US3780326A - Symbol display tube with auxiliary electrode - Google Patents

Symbol display tube with auxiliary electrode Download PDF

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Publication number
US3780326A
US3780326A US00174666A US3780326DA US3780326A US 3780326 A US3780326 A US 3780326A US 00174666 A US00174666 A US 00174666A US 3780326D A US3780326D A US 3780326DA US 3780326 A US3780326 A US 3780326A
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United States
Prior art keywords
display elements
anode
display
disposed
support member
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00174666A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Raago
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Cooper Industries LLC
Original Assignee
Wagner Electric Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of US3780326A publication Critical patent/US3780326A/en
Assigned to STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC. reassignment STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: WAGNER ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Assigned to EDISON INTERNATONAL, INC. reassignment EDISON INTERNATONAL, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC., A CORP. OF DE
Assigned to COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002, A CORP. OF reassignment COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002, A CORP. OF ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: EDISON INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF DE.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J31/00—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes
    • H01J31/08—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes having a screen on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted, or stored
    • H01J31/10—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes
    • H01J31/12—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes with luminescent screen
    • H01J31/15—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes with luminescent screen with ray or beam selectively directed to luminescent anode segments

Definitions

  • An evacuated envelope having a transparent display face contains a plurality of selectively energizable, phosphor-coated anode display elements for presenting a symbol display, with an auxiliary electrode disposed either behind or coplanar with said display elements and electrically insulated therefrom.
  • a cathode comprising one or more filaments is situated in front of said display elements, i.e., between the display elements and the display face of the envelope, to provide a direct electron beam to the phosphor-coated surfaces of the display elements.
  • the present invention is properly classifiable in class 313, subclass 109.5 (Electrical Lamp Discharge Devices with Indicia or Scale).
  • Applicants invention is embodied in and carried out by a symbol display tube having a plurality of selectively energizable display elements coated with phosphorescent material to enable the formation of a predetermined group of symbols, with a strobbing or auxiliary electrode disposed either behind or coplanar with said display elements and electrically insulated therefrom to enable high speed, time-sharing operation of the complete display formed by a plurality of such symbol display tubes with relatively simple external circuitry having low power requirements.
  • FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a display tube constructed in accordance with the present invention, partly broken away to illustrate the spatial relationships and cross-sections of tube elements;
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit incorporating a plurality of display tubes constructed in accordance with the present invention.
  • the display tube 10 may be seen to comprise a composite envelope having a flat, transparent display face 12 and a dished, substantially rectangular support member 14 which is preferably opaque.
  • Seven anode display elements 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, and 166 in a figure-8 array are each formed by a stick-shaped conductive layer deposited on the floor (major inner surface) of support member 14 with an overlying, coextensive phosphor coating.
  • a period or decimal point may be formed in the display by another SLllCh anode display element 16H.
  • a strobing or auxiliary electrode 17 is also disposed on the floor of support member 14, and surrounds each of the anode display elements l6A-H while being insulatedly spaced therefrom.
  • the electrode 17 When the electrode 17 is placed at a positive potential with respect to the cathode 18, it will act as an accelerator of electrons, resulting in a brighter display. Thus, the electrode 17 can be used as a means to control display intensity.
  • electrode l7 acts as a means for producing uniform current density over a relatively large area, especially when the electrons are emitted from a one-or two-line source. When placed at negative potential, electrode 17 will prevent the flow of electrons to the anode display elements l6A-H.
