Multi-position character display panel

Claim 2

A display device comprising a gas-filled envelope including a base plate, a plurality of groups of cathode electrodes disposed in said envelope on said base plate, an anode electrode in operative relation with each said group of cathode electrodes, a tubulation secured to said base plate outside said envelope and communicating with the interior Of said envelope through a hole in said base plate, said tubulation being adapted for introducing gas and mercury vapor into said panel through said hole in said base plate, and a fine mesh screen in the form of a thin, flat disk disposed in said tubulation and bearing against the outer surface of said base plate across said hole, said screen being of such fine mesh that it permits the flow of gas and mercury vapor into said envelope through said tubulation and said hole, but prevents the entry of relatively large globules of mercury from said tubulation through said hole into said envelope.

Claim 3

The device defined in claim 1 wherein said mesh screen is of nickel.

Claim 4

The device defined in claim 1 wherein said mesh screen is of the order of 500 mesh in fineness.

Claim 5

The device defined in claim 1 and including a ball of mercury disposed within said tubulation.

Claim 6

A display device comprising a gas-filled panel-like envelope including a base plate and a face plate spaced therefrom and containing a gas filling between them, at least one anode and one cathode electrode within said invelope, a hole in said base plate for permitting gas to enter and leave said envelope, a tubulation secured to said base plate and communicating with the interior of said envelope through said hole whereby said envelope can be exhausted and gas can be introduced into said envelope, a relatively large mass of mercury in said tubulation, and a fine mesh screen in the form of a thin flat disk disposed in said tubulation and bearing against the outer surface of said base plate covering said hole, said screen being of so fine a mesh that it permits the flow of gas and mercury vapor into said envelope through said hole, but prevents the entry of relatively large globules of mercury through said hole from said tubulation into said envelope.

Claim 7

A display device comprising a gas-filled panel-like envelope including a base plate and a face plate spaced therefrom and containing a gas filling between them, at least one anode and one cathode electrode within said invelope, a hole in said base plate for permitting gas to enter and leave said envelope, a tubulation secured to said base plate and communicating with the interior of said envelope through said hole whereby said envelope can be exhausted and gas can be introduced into said envelope, a relatively large mass of mercury in said tubulation, and a fine mesh screen in the form of a thin flat disk disposed in said tubulation and bearing against the outer surface of said base plate covering said hole, said screen being of so fine a mesh that it permits the flow of gas and mercury vapor into said envelope through said hole, but prevents the entry of relatively large globules of mercury through said hole from said tubulation into said envelope.

Claim 8

A display device comprising a thin, flat, gas-filled panel-type envelope including a base plate and a face plate, a plurality of groups of cathode electrodes disposed in said envelope and spaced apart along said base plate, an anode electrode in operative relation with each said group of cathode electrodes, a tubulation secured to the outer surface of said base plate outside said envelope and communicating with the interior of said envelope through a hole in said base plate, said tubulation being adapted for introducing gas and mercury vapor into said panel through said hole in said base plate, said tubulation carrying a quantity of free mercury, and mechanical means disposed in said tubulation and positioned to block said hole in said panel, said mechanical means permitting the flow of gas and mercury vapor through said tubulation and said hole into said panel, but preventing the entry of relatively large globules of mercury from said tubulation through said hole into said envelope.

Claim 9

A display device comprising a thin, flat, gas-filled panel-type envelope including a base plate and a face plate, a plurality of groups of cathode electrodes disposed in said envelope and spaced apart along said base plate, an anode electrode in operative relation with each said group of cathode electrodes, a tubulation secured to the outer surface of said base plate outside said envelope and communicating with the interior of said envelope through a hole in said base plate, said tubulation being adapted for introducing gas and mercury vapor into said panel through said hole in said base plate, said tubulation carrying a quantity of free mercury, and mechanical means disposed in said tubulation and positioned to block said hole in said panel, said mechanical means permitting the flow of gas and mercury vapor through said tubulation and said hole into said panel, but preventing the entry of relatively large globules of mercury from said tubulation through said hole into said envelope.

Claim 10

A gas discharge display device comprising an evacuated envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge, a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from one another along a first surface within said envelope, a plurality of second electrodes spaced from one another and from said first electrodes within said envelope, said first and second electrodes being selectively energizable to produce different glow discharge patterns between said first and second electrodes, a vaporizable material in a liquid state contained initially within a portion of said envelope, said envelope portion being separated from the remainder of the envelope by a small aperture, and a barrier member extending across said aperture and having passages therethrough substantially smaller than said aperture, said barrier member permitting the passage of vapor from said vaporizable material into the remainder of the envelope but being substantially impervious to the passage of said vaporizable material in its liquid state.

Claim 11

A gas discharge display device comprising an evacuated envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge, a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from one another along a first surface within said envelope, a plurality of second electrodes spaced from one another and from said first electrodes within said envelope, said first and second electrodes being selectively energizable to produce different glow discharge patterns between said first and second electrodes, a vaporizable material in a liquid state contained initially within a portion of said envelope, said envelope portion being separated from the remainder of the envelope by a small aperture, and a barrier member extending across said aperture and having passages therethrough substantially smaller than said aperture, said barrier member permitting the passage of vapor from said vaporizable material into the remainder of the envelope but being substantially impervious to the passage of said vaporizable material in its liquid state.

Claim 12

A gas discharge device as in cLaim 7 wherein said vaporizable material is a drop of mercury, the vapor of which imparts long life characteristics to said device.

Claim 13

A gas discharge display device as in claim 8 further including means to vaporize at least a portion of said drop of mercury to cause mercury vapor to pass through said barrier member and enter the remainder of the envelope.

