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 oth ...
ZEBRA connectors, consist of alternating conductive and insulating regions in a rubber or
elastomer
An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e. both viscosity and elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a portmanteau of ''elastic ...
matrix to produce overall
anisotropic
Anisotropy () is the property of a material which allows it to change or assume different properties in different directions, as opposed to isotropy. It can be defined as a difference, when measured along different axes, in a material's phys ...
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 fro ...
displays
# Board-to-board connections
# Chip-to-board connections
# Memory cards
See also
* Silicone rubber keypad
References
{{Reflist
Electrical signal connectors