JPH047543B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp used as a display element in large color display devices and the like.

[Background Art] A fluorescent lamp with an integrated discharge space and a structure as shown in FIG. 14 has been proposed as a light source for a color display. This fluorescent lamp has a plurality of discharge paths 22R, 22G,
22B, discharge is performed by sequentially switching between the common cathode 23 and each anode electrode 24R, 24G, 24B, and each discharge path 22R, 22G, 22
Phosphors 25R, 25G, 25 coated on the inner wall of B
B provides variable color light emission.

Although this lamp is small, has high brightness, and has excellent performance as a display element, it has the following problems in manufacturing.

In other words, when manufacturing a lamp vessel by assembling a large number of glass plates by glass frit sealing, poor sealing is likely to occur due to variations in the dimensions of the raw glass or variations in the amount of glass frit applied, and the firing temperature of the phosphor may also vary depending on the glass frit. Since the sealing temperature is higher than the sealing temperature of the glass plate, it is necessary to apply the phosphor to the glass plate and bake it in advance, which results in very poor workability and the problem that the phosphor with a weak film is easily damaged. Ta.

Further, since each of the anode electrodes 24R, 24G, and 24B is subjected to thermal cycles during lighting, and the distance between the anode lead wire and the light source tube body is short, leakage is more likely to occur from this sealed portion.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a method that is easy to manufacture, has high reliability against leakage, and can provide uniform high brightness. The present invention provides a fluorescent lamp for display devices.

[Disclosure of the Invention] The present invention includes a box-shaped light source tube with one side open;
The light source tube consists of a glass plate sealed to the opening surface of the light source tube, and a box-shaped electrode chamber body whose opening surface side is sealed on the bottom outer surface of the light source tube opposite to the glass plate. Inside the body, a plurality of independent spaces are formed by a plurality of partition walls erected from the bottom of the light source tube to the glass plate, and each independent space is used as a discharge path, and each discharge path excludes the glass plate. The inner surface is coated with a phosphor of a different luminescent color for each discharge path, and the bottom part is provided with a discharge hole and an electrode insertion hole that communicate with the electrode chamber main body so as to be spaced apart from each other. A plurality of independent spaces are partitioned by a partition wall installed vertically from the bottom of the electrode chamber main body to the bottom outer surface of the light source tube body, and the discharge holes on one side of each of the discharge paths communicate with each other separately, and the discharge holes on the other side are all connected to each other. A common electrode is arranged in the separate independent space, and electrodes to be inserted into the discharge path through the electrode insertion holes are respectively arranged in the remaining independent spaces. Each independent space constitutes an electrode chamber, and a discharge gas is sealed in an airtight space consisting of each of the discharge paths and each of the electrode chambers communicating with each of the electrode chambers. The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of this embodiment, and the light source tube 1 is made of a non-transparent material with a high reflectance of visible light, such as ceramic, and is formed into a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. One side is open, and the inside is formed with integrally formed partition wall 1', so that, for example, three parallel discharge paths 2R, 2
G, 2B are formed. Each discharge path 2R, 2
G, 2B have phosphors 3R, 3 with different luminescent colors on their entire inner surfaces, that is, both side surfaces, both end surfaces, and the bottom surface.
G and 3B are applied. For example, the discharge path 2R has a red phosphor 3R (Y ₂ O ₃ ; Eu), the discharge path 2G has a green phosphor 3G (CeMgAl ₁₁ O ₁₉ ; Tb), and the discharge path 2B has a blue phosphor 3B ( _{BaMg2Al16O27 ; _}
Eu) is applied.

One end of each discharge path 2R, 2G, 2B has a discharge hole 4R, 4G, 4B that communicates with the inside of the electrode chamber 10, which will be described later.
is provided at the other end, and anode electrodes 9R, 9, which will be described later, are provided at the other end.
Electrode insertion holes 5R, 5 for inserting G, 9B
G and 5B are provided.

A translucent glass plate 6 is sealed to the open surface, which is the display surface, of the light source tube 1. A single common cathode 8 attached to the glass stem 7 and anode electrodes 9R, 9G, and 9B each spatially independent of the common cathode 8 are disposed on the outer bottom surface of the light source tube 1. Rectangular parallelepiped electrode chamber body 12 with one side open
are sealed by inserting the anode electrodes 9R, 9G, 9B into the electrode insertion holes 5R, 5G, 5B.

Here, the sealing portions of the anode electrodes 9R, 9G, and 9B have a long sealing distance as shown in the figure. Thus, the electrode chamber main body 12 constitutes the electrode chamber 10 by the internal space. Here, the electrode chamber main body 12 is molded from the same material as the light source tube body 1. 11 is an exhaust pipe.

A discharge gas consisting of an inert gas such as argon and mercury is sealed in an airtight space defined by the glass plate 6, the light source tube 1, and the electrode chamber 10. The above-mentioned parts are hermetically sealed using glass frit.