Claim 14

A gas discharge display device as in claim 7 wherein said barrier is a fine mesh screen.

Claim 15

A gas discharge display device as in claim 10 wherein the envelope is a flat panel-like envelope with a short tubulation sealed to and extending therefrom, said tubulation constituting the envelope portion which contains the vaporizable material, and wherein the fine mesh screen is located within the tubulation and extends across the aperture which separates the tubulation from the panel-like portion of the envelope.

Claim 16

A gas discharge display device as in claim 11 wherein the fine mesh screen is positioned against the outer surface of the panel-like portion of the envelope with its periphery contiguous the seal between the tubulation and said outer surface.

Claim 17

A gas discharge display device as in claim 12 wherein said fine mesh screen is flat and flexible.

Claim 18

A gas discharge display device as in claim 8 wherein said barrier member is formed of a material which readily amalgamates with mercury.

Claim 19

A gas discharge display device as in claim 8 wherein said barrier member is metallic and is amalgamated with mercury.

Claim 20

A gas discharge display device comprising an evacuated envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge, a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from one another along a first surface within said envelope, a plurality of second electrodes spaced apart from one another and from said first electrodes within said envelope, said first and second electrodes being selectively energizable to produce different glow discharge patterns between said first and second electrodes, a vaporizable droplet of mercury in a liquid state contained initially within a portion of said envelope, and a barrier member separating said envelope portion containing the mercury droplet from the remainder of the envelope, said barrier member having passages therethrough of sufficient size to permit the passage of vapor from said vaporizable droplet into the remainder of the envelope but being substantially impervious to the passage of said vaporizable droplet in its liquid state.

Claim 21

A gas discharge display device comprising an evacuated envelope containing an ionizable gas at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge, a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from one another along a first surface within said envelope, a plurality of second electrodes spaced apart from one another and from said first electrodes within said envelope, said first and second electrodes being selectively energizable to produce different glow discharge patterns between said first and second electrodes, a vaporizable droplet of mercury in a liquid state contained initially within a portion of said envelope, and a barrier member separating said envelope portion containing the mercury droplet from the remainder of the envelope, said barrier member having passages therethrough of sufficient size to permit the passage of vapor from said vaporizable droplet into the remainder of the envelope but being substantially impervious to the passage of said vaporizable droplet in its liquid state.

Claim 22

A gas discharge display device as in claim 16 wherein said barrier comprises an apertured glass wall, with a metallic barrier extending across each such aperture, the metallic barrier being substantially impervious to the passage of said vaporizable droplet in its liquid state.

Claim 23

A gas discharge display device as in claim 17 wherein said metallic barrier is a fine mesh screen.

Claim 24

A gas discharge display panel having a plurality of side-by-side character positions along a predetermined line, in each of which any one of a predetermined number of characters can be displayed, comprising an envelope formed of front and rear plates sealed together along a predetermined perimeter surrounding the line of character positions, and an attached tubulation, to establish a gas tight enclosure about said character positions; an ionizable gas within said enclosure at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge; a plurality of elongated conductive runs extending along the inside surface of the rear plate in the direction of the line of character positions, a layer of insulating material over said conductive runs with a group of apertures therethrough for each character position, the respective apertures in each such group being aligned with the respective conductive runs, a plurality of groups of cathode segments arranged side-by-side along the surface of said insulating layer to form the side-by-side character positioNs, each cathode segment being aligned with one of said apertures, a plurality of anodes insulated from each other and from said cathode segments, each such anode being located adjacent and operatively associated with one of said cathode segment groups, means for selectively energizing said anodes and cathode segments to form a side-by-side character display over all of said character positions, a vaporizable material in a liquid state contained within a portion of said envelope, said envelope portion being separated from the remainder of the envelope by a small aperture, and a barrier member extending across said aperture and having passages therethrough substantially smaller than said aperture, the passages permitting the passage of vapor from said vaporizable material into the remainder of said envelope but being substantailly impervious to the passage of said vaporizable material in its liquid state.

Claim 25

A gas discharge display panel having a plurality of side-by-side character positions along a predetermined line, in each of which any one of a predetermined number of characters can be displayed, comprising an envelope formed of front and rear plates sealed together along a predetermined perimeter surrounding the line of character positions, and an attached tubulation, to establish a gas tight enclosure about said character positions; an ionizable gas within said enclosure at a pressure capable of sustaining a glow discharge; a plurality of elongated conductive runs extending along the inside surface of the rear plate in the direction of the line of character positions, a layer of insulating material over said conductive runs with a group of apertures therethrough for each character position, the respective apertures in each such group being aligned with the respective conductive runs, a plurality of groups of cathode segments arranged side-by-side along the surface of said insulating layer to form the side-by-side character positioNs, each cathode segment being aligned with one of said apertures, a plurality of anodes insulated from each other and from said cathode segments, each such anode being located adjacent and operatively associated with one of said cathode segment groups, means for selectively energizing said anodes and cathode segments to form a side-by-side character display over all of said character positions, a vaporizable material in a liquid state contained within a portion of said envelope, said envelope portion being separated from the remainder of the envelope by a small aperture, and a barrier member extending across said aperture and having passages therethrough substantially smaller than said aperture, the passages permitting the passage of vapor from said vaporizable material into the remainder of said envelope but being substantailly impervious to the passage of said vaporizable material in its liquid state.

Claim 26

A gas discharge display device as in claim 19 wherein said vaporizable material is a drop of mercury, the vapor of which imparts long life characteristics to said device.

Claim 27

A gas discharge display device as in claim 20 wherein the drop of mercury is located within the tubulation and the barrier member is also located within the tubulation and extends across the aperture which separates the tubulation from the remainder of the envelope.