Granted Patent B1

US 12,451,676 · App. 18/776,976 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Inventors: Bradley Allan Olson (Sioux Falls, SD); Luke Jeffery Schulte (Sioux Falls, SD)

H02G1/083H02G3/0616H02G3/18

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A protective device for reducing the possibility of accidental electrical discharges to a fish tape during use of the fish tape, the protective device comprising:

a coupler portion configured to be releasably coupled to a connector of an electrical enclosure of electrical infrastructure, the coupler portion defining a coupler opening; and

a shield portion defining a cavity configured to receive a free end and an end portion of the fish tape to shield the fish tape from conductive contact with elements in the electrical enclosure, the shield portion being attached to the coupler portion;

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member having a first end attached to the coupler portion and a second end opposite of the first end, the second end being closed to resist the free end of the fish tape from moving out of the sleeve member; and

wherein the sleeve member is extendable in a longitudinal direction between the first and second ends from a collapsed condition for storage and an elongated condition for receiving the free end and the end portion of the fish tape.

2. A protective device for reducing the possibility of accidental electrical discharges to a fish tape during use of the fish tape, the protective device comprising:

a coupler portion configured to be releasably coupled to a connector of an electrical enclosure of electrical infrastructure, the coupler portion defining a coupler opening; and

a shield portion defining a cavity configured to receive a free end and an end portion of the fish tape to shield the fish tape from conductive contact with elements in the electrical enclosure, the shield portion being attached to the coupler portion;

wherein the coupler portion comprises an annular member, the annular member having an inner surface defining the coupler opening for receiving a first end portion of the connector, the inner surface having interior threads formed thereon to engage exterior threads on the first end portion of the connector.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member having a first end attached to the coupler portion and a second end opposite of the first end, the second end being closed to resist the free end of the fish tape from moving out of the sleeve member.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member including a peripheral wall extending about the cavity, the peripheral wall being nonconductive to the fish tape.

5. A protective device for reducing the possibility of accidental electrical discharges to a fish tape during use of the fish tape, the protective device comprising:

a coupler portion configured to be releasably coupled to a connector of an electrical enclosure of electrical infrastructure, the coupler portion defining a coupler opening; and

a shield portion defining a cavity configured to receive a free end and an end portion of the fish tape to shield the fish tape from conductive contact with elements in the electrical enclosure, the shield portion being attached to the coupler portion;

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member being elongated between opposite first and second ends with a peripheral wall extending between the ends, the peripheral wall having a slit extending between the first and second ends for providing access to the sleeve cavity to form a slit opening.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the slit extends from the first end to the second end of the sleeve member.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the shield portion is releasably attached to the coupler portion; and

wherein the protective device includes the single shield portion and a plurality of the coupler portions, each of the coupler portions having an annular member with an inner surface, the inner surface of each of the annular members of the coupler portions having a diameter different from the diameters of other coupler portions of the plurality of coupler portions.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the coupler portion includes a first releasable attaching component located on an outer surface of the annular member; and

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member with a sleeve opening having an inner surface, the shield portion including a second releasable attaching component located on the inward surface of the sleeve opening, the second releasable attaching component being releasably attachable to the first releasable attaching component on the annular member to releasably attach the sleeve member to the annular member.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the coupler portion has a nonconductive surface.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the shield portion comprising a sleeve member including a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall having a nonconductive surface.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the coupler portion has a nonconductive surface; and

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member including a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall having a nonconductive surface.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member including a peripheral wall; and

wherein the coupler portion and the peripheral wall of the shield portion are each formed of a nonconductive material.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the shield portion is releasably attached to the coupler portion.

14. The device of claim 8 wherein the first and second releasable attaching components comprise hook and loop fasteners.

15. The device of claim 5 wherein the slit in the peripheral wall is formed by opposite edges on the peripheral wall; and

wherein slit closure elements are provided on the opposite edges that define the slit such that a first fastener element and a second fastener element are attachable together to close the slit opening and are detachable to open the slit opening into the sleeve cavity.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the first fastener element and the second fastener element of the slit closure elements are formed by a zipper.

17. A protective device for reducing the possibility of accidental electrical discharges to a fish tape during use of the fish tape, the protective device comprising:

a coupler portion configured to be releasably coupled to a connector of an electrical enclosure of electrical infrastructure, the coupler portion defining a coupler opening; and

a shield portion defining a cavity configured to receive a free end and an end portion of the fish tape to shield the fish tape from conductive contact with elements in the electrical enclosure, the shield portion being attached to the coupler portion;

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member having a first end attached to the coupler portion and a second end opposite of the first end, the sleeve member including a peripheral wall extending about the cavity; and

wherein the peripheral wall is formed of a flexible material and the sleeve member is extendable between the first and second ends into an elongated condition.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the peripheral wall is configured to be extended in an accordion fashion in the elongated condition.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the peripheral wall is stretchable to be extended in the elongated condition.

20. A protective device for reducing the possibility of accidental electrical discharges to a fish tape during use of the fish tape, the protective device comprising:

a coupler portion configured to be releasably coupled to a connector of an electrical enclosure of electrical infrastructure, the coupler portion defining a coupler opening; and

a shield portion defining a cavity configured to receive a free end and an end portion of the fish tape to shield the fish tape from conductive contact with elements in the electrical enclosure, the shield portion being releasably attached to the coupler portion;

wherein the shield portion comprises a sleeve member having a first end attached to the coupler portion and a second end opposite of the first end, the sleeve member including a peripheral wall extending about the cavity; and

wherein the shield portion additionally comprises a securing strap positioned to encircle the first end of the sleeve member, the securing strap being constrictable about the first end of the sleeve member for securing the sleeve member to the coupler portion.

References Cited (17)