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Help needs to identify part. (Small clamp?)

l0gic

Sep 17, 2013
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Sep 17, 2013
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Hi all, I'm trying to track down some of these parts. I'm not 100% sure what they're called but they're a small 'C' or horseshoe shape and springy like fuse holders.

They're maybe 1-1.5mm wide and slide onto about the same 1-1.5mm thickness and are being used to connect to a small LCD panel as a replacement to the original ribbon cable.

The previous cable failed due to extreme heat softening the adhesive used to bond cable to LCD. The thing is the LCD doesn't have contact points that appear to be solder-able, so these small clamps/clips are being used.

They slide on and have a 'springy' nature which allows them to make contact with the contact points on the LCD. In these pictures the repair works flawlessly, however the person who undertook the repair on this unit has moved on and is not contactable.

I'm now faced with another unit that has failed in the same way and I was hoping to give this repair a shot myself.

The unit itself is a Climate Control / Message Display Center from an AU Ford Fairmont, like this: http://i.imgur.com/sdSNMyM.jpg

What I'm after look like this: http://i.imgur.com/Ph6G7QS.jpg
And are doing this: http://i.imgur.com/6RRAyNx.jpg

I need to try and find those clip bits and hopefully somewhere to buy them. But I'm not even sure what they're called.

I can add more photos if I helps, just ask and I'll do my best.

Additionally if anyone else knows another method for connecting to these glass surface (I think they are) LCD contact points, please let me know!

Thanks in advance.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
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Sep 5, 2009
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Hey logic
welcome to the forums :)

how's the "shaky Isles" treating you? I was in CHCH in July visiting my kids and granddaughter :)

the second 2 pics of the contacts are pretty difficult to see as they are VERY blurry
not sure if they are available separately or in strips or if they are just part of an overall connector

cheers
Dave
 

Landon

Sep 18, 2013
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Sep 18, 2013
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Its too blurry, please repost the pictures with the images in focus.
 

l0gic

Sep 17, 2013
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Sep 17, 2013
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Hi davenn, it's not too bad here at the moment, the recovery effort/time is pretty poor. We still have damaged buildings standing in town that need to be demo'd. But I guess, it's a huge cost involved and there haven't been many multi-story building demolition jobs in NZ so I guess they have to wait in line for the people with the right qualifications to get to it.. It's the politics behind it all that have made it miserable. And housing costs, rent prices are up maybe 15% and quality of ose rentals down by up to 50%.. It's still a mess, but we're sticking with it.. Can't wait until we have smooth roads again!

And hi Landon, I've got another picture. Slightly different angle but hopefully easier to see.

They look like very small u-clips with a leg coming off (I wouldn't need the leg though) and they're very, very small..

The panel they're sliding/clipping into is slightly under 1mm, they slide onto the board about 1.5mm and are slightly over 1mm wide.

I'm not sure what gauge that wire is they're soldered onto but it's small. Imagine a singe strand/wire split from an IDE-HDD type cable.

Anyway, here's the picture: http://i.imgur.com/jZYz2q6.jpg

I'm quite sure I'm looking at some kind of u-clip, but I cannot find any that small through usual sources, or google.. Which makes me wonder if they're something else (jewellery, fishing, something) items that are being re-purposed.

I keep coming back in my mind to surface/pcb mount fuse clips, by the smallest of them. Can find is 5mm where I need just under 1mm.

As for them being individual or coming as a strip, I could make-do either way really, they're very thin metal, I imagine they could be cut from a strip with ease.
 

Landon

Sep 18, 2013
7
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Sep 18, 2013
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Oh those...

I have no idea where to get those, but if you can find an old TV sitting by the road they have RF modules in them that the shielding is made from really thin metal, with some tip snips, jewlery pliers, and a really small metal file you should be able to make one of these.

As far as re-attaching it goes either black vinyl electrical tape or black RTV goop should hold it down, but don't power it on until the RTV is dry (it is conductive while still wet).
 

l0gic

Sep 17, 2013
5
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Sep 17, 2013
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I think you may be right.. And I found a place I might be able to get them from too!

http://www.autosplice.com/Product/?id=10041

I've requested a sample kit from them, hopefully I can snip the clip bits off these units to use them individually for this.. If it works, I'm going to need a fair few of them as I know others who also need their displays fixed up!
 

Nobody

Aug 31, 2013
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Aug 31, 2013
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...electrical tape or black RTV goop should hold it down
.

Do not use RTV1. Yours probably older LCD, probably you have Indium tin oxide, even if newer Aluminum Zinc Oxide, regular RTV emanate acid, it might dissolve transparent electrodes.

If you absolutely have to - make sure it is RTV2 (neutral).

I would advise against any glue on glass, even electric tape. It is OK to attach ribbon to some holder away from glass, but no compound of any kind on LCD. Even if you have contact now - after thermal cycling contact might break (expanding RTV will swell more than metal creating padding and driving contact away from conductive surface).

RF shield clips are good idea, but designed for pretty thin metal. Yo might be better off taking apart some female connector with square pins and reuse them. Ideally thickness of mating male pins should be the same as your LCD glass. I'm thinking that even common DIP socket might fit. Those got to be abundant in home stock of any electronic hobbyist.

Another common option is to use conductive "zebra" rubber pads. It has alternating conductive and non-conductive layers, squized between glass and board. See link:
http://www.fujipoly.com/usa/design-guidelines/89.html You will need mating PCB, eBay is your friend for those.
 

l0gic

Sep 17, 2013
5
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Sep 17, 2013
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I'm thinking that even common DIP socket might fit. Those got to be abundant in home stock of any electronic hobbyist

Oh, they look good too.. I think I have a few of those laying around still.

I'll have a nosey and report back!
 

l0gic

Sep 17, 2013
5
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Sep 17, 2013
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Nobody, you're a champion.

I have three 40 pin IC Sockets here now and the terminals look perfect. I haven't tried to take them out of the plastic housing yet as I don't want them to go missing (and I need to pop out and grab some more wire) but its looking very promising!

As for securing them, on the unit in the photos they just slide on to the LCD terminals/contacts and seem to just stay there.. Looking at it closer when the LCD is put back into the housing there's some non-conductive foam applying some pressure. I think that might be all that's needed.

I might secure them all with a quick bead of hot glue though.. Is hot glue safe to use? I assume so, but not 100% sure.
 

Nobody

Aug 31, 2013
12
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Aug 31, 2013
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I'm glad to help!

I might secure them all with a quick bead of hot glue though.. Is hot glue safe to use? I assume so, but not 100% sure.

... just not on the LCD glass. Next to it, like on the frame holding wire insulation, is fine. But not on the glass, not on the contacts!

I don't know how hot it gets over there, but hot glue is not the best for the cars. Silicone or epoxy I think is better for that purpose.


Cheers!
 
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