Xerox Corporation

John E Courtney

Joseph A Swift

Stanley John Wallace

Wilbur M Peck

Thomas E Orlowski

David E Rollins

Charles J Urso, Iii

Charles D Wilson

Fred F Hubble, Iii

Gary A Dir

Kenneth I Chan

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.

Fibrillated pultruded electronic component for grounding a photoconductor

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. One end of the pultrusion has a fibrillated end portion extending across the detection zone in electrical connection with the contact that is displaced by the article when the article is present in the detection zone to disconnect the electrical connection. The sensor is particularly well adapted to sense a sheet of paper or the like, for example, in an electrostatographic reproducing machine, and can be connected to a source of electrical potential so that the conductive fibers serve to discharge any static charges existing on the sheet of paper.

Switches and sensors utilizing pultrusion contacts

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.

Hollow pultruded electical contact

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.

Method of making a fibrillated pultruded electronic component using a

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. The static eliminator device utilizes a plurality of the pultruded composite members attached to the base member, each having a rod shape, or a single pultruded composite member having a planar shape. Alternatively, the static eliminator device may essentially be of single piece construction, wherein the pultruded composite member is planar in shape.

Fibrillated pultruded electronic components and static eliminator devices

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.

Fibrillated pultruded electronic component

A media discriminating and presence sensor that can detect and discriminate between paper and transparency uses a light emitting diode and two defectors configured so as to measure both diffuse and specular reflectivity of the media, and a media support surface that suppresses unwanted reflections.

Media discriminating and media presence sensor

An optical sensor in a sheet transport system for detecting a sheet along a paper path. The sensor includes a light beam disposed in an interference relationship with a paper path, the light beam providing a plurality of crossings of the paper path and including a light emitter, a light detector disposed at the end of the light beam path, the light detector responsive to light projected along the light beam path to provide a signal, the signal providing an indication of the presence or absence of a sheet in the light beam path, and an optical fiber providing a portion of the light beam path for redirecting the light beam across the paper path. The light beam is projected at an angle with respect to the paper path, the angle being at least 10 degrees from the perpendicular to the paper path.

Light weight paper sensor using fibers

A lens is fabricated with a layer of liquid crystalline material between electrodes, wherein the liquid crystalline composition is capable of altering the state of polarization of light when a voltage is applied between the electrodes. A linear polarizer and an analyzer are used in conjunction with the lens, and optionally are incorporated into the lens.

Variable density lens

A copier or reproduction machine of the type having a photoconductive plate, corona generating means to charge the plate in preparation for imaging thereof, exposure means to expose the charged plate to a light image of the original being copied, developer means to apply developing material to the electrostatic image, and transfer means for transferring the developed image to a support material, i.e., a copy sheet. To enable the electrostatic development field between the photoconductive plate and the developer section to be controlled and thereby enhance development, an automatic potential controller, which includes an electrometer, is provided. The electrometer includes a probe section arranged to sense voltages on the plate, the electrometer serving to provide a signal reflecting plate potentials. The electrometer signal is used by the controller to automatically adjust the electrostatic development field, as by controlling the voltage bias applied to the developer. The electrometer includes its own internal power supply for the electrometer components, and circuit means are provided to utilize the internal power supply, regulated by the controller itself in response to changes in the electrostatic development field, as the source of bias for the developer and for the electrometer itself thereby obviating the need for separate and duplicate power supplies.

Controller for reproduction apparatus

Apparatus to enable potentials applied to various operating components of an electrostatic type reproduction machine to be measured by an electrostatic voltmeter. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises structures designed to place the sensing element of the voltmeter in predetermined spaced relationship with a test plate, the test plate being electrically connectable to the source of potential to be measured. In another embodiment, the apparatus locates the voltmeter sensing element in predetermined spaced relation with both the reproduction machine photoreceptor and the test plate. As a further alternative, a source of calibrating potential is provided for use in calibrating the voltmeter through the test plate.

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Macedon, NY, United States of America

John E Courtney