Method of spacing the plates of a gaseous discharge device

Claim 1

A method of sealing flat surfaces of two members in overlying relation at a precise preselected distance to create an impermeable chamber of constant height divided into areas by spacer elements that do not significantly impede flow of gas between such areas in the chamber, comprising the steps of providing two substantially transparent flat members, each said member having parallel conductors overcoated with a thin layer of dielectric material, placing on one of the members a border of unfused heat-fusible material having a height significantly greater than said constant height, placing spacer elements of substantially identical thickness in a two-stratum crisscross pattern within said border to a combined height significantly less than the minimum height of said material, placing the other member with its flat surface supported on said heat-fusible material, and heating such assemblage to a temperature above the softening point of said sealing material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said material and members to create said chamber as, and in consequence of, said other member settling during such heating and fusing until it is supported at said constant height by said crisscrossed arrangement of spacer elements.

Claim 2

A method of sealing flat surfaces of two members in overlying relation at a precise preselected distance to create an impermeable chamber of constant height divided into areas by spacer elements that do not significantly impede flow of gas between such areas in the chamber, comprising the steps of providing two substantially transparent flat members, each said member having parallel conductors overcoated with a thin layer of dielectric material, placing on one of the members a border of unfused heat-fusible material having a height significantly greater than said constant height, placing spacer elements of substantially identical thickness in a two-stratum crisscross pattern within said border to a combined height significantly less than the minimum height of said material, placing the other member with its flat surface supported on said heat-fusible material, and heating such assemblage to a temperature above the softening point of said sealing material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said material and members to create said chamber as, and in consequence of, said other member settling during such heating and fusing until it is supported at said constant height by said crisscrossed arrangement of spacer elements.

Claim 3

A method of making a gaseous discharge display device, comprising the steps of providing two substantially transparent flat members, each with conductor arrays overcoated with a dielectric material, placing unfused heat-fusible sealing material over the dielectric material on one of the members as a frame-like border enclosing the major portion of its conductor array, said border having a height substantially greater than the final constant spacing desired between said members, disposing two sets of spacer elements of identical height between the members to create an assemblage in which the elements orthogonally overlap in a lattice-like relation within the bordered area, elements of one set resting on said one member and supporting overlying elements of the other set, the combined thickness of both sets of elements being substantially less than the height of said border so that said other member is initially supported by the sealing material, and heating the assemblage to a temPerature above the softening point of said sealing material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said sealing material and members to create an impermeable chamber for confining a predetermined volume of gas, said other member settling during such heating and fusing until it is supported at said final constant spacing by said lattice arrangement of overlapping elements to permit the gas to flow without significant restriction to substantially all areas of said sealed member separated by said spacer elements.

Claim 4

A method of making a gaseous discharge display device, comprising the steps of providing two substantially transparent flat members, each with conductor arrays overcoated with a dielectric material, placing unfused heat-fusible sealing material over the dielectric material on one of the members as a frame-like border enclosing the major portion of its conductor array, said border having a height substantially greater than the final constant spacing desired between said members, disposing two sets of spacer elements of identical height between the members to create an assemblage in which the elements orthogonally overlap in a lattice-like relation within the bordered area, elements of one set resting on said one member and supporting overlying elements of the other set, the combined thickness of both sets of elements being substantially less than the height of said border so that said other member is initially supported by the sealing material, and heating the assemblage to a temPerature above the softening point of said sealing material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said sealing material and members to create an impermeable chamber for confining a predetermined volume of gas, said other member settling during such heating and fusing until it is supported at said final constant spacing by said lattice arrangement of overlapping elements to permit the gas to flow without significant restriction to substantially all areas of said sealed member separated by said spacer elements.

Claim 6

A method of making a gaseous discharge display device, comprising the steps of providing two transparent flat members, each with conductor arrays formed on a substrate and overcoated with a layer of a dielectric material, placing unfused heat-fusible sealing material over the dielectric material on one of the members as a frame-like border enclosing the major portion of its conductor array, said border having a height substantially greater than the final constant spacing desired between said members, disposing two sets of spacer elements of identical height between the members to create an assemblage in which the elements orthogonally overlap in a lattice-like relation within the bordered area, elements of one set resting on the layer of said one member and supporting overlying elements of the other set, the combined thickness of both sets of elements being substantially less than the height of said border so that said other member is initially supported by the sealing material, and heating the assemblage to a temperature above the softening point of said sealing material and dielectric material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said sealing material and members to create an impermeable chamber for confining a predetermined volume of gas, said other member and both spacer elements settling during such heating and fusing until said other member is supported at said final constant spacing by said lattice arrangement of overlapping spacer elements to permit the gas to flow without significant restriction to substantially all areas of said sealed members separated by said spacer elements, said spacer elements penetrating said layers of dielectric material substantially into contact with the substrates.

Claim 7

A method of making a gaseous discharge display device, comprising the steps of providing two transparent flat members, each with conductor arrays formed on a substrate and overcoated with a layer of a dielectric material, placing unfused heat-fusible sealing material over the dielectric material on one of the members as a frame-like border enclosing the major portion of its conductor array, said border having a height substantially greater than the final constant spacing desired between said members, disposing two sets of spacer elements of identical height between the members to create an assemblage in which the elements orthogonally overlap in a lattice-like relation within the bordered area, elements of one set resting on the layer of said one member and supporting overlying elements of the other set, the combined thickness of both sets of elements being substantially less than the height of said border so that said other member is initially supported by the sealing material, and heating the assemblage to a temperature above the softening point of said sealing material and dielectric material but below the softening point of the spacer elements to effect fusion of said sealing material and members to create an impermeable chamber for confining a predetermined volume of gas, said other member and both spacer elements settling during such heating and fusing until said other member is supported at said final constant spacing by said lattice arrangement of overlapping spacer elements to permit the gas to flow without significant restriction to substantially all areas of said sealed members separated by said spacer elements, said spacer elements penetrating said layers of dielectric material substantially into contact with the substrates.