Abstract: A contacting electrostatic voltmeter suitable for sampling positive or negative potentials on an electrostatically charged surface. The electrostatic voltmeter includes a selectively controllable actuation mechanism that enables the use of a contacting electrostatic voltmeter to sample the surface of an electrostatically charged member, moving relative thereto, within a predetermined space. The invention finds particular use in a printing system, where it enables charge monitoring during printing yet avoids disturbance to charged latent image areas on the imaging member.

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: 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: 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 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.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a switching element comprised of oppositely disposed conductive fiber brushes and/or brush-like elements for detecting the presence or absence of paper at various locations in a xerographic copy machine. The oppositely disposed brushes are made from poly-acrylo-nitrile, a carbon based polymer material, which can be fabricated with relatively low values of resistance. Typical fiber bundles may consist of 6000 individual fibers each of 6-10 microns in diameter. In operation each individual conductive fiber acts as a separate electrical path through which the external circuit is completed. Passage of paper through the "nip" of the fiber to fiber electrical contact opens the circuit which is easily detected through associated circuitry which indicates the presence of paper. Likewise, arrays incorporating multiple such sensor switches may be fabricated for the purpose of indicating the size of the document interrupting specific low resistance fiber-fiber switches.