JPS6212623B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a panel structure for realizing a stable self-scanning function in a display panel that displays characters, figures, etc. using light emission from gas discharge. A typical direct current discharge type display device is one having a self-scanning function called a Burrows type display device. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode configuration consists of three types of electrode groups: a display anode 1, a scanning electrode 3, and a cathode 2. As shown in FIG. 2a, the cathode group is sequentially divided into a plurality of cathode group units with a specific number of phases as one unit, and all the cathodes of the same phase are interconnected between the cathode group units. In driving this panel, a pilot discharge is transferred from cathode to cathode along the scanning anode by sequentially applying a clock pulse as shown in FIG. 2b to each cathode phase. On the other hand, display light emission in a specific cell is obtained by applying a display signal to the display anode when the pilot discharge is transferred to that cell. In a panel equipped with such a self-scanning function, the number of cathode driving elements is sufficient to correspond to the number of divided cathode phases, and as a result, the panel driving circuit is advantageously simplified. However, the inventor of the present invention examined this Burrows-type panel and determined that the following points were problematic. (1) Since the structure consists of three types of electrode groups, the structure becomes more complicated, making manufacturing difficult and increasing the panel price. (2) There is a problem with the reliability of the self-scanning function itself. In other words, the pilot discharge is not necessarily scanned from cathode to cathode, but instead jumps to other cathodes belonging to the same phase, resulting in so-called mis-scanning, and as a result, discharge cells that should not originally emit light emit light. So-called mis-ignition is induced. Further, mis-ignition occurs even when the pilot discharge is scanned normally, when the current of the display discharge is shunted to a cathode belonging to the same phase other than the cell that is supposed to emit light. The inventor considered the above two problems, and first of all, regarding the former problem, we have already filed a patent application for
As disclosed in the specification of No. 58262, a display panel constructed of only two types of matrix electrodes as shown in FIG. 3 was proposed. The panel includes a first electrode group 6 that operates as an anode and a second electrode group 7 that operates as a cathode, which are arranged perpendicular to each other between two glass plates 4 and 5, and are further parallel to each anode. It has a two-electrode structure in which a discharge space is partitioned by providing an elongated band-shaped dielectric layer group 8, and a light-emitting rare gas containing a rare gas as a main component is sealed inside. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the display panel along the cathode in FIG. divided into two areas, area 9a
is used to sequentially transfer the pilot discharge along the anode 6, and the area 9b is used to generate the display discharge. In this case, the glow discharge of each discharge cell is limited to region 9a by keeping its discharge current low, and on the other hand, by increasing the discharge current, it spreads to region 9b to obtain so-called display light emission.
The light emitted from the pilot discharge in the region 9a is shielded by the opaque insulating layer 10, and light leakage from the front surface of the discharge cell 9 does not pose much of a problem. By devising a panel with a new structure as described above, the present inventor was able to overcome the former problem. Next, the inventor considered the latter problem, that is, how to improve the reliability of the self-scanning function. As a result, it has become clear that a display panel with a highly reliable self-scanning function can be realized by providing a third electrode, which can be called an insulated grid electrode. The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples. Now, when the display panel shown in FIG. 4, which has a simple structure already proposed by the present inventor, is driven using a self-scanning method similar to that shown in FIG. 2, the cathode group is driven. Misfire as mentioned above occurred. In order to realize a panel with a highly reliable self-scanning function, it is necessary to prevent such ignition errors, and the inventors have conducted detailed studies on this point. As a result, it has been found that the intended panel can be obtained by providing a third electrode, which can be called a grid electrode and has a simple structure, with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, facing the discharge cell space. Figure 5 shows
It is a sectional view when the display panel is cut along the anode 6, and here, as one of the embodiments, the third electrode 11 according to the present invention is provided below the cathode with an insulating layer 12 interposed therebetween along the cathode. It is provided. To make such a panel, first the third electrode 11 is placed on the substrate 5.
Then the insulating layer 12 and the cathode 7
The manufacturing process is extremely simple, as the conductors can be sequentially formed by thick film printing technology. FIG. 6 shows the basic configuration of the panel driving system according to the present invention. In order to eliminate the above-mentioned mis-ignition, the potential of the grid electrode 11 corresponding to the cell that should be ignited is kept lower than the potential of the cathode 7, and the potential of the other grid electrodes is kept high. good. This is because a higher electric field is induced by the grid electrode in the discharge cell space where ignition is supposed to occur than in other cell spaces belonging to the same cathode phase, which promotes ionization and creates a state where it is easy to discharge. This is because it will be done. Table 1 shows the panel structure used in this experiment,
The correlation between the voltages applied to each electrode is shown.

