JP3744465B2 - Display device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display device that performs display utilizing a discharge phenomenon by combining a plurality of discharge capillaries capable of partial light emission, and more particularly to a method for arranging single-color pixels of the display device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-315460 discloses a large-sized display in which phosphors are excited by ultraviolet rays generated by discharge to emit light. The display device of FIGS. 15 and 17 in the publication includes a large number of discharge tubes arranged in parallel and a substrate that supports the discharge tubes. In each discharge tube, strip-shaped display electrodes are arranged along the length direction on the outer surface of the glass tube enclosing the discharge gas, and elongated data electrodes are arranged inside the glass tube so as to intersect all the display electrodes. Yes. Display electrodes adjacent to each other with a predetermined interval constitute an electrode pair for surface discharge. Band-shaped metal bus electrodes intersecting with the data electrodes are arranged on the substrate, and display thin tubes are arranged on the substrate so that the display electrodes are in contact with the bus electrodes. Each metal bus electrode crosses all the display tubes and connects display electrodes of the same order in common conductive connection. That is, an electrode matrix is constituted by the display electrode group and the data electrode group. An arbitrary image can be displayed by controlling the potential of the electrode matrix in the same manner as a general matrix-driven display device.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the pixel array disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-315460, red, green, and blue single-color pixels are arranged on the same straight line in the horizontal direction, so that there are M rows in the vertical direction and N columns in the horizontal direction. In order to display M lines, a display device having display pixels composed of red, green, and blue single-color pixels requires M display electrode pairs equal to the number of lines. The maximum number of lines in the vertical direction that can be visually recognized by the viewer is only equivalent to M lines equal to the number of lines of the display device. In addition, since the display surface of the display device has a structure with high reflectance with respect to external light incident on the display surface, there is a problem in that a display contrast that is a ratio of luminance between the display unit and the non-display unit cannot be secured sufficiently. It was.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to increase the number of rows that can be viewed by a viewer on a display device having M pairs of display electrodes, thereby improving display contrast.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The inventors can easily change the pixel configuration of a display device in which discharge thin tubes are arranged in parallel by setting the pattern shape and / or pattern size of a display electrode pair formed on the front support. By optimizing the above, the present invention has led to the invention of a display device with improved display performance.
[0006]
The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is in contact with a support, a plurality of discharge capillaries each having a phosphor disposed in parallel on the support and sealed with a discharge gas, and an outer wall surface of each discharge capillary. A data electrode provided along the longitudinal direction and a display electrode pair in contact with the outer wall surface of the discharge thin tube facing the data electrode and connected in a direction crossing each discharge thin tube are formed on the front support, and the front support A display device having a structure in which a body is crimped to a discharge capillary tube, and performing display by applying a voltage between a pair of display electrodes to discharge a discharge gas in the discharge capillary tube. The display device is characterized in that the display pixel array of the display device is set by a pair of display electrodes formed on the front support that is crimped onto the display device.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the display pixel arrangement of the display device is set by the electrode pattern shape of the display electrode pair formed on the surface of the front support that is press-bonded to the discharge thin tube and in contact with the discharge thin tube. Device.
[0008]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the distance between the center of the display electrode pair formed on the surface of the front support that is press-bonded to the discharge thin tube and the center of the adjacent display electrode pair (pitch) is determined. A display device is characterized in that a display pixel array is set.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided light emission by discharge of each of the three primary colors in which a support and a phosphor that emits each of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue are provided inside the support and the discharge gas is enclosed. A discharge tube group in which discharge tubes are arranged at a predetermined arrangement period, a data electrode provided in contact with the outer wall surface of each discharge tube along the longitudinal direction thereof, and a discharge tube facing the data electrode Display electrode pairs that are alternately provided in contact with the outer wall surface and are connected in a direction crossing each discharge thin tube are formed on the front support, and the front support is crimped to the discharge thin tubes, and between the display electrode pairs A display device for performing matrix display of M columns in the vertical direction and N columns in the horizontal direction for performing display by discharging a monochrome pixel defined by the intersection of the data electrode and the display electrode pair by applying a voltage to Same as monochromatic pixel with eye (n <N) And monochromatic pixels of the n + 1 column is a display device, characterized in that apart at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.
