Patent ID: 8471572

Claim:
A capacitive sensor for sensing an electrical field generated by a live conductor, comprising a source electrode, a screen element, and an electrical field sensor, in which the source electrode has a proximal portion connected to the live conductor and a distal portion placed inside the screen element; in which the electrical field sensor is placed inside the screen element so that it faces and is spaced apart from the distal portion of the source electrode in order to detect the electrical field emitted by the distal portion of the source electrode, in which the source electrode the screen element and the electrical field sensor are positioned with respect to each other by means of a dielectric medium in which they are embedded, in which the screen element comprises a first screened chamber having a first open end facing the live conductor, in which the source electrode passing through the first open end has a distal portion placed inside the first screened chamber, in which the electric field sensor is placed inside the first screened chamber and is axially spaced apart from the distal portion of the source electrode, wherein a portion of the source electrode is shaped in the form of a solid funnel with a stem orientated toward the distal end.