JP2006278161A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an increase in size of a manufacturing device for fabricating a large-screen display device using a gas discharge tube having a phosphor and a discharge gas sealed in a thin glass tube, and to improve yields and so on. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of gas discharge tubes are arranged to form a row, with a space or a buffer layer provided between ends of the plurality of discharge tubes to prevent damage caused by contact between the ends of adjacent gas discharge tubes in the same row. A supporting member is provided to hold the spacing between the plurality of gas discharge tubes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device that forms a display screen by arranging a plurality of gas discharge tubes filled with a phosphor and a discharge gas. More specifically, the vertical direction of the display screen is configured by a plurality of gas discharge tubes. The present invention relates to a gas discharge tube display device suitable for constituting a large screen.

  As a display device using a gas discharge tube, a large gas display panel described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-103187 is known. This gas discharge tube has a structure in which a fluorescent substance and a discharge gas are enclosed in a thin tube such as glass, and a plurality of gas discharge tubes are arranged to form a display device. It has features such as light weight, low cost, and easy screen size change.

  In paragraphs 0045 and 0046 of JP-A-2003-272561, the ends of two supporting members having an electron emission film disposed on the inner surface of the thin tube are heated and melted and bonded, or low melting point glass is used. A method of forming a connection portion by connecting with an adhesive such as is described.

  On the other hand, with respect to display devices that display various types of image information, the content to be displayed has been enriched, and display devices installed in the home are also desired to have a larger screen display than before in order to enhance the sense of reality. There is also a demand for a large-screen display device that can be easily recognized when displaying destination guidance, advertisements, and the like, and that can display moving images and detailed information.

  The gas discharge tube described above uses a thin tube having a diameter of about 0.5 mm to 5 mm, and originally has a configuration suitable for this large display device. For example, a large display device having a diagonal size exceeding 100 inches is used. When configured, since the gas discharge tube itself is long, it is not easy to manufacture a large display device even if the gas discharge tube is used.

  In such a display device, when a display device having a large screen, for example, a display screen having a length of 2 m and a width of 3 m is created, if a vertical line is to be realized by one gas discharge tube, the length is at least 2 m. It is necessary to create a gas discharge tube. In order to create a gas discharge tube having a length of 2 m, the manufacturing equipment is increased in size, and a phosphor layer is inserted or applied in a long and thin tube, or secondary electron emission is performed. The yield in the step of forming a film (for example, MgO) layer is deteriorated.

In order to avoid these problems, it is conceivable to form a 2 m gas discharge tube by arranging a plurality of gas discharge tubes adjacent in the longitudinal direction. Since adjacent portions of the plurality of gas discharge tubes become non-light emitting portions when the gas discharge tubes emit light, it is necessary to securely hold the two gas discharge tubes in as small an area as possible.
JP-A-61-103187 JP2003-272561, paragraphs 0045 and 0046

  However, when the gas discharge tubes are arranged so that the ends thereof are in close contact with each other, the substrate on which the gas discharge tubes are supported and electrodes (display electrode pairs and address electrodes) for controlling the light emission of the gas discharge tubes are formed. When the gas discharge tube is pressed and bonded to the substrate when being placed and fixed to each other, adjacent ends of the gas discharge tube come into contact with each other, and the gas discharge tube may be damaged from this end. In addition, when the gas discharge tube display device is transported or when the gas discharge tube display device is operated, if the gas discharge tube vibrates, the ends of the gas discharge tube come into contact with each other at the adjacent portion and may be damaged. As a result, the gas discharge tube could be damaged. Further, when the connected gas discharge tube is bent in the longitudinal direction, the connection portion may be broken.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the first invention, a display device in which a plurality of gas discharge tubes enclosing a discharge gas and a phosphor are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube, A plurality of gas discharge tubes are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube, and a gap is provided between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes.

  The gist of the second invention is a display device characterized in that a buffer layer is provided in the gap portion in addition to the first invention.

Furthermore, in the third invention, in addition to the first or second invention, the plurality of gas discharge tubes arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tubes are arranged between adjacent ends. The gist of the display device is as follows.

  Further, in the fourth invention, in addition to the second invention, the display surface of the display device has a shape in which the column direction is curved, and the plurality of gas discharge tubes are curved at respective curvatures, and the gas discharge tube The gist of the display device is characterized in that the support body that supports between the adjacent end portions has a holding portion corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of gas discharge tubes to be supported.

