Patent Application
20180040435
The present disclosure relates to a lockout, tagout device and, in particular, lockout, tagout devices for a switchable energy isolation arrangement such as, for example, a slidelink device. The lockout, tagout devices of the present disclosure are configured to prevent an operator from inadvertently energizing an electrical circuit in electrical communication with such a switchable energy isolation device.
When interacting with and performing maintenance on highly energized electrical circuits, it is imperative to provide a safe environment. In particular, a switchable energy isolation device such as, for example, a slidelink device, is usually switched to an isolated state (i.e., a non-energized state) before a user performs maintenance and/or other operations on the electrical circuit having the switchable energy isolation arrangement. Previous solutions have provided various arrangements for tagging the energy isolation device to indicate the electrical circuit is in a non-energized state. However, these tagging devices may still provide physical access to the slidelink of the energy isolation device, thus allowing for unintended re-energizing of the electrical circuit while the circuit is supposed to be locked out and tagged out. Additionally, other known lockout, tagout devices may include portions configured to block the movement of the slidelink of an energy isolation device to prevent the slidelink from being moved to return the energy isolation device to a non-isolated state. However, such lockout, tagout devices may still be inadvertently disengaged from the energy isolation device by merely removing or displacing the lockout, tagout device from the energy isolation device. For example, a portion of a lockout, tagout device configured to block the movement of the slidelink of the energy isolation device may be disengaged from the energy isolation device thereby allowing the slidelink to be moved and return the energy isolation device to a non-isolated state while the circuit is supposed to be locked out and tagged out. Thus, there exists a need for a method and apparatus directed to maintaining an energy isolation device in an isolated state during a lockout, tagout procedure.
The above and other needs are met by aspects of the present disclosure which, in one aspect, provides a lockout, tagout device useful in preventing the undesired re-energizing of an electrical circuit in electrical communication with a switchable energy isolation device. In particular, the present disclosure relates to lockout, tagout devices that require positive and deliberate interaction with the lockout, tagout device before the lockout, tagout device can be disengaged from the energy isolation device and before a slideable linkage can even be accessed to switch the energy isolation device between an isolated state and a non-isolated state.
In various aspects, the present disclosure provides a lockout, tagout (LOTO) device for a switchable energy isolation device. The energy isolation device includes a first and second electrical terminal members and a slideable linkage disposed and in electrical communication therebetween, with the slidelink being configured to switch the first and second electrical terminal members between an isolated state (i.e., non-energized) and a non-isolated state (i.e., energized) with respect to the electrical circuit.
The lockout, tagout device includes a cover member configured to engage the isolation device so as to extend over the first and second electrical terminal members and the slideable linkage therebetween. Additionally, the lockout, tagout device includes a fastener member coupled to the cover member, wherein the fastener member is configured to engage the first or second electrical terminal member so as to secure the cover member to the isolation device. Further, the lockout, tagout device includes a securing member engaged with the cover member. In some aspects, the lockout, tagout device includes a tagging member configured to engage the fastener member and the securing member, upon the cover member being secured to the isolation device, to prevent the disengagement of the fastener member from the first or second electrical terminal member without disengagement of the tagging member from the fastener member.
In some aspects, a method of engaging a lockout, tagout device with a switchable energy isolation device is also provided. The switchable energy isolation device includes a first and second electrical terminal members and a slideable linkage disposed and in electrical communication therebetween for switching the isolation device between an isolated (i.e., non-energized) and non-isolated state (i.e., energized) with respect to the electrical circuit.
According to some aspects, the method includes engaging a cover member with the isolation device such that the cover member extends over the first and second electrical terminal members and the slideable linkage therebetween. The method further includes engaging a fastener member, coupled to the cover member, with the first or second electrical terminal member to secure the cover member to the isolation device. Additionally, the method includes engaging a tagging member with the fastener member and a securing device engaged with the cover member, upon the cover member being secured to the isolation device, to prevent disengagement of the fastener member from the first or second electrical terminal member without disengagement of the tagging member from the fastener member. Further features and advantages of the present disclosure are set forth in more detail in the following description.
