US3872346A - Character display discharge tube - Google Patents

Character display discharge tube Download PDF

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Publication number
US3872346A
US3872346A US380098A US38009873A US3872346A US 3872346 A US3872346 A US 3872346A US 380098 A US380098 A US 380098A US 38009873 A US38009873 A US 38009873A US 3872346 A US3872346 A US 3872346A
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United States
Prior art keywords
electrodes
insulating
character display
base board
plate
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Expired - Lifetime
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US380098A
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English (en)
Inventor
Takao Kunii
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Individual
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Individual
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Priority claimed from JP47073206A external-priority patent/JPS4931268A/ja
Priority claimed from JP47085613A external-priority patent/JPS4941063A/ja
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/38—Cold-cathode tubes
    • H01J17/48—Cold-cathode tubes with more than one cathode or anode, e.g. sequence-discharge tube, counting tube, dekatron
    • H01J17/49—Display panels, e.g. with crossed electrodes, e.g. making use of direct current
    • H01J17/491—Display panels, e.g. with crossed electrodes, e.g. making use of direct current with electrodes arranged side by side and substantially in the same plane, e.g. for displaying alphanumeric characters

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A character display discharge tube of low power consumption type comprising an insulating base board having an arrangement of a number of discharge elements organized into groups each constituting a basic character form, an insulating mask plate stacked on said insulating base board and having many holes individually leaving the respective discharge elements uncovered, and a transparent window plate supporting a phosphor film and stacked on said insulating mask plate.
  • the discharge elements in each group are selectively driven for discharge to excite corresponding portions of the phosphor film with the resultant electromagnetic radiation, thereby obtaining a glow display of a character on the film surface.
  • This invention relates to improvements in display systems and, more particularly, to character display discharge tubes of a low power cunsumption type.
  • Such prior-art discharge tube has certain drawbacks. Firstly, it cannot be operated with low power since a phosphor film is interposed between paired discharge electrodes. Secondly, it is difficult to obtain a clear contour of the glow display. Thirdly, it has been difficult to obtain a multi-digit character display since this leads to complications of the electrode structure for selectively energizing discharge elements.
  • An object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks inherent in the prior art and provide a novel character display discharge tube which can be operated with low power.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a character display discharge tube, whose glow display section has a simple construction with a simple selective energization electrode structure and is capable of multidigit character display.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a character display discharge tube, which is capable of clear glow display of characters with comparatively small cathode area and with very low power.
  • a character display discharge tube comprising an insulating base board having an arrangement of a number of discharge elements organized into groups each constituting a basic character form, an insulating mask plate stacked on said insulating base board and having many holes individually leaving the respective discharge elements uncovered, and a transparent window plate supporting a phosphor film and stacked on said insulating mask plate.
  • FIGS. la, 1b, and 1c is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing essential parts of an embodiment of the character display discharge tube according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the essential part of the discharge tube of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view'of the character display discharge tube of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a different embodiment of the. character display discharge tube according to the invention.
  • reference numeral 4 designates an insulating base board consisting of a stack of thin insulating plates 1, 2 and 3 of such material as glass or ceramic. It is provided on its top surface with many cathodes and anodes individually associating with and provided near respective cathodes. These cathodes and anodes constitute discharge elements organized into groups each for each digit. In the illustrated example, each discharge element group consists of 7 discharge elements.
  • a first digit is constituted by a set of cathodes k to k, and anodes a, to a
  • the cathodes are led through busbars extending between the plates 1 and 2 to one edge of the board, and anodes are led through busbars extending between the plates 2 and 3 to another edge of the board.
  • the seven anodes a, to a, inthe first discharge element group are connected to a common terminal A and the seven cathodes k, to k, in this group are connected to respective terminals K, to K
  • the anodes a to a are connected to their common terminal A and the cathodes k to k are connected commonly with the corresponding cathodes k, to k, in the first group to the respective terminals K, to K
  • An insulating mask plate 5 made of mica or like material is stacked on the insulating board 4.
  • FIG. 2 shows the base board 4 and mask plate 5 in the assembled state.
  • a transparent window plate 6 consisting of a flat glass plate and having a phosphor film 7 uniformly provided on its underside is stacked on the insulating mask plate 5. Edge portions of the window plate 6 are sealed to the insulating base board 4 by means of frit glass 8 such that these parts form a gas-tight envelope.
  • the interior of the envelope is evacuated through a thin tube 9 integrally formed with the insulating base board 4, and thereafter a discharge medium consisting of helium or a gas mixture of helium and neon, a gas mixture of helium and argon or a gas mixture of helium, neon and argon or mixture of such gases and mercury vapor is sealed in the envelope through the thin tube 9.
  • the holes formed in the insulating mask plate 5 thus define respective small discharge spaces. These small discharge spaces and the thin tube 9 communicate with one another through a slight gap between the base board 4 and mask plate 5, but they are isolated with re spect to the discharge phenomenon by the mask. plate 5.
  • Such flat discharge tube may be driven by a wellknown time-division drive circuit such as one disclosed in FIG. 4 of the US. Pat. No. 3,641,383.
  • a discharge element When a discharge element is activated, the electromagnetic wave generated in the associated small discharge space excites a phosphor film portion in contact with this space, and the glowing can be seen through the transparent window plate 6.
  • each discharge element has been constituted by a cathode and an anode
  • each discharge element with three electrodes, namely cathode, control grid and anode.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example of the latter construction.
  • seven control grids g to g, for the first digit are connected to their common terminal 6,.
  • seven control grids 3, to g for the second digit are connected to their common terminal G in this construction, all the anodes a to (1 a to a are led to a single common terminal A.
  • an anode voltage of, for instance to volts is selectively applied between one or more of the terminals K, to K and the terminal A, and a bias voltage lower than the anode voltage, for instance 120 to 150 volts, is applied to the terminals (3,, G In this state, the discharge elements for the individual digits will not glow but are held in a glow-ready state.
  • a pulse voltage of about 25 volts in superimposition upon the bias voltage to, for instance, terminal G the glowing of the surface of the selected cathodes of the second digit is produced, so that the electromagnetic wave generated in the associated small discharge spaces excites phosphor film portions in contact with these spaces, and the glowing can be seen through the transparent window plate.
  • the discharge elements and leads leading from them may be formed by means of deposition, etching or other suitable means. Further, they can be formed in any suitable form such as dots and stripes 1
  • a number of discharge elements in a set can be selectively driven for exciting phosphor film portions in contact with the corresponding small discharge spaced with the generatd electromagnetic radiation.
  • the invention particularly lends itself to applications to a multi-digit tube for multi-digit character displays.
  • a character display discharge tube comprising an insulating base board; a multiplicity of discharge elements each including a cathode and an anode in proximate relation and arranged in groups on said base board, each of the groups constituting a basic character form; a flat insulating plate stacked on said insulating base board, said plate being formed with a plurality of apertures for the passage of radiation from the cathode and anode of the respective discharge elements; a transparent viewing plate stacked on said insulating mask plate; and a phosphor film applied to the inside of said transparent viewing plate and spaced from the cathodes and anodes of said discharge elements through said apertures in said mask plate, said phosphor generating light when activated by radiation, said base board, said apertures and said transparent plate constituting an envelope containing a gas atmosphere.
  • a character display discharge device comprising a. an insulating base board formed of first, second and third stacked insulating plates,
  • each pair of electrodes generating electromagnetic waves when a voltage is impressed therebetween thereby exciting said phosphor film causing it to emit light in the vicinity of said pair of electrodes.
  • a character display discharge device as defined by claim 4 wherein said first electrodes connected to said first bus bar are anodes and said second electrodes each connected to one of said second bus bars are cathodes.

