GROUND ROD SYSTEM

A ground rod for earthing is disclosed. The ground rod may include a rod body having a top end and a bottom end. The ground rod may further include a clamp configured to hold a ground wire. The clamp may be integrated at the top end to form a unitary structure of the ground rod. The clamp may include an attachment mechanism configured to secure the ground wire in the clamp. Furthermore, the rod body may include a spiral portion disposed between the top end and the bottom end. The spiral portion may enable a user to conveniently insert the ground rod in the ground.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a ground rod system, and more specifically to a ground rod having an integrated clamp to hold a ground wire.

BACKGROUND

Grounding is typically required to pass leakage current to earth and prevent equipment and personnel from damage (e.g., due to overcurrent or surge). To achieve grounding, a ground wire from an equipment is typically connected to the ground. The ground wire is generally connected to the ground via a ground rod (also known as earthing rod). The ground rod is installed inside the ground and may have high resistivity to current.

Conventional ground rods are difficult to install inside the ground. In general, an installer may be required to use a heavy hammer and hit the ground rod multiple times to insert the ground rod into the ground. Such a process of inserting the ground rod into the ground requires a lot of physical effort and time. In addition, digging of the ground to install the ground rod may be dangerous and may cause injury. Further, the hammer may sometimes damage the ground rod itself.

Thus, there is a need for a ground rod that may be easily installed in the earth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

The present disclosure is directed towards a ground rod that may be conveniently installed in the ground and used to secure a ground wire. The ground rod may include a rod body having a spiral portion. The spiral portion may cover a predetermined length of the rod body, which may enable an installer to conveniently insert the ground rod into the ground. The rod body may further include a shank or a head that may be disposed towards a rod body top end. The shank may be configured to be attached to a drive machine (e.g., a drill machine) that may be used to drill the ground and insert the ground rod into the ground. In some aspects, a shank cross-section may be hexagonal in shape, which may enable the installer to conveniently attach the shank with a conventional drive machine. The rod body may further include a bottom end that may include a driving/drilling tip or cutting edge configured to cut rock/ground.

In some aspects, the spiral portion may extend throughout a rod body length, between the shank and the bottom end. In other aspects, the spiral portion may cover a portion of the rod body length.

The ground rod may be of any material. In some aspects, the spiral portion may be made of copper clad steel (or any other electrically conductive material). The bottom end may be made of a material with an associated tensile strength greater than a predefined threshold. Stated another way, the bottom end may be made of high tensile material. For example, the bottom end may be made of carbide, which may enable the bottom end to easily cut rock/ground and create a hole in the ground. The shank may be made of any material including, but not limited to, steel, aluminum, and/or the like.

The ground rod may further include an integrated clamp that may be configured to hold and secure a ground wire. Stated another way, the integrated clamp may facilitate connection of the ground wire with the ground rod. In some aspects, the clamp may be disposed in proximity to a rod body top end. For example, the clamp may be disposed below the shank and in a rod body top portion. The clamp may be of any shape. In some aspects, the clamp may be a half U-shaped clamp or an L-shaped clamp that may extend from a rod body exterior surface (e.g., from one side of the rod body exterior surface). The clamp may be disposed on the rod body such that the clamp may form an open portion between the rod body and the clamp. The open portion may be formed at a clamp upper side, and may be configured to receive and secure the ground wire. In some aspects, the ground wire may pass through the open portion such that a ground wire longitudinal axis may be perpendicular to a rod body longitudinal axis and parallel to the ground. In further aspects, the ground wire may be secured in the clamp by using a bolt or any other attachment means. A bolt longitudinal axis may be disposed perpendicular to the rod body longitudinal axis.

The present disclosure discloses a ground rod that may be easily installed in the ground. The installer may simply attach the ground rod to the drive machine and activate the drive machine to insert the ground rod into the ground. When the drive machine is activated, the bottom end (made of carbide) may easily create a hole in the ground, which may enable the ground rod to easily insert into the ground. When the ground rod is inserted in the ground, the installer may detach the ground rod from the drive machine so that the ground rod may remain buried in the ground. The installer may then conveniently connect the ground wire to the ground rod via the clamp (and the bolt).

