# US 10,244,808 B2 · Three-dimensional electric field sensor in hard hats

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- Number: US 10,244,808 B2
- Document ID: US10244808B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/663,106
- Filed: 2017-07-28
- Published: 2019-01-17
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-12
- Assignees: Copel DistribuiçãO S/A
- Applicants: Copel DistribuiçãO S/A
- Inventors: Alexandre Muller da Silva; Andre Luis Muller da Silva; Paulo Moreira de Souza; Vera Lucia Pietruk Zarpellon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244808B2

## CPC

- A42B 3/046: {Means for detecting hazards or accidents}
- G01R 1/04: Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
- G01R 15/165: {measuring electrostatic potential, e.g. with electrostatic voltmeters or electrometers, when the design of the sensor is essential (electrometers with passively moving electrodes G01R5/28; measuring electrostatic fields G01R29/12; measuring charge G01R29/24; measuring in circuits with high internal resistance G01R19/0023)}
- G01R 19/0092: {Measuring current only}
- G01R 19/155: Indicating the presence of voltage
- G01R 29/0857: {Dosimetry, i.e. measuring the time integral of radiation intensity; Level warning devices for personal safety use (nuclear radiation dosimetry G01T)}
- G01R 31/001: {Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing (measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14)}
- G01R 29/14: Measuring field distribution
- H02G 1/02: for overhead lines or cables
- A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES

## Abstract

The present invention provides a three-dimensional electric field sensor for hard hats, the sensor having a stand-alone structure and constructed of polymeric and hydrophobic materials, and intended for three-dimensional measurement of the electric field in energized powerlines by its disposition on hard hats. The three-dimensional sensor of the present invention has an outer shell with a base attaching to the hard hat and a cover attaching to the base, an inner shell functioning as a capacitive sensor as well as protecting an internal electronic board, a battery and adapter assembly as a power supply, and a warning buzzer, in order to provide complete optimization procedures to alert electric utility linemen of exceedingly close proximity to medium voltage conductors in powerlines.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional electric field sensor constructed and arranged to fit a hard hat, wherein the sensor is parallelepipedally-shaped and centrally located on a front face of the hard hat, and comprising:
a) a front face and a rear face, the rear face facing towards and being affixed to the hard hat, and the front face facing outwardly away from the hard hat;
b) an outer shell covering the sensor, having a symmetrical round-edged parallelepipedal shape, and fitting over the entire length of the three-dimensional electric field sensor, comprising;
a parallelepipedally-shaped outer shell base (2A), having a rear face facing towards the hard hat and fitting over the entire length of the sensor rear face, a hollow front face; and
a parallelepipedally-shaped outer shell cover (2B), having a front face and a hollow rear face facing towards the hard hat, the rear face fitting to the front face of the outer shell base;
c) a parallelepipedally-shaped inner shell (3), being a capacitive sensor, forming a single unit, contained within the outer shell and located on the rear face of the outer shell cover (2B), the inner shell comprising:
a parallelepipedally-shaped inner shell base (3A), having a hollow front face and a rear face; and
a rectangular-shaped inner shell cover (3B) fitting atop the front face of the inner shell base (3A);
d) a rectangular-shaped electronic board (4), vertical and centrally located inside the inner shell (3), the electronic board configured for assisting controlling of the sensor, and the inner shell shielding the board from magnetic and electronic field exposure;
e) a parallelepipedally-shaped battery and adapter assembly (5) providing a power supply, located inside the outer shell (2) on a central lower surface of the outer shell cover (2B), the assembly comprising:
a parallelepipedally-shaped adapter (5A) located between a lower surface of the rear face of the inner shell base (3A) and a lower surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover (2A);
a cylindrically-shaped battery (5B), fitted horizontally and parallelly along and to a bottom side of the adapter (5A); and
f) a cylindrically-shaped warning buzzer (6), fitted adjacent to the battery and adapter assembly, between a lower surface of the rear face of the inner shell base (3A) and a lower surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover (2A), the buzzer providing an audible warning sound when triggered by the sensor detecting proximity to medium voltage conductors.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell base (2A) having a convex-shaped curvature (2D) along the entire length of an outer surface of the rear face, the outer shell base further comprising:
two symmetrical rectangular-shaped base bevels (2C), each base bevel located on an end of a bottom side of the outer shell base (2A);
a concave recess (2E) formed along the length of the outer surface of the rear face of the outer shell base (2A);
a modular-shaped groove (2F) perpendicular to the concave recess, running around the entire length of front ends of the outer shell base (2A); and
two symmetrical parallelepipedally-shaped protrusions (2G), each protrusion centrally located on a front face end of the outer shell base (2A);
wherein the outer shell cover (2B) having a convex-shaped curvature (2I) along the entire length of a top surface of the rear face of the outer shell cover (2B), the convex-shaped curvature corresponding to the convex-shaped curvature (2D) of the outer shell base (2A), the outer shell cover further comprising:
two symmetrical rectangular-shaped cover bevels (2H), each base bevel located on an end of a bottom side of the outer shell cover (2B), the cover bevels corresponding to the base bevels (2C) of the outer shell base;
a rectangular-shaped cover (2J) centrally located on an underside of the outer shell cover (2B), and having multiple circular holes (2K) arranged on an underside of the rectangular-shaped cover (2J);
an oblong-shaped recess (2L) centrally located on a top end of the front face of the outer shell cover (2B);
two symmetrical semi-oblong shaped recesses (2M), each semi-oblong recess centrally located on a side end of the front face of the outer shell cover (2B);
two symmetrical L-shaped rods (2N), each rod centrally located on a side end of the front face of the outer shell cover (2B), and aligned with the protrusions (2G) on the outer shell base;
a modular-shaped recess (2O) running around the entire length of a rear end of the outer shell cover (2B), having a tongued and grooved mechanism fitting into the groove (2F);
four symmetrical cylindrically-shaped horizontal projections (2P), symmetrically spaced, one projection located at each corner of the rear face of the outer shell cover (2B); and
two symmetrical inverted L-shaped horizontal projections (2Q), each projection centrally located at an inner side end of the rear face of the outer shell cover (2B).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is comprised of polymeric and hydrophobic materials.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional electric field sensor according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell cover may be detached from the outer shell base, allowing removal of the sensor and allowing the hard hat to be used as a personal protective equipment.