertical swing axis of the hinge member 20 in a direction in which the right end portion (the edge portion 9 on the second building-side housing 5 side) of the cover plate 10 approaches the outer wall surface portion 5a of the second building-side housing 5.

[0038] As described above, in the cover device of the first embodiment, according to the amount and direction of variation in the relative position between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5, the cover plate 10 swings around the vertical swing axis of the hinge member 20, and the tension spring 51 of the elastic tension member 50 expands and contracts to adjust the extension amount of the wire 52 from the case member 40, and the extension of the wire 52 from the case member 40 The direction is converted via the direction conversion unit 60. Therefore, according to the cover device of the first embodiment, even when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 relatively move due to strong wind, earthquake, etc., while varying the cover plate 10 so as to follow the movement, the corridor separation part between the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 can be covered with the cover plate 10.

[0039] Next, with additional reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, a building-to-building cover device according to a second embodiment of the present invention (also referred to as a "cover device of the second embodiment") will be described. In the description of this cover device of the second embodiment, when referring to the directions of front-back, left-right, up-down, follow the directions of the respective arrows shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Note that the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction in the second embodiment respectively correspond to the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction according to the present invention. The cover device of the second embodiment has a cover plate 10A installed across the inner wall surface portion 4b of the first building-side housing 4 and the inner wall surface portion 5b of the second building-side housing 5, like the above-described inner wall cover member 6B (refer to FIG. 2(B)).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 11, the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 each have an inner wall surface portion 4b, 5b (corresponding to the front surface portion according to the present invention) and end surface portions 4g, 5g extending vertically from the ends of the inner wall surface portions 4b, 5b (corresponding to the side surface portions according to the present invention). The first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 are provided such that the end surface portions 4g, 5g face each other in the left-right direction, and are configured such that the inner wall surface portions 4b, 5b are located in the same plane. A corridor separation part is formed between the end surface portions 4g, 5g, and the cover plate 10A is installed to cover this corridor separation part from the side of the inner wall surface portions 4b, 5b.

[0041] On the right end of the inner wall surface portion 4b of the first building side body 4, an inner wall base member 71 having a rectangular cross-section extending in the vertical direction is provided, and through this inner wall base member 71, a first building side inner wall plate 72 (specifically composed of an inner wall bottom plate and an inner wall decorative plate, but the numbering is omitted) is attached. On the left end of the inner wall surface portion 5b of the second building side body 5, a cover plate support frame 75 is provided, which is composed of a horizontal frame member 73 extending in the left-right direction and a vertical frame member 74 extending in the vertical direction. At the right end of the cover plate support frame 75, a tapered member 76 extending in the vertical direction is provided. When the first building side body 4 and the second building side body 5 relatively move closer to each other in the left-right direction due to an earthquake or the like, the tapered member 76 abuts against the right end of the cover plate 10A and is configured to push the right end of the cover plate 10A forward. On the right side of the tapered member 76, a second building side inner wall plate 77 (specifically composed of an inner wall bottom plate and an inner wall decorative plate, but the numbering is omitted) is provided via an inner wall base member not shown. The first building side inner wall plate 72 and the second building side inner wall plate 77 are arranged such that their respective front surface portions are flush with each other.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 10, the cover device of the second form includes a cover plate 10A, a hinge member 20A, and a tension support unit 30A. The hinge member 20A and the tension support unit 30A constitute a cover plate support mechanism. The cover plate 10A has a first plate member 10Aa and a second plate member 10Ab. The first plate member 10Aa and the second plate member 10Ab each include a finished plate member 11 formed in a rectangular shape, and two vertical frame members 12A having a rectangular cross-section and a plurality of (four in this example) horizontal frame members 13A attached to the rear surface side of the finished plate member 11. The right end of the first plate member 10Aa and the left end of the second plate member 10Ab are pivotally connected so as to be swingable about a vertical pivot axis extending in the vertical direction (see FIG. 12). Thus, the cover plate 10A has a folding door structure that can be bent about the vertical pivot axis such that the second plate member 10Ab is in a valley-folded state when viewed from the rear with respect to the first plate member 10Aa.

