Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in a color picture tube having a tensioned mask and support frame assembly. Each of the mask and the support frame is rectangular and has two long sides that parallel a central major axis thereof and two short sides that parallel a central minor axis thereof. The mask has a substantially cylindrical contour, being curved along the major axis and straight along the minor axis. The improvement comprises the frame including two first members that parallel the major axis and two second members, attached to the ends of the first members, that parallel the minor axis. Each of the first members includes a rigid section and a compliant section cantilevered from the rigid section. The mask is attached to the distal ends of the cantilevered compliant sections.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in a color picture tube. The tube includes an envelope comprising a faceplate panel, a funnel and a neck. The faceplate panel includes a transparent rectangular faceplate having a cathodoluminescent screen on an interior surface thereof, and a peripheral sidewall. The improvement comprises the faceplate panel having either an interior or exterior blend radius from the faceplate to the sidewall that varies around the periphery of the panel in such a manner that the stresses in predetermined areas of the panel are reduced.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement in a method of screening a line screen slit mask color picture tube that includes coating a faceplate panel of the tube with a photosensitive material, inserting a slit shadow mask into the panel and exposing the photosensitive material by passing light from a line light source through a misregister correction lens and through the slits of the mask. The improvement comprises positioning a skew correction lens between the line light source and the misregister correction lens during exposure of the photosensitive material. The skew correction lens has a surface with a general overall cylindrical shape with deviations from the cylindrical shape being in the four corners of the skew correction lens.

Abstract: An improved color picture tube includes an evacuated envelope having a rectangular faceplate panel. The panel includes a viewing screen on an inner surface thereof and a shadow mask assembly mounted therein by support means located at the four corners of the panel. The shadow mask assembly includes an apertured shadow mask and a peripheral frame to which the mask is attached. The frame is formed by four sections that are welded together at their ends. Two of the sections are longer than the other two sections and are constructed of a material having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than that of the other two sections. The frame reduces electron beam misregister with elements of the screen.

Abstract: The improved color picture tube includes an evacuated glass envelope having a rectangular faceplate panel with two long sides and two short sides. The panel includes a major axis paralleling the two long sides, a minor axis paralleling the two short sides and two diagonals that extend between opposing corners of the panel. The panel includes a shadow mask assembly mounted therein by support means that are located at the corners of the panel. The support means at each of the spaced positions includes a stud attached to the glass envelope and a spring having an aperture therein engaging the stud. The improvement comprises the studs being located slightly off of the diagonals of the panel between the diagonals and the major axis.

Abstract: The improved color picture tube includes an evacuated glass envelope having a rectangular faceplate panel. The panel includes a shadow mask assembly mounted therein by support means that are located at peripherally spaced positions within the panel. The support means provide compensation for thermal expansion of the shadow mask assembly. The compensation is a movement of the shadow mask assembly toward a screen of the tube as the shadow mask assembly expands. The support means at each of the spaced positions includes a stud attached to the glass envelope, a spring having an aperture therein engaging the stud, and a plate welded between the spring and the shadow mask assembly.

Abstract: An improved color picture tube includes an evacuated glass envelope having a rectangular faceplate panel. The panel includes a shadow mask assembly mounted therein by support means located at peripherally spaced positions within the panel. The support means at each of the spaced positions includes a stud, attached to the glass envelope, and a spring, having an aperture therein that engages the stud. The spring is interconnected with the shadow mask assembly. The improvement comprises the spring including a first portion interconnected with the shadow mask assembly, an elongated second portion extending from the first portion toward the stud, a third portion interconnected with the second portion and including an aperture engaging the stud, and an offset section that positions the center of the aperture on a central longitudinal plane passing through the second portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in color picture tubes including an evacuated glass envelope having a rectangular faceplate panel. The panel includes a shadow mask assembly mounted therein by support means located at peripherally spaced positions within the panel. The support means at each of the spaced positions includes a stud attached to the glass envelope, a spring and a plate. The spring has an aperture therein that engages the stud. The spring is attached to the plate, and the plate is welded to the mask assembly. The improvement comprises the plate being welded to the mask assembly at only one location. This location is on a line, perpendicular to the plate, that passes through the center of the aperture in the spring.

