Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems – Remotely located
Patent
1994-12-14
1998-06-09
Hjerpe, Richard
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
Remotely located
345 1, 345206, G09G 500
Patent
active
057642001
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to connection by means of a so called "zebra strip" or zebra contact, and more exactly by means of an extruded plastic housing to achieve the pressure necessary to connect a display in form of a LCD (Liquid Crystal Device) to a printed circuit board (PCB) by means of a zebra contact.
BACK OF THE INVENTION
For displaying of e.g. price information and other additional information of a merchandise in a shop, normally a price-marking label positioned at the forward edge of the shelf carryinq the merchandise is utilized. According to the state of the art today there is a wish to replace these price labels by electronic units being controlled by a suitable central computer. By this method a great part of the tedious labor for price marking will be avoided at the same time as a guarantee is obtained that the marking of the edge of the shelf will be displaying the price known by the computer and which then controls the registration device at the exit cash register. A demand for such an electronic device for the marking of shelves is that it among other things should be thin not to occupy unnecessary space and should present a corresponding function as of the previous price-marking label, being most often a thin piece of paper
To accomplish connection between a printer circuit board and a display in the form of a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for such a display for the edge of a shelf one way is to utilize conductive rubber. Such a conductive rubber device is normalIy referred to as a so called "zebra strip" or zebra contact, why this device. To obtain a proper connection it is required that the conductive rubber should be compressed by about 15%. This compression is necessary to decrease the contact resistance. For this traditionally metal housings having wings which are bent upon assembly have been utilized or screwed joint reinforcements between the printed circuit board and the plastic or metal housings have been used.
All these methods are space consuming and are not suitable for thin products. To connect thin products a method was developed where a LCD and circuit board were joined by means of a flexible printed board and an electrically conducting fusible glue, so called "heat seal". This method however is very prolix and thereby expensive, especially when the LCD has contacts along two or more of its sides.
A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention offers a low-price and practical solution of the above mentioned problem by supplying an extruded housing of preferably PVC plastics for a price-marking device having a display window in form of a LCD, whereby the desired pressure for the compression of the conductive rubber in a zebra contact is achieved by means of a biasing force of the outer forward edge or edges of the plastic structural profile.
An additional object of the present invention is that the outer forward enclosing edge of the housing then centrally over the centrum of the zebra contact, which is making the connection to the LCD), is acting as a lever putting pressure to the glass constituting the front side of the LCD.
Another additional object of the present invention is to further conserve the created pressure by means of a plate member, preferably out of steel or any other rigid material, which member is insert into undercut slot along the edge of the longitudinal side of the housing to the housing to thereby prevent misrun of the housing plastics and a decreasing pressure against the front side of the LCD.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in form of a preferred embodiment by means of the attached drawings which show:
FIG. 1 a price-marking device comprising a display of LCD type and a solar cell for energy supply and having an area for a product label,
FIG. 2 an exemplifying portion of a printed circuit board for connection a display of LCD type, shown in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 a partly intersected illustration of a zebra contact,
FIG. 4 an intersection of the right portion of the price-markin
REFERENCES:
patent: D348287 (1994-06-01), Odmark
patent: 4367467 (1983-01-01), Emile, Jr.
patent: 4500880 (1985-02-01), Gomersall et al.
patent: 4646074 (1987-02-01), Hashimoto
patent: 5537126 (1996-07-01), Kayser et al.
Hjerpe Richard
Osorio Ricardo
Pricer Inc.
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