Pultruded electronic device

• US 5,139,862 A
• Filed: 12/11/1991
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Stanley J., Swift, Joseph A., Peck, Wilbur M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANNON, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US07/806,061
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: 156/47, 156/180, 174/126.2, 200/262, 200/265, 264/172, 264/174, 264/210.1, 271/258, 310/249, 310/252, 310/253, 338/66, 338/214, 355/308, 355/321, 361/220, 361/222, 428/294, 428/408, 428/338
• US Class Current: 428/299.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/029 comprising conducting material dispersed in an elastic support or binding material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/24 Laminated contacts; Wire contacts, e.g. metallic brush, carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249945 Carbon or carbonaceous fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/268 Monolayer with structurally defined element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

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.

Claims

1. An electronic device for conducting electric current comprising two contacting components at least one of said components being a nonmetallic electronic contact comprising a pultruded composite member comprising 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 potential electrical point contacts at each end of said member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said conductive fibers are carbon fibers.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said carbon fibers are carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the fibers are generally circular in cross section have a diameter of from about 4 micrometers to about 50 micrometers.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the fibers have a diameter of from about 7 micrometers to about 10 micrometers.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the fibers have a DC volume resistivity of from about 1×

10^-5 ohm-cm to about 1×

10¹⁰ ohm-cm.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the fibers have DC volume resistivity of from about 1×

10^-4 ohm cm to about 10 ohm-cm.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said components comprises at least 5% by weight fibers.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said at least one of said components comprises at least 50% by weight fibers.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said at least one of said components comprises about 90% by weight fibers.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is a low energy device using low voltages and low currents.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said pultruded member has from about 1×

10⁵ to about 1×

10⁷ point contacts per cm².

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said polymer matrix is a structural thermoplastic or thermosetting resin.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein said resin is a polyester or epoxy.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said polymer is a crosslinked silicone elastomer.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said pultruded member is a rigid mechanical member as well as an electrical component.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein both of said components are pultruded members.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said conductive fibers of both of said components are carbon fibers.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein at least one of said pultruded members is a mechanical member as well as an electrical component.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein both of said pultruded members are mechanical members.

21. The device of claim 1 wherein said pultruded member has at least one mechanical feature incorporated therein.

22. The device of claim 16 wherein said pultruded member has at least one mechanical feature incorporated therein.

23. The device of claim 1 wherein said two components are maintained in contact by a flexible fastener.

24. A switch, sensor or connector as defined by the device of claim 1.

25. A machine including a plurality of electrical components each requiring the supply of electrical current for proper functioning, said machine including at least one electronic device for conducting electric current comprising two contacting components at least one of said components being a nonmetallic electronic contact comprising a pultruded composite member comprising 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.

26. The machine of claim 25 wherein said conductive fibers are carbon fibers.

27. The machine of claim 26 wherein said carbon fibers are carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers.

28. The machine of claim 25 wherein the fibers have a diameter of from about 4 micrometers to about 50 micrometers.

29. The machine of claim 28 wherein the fibers have a diameter of from about 7 micrometers to about 10 micrometers.

30. The machine of claim 25 wherein the fibers have a DC volume resistivity of from about 1×

10^-5 ohm-cm to about 1×

10¹⁰ ohm-cm.

31. The machine of claim 30 wherein the fibers have DC volume resistivity of from about 1×

10^-4 ohm-cm to about 10 ohm-cm.

32. The machine of claim 25 wherein said at least one of said components comprises at least 5% by weight fibers.

33. The machine of claim 32 wherein said at least one of said components comprises at least 50% by weight fibers.

34. The machine of claim 33 wherein said at least one of said components comprises about 90% by weight fibers.

35. The machine of claim 25 wherein said pultruded member has from about 1×

10⁵ to about 1×

10⁷ point contacts per cm².

36. The machine of claim 26 wherein said polymer matrix is a structural thermoplastic or thermosetting resin.

37. The machine of claim 36 wherein said resin is a polyester or epoxy.

38. The machine of claim 25 wherein said polymer is a crosslinked silicone elastomer.

39. The machine of claim 25 wherein said pultruded member is a rigid mechanical member as well as an electrical component.

40. The machine of claim 25 wherein both of said components are pultruded members.

41. The machine of claim 25 wherein said conductive fibers of both of said components are carbon fibers.

42. The machine of claim 41 wherein at least one of said pultruded members is a mechanical member as well as an electrical component.

43. The machine of claim 41 wherein both of said pultruded members are mechanical members.

44. The machine of claim 25 wherein said pultruded member has at least one mechanical feature incorporated therein.

45. The machine of claim 39 wherein said pultruded member has at least one mechanical feature incorporated therein.

46. The machine of claim 25 wherein said two components are maintained in contact by a flexible fastener.