US3725713A — Multi-position gaseous discharge display panel

Claim 1

Independent Claim 276 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope having a swinging window and containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a metal base plate forming a part of said envelope having a large-area portion and a first plurality of fingers projecting therefrom, a first insulating layer covering said large-area portion and said projecting fingers, a plurality of substantially parallel conductors extending along said insulating layer over the large-area portion and over the projecting fingers, a second insulating layer covering said conductors over most of their length along the large-area portion, a first group of apertures in said second insulating layer, each aperture of the group being aligned with a different one of said conductors, a first group of elongated cathode segments arrayed in a predetermined pattern with a portion of each such cathode segment being aligned with one of said apertures and connected electrically through the aperture to one of said conductors, a plurality of additional groups of apertures in said second insulating layer, the apertures of each group being aligned as said first group, with each aperture of each group aligned with one of said conductors, the aperture groups being disposed side-by-side along said second insulating layer in the direction of said parallel conductors, a plurality of additional groups of elongated cathode segments with the cathode segments of each group arrayed in substantially the same pattern as those of the first group, said additional cathode segment groups being aligned with the additional aperture groups and connected electrically through the respective apertures thereof to said parallel conductors, and a plurality of anode electrodes each associated with one of said cathode segment groups.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 276 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope having a swinging window and containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a metal base plate forming a part of said envelope having a large-area portion and a first plurality of fingers projecting therefrom, a first insulating layer covering said large-area portion and said projecting fingers, a plurality of substantially parallel conductors extending along said insulating layer over the large-area portion and over the projecting fingers, a second insulating layer covering said conductors over most of their length along the large-area portion, a first group of apertures in said second insulating layer, each aperture of the group being aligned with a different one of said conductors, a first group of elongated cathode segments arrayed in a predetermined pattern with a portion of each such cathode segment being aligned with one of said apertures and connected electrically through the aperture to one of said conductors, a plurality of additional groups of apertures in said second insulating layer, the apertures of each group being aligned as said first group, with each aperture of each group aligned with one of said conductors, the aperture groups being disposed side-by-side along said second insulating layer in the direction of said parallel conductors, a plurality of additional groups of elongated cathode segments with the cathode segments of each group arrayed in substantially the same pattern as those of the first group, said additional cathode segment groups being aligned with the additional aperture groups and connected electrically through the respective apertures thereof to said parallel conductors, and a plurality of anode electrodes each associated with one of said cathode segment groups.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

A display device as in claim 1 wherein the cathode segments of each group are disposed in a character-shaped array.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 50 words

A display device as in claim 1 including means to energize selective combinations of said parallel conductors along the portions thereof which extend onto said projecting fingers, and means for energizing said anode electrodes one after the other in synchronism with the sequential energization of different combinations of said conductors.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

A display device as defined in claim 1 including electron-emitting phosphor material disposed within said envelope.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

A display device as defined in claim 1 including a gas cell source of first electrons disposed in communicating relationship with each of said cathode segment groups.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

A display device as in claim 1 including a second plurality of fingers projecting from said large-area portion of said metal base plate, perpendicular to said first plurality.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

A display device as in claim 6, further including an insulating layer covering said second plurality of projecting fingers, and conductors connected to said anodes and extending along said further insulating layer.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 231 words

A display device comprising an envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a metal base plate having a large-area portion and a plurality of discrete contact fingers projecting therefrom, a first insulating layer disposed on said large-area portion and on said fingers, said first insulating layer having a top surface, a plurality of conductive strips on said top surface of said insulating layer and extending onto the portions of said first insulating layer on said fingers, a second insulating layer on said conductive strips only over the portions of said conductive strips on said large-area portion, a plurality of groups of apertures in said second insulating layer, each such aperture aligned with and exposing one conductive strip, said groups of apertures being spaced apart in a series, one group next to the other, a conductive member in each of said apertures in direct contact with the associated conductive strip and operable as a glow cathode in the gas in said envelope, there thus being a plurality of groups of conductive members with corresponding members of each group in contact with the same conductive strip, a plurality of anode electrodes, one being associated with each group of conductive members, and a glass cover plate through which glowing cathodes can be viewed, said base plate and said cover plate being hermetically sealed together to form said envelope.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 231 words

A display device comprising an envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a metal base plate having a large-area portion and a plurality of discrete contact fingers projecting therefrom, a first insulating layer disposed on said large-area portion and on said fingers, said first insulating layer having a top surface, a plurality of conductive strips on said top surface of said insulating layer and extending onto the portions of said first insulating layer on said fingers, a second insulating layer on said conductive strips only over the portions of said conductive strips on said large-area portion, a plurality of groups of apertures in said second insulating layer, each such aperture aligned with and exposing one conductive strip, said groups of apertures being spaced apart in a series, one group next to the other, a conductive member in each of said apertures in direct contact with the associated conductive strip and operable as a glow cathode in the gas in said envelope, there thus being a plurality of groups of conductive members with corresponding members of each group in contact with the same conductive strip, a plurality of anode electrodes, one being associated with each group of conductive members, and a glass cover plate through which glowing cathodes can be viewed, said base plate and said cover plate being hermetically sealed together to form said envelope.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 32 words

