Abstract: A method of making a conductive fiber in which the conductive fiber is formed from a mixture including at least one fiber forming material and conductive magnetic materials, and the conductive magnetic materials are migrated toward the periphery of the fiber by application of a magnetic field to the fiber. The conductive fibers having the conductive magnetic materials located at the periphery of the fiber are preferably incorporated into an electrostatic cleaning device for use in an electrostatographic printing device.

Abstract: Electroconductive fibers with electrically conductive filler suffused through or coated upon the surface of the filamentary polymer substrate and being present inside the filamentary polymer substrate as a uniformly dispersed phase adhered to the polymer substrate in an annular region located at the periphery of the filament and extending inwardly along the diameter thereof, wherein the electroconductive fibers are suitable for miniature cleaning brushes for an image forming apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electrical component for making electrical contact with another component comprising a composite member including a plurality of electrically conductive, nonmetallic fibers in an electrically conductive metallic matrix wherein said composite member has an axial direction and a DC volume resistivity of less than about 100 micro ohm cm, said plurality of conductive fibers being oriented in said matrix in a direction substantially parallel to each other and to the axial direction of said member and said fibers being continuous from one end of said member to the other end to provide a plurality of electrical contact points at each end of said member, at least one end of said member having a brush-like structure of said plurality of fibers wherein said brush-like structure is at least substantially free of the metallic matrix, thereby providing a distributed filament contact wherein the terminating ends of the fibers in the brush-like structure define an electrically contacting surface.

Abstract: A pultruded composite member having a longitudinal axis comprising a plurality of reinforcing fibers in a solid polymer matrix, said member having embedded at least one functional feature having been incorporated therein during its manufacture when the fiber reinforced liquid polymer was pulled through a pultrusion apparatus.

Abstract: A method of forming at least one electrically conductive path in a thermoplastic substrate having a melting point below 325.degree. C.

Abstract: An electronic component for making electrical contact with another component comprising a nonmetallic pultruded composite member having a plurality of small generally circular cross section conductive fibers in a polymer matrix said plurality of fibers being oriented in said matrix in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of said member and being continuous from one end of said member to the other to provide a plurality of electrical point contacts at each end of said member at least one end of said member having a fibrillated brush-like structure of said plurality of fibers providing a densely distributed filament contact wherein the terminating ends of the fibers in the brush-like structure defines an electrically contacting surface. In a preferred embodiment the brush-like member is a laser fibrillated structure.

Abstract: Electronic switches and sensors have pultruded contact members. A switch includes first and second contact members, at least one of which including a pultruded contact member having an insulating body and a plurality of conductive fibers carried within the insulating body. The pultruded contact member is fibrillated at least at one end thereof to expose the conductive fibers for establishing electrical contact when brought into physical contact with the other of the first and second contact members. A sensor for detecting the presence of an article in a detection zone includes a contact at one side of the detection zone, and a pultrusion including a plurality of electrically conductive fibers and a host material carrying the plurality of fibers, supported at another end of the detection zone.

Abstract: An electrostatographic reproduction machine wherein at least a portion of the wiring is formed from partially carbonized polyacrylonitrile filaments having a resistivity of between 1.times.10.sup.2 and 1.times.10.sup.10 ohm-cm. Preferably, the interconnects from the power source to the corona generating means are partially carbonized polyarylonitrile wires.

Abstract: An electroconductive contact is formed of a pultruded member that has a hollow construction. The pultruded member includes a plurality of continuous electroconductive strands embedded in a resin material. At least one end of the pultruded member has laser fibrillated strands that are intended to contact a photoreceptive belt. An alignment structure can be integrally formed during the pultrusion process on a surface of the pultruded member. The alignment structure aligns the pultruded member relative to a contact. The electroconductive contact may also provide electrical connection between a photoreceptive belt and a ground terminal.

Abstract: A method of making a connector by applying a focused beam from a laser to a polymer matrix containing plurality of conductive fibers in parallel. The laser is applied at one end of the matrix to volatilize the matrix so as to expose the plurality of conductive fibers to provide a laser fibrillated brush-like structure to define an electrically contacting surface.

Abstract: The method of making a tubular pultruded member having a longitudinal axis and a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout includes providing a heated die with a mandrel extending through the forming die section and a bath of liquid polymer, simultaneously pulling continuous reinforcing fibers and at least one carrier tape with wall spacers through the liquid polymer bath around the mandrel and into and through the heated die to shape and cure the liquid polymer into a tubular pultruded member, the wall spacers having a thickness equal to the uniform distance between the outside surface of the mandrel and the inside surface of the die.

