Electrostatic system monitor and method therefor
First Claim
1. An electrostatic system monitor for monitoring the operation of static control equipment located at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and said wrist strap being connected to ground connection, said monitor and soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said electrostatic system monitor comprising:
- means connected to said ground and to said electrical ground for continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, said sensing means being capable of issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value,means responsive to the manual contact with said conductive wrist strap for determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, said determining means being capable of producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is above said predetermined resistance range,a surface resistance probe for detecting the surface resistance of said conductive surfaces when said probe is in contact with said surfaces,means connected to said surface resistance probe for selectively measuring the conductivity of said conductive surfaces, said measuring means being capable of generating (a) an adequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) an unsafe resistance signal when the surface resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) an inadequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, andmeans responsive to a periodic manual contact with the tip of said soldering iron for detecting induced AC voltage, said detecting means being capable of producing an unsafe voltage signal when said induced AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrostatic system monitor and method for monitoring the operation of static control equipment such as conductive workbench and floor mats, conductive wrist straps, and the integrity of ground connections and soldering irons and to activate indicators and alarms when the static control equipment deteriorates or malfunctions by having resistances outside of predetermined values and ranges of resistance. The electrostatic system monitor also provides for the detection of unsafe voltage potentials on soldering irons, and for a surface resistance probe for measuring the surface conductivity of conductive surfaces of the static control equipment.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An electrostatic system monitor for monitoring the operation of static control equipment located at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and said wrist strap being connected to ground connection, said monitor and soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said electrostatic system monitor comprising:
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means connected to said ground and to said electrical ground for continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, said sensing means being capable of issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, means responsive to the manual contact with said conductive wrist strap for determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, said determining means being capable of producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, a surface resistance probe for detecting the surface resistance of said conductive surfaces when said probe is in contact with said surfaces, means connected to said surface resistance probe for selectively measuring the conductivity of said conductive surfaces, said measuring means being capable of generating (a) an adequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) an unsafe resistance signal when the surface resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) an inadequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, and means responsive to a periodic manual contact with the tip of said soldering iron for detecting induced AC voltage, said detecting means being capable of producing an unsafe voltage signal when said induced AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electrostatic system monitor for monitoring the operation of static control equipment at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and wrist strap being connected to a ground connection, said monitor and soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said electrostatic system monitor comprising:
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means connected to said ground and to said electrical ground for continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, said sensing means being capable of issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, a first indicator receptive of said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means for indicating that the impedance between said ground and said electrical ground has exceeded said predetermined resistance value, means responsive to a manual contact with said conductive wrist strap for determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, said determining means being capable of producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, a surface resistance probe for detecting the surface resistance of said conductive surfaces when said probe is in contact with said conductive surfaces, means connected to said surface resistance probe for selectively measuring the conductivity of said conductive surfaces, said measuring means being capable of generating (a) an adequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) an unsafe resistance signal when the surface resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) an inadequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, a second indicator receptive of said safe resistance and loss-of-resistance signals from said determining means and of said adequate and unsafe resistance signals from said measuring means for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals, means responsive to a manual contact with the tip of said soldering iron for detecting induced AC voltage, said detecting means being capable of producing an unsafe voltage signal when said induced AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage, a third indicator receptive of said unsafe voltage signal from said detecting means for indicating that said soldering iron is not safe to use, and an alarm receptive of (a) said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means, (b) said loss-of-resistance signal from said determining means, (c) said unsafe resistance signal from said measuring means, and (d) said unsafe voltage signal from said detecting means for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An electrostatic system monitor for monitoring the operation of static control equipment at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and wrist strap being connected to a ground connection, said monitor and soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said electrostatic system monitor comprising:
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means connected to said ground and to said electrical ground for continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, said sensing means being capable of issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, a first indicator receptive of said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means for indicating that the impedance between said ground and said electrical ground has exceeded said predetermined resistance value, means responsive to a manual contact with said conductive wrist strap for determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, said determining means being capable of producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, a second indicator receptive of said safe resistance and loss-of-resistance signals from said determining means for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals, means responsive to a manual contact with the tip of said soldering iron for detecting induced AC voltage, said detecting means being capable of producing an unsafe voltage signal when said induced AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage, a third indicator receptive of said unsafe voltage signal from said detecting means for indicating that said soldering iron is not safe to use, and an alarm receptive of (a) said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means, (b) said loss-of-resistance signal from said determining means, and (c) said unsafe voltage signal from said detecting means for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An electrostatic system monitor for monitoring the operation of static control equipment such as a wrist strap at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment being connected to a ground connection, said monitor being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said electrostatic system monitor comprising:
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means connected to said ground and to said electrical ground for continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, said sensing means being capable of issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, a first indicator receptive of said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means for indicating that the impedance between said ground and said electrical ground has exceeded said predetermined resistance value, means responsive to a manual contact with said static control equipment for determining the resistance of said equipment, said determining means being capable of producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is below said predetermined resistance range, and (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance is above said predetermined resistance range, a second indicator receptive of said safe resistance and loss-of-resistance signals from said determining means for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals, and an alarm receptive of said loss-of-continuity signal from said sensing means and said loss-of-resistance signal from said determining means, for becoming activated upon the receipt of any one of the aforesaid signals.
