Static electricity is the result of a loss or a gain of one or more electrons by atoms making up a body. It has long been known that static electricity may be utilized to cause adherence of two solid articles, and that static electricity may be eliminated if a body which is statically charged is subjected to a stream of ions. Ions are atoms which have gained or lost one or more electrons. Most commonly, air or some other gas is subjected to an electrical potential which excites electrons, causing them to leave the orbit of the atom, thereby making the atom charged; in some instances, the electron which escapes from one atom enters into the orbit of another atom, thereby making that other atom electrically charged. Where one or more electrons leave an atom, it is an unbalanced atom and is known as a positively charged ion, while an atom which receives one or more electrons is designated as an unbalanced, negatively charged atom, or as a negative ion. The production of ionized air, for example, is typically accomplished by providing a high voltage on a sharp point, which is in close proximity to a grounded conductive element. The electrical energy is concentrated by the sharp point, and there is a breakdown in the air molecules and atoms, resulting in the disturbance of the normal balance of electrons, as the electrical energy flows from the point to ground. Ionizers, that is, producers of ionized air, or other gas, have been used for such purposes as the elimination of static electricity, by the generation from alternating current of positive and negative ions which effect static neutralization. Where direct current has been utilized, ionization occurs, but is of one polarity or the other, and the most common applications are in connection with electrostatic pinning or adherence, and xerographic reproduction.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds