JP7489107B2 - Floor expansion joint - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floor expansion joint that is installed in the gap between structures.

To avoid the effects of temperature changes in the structural framework and loads during earthquakes, large structures are constructed by dividing the structure into multiple frameworks and leaving gaps between them. Each gap is fitted with an expansion joint that connects the frameworks on either side of the gap together, and is designed to absorb stress by deforming in response to displacements in different directions.

Expansion joints, which are installed at the joints between structural members, are desirably designed to have a product width (the device length in the gap length direction) as small as possible to facilitate construction and to avoid restrictions on interior and exterior finishing.
In response to such demands, an expansion joint is known that is installed at the joint of the floors of two structures that face each other across a gap. This joint has a structure in which multiple pantograph-shaped expansion link mechanisms are attached in parallel at regular intervals between the ends of both structures that face the gap along the length of the gap, and a floor covering material consisting of multiple floor plates is supported on the top of these expansion link mechanisms to cover the gap.

In this structure, each floor plate is supported by a telescopic link mechanism via a base material attached to its lower part, and adjacent floor plates are arranged and attached so that they overlap on the telescopic link mechanism.In response to the telescopic movement of the telescopic link mechanism, each floor plate slides on the telescopic link mechanism, narrowing or widening the overlap, thereby maintaining the gaps covered by the floor covering material.
In addition, in order to increase the strength against downward loads applied through the floor covering material, a reinforcing body that supports the base material is installed between the ends of both bodies between the pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanisms, or multiple mounting bars are placed below the pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanism and reinforcing bodies that support the mounting bars are installed below these mounting bars (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2005-248466 A JP 2008-101369 A

In the conventional floor expansion joint, the pantograph-shaped expansion link mechanism and reinforcement body are placed across both frames, and both ends are integrally connected to an axis that rotates around the vertical axis provided at the end of the frame facing the gap. Therefore, when the two frames are displaced relative to each other due to an earthquake or other reason, both ends, which are the connection fulcrums with the frames, are configured to displace integrally with the frames.

In this case, when the two bodies are displaced relative to each other in the direction that widens the gap, the reinforcing body stretches and the distance between its two ends, i.e., the distance between the supports, increases. However, in order to prevent a decrease in strength against the load even when the distance between the supports increases, the reinforcing body must be formed with large members (cross-sectional dimensions). If the members of the reinforcing body are large, the overall dimensions increase and the weight increases, which creates the problem of inconvenient handling during assembly and construction.

The reinforcing body is formed by combining one reinforcing member, the end of which is fixed to one of the frames, with another reinforcing member, the end of which is fixed to the other frame, so that they can slide freely along the length of each other. As mentioned above, even if the members of the reinforcing body are set large, when the two frames are displaced relative to each other and the distance between the supports increases, the reinforcing body stretches, shortening the lap length (overlap) between the reinforcing members, and it is inevitable that the strength of the reinforcing body will be significantly reduced compared to before the stretching. It is preferable that the strength of the reinforcing body be maintained even if the two frames are displaced significantly.

In addition, in the conventional structure, a pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanism was attached between the two main bodies, and a reinforcement body was placed between the telescopic link mechanisms, i.e., the telescopic link mechanisms and the reinforcement bodies were arranged alternately along the length of the gap.
In this case, taking into consideration the possibility that increasing the spacing between the reinforcing members could result in a decrease in strength against load, and that in the joints between the main bodies near the walls and ends, the protrusion dimensions from the reinforcing members would be large, resulting in a significant decrease in strength, it was necessary to make the reinforcing members large and robust.
In order to horizontally support multiple floor plates along the opening of the gap, at least two expansion link mechanisms must be arranged, but if the pantograph-shaped expansion link mechanisms and reinforcements are arranged alternately, a certain spacing must be ensured so that the expansion link mechanisms and reinforcements, which protrude and contract to the left and right, do not collide with each other when the two bodies are displaced relative to each other in the direction narrowing the gap. This inevitably increases the required dimension of the expansion joint in the gap length direction, making it difficult to keep the product width small.

