Patent Publication Number: US-7721848-B1

Title: Safety shield

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable. 
   RESERVATION OF RIGHTS 
   A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but not limited to copyright, trademark, and/or trade dress protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the field of safety devices. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to an electricity shield for linemen. 
   2. Description of the Known Art 
   As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, safety devices are generally employed to prevent collision with a object or substance. In some situations, the offensive object or substance may be harmful or cause harm if contacted. Patents disclosing information relevant to safety devices include U.S. Pat. No. 1,988,435, issued to Beebe on Jan. 22, 1935; U.S. Pat. No. 2,262,394, issued to Evans on Nov. 11, 1941; U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,238, issued to Rayburn on Nov. 27, 1951; U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,096, issued to Valentine on Feb. 15, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,390, issued to Leigh on Oct. 3, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,410, issued to Baillargeon on Mar. 18, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,003, issued to Keoun on Mar. 26, 2002; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,894, issued to Bishop on Jun. 21, 2005. Each of these patents are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,096, issued to Valentine on Feb. 15, 1972 entitled Insulating Liner for Man-Carrying Buckets. The abstract provides the following information. A man-carrying bucket for utility trucks in which a man is elevated in the bucket to work on electric powerlines, lamps and the like. The bucket is constructed of molded plastic reinforced with fiberglass and is additionally insulated by a polyethylene liner that is constructed in three pieces, a main portion covering the sidewalls and bottom of the bucket, a top portion that extends up over the top flange of the bucket, and a bottom portion additionally protecting the floor of the bucket. Economy of manufacture is attained by molding the top and bottom portions as a unitary element and then severing the element to provide the top and bottom portions of the liner. The three-piece construction is advantageous from the standpoint of economy in manufacturing and testing of the bucket, and durability and reliability in service. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,390, issued to Leigh on Oct. 3, 1972 entitled Aerial Lift with Workman&#39;s Basket with Protective Covering. The abstract provides the following information. Aerial lift with workman&#39;s basket with protective covering having a boom structure, the outer end of which can be raised and lowered about a horizontal axis, rotated about a vertical axis and moved toward and away from the platform carrying the boom structure. A workman&#39;s basket having an upper open end is mounted adjacent the outer end of the boom structure. Support means is secured to the basket and includes an arm which is cantilevered over the upper end of the basket. A removable canopy is provided and means is provided for securing the canopy to the arm so that the canopy overlies and is spaced above the upper open end of the basket and means is provided for removably securing the canopy to the upper end of the basket for enclosing the space between the canopy and the upper end of the basket whereby workmen in the basket can be protected from the sun and inclement weather. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,410, issued to Baillargeon on Mar. 18, 1997 entitled Aerial Platform Enclosure Apparatus. The abstract provides the following information. An aerial platform utility enclosure designed to be easily installed upon an unenclosed aerial platform bucket. The enclosure protects the worker from environmental elements without reducing visibility out of the bucket because a polycarbonate plastic such as LEXAN is used to cover the entire enclosure. Upper and lower structural components of the enclosure are constructed out of a non-conductive material. The lower structural component is firmly attached to the bucket while rotation of the upper structure and the protective cover in a full circle allows the worker to have greater access too his surroundings without having to reposition the bucket. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,003, issued to Keoun on Mar. 26, 2002 entitled Aerial Bucket Support Apparatus. The abstract provides the following information. An aerial bucket support apparatus is comprised of a contoured support portion, for receiving and supporting an aerial bucket operator, and an attachment portion, for attaching to a wall of the aerial bucket. The aerial bucket support apparatus provides support to an operator when the operator may lean against the aerial bucket walls, providing more comfort and providing additional safety. The aerial bucket support apparatus can also include a recessed portion for housing tools. 
   Thus, it may be seen that these prior art patents are very limited in their teaching and utilization, and an improved safety device is needed to overcome these limitations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to an improved safety shield device for installation and use within an aerial bucket. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, individuals who work within the confines of an aerial bucket are periodically placed in life-threatening situations caused by the close proximity of electrical lines or while energizing equipment. Additionally, these individuals are placed in the elements at the mercy of the weather conditions while they work. 
   A need exists for a safety device which can be employed by aerial workers to protect them from the accidental contact with harmful surfaces or from harmful contact due to defective equipment. A need also exists to shield workers from the weather. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insulated shield which is easily installed within an aerial bucket or built into the liner of the aerial bucket during manufacture. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a shield which is easily adjusted within an aerial bucket to protect a worker from harmful contact with dangerous surfaces or from the effects of defective equipment or equipment malfunction. 
   It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a shield which is easily adjusted within an aerial bucket to shield a worker from unwanted contact with weather elements. 