Having thus described the disclosure in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all aspects of the disclosure are shown. Indeed, the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein; rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Referring to
According to one aspect, the lockout, tagout device 100 includes a cover member 110. Referring to
Referring to
Additionally, the first portion 122 may cooperate with the second portion 124 to secure the cover member 110 to the energy isolation device 5. For example, the diameter of the second portion 124 may be greater than a diameter of the aperture 112 such that when the first portion 122 extends through the aperture 112, the second portion 124 is prohibited from extending through the aperture 112. That is, a shoulder 126 defined by the transition between the first and second portions 122, 124 may substantially abut the cover member 110 when the first portion 122 fully extends through the aperture 112 such that the cover member 110 is secured to the energy isolation device 5, upon the fastener member 120 being engaged with the first or second electrical terminal member 10, 12. In one instance, for facilitating the securement of the cover member 110 to the energy isolation device 5, the length of the first portion 122 extending from the second portion 124 may be sufficient such that about 3 or 4 female threads within the internal channel defined by the first portion 122 engage the first or second electrical terminal member 10, 12. In this manner, for example, the cover member 110 may be securely fastened to the energy isolation device 5 even when there may be a number of wires or terminals attached to the first or second electrical terminal member 10, 12. In still further instances, for example, the fastener (hex) head 125 associated with the second portion 124, used for securing the fastener member 120 to the first or second electrical terminal member 120, may be the same size as the fastener (hex) head associated with the slideable linkages 20a, 20b, 20c (or slidelinks) (i.e., a 5/16″ hex head). Accordingly, one tool may be used to actuate/de-actuate the slidelink 20a, 20b, 20c as well as to install/uninstall the lockout, tagout device 100.
According to one aspect, the fastener member 120 and the securing member 130 may each define a respective tagging channel 128, 132 that extends transversely therethrough. According to some aspects, when the fastener member 120 is engaged with one of the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12 so as to secure the cover member 110 with the energy isolation device 5, the respective tagging channels 128, 132 may be aligned (though are not necessarily required to be aligned) with one another, as shown in
According to some aspects, when the tagging member 140 is engaged with the fastener member 120 and the securing member 130, the tagging member 140 is configured to prevent disengagement of the fastener member 120 from the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12 without disengagement of the tagging member 140 from at least the fastener member 120 (i.e., the fastener member 120 cannot independently rotate to disengage the threaded engagement with the first or second electrical terminal member). For example, once the tagging member 140 engages each of the tagging channels 128, 132 and forms the continuous loop, the fastener member 120 is prevented from disengaging the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12 until the continuous loop formed by the tagging member 140 is severed, broken, disconnected, and/or the like. That is, the continuous loop prevents the disengagement of the fastener member 120 from the first or second electrical terminal member 10, 12. In another aspect, the tagging member 140 may comprise any suitable securing element extending between the fastener member 120 and the securing member 130 that prevents the fastener member 120 from being removed from the first or second electrical terminal member 10, 12, without being first removed from engagement with the fastener member 120 (e.g., a bolt and nut combination, a toggle bolt, and/or the like). Accordingly, the tagging member 140 is configured to securely couple the fastener member 120 and the securing member 130 together until a user positively interacts with the tagging member 140 to disengage the tagging member 140 from the fastener member 120, in order to allow the fastener member 120, and thus the cover member 110 to be removed from the energy isolation device 5. Until removal of the cover member 110, access to the slidelink of the energy isolation device 5 is prevented.
According to some aspects, the tagging member 140 may further include a tag 142 (shown in
According to another aspect, the securing member 130 may be configured to engage the other of the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12 when the fastener member 120 is in engaged with one of the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12. Additionally, the tagging member 140 engaged between the fastener member 120 and the securing member 130, may be configured to prevent disengagement of the securing member 130 from the other of the first or second electrical terminal members 10, 12 without disengagement of the tagging member 140 from the securing member 130. Alternatively, as shown in
According to some aspects, a method of engaging a lockout, tagout device with a switchable energy isolation device is also provided. As shown in
The method 600 may further include engaging a fastener member, coupled to the cover member, with the first or second electrical terminal member (Block 604) so as to secure the cover member to the isolation device. In some aspects, engaging a fastener member with the first or second electrical terminal member so as to secure the cover member to the isolation device may further include extending a first portion of the fastener member through an aperture defined by the cover member. For example, as shown in
Returning to
Additionally or alternatively, the method may further include engaging the securing member with the other of the first or second electrical terminal member so as to secure the cover member to the energy isolation device (i.e., each of the fastener member and the securing member is engaged with one of the first and second electrical terminal elements). As with the fastener member, the tagging member may be configured to prevent disengagement of the securing member from the other of the first or second electrical terminal member without disengagement of the tagging member from the securing member.
Many modifications and other aspects of the disclosures set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these disclosures pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, those of skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments not expressly illustrated herein may be practiced within the scope of the present disclosure, including that features described herein for different embodiments may be combined with each other and/or with currently-known or future-developed technologies while remaining within the scope of the claims presented here. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosures are not to be limited to the specific aspects disclosed and that equivalents, modifications, and other aspects are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
