Abstract:
An exemplary antistatic device includes an electricity receiving part and an electricity discharging part. Guiding portions protrude from the electricity receiving part. The electricity discharging part is located at a side of the electricity receiving part, and oriented toward and spaced from the guiding portions of the electricity receiving part. The electricity discharging part is electrically conductive and capable of being grounded. Static electricity accumulated on the electricity receiving part is removable to the electricity discharging part via the guiding portions.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to antistatic devices, and particularly to an antistatic device used for protecting electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    With the continuing development of electronics technology, a multiplicity of precision devices are used in various fields of industry. In general, electronic precision devices are prone to be damaged or destroyed by static electricity. Typically, static electricity accumulated on a precision device is removed by a grounded wire connected to the precision device. However, in some instances, the electric potential of the ground is not stable. In addition, in certain cases such as when lightning strikes, electrical current may even reversely flow to the precision device. Thus, some precision devices are still at risk even when they are grounded. 
         [0005]    What is needed, therefore, is an antistatic device which can overcome the described limitations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an arrangement of antistatic devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the antistatic devices are supported by a supporting member. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing one supporting part of the supporting member disassembled from a corresponding one of the antistatic devices. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the antistatic device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a circled part IV of the antistatic device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a method for using the antistatic device to remove static electricity of a human and of device elements of a testing system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a plurality of antistatic devices  10  are supported by a supporting member. The supporting member includes a plurality of separate supporting parts  20 . In this embodiment, each of the supporting parts  20  is hollow, and includes four elongated rectangular sidewalls  21  connected together and cooperatively defining a rectangular chamber. Each supporting part  20  is electrically insulative. A plurality of openings  210  are defined in one of the sidewalls  21 . The openings  210  are aligned with each other along a longitudinal direction of the sidewall  21 . A rectangular extending plate  212  integrally extends coplanarly and outwardly from an end of one of the sidewalls  21 . 
         [0012]    Four of the supporting parts  20  are arranged end to end and interconnected with each other to cooperatively form a hollow, rectangular frame. In particular, an end of each supporting part  20  not having the extending plate  212  is arranged perpendicularly adjacent to the end of another supporting part  20  having the extending plate  212 . Thereby, corresponding sidewalls  21  (having the openings  210 ) of the adjacent supporting parts  20  are connected end to end. The extending plates  212  are located at four corners of the frame, at bottom sides of the corners, respectively. Four square covering plates  214  are located at the four corners of the frame, at top sides of the frame, respectively. Each covering plate  214  interconnects ends of two sidewalls  21  located at the top side of the frame. Each covering plate  214  faces a corresponding extending plate  212 . The covering plate  214  and the corresponding extending plate  212  cooperatively define a receiving space  216  therebetween to receive other elements therein. 
         [0013]    If a large number of the antistatic devices  10  is required, more than one frame of the interconnected supporting parts  20  can be provided. If a plurality of frames is provided, the frames can be stacked one on the other.  FIG. 1  shows two frames of the interconnected supporting parts  20  stacked together. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, the supporting member comprises two frames of the interconnected supporting parts  20  stacked together. 
         [0014]    Each antistatic device  10  is received in a respective one of the supporting parts  20 , and contacts objects (not shown) inserted through the openings  210 . 
         [0015]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3-4 , each of the antistatic devices  10  includes a hollow, rectangularly cylindrical electricity receiving part  11 , and two rectangularly annular electricity discharging parts  12  formed at opposite ends of the electricity receiving part  11 , respectively. In the present embodiment, the electricity receiving part  11  is in the shape of a hollow, square cylinder, and each electricity discharging part  12  is in the shape of a square annulus. The electricity receiving part  11  is made of a metallic sheet which is pre-charged with positive charge. Preferably, the electricity receiving part  11  is made of one of brass and copper. A size of the electricity receiving part  11  approaches that of the four sidewalls  21  of the corresponding supporting part  20 . That is, the electricity receiving part  11  is slightly smaller than the combination of the four sidewalls  21 . A plurality of guiding portions  13  protrudes from each of opposite ends of the electricity receiving part  11 , toward the corresponding electricity discharging part  12 . Each guiding portion  13  is tapered, and comprises a first end connected to the electricity receiving part  11  and a second end opposite from the first end. A diameter of the guiding portion  13  generally decreases from the first end to the second end. The guiding portion  13  can for example be substantially frustoconical or substantially pyramidal. The second ends of the guiding portions  13  are spaced from the corresponding electricity discharging parts  12 . 
         [0016]    Each electricity discharging part  12  corresponds to one of the ends of the respective electricity receiving part  11 . The electricity discharging part  12  is electrically conductive and grounded (earthed). The electricity discharging parts  12  are arranged at the opposite ends of the electricity receiving part  11 , and fixed on an inner surface of the supporting part  20  (as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ). A narrow space  14  is defined between the second end of the guiding portion  13  and the electricity discharging part  12 . Therefore, the electricity discharging part  12  is away from the electricity receiving part  11  to avoid electrical current of ground reflowing to the electricity receiving part  11 . The static electricity accumulated on the electricity receiving part  11  is removed to the electricity discharging parts  12  by the guiding portions  13  and then removed to ground from the electricity discharging parts  12 . 
         [0017]    Referring also to  FIG. 5 , in a typical application, the antistatic device  10  is utilized to remove static electricity of an electronic testing system. The testing system includes a tested device (i.e., a device under test) and a testing device. A human operator handles the testing system. Generally, the tested device is a precision device. In this embodiment, the tested device is a high frequency oscillograph. The operator runs the testing device to test one or more parameters of the tested device. A method of removing static electricity of the testing system utilizing the antistatic device  10  includes the following steps: 
         [0018]    The first step is providing the antistatic device  10  and the corresponding supporting part  20 . The antistatic device  10  is received in the supporting part  20 , and the electricity discharging parts  12  are grounded. 
         [0019]    The second step is the operator contacting the antistatic device  10  through one of the openings  210  of the sidewall  21  of the supporting part  20  to remove any static electricity accumulated on the operator. 
         [0020]    The third step is the operator operating the testing device and the tested device in turn to make the testing device and the tested device contact the antistatic device  10  through one of the openings  210 , thereby removing any static electricity thereof. In this state, any and all static electricity of the operator, the testing device and the tested device are removed by the antistatic device  10 . Accordingly, the tested device avoids being damaged or destroyed by static electricity of the testing device and/or the operator. 
         [0021]    In addition, an ionizer (blower) and a static electricity testing device are provided. After the operator, the testing device or the tested device contacts the antistatic device  10 , the electricity static testing device can test for the amount of static electricity present on the antistatic device  10 . If some static electricity remains on the antistatic device  10 , the ionizer blows a mixture of positive ions and negative ions onto the antistatic device  10  to neutralize the static electricity of the antistatic device  10 . 
         [0022]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.