System of grounded shoes and grounded floors

A system for placing a person in electrical continuity with the ground in order to reduce the buildup of electric charge on a person's body. The system of the present invention comprises a shoe with an attached shoe grounding device and a plurality of grounded mats. The shoe grounding device is attached to the shoe in a manner that puts the interior surface of the body of the shoe in electrical continuity with the heel of the shoe. The heel of the shoe can be placed in electrical continuity with the ground by placing the heel of the shoe on top of any of the plurality of grounded mats, which are connected to the ground by a grounding wire. The system as a whole allows a person using the system to place themselves in electrical continuity with the ground.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems for reducing electric charge on a body and specifically reducing electric charge through a system of conductive shoes and floors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrostatic charge can build up on a person through regular activity. This generally occurs when certain materials rub against one another. Materials such as wool, fur, glass, human hair, and nylon tend to lose electrons when in contact with other materials, while materials such as rubber, silicone, and plastic tend to gain electrons when in contact with other materials. Thus, when a material that tends to lose electrons rubs against a material that tends to gain electrons, electrons are transferred, and each material gains an opposite charge. For example, a person walking on a vinyl floor with rubber-soled shoes may become negatively charged or a person brushing against something plastic while wearing a wool sweater may become positively charged. In situations such as these, the person may stay charged and build up additional charge until grounded.

Various issues may arise from the buildup of electrostatic charge on a person's body. If enough charge builds up on a person, a painful shock can occur when the person is eventually grounded if precautions are not taken. Additionally, carrying charge on one's body can have an effect on particles interacting with the person's body due to the greater effect an electrical charge has on particles with smaller masses. In particular, when a person's body is similarly charged to the particles of lung pathogens, those particles may be more easily expelled from the body since they are repelled from the walls of the person's respiratory tract, leading to increased spread of the pathogen. In some cases, an infection isolated to a single lung may spread to the other lung while talking, snoring, singing, etc. since a portion of each exhaled breath is re-inhaled, causing exhaled viral particles from one lung to be re-inhaled to the other lung. Further, certain electronics can be adversely affected by even small electrostatic discharges. Due to this, carrying an unnoticeable charge on one's body may cause one do unknowingly damage certain electronics through contact. These and other disadvantages associated with carrying a charge on one's body display the need to regularly ground people and remove the charge from their body.

Some devices have been created for avoiding electrostatic discharge, particularly around sensitive electronics. Most commonly, anti-static wrist straps are used. These straps connect to a person's wrist at one end and connect to a grounded conductor at the other end. Other devices include anti-static mats, upon which a person stands barefoot to remain grounded while working. These devices allow one to work with sensitive electronics while remaining grounded at all times. While these devices can successfully ground a person, they require the active decision to utilize them before a certain task and do not keep a person grounded as they move about their day.

One situation that may unfortunately lead to increased buildup of charge on people's bodies is in a hospital. Hospitals tend to utilize vinyl, rubber, or linoleum flooring since it is durable and easy to clean. However, such materials tend to insulate those who interact with them and in some cases may actually lead to a buildup of charge based on the materials worn by those interacting with the floor. Similar flooring is commonly used in schools and gyms, leading to a great number of people being unnecessarily insulated throughout their day. In addition to these insulated floors, most shoes are also made of insulating materials, meaning that even if one steps onto a grounded surface, discharge may not occur. This combination of insulated footwear and flooring leads to people in hospitals, schools, gyms, and many other places holding a charge on their body throughout the day, potentially causing eventual painful discharges and increased spread of disease.

Thus, there is a need for a system of flooring and footwear that allows people to regularly and passively discharge their bodies. The system of the present invention provides a system and apparatuses for regularly discharging oneself in a fast, convenient, and effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system for electrically grounding a person, comprising a shoe, a shoe grounding device, and a plurality of grounded mats. The shoe grounding device of the present invention is a conductive article that attaches to the shoe, placing at least part of the interior surface of the shoe in electrical continuity with bottom of the heel of the shoe. The plurality of grounded mats of the present invention each have a conductive top surface connected to the ground by a grounding wire. The shoe, shoe grounding device, and grounding mats work as a system to place the interior surface of the shoe in electrical continuity with the ground when the heel of the shoe is placed on the top surface of one of the grounded mats. When used by a person, the system of the present invention allows the person to ground themselves by wearing the shoe and stepping on one of the grounded mats.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

The present invention is a system for reducing the buildup of electric charge on a human body. The system of the present invention comprises a shoe2, a capacitor4, a shoe grounding device1and one or more grounded mats3. In use, the shoe2of the present invention is worn on the user's foot and the shoe grounding device1is attached to the shoe2, allowing the user's body to discharge when the shoe2comes into contact with a grounded conductive surface. In the present invention, the one or more grounded mats3act as a grounded conductive surface.

