CA3021288A1 - Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems - Google Patents

Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems Download PDF

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Publication number
CA3021288A1
CA3021288A1 CA3021288A CA3021288A CA3021288A1 CA 3021288 A1 CA3021288 A1 CA 3021288A1 CA 3021288 A CA3021288 A CA 3021288A CA 3021288 A CA3021288 A CA 3021288A CA 3021288 A1 CA3021288 A1 CA 3021288A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
hose
clip
cuff
conductive
metal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA3021288A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Kevin Weaver
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA3021288A priority Critical patent/CA3021288A1/en
Publication of CA3021288A1 publication Critical patent/CA3021288A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47LDOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L9/00Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
    • A47L9/24Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings
    • A47L9/248Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05FSTATIC ELECTRICITY; NATURALLY-OCCURRING ELECTRICITY
    • H05F1/00Preventing the formation of electrostatic charges
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05FSTATIC ELECTRICITY; NATURALLY-OCCURRING ELECTRICITY
    • H05F3/00Carrying-off electrostatic charges
    • H05F3/02Carrying-off electrostatic charges by means of earthing connections

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Elimination Of Static Electricity (AREA)

Description

ASSEMBLY TO ELIMINATE ELECTROSTATICS IN VACUUMING SYSTEMS
BACKGROUND
A typical vacuum cleaning system includes a cleaning nozzle connected to a hose cuff that in turn is attached to one end of a flexible hose, while the other end of the flexible hose is attached to a vacuum source. The vacuum source could be a mobile device or a stationary system with multiple vacuum sockets. There are also hand held devices that do not use hoses and where the nozzles are incorporated to the body of the devices.
Some situations require electrical isolation of the nozzle from the hose to avoid electrostatic shocks that would damage the equipment being vacuumed.
Such situations are addressed in Patent CA 1286459.
The situation is different in various industrial and commercial establishments where dust and debris that include metal particles and combustibe organics are to be vacuumed. Dangerous conditions leading to fire and explosion are created when static electricity is generated in such settings. In fact, many incidents have happened causing great damage. Vacuum systems in such establishments must assure electrical conduction from a conductive metal nozzle, through the hose cuff, and through the hose which is always grounded, in order to eliminate static electricity.
A common type of hose is constructed as a flexible polymer or rubber tube supported by a helical metalic wire skeleton. Another type of hose uses semi-rigid flexible polymer, as the supporting skeleton with a metalic filament imbedded alongside. Both of these types of flexible hose are specifically designed by their manufacturers to provide for the proper conduction of static electricity through their length. The static conduction path for these hoses is commonly referred to as a "ground wire". Either the helical metal wire skeleton or an imbedded filament wire may be used as the grounding wire. The hose cuff of such a typical system is usually fabricated with polymer impregnated with carbon particles in order to dissipate static electricity. Some commercially available systems connect the nozzle and the hose cuff to the helical metal skeleton of the hose in order to conduct static electricity to ground. One of such systems, as marketed by American Vacuum Company (series 4050G), uses a narrow metal strip rivetted from the inside to the outside of the hose cuff; where the end of the hose is manually stripped of the plastic wire Page 1 of 14 181017 coating to expose a bare conductive metal tip of the helical wire skeleton, and this bare metal tip is physically clamped with the rivet between the narrow metal strip and the cuff material. When a conductive metal nozzle is inserted into this grounded cuff, an electrical connection is estabished successively through the nozzle, the narrow metal strip riveted to the cuff, the wire metal skeleton of the hose, to the other end of the hose which must be grounded.
Less elaborate systems, also marketed by American Vacuum Company (series 5050 and 6050) have the nozzle inserted directly into the hose that has the end manually stripped of the wire coating to expose several centimetres of ground wire. The unsecured ground wire is expected to touch the metal cleaning nozzle to establish electric conduction. However, when using this method of static conduction, the unsecured ground wire is very highly susceptible to breakage from fatigue, and therefore presents an unacceptable risk of explosion, since it relies on an operator to notice the failure.
Systems as described above conduct static electricity inside the nozzle, but do not assure the elimination of static electricity that may be generated while debris is moving through the hose. Anti-static hoses that are constructed with conductive side wall material overcome this potential danger.