Abstract: Static eliminator device includes a nonmetallic pultruded composite member having a plurality of conductive carbon fibers provided within a polymer matrix of thermosetting resin, wherein the plurality of carbon fibers are oriented within the polymer matrix in a longitudinal direction of the pultruded composite member and extend continuously therethrough. The pultruded composite member has at least one laser fibrillated end including a brush-like structure of densely distributed filament contacts formed from an exposed length of the carbon fibers for contact with the surface. The brush-like structure has either a straight edge configuration or a shaped configuration. The static eliminator device may include a base member for holding the pultruded composite member, wherein the base member electrically communicates with the plurality of conductive fibers to permit the electrical charge to pass therefrom.

Abstract: A frame assembly for affording mechanical support and for carrying electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine. The frame assembly includes members comprising pultrusions having an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within the insulating body, and has grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension with conductors in the grooves. The conductors provide electrical conduction paths that are connectable to circuitry of the machine. The pultrusion may be a thermal setting polymer, for example, selected from the group consisting essentially of polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxies, and may be reinforced with fiberglass. The frame member can also have a hollow interior portion within which conductors are arranged to conduct AC power to the circuitry of the machine, and the conductors on the exterior surface of the frame member can be arranged to conduct IIOC bus signals.

Abstract: An interlevel connector, a multilayer wiring board assembly, and method for making the same are presented. The interlevel connector includes a dielectric substrate having a plurality of through holes and a corresponding plurality of pultrusions. Each pultrusion includes a plurality of electrically conductive fibers and an electrically conductive or insulating host material carrying the plurality of fibers, each of the plurality of pultrusions being located in a respective through hole and having fibrillated portions extending from surfaces of the dielectric substrate. The interlevel connector is used in the construction of a multilayer wiring assembly in which first and second wiring boards having respective conductive portions are interconnected.

Abstract: An electronic component for making electrical contact with another component comprising a nonmetallic pultruded composite member having a plurality of small generally circular cross section conductive fibers in a polymer matrix the plurality of fibers being oriented in the matrix in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the member and being continuous from one end of the member to the other to provide a plurality of electrical point contacts at each end of the member at least one end of the member having a fibrillated brush-like structure of said plurality of fibers providing a densely distributed filament contact wherein the terminating ends of the fibers in the brush-like structure defines an electrically contacting surface. In a preferred embodiment the brush-like member is a laser fibrillated structure.

Abstract: An interconnect for electrically connecting two members having conductive wiring on respective surfaces thereof includes first and second hinge parts of electrically insulating material which are mutually pivotable when placed in a mating position. The hinge parts have mutually contacting electrically conducting portions when the first and second hinge parts are in their mating position, and the electrically conducting portions are in electrical contact with the conductive wiring on the respective surfaces of the two members. The conductive wiring is arranged on the two members such that when the members are secured, for instance, to assemblies to be interconnected, the conductive wiring aligns with and contacts the desired wires or traces on the interconnected assemblies.

Abstract: A high voltage connector is formed of a composite pultruded member that has an inner core including a plurality of high resistance electroconductive strands carried in a resin binder. The inner core is surrounded by an outer nonconductive shell, and extends from a laser cut end of the outer shell to a contact face. During formation of the contact using laser techniques, portions of the outer shell are removed to expose the inner core, the resin binder of the inner core may be removed, and the strands of the inner core may be fibrillated and patterned as desired. In one embodiment, the resistance of the strands of the inner core of the high voltage connector provide a load resistor for a circuit to which the connector may be connected.

Abstract: A contact for use in contacting a moving photoreceptor surface, is formed from a structure (preferably a pultrusion) including a plurality of continuous strand fibers of high electrical resistance, and a thermally stable insulating component between the resistive fibers. The resistive fibers are configured to form a brush extending from the insulating component for contact with the photoreceptor surface. The resistance of the fibers is sufficiently high to reduce leakage of surface charges away from the photoreceptor and to provide a high resistance between adjacent fibers. The insulating component, which serves to interface the carbon filaments from each other and from a host polymer may comprise an organic compound, such as a polyimide composition, or may comprise an inorganic compound such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or water glass, and is thermally stable below about 1000.degree. C. The host polymer, on the other hand volatilizes rapidly and cleanly upon direct exposure to laser energy.

Abstract: A method of forming at least one electrically conductive path in a plastic substrate comprising providing a thermoplastic substrate having a melting point below 325.degree. C.

Abstract: An electronic device for conducting electric current has two contacting components at least one of which is a nonmetallic electronic contact in the form of a pultruded composite member made of a plurality of small generally circular cross section conductive fibers in a polymer matrix, the fibers being oriented in the matrix in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the pultruded composite member and being continuous from one end of the member to the other to provide a plurality of electrical point contacts at each end of the member.