  Furthermore, a fifth invention is characterized in that the display device according to claim 3 is characterized in that the support has a terminal connected to an address electrode of the gas discharge tube.

  In the configuration according to the present invention, the vertical direction of the display screen is configured by a plurality of gas discharge tubes, and a gap is provided between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes. This prevents the gas discharge tube from being damaged, prevents an increase in the size of equipment necessary for manufacturing the gas discharge tube, and makes it possible to manufacture a gas discharge tube display device having a large screen. Furthermore, by providing a buffer layer in the gap, it becomes possible to secure the gap more reliably, and a support body that supports the gas discharge tubes on both sides of the gap is provided on the surface opposite to the display surface, so that it is more reliable. It is possible to ensure the gap and to prevent the display surface from being blocked by the support.

  The display device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a gas discharge tube, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main part of a panel of a display device of the present invention when two gas discharge tubes are arranged in the vertical direction of a display screen.

  In FIG. 1, a glass tube 1 is composed of a glass thin tube having a diameter of about 0.5 mm to 5 mm in which a secondary electron emission film (for example, MgO) is formed on an inner wall surface. A boat 2 having a concave cross-sectional shape made of glass or ceramic, and a phosphor layer 3 formed by laminating a phosphor paste on the concave surface portion of the boat 2 are disposed, and a discharge gas ( For example, Ne: 96%, Xe: 4%) is introduced, and both ends of the gas discharge tube 10 are sealed. Different phosphor layers 3 are used depending on the emission colors of R, G, and B.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the main part of the panel of the display device using the gas discharge tube 10 described above. This panel 7 illustrates the case where two gas discharge tubes 10 are arranged in the longitudinal direction, but three or more gas discharge tubes 10 may be arranged in the longitudinal direction. In the direction (row direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the plurality of gas discharge tubes 10 usually have three gas discharge tubes 10 each emitting R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Are arranged. A front side substrate 20 is disposed on the light emitting surface side of the gas discharge tube 10, and a back side substrate 30 is disposed on the back side facing the light emitting surface. A plurality of display electrode pairs 15 (also referred to as sustain electrodes) that are paired with the X electrode 13 and the Y electrode 14 are arranged on the front substrate 20 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube 10. A non-light emitting region 16 is provided between the pair 15. At the position of the non-display area 16, a gas discharge tube gap 40 is disposed adjacent to the ends of the gas discharge tubes 10 arranged in the longitudinal direction.

  An address electrode 12 is provided on the back substrate 30 in contact with each gas discharge tube 10 in the longitudinal direction. When the panel 7 is assembled, the display electrode pair 15 and the address electrode 12 are brought into contact with the upper outer peripheral surface and the lower outer peripheral surface of the gas discharge tube 10, respectively. In order to improve the adhesion, The adhesive layer or the adhesive layer may be interposed between the display electrode pair 15, the address electrode 12 and the gas discharge tube 10, and the adhesive layer or the adhesive layer may be adhered or adhered, and the adhesive layer or adhesive layer is preferably transparent.

  Moreover, it is preferable to use a transparent substrate material such as a glass plate as the substrate material of the front substrate 20, and in order to improve the adhesion between the gas discharge tube 10 and the display electrode pair 15, PET (polyethylene) A transparent substrate material having flexibility such as terephthalate resin is preferred. Similarly, a glass plate or PET resin can be used as the substrate material of the back side substrate 30, but in order to improve the adhesion between the gas discharge tube 10 and the address electrode 12, a substrate material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin is used. preferable. It is preferable to use a flexible substrate material such as PET resin for both the front side substrate 20 and the back side substrate 30, but only one of the substrates 20 and 30 may be a flexible substrate material.

