High voltage discharge switch for protecting sensitive electronic equipment and the operators thereof

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said lower contact means includes: an electrically conductive surface means for receiving the transferred charge; resistive means for effectively dissipating said charge transferred to said conductive surface; means for coupling said electrically conductive surface means to said resistive means; and means for coupling said resistive means to said object.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said electrically conductive surface means includes a dielectric printed circuit board having a copper coating on the top portion thereof and wherein said means for connecting said electrically conductive surface means to said resistive means includes a plated-through hole in said printed circuit board electrically connecting said copper coating to said resistive means.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein said resistive means includes a resistor having a value of less than 10 megaohms.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 wherein said flexible housing means includes: an upper portion of thin flexible material adapted for positioning said upper contact means such that said contact surface is external to said defined air space while said sharp pointed means extends through said thin flexible portion and into said defined air space; a lower portion of thin flexible material having a flanged lip for coupling said lower portion to said object, the walls of said lower portion being shaped for forming a cavity at the lower limit to said defined air space for housing said lower contact means; and a flexible middle portion for variably reducing the distance between said sharp pointed means and said electrically conductive surface means, said thin middle portion being variably contractable in response to finger touch pressure exerted on said upper finger touch contact surface for reducing said distance.

Claim 7

In an electronic business machine having sensitive electronic circuitry therein, which circuitry can be harmed or caused to provide erroneous signals in response to a spurious impulse generated by an electrostatic discharge such as may occur when an operator of said business machine who has accumulated a charge of static electricity makes contact with said machine, the improvement comprising: contact means having a first surface adapted for finger-touch contact by said operator and another surface terminating in a sharp point; resistive means for effectively dissipating any accumulated charge of static electricity transferred thereto; and housing means for defining a variable space, and housing means having an upper portion including means for positioning said contact means such that said first surface is external to said defined space and said sharp point penetrates to within the top of said defined space, a lower portion having means for housing said resistive means, and a variable middle portion comprising means for normally maintaining a predetermined distance between said sharp point and said resistive means so as to prevent a corona discharge from said sharp point and responsive to the operator's application of finger touch pressure to said first surface for reducibly varying said predetermined distance so as to initiate a corona discharge from said sharp point at a first reduced distance so as to effect at least a partial transfer of said accumulated charge from said operator without discomfort to said operator and for further reducibly varying said distance until any remaining portion of said accumulated charge is directly transferred to said resistive means.

Claim 8

In an electronic business machine having sensitive electronic circuitry therein, which circuitry can be harmed or caused to provide erroneous signals in response to a spurious impulse generated by an electrostatic discharge such as may occur when an operator of said business machine who has accumulated a charge of static electricity makes contact with said machine, the improvement comprising: contact means having a first surface adapted for finger-touch contact by said operator and another surface terminating in a sharp point; resistive means for effectively dissipating any accumulated charge of static electricity transferred thereto; and housing means for defining a variable space, and housing means having an upper portion including means for positioning said contact means such that said first surface is external to said defined space and said sharp point penetrates to within the top of said defined space, a lower portion having means for housing said resistive means, and a variable middle portion comprising means for normally maintaining a predetermined distance between said sharp point and said resistive means so as to prevent a corona discharge from said sharp point and responsive to the operator's application of finger touch pressure to said first surface for reducibly varying said predetermined distance so as to initiate a corona discharge from said sharp point at a first reduced distance so as to effect at least a partial transfer of said accumulated charge from said operator without discomfort to said operator and for further reducibly varying said distance until any remaining portion of said accumulated charge is directly transferred to said resistive means.

Claim 9

The improved electronic business machine of claim 6 wherein said housing means includes a thin flexible nipple-like body comprising said upper portion, said lower portion, and said middle portion and wherein said resistive means includes a resistor, means for coupling one end of said resistor to said business machine, and means for coupling the other end of said resistor to an electrically conductive means for receiving the charge transferred by said sharp point.

Claim 10

The device of claim 6 wherein said contact means includes a thumbtack-like structure, said first surface adapted for finger touch contact comprising the head of said thumbtack-like structure and said sharp pointed means comprising the pointed tip of said thumbtack-like means, and wherein said resistor has a value of less than 10 megaohms.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for preventing a harmful discharge of static electricity such as may occur whenever a person who has accumulated a charge of static electricity touches an object which is at a different electrical potential, said apparatus including an electrical contact for receiving the accumulated charge of static electricity from said person and a resistive means for effectively dissipating any charge transferred thereto, a method of minimizing discomfort to said person while insuring a complete transfer of the accumulated charge, said method comprising the steps of: providing said electrical contact with a means for facilitating a corona discharge; spacing said means for facilitating said corona discharge a predetermined distance from said resistive means; reducing said distance to initiate said corona discharge and transfer at least a portion of said accumulated charge from said electrical contact; and further reducing said distance unitl any remaining portion of said accumulated charge is transferred to said resistive means.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for preventing a harmful discharge of static electricity such as may occur whenever a person who has accumulated a charge of static electricity touches an object which is at a different electrical potential, said apparatus including an electrical contact for receiving the accumulated charge of static electricity from said person and a resistive means for effectively dissipating any charge transferred thereto, a method of minimizing discomfort to said person while insuring a complete transfer of the accumulated charge, said method comprising the steps of: providing said electrical contact with a means for facilitating a corona discharge; spacing said means for facilitating said corona discharge a predetermined distance from said resistive means; reducing said distance to initiate said corona discharge and transfer at least a portion of said accumulated charge from said electrical contact; and further reducing said distance unitl any remaining portion of said accumulated charge is transferred to said resistive means.

Claim 15

The discharging apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for contacting said human body includes an electrically conductive charge-receiving means and wherein said means coupled to said contacting means for initiating a corona discharge to transfer at least the portion of said accumulated charge includes an elongated electrically conductive member having one end coupled into electrical contact with said electrically conductive charge-receiving means and its opposite end terminating in a sharp point for facilitating said corona discharge.

Claim 16

The discharging apparatus of claim 11 further including a housing means having a first end portion for housing said resistive means; a second end portion for positioning said contacting means such that said electrically conductive charge-receiving means is positioned external to said second end such that the sharp pointed end of said elongated member for facilitating a corona discharge extends through said second end of said housing means; and a central portion coupling said first end of said second end for normally biasing the sharp pointed end of said elongated member for facilitating the corona discharge a first distance away from said resistive means and responsive to the pressure exerted when said human body contacts said contacting means for reducing said first distance and initiating a corona discharge before said sharp pointed end of said elongated member contacts said resistive means for dissipating at least a portion of said accumulated charge without discomfort to said human body and responsive to further pressure for bringing said sharp pointed end into contact with said resistive means for dissipating any remaining charge.