Controller for Rowing Machine repair job

[tangotonyb]

I've a rather expensive rower where the control board is no longer working. I say control - actually it just counts reps and measures "distance" etc.
When I opened it, the battery holder was corroded and one of the springs was missing. I removed it and replaced with a new holder, but the screen was still dead.
When I use the rower, the controller DOES beep, so there is life on the circuit board, which incidentally looks undamaged. I've measured the voltages on it as well and it's 2.95V, so no problem with the batteries or the new holder.

When I came to inspect the screen, I was rather surprised to see no sign of a connection to the PCB, then suddenly (I wasn't applying any force) the whole screen lifted off the PCB. It was held on by two strips of "rubber?" top and bottom - when I inspected these, they peeled away easily from the screen which just appears to be a piece of glass, with a white backing.
I have no idea if this is now trash, or if it's repairable some how. I'm guessing that the "rubber" contains a series of conductive channels and that reassembly would require both using a conductive glue and aligning the screen with the PCB exactly. But no experience here at all, so it may be a complete waste of effort to even try.

Any thoughts on how I could proceed?

The screen has the code VB3508ATRZ on the back, and the PCB 81057_01

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You are correct, it's conductive rubber - and it's NOT glued in place, or fastened in any way - it's simply 'squeezed' between the board and the glass.

There's no great alignment needed, just put it back as it was - it's a common procedure, taking them apart to clean them (you sometimes get intermittent connections, and have to clean the connections).

 

[dr pepper]

Yes put it back as it was if you get it right it'll work, here in the Uk they are sometimes called licorice allsprts, these are a black & white sweet & look a little like the rubber strip.
The rubber strip can be a little out of line as there are usually many more contact points than contacts.
I repaired one of these a while back, I think I robbed some battery contact springs out of a dead remote to get it working, & it still works now.

 

[Mickster]

here in the Uk they are sometimes called licorice allsprts

I've only known them as ZEBRA strips.

 

[narkeleptk]

I've only known them as ZEBRA strips.

Maybe its a just a UK phrase. Only other name I know beyond zebra is elastomeric connector.

 

[ChrisP58]

FYI
https://www.fujipoly.com/usa/products/zebra-elastomeric-connectors/

 

[Mickster]

FWIW, i don't have an EE background, so there was no familiarity with these strips when I first came across them during some dismantling session many years ago, but curiosity is a great thing and finding something rubbery leads to a bit of stretching...
The black and white stripes looked very much like something else and I called them zebra strips long before discovering that it was actually a brand name.