US 5,184,275 AGranted

Heel grounding device

AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company

InventorsDave C. Wiegel, Dan A. Bradshaw, Stasys Petravicius

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Abstract

A heel grounding device (10) is disclosed which is used in connection with electrically grounded conductive flooring which in one embodiment is secured to the shoe (12) of a human operator. A strap (24) is secured about the leg (11) of the operator with conductive material (29) touching the operator. Grounding lead (25) attaches by a fastener (27) from conductive material (29) to partially conductive material (20) which is secured to the heel (15) of the shoe (12) of the operator. A strap (23) is used to secure the device onto the shoe (12) of the operator. Metal rivets (31, 32, 33) are secured in and protrude from partially conductive erlement so as to maintain electrical contact with the conductive grounded flooring to overcome soil build up on partially conductive material (20) and thereby maintain electrical grounding of the operator.

Claims2

Dependent claims

An electrostatic discharge device attached to an operator communicating with an electrically conductive grounding element comprising:

partially electronically conductive element (20) composed of carbonized rubber material attached to the operator worn against the heel (15) of a shoe (20) of the operator;
a plurality of metal rivets (31, 32, 33) arranged in a triangular configuration protruding no more than 1/16 inch from said partially electronically conductive element (20) for discharging static electricity for the safety and comfort of the operator;
a ground lead (25) with a first fastener (27) containing an electrical resistor (30) therein and a second fastener (26), said ground lead having a coil (22) which can elongate or contact, and is connected to said partially conductive element (20) by said second fastener (26);
a first strap (23) connected to said partially conductive element (20), said first strap consisting of plastic material consisting of two pieces with a velcro material in a hook and pile attachment configuration;
and
a second strap (24) made of elastic fabric attached using a metal buckle (29) to a leg of said operator by said first fastener (27) of said lead (25) and said partially conductive element (20) by way of said lead (25) with said second fastener (26).

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.