[SOLVED] Rubber boots for Standoffs

[dohzer]

I purchased a development kit recently, and it came with these little rubber things.
It took me a minute to work out what they were, but they seem to be some sort of rubber shock-absorber for the board's standoffs.
I think of them as 'boots' or 'socks'.

Any idea where I can get more, or their technical name?

 

[betwixt]

From the way they are stretched around the hex pillars I would say they are translucent heat shrink sleeves. They won't absorb shock, they will squash if you tighten the pillars down. I suspect they are there for electrical insulation or just for cosmetics.

Brian.

 

[dohzer]

The aren't heat-shrink; they're rubber.
Basically like a tube with one end blocked off with more rubber.
You just force the standoff into it. No "tightening" required, and tightening will only affect the perspex at the top and the PCB, not the rubber boot.

And they definitely absorb shock. The board basically bounces.

 

[betwixt]

Sorry - the 'feel' doesn't come through in the picture. I'm not sure exactly what the board is but maybe as it is for development purposes, those are just 'non slip' boots to stop it drifting around the work bench. I don't know where to buy them but similar devices are made to stretch fit over the ends of cables to keep moisture out during storage, it might be a good place to start hunting.

Brian.

 

[FvM]

Not actually rubber, either silicone "rubber" or a different plastic elastomer.

No idea why your board would "bounce"? Has it a motor or other vibrating device?

In any case, it seems like you answered the question yourself. This are simple pieces of silicone tube (or a similar material), simply cut from the reel. If you plan to use more than a thousand, you may want to order it as blanc cut from the manufacturer or a reseller.

 

[spudboy488]

If you are looking to electrically isolate the board from what it's sitting on, just replace the bottom spacers with non-conductive spacers. Digikey has a bunch https://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?pv1678=1&pv70=6&pv70=24&pv70=69&pv70=66&FV=fff40020%2Cfff803ee%2C1180006%2C1180018%2C1180042%2C1180045%2C118016f%2C1180170&k=standoff&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&stock=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=500

Your boards will sit flat, too!

 

[dohzer]

Sorry - the 'feel' doesn't come through in the picture. I'm not sure exactly what the board is but maybe as it is for development purposes, those are just 'non slip' boots to stop it drifting around the work bench.

No worries. Here's another picture (ignore the fact that the top looks a little funny; I think the cut has left it a little warped).
Hopefully the "sealed" end is displayed clearly and you can see the solid rubber part at the end that is able to absorb the shock.
I wasn't even thinking about the dual purpose, but I'd say you're right about the non-slip function. Who knows... that's probably the primary function.

Not actually rubber, either silicone "rubber" or a different plastic elastomer.

No idea why your board would "bounce"? Has it a motor or other vibrating device?

In any case, it seems like you answered the question yourself. This are simple pieces of silicone tube (or a similar material), simply cut from the reel. If you plan to use more than a thousand, you may want to order it as blanc cut from the manufacturer or a reseller.

The "rubber" material could be anything. As you can probably tell, I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to materials.
As for why it bounces, there's no mechanical device attached, but whenever I move the board, I'd rather have it standing on something springy than just having it drop with a thump on the table.
It's not for the times I place it normally, it's for if I accidentally drop it a few inches.
I'm probably just being overprotective, but I still think they're a simple product that probably cost ~0.05c each, so why not put them on every board that uses stand-offs.
Buying in bulk is always the key. :grin:

If you are looking to electrically isolate the board from what it's sitting on, just replace the bottom spacers with non-conductive spacers. Digikey has a bunch https://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?pv1678=1&pv70=6&pv70=24&pv70=69&pv70=66&FV=fff40020%2Cfff803ee%2C1180006%2C1180018%2C1180042%2C1180045%2C118016f%2C1180170&k=standoff&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&stock=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=500

Your boards will sit flat, too!

My bench isn't anti-static.... yet.
I might look into changing that. I've seen some good guides for that on the EEVBlog.


I've used "screw on" rubber feet for stand-offs in the past (see below), but these slip-on ones seem much simpler. And better.

 

[FvM]

By looking at the detail photo, I noticed that the standoffs aren't simply tube cuts, but apparently injection molded elastomer parts. A little bit more special.

I'm seeing similar parts under "silicone rubber caps" or "flat silicone rubber caps".