【table】

[Table] FIG. 7 shows the overall configuration when the display panel according to the present invention is driven by the self-scanning method. As shown in FIG. 7a, the grid electrode group 11 is divided into sections in which grid electrodes corresponding to cathodes of different cathode phases are all connected to one. On the other hand, the driving voltage is applied according to a timing chart as shown in FIG. 7b. In this case, in the first time period T ₁ , the voltage of only the grid electrode phase G ₁ is kept in the so-called on state in which a state where it is easy to discharge is obtained, so that both the pilot discharge and the luminescent discharge are normally discharged without any mistakes _. ，
It is operated over K ₂ ...K ₅ . Then, during the period _T2 , the same operation is repeated at the cathodes _K6 , _K7 ... _K10 , and by repeating this cycle, error-free display light emission is realized over the entire display panel. . In the panel according to the present invention, cathodes belonging to the same phase are connected on a glass substrate using multilayer printing technology that combines printed conductors and insulators, and lead terminals corresponding to each cathode phase are taken out to the outside. has been done. Further, lead terminals corresponding to each grid electrode phase divided in the same manner are taken out to the outside. Therefore, the number of lead terminals required to scan all the cathodes is the sum of the number of divided cathode phases and grid electrode phases, which reduces the number of drive elements and simplifies the drive circuit. Ru. Note that since all grid electrodes belonging to the same phase are connected, they are not grid-shaped as a group of grid electrodes of the same phase, as shown in Figure 8a.
It may also be formed from a single independent conductor layer. Also,
When the distance between the cathodes is narrow, the effect of voltage application from the grid electrode to the discharge cell space is reduced, so in this case, the cross-sectional view of the discharge cell space taken along a plane parallel to the glass substrate in Figure 8b is used. As shown,
It is effective to narrow the width of the cathode corresponding to the pilot flame region. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8c, a prototype panel in which a grid electrode is provided on the front glass 1 along the anode can achieve the same reliability as the panel shown in Fig. 5 by adjusting its potential. A high self-scanning function was obtained. Therefore, in principle, the ease of discharge in the discharge cell space can be controlled by providing a grid electrode facing the discharge cell with an insulating layer in between, and by utilizing this phenomenon, a highly reliable It can be said that a panel with a self-scanning function can be realized. As described above, in the panel according to the present invention in which a third electrode, also called a grid electrode, is newly provided facing the discharge cell through an insulating layer, a highly reliable self-scanning function can be obtained. As a result, it has become clear that a display device with a significantly simplified panel structure and drive circuit can be realized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the component configuration of a Burrows type panel, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the cathode drive system of the Burrows type panel, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the new display panel,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the cathode of the new display panel, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drive system of the display panel according to the present invention. Figure 7 for explaining the basic configuration of
The figure is an explanatory diagram of a method for driving a panel according to the present invention using a self-scanning method, and FIGS. 8a, 8b, and 8c are diagrams showing other structures of the display panel according to the present invention. 1... Display anode, 2, 7... Cathode, 3... Scanning anode, 4, 5... Glass plate, 6... Anode, 8
...Dielectric layer, 9...Discharge cell, 10...Insulating layer, 11...Grid electrode, 12...Insulating layer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A discharge space between two glass plates is divided into a large number of discharge paths by a large number of elongated dielectric layers arranged in one direction, and a large number of elongated first channels are arranged between the dielectric layers. The discharge cell space formed at the intersection of the electrode and a large number of elongated second electrodes arranged in a direction perpendicular to the electrode is divided into a pilot discharge transfer area and a display discharge generation area, and In a self-scanning gas discharge type display device in which a large number of second electrodes are sequentially divided into a plurality of electrode groups and these electrode group units are interconnected, a third electrode covered with an insulating layer is used. A gas discharge type display device, characterized in that the third electrode is provided facing a discharge cell space for each electrode group unit, and a rectangular wave voltage synchronized with a transfer period of pilot discharge is applied to the third electrode.