In addition, in the conventional structure, the reinforcing body was designed to be spanned between the two bodies at an angle to the width of the gap when the two bodies were displaced relative to each other along the length of the gap, and the base material that supported the floor plate was placed on the upper surface of this reinforcing body and supported by a metal-to-metal contact.
A load is applied to the upper surface of the reinforcement via the base material, but because the contact area with the base material is large, when the reinforcement expands, contracts, or rotates in conjunction with the relative displacement of the two structures, large friction is generated between the mating surfaces of the reinforcement and the base material, and it is expected that this frictional force will hinder the smooth displacement of the reinforcement.
First of all, it is assumed that when displacement occurs in the longitudinal direction of the gap between the two structures, if the reinforcement becomes slanted, it will be difficult to move. When an earthquake occurs and the two structures are displaced in a complex manner, the reinforcement is required to expand, contract, and rotate smoothly to follow this, but as mentioned above, it is subjected to a large load from above, so it cannot be expected that the reinforcement will displace smoothly. There is also a risk that the expansion joint will be damaged due to localized stress concentration caused by the displacement of the reinforcement.

In view of the problems with the prior art, the present invention aims to create a floor expansion joint with a small product width that can absorb loads by smoothly deforming to accommodate displacement of the structural members in different directions while keeping the gaps closed with floor covering material.

In order to solve the above problems, the floor expansion joint of the present invention, which is installed in the gap between two frames, has the following features:
A floor covering material that covers the gap and is divided into a plurality of floor plates ;
a plurality of pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanisms , each having one end attached to one body and the other end attached to the other body, and arranged at intervals along the length direction of the gap;
A plurality of base members are attached to the upper portions of the plurality of telescopic link mechanisms in parallel along the gap width direction , and support the floor plates on their upper surfaces;
At least one reinforcing body is provided so that the length between both ends can be changed and is bridged on both concave stepped portions provided at the ends facing the gap of both the bodies ,
The reinforcing member is bridged over the two recessed step portions so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gap, and both ends of the reinforcing member are not connected to the two bodies and are provided so as to be movable on the recessed step portions,
The present invention is characterized in that the intermediate portions of the plurality of telescopic link mechanisms are connected to the intermediate portion of the reinforcing body.

Specifically, the floor expansion joint of one embodiment of the present invention is as follows:
The floor covering material covering the gap is divided into a plurality of floor plates each having a width smaller than the gap width,
a plurality of pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanisms, both ends of which can be freely extended and retracted, are arranged at intervals from one another along the length direction of the gap, and each of the telescopic link mechanisms has one end attached to one of the bodies and the other end attached to the other body;
A plurality of base members extending in the gap length direction are attached in parallel to the upper portion of these expansion and contraction link mechanisms,
The floor plates are supported on the upper surface of each base material,
A plurality of reinforcing bodies are provided on the ends of the two bodies facing the gap, on the recessed step portions, so that the length between both ends can be changed, and are erected without connecting both ends to the bodies,
The reinforcing members are connected to the intermediate portions of the telescopic link mechanisms located within the gaps.

