Methods and devices for electrostatic discharge of a workpiece

• US 10,519,714 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gaugler, Steve W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mekhaeil, Shiref M
• Application Number:
  US15/631,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20180371836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 16 82- 85
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/18 with supporting struts formed as ladders E06C1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/383 Foldable ladders in which the longitudinal members are brought together on folding E06C9/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/397 characterised by having wheels, rollers, or runners
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/42 Ladder feet; Supports therefor for scaffold elements E04G5/02

Abstract

Example implementations relate to methods and devices for electric discharge of a workpiece. An example device includes a housing structure configured with an inner portion that extends partially into an outer portion and an elongate rod positioned inside the housing structure. The device also includes a cover component coupled to a first end of the rod proximate a slot of the outer portion of the housing structure, and a lock coupled around the rod proximate a slot of the inner portion of the housing structure. The device also includes a compressible spring positioned within the housing structure, a ground component coupled to a second end of the rod, and an attachment component that is configurable for coupling the device to a workpiece such that the ground component presses against a ground when the workpiece is positioned on the ground and is in use.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing structure configured with an inner portion that extends partially into an outer portion, wherein the inner portion and outer portion move relative to each other;

an elongate rod positioned inside the housing structure, wherein a first end of the elongate rod extends through a top of the housing structure and a second end of the elongate rod extends through a bottom of the housing structure;

a compressible spring positioned within the housing structure, wherein the spring is partially compressed between the top of the housing structure and the bottom of the housing structure such that a first end of the spring presses against an inner surface of the outer portion of the housing structure and a second end of the spring presses against an inner surface of the inner portion of the housing structure;

a ground component coupled to the second end of the elongate rod; and

an attachment component coupled to the outer portion of the housing structure, wherein the attachment component is configured to attach the device to a workpiece at a position on the workpiece proximate to a ground surface such that the ground component is in contact with the ground surface and establishes a conductive path through the device between the workpiece and the ground surface when the workpiece is stationary and positioned on the ground surface, wherein the workpiece rests on a set of non-conductive pads that engage the ground surface when the workpiece is positioned on the ground surface, and wherein the conductive path enables electrostatic charges in the workpiece to circumvent the set of non-conductive pads and transfer into the ground surface via a conductive material of the ground component.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the outer portion of the housing structure is greater than a diameter of the inner portion of the housing structure.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein an amount that the inner portion of the housing structure extends into the outer portion of the housing structure depends on an amount of compression of the compressible spring.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first end of the elongate rod extends through the top of the housing structure via a slot in the outer portion of the housing structure, and wherein the second end of the elongate rod extends through the bottom of the housing structure via a slot in the inner portion of the housing structure.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

a cover component coupled to the first end of the elongate rod proximate the slot of the outer portion of the housing structure, wherein the cover component is a cap bolt; and

a lock coupled to the elongate rod proximate the slot of the inner portion of the housing structure, wherein the lock is positioned outside the housing structure.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the compressible spring is positioned around the elongate rod within the housing structure.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein all components of the device are made out of a conductive material.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a ladder.

9. A system comprising:

a workpiece having a set of non-conductive pads configured to engage a ground surface when the workpiece is positioned on the ground surface;

a device coupled to the workpiece, wherein the device comprises;

a housing structure configured with an inner portion that extends partially into an outer portion, wherein the inner portion and outer portion move relative to each other;

an elongate rod positioned inside the housing structure, wherein a first end of the elongate rod extends through a top of the housing structure and a second end of the elongate rod extends through a bottom of the housing structure;

a cover component coupled to the first end of the elongate rod;

a lock coupled to the elongate rod, wherein the lock is positioned outside the housing structure;

a compressible spring positioned within the housing structure, wherein the spring is partially compressed between the top of the housing structure and the bottom of the housing structure such that a first end of the spring presses against an inner surface of the outer portion of the housing structure and a second end of the spring presses against an inner surface of the inner portion of the housing structure;

a ground component coupled to the second end of the elongate rod; and

an attachment component coupled to the outer portion of the housing structure, wherein the attachment component attaches the device to the workpiece at a position on the workpiece proximate to the ground surface such that the ground component is in contact with the ground surface and establishes a conductive path through the device between the workpiece and the ground surface when the workpiece is stationary and positioned on the ground surface, wherein the workpiece rests on the set of non-conductive pads that engage the ground surface when the workpiece is positioned on the ground surface, and wherein the conductive path enables electrostatic charges in the workpiece to circumvent the set of non-conductive pads and transfer into the ground surface via a conductive material of the ground component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a diameter of the outer portion of the housing structure is greater than a diameter of the inner portion of the housing structure.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein an amount that the inner portion of the housing structure extends into the outer portion of the housing structure depends on an amount of compression of the compressible spring.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first end of the elongate rod extends through the top of the housing structure via a slot in the outer portion of the housing structure, and wherein the second end of the elongate rod extends through the bottom of the housing structure via a slot in the inner portion of the housing structure.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second device having a configuration similar to the device, wherein the second device is coupled to the workpiece such that the second device establishes a second conductive path between the workpiece and the ground surface when the workpiece is positioned on the ground surface via the set of non-conductive pads.

14. The system of 21, wherein the workpiece corresponds to a ladder having at least a first leg and a second leg, and wherein the device is coupled to the first leg of the ladder and the second device is coupled to the second leg of the ladder.