Display panel having a plurality of display registers

Claim 2

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a bottom plate, a center plate, and a top plate, all being of dielectric material and hermetically sealed together along their adjacent edges, said bottom plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said bottom plate also having a plurality of first parallel identical slots extending into said plate from said top surface and extending along the entire length of said plate, first electrodes seated in several groups of said first slots and extending along the entire length thereof and beyond both ends thereof, said groups of first slots comprising display registers, each of said several groups of said first slots being separated by an inter-register slot which does not contain one of said first electrodes in it, said center plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, a plurality of second electrodes disposed between said bottom plate and said center plate and oriented at an angle to said first electrodes, each second electrode crossing each first electrode, each crossing defining a cell which can be fired by potentials applied to the two electrodes at the crossing, a plurality of holes formed in said center plate and arrayed in rows and columns, each column of holes being aligned with one of said second electrodes, and a plurality of third electrodes aligned with the rows of said holes and disposed between said top plate and said center plate, each third electrode also being aligned with one of said first electrodes.

Claim 3

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein an auxiliary electrode is seated in said inter-register slot.

Claim 4

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said inter-register slot is blocked by an insulating mass and an auxiliary electrode is seated therein.

Claim 5

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a bottom plate, a center plate, and a top plate, all being of dielectric material and hermetically sealed together along their adjacent edges, said bottom plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said bottom plate also having a plurality of first parallel identical slots extending into said plate from said top surface and extending along the entire length of said plate, first anode electrodes seated in several groups of said first slots and extending along the entire length thereof and beyond both ends thereof, said groups of slots being associated with display registers, each of said several groups of said first slots being separated by an inter-register slot which does not contain one of said first electrodes, said center plate of dielectric material having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes disposed between said bottom plate and said center plate and oriented at 90* to said first electrodes, each cathode electrode crossing each first electrode, eAch crossing defining a cell which can be fired by potentials applied to the two electrodes at the cell crossing, a first auxiliary cathode electrode adjacent to the first cathode in said array of cathode electrodes, auxiliary electrode means adjacent to said first auxiliary electrode and adapted to be held ON to provide a constant source of excited particles for said first auxiliary electrode, a plurality of holes formed in said center plate and arrayed in rows and columns, each column of holes being aligned with one of said plurality of cathode electrodes, and a plurality of second anode electrodes aligned with the rows of said holes and disposed between said top plate and said center plate, each second electrode also being aligned with one of said first anode electrodes.

Claim 6

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including a bottom plate, a center plate, and a top plate, all being of dielectric material and hermetically sealed together along their adjacent edges, said bottom plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said bottom plate also having a plurality of first parallel identical slots extending into said plate from said top surface and extending along the entire length of said plate, first anode electrodes seated in several groups of said first slots and extending along the entire length thereof and beyond both ends thereof, said groups of slots being associated with display registers, each of said several groups of said first slots being separated by an inter-register slot which does not contain one of said first electrodes, said center plate of dielectric material having a top surface, a bottom surface, a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge, a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes disposed between said bottom plate and said center plate and oriented at 90* to said first electrodes, each cathode electrode crossing each first electrode, eAch crossing defining a cell which can be fired by potentials applied to the two electrodes at the cell crossing, a first auxiliary cathode electrode adjacent to the first cathode in said array of cathode electrodes, auxiliary electrode means adjacent to said first auxiliary electrode and adapted to be held ON to provide a constant source of excited particles for said first auxiliary electrode, a plurality of holes formed in said center plate and arrayed in rows and columns, each column of holes being aligned with one of said plurality of cathode electrodes, and a plurality of second anode electrodes aligned with the rows of said holes and disposed between said top plate and said center plate, each second electrode also being aligned with one of said first anode electrodes.

Claim 7

The panel defined in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of cathode electrodes comprises a metal strip which has a series of apertures extending along its length, each said aperture communicating with a hole in said center plate.

Claim 8

The panel defined in claim 4 wherein another electrode is seated in said inter-register slot.

Claim 9

The panel defined in claim 4 wherein said inter-register slot is blocked by an insulating mass and another electrode is seated therein.