According to this, each base material with a floor plate attached to its upper surface is supported by the upper part of multiple telescopic link mechanisms, and each telescopic link mechanism is supported at its lower part by a reinforcing body. The reinforcing body is provided so that the length between both ends can be changed, and each end is not connected to both of the above-mentioned bodies, but is installed by bridging between recessed parts provided on the end faces of both bodies.
The reinforcing body is supported on a recessed portion provided at each end of the two bodies facing the gap. The width of the gap between the tips of the recessed portions is narrower than the width of the gap (G) between the end faces of the two bodies (see FIG. 1), and the distance between the supports of the reinforcing body is slightly larger than the opening width of the gap between the end faces of the two bodies below the recessed portions under normal conditions.
In addition, when the two bodies are moved relative to each other in the direction in which the gap widens, the distance between the supports becomes larger, but since the reinforcement body is installed between the recessed steps of the end faces of the bodies, the distance between the supports is kept smaller than when there is no recessed step and the reinforcement body is directly connected to the end faces of the bodies. Even when the body is moved in the direction in which the gap widens, the length between both ends of the reinforcement body is the same as in normal conditions before the movement, and the strength reduction caused by the shortening of the overlapping parts of the sliding members that make up the reinforcement body is suppressed (see FIG. 9). Even when the reinforcement body is configured so that the length between both ends can be extended, and even when the ends are extended, the sliding members that make up the reinforcement body are arranged to overlap each other by an appropriate width, the strength reduction caused by the shortening of the overlapping parts can be suppressed (see FIG. 11).
By installing the reinforcing body between the recessed steps on the end faces of the main body, the decrease in strength due to the increase in the distance between the supports is suppressed, so there is no need to set the members of the reinforcing body large, and it can be constructed light and compact. Because the reinforcing body can be constructed light and compact, it is easy to handle during assembly and good workability can be obtained.
The "recessed step portions provided at the ends of both bodies facing the gap" refers to an area including the ends of the bodies facing each other across the gap, and is provided in a flat surface shape so as to be recessed one step lower than the floor surface provided on the upper surface of the body. The floor covering material of the expansion joint is hung across the floor surface of the upper surfaces of both bodies sandwiching the gap, and the expansion link mechanism and the reinforcement body provided on the lower side of this floor covering material are placed in the area above the recessed step portion. The recessed step portion may be a part provided integrally with the body or a part provided separately. For example, it includes a case where a protruding part is provided from the end of the body into the gap, and the upper surface of the protruding part is the recessed step portion, and a case where a floor surface is provided on the upper surface of the body by raising it, and the upper surface of the body that is one step lower than the raised floor surface located on the gap side than the raised floor surface is the recessed step portion.

In the floor expansion joint having the above-mentioned configuration, the reinforcing member can be configured so that both ends thereof are movably installed on recessed steps provided in the main body.
In this case, it is preferable to provide sliding members at least at both ends of the reinforcing body and at a portion closer to the center, and to provide a plurality of sliding members on each of the recessed steps of both bodies so that the reinforcing body can slide on both recessed steps. Alternatively, the reinforcing body may be provided without providing sliding members, so that the reinforcing body can slide on the recessed steps while being placed in surface contact with the upper surfaces of the recessed steps.

According to this, the reinforcing body is installed so as to be freely movable on the recessed step portion at the end of the body, and both ends of the reinforcing body are supported by the upper surface of the recessed step portion and are in a free and unconstrained state.
Therefore, if the two bodies are displaced relative to one another in a direction narrowing the gap, the end faces of the concave steps of both bodies abut against both ends of the reinforcement, applying an inward pushing force to both ends of the reinforcement, causing the distance between both ends of the reinforcement to shrink in response to the displacement of the two bodies.
On the other hand, in the case of relative displacement in the direction in which the gap widens, since both ends of the reinforcing body are not connected to the main body, the reinforcing body slides over the concave step and displaces relative to the main body to follow the displacement of both bodies.Also, in the case of relative displacement of both bodies along the length of the gap, as described above, the reinforcing body slides over the concave step and displaces relative to the main body to follow the displacement of both bodies.
Even if the gap between the two bodies is significantly displaced relative to one another in either the widthwise or lengthwise direction, the overlap length does not become extremely small when the movable part including both ends of the reinforcement body is extended, thereby preventing a decrease in the strength of the reinforcement body and enabling the telescopic link mechanism to be stably supported on its upper surface.
As described above, the reinforcing body is not connected to the main body at both ends, but is installed so as to be able to slide freely on the concave step portions at the ends of the main body. Therefore, even if the two main bodies are displaced relative to each other along either the width or length of the gap, the reinforcing body is installed between the concave step portions of the two main bodies while maintaining a perpendicular state to the gap. Furthermore, in response to displacement in the direction narrowing the gap, the reinforcing body can shrink while maintaining the perpendicular state, thereby following the complex displacement of the two main bodies.

In the floor expansion joint of the above configuration, a reinforcing body can be installed directly below each expansion link mechanism.