These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein.

Illustrative Embodiments

FIG.1depicts an example environment100in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.FIG.1will be described in conjunction withFIGS.2and3.FIG.2depicts a first example ground rod102andFIG.3depicts a second example ground rod302.

The environment100may include the ground rod102(or an earth rod) that may be installed by an installer104in ground. The ground rod102may be a bar or a rod that may be configured to connect a grounding system (e.g., a ground wire404shown inFIG.4) of electrical systems (e.g., equipment or electrical device) to the ground, and pass leakage current to earth to prevent equipment and personnel from damage. The ground rod102may be configured to be attached to a drive machine106(or any other tool/equipment). The drive machine106may be a motor driven machine and may install the ground rod102in the ground. The drive machine106may include, but is not limited to, a drill machine (e.g., Slotted Drive System (SDS) drill), a hammer drill, and/or the like.

The ground rod102may include a rod body that may be cylindrical in shape. The rod body may be made of any dimension. For example, a rod body length may be in a range of four to eight feet. The rod body may include a top end202and a bottom end204(as shown inFIG.2). The top end202may be configured to be attached to the drive machine106, and the bottom end204may be configured to cut the ground and be inserted into the ground.

The rod body may further include a shank206(or a head or chuck) that may be disposed at the top end202. The shank206may be configured to be attached to the drive machine106(e.g., directly or via a coupler), and secure the ground rod102to the drive machine106. In some aspects, a shank cross-section may be hexagonal in shape (as shown in view208ofFIG.2) such that the shank206may conveniently attach to the drive machine106or any other conventional drive machine. In further aspects, a shank diameter that may be equivalent to a diameter of a drive machine inlet socket in which the shank206is inserted. In an exemplary aspect, the shank diameter may be in a range of 0.5 to 0.8 inches. In some aspects, the shank diameter may be greater than (or equivalent to) a rod body diameter. The shank206may be made of any material including, but not limited to, steel or aluminum. In some aspects, the shank206may be straight or tapered in shape.

The bottom end204may be a drilling/driving tip or cutting edge configured to cut rock/ground. The bottom end204may be of any shape (e.g., the bottom end204may be wedge-shaped) and may include a sharp spur or blunt end. The bottom end204may be made of a material with an associated tensile strength greater than a predefined threshold. Stated another way, the bottom end204may made of a high tensile material. For example, the bottom end204may be made of carbide. The carbide tip assists the installer104to install the ground rod102conveniently in the ground.

In further aspects, the rod body may include a spiral portion (or spiral flute pattern) at a rod body exterior surface, between the top end202and the bottom end204. The spiral portion may cover a predetermined length of the rod body. In some aspects, the spiral portion may include protrusions on a rod body exterior surface, which may be integrated to the rod body. The protrusions may be in spiral shape and may be disposed circumferentially along a longitudinal direction. The spiral portion facilitates in the ground rod installation as the ground rod102may be rotated by the drive machine106to dig inside the ground and may not require pounding with a hammer.

In an exemplary aspect, the spiral portion may extend from the bottom end204to the top end202along a rod body length, as depicted inFIG.2. In another aspect, the spiral portion may cover a portion of the rod body length. For example, in the ground rod302depicted inFIG.3, the spiral portion may extend from the bottom end204and may cover half length of the rod body. The spiral portion may be made of any material. In a preferred aspect, the spiral portion may be made of copper clad steel. In other aspects, the spiral portion may be made of any other electrically conductive material. In some aspects, the spiral portion may include annular threads present at the rod body exterior surface. In further aspects, the spiral portion may include auger threads.

FIG.4depicts a clamp402attached to the ground rod102in accordance with the present disclosure. In an exemplary aspect, the clamp402may be attached or integrated (e.g., manufactured/molded) to the top end202such that the clamp402and the rod body form a unitary structure of the ground rod102. Stated another way, the clamp402may be a part of the ground rod102. The clamp402may be configured to hold a ground wire404and secure the ground wire404with the ground rod102. AlthoughFIG.4depicts a single clamp, the ground rod102may include additional clamps without departing from the present disclosure scope.

