Oiles Corporation

Okumura Corporation

Susumu Otsuka

Ikuo Shimoda

Masami Mochimaru

Mitsuru Miyazaki

Takafumi Fujita

Kiyoharu Suzuki

Nobuyasu Kawai

Kurimoto Kurimoto

Kanemasa Inaba

Kunio Hayakawa

A seismic isolation apparatus is structured such that a pair of seismic isolation mechanisms are formed each having a pair of upper and lower clamping members formed in the shape of a rectangular frame, wherein upper and lower roller guide surfaces, in each of which a longitudinal central portion is formed as a concavely arcuate curved surface and portions respectively extending therefrom are formed as convexly arcuate curved surfaces, are formed on the four sides of the upper and lower clamping members, and wherein rollers each having a circular cross section are respectively interposed between the upper and lower roller guide surfaces. The pair of seismic isolation mechanisms are installed by being superposed on top of each other such that the rolling directions of the rollers in the two seismic isolation mechanisms are perpendicular to each other. During the occurrence of an earthquake, the rollers are adapted to roll in contact with the upper and lower roller guide surfaces so as to absorb and dampen seismic waves in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the apparatus.

Seismic isolation apparatus

A passive vibration-damping unit in which movable upper members with a weight mounted thereon are superposed on fixed lower members with roller members interposed therebetween is installed in a highest story of a high-rise building. An active vibration-damping unit for actively causing the movable upper members of the passive vibration-damping unit to move in a shaking manner by means of a servo motor is incorporated in the passive vibration-damping unit. When the vibration of the building has occurred, the weight is allowed to move forcibly in the vibration-damping direction by means of the active vibration-damping unit. When the vibration has reached a limit value of the relative displacement of the active vibration-damping unit or a limit value of the torque of the servo motor, only the operation of the passive vibration-damping unit is continued. When the vibration has subsided to a certain extent, the active vibration-damping unit is operated again.

Method of and apparatus for damping the vibration of a building

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Osaka, Japan

Susumu Otsuka