[0043] The hinge member 20A is configured in the same manner as the above-described hinge member 20 (see FIG. 6). The left end portion of the cover plate 10A (the first plate member 10Aa) is attached to the inner wall base member 71 of the first building side housing 4 so as to be swingable about the vertical swing axis via a plurality (four in this example) of hinge members 20A (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

[0044] The tension support unit 30A is configured in the same manner as the above-described tension support unit 30 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), and its operation is also the same as that of the tension support unit 30. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the tension support unit 30A is attached to a cover plate support frame 75 provided on the inner wall surface portion 5b of the second building side housing 5 with the longitudinal direction of the case member 40 aligned with the vertical direction. At this time, the open side of the case member 40 is directed forward. The wire 52 of the elastic tension member 50 (see FIG. 4(B)) housed in the case member 40 extends from the vertical end portion of the case member 40 via the direction conversion portion 60. Then, the tip end portion of the wire 52 is fixed to the lateral frame member 13 of the cover plate 10A as shown in FIG. 12.

[0045] Regarding the operation of the cover device of the second form configured as described above, taking as an example the case where the second building-side housing 5 moves relatively forward with respect to the first building-side housing 4 as shown in Fig. 12. In this case, the cover plate 10A (the second plate member 10Ab) is pressed forward by the second building-side housing 5. As a result, the cover plate 10A (the first plate member 10Aa) is swung forward around the vertical swing axis of the hinge member 20A. At this time, the second plate member 10Ab is pulled by the wire 52 attached to the second plate member 10Ab, so that the second plate member 10Ab is swung backward around the vertical pivot axis between the second plate member 10Ab and the first plate member 10Aa. As a result, the cover plate 10A is bent into a valley-folded state when viewed from the rear. By bending the cover plate 10A in this way, the amount of forward movement of the tip (right end) of the second plate member 10Ab is suppressed, and the tip does not protrude significantly forward.

[0046] As described above, according to the cover device of the second form, when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 move relatively in the front-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the inner wall surfaces 4b and 5b), the cover plate 10A that functions as an inner wall cover member can be appropriately varied following the relative variation of the two housings 4 and 5 in the front-rear direction. Note that the operation of the cover device of the third form when the two housings 4 and 5 move relatively in the left-right direction is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first form when the two housings 4 and 5 move relatively in the left-right direction in the first embodiment.

[0047] Next, with reference to FIGS. 13 to 18, a building-to-building cover device (also referred to as the "cover device of the third embodiment") according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of this cover device of the third embodiment, when referring to the front-back, left-right, up-down directions, the directions of the respective arrow lines shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 shall be followed. Note that the front-back direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction in the third embodiment respectively correspond to the up-down direction, front-back direction, and left-right direction according to the present invention. The cover device of the third embodiment has a cover plate 10B installed across the ceiling surface portion 4c of the first building side housing 4 and the ceiling surface portion 5c of the second building side housing 5, like the indoor ceiling cover member 6C (see FIG. 2(B)) described above.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 14, the first building side housing 4 and the second building side housing 5 each have a ceiling surface portion 4c, 5c (corresponding to the front surface portion according to the present invention) and an end surface portion 4g, 5g (corresponding to the side surface portion according to the present invention) extending vertically from the end of the ceiling surface portion 4c, 5c. The first building side housing 4 and the second building side housing 5 are provided such that the end surface portions 4g, 5g face each other in the left-right direction, and are configured such that the ceiling surface portions 4c, 5c are located in the same plane. A corridor separation portion is formed between the end surface portions 4g, 5g, and the cover plate 10B is installed to cover this corridor separation portion from the side of the ceiling surface portions 4c, 5c.

[0049] At the right end of the ceiling surface portion 4c of the first building side housing 4, a ceiling base member 81 having a rectangular cross-section extending in the front-back direction is provided, and a first building side ceiling board 82 (specifically composed of a ceiling base board and a ceiling decorative board, but the reference numerals are omitted) is attached via this ceiling base member 81. At the left end of the ceiling surface portion 5c of the second building side housing 5, a ceiling base member 83 having a rectangular cross-section extending in the front-back direction is provided, and a second building side ceiling board 84 (specifically composed of a ceiling base board and a ceiling decorative board, but the reference numerals are omitted) is attached via this ceiling base member 83. The first building side ceiling board 82 and the second building side ceiling board 84 are arranged such that their lower surface portions are flush with each other.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 13, the cover device of the third form includes a cover plate 10B, a tension support unit 30B, and a slide guide unit 100. The tension support unit 30B and the slide guide unit 100 constitute a cover plate support mechanism. The cover plate 10B includes a finished plate member 11B formed in a rectangular shape, a tip frame member 15 with a rectangular cross-section that extends in the front-rear direction and is attached to the right end of the upper surface side (rear surface side) of the finished plate member 11B, and side end frame members 16 (if there are multiple, two in the figure) with a rectangular cross-section that extend in the left-right direction and are attached to the front end and rear end of the upper surface side of the finished plate member 11B respectively. (In the figure, there are two.)