Here, in order to make effective use of positive column light emission and to achieve miniaturization, the dimension of the fluorescent lamp of this embodiment is such that the diameter of the circle inscribed in the discharge path 1 is set to d, and the anode electrodes 9R, 9G, 9B and the common cathode 8 are It is designed to satisfy 2d≦l≦4d, where 1 is the distance between the electrodes, that is, the distance between the electrodes.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a circuit for lighting the fluorescent lamp of this embodiment. These anode electrodes 9R, 9
G and 9B are connected as current limiting elements via resistors R to selection switches SW (specifically, transistor switches that vary the duty) from each DC power source DC. ST is a starter for starting.

Discharge occurs between anode electrodes 9R, 9G, 9B and common cathode 8
By increasing the switching cycle of the selection switch SW and arbitrarily changing each duty ratio, each discharge path 2R, 2G, 2B
The luminescence ratio changes continuously, allowing a flexible luminescence color to be obtained.

The fluorescent lamps of this embodiment thus constructed can be arranged as one pixel in a constant array as shown in FIG. 4 to form a medium to large sized color display device. In this case, the size of the fluorescent lamp in the example can be any size from a minimum of 20 mm square to a maximum of 50 mm, so there are many sizes,
It can be widely applied as a display element for display devices for various purposes. In addition, since the light source tube 1 and partition wall 1' of each fluorescent lamp are made of a non-transparent material with high visible light reflectance, there is no need for a special reflective film to obtain brightness, and there is no need for a special reflective film on the surface. uses a translucent glass plate 6 to easily realize a so-called aperture configuration, so it can obtain three times the brightness of conventional devices with the same power consumption, making it ideal for large color display devices. be. Further, since the common electrode 8 coated with an electrode material is housed in the electrode chamber 10, there is no effect of reduction in brightness of the light emitting surface due to flying of the electrode material. Furthermore, since the light source tube body 1, the partition wall 1', and the electrode chamber body 12 are each formed by integral molding of ceramic, the number of sealing points is reduced, and the number of sealing defects is greatly reduced. Furthermore, since the light source tube 1 and the partition wall 1' are integrally molded in advance, the phosphors 3R, 3
Coating G and 3B became extremely easy.

Embodiment 2 In this embodiment, the lead wires 1 of the anode electrodes 9R, 9G, 9B are attached to the electrode chamber main body 12 as shown in FIGS.
Holes 14R, 14G, 1 for inserting and guiding 3
4B is perforated, and each electrode 9R, 9G, 9B
The lead wires 13 can be aligned on the bottom surface of the fluorescent lamp,
The lamp can be easily attached to a base or a board (not shown).

The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are the same, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the above embodiments 1 and 2, the number of discharge paths is 2R, 2G,
Although three cases of 2B are shown, the number of discharge paths can be arbitrarily selected to 2 or 4 or more depending on the display specifications of the display device to be formed.

Further, the shapes of the light source tube body 1 and the electrode chamber body 12 are rectangular parallelepipeds, but are not limited to the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may easily be, for example, cylindrical.

Embodiment 3 In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the discharge paths 2R, 2G, and 2B formed in the light source tube 1 have an arcuate cross-sectional shape, and the probability of reflection of visible light onto the display surface is reduced. This is intended to improve the brightness and brightness.

By the way, when the above-mentioned Examples 1, 2, and 3 are lit by the circuit shown in FIG.
are sequentially switched on at a switching repetition period T (for example, 10 msec or less) that does not cause flickering to the eyes, and are turned on sequentially like R, G, and B in Fig. 7a.For example, from discharge path 2R to discharge path 2
When transitioning to G, the discharge path 2G requires a restriking voltage, so when switching colors, the starter ST
Therefore, it is necessary to apply the high voltage pulse necessary for restriking to the discharge path as shown in Figure 7b, and for this reason, it is also necessary to consider the withstand voltage of the selection switch SW, and the high voltage pulse is also applied to the starter ST. A generating section is required, resulting in high cost. Therefore, the following embodiment is designed to reduce the voltage required when switching the discharge path.

Embodiment 4 In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, at least one groove 15 is provided in a portion of the portion that contacts the translucent glass plate 6, and each discharge path 2 is provided with at least one groove 15.
This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that R, 2G, and 2B are spatially connected by adjacent grooves 15, respectively.

When each of the discharge paths 2R, 2G, and 2B is switched and turned on by the circuit in FIG. 3 in the time chart of FIG. 8, for example, if the discharge path 2R is currently discharging, the other discharge paths 2G, 2B is not discharging, but since there are electrons and ions leaked into the discharge path 2G by the groove 15, the discharge path 2G is in a state where it is easy to discharge, and therefore the discharge path is switched by the selection changeover switch SW. When the discharge path 2R is turned off and the discharge path 2G is about to be turned on, the electrons and ions exuded from the discharge path 2R are present in the discharge path 2G, so that the discharge occurs smoothly. The same thing can be said about the switching of each of the discharge paths 2R, 2G, and 2B. Here, since the space of the groove 15 is small, for example, when the discharge path 2R is turned on, the common cathode 8, the discharge path 2G,
No discharge occurs between the groove 15 and the anode electrode 9R.

It goes without saying that the shape of the groove 15 is not particularly limited to the embodiment.

