Appliance Design - February 2009 - (Page 28)

CoNNECtorS & CorDS xible F e it F rugged and longlasting silicone elastomers are used in connectors from companies such as Fujipoly. l 28 applianceDESIGN Elastomeric connectors provide solutions for tight spaces. by larry adams February 2009 oday’s portable electronics such as MP3 players, cell phones, and President Obama’s beloved PDA, feature dazzling displays and innumerable features. In addition to sharing these traits, most share another trait, they are getting smaller. As the capabilities grow, however, space constraints come into play. Room for the electronic components gets more difficult to find and that includes the electrical connection between components such as a liquid crystal display to a printed circuit board, PCB to PCB, chip-to-board, memory cards, flex circuit-to-board, and other interconnects. This particular challenge is being overcome in some applications with elastomeric connectors, small pieces of elastomer that are electrically conductive. Traditionally, mechanical connectors are used to make electrical connections. However, t when circuit board separation in these devices are as small as 0.2 in. or less, mechanical connectors are likely too big. Elastomeric connectors such as those from Fujipoly America, Cateret, N.J., have center-to-center spacing of as small as 0.009 in. Mechanical connectors can also be a problem for applications with small pitch requirements. For instance, the pitch of a typical pin and socket connection is not available below 0.01 in. An elastomeric connector from a company such as Z-Axis, Warminster, Pa., can have a pitch of as small as 0.004 in. As connectors get smaller, there can be a cost difference between mechanical connectors and elastomeric connectors. Mechanical connectors tend to be more expensive as the size decreases. This is because of higher tooling costs that are related to tighter tolerances. The price of elastomeric connectors drops because the cost is in direct proportion to www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - February 2009 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Force-Sensing Technology Offers Designers an Alternative Approach to Creating Touch-Control Interfaces A Flammable Vapor Sensing Technology that was Originally Developed for use in Water Heaters has Evolved for use in a Broader Array of Applications Latches, Hinges, and Slides Must Reliably Secure Parts Together, Sometimes for Hundreds of Thousands of Cycles. Beyond their Utilitarian Functions, They Can Also Change Consumer Perceptions Elastomeric Electrical Connectors Can Solve Space Constraint Problems in Electronic Products and Provide Some Cost Advantages as Well A Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor with a Novel Electrode Design Can Suppress Electromagnetic Interference, Improve Circuit Performance, and Reduce the Number of Needed Components Design Marts Association Report: AHRI Advertisers’ Index

Appliance Design - February 2009

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