Display device including resilient mounting means

Claim 2

A display device comprising: an envelope; a rigid substrate within said envelope; a plurality of light sources mounted on a face of said substrate, and terminal means engaged with each of said sources allowing individual operation of said sources; and resilient means for restricting movement of said substrate relative to said envelope, said means comprising a U-shaped member having a pair of legs mounted to extend along oppositely disposed sides of said substrate, one of said legs including a metal leaf spring in compressively stressed engagement with the inside wall of said envelope.

Claim 3

A display device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient means maintains said substrate out of direct engagement with the wall of said envelope.

Claim 4

A display device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient means is held in place solely by being compressively wedged between said envelope and said substrate, and said resilient means engage only nonreentrant, peripheral portions of said substrate.

Claim 5

A display device as in claim 1 wherein said substrate is relatively thin and flat, and said resilient means is mounted astride the edges of said substrate in a plane parallel to the major faces of said substrate.

Claim 6

A display device as in claim 1 wherein said substrate is relatively thin and flat, and said resilient means comprises a sheet metal strip disposed along an edge of said substrate and having a pair of opposed tabs bent to lie adjacent opposite faces of said substrate, and each of said legs includes an enlarged planar portion extending along a longitudinal edge of said substrate, the two outer extremities of said portions being engaged with the internal wall of said envelope, said portions being flexed in a leaf spring action to urge said legs against said substrate.

Claim 7

A display device as in claim 1 wherein: said envelope is cylindrical; said substrate is a rectangular platelike member, opposite edges of said substrate being disposed adjacent to and extending longitudinally along the inner wall of said envelope, and said U-shaped member is disposed along three of the four edges of said substrate with the said two legs being wedged between the envelope wall and said two longitudinally edges of said substrate.

Claim 8

A display device as in claim 1 wherein: said envelope has a cylindrical shape including closed upper and lower ends, said lower end including a stem having a plurality of leads extending therethrough into and outwardly from said envelopE; said substrate is relatively thin and flat, and is mounted on said leads in longitudinally extending relation within said envelope; said resilient means legs are disposed along the longitudinally extending edges of said substrate; and each of said legs includes a leaf spring flange extending transversely of a plane including both of said legs and into compressively stressed engagement with the cylindrical sidewall of said envelope, said flanges being inwardly flexed, thereby clamping said legs rigidly against said substrate.

Claim 9

A display device as in claim 7 wherein the upper edges of said leaf springs taper outwardly and downwardly from said envelope upper end.

Claim 10

A display device as in claim 7 wherein said resilient means maintains said substrate out of direct engagement with the wall of said envelope.