[0010]
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the interval between the single pixel in the nth column (n <N) and the single color pixel in the (n + 1) th column of the same color is ½ of the row interval in the vertical M rows. This is a characteristic display device.
[0011]
In the invention of claim 6, a region of a light shielding layer that blocks light emitted from the discharge capillary tube is provided between the monochrome pixel of the mth row (m <M) and the monochrome pixel of the (m + 1) th row in the same column. It is a display device characterized by this.
[0012]
The invention of claim 7 is a display device characterized in that a light shielding layer is formed on a discharge capillary.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 8 is the display device characterized in that the light shielding layer is formed on the front support.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device using a discharge tube to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, a support 1 on the back side made of a resin substrate and a glass substrate is provided with a plurality of data electrodes 13 (three for three colors of red, green and blue in the figure) on the surface, Discharge capillaries made of glass tubes for the three primary colors are arranged so as to be in contact with the electrodes. A pair of display electrodes 11 is disposed on the outer wall surface of each discharge tube opposite to the data electrode 13 so as to cross each discharge tube in a direction orthogonal to the data electrode. In FIG. 1, the pairs of display electrodes 11 are configured to be parallel to each other. However, the gist of the present invention is to provide a feature in the arrangement of the display electrode pairs as will be described later. The pair of display electrodes 11 is formed on the front support 3, and the front support 3 is attached to each discharge capillary by an adhesive layer (not shown) provided on the display electrode formation surface. Although not shown, the display electrode 11 has a laminated structure of a transparent electrode and a metal bus electrode, thereby reducing the line resistance of the electrode, narrowing the light-shielding area, and efficiently taking out the discharge luminescence generated in the discharge capillary. be able to.
[0015]
Each of the discharge tubes has a discharge gas sealed therein, an electron emission film 14 formed on the entire inner wall, and three primary color phosphor layers 16R, 16G, and 16B provided for each tube. . The phosphor layer is formed in advance on the phosphor support 15 and is inserted into the discharge capillary. The discharge thin tube may have a flat elliptical cross section as shown in the figure, or may have an elliptical or circular cross section.
[0016]
The display is performed by first generating a selective discharge between the data electrode on the selected discharge capillary and the display electrode pair, and then generating a discharge that continues the discharge between the pair of display electrodes.
[0017]
[First embodiment]
FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The red discharge capillary 21R, the green discharge capillary 21G, and the blue discharge capillary 21B in the figure have the same internal structure as the discharge capillary 2 described in FIG. In FIG. 2, only the discharge capillaries of each color, the front support 3 and the display electrode 11 are shown, but other structures not shown in the figure have the structure shown in FIG.
[0018]
In the display device having the structure shown in FIG. 2, in the horizontal direction, the number of horizontal pixels is determined by repeatedly arranging red, green, and blue color discharge tubes 21R, 21G, and 21B one by one. The number of vertical pixels is determined by the number of display electrode pairs formed by pairs of linear display electrodes 11 formed on the surface of the front support 3 arranged on the side in contact with the discharge thin tube. In this figure, the sizes of the single color pixels 22R, 22G, and 22B defined by the intersection points of the red, green, and blue color discharge capillaries 21R, 21G, and 21B and the display electrode pairs are all the same size, and each single color. The distance H between the pixels and the distance V between the display electrode pairs are the same distance.
[0019]
FIG. 3 shows a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. The red, green, and blue color discharge capillaries 21R, 21G, and 21B are the same as the discharge capillaries of the display device shown in FIG. 2, but the red discharge capillaries 21R and the green discharge capillaries 21G are one blue discharge capillaries. Only 21B is a set of two. The number of horizontal pixels is determined by repeatedly arranging the four color discharge capillaries 21R, 21G, 21B, and 21B, and the number of vertical pixels is determined by the number of display electrode pairs as in FIG. In the case of this modification, since the two blue discharge tubes 21B are arranged, the interval H between the monochrome pixels is different, but the blue luminance can be doubled by using two blue discharge tubes 21B. Therefore, there is an advantage that the color temperature when white is displayed can be set higher than that of the display device of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the single-color pixel arrangement in the horizontal direction can be easily changed simply by changing the arrangement of the discharge tubules of the respective colors. In this modification, the number of the blue discharge capillaries 21B is two. However, the number of discharge capillaries of other colors in the set may be increased according to the usage, or the discharge capillaries of a certain color may not be used. It doesn't matter.