The device defined in claim 8 wherein each conductive member is generally elongated and rectangular in shape and, in each group, the conductive members are arrayed generally in a figure ''''8'''' pattern.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 45 words

The device defined in claim 8 wherein each conductive member extends into its aperture and is therein secured to its conductive strip, and each conductive member also extends over and covers a portion of the surface of said second insulating layer adjacent to its aperture.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 222 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a viewing window in said envelope, an insulating base plate within said envelope having a surface facing said viewing window, a plurality of substantially parallel conductive strips extending along said surface, a group of elongated cathode segments disposed in a predetermined array, each cathode segment of the group being in direct contact with one of said conductive strips and operable as a glow cathode in said envelope, a plurality of additional groups of elongated cathode segments, each such group being disposed in an array substantially the same as said first group, said cathode segment groups being disposed side-by-side along the insulating base plate in the direction of the conductive strips, with the corresponding cathode segments in each of said groups in direct contact with the same conductive strip, at least certain ones of said cathode segments overlying at least one of said conductive strips in addition to the one in which it is in direct contact, a small area of insulation in each of said overlying regions forming a layer over the conductive strip in such region and separating the cathode segment from the conductive strip it overlies, and a plurality of anode electrodes each associated with one group of said cathode segments.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 222 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, a viewing window in said envelope, an insulating base plate within said envelope having a surface facing said viewing window, a plurality of substantially parallel conductive strips extending along said surface, a group of elongated cathode segments disposed in a predetermined array, each cathode segment of the group being in direct contact with one of said conductive strips and operable as a glow cathode in said envelope, a plurality of additional groups of elongated cathode segments, each such group being disposed in an array substantially the same as said first group, said cathode segment groups being disposed side-by-side along the insulating base plate in the direction of the conductive strips, with the corresponding cathode segments in each of said groups in direct contact with the same conductive strip, at least certain ones of said cathode segments overlying at least one of said conductive strips in addition to the one in which it is in direct contact, a small area of insulation in each of said overlying regions forming a layer over the conductive strip in such region and separating the cathode segment from the conductive strip it overlies, and a plurality of anode electrodes each associated with one group of said cathode segments.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 59 words

The device defined in claim 11 wherein each cathode segment is rectangular in shape and the cathode segments of each group are arrayed generally in a figure ''''8'''' pattern, and wherein each of four of said cathode segments overlies at least one of said conductive strips in addition to the conductive strip in which it is in direct contact.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 215 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope having a viewing window and containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, an insulating base plate within said envelope having a top surface, a plurality of conductive strips on said top surface of said base plate, an insulating layer on said conductive strips, a group of apertures in said layer, each aligned with and exposing one conductive strip, said apertures being arrayed gEnerally in a figure ''''8'''' pattern, a first plurality of cathode segments on said insulating layer, each connected through one of said apertures into direct contact with the associated conductive strip and operable as a glow cathode, there thus being a group of cathode segments arrayed in a figure ''''8'''' pattern, an auxiliary cathode segment disposed in the center of said figure ''''8'''' pattern and adapted to represent the numeral ''''1'''' and making contact through said insulating layer to a separate conductive strip, said auxiliary cathode segment overlying a portion of at least one of said first cathode segments and including a transparent portion where it overlays said first cathode segment, whereby when said first cathode segment exhibits cathode glow, the glow is visible through said transparent portion, and an anode electrode associated with said first and said auxiliary cathode segments.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 215 words

A display device comprising a sealed envelope having a viewing window and containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining cathode glow, an insulating base plate within said envelope having a top surface, a plurality of conductive strips on said top surface of said base plate, an insulating layer on said conductive strips, a group of apertures in said layer, each aligned with and exposing one conductive strip, said apertures being arrayed gEnerally in a figure ''''8'''' pattern, a first plurality of cathode segments on said insulating layer, each connected through one of said apertures into direct contact with the associated conductive strip and operable as a glow cathode, there thus being a group of cathode segments arrayed in a figure ''''8'''' pattern, an auxiliary cathode segment disposed in the center of said figure ''''8'''' pattern and adapted to represent the numeral ''''1'''' and making contact through said insulating layer to a separate conductive strip, said auxiliary cathode segment overlying a portion of at least one of said first cathode segments and including a transparent portion where it overlays said first cathode segment, whereby when said first cathode segment exhibits cathode glow, the glow is visible through said transparent portion, and an anode electrode associated with said first and said auxiliary cathode segments.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

A display device as in claim 13, wherein said viewing window is a glass cover plate, said base plate and said cover plate being hermetically sealed together to form said envelope.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 17 words

A display device as in claim 13 wherein said transparent portion is of a mesh-like conductive material.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-04-02	1976-10-02	1977-04-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-04-02	1980-10-02	1981-04-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-04-02	1984-10-02	1985-04-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Multi-position gaseous discharge display panel

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