DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of charge earthing systems.
BACKGROUND
Electrical charges build up on an object or liquid when certain liquids such as petroleum solvents, fuels and the like, move in contact with other materials. For example, static charge builds up when fuel is poured, pumped, filtered, agitated, stirred or flown inside containers or through pipes. This buildup of electrical charge is called static electrical charge. Even when liquids are transported, the agitation of the liquid with the surface of the container may cause a static charge to develop in the liquid. The developed static charge produces sparks which can cause fire and explosion. Therefore, earthing of the developed static charge is required to prevent any unwanted accident.
In conventional systems, during fuel-decantation from a tanker into an underground tank of the petrol pump, earthing of the developed static charge is facilitated by connecting the tanker, containing the fuel, to an earthing clamp fastened to the earth pit, by a braided wire. Whenever the tank enters the premises of the petrol pump to unload the fuel carried by it, a human operator is required to connect the earthing clamp to the body of the tank before the start of the process of decantation. This ensures dissipation of the static electricity which is generated in the process of decantation of the fuel by way of earthing. However, an occasional negligence of a human operator in connecting the tanker with the grounded object may result in retention of the static charge in the tanker containing the liquid (fuel), which is not safe and can cause hazardous accidents.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a fail proof earthing system for dissipating static charge developed during fuel-decantation, such that fuel-decantation takes place only when the tank truck is earthed. The human element in ensuring earthing, needs to be modified so that the earthing clamp is compulsorily connected to the body of the tank before decantation of the fuel.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that facilitates earthing of static charge during decantation of fuel or any other inflammable substance.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a static charge earthing system that prevents loss of human life and damage to property caused due to accidental fire.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a static charge earthing system that does not require skilled workers.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a static charge earthing system for dissipation of static charge developed during decantation of inflammable substances from a vehicle. The static charge earthing system comprises: (i) at least one gate valve, (ii) a valve box, (iii) a lid, (iv) a lock, (v) a lock opening element, (vi) and an earthing plate. The at least one gate valve is configured on the vehicle for facilitating decantation of an inflammable substance therefrom. The valve box is attached to the vehicle and is configured to cover the at least one gate valve. The lid is removably fitted to an operative front side of the valve box. The lid is configured to open and close the valve box under an operative configuration. The lock of the system is configured to lock the lid with the valve box. The lock opening element of the system is configured to be inserted and screwed in the lock for unlocking it. The earthing plate is coupled to the lock opening element for conducting static charge from the lock opening element and thereafter configured to drain off the conducted static charge into ground. In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the lock opening element is not detachable from the lock after opening of the lid and is configured to remain inserted in the lock during decantation of inflammable substance, thereby providing dissipation of static charge until the decantation of inflammable substances is completed.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the valve box is either welded or is removably fitted to the vehicle and has a shape selected from the group consisting of square, rectangle, and any geometrical or non-geometrical shape thereof.
In another embodiment, the lock is permanently fitted to the valve box by means of welding. In yet another embodiment, the valve box, the lid, and the lock are made of conducting material, typically, metallic material. The lid may be hinged with the valve box and is configured to open outwardly.
In still another embodiment, the lock opening element is made of a conducting material and is provided with threads on the outer surface for facilitating connection with the lock. The lock opening element may have an insulating cap configured on the free end for enabling an operator to hold it thereon.
The static charge earthing system further includes a braided wire which is permanently fitted to the earthing plate on one side and is removably connected to the lock opening element on the other end. In a preferred embodiment, the braided wire is made of a conducting material and is configured to couple the lock opening element with the earthing plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
A static charge earthing system of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of an accompanying drawing, in which:
Fig.1 illustrates a schematic view of a static charge earthing system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Fig.2 illustrates a photographic view of the static charge earthing system of Figure 1; and
Fig. 3 illustrates another photographic view of the static charge earthing system of Figure 1 and Figure 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
Reference numeral References associated with reference numeral
100 Static Charge Earthing System
102 Valve Box
102a Lid
104 Lock
106 Lock Opening Element
108 Braided Wire
110 Gate Valve

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Electrical charges build up on an object or liquid when certain liquids such as petroleum solvents, fuels and the like, move in contact with other materials. For example, static charge builds up when fuel is poured, pumped, filtered, agitated, stirred or flown inside containers or through pipes. This buildup of electrical charge is called static electrical charge. Even when liquids are transported, the agitation of the liquid with the surface of the container may cause a static charge to develop in the liquid. The developed static charge produces sparks which can cause fire and explosion. Therefore, earthing of the developed static charge is required to prevent any unwanted accident.
In conventional systems, during fuel-decantation from a tanker into an underground tank of the petrol pump, earthing of the developed static charge is facilitated by connecting the tanker, containing the fuel, to an earthing clamp fastened to the earth pit, by a braided wire. Whenever the tank enters the premises of the petrol pump to unload the fuel carried by it, a human operator is required to connect the earthing clamp to the body of the tank before the start of the process of decantation. This ensures dissipation of the static electricity which is generated in the process of decantation of the fuel by way of earthing. However, an occasional negligence of a human operator in connecting the tanker with the grounded object may result in retention of the static charge in the tanker containing the liquid (fuel), which is not safe and can cause hazardous accidents.
The present disclosure envisages a system for earthing static charge during decantation of fuel or any inflammable substance which alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks. The system for earthing/dissipating static charge, of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The static charge earthing system of the present disclosure is now described with reference to figure 1 through figure 3. Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of a static charge earthing system 100. Figure 2 illustrates a photographic view of the static charge earthing system 100 and figure 3 illustrates another photographic view of the static charge earthing system 100.
The static charge earthing system 100 for fuel decantation from a tanker/vehicle comprises a valve box 102, a lid 102a, a lock 104, a lock opening element 106, a braided wire 108, at least one gate valve 110, an earthing clamp (not shown in the figures) and an earthing plate (not shown in the figures). The static charge earthing system 100 hereinafter will also be referred as “the system 100”. In an exemplary embodiment, the static charge earthing system 100 facilitates dissipation of the static charge developed during decantation of fuel or any other inflammable substances from the tanker/vehicle into a storage tank (not shown in the figures) at a petrol pump (not shown in the figures).
Every tanker/vehicle has got at least one gate valve 110 which is configured to decant the fuel/inflammable substance from the tanker and is further configured to prevent unwanted leakage of the fuel/inflammable substance from the tanker/vehicle. The valve box 102 is permanently fitted to the tanker/vehicle and is configured to cover the at least one gate valve 110 that facilitates transfer of the inflammable substance from the tanker/vehicle to the storage tank via a hose (not shown in the figures). In an embodiment, the valve box 102 is permanently fitted to the tanker/vehicle by means of welding. In another embodiment, the valve box 102 may have a shape selected from square, rectangle, or any geometrical or non-geometrical shapes. In yet another embodiment, the valve box 102 may be removably fitted to the body of the tanker/vehicle. The lid 102a is provided on the operative front side of the valve box 102 and is configured to close the valve box 102. The lid 102a is removably fitted or locked to the valve box 102 by means of the lock 104. The lock 104 is permanently fitted to the valve box 102. In one embodiment, the lock 104 is welded on the valve box 102 from inside. The lid 102a is configured to open the valve box 102 to ensure decantation of inflammable substance from the at least one gate valve 110, and close the valve box 102 after decantation of inflammable substance is complete. The valve box 102, the lid 102a, and the lock 104 are made of conducting material, typically, metallic material.
The lock opening element 106, also known as the key 106 is typically made of a conducting material. The lock opening element 106 is configured to uncover the valve box 102 by unlocking the lock 104, thereby opening the lid 102a for providing an access to the at least one gate valve 110. The lock opening element 106 may be provided with threads on the outer surface for facilitating connection with the lock 104. In one embodiment, the lock opening element 106 can be screwed in the lock 104 to open the lid 102a of the valve box 102. In another embodiment, the lid 102a is hinged with the valve box 102 and is configured to open outwardly. The lock opening element 106 is inserted and screwed in the lock 104 and is configured to remain inserted in the lock 104 throughout the decantation process. The lock opening element 106 does not get detached from the lock 104 until the lock opening element 106 is unscrewed. After the lid 102a is opened, transfer of the inflammable substance from the gate valve(s) 110 of the tanker/vehicle to the storage tank of the petrol pump via the hose takes place.