   It is further object of the present invention to provide a shield which can be positioned at multiple heights. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a shield which can be easily retracted to allow a worker to access the area behind the shield. 
   These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent by reviewing the following detailed description of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views: 
       FIG. 1  is an environmental view of an extended safety shield. 
       FIG. 2  is an environmental view of the safety shield. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the safety shield. 
       FIG. 4  is a front plan view of the extended safety shield along line  4 - 4 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front plan view of the safety shield along line  5 - 5 . 
       FIG. 6  is a top elevational view of the safety shield. 
       FIG. 7  is an environmental view of the extended safety shield. 
       FIG. 8  is a rear plan view of the extended safety shield. 
       FIG. 9  is a rear plan of the safety shield. 
       FIG. 10  is an environmental view of the extended safety shield. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  of the drawings, one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is generally shown as a shield  100  for installation and use in an aerial bucket. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aerial buckets are frequently used by linemen, utility workers, fruit harvesters, and other such individuals who are involved with retrieving or modifying high-altitude objects. As contemplated by the present invention, the shield  100  is suitable for mounting in an aerial bucket  200  for use by an individual to protect the individual from contacting harmful surfaces or harsh weather. The shield  100  is further suitable for permanently mounting within the liner of an aerial bucket  200 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 , the shield  100  is adapted to be installed in an aerial bucket  200  to be extended to a variety of heights depending upon the requirements of the user. In this manner, the shield  100  protects the user from unintentional contact with harmful surfaces such as electrical wires. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, typical work for utility workers and other aerial workers involves working between electrical wires. This situation is typically called being between the phases. Accidents occur between the phases when an aerial worker contacts more than one electrical wire unintentionally. A common scenario involves a worker accessing one electrical wire  130  intentionally to conduct work while unintentionally extending into another electrical wire  131 . The present invention is designed to minimize the likelihood of contacting more than one electrical wire by shielding a worker from the other wires. Further, the shield  100  may be used to protect a user from burning material or debris thrown into the air caused by equipment malfunctioning. Utility workers and other aerial workers are placed in close proximity to transformers  250  on a regular basis. In some situations, the utility workers are required to energize equipment, which can cause a transformer  250  to malfunction, spraying burning oil and other debris  251  into the air. The present invention is designed to minimize the likelihood of contacting this burning debris  251  by shielding a worker. 
   It is further contemplated that the shield  100  can be utilized to shelter an aerial worker from the weather. Aerial workers commonly continue work during rainstorms, snowstorms, hail, and harsh wind. These harsh conditions can negatively impact the efficiency of the work done in the aerial bucket. The shield  100  may be extended to provide shelter from vertically moving precipitation and wind. In this manner, the aerial worker can more efficiently and accurately continue his work. 
   The shield  100  consists generally of an adjustable panel  110 , an exterior sleeve  120 , multiple locking tracks  140 , multiple locking ports  150 , multiple locks  160 , an attaching fastener  170 . Each of these will be discussed in turn. 
   The shield  100  includes an adjustable panel  110  adapted to move vertically to protect and shelter aerial workers from unwanted contact. The adjustable panel  110  is composed of an dielectric material such as polyethylene, polyurethane or fiberglass. The adjustable panel  110  generally has a right  112  and left vertical side  113 , a front  114  and rear side  115 , and a top lip  116  and bottom edge  117 . The top lip  116  of the adjustable panel  110  curves along the curve of the upper lip  212  of the aerial bucket  200 . The curved top lip  116  eliminates sharp edges from the upper portion of the adjustable panel while providing a surface easily grasped to extend the adjustable panel upwards. 
   The adjustable panel  110  is adapted to fit and move vertically within the exterior sleeve  120  along the vertical axis of the exterior sleeve  129  and the adjustable panel  119 . In another embodiment, the adjustable panel  110  may be housed within a wall  210  of an aerial bucket  200 . The adjustable panel  110  is formed to fit and conform to the wall  210  of an aerial bucket  200 . In another embodiment, the adjustable panel  110  conforms to the wall  210  and corners  211  of the aerial bucket  200 . In this manner, the adjustable panel  110  is adapted to prevent contact with harmful surfaces present by the corners  211  of the aerial bucket  200 . In another embodiment, the adjustable panel  111  can be restricted to the shape of the corners  211  of the aerial bucket  200 . These corner adjustable panels  111  may be used independently or in conjunction with the side adjustable panels  111  to prevent accidental contact outside of the aerial bucket  200 . 
