Indicator tube utilizing a barrier electrode around each of the indicator units to which one of two voltages may be applied

Claim 2

An indicator tube comprising: a planar base plate of an insulating material; a plurality of indicator units aligned on one side of the planar base plate, each of thE indicator units comprising a plurality of cathode segments arranged in a predetermined configuration; a plurality of barrier electrodes formed on the same side of the planar base plate and with one of said barrier electrodes surrounding each one of said indicator units, respectively; a transparent sealed envelope enclosing said planar base plate; and an ionizing gas in said sealed envelope.

Claim 3

An indicator tube according to claim 1 in which each of said barrier electrodes is selectively energized with one voltage which causes its associated indicator unit to glow when certain cathode segments are energized while other of said barrier electrodes are energized with a lower voltage to create an ion barrier around their associated indicator units to prevent glow.

Claim 4

An indicator tube according to claim 1, wherein corresponding ones of said plurality of cathode segments of each of said indicator units are electrically connected together, means for selectively applying a voltage to said cathode segments, a first positive voltage source connected one at a time to said plurality of barrier electrodes on a time sequential basis to energize the cathode segments of each indicator unit as said first voltage source is connected to the associated barrier electrode, and a second positive voltage source having a lower potential than said first voltage source connected to all of the barrier electrodes of said other indicator units than the one to which said first voltage source is connected to prevent energization of the associated cathode segments of said indicator units.

Claim 5

An indicator unit according to claim 3 comprising a plurality of cathode leads corresponding in number to the number of cathode segments of a single indicator unit, each one of said cathode leads connected to said corresponding ones of said plurality of cathode segments of each of said indicator units, and said means for selectively applying a voltage to said cathode segments connecting certain ones of said plurality of cathode leads to a source of potential which is negative with respect to both said first and second positive voltage sources to create a desired pattern on a particular indicator unit each time said barrier electrode of said particular indicator unit is connected to said first positive voltage source.

Claim 6

An indicator tube as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality of barrier leads and each one connected to a different one of said plurality of barrier electrodes.

Claim 7

An indicator tube comprising: a base plate of an insulating material; a plurality of indicator units aligned on one side of the base plate, each of the indicator units including a plurality of segments arranged in a predetermined configuration; a plurality of barrier electrodes formed on said one side of the base plate and each of said barrier electrodes surrounding one of said plurality of indicator units; a transparent envelope enclosing said base plate; an ionizing gas in said envelope; corresponding ones of each of said plurality of segments of each of said indicator units electrically connected together; means for selectively applying a first voltage to said segments; means for applying a second voltage to most of said plurality of barrier electrodes to prevent accidental actuation of the indicator units corresponding thereto; and means for applying a third voltage to at least one of the other of said plurality of barrier electrodes to actuate the indicator unit corresponding thereto.

Claim 8

An indicator tube comprising: a base plate of an insulating material; a plurality of indicator units aligned on one side of the base plate, each of the indicator units including a plurality of segments arranged in a predetermined configuration; a plurality of barrier electrodes formed on said one side of the base plate and each of said barrier electrodes surrounding one of said plurality of indicator units; a transparent envelope enclosing said base plate; an ionizing gas in said envelope; corresponding ones of each of said plurality of segments of each of said indicator units electrically connected together; means for selectively applying a first voltage to said segments; means for applying a second voltage to most of said plurality of barrier electrodes to prevent accidental actuation of the indicator units corresponding thereto; and means for applying a third voltage to at least one of the other of said plurality of barrier electrodes to actuate the indicator unit corresponding thereto.

Claim 9

An indicator unit comprising: a planar base plate of insulating material; a plurality of indicator units on one side of the planar base plate; a transparent cover sealed to said base plate and forming a chamber therewith enclosing said indicator units; an ionizable gas within said chamber; each of said indicator units including a plurality of cathode segments in a discrete pattern located in a single plane; an electrode for each indicator unit wHich surrounds the cathode segments of the indicator unit and located in the same plane as said cathode segments; the cathode segments of each indicator unit being connected through leads to similarly positioned cathode segments of all indicator units; means for time sequentially applying a bias potential to each of said electrodes sufficient to cause ionization of gas adjacent selected cathode segments of each indicator unit whose electrode is so biased when such selected cathode segments are given a decoding potential negative with respect to said bias potential; means for sequentially connecting a decoding potential to said selected segments of each indicator tube to form a desired pattern; and means for applying a biasing potential to those electrodes which have not received a potential sufficient to cause ionization with a potential insufficient to cause ionization but sufficient to act as an ion barrier.

Claim 10

An indicator unit comprising: a planar base plate of insulating material; a plurality of indicator units on one side of the planar base plate; a transparent cover sealed to said base plate and forming a chamber therewith enclosing said indicator units; an ionizable gas within said chamber; each of said indicator units including a plurality of cathode segments in a discrete pattern located in a single plane; an electrode for each indicator unit wHich surrounds the cathode segments of the indicator unit and located in the same plane as said cathode segments; the cathode segments of each indicator unit being connected through leads to similarly positioned cathode segments of all indicator units; means for time sequentially applying a bias potential to each of said electrodes sufficient to cause ionization of gas adjacent selected cathode segments of each indicator unit whose electrode is so biased when such selected cathode segments are given a decoding potential negative with respect to said bias potential; means for sequentially connecting a decoding potential to said selected segments of each indicator tube to form a desired pattern; and means for applying a biasing potential to those electrodes which have not received a potential sufficient to cause ionization with a potential insufficient to cause ionization but sufficient to act as an ion barrier.