Monitored static electricity dissipation garment

• US 5,991,922 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acme Laundry Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acme Laundry Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Banks, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, SHIRRA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/992,502
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 2/69, 2/901, 2/902, 361/212, 361/220, 361/223, 361/224
• US Class Current: 2/69
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/008 protecting against electric shocks or static electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/36 with earthing or grounding means
• CPC Class Codes: H05F 3/02 by means of earthing connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/902 Antistatic

Abstract

A monitored static electricity dissipation garment which is to be connected to a voltmeter which is to display to the wearer of the garment the amount of static electricity that is on a human'"'"'s body at any given instant. The monitor can be located separate from the garment or can be worn on the garment. When the monitor is worn on the garment, it is necessary that the human user wear electrically conductive boots that have electrically conductive soles which function to dissipate static electricity on an electrically conductive floor.

Claims

1. A monitored static electricity dissipation garment comprising:

a garment adapted to be worn about the torso of a wearer, said garment being constructed of a fabric which is impregnated throughout with a plurality of electrically conductive threads;

said garment including a first electrically conductive ribbon forming a dissipation circuit, said first electrically conductive ribbon being electrically connected to said electrically conductive threads, said dissipation circuit to function as a collector of static electricity from said electrically conductive threads;

electrical discharge means connected to said garment and said first electrically conductive ribbon, said electrical discharge means to function to remove the collected static electricity from said first electrically conductive ribbon and discharge such exteriorly of said garment;

a reading circuit included within said garment, said reading circuit being separate and spaced from said dissipation circuit, said reading circuit including a second electrically conductive ribbon which is also electrically connected to said electrically conductive threads; and

a voltmeter connected to said reading circuit, said voltmeter to produce a value representative of the residual voltage of the static electricity on said garment.

2. The monitored static electricity dissipation garment as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said electrical discharge means comprising a pair of electrically conductive boots which are worn about the feet of the human, each said boot having an electrically conductive sole, said sole being electrically connected to said ribbon, whereby during walking there will be at least one boot in contact with an electrical conductive floor.

3. The monitored static electricity dissipation garment as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said electrical discharge means comprising a wire connector which is adapted to connect with an exterior electrical conductive ground.

4. The monitored static electricity dissipation garment as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said voltmeter being mounted on said garment and being free of any outside connection.

5. The monitored static electricity dissipation garment comprising:

a garment adapted to be worn about the torso of a wearer, said garment being constructed of a fabric which is impregnated throughout with a plurality of electrically conductive threads;

said garment including an electrically conductive ribbon which is electrically connected to said electrically conductive threads, said ribbon to function as a collector of static electricity from said electrically conductive threads; and

a pair of electrically conductive boots to be worn about the feet of a human, each said boot having an electrically conductive sole, each said sole being electrically connected to said ribbon, whereby said static electricity from said garment is to be discharged exteriorly of said boot by said sole establishing an electrically conductive relationship with an exterior object.

6. The monitored static electricity dissipation garment as defined in claim 5 wherein:

each said boot having an upper, a boot ribbon mounted on each said boot, said boot ribbon functioning to conduct static electricity from said garment to said sole.

7. An assembly to maintain a human relatively free of static electricity and to indicate operation of said assembly comprising:

a garment adapted to be worn by a wearer, said garment including;

a sheet material including;

means which make said sheet material at least partly electrically conductive;

a first electrically conductive ribbon forming a static electricity dissipation circuit, said first electrically conductive ribbon being electrically connected to said sheet material to conduct static electricity therefrom;

electrical discharge means adapted to be connected to an electrical ground connected to said first electrically conductive ribbon to discharge static electricity from said first electrically conductive ribbon to the electrical ground;

a second electrically conductive ribbon spaced from said first electrically conductive ribbon, which is also electrically connected to said sheet material; and

a device connected to said second electrically conductive ribbon capable of indicating differences in electrical potential between said garment and the electrical ground.

8. The assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said electrical discharge means include:

at least one foot covering having;

an electrically conductive sole electrically connected to said first electrically conductive ribbon, for use with an electrically grounded floor.

9. The assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said garment further includes:

a first sleeve constructed from said sheet material;

a second sleeve constructed from said sheet material;

a torso constructed from said sheet material;

a first sleeve seam connecting said first sleeve to said torso; and

a second sleeve seam connecting said second sleeve to said torso, whereby said first electrically conductive ribbon is positioned within said first sleeve seam to make electrical contact between said sheet material of said first sleeve and said torso, and wherein second electrically conductive ribbon is positioned within said second sleeve seam to make electrical contact between said sheet material of said second sleeve and said torso.

10. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said garment further includes:

a first torso seam; and

a first torso electrically conductive ribbon mounted within said first torso seam to make electrical contact with said sheet material of said torso.

11. The assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein:

said first torso electrically conductive ribbon is mounted in direct electrical contact with said first electrically conductive ribbon.

12. The assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein:

said first torso electrically conductive ribbon and said first electrically conductive ribbon are constructed at least in part from a unitary piece of electrically conductive ribbon.

13. The assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein said garment further includes:

a second torso seam; and

a second torso electrically conductive ribbon mounted within said second torso seam to make electrical contact with said sheet material of said torso.

14. The assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein:

said second torso electrically conductive ribbon is mounted in direct electrical contact with said second electrically conductive ribbon.

15. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said garment includes:

a first sheet of said sheet material; and

a second sheet of said sheet material, and wherein said first sleeve seam includes;

a first outer edge portion of said first sheet of said sheet material;

a first inner edge portion of said first sheet of said sheet material;

a second outer edge portion of said second sheet of said sheet material; and

a second inner edge portion of said second sheet of said sheet material, whereby said first conductive ribbon and said edge portions are formed in a stack with said first inner edge portion being in contact with said second outer edge portion, said second outer edge portion being in electrical contact with said first conductive ribbon, said first conductive ribbon being in electrical contact with said first outer edge portion, and said first outer edge portion being in contact with said second inner edge portion.

16. The assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said first sleeve seam includes:

stitching extending through said stack to retain said edge portions and said first conductive ribbon in electrical contact.

17. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said garment torso includes:

a first leg; and

a second leg, said garment further including;

a second torso seam spaced from said first torso seam; and

a second torso electrically conductive ribbon positioned within said second torso seam to make electrical contact with said sheet material in said torso, said first torso seam extending along said first leg and said second torso seam extending along said second leg.

18. The assembly as defined in claim 13 where in said garment further includes:

a first electrically conductive boot having;

a first releasable electrical connector;

a second boot having;

a second releasable electrical connector, wherein said first torso seam includes;

a first electrical connector positioned for connection to said first releasable electrical connector, and wherein said second torso seam includes;

a second electrical connector positioned for connection to said second releasable electrical connector.

19. The assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said device connected to said second electrically conductive ribbon capable of indicating voltage present on said garment includes;

a connection adapted to be connected to the electrical ground; and

an annunciator to indicate when a level of electrical potential between said garment and the electrical ground is present.

20. The assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said device connected to said second electrically conductive ribbon capable of indicating voltage present on said garment includes;

a sensor of electrical flow adjacent said garment indicating an electrical potential between the garment and the electrical ground; and

an annunciator to indicate when a level of electrical potential between said garment and the electrical ground is sensed by said sensor.