Cold cathode fluorescent display

• US 6,211,612 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transmarine Enterprises Limited
• Original Assignee: GL Displays Incorporated
• Inventors: Ge, Xiaoqin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US09/183,763
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 313/493, 313/495, 313/113, 313/312, 313/317, 313/318.01, 313/318.12, 313/318.08, 313/573, 439/602, 439/611
• US Class Current: 313/493
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/30 Vessels; Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/327 "Compact"-lamps, i.e. lamps having a folded discharge path
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/34 Double-wall vessels or containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/78 with cold cathode; with cathode heated only by discharge, e.g. high-tension lamp for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/046 the field being produced by using capacitive means around the vessel

Abstract

A monochromic, multi-color and full-color cold cathode fluorescent display (CFD), comprises of some shaped white or multi-color or red, green blue color cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), reflector, base plate, temperature control means, luminance and contrast enhancement face plate, shades and its driving electronics. CFD is a large screen display device which has high luminance, high efficiency, long lifetime, high contrast and excellent color. CFD can be used for both outdoor and indoor applications even at direct sunlight, to display a character, or graphic and video image.

Claims

1. A fluorescent display device comprising;

at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp having at least one electrode;

a glass tube defining a vacuum chamber therein housing said at least one lamp so as to reduce heat loss, to increase the luminous efficiency and to eliminate the effect of the ambient temperature on the at least one fluorescent lamp; and

a support member connected to the tube supporting the at least one lamp.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said glass tube has a front face which includes a diffusing spherical portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the glass tube has a front face with a transparent spherical surface and a cone-shaped or near cone-shaped backside and a high reflective layer on or near the backside to reflect light and to increase the luminance of the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the layer is a thin film comprising an Al, Ag or alloy on an internal surface of said tube.

5. The device of claim 1, said at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp emits substantially monochromatic light.

6. The device of claim 1, said device comprising at least one group of red, green and blue lamps in the tube.

7. The device of claim 1, said support member comprising a high reflectance base plate to reflect light from the at least one lamp and to increase the luminance of the device.

8. The device of claim 1, said support member comprising a base plate supporting the at least one lamp, said device further comprising:

a lamp base attaching the at least one lamps to said base plate; and

a connector connected to the at least one electrode.

9. A cold cathode gas discharge apparatus, comprising:

at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp; and

a light transmitting container housing said at least one lamp; and

a support member connected to the container and supporting the at least one lamp.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, said container being a glass tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for controlling temperature of the lamp.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, said temperature controlling means controlling the temperature of the lamp to within a range of 30 to 75 degrees Celsius.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, said temperature controlling means comprising a heating element, a temperature sensor, an automatic control circuit and a heat conductive plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, said apparatus comprising a plurality of cold cathode fluorescent lamps adjacent to said heat conductive plate, said heating element comprising an electrical heating wire or film, said heat conductive plate including aluminum or an alloy, wherein the heating element is seated on the heat conductive plate to keep the lamps at the same temperature.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, said support member being a base plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, said base plate attached to an inner wall of the container, so that substantially all of the at least one lamp is housed within the container.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one lamp is “

U”

shaped, or has a serpentine or spiral shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, said member being a base plate, said apparatus further comprising:

an array of cold cathode fluorescent lamps adjacent to said base plate; and

reflecting means at or near the base plate to reflect light emitted by the lamps.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, said member being a base plate, said apparatus further comprising:

an array of cold cathode fluorescent lamps adjacent to said base plate; and

an array of lenses focusing light emitted by the lamps.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, said member being a base plate, said apparatus further comprising:

an array of cold cathode fluorescent lamps adjacent to said base plate; and

an array of shades above the lamps to shield the lamps from sunlight.