[0020]
In the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the arrangement of the discharge tubes is the same as that of the first embodiment of FIG. 2, but the display electrodes are formed in a meander shape in each discharge tube. The difference is that the generated discharge location is shifted by half of the sustain electrode pair interval V for each discharge capillary. Such a monochromatic pixel arrangement in which the monochromatic pixels are shifted by 1/2 V in the vertical direction and the emission state (light emission / non-light emission) of each discharge capillary tube is controlled, so that the sustain electrode pairs arranged in the vertical direction are M pairs. Even in such a case, the number of lines visible to the viewer can be increased to a vertical resolution equivalent to about 1.5M lines (books).
[0021]
In the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal direction is the same as that of the first embodiment of FIG. 2, except that the arrangement interval of the sustain electrode pairs in the vertical direction is set to 2V. ing. This arrangement is effective for applications that do not necessarily require resolution, such as viewing from a distance from a public display screen, and the vertical resolution is halved compared to the example of FIG. However, since the number of drive circuits is halved, the structure of the display device that can reduce the cost of the display device can be realized.
[0022]
The first embodiment has been described so far. In the case of this display device, the number of pixels in the horizontal direction is determined by the number assigned to each monochromatic discharge capillary set and the number of times the set is repeated. The number can be arbitrarily determined by the number of display electrode pairs formed on the inner surface of the front support and the distance between the display electrode pairs, so that the display device can be configured flexibly according to the usage of the display device become.
[0023]
[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. A display device in which a set of a plurality of discharge capillary tubes of each color is arranged to have display pixels in M columns in the vertical direction and N columns in the horizontal direction. The center of the monochrome pixels in the nth column (n <N) and the n + 1th column The main feature is that the position of the center of the single color pixel is shifted in the vertical direction at regular intervals. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance of this shift is the distance between the center of the monochromatic pixel in the n-th column and the center of the unit pixel in the (n + 1) -th column being 1 / 2P, which is half the pitch P of the unit pixels in the vertical direction. It is desirable to be. In the display device of this configuration, it is possible to intentionally move the image signal by selecting the input of the image signal in units of 1 / 4P of the pitch P of the unit pixels in the vertical direction of the display line. It is possible to increase more than lines.
[0024]
As a more preferred embodiment, a light-shielding layer 23 for blocking the display color emitted from the discharge capillary tube is provided between the m-th row (m <M) and the m + 1-th row of monochromatic pixels in the same column, so The reflectance of light can be reduced, and the contrast, which is the ratio of the luminance of the lighting part and the non-lighting part of the display screen, can be improved. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, a display device with and without a light-shielding layer 23 is manufactured, and contrast is applied in a state where illumination is applied from the upper 45 ° of the display device so that the illuminance on the surface of the display device is 150 lx. As a result of the measurement, it was found that the contrast of the display device with the light shielding layer improved by 1.8 times compared to the display device without the light shielding layer. This means that when viewed normally in a bright room using a display device, the black color which is a non-lighting portion looks blacker, and the displayed image is sharper.
[0025]
In FIG. 6, the light shielding layers 23 are arranged in dots. However, in the case of the display device shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the same effect can be obtained by providing a striped light shielding layer between monochromatic pixels. Can be obtained.
[0026]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method for forming a light shielding layer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the light shielding layer 23 may be formed on the discharge thin tube 2 in advance. In this case, a portion of the discharge thin tube 2 where the light shielding layer 23 is not formed is masked with a resist or the like in advance, an oxide such as a transition metal element Fe, Ni, Co, or Mn, a mixture of these oxides, or a black pigment such as graphite. In addition, a binder such as a resin and an organic solvent are mixed, and the resist formed after being applied and dried on the discharge thin tube 2 can be peeled off. Further, a material containing a black pigment may be applied directly to a portion where the light shielding layer 23 is formed by a pad printing method. Further, when the light shielding layer 23 is formed on the discharge thin tube after the formation of the structure inside the discharge thin tube, an organic pigment may be used.
