Patent ID: 7428402

Claim:
A cleaning blade useful in a cleaning station of an electrophotographic marking system, said blade consisting of: an elastomer and from 1-60% by weight of a carbon nanotube, wherein said elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, organic rubbers, ethylene diene and propylene diene, fortified organic rubbers, various copolymers, block copolymers, copolymer and elastomer blends, said blade comprising said carbon nanotubes having an increased electrical and thermal conductivity and enabled to enhance the dissipation of accumulated electrical charges at said blade and a photoconductive surface, and wherein said carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of materials containing only carbon atoms, materials containing carbon atoms and boron, carbon atoms and nitrogen, carbon atoms and bismuth and metal chalcogenides and wherein said nanotubes are dispersed into said elastomer and are dispersed primarily at a blade location selected from the group consisting of a bottom edge portion only of said blade, throughout said entire blade, and only at a front tip portion of said blade.