While unloading, the movement of the inflammable substance against walls of the tanker/vehicle develops static charge in the system 100. Since, the valve box 102, the lid 102a, the lock 104, and the lock opening element 106 are typically made of conducting material; they conduct the static charge developed due to the agitation of the inflammable substance against the walls of the tanker/vehicle. Once the unloading of the fuel/inflammable substance from the tanker/vehicle is complete, the lock opening element 106 can be unscrewed resulting in the locking of the valve box 102.
The lock opening element 106 is coupled to the earthing plate by means of the braided wire 108. The braided wire 108 is made of a conducting material and therefore, is also known as the conducting wire 108. The braided wire 108 is permanently fitted to the earthing plate on one side and is removably connected to the lock opening element 106 on the other end. The braided wire 108 is configured to conduct the static charge developed in the system 100 from the lock opening element 106 and is further configured to discharge the developed static charge from the lock opening element 106 to the earthing plate. In one embodiment, the lock opening element 106 may have an insulating cap provided at the free end for enabling an operator to hold it thereon. In another embodiment, the lock opening element 106 may be a master key that opens the lock of all the tankers which come to the petrol pump/storage terminal for unloading/loading of the fuel/inflammable substance. In yet another embodiment, the lock opening element 106 is permanently fastened to the braided wire 108. In still another embodiment, the braided wire is permanently fastened to the earthing plate.
The earthing plate may comprise a circuitry (not shown in the figure) and may be configured to connect parts of the electric circuitry with the ground, thereby draining the static charge into the ground. In one embodiment the earthing plate may be connected to a grounded object that is configured to conduct the developed static charge and drain off the static charge into the ground.
Since, the lock opening element 106 is not detachable from the lock 104 after opening the lid 102a, therefore, the tanker/vehicle is always connected with an external grounded object during the entire process of decantation. Also, in order to decant the fuel/inflammable substance from the tanker/vehicle at a petrol pump, the human operator has to necessarily open the valve box 102, without which the gate valve(s) 110 is not accessible. As a result, the system 100 does not cause retention of the static charge, thereby providing a fail proof earthing system for dissipating static charge developed during fuel-decantation and reducing or eliminating loss of human life and property due to unwanted accidents. Also, skilled operators are not required for operating the fail proof earthing system disclosed in the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The static charge earthing system of the present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including but not limited to the realization of a system that:
? facilitates earthing of static charge during decantation of fuel or any other inflammable substance;
? prevents loss of human life and damage to property; and
? does not require skilled workers.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications for such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A static charge earthing system (100) for dissipation of static charge developed during decantation of inflammable substances from a vehicle, said static charge earthing system (100) comprising:
• at least one gate valve (110) configured on said vehicle for facilitating decantation of an inflammable substance;
• a valve box (102) attached to said vehicle and configured to cover said at least one gate valve (110);
• a lid (102a) removably fitted to an operative front side of said valve box (102), said lid (102a) configured to open and close said valve box (102);
• a lock (104) configured to lock said lid (102a) with said valve box (102);
• a lock opening element (106) configured to be inserted and screwed in said lock (104) for unlocking said lock (104); and
• an earthing plate coupled to said lock opening element (106) for conducting static charge from said lock opening element (106) and configured to drain off the conducted static charge into ground;
wherein said lock opening element (106) is not detachable from said lock (104) after opening of said lid (102a) and is configured to remain inserted in said lock (104) thereby providing dissipation of static charge until the decantation of inflammable substances is completed.
2. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve box (102) is either welded or is removably fitted to said vehicle and has a shape selected from the group consisting of square, rectangle, and any geometrical or non-geometrical shape thereof.
3. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock (104) is permanently fitted to the valve box (102) by means of welding.
4. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve box (102), said lid (102a), and said lock (104) are made of conducting material, typically, metallic material.
5. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock opening element (106) is made of a conducting material and is provided with threads on the outer surface for facilitating connection with said lock (104).
6. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lid (102a) is hinged with said valve box (102) and is configured to open outwardly.
7. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, which further includes a braided wire (108) permanently fitted to said earthing plate on one side and is removably connected to said lock opening element (106) on the other end.
8. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said braided wire (108) is made of a conducting material and is configured to couple said lock opening element (106) with said earthing plate.
9. The static charge earthing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock opening element (106) has an insulating cap configured on the free end for enabling an operator to hold it thereon.