US3681655A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Glass-clad wire gas discharge display matrix
Assignee: International Standard Electric Corp
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Filing: 1970-11-05
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Granted: 1972-08-01
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Expires: 1990-11-05
Abstract
Abstract A gas discharge display matrix includes a plurality of glassclad conductors woven into a form of matrix cross-over points. The matrix is enclosed within a glass envelope filled with an ionizable gas or a mixture of gases. By applying alternating voltage to selected pairs of the glass-clad wires, the cross-over point defined by the selected pair of wires is made to ionize and discharge the gas surrounding it and emit light. Capacitor coupling and switching circuits may be used to selectively apply the alternating voltage.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter Alan Birrell Toombs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:56
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/296; G09G3/297; H; H01; H01J; H01J17/00; H01J17/38; H01J17/48; H01J17/49; H01J17/492
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A gas discharge display arrangement activated by an alternating voltage source comprising: a plurality of electrically insulated wires arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix array of cross-over points; a light transparent envelope filled with an ionizable gas enclosing said matrix; and means for applying said alternating voltage source to a selected pair of wires defining a selected cross-over point in the mesh to excite an intermittent glow discharge in the localized region surrounding said selected cross-over point.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A gas discharge display arrangement activated by an alternating voltage source comprising: a plurality of electrically insulated wires arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix array of cross-over points; a light transparent envelope filled with an ionizable gas enclosing said matrix; and means for applying said alternating voltage source to a selected pair of wires defining a selected cross-over point in the mesh to excite an intermittent glow discharge in the localized region surrounding said selected cross-over point.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said wires are glass-clad copper wires.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An arrangement according to claim 2, including a control circuitry coupled to said matrix array to control said glow discharge.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
An arrangement according to claim 3, said control circuitry includes: a plurality of capacitive means respectively coupling corresponding ones of said wires to said alternating voltage source; and switching means for shunting selected pairs of said capacitive means so that said alternating voltage source is directly applied across said selected pair of wires thereby effecting ionization and discharge of the cross-over point formed by said selected pair.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said capacitive means includes a pair of conductive strips respectively surrounding said glass-clad wire adjacent said glass envelope and each having a predetermined capacitance between each of said conductive strips and said wire.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said glass-clad copper wires are woven to form said matrix array of cross-over points.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said light transparent envelope contains a mixture of ionizable gases.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said transparent envelope is made of light transparent glass.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-01 | 1976-01-31 | 1976-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-01-31 | 1980-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-01 | 1984-01-31 | 1984-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |