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Vehicle Earthing Device

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to providing an earthing device for discharging electrostatic charge that accumulates on road vehicles.

Background of the Invention

Since road vehicles such as cars and the like, move through air at speed, and are isolated form the ground by insulating tires, it has long been recognized that they may accumulate very large electrostatic charges.

Such electrostatic charge build up is potentially hazardous. The accumulated charge may be discharged through the driver's body as the driver steps out of the car, and can cause heart failure. Furthermore, there is a danger of conflageration at petrol stations, as the charge may break down and cause a spark.

There are hundreds of publications in the patent literature that provide solutions to this problem. Prior art approaches include: (a) conductive steering wheels, which may allow earthing of driver, but not of other passengers, and are rendered useless if the driver covers the wheel or wears gloves, (b) earthing the car handles so that electrostatic energy is discharged as driver opens door, (c) providing conductive tires, earthing the driver through a conductive steering wheel; see Japanese Publication No. JPl 124039, for example. (d) Providing a metalic chain or similar that is suspended form the chassis of the vehicle and contacts ground; see Japanese Publication No. 11021805. for example, and (e) earthing the petrol pump hose.

One prior art solution that is particularly appropriate for installing at entrance to petrol stations, is described in French Patent Application No. FR2835495, which describes a module for discharging built-up electrostatic charges from automotive vehicle entering the forecourt of petrol stations to fill up with petrol, the device described is a flexible earthing probe fixed to a base that is attached to the ground and earthed thereby. The probe is designed to be bent down by a vehicle driving thereover. A similar solution is found in United States Patent No. US 2,969,484, which describes such an earthing rod mounted to its base by a spring, and thus enabled to be bent down by a car driving thereover, and United States Patent

No. US 2,481,913 which describes another static electric earthing device; this time "mounted to a base plate by a pivoting connection and having a weight thereunder, such that the rod can be flattened by a vehicle driving thereover and subsequently straightened up by the weight returning to its lowest point under the influence of gravity.

In the solutions of FR 2,835,495, US 2,969,484 and US 2,481913 described hereinabove, the discharging element or earthing means is essentially a lightening rod that stands vertically and is knocked over into a horizontal position by a vehicle driving thereover, and in practice it has been found that many drivers are not happy driving over such a device, being afraid that it will scratch the paintwork of their vehicles, or get stuck on some protrusion on the underside of the vehicle. Since the discharging element of all the above solutions contacts the front of vehicles driving thereover and is then dragged under the engine, there is a reasonable danger that the discharging element get fouled in components under the engine, and may, in extreme circumstances, snare a pipe or wire. Since the discharging element is exposed and is rubbed against the engine it gets dirty over time. It may dirty the grill and bumper and paintwork of vehicles, and an accumulation of grime may provide an insulating film that renders the prior devices useless. Since the prior art discharging element assumes a vertical rest position, it is prone to vandalism. The present invention is directed to an improvement of the vertical earthing rod, that addresses thess issues, and a narrow patent is requested in this crowded field.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to providing a device for discharging static electricity from a vehicle, comprising: (a) a base plate; (b) a fixing means for attaching the base plate to ground therebeneath; (c) an earthing means for grounding the base plate; (d) an earthing rod that is pivotably connected to the base plate, (e) a raising mechanism for bringing the earthing rod from a substantially horizontal orientation into a substantially vertical orientation, and (f) an actuator for actuating the raising mechanism when said vehicle drives thereover.

Optionally said fixing means is selected from the list of bolts, rods, pins, screws, and welds.

Optionally fixing means is said earthing means.

In some embodiments the actuator is a mechanical actuator such as a plate that a wheel of said vehicle presses on as said vehicle drives thereover or a dragon tooth type lever that is depressed by a tire driving thereover. In other embodiments the actuator is a remote actuator selected from the list of a passive infra red sensor, an active infrared detection system including an emitter and detector pair and a sonic detection system. In yet other embodiments the actuator is a physical barrier or gate.

The actuator is typically connected to the earthing rod by a transmission system that may comprise elements selected from the list of rods, levers, hydraulic pistons, pneumatic pistons and gears.

In a second aspect the present invention is directed to providing a method for discharging static electricity from a vehicle using a device comprising: (a) a base plate; (b) a fixing means for attaching the base plate to ground therebeneath; (c) an earthing means for grounding the base plate; (d) an earthing rod that is pivotably connected to the base plate, (e) a raising mechanism for bringing the earthing rod from a ^• substantially horizontal orientation into a substantially vertical orientation and (f) an actuator for actuating the raising mechanism when said vehicle drives thereover. As described hereinabove, the method comprising the steps of: (i) actuating the actuator with the vehicle and (ii) raising the earthing rod from a substantially horizontal orientation into a substantially vertical orientation to contact underside of said vehicle and discharge said static electricity therefrom.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, - purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention; the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a mechanical embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows an earthing rod coupled to a remote actuator that senses a vehicle remotely; Fig. 5 shows yet another embodiment, typically installed at the entrance to a parking lot, for example, where the raising of the earthing rod or brush is coupled with the raising of a barrier, and

Fig. 6 shows a corresponding method for discharging electricity from a vehicle using the device of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

The present invention provides a discharging rod for contacting the underside of a vehicle for grounding the vehicle and thereby discharging static electricity that is accumulated theron. The rod is configured to assume a horizontal position along the ground and to be brought into a vertical position by a vehicle driving thereover. In consequence, the present invention provides a novel solution for discharging electrostatic, that teaches away from Fr 2,835,495, US 2,969,484 and US 2,481,913 and particularly addresses the issue of drivers who are unwilling to drive over the prior art devices, minimises the danger of fouling components under the engine such as snaring pipework or wires.

