Antistatic device and associated operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730305-B2
Application number	US-201314397854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An antistatic device for reducing electrostatic charges on moving material webs may include at least one active electrode assembly. The electrode assembly may include a plurality of active individual needle-shaped electrodes, which during operation may be electrically connected to an associated high voltage source. A controller may be included for controller the voltage source. The at least one active electrode assembly and the controller may be arranged in a housing. A signal device may be arranged at least one of in and on the housing. The signal device may include an optical indicator for outputting a signal to a user. The signal may correlate with at least one parameter of the material web. The at least one parameter may include a polarity of the material web.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An antistatic device for reducing electrostatic charges on moving material webs, comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal extension and including a plurality of wall sections together defining an interior;
at least one active electrode assembly including a plurality of active individual needle-shaped electrodes, the at least one electrode assembly during operation is electrically connected to an associated voltage source;
a controller for controlling the voltage source;
wherein the at least one active electrode assembly and the controller are arranged in the interior of the housing;
a signal device including an optical indicator arranged at least one of in and on the housing, the optical indicator configured to output an optical signal to a user, which signal correlates with at least one parameter of the material web, wherein the at least one parameter includes a polarity of the material web;
wherein the optical indicator extends along the longitudinal extension of the housing and circumferentially to the longitudinal extension along at least two of the plurality of wall sections to facilitate observation of the optical signal;
wherein the at least one active electrode assembly includes at least two active electrode assemblies, the at least two active electrode assemblies including an active positive electrode assembly with a plurality of positive electrodes and an active negative electrode assembly with a plurality of negative electrodes; and
wherein the housing further includes a central web disposed in the interior and extending along the longitudinal extension between the positive electrode assembly and the negative electrode assembly, the central web composed of an electrically insulating material to electrically isolate the positive electrode assembly from the negative electrode assembly.

2. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a power electronics arranged in the interior of the housing, the power electronics including the voltage source and at least one of a voltage converter and a frequency converter.

3. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one primary connection arranged on the housing for connecting the power electronics to an external voltage source.

4. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor system for capturing parameters of at least one of the antistatic device, the material web and an associated production plant which is connected to the controller, wherein the sensor system is arranged in the interior of the housing.

5. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is coupled to the signal device and configured to drive the signal device in response to at least one parameter captured by the sensor system.

6. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical indicator is arranged in the interior of the housing, and wherein the housing has at least one of a translucent area and an optically transparent area disposed complementary to the optical indicator along the at least two of the plurality of wall sections.

7. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , further comprising an environmental sensor for recognizing environmental parameters, the environmental sensor configured to vary the signal output by the signal device.

8. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a wireless communications interface and wired communications interface for communicating with another communications device.

9. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is at least partially filled with a casting compound and the at least one electrode assembly is electrically contacted with the casting compound, and wherein the casting compound is at least partially translucent at least in an area disposed complementary to the optical indicator.

10. A method for operating an antistatic device according to claim 1 , comprising outputting, via the signal device, different signals in dependence of parameters of the material web, wherein at least one signal is output in dependence of the polarity of the material web.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a signal is output in dependence of a polarity of a neutralization current.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising outputting at least one of different colors and different texts in dependence of at least one such parameter of at least one of the antistatic device, the material web and a production plant.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising outputting different frequencies of the respective signal in dependence of at least one such parameter of at least one of the antistatic device, the material web and a production plant.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising outputting at least one of different color combinations and frequency combinations in dependence of at least one such parameter of at least one of the antistatic device, the material web and a production plant.

15. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising outputting, via the optical indicator, a colored signal for an at least predominantly negative polarization, and a differently colored signal for an at least predominantly positive polarization.

16. The antistatic device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical indicator includes a plurality of illuminating units disposed in the interior of the housing and distributed along the longitudinal extension of the at least two of the plurality of wall sections, and wherein the at least two of the plurality of wall sections are at least translucent in an area covering the plurality of illuminating units.

17. An antistatic device for reducing electrostatic charges on moving material webs, comprising:
an active positive electrode assembly including a plurality of active needle-shaped individual positive electrodes connected to a positive voltage source;
an active negative electrode assembly include a plurality of active needle-shaped individual negative electrodes connected to a negative voltage source;
a power electronics having a first unit electrically connected with the positive electrode assembly and a second unit electrically connected with the negative electrode assembly, wherein the respective units include the associated voltage source, a frequency converter and a voltage converter;
a controller for controlling the first unit and the second unit of the power electronics;
a sensor system in communication with the controller configured to detect parameters of at least one of the power electronics, the positive electrode assembly, the negative electrode assembly, the material web and a production plant;
a signal device having an optical indicator for outputting a signal to a user, the signal corresponding to at least one parameter of the material web, the at least one parameter including a polarity of the material web;
a housing having a longitudinal axis containing the positive electrode assembly, the negative electrode assembly, the power electronics, the controller, the sensor system and the signal device, wherein the housing includes at least one of a translucent section and an optically transparent section; and
a central web composed of an electrically insulating material disposed in the housing, the central web extending transversely in the housing along the longitudinal axis and separating the positive electrode assembly and the first unit of the power electronics from the negative electrode assembly and the second unit of the power e

Assignees

• Gema Switzerland Gmbh

Inventors

• Domschat Klaus

Classifications

• H01T19/04 Primary

  having pointed electrodes · CPC title

• H01T23/00

  Apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. into the atmosphere · CPC title

• H05F3/00 Primary

  Carrying-off electrostatic charges ({from shoes A43B7/36}; from living beings A61N1/14; {from tyres B60C19/08; from vehicles B60R16/06; from aircraft B64D45/02; from large containers B65D90/46}) · CPC title