Currently available systems are functional but require time-consuming assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses an assembly designated as the electric-conductive cuff (ECC) to connect a conductive cleaning nozzle to the ground wire of a conductive hose of a vacuum system with assured electric connection and effective grounding of the nozzle. As shown in Fig 1 the ECC assembly consists of a conductive metal clip, a tubular metal insert, and a hose cuff. The conductive clip is attached to one end of the tubular metal insert, and this sub-assembly is installed by friction fit into the hose cuff making the ECC assembly electrically conductive.
The ECC is designed to afford easy installation while assuring electric conduction from the cleaning nozzle to the ground wire of the hose. One end of the hose cuff has suitable diameter to accept the cleaning nozzle and the conductive clip while the other end accepts the outer profile of the hose. The end to accept the hose has profile Page 2 of 14 181017 features appropriate for different types of hoses. Once the conductive metal cleaning nozzle is inserted into the ECC, it makes conductive electric contact with the conductive clip, which then makes conductive electric contact with the tubular metal insert, which then makes conductive electric contact with the properly prepared conducting element of the hose, known as the grounding wire, to assure electrical conduction to the distal end the hose.
The ECC conducts static electricity that is generated by debris particles impinging on the inside of the metal nozzle or among themselves and eliminates the need for the hose cuff to be made of conductive material, although a dissipative hose cuff made of conductive material may be used.
For additional assurance an ECC may be used with a hose constructed with side wall materials having conductive properties to eliminate generation of static electricity while the debris are moving through the hose.
The key of the ECC is the conductive clip. It is shaped with spring steel to form an elongated U. The continuous end of the U is bent over the main part of the U.
The two unconnected tips of the U are bent over themselves along the main part of the U
parallel to the bent continuous end. The result is a conductive clip with the profile of a very elongated straight back C-shape. It can also be visualized with the profile of a very elongated square bracket ( [ ) where the lower end is extended with an upward segment connecting two sides of the clip while the two sides of the upper end have two short segments extended downward.
Fig 2 shows details of the conductive clip. The two unconnected tips of the elongated U, about 1 cm to 2 cm long, are bent with a pinch toward the main part of the U
with an appropriate curvature to effect a tight fit over the edge of the tubular metal insert.
The continuous end of the U is bent with right angles, instead of a continuous circular curvature, to allow a snug slip over the edge of the nozzle end of the dissipative hose cuff.
Fig 3 shows how the clip is attached to the tubular metal insert. Once the conductive clip is attached to the tubular metal insert, the combination is installed into the dissipative hose cuff.
The hose cuff has a small diameter at one end, slightly larger than the outside diameter of the intake nozzle. This end mates to the continuous and square-angle bend of the conductive clip when the tubular metal insert is pushed into the dissipative hose cuff.
Page 3 of 14 181017 The other end of the cuff has a larger inside diameter and features to match the outside profile of the hose. The assembled ECC is shown in Fig 4.
For ECCs to be used with hoses having a helical skeleton, the hose cuff is moulded with one end having grooves in the inside to allow it to be screwed onto the hose with firm attachment. The other end of the hose cuff may have two grooves to allow the continuous end of the clip to slip into the grooves so that the clip-installed cuff presents an even (flush) annular end. The cuff may also be moulded so that the continuous end of the clip fits neatly into the end of the cuff to present a smooth cylindrical surface.
Only hoses with appropriate features suitable for grounding may be used with the ECC. Such grounded hoses must be properly prepared to expose the conducting element of the hose to assure electrical conduction. A small part at the end of this hose is stripped of surrounding material and the wire coating, if any, to expose about
2 cm to 3 cm of the bare conducting grounding wire. The stripped segment of grounding wire is bent back inside the hose to run parallel to its inner wall, as shown in Fig 5.
When an ECC is installed onto the hose, the bent back conducting grounding wire is pressed against the tubular metal insert. Electric conduction is thus assured from the conductive cleaning nozzle through the ECC to the other end of the hose which must be grounded. It is important to ensure that the bent back conducting grounding wire of the hose is not so long as to be caught on the tips of the conductive clip as to then interfere when the hose is being screwed onto the dissipative hose cuff.
When hoses having semi-rigid polymer as the supporting skeleton with a metallic filament grounding wire imbedded alongside are used, that grounding wire is stripped in the same way as describe above resulting in a 2 cm to 3 cm bare wire as shown in Fig 6.
For ECCs to be used with properly prepared grounded hoses having a smooth exterior, and not an external helical profile, the hose cuff is moulded with the female end having a smooth internal profile just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the hose. When the ECC is inserted, the hose end of the dissipative hose cuff is to be affixed using an appropriate low profile, and ergonomically proper annular clamp. The hose cuff must be soft enough to allow the annular clamp to pinch against the metal insert.
Page 4 of 14 181017

