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US4213074A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Thin-film electroluminescent display panel sealed by glass substrates and the fabrication method thereof

Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1978-06-14
•
Granted: 1980-07-15
•
Expires: 1998-06-14
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Abstract

Abstract A thin-film electroluminescent display panel is sealed by a pair of glass substrates for protecting itself from the environment. A protective liquid is introduced between a counter glass substrate and a substrate for supporting the electroluminescent display panel. The protective liquid comprises silicon oil or grease which assures the thin-film electroluminescent panel of preservation of the electroluminescent display panel. The counter glass substrate is bonded to the substrate through an adhesive of, for example, photocuring resin. A capillary tube is provided within the substrate for injecting the liquid under vacuum conditions. The counter glass substrate can be plate-shaped thereby eliminating a spacer. The liquid has the ability of spreading into pin holes generated on dielectric layers, and is resistant to high voltage, high humidity and high temperature, and is inert to layers constituting the thin-film electroluminescent display panel and has a small vapor pressure and a small coefficient of thermal expansion.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masashi Kawaguchi
  • 👤 Hiroshi Kishishita
  • 👤 Etsuo Mizukami
  • 👤 Yoshiharu Kanatani

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 07:28
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B33/00; H05B33/02; H05B33/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 142 words
A thin-film electroluminescent element comprising: a pair of substrates disposed to define a cavity therebetween; a composite comprising a thin-film electroluminescent layer sandwiched between a pair of dielectric layers, said composite being disposed within said cavity, at least one of said pair of substrates being transparent to the light emitted by said electroluminescent layer when properly engaged; a pair of opposing electrodes positioned to define said composite therebetween; and a protective liquid disposed within said cavity defined by said substrates and being in contact with the dielectric layers, said protective liquid being adapted to impregnate into pin holes caused in the dielectric layers, said protective liquid being inert with respect to the thin-film electroluminescent layer and the two dielectric layers, resistant to high voltage, high humidity, and high temperature, and having a small vapor pressure and a small coefficient of thermal expansion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 142 words
A thin-film electroluminescent element comprising: a pair of substrates disposed to define a cavity therebetween; a composite comprising a thin-film electroluminescent layer sandwiched between a pair of dielectric layers, said composite being disposed within said cavity, at least one of said pair of substrates being transparent to the light emitted by said electroluminescent layer when properly engaged; a pair of opposing electrodes positioned to define said composite therebetween; and a protective liquid disposed within said cavity defined by said substrates and being in contact with the dielectric layers, said protective liquid being adapted to impregnate into pin holes caused in the dielectric layers, said protective liquid being inert with respect to the thin-film electroluminescent layer and the two dielectric layers, resistant to high voltage, high humidity, and high temperature, and having a small vapor pressure and a small coefficient of thermal expansion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein the protective liquid is a silicon oil.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein the protective liquid is a grease.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise a pair of plane substrates, at least one of which is a transparent substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 52 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 4, wherein at least one spacer means is provided between the pair of substrates for determining the position of the two substrates relative to each other and at least one hole is formed within the spacer means for introducing the protective liquid into the cavity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 5, wherein an adhesive is further provided for combining the substrates and the spacer to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise one transparent substrate and a frosted counter substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein a fiber means is further provided with said protective liquid, the fiber means covering the thin-film electroluminescent element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise a transparent plane substrate and a plate-shaped substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element according to claim 9, wherein a pipe means is further provided within the plate-shaped substrate for introducing the protective liquid into the cavity.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 110 words
A method for fabricating a thin-film electroluminescent element having a thin-film electroluminescent layer including an impurity serving as a luminescent center, a pair of dielectric layers deposited so as to sandwich said thin-film electroluminescent layer, and electrodes provided on each of said dielectric layers said method comprising: positioning the thin-film electroluminescent element on a transparent plane substrate; disposing a counter substrate relative to the transparent plane substrate in such a manner to define a cavity therebetween containing the thin-film electroluminescent element; and introducing a protective liquid for covering the thin-film electroluminescent element into said cavity, the protective liquid being adapted to penetrate into pin holes present in the dielectric layers.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 110 words
A method for fabricating a thin-film electroluminescent element having a thin-film electroluminescent layer including an impurity serving as a luminescent center, a pair of dielectric layers deposited so as to sandwich said thin-film electroluminescent layer, and electrodes provided on each of said dielectric layers said method comprising: positioning the thin-film electroluminescent element on a transparent plane substrate; disposing a counter substrate relative to the transparent plane substrate in such a manner to define a cavity therebetween containing the thin-film electroluminescent element; and introducing a protective liquid for covering the thin-film electroluminescent element into said cavity, the protective liquid being adapted to penetrate into pin holes present in the dielectric layers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 47 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one spacer is provided for determining the position of the transparent plate substrate relative to the counter substrate and further including the step of forming a hole in said spacer for introducing the protective liquid into the cavity.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method according to claim 12, further including the steps of utilizing an adhesive for combining the transparent plane substrate, the counter substrate, and the spacer together, introducing the protective liquid into the cavity through the hole and then sealing the hole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further includes heating the protective liquid to a temperature of one hundred to two hundred degrees centigrade.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the counter substrate has a plate-shape.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the counter substrate is a frosted substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further includes positioning a fiber means containing the protective liquid within the cavity and arranging the fiber means so as to cover the thin-film electroluminescent element.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 13 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element of claim 7, wherein the fiber means is asbestos.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 17 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layers completely enclose the thin-film electroluminescent layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 18 words
The thin-film electroluminescent element of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are provided on each of the dielectric layers.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3166687A Cited
US3393337A Cited
US3398322A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-07-15 1984-01-14 1984-07-15 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-07-15 1988-01-14 1988-07-15 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-07-15 1992-01-14 1992-07-15 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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