Laminated Seismic Isolator with Guided Lead Plug Plastic Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seismic isolation apparatuses face challenges in effectively guiding and assisting the plastic flow of vibration damping members, which limits their seismic isolation effectiveness due to plastic flow occurring primarily at one end of the hollow portion, leading to incomplete energy absorption during shear deformation.

Innovation Solution

A seismic isolation apparatus with a laminated body featuring alternately layered elastic and rigid layers, a hollow portion filled with a vibration damping member, and closure members with flow guiding concave surfaces to assist and guide the plastic flow at both ends of the damping member, ensuring comprehensive energy absorption during shear deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a lead plug is disposed in a hollow portion of a laminated body for damping vibration through plastic deformation, then vibrational energy is absorbed in the shearing direction, but plastic flow is not effectively guided at the ends of the hollow portion, limiting seismic isolation effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibrational energy absorptionVSAvoidseismic isolation effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A flow guiding member is introduced as an intermediary element between the lead plug and the hollow portion. This flow guiding member has a flow guiding surface that actively guides and assists the plastic flow of the lead plug during shear deformation, ensuring effective plastic flow at the ends of the hollow portion and thereby improving seismic isolation effectiveness while maintaining energy absorption capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The flow guiding surface is specifically positioned at the ends of the hollow portion where plastic flow needs to be enhanced. By providing localized flow guidance only where needed rather than throughout the entire structure, the invention improves seismic isolation effectiveness at critical locations while minimizing additional complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If the hollow portion is hermetically closed with closure members, then the vibration damping member is securely contained, but the plastic flow of the damping member is restricted at the ends, reducing energy absorption efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidvibrational energy absorption
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The flow guiding member serves as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of structural integrity and energy absorption. It allows the closure members to maintain hermetic sealing and structural stability while simultaneously providing a flow guiding surface that enables effective plastic flow of the lead plug at the ends, ensuring both containment and energy dissipation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively enhances the seismic isolation effect by ensuring the plastic flow of the vibration damping member at both ends of the hollow portion, improving the apparatus's ability to absorb vibrational energy and reduce seismic input acceleration.

Implementation Method 1

a vibration damping member which is densely filled in the hollow portion and is adapted to damp the vibration in a shearing direction of the laminated body by absorbing vibrational energy in the shearing direction of the laminated body through plastic deformation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

absorbing vibrational energy in the shearing direction of the laminated body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnergy absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 3

to guide and assist the plastic flow of the vibration damping member at one end portion in the laminated direction of the hollow portion in the deformation of the vibration damping member due to the vibration in the shearing direction of the laminated body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic flow: Plasticity

Implementation Method 4

suppress through the shear deformation of the laminated body the transmission, to the structure, of the vibration in the horizontal direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShear deformation: Deformation

Implementation Method 5

a laminated body having alternately laminated elastic layers and rigid layers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3412929B1Seismic isolation device
Publication Date: 2021.09.01 OILES CORP
  • EP3412929B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3412929B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3412929B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A seismic isolation apparatus 1 includes a laminated body 7 having alternately laminated rubber plates 2 and steel plates 3; a hollow portion 8 provided inside the laminated body 7 in a hermetically closed manner and extending in a laminated direction A; a lead plug 9 filled densely in the hollow portion 8 and adapted to damp the vibration in a shearing direction B of the laminated body 7 by absorbing vibrational energy in the shearing direction B; and a lid member 14 having a semispherical concave surface 12 which comes into contact with one end portion 11 in the laminated direction A of the lead plug 9 in order to guide and assist the plastic flow of the lead plug 9 at one end portion 10 in the laminated direction A of the hollow portion 8 in the deformation in the shearing direction B of the lead plug 9.