[0051] The tension support unit 30B is configured in the same manner as the above-described tension support unit 30 (see Figs. 4 and 5), and its operation is also the same as that of the tension support unit 30. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the tension support unit 30B is attached to the ceiling base member 83 provided on the ceiling surface portion 5c of the second building side housing 5 with the longitudinal direction of the case member 40 aligned with the front-rear direction. At this time, the open side of the case member 40 is directed downward. The wire 52 of the elastic tension member 50 (see Fig. 4(B)) housed in the case member 40 extends from the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) end of the case member 40 via the direction conversion unit 60. Then, as shown in Fig. 14, the tip of the wire 52 is fixed to the side end frame member 16 of the cover plate 10B.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 16, the slide guide unit 100 includes a cover plate support member 110 with a U-shaped cross-section that extends in the front-rear direction at the right end of the lower surface side (surface side) of the first building side ceiling plate 82, a reinforcing plate 120 that extends in the front-rear direction along the right side surface of the ceiling base member 81 and the right side surface of the cover plate support member 110, a slide guide roller unit 130 attached to the right side surface of the cover plate support member 110 via the reinforcing plate 120, and a slide guide rail 140 with a C-shaped cross-section that extends in the front-rear direction at the left end of the cover plate 10B.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality (five in this example) of slide guide roller portions 130 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 16, each slide guide roller portion 130 includes a slide guide roller 131 formed in a columnar shape, a disc-shaped rail deviation prevention piece 132 provided on the end face portion of the slide guide roller 131, and a mounting screw 133 that pivotally supports the slide guide roller 131 and the rail deviation prevention piece 132. The slide guide roller 131 and the rail deviation prevention piece 132 are attached to the right side surface portion of the cover plate support member 110 via the mounting screw 133 so as to be rotatable about a left-right rotation axis (the central axis of the mounting screw 133 assumes its function) extending in the left-right direction.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 16, the slide guide rail 140 is engaged with the slide guide roller portion 130 in a state where the upper left end 141 of the slide guide rail 140 is placed on the circumferential surface of the slide guide roller 131. Thereby, the slide guide rail 140 can move relative to the slide guide roller portion 130 in the front-rear direction. Moreover, the slide guide rail 140 is engaged with the slide guide roller portion 130 with a predetermined length of margin (gap) that allows it to move slightly in the left-right direction and the up-down direction. Thereby, the slide guide rail 140 can swing in the up-down direction around the engagement portion between the slide guide rail 140 and the slide guide roller portion 130 (specifically, the contact portion between the upper left end 141 of the slide guide rail 140 and the circumferential surface of the slide guide roller 131). The rail deviation prevention piece 132 prevents the slide guide rail 140 from coming off the slide guide roller portion 130 when the cover plate 10B swings.

[0055] The left end of the cover plate 10B is supported on the side of the first building body 4 via the slide guide unit 100 configured as described above. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17(B), the cover plate 10B can swing vertically with respect to the first building side ceiling plate 82 and the first building side body 4 about the engagement portion between the slide guide rail 140 and the slide guide roller portion 130. Further, the cover plate 10B can slide back and forth with respect to the first building side ceiling plate 82 and the first building side body 4 via the slide guide unit 100.

[0056] Regarding the operation of the cover device of the third form configured as described above, taking the case where the second building side body 5 moves relatively backward with respect to the first building side body 4 as shown in FIG. 18 as an example, it will be described. In this case, the cover plate 10B is pressed backward by the second building side body 5. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, a contact member 79 capable of contacting the cover plate 10B is attached to the cover plate support frame 75 of the second building side body 5, and the cover plate 10B is pressed by the second building side body 5 via this contact member 79 and the cover plate support frame 75. When the cover plate 10B is pressed backward, the slide guide rail 140 slides backward with respect to the slide guide roller portion 130 in the slide guide unit 100, and as a result, the cover plate 10B slides backward with respect to the first building side body 4. When the slide guide rail 140 slides with respect to the guide roller portion 130, the slide guide rail 140 moves while contacting the circumferential surface of the slide guide roller 131 of the guide roller portion 130, and the slide guide roller 131 rotates according to this contact movement. Thereby, the cover plate 10B can be smoothly slid.

[0057] According to the cover device of the third embodiment as described above, when the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 relatively vary in the front-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the inner wall surfaces 4b and 5b), the cover plate 10B that functions as an indoor ceiling cover member can be appropriately varied following the relative variation of the two housings 4 and 5 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the operation of the cover device of the third embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively vary in the left-right direction is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively vary in the left-right direction. Also, the operation of the cover device of the third embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively vary in the up-down direction is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively vary in the front-rear direction.

