Gaseous discharge device

Claim 2

Display apparatus comprising, a number of electroformed, ionizable gas filled beads supportably mounted as a layer between first and second sets of conductors in sandwich fashion, the conductor sets being arranged in crossing relationship to form in said layer a plurality of conductor crosspoint or volumes, each containing at least one of the beads; and means including said conductors for selectively ionizing and deionizing the gas contained in the beads in selected crosspoint volumes.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said gas filled beads within each of the crosspoint volumes.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said ionizable gas contained in said beads includes a fractional part of radioactive gas; and wherein said beads are glass beads which are suspended in a plastic dielectric sheet.

Claim 5

The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein first and second ones of the beads in each crosspoint volume contain first and second gas mixtures having first and second fractional parts of radioactive gas, respectively; wherein said first and second ones of the beads in said volumes are associated with first and second phosphors of different colors, respectively; wherein said selection means includes means for selectively providing across said crosspoint volumes firing signals having first and second pulse widths which correspond to the firing times of said first and second gas mixtures, respectively; and wherein said beads are glass beads which are suspended in a transparent dielectric sheet.

Claim 6

The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein a third one of the beads in each crosspoint volume contains a third gas mixture having a third fractional part of radioactive gas associated with a third phosphor of another different color; and wherein said selective providing means further provides a firing signal having a third pulse width corresponding to the firing time of said third gas mixture.

Claim 7

The invention as set forth in clalim 5 and further including first and second substrates upon which said first and second conductor sets are mounted, respectively, said first substrate and said first set of conductors being transparent.

Claim 8

The invention as set forth in clalim 5 and further including first and second substrates upon which said first and second conductor sets are mounted, respectively, said first substrate and said first set of conductors being transparent.

Claim 9

The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second substrate and said second set of conductors are opaque.

Claim 10

The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second substrate and said second set of conductors are transparent.

Claim 11

The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first and second sets of conductors are arranged orthogonally with respect to one another.

Claim 12

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads suspended in a transparent dielectric sheet, first and second groups of said beads containing first and second ionizable gas mixtures which have first and second fractional parts of radioactive gas, respectively, said firsT and seocnd groups of beads being associated with first and second photoconversion materials of different colors, respectively; first and second conductors mounted on opposite sides of said sheet in crossing relation so as to define in said sheet a crosspoint volume containing at least first and second ones of the beads of the first and second groups, respectively; first means connected to said conductors for applying a sustaining signal across said crosspoint volume; and second means connected to said conductors for selectively providing across said crosspoint volume firing signals having first and second pulse widths which correspond to the firing times of said first and second gas mixtures so as to ionize the gas mixtures in the first and second beads, respectively.

Claim 13

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads suspended in a transparent dielectric sheet, first and second groups of said beads containing first and second ionizable gas mixtures which have first and second fractional parts of radioactive gas, respectively, said firsT and seocnd groups of beads being associated with first and second photoconversion materials of different colors, respectively; first and second conductors mounted on opposite sides of said sheet in crossing relation so as to define in said sheet a crosspoint volume containing at least first and second ones of the beads of the first and second groups, respectively; first means connected to said conductors for applying a sustaining signal across said crosspoint volume; and second means connected to said conductors for selectively providing across said crosspoint volume firing signals having first and second pulse widths which correspond to the firing times of said first and second gas mixtures so as to ionize the gas mixtures in the first and second beads, respectively.

Claim 14

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads suspended in a transparent dielectric sheet, first and second groups of said beads containing first and second ionizable gas mixtures which have first and second fractional parts of radioactive gas, respectively, said first and second groups of beads being associated with first and second photoconversion materials of different colors, respectively; a first conductor adhered to one side of said transparent dielectric sheet and a second conductor mounted on the opposite side of said dielectric sheet and in overlying relationship to said first conductor so as to define in said sheet a volume containing at least first and second ones of the beads from the first and second groups, respectively; first means connected to said first and second conductors for applying a sustaining signal across said volume; and second means connected to said first and second conductors for selectively providing across said volume firing signals having first and second pulse widths which correspond to the firing times of said first and second gas mixtures so as to ionize the gas mixtures in said first and second beads, respectively.

Claim 15

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads suspended in a transparent dielectric sheet, first and second groups of said beads containing first and second ionizable gas mixtures which have first and second fractional parts of radioactive gas, respectively, said first and second groups of beads being associated with first and second photoconversion materials of different colors, respectively; a first conductor adhered to one side of said transparent dielectric sheet and a second conductor mounted on the opposite side of said dielectric sheet and in overlying relationship to said first conductor so as to define in said sheet a volume containing at least first and second ones of the beads from the first and second groups, respectively; first means connected to said first and second conductors for applying a sustaining signal across said volume; and second means connected to said first and second conductors for selectively providing across said volume firing signals having first and second pulse widths which correspond to the firing times of said first and second gas mixtures so as to ionize the gas mixtures in said first and second beads, respectively.