In some aspects, the clamp402may be disposed in proximity to the top end202. For example, the clamp402may be disposed below the shank206and in a rod body top portion, as depicted inFIG.4. In some aspects, the clamp402may be a half U-shaped clamp or an L-shaped clamp that may extend from the rod body exterior surface (e.g., from one side). The clamp402may be disposed on the rod body such that the clamp402may form an open portion406between the rod body and a clamp portion (e.g., a second portion402bdescribed below). The open portion406may be formed at a clamp upper side, which may enable the ground wire404to lay in the open portion406.

In some aspects, the clamp402may include a first portion402aand a second portion402b. The first portion402aand the second portion402bmay form a unitary structure of the clamp402. In some aspects, a first portion longitudinal axis may be perpendicular to a second portion longitudinal axis, as shown inFIG.4. In other aspects (not shown), the first portion longitudinal axis may be disposed at a predefined angle (different from 90 degrees) relative to the second portion longitudinal axis.

The first portion402amay be attached (or integrated) with the rod body exterior surface. In some aspects, the first portion longitudinal axis may be perpendicular to a rod body longitudinal axis. Further, the second portion longitudinal axis may be parallel to the rod body longitudinal axis. In some aspects, a gap “G” may exist between the second portion402band the rod body, as shown inFIG.4. The installer104may dispose the ground wire404in the gap “G” to hold the ground wire404in the ground rod102. The ground wire404may pass through the gap “G”. In some aspects, the gap “G” may be equivalent to or greater than a ground wire thickness such that the ground wire404may securely lay in the gap “G”.

The clamp402may further include an attachment mechanism408configured to secure the ground wire404in the clamp402. In some aspects, the attachment mechanism408may include a bolt (hereinafter referred as bolt408) that secures the ground wire404in the clamp402. In some aspects, the second portion402bmay include a through-hole (or a female screw portion) that may be configured to receive the bolt408and secure the ground wire404in the gap “G”. A bolt longitudinal axis may be perpendicular to the rod body longitudinal axis. The bolt408may include male threads on the bolt exterior surface. The male threads may engage with the female screw portion to secure the ground wire404in the gap “G”. In some aspects, when the ground wire404is secured in the gap “G”, a ground wire longitudinal axis may be perpendicular to the rod body longitudinal axis and parallel to the ground.

FIG.5depicts a flow diagram of an example method500to install a ground rod in ground in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.5may be described with continued reference to prior figures. The following process is exemplary and not confined to the steps described hereafter. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or less steps than are shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following example embodiments.

The method500starts at step502. At step504, the method500may include attaching the ground rod102to the drive machine106. Specifically, the shank206may be attached to the drive machine106to secure the ground rod102to the drive machine106.

At step506, the method500may include inserting the ground rod102in the ground by activating the drive machine106. In some aspects, the installer104may activate the drive machine106when the ground rod102may be secured to the drive machine106. When the installed104activates the drive machine106, the drive machine106may rotate the ground rod102in a first predetermined direction and push the ground rod102in the ground. The drilling tip and the spiral portion of the ground rod102may enable the ground rod102to be easily inserted in the ground via the drive machine106. Thus, the installer104may simply activate the drive machine106and may apply a small amount to pressure to install the ground rod102in the ground, and may not require pounding with a hammer. In some aspects, the drive machine106may further assist the installer104to remove the ground rod102from the ground. In such cases, the drive machine106may rotate the ground rod102in a second predetermined direction. The first predetermined direction may be opposite to the second predetermined direction.

At step508, the method500may include detaching the ground rod102from the drive machine106. Specifically, the shank206may be detached from the drive machine106and the ground rod102may remain in the ground.

At step510, the method500may include attaching/securing the ground wire404to the ground rod102. As described above, the ground wire404may be secured to the ground rod102via the clamp402and the bolt408. Specifically, the clamp402may be a half U-shaped clamp or an L-shaped clamp, which may form the open portion406or the gap “G” in which the ground wire404may be secured. The installer104may insert the ground wire404in the open portion406or the gap “G” such that the ground wire404may pass through the open portion406. Thereafter, the installer104may secure the ground wire404in the open portion406using the bolt408, as described above in conjunction withFIG.4.

At step512, the method500ends.