Like any electrically conductive object, a human body is capable of storing electric charge if insulated. Common friction with synthetic fabrics can charge a human body to a few kV and the charge may be significantly higher under ideal conditions or when done purposely. While electrostatic discharge under such conditions is often unnoticeable, the build up of charge on the body can have effects on particles travelling through the body. Particles with smaller mass are more affected by charge, meaning that although the charge on a human body may be unnoticeably small to a person, it can still act to attract and repel particles travelling through the body.

Referring toFIGS.4and5, the shoe2of the present invention may be designed like any traditional shoe, having at least a body21with a front end and a back end, a topline20, and a sole22with a heel23. The sole22has a top surface and a bottom surface and is connected to the body21of the shoe2so that an interior area of the shoe2is created by the interior surface211of the body21and the top surface of the sole22. When worn on the user's foot, the bottom of the user's foot rests on the top surface of the sole22with the user's ankle being substantially encircled by the topline20. The user's toes are positioned at the front end of the body21and the user's heel is positioned at the back end of the body21. The back of the user's ankle or calf may stay in regular contact with the back edge of the topline20of the shoe2. While walking, the bottom surface of the sole22may make contact with the ground with each step taken.

The capacitor4of the present invention is a traditional capacitor, having a positive connection, a negative connection, two conductive plates, an insulating dielectric, and insulated body. The conductive plates are separated by the insulating dielectric and surrounded by the insulated body. The positive connection and negative connection are each connected to one of the two conductive plates and are exposed from the insulated body. The capacitor4is positioned in the shoe2so that the positive and negative connections face toward the interior of the shoe2. In one embodiment shown inFIG.6, the capacitor4is clipped to the topline20of the shoe2at the medial edge of the shoe2body, though other attachment mechanisms may be used to secure the capacitor4to the shoe2. When the shoe2is worn by the user, the side of the user's ankle or calf may stay in contact with both the positive and negative connections of the capacitor4or may regularly contact the capacitor4while moving.

Referring toFIGS.1,2and3, the shoe grounding device1the present invention includes a contact plate10, a grounding plate12, and a conductive strap11. The contact plate10of the shoe grounding device1is a thin piece of conductive material embedded in the interior surface of the shoe2. In the preferred embodiment, the contact plate10is embedded in the lateral interior surface213of the shoe body21near the topline20of the shoe2, though the contact plate10may cover any portion of the interior surface211of the shoe2. The grounding plate12of the shoe grounding device1is a thin piece of conductive material embedded into the exterior surface of the shoe2, on the sole22. In the preferred embodiment, the grounding plate12is embedded in the heel23of the sole22. The conductive strap11of the shoe grounding device1is a strip of conductive material connecting the contact plate10to the grounding plate12. In the preferred embodiment, the conductive strap11connects to the contact plate10at the lateral edge201of the topline20of the shoe2, extends along the lateral exterior surface212of the of the shoe2, and connects to the grounding plate12at the heel23. The conductive strap11is a strip of conductive fabric in the preferred embodiment, though it may also be a strip of conductive tape or thin, flexible strip of metal. The contact plate10, grounding plate12, and conductive strap11may each have attaching mechanisms to secure them to the appropriate areas of the shoe2. In the preferred embodiment, these attaching mechanisms are a series of pins13that can be pressed into the material of the shoe2. In other embodiments the attaching mechanisms may be adhesives, hook and loop fasteners, or other attachment types. Further, the contact plate10, grounding plate12, and conductive straps11may each use different attachment mechanisms in the same embodiment. For example, the grounding plate12may be hammered into the heel23of the shoe2with pins13, the conductive strap11may be attached to the body21of the shoe2with hook and loop fasteners, and the contact plate10may be adhesively stuck to the interior area of the shoe2all in the same embodiment.

In an alternative embodiment of the shoe2, the shoe grounding device1may be manufactured as a built-in part of the shoe2. One such embodiment may use conductive fabric as a contact plate10on the entire interior area of the shoe2with the conductive strap11extending through the sole22of the shoe2to connect the contact plate10to the grounding plate12on the heel23of the shoe2.

