Air gap boom cover system and method for drying an insulated boom section of an aerial lift device
AssigneeQuanta Associates, L.P.
InventorsDaniel Neil O′Connell, Raymond Henry Jodoin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for drying an exterior of an insulated boom section of an aerial lift device. The system includes at least one section of a boom cover which encapsulates the insulated boom section when the boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section. The system also includes retainers to releasably retain the boom cover on the insulated boom section. The system further includes spacers to space the boom cover from the exterior of the insulated boom section by an air gap and an inlet to direct air through the air gap and over, along and around the insulated boom section exterior for drying the insulated boom section. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
Claims16
A system for drying an exterior of an electrically insulated boom section of an aerial lift device, the system comprising:
- at least one boom cover adapted to be electrically insulating and disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section to encapsulate the insulated boom section within the at least one boom cover when the at least one boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section;
- air gap spacers spaced apart and operatively coupled to an inner surface of the at least one boom cover to space the at least one boom cover from the exterior of the insulated boom section by an air gap when the at least one boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section so that the air gap and an airflow passageway corresponding to the air gap completely surrounds the encapsulated insulated boom section;
- retaining elements operatively coupled to the at least one boom cover to releasably retain the at least one boom cover on the exterior of the insulated boom section when the at least one boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section;
- first and second end covers adapted to be operatively coupled to corresponding opposite distal ends of the at least one boom cover when the at least one boom cover is mounted on the insulated boom section;
- an airflow inlet in fluid communication with the airflow passageway and adapted to receive air when the at least one boom cover is disposed over the exterior of the insulated boom section and to pass the air into the airflow passageway;
- and
- an airflow regulator regulating flow of the air from the airflow passageway when the at least one boom cover is mounted on the insulated boom section,
- wherein, in use, when the at least one boom cover is disposed, spaced, and retained on the insulated boom section, the air received by and flowing through the inlet is directed along the airflow passageway so as to flow over, along and around the exterior of the insulated boom section encapsulated within the at least one boom cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.