Referring now to Figure 1, a discharger 10 for discharging static electricity from a vehicle is shown. The discharger 10 comprises an actuator 12 connected via a transmission system 14 and lifting means 16 to an earthing rod 18. When actuator 12 is actuated, the earthing rod 18 is brought into contact with the underside of a vehicle, discharging static electrical charge therefrom.

Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, one embodiment of a discharger 210 is shown. The actuator 212 thereof is a physical button that may be depressed by the wheel 20 of a vehicle 22 driving thereover. The discharger 210 comprises a base plate 224, fixing means 226 such as screws or bolts or rods set in concrete, pins, welds, for example, for attaching the base plate 224 to the ground 228 therebeneath; an earthing means 230 for grounding the base plate 224, such as a bolt or wire, which may be the fixing means 226 itself; an earthing rod 218 that is pivotably connected to the base plate 224, and a raising mechanism 216 and transmission system 214 for bringing the earthing rod 218 from a substantially horizontal orientation into a substantially vertical orientation in response to actuation of the actuator 212, by a wheel 20 driving thereover. The earthing rod 218 may be rigid or flexible, and may include a brush of conducting wires 219. When raised into a vertical position, the earthing rod contacts the underside 25 of the vehicle 22 and discharges static electricity therefrom.

The transmission system 214 may be a hydraulic or a pneumatic piston, or may be a rigid mechanical structure including rods and levers, gears and the like. The actuator 212 typically contains physical springs or a hydraulic type pressure bag to enable recovery of the actuator. The actuator 212 may be coupled to the transmission

system 214 by a ratchet and pinion type gear or other mechanical gear or via a hydraulic coupling as known. Similarly, the transmission system 214 may be coupled to the discharge rod 218 by a mechnical or hydraulic coupling element providing the lifting means 16 thereby. As shown in Fig. 3 A and 3B, the activator may be a "dragon tooth" 312 type lever that is depressed by a wheel 20 of a vehicle 22 driving thereover, the dragon tooth 312 being coupled to a discharge rod 218 via an appropriate transmission system and lifting means, mutatis mutandis.

As shown in Fig. 4, the actuator need not be physically contacted by a car driving thereover, and may be a remote actuator 412, such as a passive infra red sensor, an active infrared detection system including an emitter and detector pair or a sonic detection system. Once again, the actuator 412 activates a driving means connected to the raising mechanism by a transmission system, perhaps comprising a hydraulic or pneumatic piston and / or rods and levers for example. Referring to Fig. 5, in yet another embodiment, the raising of the earthing rod

18 or brush might be coupled with a barrier 32, such as at the entrance to a parking lot or underground carpark for example. Vehicles 22 are forced to stop in front of such a barrier 32 and the raising or indeed the lowering of the barrier may trigger the raising of the earthing rod 18. There are many possible coupling and transmission means that will be apparent to the man of the art.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the present invention also relates to a corresponding method for discharging static electricity from a vehicle using the device shown schematically in Fig. 1, the method comprising the steps of: actuating the actuator with vehicle (Step 1), raising the earthing rod 18 from a substantially horizontal orientation into a substantially vertical orientation (Step 2) to contact the underside of the vehicle and discharge static electricity therefrom (Step 3).

Since the earthing rod is normally in a horizontal position, typically within a resses of the base plate, it is not as exposed and susceptible to vandalism as the prior art devices. Not being scraped over the engine it is less likely to accumulate dirt and grime, furthermore, the base plate may include a wiping or washing means. In use, the earthing rod first contacts the chassis and is not scraped over the grill, bumper or paintwork of the vehicles discharged thereby.

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Although the embodiments illustrated include one discharging rod and one actuator, for added reliability, particularly when located across wide entrance ways and the like, embodiments of the invention may include a plurality of separate actuator o discharging rods in parallel, a discharging rod with two or more actuators, an actuator coupled to a plurality of discharging rods, or a plurality of actuators coupled to a plurality of discharging rods.

The embodiments of the invention described herein may be installed at the entrance driveway into petrol stations and other locations where there is a danger of fire as a result of sparking. Similarly, the embodiments may be usefully installed at the entrance to underground car-parks and the like, to safely discharge static electricity from vehicles before their drivers stepping out therefrom act as earthing means, risking health of the driver.

It will be appreciated however, that such devices may be installed almost anywhere. Thus persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. In the claims, the word "comprise", and variations thereof such as

"comprises", "comprising" and the like indicate that the components listed are included, but not generally to the exclusion of other components.