According to this, the base material to which the floor plate is attached is supported by a pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanism, and the load of this telescopic link mechanism is partially applied to the connection part with both main bodies and partially applied to a reinforcing member arranged below the telescopic link mechanism, so that the floor covering material is supported over the gap.
Since the load of the telescopic link mechanism is supported by the reinforcing body arranged below it, the spacing between the reinforcing body is smaller than when the telescopic link mechanism and the reinforcing body are arranged alternately as in the conventional structure, and there is no need to set the reinforcing body member large, allowing the reinforcing body to have a compact configuration.
In addition, the protrusion dimension from the reinforcement does not become large near the wall or end, and there is no need to consider collisions with the reinforcement when the expansion link mechanism expands or contracts, so the product width of the expansion joint can be kept small.

The reinforcement of the floor expansion joint having the above-mentioned configuration may be composed of a pair of end reinforcements with sliding members attached to the tips of their shafts, and a central reinforcement having a guide portion that faces each other and slidably guides the other ends of the shafts of the pair of end reinforcements, and the pair of end reinforcements whose shafts are slidably guided by the guide portion of the central reinforcement may be formed by being elastically pressed toward the outside or inside of the guide portion by an elastic member provided on the inside or outside of the guide portion. Furthermore, the pair of end reinforcements may be formed by being connected to the central reinforcement via a hook member.
For example, the guide portion of the central reinforcement can be formed in a tubular or frame-like shape so that its inside serves as an insertion path for the shank of the end reinforcement, and both shanks of the end reinforcement, which are guided along the insertion path from both ends of the central reinforcement, are elastically compressed toward the outside of the insertion path by a compression spring, which is an elastic member provided along the insertion path, and a hook member such as a wire can be attached between the outer or inner surfaces of the central reinforcement and the end reinforcements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic external view of one embodiment of a floor expansion joint of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the floor expansion joint of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged external view of a main portion of the floor expansion joint of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an external view of the essential parts of the floor expansion joint of FIG. 1 as viewed from the gap side. FIG. 2 is a schematic external view of the floor expansion joint of FIG. 1 with the floor covering material removed. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a state in which the base material in FIG. 5 has been removed. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a reinforcing body spanned across a main body. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional end view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a reinforcing body in response to displacement of a main body. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing another configuration of the reinforcing body. 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the reinforcing body of FIG. 10 in response to displacement of the body. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which both bodies are relatively displaced from the state shown in FIG. 6 in a direction narrowing the gap therebetween. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the same when the relative displacement occurs in a direction in which the gap widens. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the same when relatively displaced in the gap length direction. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the state where the gap is narrowed and displaced relative to the longitudinal direction. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the state where the gap is relatively displaced in the widening direction and the longitudinal direction.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic external view of one embodiment of a floor expansion joint (hereinafter, also simply referred to as an "expansion joint") of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front view.
The expansion joint 1 shown in the figure is installed at the joint of the deck slabs of bodies A and B which face each other across a gap G provided within the structure, and a protruding portion that extends into the gap G is formed at each end of bodies A and B facing the gap G, and the expansion joint 1 is installed between the concave step portions A1 and B1 above both protruding portions to span the floor covering material 2, connecting the deck slabs of bodies A and B into a single continuous unit.

As shown in the figure, the expansion joint 1 is composed of a floor covering material 2 divided into a plurality of floor plates 21 arranged so that each floor plate 21 overlaps the other, a plurality of base materials 3 supporting each floor plate 21, a plurality of expansion link mechanisms 4 that are spanned between the ends of the frame A and the frame B facing the gap G and support each of the base materials 3 in parallel on the upper surface, and a reinforcing body 5 that is spanned between the recessed steps A1 and B1 directly below each expansion link mechanism 4. The floor covering material 2 covers the gap G to connect the floor plates of the frame A and B in a continuous manner, and when the frame A and B are displaced relative to each other due to an earthquake or other reason, causing expansion or contraction or misalignment of the gap G, the expansion link mechanism 4 expands and contracts in response to the displacement, and the floor plate 21 supported by the base material 4 slides while retaining the overlapping portion, absorbing the displacement and preventing any missing portions from occurring above the gap G.

In detail, the multiple floor plates 21 constituting the floor covering material 2 are made of long steel plates having a length along the length direction of the gap G (hereinafter also referred to as the "gap Y direction"), and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, one end of each of the floor plates 21 is overlapped on the upper surface of the base material 3 and fixed together with connectors 7 such as screws. The width of each floor plate 21 is set sufficiently larger than the arrangement interval of the base materials 3 on the expansion link mechanism 4, and adjacent floor plates 21 are installed on the base material 3 so as to overlap each other vertically.

The base material 3 is a steel material having a U-shaped cross section whose length is along the gap Y direction, and as described above, the floor plate 21 is attached to its upper surface.
As shown in Figures 3 to 5, each base material 3 is arranged in parallel on the expansion link mechanism 4 at a fixed interval along the width direction of the gap G (hereinafter also referred to as the "gap X direction"), and its underside is inserted into a bolt 81 protruding from the upper surface of the expansion link mechanism 4 and attached with a nut 82 so that it can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction. When the expansion link mechanism 4 expands and contracts as described below, each base material 3 rotates around the axis in conjunction with this, so that the spacing between each base material 3 can be expanded or narrowed while remaining parallel .

As shown in Figure 6, the telescopic link mechanism 4 is formed in a pantograph shape and is arranged at intervals along the gap Y direction. Both ends of each are attached to fixing parts 9, 9 provided on the end faces of recessed steps A1, B1 formed at the ends of body A and body B so that they can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction.

More specifically, the telescopic link mechanism 4 has arm sections 41, 42 crossed in a pantograph shape, and the crossing portion is assembled by connectors 8 consisting of bolts 81 and nuts 82 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction. Also, arm sections 43 which are shorter than both arm sections 41, 42 are assembled to both end portions and the middle portion of both arm sections 41, 42 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction. When the bodies A, B are displaced relative to each other and the gap G expands or contracts or shifts, the telescopic link mechanism 4 expands or contracts in response to the displacement.
As described above, a plurality of base materials 3 arranged parallel to the gap X direction are attached to the upper surface of the expansion link mechanism 4 so as to be rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction, and a reinforcing body 5 is attached below each expansion link mechanism 4.

The reinforcing member 5 is placed between the recessed steps A1 and B1 directly below each telescopic link mechanism 4, and is positioned so that both ends can slide on the recessed steps A1 and B1.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the reinforcing body 5 is formed of a central reinforcing member 51 having a shape as if two tubular bodies were connected together along the axial direction, a pair of end reinforcing members 52, 52 whose axial portions have a U-shaped cross section, and a pair of compression springs 53, 53.
The two hollow portions of the central reinforcement 51 form insertion paths which are guide portions that freely guide the shanks of the end reinforcements 52, 52, and the shanks of the end reinforcements 52, 52 are inserted facing each other into both insertion paths so that the end reinforcements 52, 52 can slide along the central reinforcement 51.
In addition, the compression springs 53, 53 which are elastic members are loaded within the insertion path, and the end reinforcements 52, 52 whose shaft portions are inserted into the insertion path are elastically compressed and urged toward the outside of the insertion path by these compression springs 53, 53, and hook members 54, 54 made of wire are fastened between both ends of the central reinforcement 51 and the tips of the both end reinforcements 52, 52, so that the distance by which the both end reinforcements 52, 52 protrude outside the insertion path is limited.
A sliding member 55 consisting of a caster is attached to the side of the tip of the end reinforcement members 52, 52, and sliding members 56, 56 consisting of ball casters or the like are attached to the underside of the tips of the end reinforcement members 52, 52 and to the underside of both ends of the central reinforcement member 51.

The reinforcement body 5 is positioned directly below each of the telescopic link mechanisms 4 and is spanned by placing end reinforcements 52, 52 on the recessed steps A1, B1, and each middle part is attached to the middle part of the telescopic link mechanism 4 via a connecting plate 9 and a connecting device 8 so that it can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction, and each reinforcement body 5 is installed by being connected together with a connecting material 6 spanned between the undersides of each middle part via a joint plate 10 and a connecting device 8 (see Figures 3 and 4).

