Elastomeric connectors, also known by the registered
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
ZEBRA connectors, consist of alternating conductive and insulating regions in a rubber or
elastomer matrix to produce overall
anisotropic conductive properties. The original version consisted of alternating conductive and insulating layers of silicone rubber, cut crosswise to expose the thin layers. They provide high-density redundant electrical paths for high reliability connections. One of the first applications was connecting thin and fragile glass
liquid crystal displays
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but i ...
(LCDs) to circuit boards in electronic devices, as little current was required.
Because of their flexibility, they excel in shock and anti-vibration applications. They can create a gasket-like seal for harsh environments. Conductor material possibilities include carbon, silver, and gold. The length, width and height may be specified as well as the stripe pitch. Frequently a recess with ribs is specified that captures and provides the elastomer reference surface for alignment (while allowing the lateral dimension of the elastomer to increase as it is compressed) with a deflection stop to control the final part separation, and alignment pins for substrate alignment.
.
They are used in two ways:
* spacing of rubber conductive strips equals
PCB
PCB may refer to:
Science and technology
* Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant
* Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics
* ...
conductor spacing, with the connector precisely aligned;
* spacing of rubber conductive strips less than half the PCB conductor spacing, without precise alignment.
A "matrix" version consists of short, fine, metallic wires, 300 to 2,000 per square centimeter, aligned parallel but not touching each other, embedded in a rubber sheet.
The wires can either protrude slightly from the top and bottom of the rubber sheet, or be curved and flush with the top and bottom planes; the latter is used for repeated assembly or inspection.
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Applications
# LCD and electroluminescent
Electroluminescence (EL) is an optical and electrical phenomenon, in which a material emits light in response to the passage of an electric current or to a strong electric field. This is distinct from black body light emission resulting from ...
displays
# Board-to-board connections
# Chip-to-board connections
# Memory cards
See also
*Silicone rubber keypad
Silicone rubber keypads (also known as elastomeric keypads) are used extensively in both consumer and industrial electronic products as a low cost and reliable switching solution.
Technology
The technology uses the compression molding properties ...
References
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Electrical signal connectors