Gas-discharge tube and display apparatus

• US 7,282,858 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Corporation
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Yosuke, Awamoto, Kenji, Yamada, Hitoshi, Hirakawa, Hitoshi, Shinohe, Koji, Tokai, Akira, Nakazawa, Akira, Ishimoto, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERRY, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US10/786,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 313582-584, 313/607
• US Class Current: 313/582
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 11/18 containing a plurality of independent closed structures for containing the gas, e.g. plasma tube array [PTA] display panels

Abstract

A gas-discharge tube has a glass tube as its main body and a trench is provided in the axial direction of the glass tube on one surface (the surface opposed to the discharge surface) among the external surfaces of the glass tube. An address electrode is placed in the trench. The inner surface of the region of the glass tube where sustain electrodes are placed is formed to have a microscopic unevenness. A secondary electron emission film is formed on this inner surface where the unevenness is formed. In addition, a phosphor support member, whose cross section across the axis is in approximately a C-shape and where a phosphor layer has been formed in advance on the inner surface, is placed inside of the glass tube. Stable discharge characteristics is obtained by eliminating dispersion of the position of an electrode, relative to the gas-discharge tube.

Claims

1. A gas-discharge tube, comprising a tubular body in which a discharge gas is sealed and a plurality of electrodes, for discharging said discharge gas by applying a voltage to each of said plurality of electrodes, wherein

a recess portion is formed on an external surface of said tubular body,

said plurality of electrodes include a plurality of pairs of sustain electrodes for displaying an image and an address electrode for selectively activating said pairs of sustain electrodes,

said plurality of pairs of sustain electrodes are formed on the external surface of said tubular body at a position opposite to said recess portion, and

an entireness of said address electrode is placed thoroughly inside of said recess portion.

2. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 1, wherein

an inner surface of a region of said tubular body, where electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed, is formed to have a microscopic unevenness, and

a secondary electron emission film is provided at a portion where said microscopic unevenness is formed.

3. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 1, wherein

electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed on an external surface of the side opposed to said recess portion of said tubular body,

the inner surface of the portion of said tubular body, where said recess portion is formed, is formed to have a protrusion portion toward the inside, and

a member on which phosphor is arranged is placed at the inner surface of said portion of said tubular body where said protrusion portion is formed toward the inside.

4. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 3, wherein

an inner surface of a region of said tubular body, where electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed, is formed to have a microscopic unevenness, and

a secondary electron emission film is provided at a portion where said microscopic unevenness is formed.

5. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 1, wherein said recess portion is a trench extending in the axial direction of said tubular body.

6. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 5, wherein

an inner surface of a region of said tubular body, where electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed, is formed to have a microscopic unevenness, and

a secondary electron emission film is provided at a portion where said microscopic unevenness is formed.

7. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 2, wherein

electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed on an external surface of the side opposed to said recess portion of said tubular body,

the inner surface of the portion of said tubular body, where said recess portion is formed, is formed to have a protrusion portion toward the inside, and

a member on which phosphor is arranged is placed at the inner surface of said portion of said tubular body where said protrusion portion is formed toward the inside.

8. The gas-discharge tube as set forth in claim 7, wherein

an inner surface of a region of said tubular body, where electrodes not being placed in said recess portion among said plurality of electrodes are placed, is formed to have a microscopic unevenness, and

a secondary electron emission film is provided at a portion where said microscopic unevenness is formed.

9. A display apparatus in which a plurality of gas-discharge tubes are arranged parallel to each other, each gas-discharge tube comprising:

a tubular body in which a discharge gas is sealed;

a first electrode placed in the axial direction of said tubular body; and

a plurality of second electrodes opposed to said first electrode via said tubular body and being placed at predetermined intervals parallel to the direction crossing the axial direction of said tubular body, so that said discharge gas is discharged by applying a voltage to each electrode, and said second electrodes of adjacent gas-discharge tubes being electrically connected to each other, wherein

a recess portion is formed on an external surface of said tubular body,

said first electrode is placed in said recess portion of said tubular body,

the inner surface of the portion of said tubular body, where said recess portion is formed, is formed to have a protrusion portion toward the inside, and

a member on which phosphor is arranged is placed at the inner surface of the portion where said protrusion is formed toward the inside of said tubular body.

10. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the inner surface of a region of each of said tubular body, where said second electrodes are placed, is formed to have a microscopic unevenness, and

a secondary electron emission film is provided at a portion of said inner surface where said microscopic unevenness is formed.