Gaseous display panel having two arrays of gas cells

Claim 1

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a bottom plate, a centerplate, and a top plate, all of dielectric material, said bottom plate having a top surface in which a plurality of first parallel slots are formed and in each of which a first electrode is seated, said centerplate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a plurality of holes arrayed in rows and columns and filled with said gas, a thin insulating glass coating covering said bottom surface of said centerplate but not obstructing said holes, a plurality of second electrodes secured to said insulation coating and each having portions overlying said holes in said centerplate and in contact with the gas therein, said second electrodes being oriented at an angle to each said first electrode whereby each second electrode crosses each first electrode and each crossing defines a first gas cell, said centerplate being positioned so that the rows of holes therein are aligned with said slots in said first plate, and a plurality of third electrodes positioned between said centerplate and said top plate, each being in operative relation with a plurality of holes in said centerplate, said third electrodes being disposed parallel to said first electrodes and thus crossing each of said second electrodes, each crossing being at a hole in said centerplate and defining a second gas cell therewith, there thus being an array of first gas cells and an array of second gas cells, each first cell communicating with one of said second cells.