  • the electrode 17 may also serve to perform a strobing function.
  • a cathode 18 comprising a substantially parallel pair of filaments 18A and 18B is disposed between the display face 12 and the display elements l6A-H to provide an even distribution of high-velocity electrons to each of the display elements.
  • the cathode filaments 18A, 18B lie in a plane which is substantially parallel to the plane in which the display elements lie.
  • a plurality of connecting pins 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G and 20H are connected to the conductive portions of display elements 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, 16G and 16H, respectively, and extend through the insulating support member 14 to enable electrical connection of the display elements to an external control circuit.
  • the connecting pins 22, 24 and 26 are attached to the terminals of cathode l8 and extend through the support member 14 for connection to the source of electrical power.
  • the strobing or auxiliary electrode 17 is insulatedly spaced away from the pins 22, 24 and 26.
  • filaments 18A, 18B are connected to the ends of filament spring 23, which in turn is connected perpendicularly to the upper connecting pin 22.
  • the lower ends of filaments 18A, 18B are connected to the lower connecting pins 24, 26, respectively.
  • This arrangement makes it possible to energize the cathode filaments as either parallel-connected resistances or series-connected resistances. With one terminal of a source of electromotive force (EMF) connected to pin 22, and the other terminal connected to pins 24, 26, the filaments 18A, 18B are energized as parallel-connected resistances. With one terminal of a source of EMF connected to pin 24 and the other terminal to pin 26, pin 22 being left floating or unconnected, the filaments 18A, 18B are energized as seriesconnected resistances.
  • EMF electromotive force
  • Connecting pin 28 is connected to electrode 17, and extends through the support member 14 to enable electrical connection to external control circuitry.
  • An exhaust tube 30 may be either integrally formed with the support member 14 from the same material, or formed from a different material and then joined with support member 14 in the region of aperture 32 extending through the thickness of support member 14.
  • the circuit shown therein includes three symbol display tubes l1, l0-2 and -3 constructed in accordance with the foregoing description of the tube shown in FIG. 1.
  • Each of these tubes has its anode display elements 16 connected to the anode-cathode power supply and switching circuit 34.
  • the corresponding anodes in each of the three tubes are connected in parallel with one another and to a terminal of the power supply and switching circuit 34.
  • the cathodes of the three tubes are also connected in parallel and energized by power supply and switching circuit 34.
  • Pulse generator 36 draws its power and receives synchronizing signals from power supply and switching circuit 34, and normally maintains the strobing or auxiliary electrodes 17 in the three tubes at a voltage which is sufficiently negative to prevent the flow of emitted electrons from the cathodes 18 to any energized anodes 16.
  • a first group of anode display elements 16 is placed at a positive potential with respect to the cathode 18 for a first time interval A 1.
  • the pulse generator 36 places only the electrode 17 of tube 10-1 at either ground or positive potential.
  • a second symbol will be displayed by the tube 10-2 as a result of the accelerated flow of electrons from its cathode to its energized anodes.
  • Tubes 10-1 and 10-3 will be blanked during the interval A because their electrodes 17 are at their normal negative potential.
  • a third group of anode display elements 16 in each of the three tubes is energized and only the electrode 17 of tube 10-3 is placed at either ground or positive potential by pulse generator 36.
  • a third symbol will be shown by tube 10-3, while tubes 10-1 and 10-2 are blanked by the negative potential placed on their respective electrodes 17. This sequence is repeated at a sufficiently high rate to give the appearance that the tubes 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3 are each constantly energized.
  • the anode display elements may be coplanar with or on either side of the strobing or auxiliary electrode.
  • a continuous filament having two or more portions thereof similarly arrayed could be advantageously utilized.
  • a V-shaped (two filaments or filament segments) or N-shaped (three filaments or filament segments) array could be advantageously employed.
  • a display tube comprising:
  • an evacuated envelope including a transparent display face and a support member
  • plurality of connector means includes: 8.
  • l. a filament spring disposed within said envelope seven anode display elements are arranged in a figureand having the first adjacent ends of said first and eight pattern for forming the digits from 0 to 9, inclusecond filaments connected thereto; 10 sive.