   The exterior sleeve  120  generally houses the adjustable panel  110 , the multiple locking tracks  140 ,  141 , and the attaching fastener  170 . The exterior sleeve  120  is composed of an insulating material such as fiberglass. The exterior sleeve  120  generally has a right  122  and left vertical side  123 , a front  124  and rear side  125 , and a top lip  126  and bottom edge  127 . The top lip  126  of the exterior sleeve  120  curves along the curve of the upper lip  212  of the aerial bucket  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the upper lip  212  may include an L-shaped lip  171  at the edge of the lip  212 . The L-shaped lip  171  is adapted to secure the exterior sleeve  120  around the upper lip  212  and upper edge  213  of the aerial bucket  200 . The curved top lip  126  eliminates sharp edges from the upper portion of the exterior panel  120  while providing a surface easily grasped to extend the adjustable panel upwards. 
   The front side  124  of the exterior sleeve  120  includes multiple locking tracks  140 ,  141  positioned proximate the right  122  and left sides  123  of the exterior sleeve  120 . The multiple locking tracks  140 ,  141  include multiple locking ports  150  to allow a user to extend the shield  100  to a variety of heights. The positions allow for a retracted position, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , multiple intermediate positions, shown in  FIG. 1 , and an extend position, shown in  FIG. 4 . In the retracted position, two locking ports  151 ,  152  are located proximate the bottom edge  127  of the exterior sleeve  120 . In the intermediate positions, multiple locking ports  153 ,  154 ,  155 ,  156  are located above the retracted locking ports  151 ,  152  posterior to the top edges  143 ,  144  of the locking tracks  140 ,  141 . In the extended position, multiple locking ports  157 ,  158  are located proximate the top edges  143 ,  144  of the locking tracks  140 ,  141 . 
   The multiple locking ports  150  are engaged by multiple locks  160 ,  161  attached to the adjustable panel  110 . The multiple locks  160 ,  161  are adapted to be easily engaged to move from a locked position within a locking port  150  to an unlocked position to allow for the vertical movement of the adjustable panel  110 . The locked position of the multiple locks  160 ,  161 , or one of the multiple locks, prevents the vertical movement of the adjustable panel  110 . In this manner, the shield  100  will remain in an extended or partially extended position until a user wishes to retract the shield  100 . The multiple locks  160 ,  161  can be utilize a number of locking mechanisms, such as a bolt system or a spring-loaded latch design. Further, other locking mechanisms which utilize an extending bolt or other extending member which can be used to engage the multiple locking ports  150  may be employed. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3  and discussed above, the exterior sleeve  120  may be attached to an aerial bucket by utilizing an L-shaped lip  171 . In alternative embodiments, the exterior sleeve  120  may be attached to the aerial bucket  200  by a variety of attaching fasteners  170 , such as adhesives, screws, bolts, or clamps. Other similar attachment means are also envisioned. Preferably, the attaching fastener  170  is positioned along the top lip  126  of the exterior sleeve  120  connecting the exterior sleeve  120  to the upper lip  212  of the aerial bucket  200 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , it is envisioned that more than one shield  100  may be employed to protect an aerial worker. In this manner, the aerial worker may extend any one or more of the attached shields  100  depending upon the location of the harmful surfaces while still allowing for access to electrical lines  130  or other desired objects. 
   Reference numerals used throughout the detailed description and the drawings correspond to the following elements:
     Shield  100     Adjustable panel  110     Adjustable panel  111     Right side  112     Left side  113     Front side  114     Rear side  115     Top lip  116     Bottom edge  117     Exterior sleeve  120     Right side  122     Left side  123     Front side  124     Rear side  125     Top lip  126     Bottom edge  127     Vertical axis  129     Line  130     Line  131     Locking track  140     Locking track  141     Top edge  143     Top edge  144     Locking port  150     Retracted port  151     Retracted port  152     Intermediate port  153     Intermediate port  154     Intermediate port  155     Intermediate port  156     Extended port  157     Extended port  158     Lock  160     Lock  161     Attaching fastener  170     Lip  171     Aerial bucket  200     Wall  210     Corners  211     Upper lip  212     Upper edge  213     Transformer  250     Debris  251     

   From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure. It will also be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
   When interpreting the claims of this application, method claims may be recognized by the explicit use of the word ‘method’ in the preamble of the claims and the use of the ‘ing’ tense of the active word. Method claims should not be interpreted to have particular steps in a particular order unless the claim element specifically referring to a previous element, a previous action, or the result of a previous action. Apparatus claims may be recognized by the use of the word ‘apparatus’ in the preamble of the claim and should not be interpreted to have ‘means plus function language’ unless the word ‘means’ is specifically used in the claim element. The words ‘defining,’ ‘having,’ or ‘including’ should be interpreted as open ended claim language that allows additional elements or structures.