As shown in FIG. 9, the reinforcing body 5 is arranged so that the length between the tips of the end reinforcing members 52, 52 is approximately the same as the distance between the end faces of the recessed steps A1, B1, and is bridged over the recessed steps A1, B1 along the gap X direction so as to be perpendicular to the gap G. The reinforcing body 5 is installed so as to be able to slide over the upper surfaces of the recessed steps A1, B1 in both the gap X direction and the gap Y direction.
When the bodies A and B are displaced relative to each other and the width of the gap G narrows, and the telescopic link mechanism 4 contracts in response, as shown in Figure 1(B), the tips of the end reinforcements 52, 52 are pushed by the bodies A and B and the reinforcement body 5 contracts. On the other hand, when the width of the gap G widens and the telescopic link mechanism 4 expands in response, as shown in Figure 1(C), the reinforcement body 5 slides over the concave steps A1, B1 while maintaining the length between the tips of the end reinforcements 52, 52 at the length when installed, and moves away from the end faces of both concave steps A1, B1.

The reinforcing body 5 is configured so that it can be displaced in a direction that reduces the length between both ends, but as shown in Figures 10 and 11, it may also be configured so that the width between both ends can be expanded.

The illustrated reinforcement 5, like the reinforcement 5 described above, comprises a central reinforcement 51, a pair of end reinforcements 52, 52, and a pair of springs 53, 53. The springs 53, 53 are arranged on the outside of the central reinforcement 51, and one end of each is fixed to the outer surface of the central reinforcement 51 and the other end is connected to the tip of the end reinforcement 52. When the end reinforcements 52, 52, which are guided slidably along the insertion path in the central reinforcement 51, are displaced in a direction widening the width between their two ends, the spring 53 applies an elastic compression force in the direction opposite to the displacement direction, and the end reinforcement 52 is pulled into the insertion path of the central reinforcement 51.
A sliding member is attached to the lower surface of the end of the end reinforcement member 52, 52, and a stopper 57 that engages with the sliding member is provided on the upper edge of the upper surface of the recessed step portion A1, B1 of the body A, B.

As shown in FIG. 11, the reinforcing member 5 is, as described above, spanned along the gap X direction on the recessed steps A1, B1 of the bodies A, B so as to be perpendicular to the gap G, and is installed so as to be able to slide on the upper surfaces of the recessed steps A1, B1 in both the gap X direction and the gap Y direction. When the bodies A, B are displaced relative to each other to narrow the gap G, and the telescopic link mechanism 4 contracts in response to this, as shown in FIG. 11(B), the end reinforcing members 52, 52 slide on the recessed steps A1, B1, corresponding to the displacement in which the gap G narrows.
Then, when the gap G widens and the telescopic link mechanism 4 extends in response to this, as shown in the same figure (C), the distance between the bodies A and B widens, causing the stoppers 57, 57 provided on the recessed steps A1, B1 to engage with the sliding members attached to the end reinforcements 52, 52 and pull the end reinforcements 57, 57 outward in the axial direction of the insertion path of the central reinforcement 51, thereby widening the distance between both ends of the end reinforcements 52, 52.Furthermore, when the gap G narrows from that state, the springs 53, 53 pull the end reinforcements 52, 52 into the insertion path, returning them to their original mounting positions.

According to this embodiment of the expansion joint, the base material 3 to which the floor plate 21 is attached is supported by the expansion link mechanism 4, and part of the load of this expansion link mechanism 4 is applied to both bodies A and B via the fixing part 8, which is the connection part between the bodies A and B, and part of the load is applied to the reinforcing body 6 arranged under each expansion link mechanism 4, supporting the floor covering material 2 over the gap G.

When the main bodies A and B are displaced relative to each other and the width of the gap G narrows along the gap X direction, as shown in Figure 12, the telescopic link mechanism 4 and the reinforcement body 5 contract, and the floor plates 21 slide to increase the area of overlap, thereby narrowing the width of the floor covering material 2 to follow the displacement.
On the other hand, when the width of gap G widens along the gap X direction, as shown in Figure 13, the telescopic link mechanism 4 extends, while the reinforcement body 5 slides over the recessed step portions A1, B1, and the floor plates 21 slide while maintaining a certain degree of overlap, causing the width of the floor covering material 2 to widen and follow the displacement.

When the bodies A and B are displaced relative to each other in the gap Y direction, as shown in FIG. 14, the end connected to the fixed part 8 of the telescopic link mechanism 4 rotates around an axis along the vertical direction, so that it is diagonally spanned between the bodies A and B, and the overlapping parts of the floor plates 21 slide in the gap Y direction to follow the displacement. At this time, the reinforcing body 5 slides on the recessed steps A1 and B1 and is held in a direction perpendicular to the gap G.

When relative displacements of the bodies A and B occur simultaneously in the gap X and Y directions, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, the telescopic link mechanism 4 rotates around an axis along the vertical direction at both ends and contracts or expands in the same manner as described above. In conjunction with this, the floor plates 21 slide against each other to narrow or widen the width of the floor covering material 2, while the reinforcing body 5 contracts or slides on the recessed steps A1 and B1 while maintaining its original installation length, thereby following the displacement of both bodies A and B.

The shape of each member constituting the expansion joint 1 shown in the figure is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the shape shown in the figure. The reinforcement body 5 can be configured in other appropriate shapes. For example, the central reinforcement 51 can be formed into a shape other than a tube, such as a frame shape, as long as the shape can guide the shaft portion of the end reinforcement 52, and the end reinforcement 52 may be arranged to slide along the outer periphery of the central reinforcement 51. Elastic members other than the compression spring 53 may be used. The position at which the hook member 54, which limits the distance that the end reinforcement 52 protrudes outside the insertion path, is fixed to the central reinforcement 51 and the end reinforcement 52 is arbitrary, and a stopper or the like may be used as the hook member 54 instead of a wire.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Expansion joint, 2 Floor covering material, 21 Floor plate, 3 Base material, 4 Telescopic link mechanism, 41, 42, 43 Arm portion, 5 Reinforcement body, 51 Central reinforcing material, 52 End reinforcing material, 53 Compression spring, 54 Hook member, 55, 56 Sliding member, 6 Connecting material, 7, 8 Connector, 9 Connecting plate, 10 Joint plate, A, B Body, A1, B1 Concave step portion, G Gap

Claims (5)

A floor expansion joint to be installed in the gap between two frames,
A floor covering material that covers the gap and is divided into a plurality of floor plates ;
a plurality of pantograph-shaped telescopic link mechanisms , each having one end attached to one body and the other end attached to the other body, and arranged at intervals along the length direction of the gap;
A plurality of base members are attached to the upper portions of the plurality of telescopic link mechanisms in parallel along the gap width direction , and support the floor plates on their upper surfaces;
At least one reinforcing body is provided so that the length between both ends can be changed and is bridged on both concave stepped portions provided at the ends facing the gap of both the bodies ,
The reinforcing member is bridged over the two recessed step portions so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gap, and both ends of the reinforcing member are not connected to the two bodies and are provided so as to be movable on the recessed step portions,
A floor expansion joint characterized in that the intermediate portions of the multiple expansion link mechanisms and the intermediate portion of the reinforcement body are connected. The floor expansion joint according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the base materials is arranged in parallel on the multiple expansion link mechanisms at intervals along the width direction of the gap, and its underside is attached to the upper part of each of the expansion link mechanisms so that it can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction, and is supported on the multiple expansion link mechanisms. The floor expansion joint according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the reinforcements is connected so that the intermediate portion of each of the expansion link mechanisms and the intermediate portion of each of the reinforcements can rotate around an axis along the vertical direction, and each of the reinforcements is integrally connected to each other by a connecting material spanning the undersides of the respective intermediate portions, so that each of the expansion link mechanisms is supported on each of the reinforcements. 4. A floor expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member is provided immediately below each of said expansion link mechanisms . The reinforcing body includes a pair of end reinforcing members and a central reinforcing member having a guide portion that slidably guides the shaft portions of the pair of end reinforcing members,
A floor expansion joint as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the pair of end reinforcements, whose shaft portions are guided by the central reinforcement, are both elastically biased toward the outside or inside of the guide portion by an elastic member.

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