[0058] Next, with additional reference to FIG. 19, a building-to-building cover device (also referred to as the "cover device of the fourth embodiment") according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description regarding this cover device of the fourth embodiment, when referring to the left-right, up-down directions, it shall follow the directions of the respective arrows shown in FIG. 19. Also, the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 19 is referred to as the front-rear direction (the front side of the paper surface is the front, and the back side is the rear). Note that the front-rear direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction in the fourth embodiment respectively correspond to the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction according to the present invention. The cover device of the fourth embodiment has a cover plate 10C installed across the outdoor upper surface portion 4d of the first building-side housing 4 and the outdoor upper surface portion 5d of the second building-side housing 5, similar to the above-described roof cover member 6D (refer to FIG. 2(B)). It has.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 19, the first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 each have an outdoor upper surface portion 4d, 5d (corresponding to the front surface portion according to the present invention) and end surface portions 4g, 5g (corresponding to the side surface portions according to the present invention) extending vertically from the ends of the outdoor upper surface portions 4d, 5d. The first building-side housing 4 and the second building-side housing 5 are provided such that the end surface portions 4g, 5g face each other in the left-right direction, and are configured such that the outdoor upper surface portions 4d, 5d are located in the same plane. A corridor separation portion is formed between the end surface portions 4g, 5g, and the cover plate 10C is installed so as to cover this corridor separation portion from the side of the outdoor upper surface portions 4d, 5d.

[0060] The cover device of the fourth embodiment is configured to include a cover plate 10C, a hinge member 20C, and a tensile support unit 30C. The hinge member 20C and the tensile support unit 30C constitute a cover plate support mechanism. The cover plate 10C includes a finished plate member 11C formed in a rectangular shape, left and right end frame members 17 having a rectangular cross-section and extending in the front-rear direction at the left and right ends on the lower surface side (back surface side) of the finished plate member 11C, and front and rear end frame members 18 having a rectangular cross-section and extending in the left-right direction at the front end portion and the rear end portion on the upper surface side of the finished plate member 11, respectively.

[0061] The hinge member 20C is configured in the same manner as the above-described hinge member 20 (see Fig. 6). A hinge support member 91 is provided on the outdoor upper surface portion 4d of the first building-side housing 4, and the hinge member 20C is provided between the hinge support member 91 and the left end portion of the cover plate 10C. Further, a plurality of hinge members 20C are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. Each hinge member 20C functions as a front-rear swing axis whose swing center axis extends in the front-rear direction, and is installed between the lower left end of the cover plate 10C and the outdoor upper surface portion 4d of the first building-side housing 4 via the hinge support member 91. Thereby, the left end portion of the cover plate 10C is connected to the outdoor upper surface portion 4d of the first building-side housing 4 so as to be swingable about the front-rear swing axis via the hinge member 20C.

[0062] The tension support unit 30C is configured in the same manner as the above-described tension support unit 30 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), and its operation is also the same as that of the tension support unit 30. As shown in FIG. 19, the tension support unit 30C is attached to the outdoor upper surface portion 5d of the second building side housing 5 with the longitudinal direction of the case member 40 aligned with the front-rear direction. At this time, the open side of the case member 40 is directed upward. The wire 52 of the elastic tension member 50 (see FIG. 4(B)) housed in the case member 40 extends from the front-rear direction end of the case member 40 via the direction conversion unit 60. And the tip of the wire 52 is fixed to the front-rear end frame members 18 of the cover plate 10C.

[0063] The operation of the cover device of the fourth embodiment configured as described above is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment. For example, when the first building side housing 4 and the second building side housing 5 relatively fluctuate in the front-rear direction, the operation of the cover device of the fourth embodiment is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively fluctuate in the vertical direction in the first embodiment. Also, when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively fluctuate in the vertical direction, the operation of the cover device of the fourth embodiment is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively fluctuate in the front-rear direction in the first embodiment, and when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively fluctuate in the left-right direction, the operation of the cover device of the fourth embodiment is similar to the operation of the cover device of the first embodiment when the two housings 4 and 5 relatively fluctuate in the left-right direction in the first embodiment.

[0064] Although the embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, the wire guide roller 61 is arranged in the direction conversion unit 60 of the tension support unit 30, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration provided with a columnar guide member having a non-rotating configuration instead of such a wire guide roller 61. Also, in the above embodiment, the elastic tension member 50 of the tension support unit 30 is composed of the tension spring 51 and the wire 52, but the entire elastic tension member 50 may be composed of an elastically stretchable linear member such as a rubber string.

