US Patent 7398035 - Nanotube array charging device for electrophotography

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7398035.html

In many printers a variety of charging devices are required to charge belts and drums to facilitate the transfer of toner or paper during printing processes. A variety of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes have been noted to have high efficiency election emission properties. This patent from Xerox teaches the incorporation of such nanomaterials in charging devices for printing. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electrophotographic charging device comprising:

a dielectric layer;

a first electrode disposed adjacent to a first surface of the dielectric layer;

a second electrode, wherein the second electrode has a first surface disposed adjacent to a second surface of the dielectric layer; and

a plurality of nanostructures, wherein each of the plurality of nanostructures has an end in electrical contact with a second surface of the second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of electrodes disposed essentially parallel to each other.