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  • Gas-Filled Discharge Tubes (AREA)
US380098A 1972-07-20 1973-07-17 Character display discharge tube Expired - Lifetime US3872346A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP47073206A JPS4931268A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-07-20 1972-07-20
JP47085613A JPS4941063A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-08-25 1972-08-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3872346A true US3872346A (en) 1975-03-18

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US380098A Expired - Lifetime US3872346A (en) 1972-07-20 1973-07-17 Character display discharge tube

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US (1) US3872346A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AU (1) AU459506B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA975043A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2199614B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1431313A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4333040A (en) * 1978-06-19 1982-06-01 Hitachi, Ltd. Gas discharge display device
WO1984002247A1 (en) * 1982-11-29 1984-06-07 Burroughs Corp Gas-filled dot matrix display panel

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3237040A (en) * 1962-06-29 1966-02-22 Burroughs Corp Cold cathode indicator device with memory electrode
US3260880A (en) * 1961-06-06 1966-07-12 Burroughs Corp Electro-optical indicator devices with multiple anodes for each cell
US3281619A (en) * 1963-03-27 1966-10-25 Gen Electric Electroluminescent display device with edge terminated contacts overlying an apertured low dielectric insulator sheet
US3346759A (en) * 1965-08-31 1967-10-10 Burroughs Corp Planar array of cathode and anode electrodes installed in channels for visual indicator display device
US3384770A (en) * 1966-07-18 1968-05-21 Gen Electric Electroluminescent display device having folded elements
US3406288A (en) * 1965-08-13 1968-10-15 Wegner Electric Corp Optoelectronic logic element comprising a vacuum-fluorescent light source
US3504214A (en) * 1967-01-13 1970-03-31 Westinghouse Canada Ltd Electroluminescent display device
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
US3723789A (en) * 1969-12-13 1973-03-27 Ise Electronics Corp Flat composite fluorescent display tube

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3652891A (en) * 1970-07-20 1972-03-28 Ncr Co Plasma display panel having display and counter conductors on one plate

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3260880A (en) * 1961-06-06 1966-07-12 Burroughs Corp Electro-optical indicator devices with multiple anodes for each cell
US3237040A (en) * 1962-06-29 1966-02-22 Burroughs Corp Cold cathode indicator device with memory electrode
US3281619A (en) * 1963-03-27 1966-10-25 Gen Electric Electroluminescent display device with edge terminated contacts overlying an apertured low dielectric insulator sheet
US3406288A (en) * 1965-08-13 1968-10-15 Wegner Electric Corp Optoelectronic logic element comprising a vacuum-fluorescent light source
US3346759A (en) * 1965-08-31 1967-10-10 Burroughs Corp Planar array of cathode and anode electrodes installed in channels for visual indicator display device
US3384770A (en) * 1966-07-18 1968-05-21 Gen Electric Electroluminescent display device having folded elements
US3504214A (en) * 1967-01-13 1970-03-31 Westinghouse Canada Ltd Electroluminescent display device
US3668466A (en) * 1969-04-17 1972-06-06 Sony Corp Electron type fluorescent display device with planar adjacent control electrode
US3619694A (en) * 1969-11-18 1971-11-09 Ise Electronics Corp Character-indicating electron tube with fluorescent display structure
US3723789A (en) * 1969-12-13 1973-03-27 Ise Electronics Corp Flat composite fluorescent display tube

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4333040A (en) * 1978-06-19 1982-06-01 Hitachi, Ltd. Gas discharge display device
WO1984002247A1 (en) * 1982-11-29 1984-06-07 Burroughs Corp Gas-filled dot matrix display panel
US4490647A (en) * 1982-11-29 1984-12-25 Burroughs Corporation Gas-filled dot matrix display panel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA975043A (en) 1975-09-23
DE2336622A1 (de) 1974-02-14
FR2199614A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-04-12
DE2336622B2 (de) 1977-03-31
AU459506B2 (en) 1975-03-27
FR2199614B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1976-11-12
GB1431313A (en) 1976-04-07
AU5823173A (en) 1975-01-23

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