[0065] In the above embodiment, wires 52 are attached to both ends of the tension spring 51 housed in the case member 40, and the wires 52 are extended from both longitudinal ends of the case member 40 and attached to the cover plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this. One end of the tension spring 51 may be locked to the case member 40, and the wire 52 may be attached only to the other end of the tension spring 51. The wire 52 may be extended from one longitudinal end of the case member 40 and attached to the cover plate. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a cover member (cover plate) that covers the separation portion of the corridor connecting adjacent buildings is illustrated. However, the application target of the present invention is not limited to the cover member provided in such a corridor. The present invention can be applied to cover members arranged between various buildings other than corridors.

Explanation of Signs

[0066] 1 First building 2 Second building 3 Corridor 4 First building side housing 5 Second building side housing 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Cover plate 20, 20A, 20C Hinge member 30, 30A, 30B, 30C Tension support unit 40 Case member 50 Elastic tension member 51 Tension spring 52 Wire 60 Direction conversion unit 61 Wire guide roller 100 Slide guide unit 131 Slide guide roller 140 Slide guide rail

Claims

1. A building - to - building cover device having a cover plate that covers a space formed between side surfaces of adjacent first and second buildings, the first and second buildings each having a front surface and side surfaces extending vertically from ends of the front surface, the front surfaces being positioned in the same plane perpendicular to the front - rear direction and the side surfaces facing each other in the left - right direction, the cover plate being configured as follows: A hinge member that connects an edge portion of the cover plate on the side of the first building to the first building so as to be swingable about a vertically extending vertical swing axis; A case member formed to extend in the vertical direction and attached to the second building; An elastic tension member having an elastically extensible portion that is linearly formed and is retractable, the base end portion of which is housed in the case member in a state of extending in the vertical direction, a portion following the base end portion extending from the upper and lower ends of the case member in the vertical direction, and the tip end portion being attached to the cover plate, and the elastic tension member pulling the cover plate toward the second building by an elastic force that causes the elastically extensible portion to contract; A direction - changing portion provided at upper and lower ends of the case member in the vertical direction and configured to be able to change the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the upper and lower ends thereof; and When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building changes, the elastically extensible portion is extended and contracted according to the amount and direction of the change in the relative position, so that the amount of extension of the elastic tension member from the upper and lower ends thereof is adjusted, the extending direction of the elastic tension member from the upper and lower ends thereof is changed via the direction - changing portion, and / or the edge portion of the cover plate swings about the vertical swing axis via the hinge member, whereby the cover plate is configured to be able to follow the change in the relative position. A building - to - building cover device characterized by this.

2. The direction - changing portion has a roller member attached to the case member so as to be rotatable about a horizontally extending horizontal rotation axis, When the amount of extension of the elastic tension member from the upper and lower ends thereof is adjusted, the elastic tension member is extended while contacting the circumferential surface of the roller member so that the roller member is rotated. The building - to - building cover device according to Claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The building-covering device according to claim 2, characterized in that a deviation-preventing piece is provided on an end surface portion of the roller member to prevent the elastic tension member extending while contacting the circumferential surface of the roller member from coming off the roller member.

4. The cover plate is configured to include a first plate disposed on the first building side and a second plate disposed on the second building side of the first plate side by side in the left-right direction. An edge portion of the first plate on the first building side is connected to the first building via the hinge member so as to be swingable about the vertical swing axis. An edge portion of the first plate on the second plate side and an edge portion of the second plate on the first plate side are pivotally connected so as to be swingable about a vertical pivot axis extending in the vertical direction. The tip end portion of the elastic tension member is attached to the second plate. The building-covering device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building varies, the second plate is pulled toward the second building by the elastic force of the elastic expansion and contraction portion, so that the second plate is in a valley-fold state as viewed from the space portion side with respect to the first plate, and is configured to be swingable about the vertical pivot axis.

5. Instead of the hinge member, a support unit is provided between an edge portion of the cover plate on the first building side and the first building, and the edge portion is supported by the first building so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the first building and swingable in the front-rear direction with respect to the first building. When the relative position of the second building with respect to the first building varies, the elastic expansion and contraction portion is expanded and contracted according to the amount and direction of variation of the relative position, so that the extension amount from the vertical end portion of the elastic tension member is adjusted, and the extension direction from the vertical end portion of the elastic tension member is converted via the direction conversion portion, and / or the edge portion of the cover plate moves in the vertical direction with respect to the first building via the support unit, and / or the edge portion of the cover plate swings in the front-rear direction with respect to the first building via the support unit, whereby the cover plate is configured to be able to follow the variation of the relative position. The building-covering device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images