Referring toFIGS.7and8, each of the grounded mats3of the present invention comprise a top surface30, a bottom surface, and a grounding wire31. The top surface30of the grounded mat3is a flat conductive material. The bottom surface of the grounded mat3may be any material, but in the preferred embodiment it is a ductile and pliable material such as rubber or silicone, creating a non-slip interaction with most flooring. In addition, the bottom surface of the grounded mat3may be rough or include an embossed pattern to further reduce slip with the floor. The grounding wire31of the grounded mat3has a first end311and a second end312. The first end311of the grounding wire31attaches to the top surface30of the grounded mat3at any point along the mat so that the top surface30is in electrical continuity with the grounding wire31. In one embodiment, the top surface30of the grounded mat3may include cavities33in which the grounding wire31can be inserted and secured with a screw. The second end312of the grounding wire31is connected to an electrical ground51. In some embodiments, the electrical ground51may include a plurality of contact openings511and a ground port512. The second end312of the grounding wire31may include a ground plug adapter32to allow a secure connection between the second end312of the grounding wire31and the electrical ground51. The ground plug adapter32comprises a plurality of insulating prongs321and a grounding prong322. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the grounding wire31is attached to the electrical ground51by inserting the plurality of insulating prongs321into the plurality of contact openings511of the outlet51and inserting the grounding prong322into the ground port512of the outlet51.

The grounded mats3of the present invention may come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending upon the use made of the system. In one embodiment of the present invention shown inFIG.11, a single grounded mat3is used at the doorway50of a room5. In this embodiment, the grounded mat3may be substantially rectangular in shape and placed at the entrance or exit of the room5.

In other embodiments, one or more grounded mats3may be placed in any at predetermined positions within a room5instead of or in addition to the grounded mat3at the entrance or exit. These grounded mats3may be placed at areas of particular importance in the room5such as a spot where people commonly walk or stand or a spot near a conductive surface that could cause a shock if contacted by an electrically charged person. In one embodiment of the present invention shown inFIG.12, the grounded mats3are thin rectangular strips long enough to stretch from one end of the room5to the opposite end of the room5. These grounded mats3are placed parallel to one another at regular intervals across the room5so that a person walking from one end of the room5to the opposite end of the room5would naturally make contact with one or more of the mats. In another embodiment, the mat may be the same size as the room5so that it covers the entire floor, allowing anyone in the room5to stay grounded in any part of the room5. In any configuration of grounded mats3, each of the grounded mats3must be connected to the ground by the grounding wire31. This is preferably done by plugging the second end of the grounding wire31into the ground port52of an outlet51, as shown inFIG.9. In the case of multiple grounded mats3in the same room5, the second end of the grounding wire31of one grounded mat3may be connected to the top surface30of another grounded mat3that is in electrical continuity with the ground.

In addition to placing grounded mats at particular locations on the floor of a room, various other uses can be made of the grounded mats to keep users grounded while not walking or standing on the floor. The grounded mats3of the present invention allow a user to be placed in electrical continuity with the ground by making physical contact with the grounded mat3even if not wearing the shoe2of the present invention. So long as a user is not wearing insulated clothing that prevents the flow of electricity between themselves and the grounded mat3, the user may be grounded by contacting the grounded mat3. Thus, the grounded mats3of the present invention can be used in areas other than the floor to ground the user. For example, the grounded mats3may be integrated into a mattress or sheet to ground the user while they sleep. Such a use is important to limit exhalation of charged particles through snoring. Additionally, the grounded mats3may be integrated into chairs, stools, or other furniture to keep the user grounded while sitting. Since charge can be picked up on a person through shifting around on the material of a bed, chair, stool, etc., the grounded mats must be able to be used for grounding users even when not walking with the shoe2of the present invention.

In use, the system and apparatuses of the present invention allow a person to regularly place themselves in electrical continuity with the ground without having to actively seek out a means of grounding themselves. The user of the present invention configures the shoe2and the shoe grounding device1for use with the user's foot. In some embodiments, the shoe grounding device1may be part of the shoe2, but in embodiments in which the shoe grounding device1is separate from the shoe2, the user must attach the grounding plate12to the heel23of the shoe2, secure the conductive strap11to the exterior surface of the body21of the shoe2, and attach the contact plate to the interior surface of the body21of the shoe2. The user must also attach the capacitor4to the shoe2. In some embodiments, the user may also wear a conducting sock6between the user's foot and the shoe2to provide greater conductivity in the system as a whole. Once the shoe2, shoe grounding device1, and capacitor4are correctly configured, the user may secure the shoe2and attached components to the user's foot. While wearing these components, the user may pick up an electric charge, which is then primarily stored in the capacitor4. The one or more grounded mats3of the present invention are installed in a predetermined orientation to most effectively ground the user without significantly hampering use of the room5. Once the grounded mats3are installed, the user may move about the room5. When the user steps on one of the grounded mats3as shown inFIG.10, the user's body and the capacitor4are placed in electrical continuity with the ground. This electrical continuity with the ground comes from the connection of the capacitor4to the user's body, the user's body to the contact plate10, the contact plate10to the conductive strap11, the conductive strap11to the grounding plate12, the grounding plate12to the top surface30of the grounded mat3, the top surface30of the grounded mat3to the grounding wire31, and the grounding wire31to the ground. Once the user is in electrical continuity with the ground, the user's body and the capacitor4are discharged, returning the user to a substantially neutral state.