  A schematic configuration of the display device according to the invention using the panel 7 described above will be described with reference to FIG. The display device 100 includes a panel 7 and a drive unit 110. A region where the pair of the X electrode 13 and the Y electrode 14 of the display electrode pair 15 of the panel 7 intersects with the address electrode 12 is a unit light emitting point (hereinafter referred to as a cell). In the present embodiment, the display electrode pairs 15X and Y extend in the row direction of the display screen, and the Y electrode 14 of each display electrode pair 15 serves as a scan electrode for selecting cells in units of rows when addressing cells to be discharged. Used. The address electrode 12 extends in the column direction and is used as an electrode for selecting cells in units of columns. The drive unit 110 includes a controller 112, a data processing circuit 114, an X driver 116, a scan driver 118, a Y common driver 120, an address driver 122, a power supply circuit (not shown), and the like. The drive unit 110 is supplied with field data DF in units of pixels indicating luminance levels (gradation levels) of R, G, and B colors from various external devices such as a TV tuner and a computer together with various synchronization signals. The field data DF is temporarily stored in the frame memory 124 in the data processing circuit 114, then subjected to processing for gray scale display, then stored in the frame memory 124, and transferred to the address driver 122 as appropriate.

  The X driver 116 applies a driving voltage to all the X electrodes 13. The scan driver 118 individually applies a drive voltage to each Y electrode 14 in addressing. The Y common driver 120 applies a driving voltage to all the display electrodes Y at a time when the lighting is maintained.

  Next, a manufacturing method and a first embodiment of the gas discharge tube 10 which is a main part of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a panel of gas discharge tubes, and an example in which three rows of gas discharge tubes 10 are simultaneously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tubes 10 is illustrated. FIG. 4A illustrates a method for flattening the end of the gas discharge tube 10, using a low-melting glass sheet 200, pressing the glass tube 1 against the surface of the low-melting glass sheet 200, The low melting point glass sheet 200 is transferred to the end face of the glass tube 10 in a shape corresponding to the end section of the glass tube 1 by shearing force, and then the boat 2 (see FIG. 1) on which the baked phosphor layer 3 is laminated is made of glass. It is inserted into the tube 1 and temporarily fixed, and the resin in the low melting point glass sheet 200 is fired to fix the boat 2 and the glass tube 1. Thereafter, the interior of the glass tube 1 is evacuated to remove impurities and impurity gases generated during firing such as carbon dioxide gas adsorbed on the secondary electron emission film, and then a discharge gas is introduced into the glass tube 1. One end of 1 is sealed. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the end portion of the gas discharge tube 10 that is sealed flat is arranged with the end surface aligned with the reference surface, and a spacer 202 having a desired thickness is disposed on the end surface. Place. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the gas discharge tube 10 whose end is flattened is placed against the other surface of the spacer 202.

  After the gas discharge tubes 10 are further arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tubes 10 through the gaps of the thicknesses of the spacers 202 by the above method, the spacers 202 are removed and the desired interval is obtained. The gas discharge tubes 10 are arranged separately (see FIG. 5A).

  FIG. 5A shows the case where the gas discharge tube gap 40 is formed by leaving the gap corresponding to the thickness of the spacer 202 between the flattened ends of the gas discharge tubes 10 by the above method. Shown in

  Further, a buffer layer 50 formed by dispensing silicone rubber may be provided in the gas discharge tube gap 40. Silicone rubber is used for the buffer layer 50, but addition reaction type rubber, condensation reaction type, and ultraviolet curable type silicone rubber can also be applied. In addition to silicone rubber, acrylic resin materials can be used.

As described above, since the gas discharge tubes 10 arranged in a row are arranged with a gap between the mutually adjacent ends, direct contact between the gas discharge tubes 10 can be prevented and damage can be eliminated. .
Further, the same effect can be obtained by filling the gap portion with a soft material that becomes the buffer layer 50. Further, by providing a support for holding these gaps on the non-display surface side, it is possible to hold a constant gap without affecting the display. Further, even when the connected gas discharge tube is bent in the longitudinal direction, the gas discharge tube can be prevented from being broken by the gap between the end portions or the buffer layer 50.