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18. A method for monitoring the operation of static control equipment at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and wrist strap being connected to a ground connection, said soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said method comprising the steps of:
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continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, activating a first indicator in response to the issuance of a loss-of-continuity signal, periodically determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is below said predetermined resistance range, or (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is above said predetermined resistance range, periodically measuring the surface conductivity of said conductive surfaces, generating (a) an adequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance of said surfaces is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) an unsafe resistance signal when the surface resistance of said surfaces is below said predetermined resistance range, or (c) an inadequate conductivity signal when the measured surface resistance of said surfaces is above said predetermined resistance range, activating a second indicator in response to the production of said safe resistance and loss-of-resistance signals and in response to the generation of said adequate conductivity and unsafe resistance signals, periodically detecting induced AC voltage on the tip of said soldering iron, producing an unsafe voltage signal when said detected AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage, activating a third indicator in response to the production of said unsafe voltage signal, and activating an alarm in response to (a) the issuance of said loss-of-continuity signal, (b) the production of said loss-of-resistance signal, (c) the generation of said unsafe resistance signal, or (d) the production of said unsafe voltage signal. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for monitoring the operation of static control equipment at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment including (a) conductive surfaces such as a conductive workbench mat and a conductive floor mat, (b) a grounded tip soldering iron, and (c) a conductive wrist strap on the wrist of a user, said conductive surfaces and wrist strap being connected to a ground connection, said soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said method comprising the steps of:
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continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said ground and said electrical ground, issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, periodically determining the resistance of said conductive wrist strap, producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is below said predetermined resistance range, or (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said wrist strap is above said predetermined resistance range, periodically measuring the surface conductivity of said conductive surfaces, generating (a) an adequate conductivity signal when the surface resistance of said surfaces is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) an unsafe resistance signal when the surface resistance of said surfaces is below said predetermined resistance range, or (c) an inadequate conductivity signal when the measured surface resistance of said surfaces is above said predetermined conductivity range, periodically detecting induced AC voltage on the tip of said soldering iron, and producing an unsafe voltage signal when said detected AC voltage exceeds a preset voltage.
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21. A method for monitoring the operation of static control equipment at a user'"'"'s workstation, said static control equipment being connected to a ground connection, said method comprising the steps of:
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continuously sensing the low impedance continuity between said earth ground and the electrical ground found at the user'"'"'s workstation, issuing a loss-of-continuity signal in the event said low impedance exceeds a predetermined resistance value, periodically determining the resistance of said static control equipment, and producing (a) a safe resistance signal when the determined resistance of said equipment is in a predetermined resistance range, (b) a loss-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said equipment is below said predetermined resistance range, or (c) a gain-of-resistance signal when the determined resistance of said equipment is above said predetermined resistance range. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method for monitoring the operation of the grounded tip soldering iron at a user'"'"'s workstation, said soldering iron being connected to electrical AC power having an electrical ground, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting induced AC voltage on the tip of said soldering iron by periodically touching the tip of the soldering iron to a high impedance load, producing an unsafe voltage signal when said detected AC voltage across the high impedance load exceeds a preset voltage, and activating an indicator in response to the production of said unsafe voltage signal. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification