IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,244,808
Granted Patent B2
US 10,244,808 · App. 15/663,106 · Granted Apr 2, 2019

Three-dimensional electric field sensor in hard hats

Inventors: Alexandre Muller da Silva (Cachoeirinha, BR); Andre Luis Muller da Silva (Cachoeirinha, BR); Paulo Moreira de Souza (Patco Branco, BR); Vera Lucia Pietruk Zarpellon (Curitiba, BR)
Assignee: COPEL DISTRIBUIÇÃO S/A
A42B3/046G01R19/0092G01R31/001G01R29/14H02G1/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,244,808
App. No.
15/663,106
Granted
Apr 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a three-dimensional electric field sensor for hard hats, the sensor having a stand-alone structure and constructed of polymeric and hydrophobic materials, and intended for three-dimensional measurement of the electric field in energized powerlines by its disposition on hard hats. The three-dimensional sensor of the present invention has an outer shell with a base attaching to the hard hat and a cover attaching to the base, an inner shell functioning as a capacitive sensor as well as protecting an internal electronic board, a battery and adapter assembly as a power supply, and a warning buzzer, in order to provide complete optimization procedures to alert electric utility linemen of exceedingly close proximity to medium voltage conductors in powerlines.

Claims (29)

1. A three-dimensional electric field sensor constructed and arranged to fit a hard hat, wherein the sensor is parallelepipedally-shaped and centrally located on a front face of the hard hat, and comprising:

a) a front face and a rear face, the rear face facing towards and being affixed to the hard hat, and the front face facing outwardly away from the hard hat;

b) an outer shell covering the sensor, having a symmetrical round-edged parallelepipedal shape, and fitting over the entire length of the three-dimensional electric field sensor, comprising;

a parallelepipedally-shaped outer shell base ( 2 A), having a rear face facing towards the hard hat and fitting over the entire length of the sensor rear face, a hollow front face; and

a parallelepipedally-shaped outer shell cover ( 2 B), having a front face and a hollow rear face facing towards the hard hat, the rear face fitting to the front face of the outer shell base;

c) a parallelepipedally-shaped inner shell ( 3 ), being a capacitive sensor, forming a single unit, contained within the outer shell and located on the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), the inner shell comprising:

a parallelepipedally-shaped inner shell base ( 3 A), having a hollow front face and a rear face; and

a rectangular-shaped inner shell cover ( 3 B) fitting atop the front face of the inner shell base ( 3 A);

d) a rectangular-shaped electronic board ( 4 ), vertical and centrally located inside the inner shell ( 3 ), the electronic board configured for assisting controlling of the sensor, and the inner shell shielding the board from magnetic and electronic field exposure;

e) a parallelepipedally-shaped battery and adapter assembly ( 5 ) providing a power supply, located inside the outer shell ( 2 ) on a central lower surface of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), the assembly comprising:

a parallelepipedally-shaped adapter ( 5 A) located between a lower surface of the rear face of the inner shell base ( 3 A) and a lower surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 A);

a cylindrically-shaped battery ( 5 B), fitted horizontally and parallelly along and to a bottom side of the adapter ( 5 A); and

f) a cylindrically-shaped warning buzzer ( 6 ), fitted adjacent to the battery and adapter assembly, between a lower surface of the rear face of the inner shell base ( 3 A) and a lower surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 A), the buzzer providing an audible warning sound when triggered by the sensor detecting proximity to medium voltage conductors.

2. The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell base ( 2 A) having a convex-shaped curvature ( 2 D) along the entire length of an outer surface of the rear face, the outer shell base further comprising:

two symmetrical rectangular-shaped base bevels ( 2 C), each base bevel located on an end of a bottom side of the outer shell base ( 2 A);

a concave recess ( 2 E) formed along the length of the outer surface of the rear face of the outer shell base ( 2 A);

a modular-shaped groove ( 2 F) perpendicular to the concave recess, running around the entire length of front ends of the outer shell base ( 2 A); and

two symmetrical parallelepipedally-shaped protrusions ( 2 G), each protrusion centrally located on a front face end of the outer shell base ( 2 A);

wherein the outer shell cover ( 2 B) having a convex-shaped curvature ( 2 I) along the entire length of a top surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), the convex-shaped curvature corresponding to the convex-shaped curvature ( 2 D) of the outer shell base ( 2 A), the outer shell cover further comprising:

two symmetrical rectangular-shaped cover bevels ( 2 H), each base bevel located on an end of a bottom side of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), the cover bevels corresponding to the base bevels ( 2 C) of the outer shell base;

a rectangular-shaped cover ( 2 J) centrally located on an underside of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), and having multiple circular holes ( 2 K) arranged on an underside of the rectangular-shaped cover ( 2 J);

an oblong-shaped recess ( 2 L) centrally located on a top end of the front face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B);

two symmetrical semi-oblong shaped recesses ( 2 M), each semi-oblong recess centrally located on a side end of the front face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B);

two symmetrical L-shaped rods ( 2 N), each rod centrally located on a side end of the front face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), and aligned with the protrusions ( 2 G) on the outer shell base;

a modular-shaped recess ( 2 O) running around the entire length of a rear end of the outer shell cover ( 2 B), having a tongued and grooved mechanism fitting into the groove ( 2 F);

four symmetrical cylindrically-shaped horizontal projections ( 2 P), symmetrically spaced, one projection located at each corner of the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B); and

two symmetrical inverted L-shaped horizontal projections ( 2 Q), each projection centrally located at an inner side end of the rear face of the outer shell cover ( 2 B).

3. The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is comprised of polymeric and hydrophobic materials.

4. The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell cover may be detached from the outer shell base, allowing removal of the sensor and allowing the hard hat to be used as a personal protective equipment.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: DA SILVA, ALEXANDRE MULLER; DA SILVA, ANDRE LUIS MULLER; MOREIRA DE SOUZA, PAULO; ZARPELLON, VERA LUCIA PIETRUK
To: COPEL DISTRIBUIÇÃO S/A
Reel/Frame 043826/0859 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: DA SILVA, ALEXANDRE MULLER; DA SILVA, ANDRE LUIS MULLER; DE SOUZA, PAULO MOREIRA; ZARPELLON, VERA LUCIA PIETRUK
To: COPEL DISTRIBUIÇÃO S/A
Reel/Frame 043827/0337 →
Priority Claims (1)
BR 10 2017 014943 9 · Jul 12, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190014847A1 · Jan 17, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,745,815