Claims (4)

1. An assembly for coupling the conductive cleaning nozzle of a vacuuming system to the grounded hose to assure conduction of static electricity, comprising:
(a) a metal clip shaped with spring steel of 32 to 50 mil (thousandth of inches) diameter to form a two-branch-straight-back elongated U, also resembling a two branch elongated square-bracket ( [ ) profile of 10 cm to 16 cm in length with a width between the two branches of 1 cm to 10 mm, where the continuous end of the clip is attached to one end of the cuff (c) while the other end of the clip, having two free tips, is attached to the edge of the tubular metal insert (b);
(b) a tubular metal insert having the two free tips of the conductive clip (a) that is attached to the edge of one of its annular end; the conductive clip is in the inside of the tubular metal insert; the length of the tubular insert is 3 cm to 6 cm shorter than the length of metal clip so that the continuous end of the metal clip extended 3 cm to 6 cm beyond the tubular metal insert. The free tips of the metal clip may be bonded with suitable conductive adhesive or spot welded to the tubular metal insert;
(c) a cylindrical hose cuff, having a smaller inside diameter at one end, larger diameter at the other end. The tubular metal insert as described in (b) bearing the metal clip (a), is inserted into the hose cuff small end so that the continuous end of the clip is slipped over smaller-diameter end of the cuff and exposed outside the circumference of the cuff. The inside profile of the larger-diameter end of the cuff will match the outside profile of the hose. The length of the cuff is determined so that 6 cm to 8 cm of the tubular metal insert protrude from the hose end of the cuff. The hose end of the hose cuff requires permanent and firm attachment to the hose. The diameter of the tubular insert is slightly smaller than that of the inside diameter of the hose cuff to afford a snug fit. The assembly is suitable for use with grounded hoses having a helical metal skeleton and helical ridges on the outside or having a smooth external wall outside profile. The distal end of the hose is connected to the vacuum source and must be grounded. The end of the grounded hose to be connected to the ECC assembly is properly prepared to leave a 2 cm to 3 cm bare grounding wire segment exposed and folded back inside the hose; said exposed segment is to be firmly caught between the inside wall of the hose and the tubular metal insert providing electrical conductivity across the ECC assembly.
2. An assembly as described in Claim 1 where the cleaning nozzle connecting end of the hose cuff is produced with grooves so that the clip sits smoothly over the end of the clip without sensible ridges over the annular end and the cylindrical outside surface.
3. An alternate embodiment of Claim 1 where a metal strip replaces the conductive clip.
4. An alternate embodiment of Claim 2 where a metal strip replaces the conductive clip.
CA3021288A 2018-10-18 2018-10-18 Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems Abandoned CA3021288A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA3021288A CA3021288A1 (en) 2018-10-18 2018-10-18 Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA3021288A CA3021288A1 (en) 2018-10-18 2018-10-18 Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA3021288A1 true CA3021288A1 (en) 2020-04-18

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA3021288A Abandoned CA3021288A1 (en) 2018-10-18 2018-10-18 Assembly to eliminate electrostatics in vacuuming systems

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CA (1) CA3021288A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE2151442A1 (en) * 2021-11-26 2023-05-27 Fumex Ab Grounding device for a local gas extractor, a local gas extractor with such a grounding device and a method for mounting such a grounding device

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE2151442A1 (en) * 2021-11-26 2023-05-27 Fumex Ab Grounding device for a local gas extractor, a local gas extractor with such a grounding device and a method for mounting such a grounding device
SE545370C2 (en) * 2021-11-26 2023-07-18 Fumex Ab Grounding device for a local gas extractor, a local gas extractor with such a grounding device and a method for mounting such a grounding device

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued

Effective date: 20211220

FZDE Discontinued

Effective date: 20211220