Landscapes

  • Cathode-Ray Tubes And Fluorescent Screens For Display (AREA)
  • Control Of Indicators Other Than Cathode Ray Tubes (AREA)
US00174666A 1971-08-25 1971-08-25 Symbol display tube with auxiliary electrode Expired - Lifetime US3780326A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US17466671A 1971-08-25 1971-08-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3780326A true US3780326A (en) 1973-12-18

Family

ID=22637041

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00174666A Expired - Lifetime US3780326A (en) 1971-08-25 1971-08-25 Symbol display tube with auxiliary electrode

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3780326A (OSRAM)
JP (1) JPS4831051A (OSRAM)
CA (1) CA999633A (OSRAM)
DE (1) DE2218234A1 (OSRAM)
FR (1) FR2150295B2 (OSRAM)
GB (1) GB1385973A (OSRAM)
IT (1) IT952496B (OSRAM)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4004186A (en) * 1975-12-01 1977-01-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Vacuum fluorescent display having a grid plate coplanar with the anode
US4156239A (en) * 1976-07-16 1979-05-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Display device
US4190787A (en) * 1977-07-07 1980-02-26 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Phosphorus luminescent display tube
US4578615A (en) * 1984-05-01 1986-03-25 Xerox Corporation Vacuum fluorescent printing device employing a fly's-eye light coupling method
EP0160518A3 (en) * 1984-05-01 1987-10-14 Xerox Corporation Optical image bar
US5084806A (en) * 1989-10-19 1992-01-28 Kiyoshi Nagai Light emitting display device and stem for light emitting display device
EP0480441A3 (en) * 1990-10-11 1992-05-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Flat image display device with filamentary cathode support structure
US6710536B2 (en) * 2000-09-18 2004-03-23 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Display device using filament

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS551391Y2 (OSRAM) * 1974-05-20 1980-01-16
JPS5272160A (en) * 1975-12-12 1977-06-16 Dainippon Printing Co Ltd Multiidigit fluorescent display unit

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US317633A (en) * 1885-05-12 edison
US3418509A (en) * 1965-07-03 1968-12-24 Philips Corp Electrical discharge character indicator tube
US3584252A (en) * 1969-05-23 1971-06-08 Wagner Electric Corp Electrically-shielded symbol-display tube
US3619694A (en) * 1969-11-18 1971-11-09 Ise Electronics Corp Character-indicating electron tube with fluorescent display structure
US3668466A (en) * 1969-04-17 1972-06-06 Sony Corp Electron type fluorescent display device with planar adjacent control electrode

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US317633A (en) * 1885-05-12 edison
US3418509A (en) * 1965-07-03 1968-12-24 Philips Corp Electrical discharge character indicator tube
US3668466A (en) * 1969-04-17 1972-06-06 Sony Corp Electron type fluorescent display device with planar adjacent control electrode
US3584252A (en) * 1969-05-23 1971-06-08 Wagner Electric Corp Electrically-shielded symbol-display tube
US3619694A (en) * 1969-11-18 1971-11-09 Ise Electronics Corp Character-indicating electron tube with fluorescent display structure

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4004186A (en) * 1975-12-01 1977-01-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Vacuum fluorescent display having a grid plate coplanar with the anode
US4156239A (en) * 1976-07-16 1979-05-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Display device
US4190787A (en) * 1977-07-07 1980-02-26 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Phosphorus luminescent display tube
US4578615A (en) * 1984-05-01 1986-03-25 Xerox Corporation Vacuum fluorescent printing device employing a fly's-eye light coupling method
EP0160518A3 (en) * 1984-05-01 1987-10-14 Xerox Corporation Optical image bar
US5084806A (en) * 1989-10-19 1992-01-28 Kiyoshi Nagai Light emitting display device and stem for light emitting display device
EP0480441A3 (en) * 1990-10-11 1992-05-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Flat image display device with filamentary cathode support structure
US5300857A (en) * 1990-10-11 1994-04-05 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Flat image display device with filamentary cathode support structure
US6710536B2 (en) * 2000-09-18 2004-03-23 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Display device using filament

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4831051A (OSRAM) 1973-04-24
DE2218234A1 (de) 1973-03-08
GB1385973A (en) 1975-03-05
CA999633A (en) 1976-11-09
IT952496B (it) 1973-07-20
FR2150295A2 (OSRAM) 1973-04-06
FR2150295B2 (OSRAM) 1976-01-16

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC., ILLINOIS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WAGNER ELECTRIC CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:003984/0757

Effective date: 19801229

AS Assignment

Owner name: COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEX

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:EDISON INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004475/0382

Effective date: 19851031