  Referring to FIG. 6 showing the main part in the vicinity of the gas discharge tube gap 40 of the panel 7 using the long gas discharge tube 10 produced by the above method, the light emitting portion side (display surface side, A configuration near the gas discharge tube gap 40 as viewed from the front substrate 20 side will be described. A buffer layer 50 is provided between the adjacent ends of the gas discharge tube 10, and the display electrode pair 15 provided on the front substrate 20 (see FIG. 2) is in contact with the light emitting surface side of the gas discharge tube 10. ing. The display electrode pair 15 includes a Y electrode 14 and an X electrode 13, and each of the electrodes 13 and 14 includes a bus electrode 18 and an auxiliary electrode 19. The material constituting the bus electrode 18 is Cu (copper) or the like, and the material constituting the auxiliary electrode 19 is transparent ITO or the like. By providing the bus electrode 18, the discharge start voltage between the display electrode pair 15 is lowered, and the sustain discharge can be easily performed. The auxiliary electrode 19 may be made of the same material as that of the bus electrode 18 and may have a mesh shape or the like so as to maintain the transmittance.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the front substrate 20 and the back substrate 30 are omitted. In the present embodiment, a metal material is used as the support body 60 of the gas discharge tube gap 40 of the plurality of gas discharge tubes 10 formed in the first embodiment. A buffer layer 50 that defines a gap between the ends of the gas discharge tube 10 is formed at the center of the metal support 60. By arranging a plurality of supports 60 in the column direction and disposing an insulator between the supports, it is possible to configure a support for a plurality of lines such as three lines of R, G, and B.

  When the address electrode 12 is formed with a conductive paste or the like on the back surface (non-light emitting surface side) of the gas discharge tube 10, by fixing the metal support 60 and the address electrode 12 with the conductive adhesive layer 62, The address electrodes 12 of the gas discharge tubes 10 adjacent in the longitudinal direction can be held at the same potential. The metal support 60 and the address electrode 12 may be fixed using an anisotropic conductive film as the conductive adhesive layer 62.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the front substrate 20 is not shown. This is a preferred embodiment when the substrate 73 provided with the adhesive layer 70 on the surface of the address electrode 12 formed on the film-like substrate 73 is used, and the gas discharge tube gap of the support 72 using an insulating material is used. A through-hole 76 is provided in the vicinity of the portion 40 to lead out the address electrode 12 to the back side. The insulating material support 72 and the address electrode 12 are bonded by an adhesive layer 74, and the address electrode 12 provided on the film-like substrate 73 can be reliably held at the end of the gas discharge tube 10, It is possible to prevent the attached address electrode 12 from being peeled off from the gas discharge tube 10 and maintain the adhesion between the gas discharge tube 10 and the address electrode.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 also omit the front substrate 20. This embodiment is characterized in that the support is made of an insulating material and has a terminal for drawing out the address electrode on the support. In FIG. 9A, the address electrode 12 is formed on the gas discharge tube 10, and this address electrode 12 is an insulating support through a conductive adhesive layer 82 made of a conductive adhesive or the like. 80 is joined to an electrode 84 provided on the electrode 80. The electrode 84 is joined to the electrode 88 of the support 80 through a conductive portion 86 in a through hole provided in the support 80, and the electrode 88 and a terminal 89 erected on the support 80 are connected to each other. It is connected. By connecting the terminal 89 to the address driver 122 (see FIG. 3) as a connector, the electrode can be easily drawn out. FIG. 9B is substantially the same as the embodiment of FIG. 9A, except that there is no terminal 89 standing upright.

  The configuration shown in FIG. 10 is similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 9, and description of the same reference numerals is omitted. The feature of the configuration of FIG. 10 is that the electrode 84 and the terminal 89 are directly connected, and the terminal 89 is connected to the address electrode 12 of each gas discharge tube 10 and separated. Accordingly, since a signal having a different potential can be applied to each address electrode 12 of the two gas discharge tubes 10, the address operation of the gas discharge tubes 10 in the same column direction can be divided into two.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The present embodiment is a panel 150 that has a gentle curvature on the screen in the case of a large screen so that the edge of the screen can be easily seen even on a large screen and a realistic feeling can be obtained. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outline of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view seen from the back surface (non-light emitting portion surface) side of the display screen. As shown in FIG. 11, each discharge tube 10 bonded to the front substrate 20 is held with a curvature with respect to the column direction, and in this embodiment, the gas discharge tube 10 faces and is adjacent to the approximate center in the column direction. Has been. As shown in FIG. 12A, the support 152 for fixing the gas discharge tube 10 is provided on the non-display surface (non-light emitting surface side), and the gap between adjacent portions of the gas discharge tube 10 is kept constant. . Since the support 152 is provided on the back side, the gas discharge tube 10 is prevented from being damaged without affecting the display. Furthermore, since the shape of the support 152 is made to match the curvature of the display surface, it also has the effect of keeping the curvature of the gas discharge tubes 10 in the same row constant. If the support 152 is a material having strength against bending, such as a metal material (for example, a spring material), the support 152 has an effect of reinforcing the gas discharge tube 10 against bending. 4 to 4 can also be used to easily connect the address electrodes 12 (see FIG. 3) formed on the back side of the gas discharge tube 10 by using the conductivity of the support 152, It is also possible to manufacture the support 152 from an insulating material, provide a terminal connected to the address electrode from the support 152, and add the function of a connector to the support 152.

