Device and method for introducing hydrogen into flat displays

• US 6,443,789 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SAES Getters SpA (SAES Getters S)
• Original Assignee: SAES Getters SpA (SAES Getters S)
• Inventors: Corazza, Alessio, Tominetti, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramsey, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US09/727,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 445/53, 445/57, 445/73
• US Class Current: 445/53
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 17/26 Means for producing, introducing, or replenishing gas or vapour during operation of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2329/00 Electron emission display panels, e.g. field emission display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/94 Selection of substances for gas fillings; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering exhausting, degassing, gettering of electric discharge tubes in general H01J9/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 7/20 Means for producing, introducing, or replenishing gas or vapour during operation of the tube or lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/395 Filling vessels

Abstract

A device (10) for introducing hydrogen into a flat display (14) of the field emission or plasma addressed liquid crystal type is described, formed of a reservoir (11) containing a hydrogen accumulator material (21) connected to the internal space (13) of the display by means of a wall (15) permeable to the passage of hydrogen gas as a function of the temperature. The device comprises a heater (19) and a heater (22) for bringing respectively the wall and the accumulator material to the desired temperatures, or a single heater which carries out both cited functions. There is also described a method by which the device is activated whenever the flat display is working, the switching on of said heater being arranged in order to bring the wall itself to a previously calculated temperature.

Claims

1. Device (10) for introducing hydrogen into flat displays (14) formed of:

a reservoir (11) containing a material (21) able to release hydrogen, whose walls (12) are made of a hydrogen-tight material but for a portion (15) made of a material (16) which is permeable to H₂ gas as a function of the temperature and has one surface (17) facing said reservoir (11) and one opposite surface (18) facing the internal space (13) of said flat display; and

means (19) for heating said portion (15) wherein heating of the portion is activated contemporaneously with operation of the flat display.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the walls (12) of the reservoir (11) are made of metal, ceramic or glass.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein said material (16) which is permeable to hydrogen as a function of the temperature is chosen among palladium and alloys thereof or iron and alloys thereof.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said hydrogen releasing material (21) is chosen among zirconium-, titanium- or lanthanum-based alloys.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein said hydrogen releasing material (21) is chosen among ZrCo, ZrNi, ZrCo₁₋

xNi_x or the Zr—

V—

Fe ternary alloys.

6. Device according to claim 4, wherein said hydrogen releasing material (21) is chosen among LaNi₅ and alloys LaNi₅₋

xAl_x.

7. Method for introducing hydrogen into flat displays by means of a device according to claim 1 comprising the step of heating at least the portion positioned between said reservoir and the internal space of the flat display and which is hydrogen permeable as a function of the temperature.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein also the hydrogen releasing material is heated.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein said permeable wall portion and said hydrogen releasing material are both heated to the same temperature T.

10. Method according to claim 7, wherein the portion made of hydrogen permeable material is heated at a temperature higher than the heating temperature of the hydrogen releasing material.