Example 5 In this example, instead of the groove 15 of Example 4, the first
As shown in FIG. 12, a gap 16 is provided between the partition wall 1' and the glass plate 6, and each discharge path 2
R, 2G, and 2B are spatially connected to adjacent discharge paths via a gap 16. The operation is the same as that in the third embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.

Example 6 In this example, the display surface is circular, and the photocell body 1
A cutout 17 is provided in the center of the partition wall 1' provided radially from the center, and the discharge paths 2R, 2G, 2B separated by the partition wall 1' are spatially connected by the cutout 17. Of course, groove 1 of Example 4
5. The gap 16 of the fifth embodiment may be provided in place of the notch 17. Also, the parts given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are the same, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the time chart for lighting in this embodiment uses the time chart shown in FIG. 7a, as in the first embodiment.

Note that the role of the notch 17 is that of the groove 15 in Examples 4 and 5.
Alternatively, the role is the same as that of the air gap 16, and the lighting operation is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in Examples 4, 5, and 6, the ignition voltage at the time of transition to the discharge path can be reduced by the grooves 15, the voids 16, or the notches 17, so that the transition to the discharge path can be performed smoothly. A selection changeover switch SW with a low withstand voltage can be used, reducing costs.Furthermore, the output pulse of the starter ST can be a low-voltage pulse, which reduces the burden on the starter ST.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention includes a box-shaped light source tube with one side open, a glass plate sealed to the opening surface of the light source tube, and a glass plate facing the glass plate of the light source tube. The light source tube consists of a box-shaped electrode chamber body whose opening side is sealed on the outer surface of the bottom. Independent spaces are formed and each independent space is used as a discharge path, and a phosphor of a different luminescent color is coated on the inner surface of each discharge path except for the glass plate, and a phosphor of a different luminescent color is applied to the bottom of the electrode chamber body. A discharge hole and an electrode insertion hole that communicate with each other are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other, and the electrode chamber main body is partitioned by a partition wall that is erected from the bottom of the electrode chamber main body to the bottom outer surface of the light source tube body. A plurality of independent spaces are formed in which the discharge holes on one side of each discharge path communicate with each other, and another independent space is formed in which all the discharge holes on the other side communicate with each other, and a common electrode is disposed in the separate independent space, and the remaining Electrodes to be inserted into the discharge path through the electrode insertion holes are arranged in independent spaces, and each independent space constitutes an electrode chamber, and each of the discharge paths and each of the electrode chambers communicate with each of the electrode chambers. Since the discharge gas is sealed in the airtight space formed by the electrodes, the sealing distance between the sealed portions of each electrode can be made long, and the reliability against leakage can be dramatically improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, Fig. 2a
is a front view of the same as above, FIG. 2b is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG.
The figure is a front view of a display device using Example 1, FIG. 5a is a central sectional view of Example 2 of the present invention,
FIG. 5b is a bottom view of the same as above, FIG. 6 is a sectional view in the center width direction of Embodiment 3 of the present invention, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of Embodiments 1, 2, and 3 of the present invention, and FIG. 8 9 is an exploded perspective view of the same as above, FIG. 10 is a central sectional view of the same as above, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and FIG. 13A is a front view of Embodiment 5 of the present invention, FIG. 13B is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 13A, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the conventional example. 1 is the light source tube, 1' is the partition wall, 2R, 2G, 2B
is a discharge path, 3R, 3G, 3B are phosphors, 4R, 4
G, 4B are discharge holes, 5R, 5G, 5B are electrode insertion holes, 6 is a glass plate, 8 is a common cathode, 9R,
9G and 9B are anode electrodes, 10 is an electrode chamber, and 12 is an electrode chamber body.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A box-shaped light source tube with one side open, a glass plate sealed to the opening surface of the light source tube, and an opening at the bottom outer surface of the light source tube opposite to the glass plate. It consists of a box-shaped electrode chamber body whose surface side is sealed, and a plurality of independent spaces are formed within the light source tube by a plurality of partition walls that are erected from the bottom of the light source tube to the glass plate. Each independent space is used as a discharge path, and a phosphor of a different luminescent color is coated on the inner surface of each discharge path except for the glass plate, and a discharge hole communicating with the electrode chamber body is provided at the bottom. The electrode insertion holes are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other, and the electrode chamber main body is partitioned by a partition wall standing upright from the bottom of the electrode chamber main body to the bottom outer surface of the light source tube, so that one of the discharge paths is separated from the other. A plurality of independent spaces are formed in which each of the discharge holes communicate with each other, and another independent space is formed in which all the discharge holes of the other side communicate with each other, and a common electrode is disposed in the separate independent space, and the electrode is disposed in the remaining independent space. The electrodes inserted into the discharge path through the insertion holes are respectively arranged to form electrode chambers in each independent space, and the electrode chambers are airtight and each discharge path communicates with each of the electrode chambers. A fluorescent lamp characterized by a space filled with discharge gas. 2. Claim 1, characterized in that the light source tube, the partition wall of the light source tube, and the electrode chamber body and the partition wall of the electrode chamber body are integrally molded from a non-transparent material with high visible light reflectance. Fluorescent lamp as described.