[0027]
FIG. 8 shows an example in which the light shielding layer 23 is formed on the front support 3. In this case, after the display electrode 11 is formed on the front support 3, a light shielding layer is formed on the entire surface, and the light shielding layer is patterned into a desired pattern by photolithography. In the case of this embodiment, in order to form the display electrode 11 and the light shielding layer 23 on the front support 3 rather than the case where the light shielding layer is formed directly on the discharge capillary shown in FIG. In this case, there is a manufacturing advantage that the alignment of the display electrode and the light shielding layer is not necessary.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the number of horizontal sustain electrode pairs is M, the number of horizontal lines is M or more, and the horizontal lines are increased without increasing the number of sustain electrode pairs. The number can be increased, and the contrast of display can be improved by introducing a light shielding layer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display device to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for forming a light shielding layer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of a method for forming a light shielding layer according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support body 2 Discharge capillary 3 Front support 10 Glass capillary 11 Display electrode 13 Data electrode 14 Electron emission film 15 Phosphor support 16R Red phosphor layer 16G Green phosphor layer 16B Blue phosphor layer 21R Red discharge capillary 21G Green discharge Narrow tube 21B Blue discharge thin tube 22R Red single color pixel 22G Green single color pixel 22B Blue single color pixel 23 Light shielding layer

Claims (8)

A support;
A plurality of discharge capillaries each having a phosphor inside and arranged in parallel on the support and having a discharge gas sealed therein;
A data electrode provided in contact with the outer wall surface of each discharge capillary tube along the longitudinal direction thereof;
A display electrode pair that is in contact with the outer wall surface of the discharge thin tube facing the data electrode and is connected in a direction crossing each discharge thin tube is formed on the front support, and the front support is pressure-bonded to the discharge thin tube. Have
A display device for performing display by applying a voltage between the pair of display electrodes to discharge a discharge gas in the discharge thin tube,
Wherein the has been the front support formed display electrode pairs crimped sequence and the discharge fine tube of the discharge tubule, display and setting the display pixel arrangement of the display device.  2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a display pixel array of the display device is set according to an electrode pattern shape of the display electrode pair formed on a surface of the front support that is crimped to the discharge thin tube and in contact with the discharge thin tube. A display device characterized by:  2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a distance (pitch) from a center of the display electrode pair to a center of an adjacent display electrode pair formed on a surface of the front support that is press-bonded to the discharge capillary is in contact with the discharge capillary. ) To set the display pixel array of the display device. A support;
Discharge capillaries that emit light by discharge of each of the three primary colors in which a discharge gas is enclosed and that have phosphors that emit each of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue inside the support are arranged in a predetermined arrangement cycle. A group of discharge tubules arranged;
A data electrode provided in contact with the outer wall surface of each discharge capillary tube along the longitudinal direction thereof;
Display electrode pairs, which are alternately provided in contact with the outer wall surface of the discharge capillary facing the data electrode and are connected in a direction crossing each discharge capillary, are formed on the front support, and the front support is formed on the discharge capillary. Having a crimped structure,
A display that performs matrix display of M rows in the vertical direction and N columns in the horizontal direction for display by applying a voltage between the display electrode pairs to discharge the monochrome pixels defined by the intersections of the data electrodes and the display electrode pairs. A device,
A display device, wherein a monochrome pixel in the n-th column (n <N) and a monochrome pixel in the (n + 1) -th column of the same color are spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.  5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein an interval between the single pixel in the nth column (n <N) and the single color pixel in the (n + 1) th column of the same color is ½ of the row interval of the vertical M rows. A display device characterized by that.  6. The display device according to claim 4, wherein light emitted from the discharge capillary tube is blocked between a single-color pixel in the m-th row (m <M) and a single-color pixel in the m + 1-th row in the same column. A display device characterized in that a region of a light shielding layer is provided.  7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the light shielding layer is formed on the discharge thin tube.  The display device according to claim 6, wherein the light shielding layer is formed on the front support.

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