According to the present invention, for example, when a plurality of gas discharge tubes are arranged and arranged in a vertical line in a display device, for example, a gas discharge tube that is flat-sealed in a range of a region that becomes a non-discharge portion of discharge. By arranging the ends of the pipes so that there is a gap between them, direct contact between the pipe ends can be prevented, the breakage can be eliminated, and the same effect can be obtained by filling the gap with a soft material serving as a buffer layer. be able to. Further, by providing a support for holding these gaps on the non-display surface side, it is possible to hold a constant gap without affecting the display. Further, in a gas discharge tube display device having a curvature in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube, it is possible to have an effect of keeping the curvature constant by giving the support itself a curvature. With these effects, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the manufacturing apparatus during manufacturing, to improve the yield, and to realize a display apparatus that is free from damage during transportation or display of the display apparatus.
(Appendix 1) A display device in which a plurality of gas discharge tubes enclosing a discharge gas and a phosphor are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube, wherein a plurality of gas discharges are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube. A display device, characterized in that a tube is disposed, and a gap is provided between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes.
(Supplementary note 2) The display device according to supplementary note 1, wherein a buffer layer is provided in the gap.

(Supplementary note 3) The display according to supplementary note 1 or supplementary note 2, wherein a support body is disposed to support between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube. apparatus.
(Additional remark 4) The display surface of the display apparatus of Additional remark 1 has a curved surface, The display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.
(Supplementary Note 5) The display surface of the display device of Supplementary Note 2 has a shape in which the column direction is curved, and the plurality of gas discharge tubes are curved with respective curvatures, and support between adjacent ends of the gas discharge tubes The supporting body has a holding portion corresponding to the curvature of a plurality of gas discharge tubes to be supported.
(Additional remark 6) The display apparatus of Additional remark 3 WHEREIN: The said support body consists of an electroconductive material, The display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.
(Additional remark 7) The display apparatus of Additional remark 3 WHEREIN: The said support body has a terminal connected to the address electrode of the said gas discharge tube, The display apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

The figure which shows schematic structure of a gas discharge tube. The figure which shows the panel principal part of the display apparatus of this invention. The figure which shows schematic structure of the display apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the manufacturing method of the panel of a gas discharge tube. The figure which shows the manufacturing method of the panel of a gas discharge tube. The figure which shows the principal part of gas discharge-tube gap | interval vicinity. The figure which shows a 2nd Example. The figure which shows a 3rd Example. The figure which shows a 4th Example. The figure which shows a 4th Example. The figure which shows the outline | summary of the display apparatus which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the structure of a connection part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Glass tube 2 Boat 3 Phosphor layer 7 Panel 10 Gas discharge tube 12 Address electrode 15 Display electrode pair 16 Non-light emission area | region 20 Front side board | substrate 30 Back side board | substrate 40 Gas discharge tube gap | interval part 50 Buffer layer 60 Support body 72 Support body 80 Support 89 terminal
110 Drive unit 150 Panel 152 Support

Claims (5)

A display device in which a plurality of gas discharge tubes enclosing a discharge gas and a phosphor are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube, wherein the plurality of gas discharge tubes are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube. A display device, wherein a gap portion is provided between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a buffer layer is provided in the gap. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a support body that supports between adjacent ends of the plurality of gas discharge tubes disposed in a longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tube is disposed. 3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the display surface of the display device has a shape in which the column direction is curved, and the plurality of gas discharge tubes are curved with respective curvatures, and between adjacent ends of the gas discharge tubes. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the support body supporting the first and second support bodies has a holding portion corresponding to the curvature of the plurality of gas discharge tubes to be supported. 4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the support has a terminal connected to an address electrode of the gas discharge tube.

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