Claim 16

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads supportably mounted as a layer between a first set of conductors and a second conductor in sandwich fashion, the conductors of the first set being arranged relative to one another and to said second conductor so as to form in said layer a plurality of display volumes with each volume containing at least one bead; first means connected to said first set of conductors and to said second conductor for applying a sustaining signal across all of said display volumes; and second means connected to said first set of conductors and to said second conductor for selectively applying firing and erase signals across said display volumes so as to selectively ionize and deionize the gas contained in the beads which are located in the selected display volumes.

Claim 17

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads supportably mounted as a layer between a first set of conductors and a second conductor in sandwich fashion, the conductors of the first set being arranged relative to one another and to said second conductor so as to form in said layer a plurality of display volumes with each volume containing at least one bead; first means connected to said first set of conductors and to said second conductor for applying a sustaining signal across all of said display volumes; and second means connected to said first set of conductors and to said second conductor for selectively applying firing and erase signals across said display volumes so as to selectively ionize and deionize the gas contained in the beads which are located in the selected display volumes.

Claim 18

The invention as set forth in claim 12 wherein said beads are glass beads which are embedded in a plastic dielectric sheet; and wherein said second conductor is a sheet of conductive material which covers one surface of the plastic dielectric sheet.

Claim 19

The invention as set forth in claim 13 wherein there are plurality of said gas filled beads within each display volume.

Claim 20

The invention as set forth in claim 14 and further including a first substrate upon which said first set of conductors is mounted, said first substrate and said first set of conductors being transparent.

Claim 21

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said beads being suspended in a sheet of electrically nonconductive material.

Claim 22

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said material is plastic.

Claim 23

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 17 and further including first and second substrates upon which the first and second sets of conductors are mounted, respectively.

Claim 24

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein said selection means further includes a first circuit coupled to said cOnductors for applying a sustaining signal across all of said crosspoint volumes; and a second circuit coupled to said conductors for selectively applying firing and erase signals across said crosspoint volumes so as to selectively ionize and deionize the gas contained in the beads in selected crosspoint volumes.

Claim 25

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 19 characterized by said sheet, one of said substrates and its associated conductor set being transparent to the light emitted by said ionized gas.

Claim 26

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 20 characterized by the conductors in each of said sets being parallel to and spaced apart from one another with the conductors in the first set extending in one direction and the conductors in the second set extending in an orthonogal direction.

Claim 27

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads mounted as a layer between first and second conductors in sandwich fashion, and means including the conductors for ionizing and deionizing the gas contained in the beads.

Claim 28

Display apparatus comprising a number of electroformed ionizable gas filled beads mounted as a layer between first and second conductors in sandwich fashion, and means including the conductors for ionizing and deionizing the gas contained in the beads.

Claim 29

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 22 wherein said beads are arranged in a fixed pattern.

Claim 30

Display apparatus as set forth in claim 23 and further characterized by a spacer material which contains one or more apertures for holding said beads and arranged between said first and second conductors.

Claim 31

A process of electroforming a hollow glass bead filled with ionizable gas comprising the steps of: placing the bead between a pair of electrodes; subjecting the bead to radiation having a wavelength which is equal to or less than that of near ultraviolet radiation; and applying an alternating voltage across the electrodes until the gas ionizes so as to condition the gas filled bead such that the gas subsequently ionizes when subjected to lower voltage amplitude and radiant intensity.

Claim 32

A process of electroforming a hollow glass bead filled with ionizable gas comprising the steps of: placing the bead between a pair of electrodes; subjecting the bead to radiation having a wavelength which is equal to or less than that of near ultraviolet radiation; and applying an alternating voltage across the electrodes until the gas ionizes so as to condition the gas filled bead such that the gas subsequently ionizes when subjected to lower voltage amplitude and radiant intensity.

Claim 33

The electroforming process as set forth in claim 25 wherein the subjecting and applying steps are performed concurrently.

Claim 34

The electroforming process as set forth in claim 26 wherein said alternating voltage has a frequency in the radio frequency portion of the spectrum.

Claim 35

The electroforming process as set forth in claim 27 wherein the radiant intensity during the subjecting step is larger than the radiant intensity subsequently required for ionization by two orders of magnitude.

Claim 36

A product for use in display apparatus comprising a hollow glass bead filled with ionizable gas produced by placing the bead between a pair of electrodes, subjecting the bead to radiation having a wavelength which is equal to or less than that of the near ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and applying an alternating voltage across the electrodes until the gas ionizes so as to condition the gas filled bead such that the gas subsequently ionizes when subjected to lower amplitude voltage and lower intensity radiant energy.

Claim 37

A product for use in display apparatus comprising a hollow glass bead filled with ionizable gas produced by placing the bead between a pair of electrodes, subjecting the bead to radiation having a wavelength which is equal to or less than that of the near ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and applying an alternating voltage across the electrodes until the gas ionizes so as to condition the gas filled bead such that the gas subsequently ionizes when subjected to lower amplitude voltage and lower intensity radiant energy.

Claim 38

A product for use in display apparatus comprising a hollow bead filled with ionizable gas produced by subjecting the bead with the gas to both radiation and an alternating current electric field of sufficient intensity and magnitude to ionize the gas.

Claim 39

A product for use in display apparatus comprising a hollow bead filled with ionizable gas produced by subjecting the bead with the gas to both radiation and an alternating current electric field of sufficient intensity and magnitude to ionize the gas.