Abstract: A rectangular color picture tube of the shadow mask type includes an improved mask-frame assembly and support therefor. The frame has two substantially perpendicular flanges, a first flange and a second flange. The first flange extends from the second flange away from the screen of the tube. The second flange extends from the first flange toward the shadow mask. The second flange includes peripherally spaced tabs extending therefrom. The shadow mask is telescoped into the frame and is attached to the tabs. In a preferred embodiment, the corners of the frame are truncated. Springs are interconnected to each truncated corner of the frame to support the mask-frame assembly within the tube.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in the appearance of a cathode-ray tube including a rectangular faceplate with an exterior surface having curvature along both the minor and major axes. The faceplate also includes a cathodoluminescent screen on an interior surface thereof. At least in the center portion of the faceplate, the curvature along the minor axis is at least 10 percent greater than the curvature along the major axis. Points on the exterior surface near the ends of the major axis, at the edges of the screen, lie in a first plane which is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the tube; points on the exterior surface near the ends of the minor axis, at the edges of the screen, lie in a second plane which is spaced from and parallel to the first plane; and points on the exterior surface near the ends of the diagonals of the rectangular faceplate, at the edges of the screen, lie in a third plane which is spaced from and parallel to the first plane.

Abstract: A cathode-ray tube includes a shadow mask mounted therein. The mask has curvatures along its major and minor axes. The curvature along the major axis is greater at the sides of the mask than at the center of the mask.

Abstract: A cathode-ray tube includes a rectangular faceplate which has an exterior surface having curvature along both the minor and major axes. The exterior surface of the faceplate includes a rectangular contour near its periphery which substantially lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a shadow mask from a mask blank includes a punch having a convex surface, a pad having a complementary concave surface, and upper and lower dies having openings therein for receiving the punch and the pad, respectively. Each die also has a complementary nonplanar surface adjacent the opening for clamping the mask blank. Each die surface has a surface contour that substantially matches the extended surface contour of the mask blank when the mask blank lies against the inner edge of the lower die surface, so that wrinkling does not occur when the mask blank is clamped between the upper and lower dies.

Abstract: A color picture tube is improved by positioning shims on adjacent sides of a mask adjacent the mask corners and between the mask and its peripheral supporting frame. Because of the shims, the resonant frequency of the mask is raised.

Abstract: A punch and pad for forming a square planar shadow mask have curved outer edges. A pair of dies respectively receiving the punch and pad have straight inner edges. The dies clamp a flat shadow mask blank and the punch is lowered to only partially form the shadow mask. The mask is then unclamped and the punch is fully lowered towards the pad to complete the forming of the mask without wrinkles.

Abstract: An improved color picture tube according to the invention includes an evacuated envelope enclosing a substantially rectangular cathodoluminescent screen, a color selection electrode suspended in register with the screen by a support structure, and an electron gun. The support structure includes a plurality of studs attached to the envelope adjacent to the corners of the screen and a plurality of springs connecting the color selection electrode to the studs. Each spring is a bimetal member of laminated construction having two layers of dissimilar metal joined along facing surfaces. Each of the springs has a proximal end attached at an angle to the color selection electrode and a distal end with an aperture therethrough which pivotably engages one of the studs. Each of the springs includes a step-like portion formed therein.

Abstract: An improvement is made in a color picture tube that includes an evacuated envelope having a rectangualr faceplate panel with major and minor axes, wherein a central longitudinal axis of the tube passes through the center of the faceplate perpendicular to the major and minor axes. The faceplate panel includes a shadow mask welded at various points including its corners to a peripheral frame mounted therein. The frame is L-shaped having a first flange approximately paralleling the central longitudinal axis and a second flange extending toward and approximately perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. The tube improvement comprises the frame having truncated corners wherein the first flange at each of the frame corners is straight, flat and acutely angled with respect to both the major axis and the minor axis. A peripheral portion of the shadow mask conforms to the shape of the first flange and is telescoped thereon.

Abstract: An improved color picture tube according to the invention includes an evacuated envelope enclosing a substantially rectangular cathodoluminescent screen, a color selection electrode suspended in register with the screen by a support structure, and an electron gun. The support structure includes a plurality of studs attached to the envelope adjacent to the corners of the screen. The support structure also includes a plurality of spring assemblies. Each spring assembly includes a first bimetal member attached to the color selection electrode and a second bimetal member having an aperture therein for engaging one of said studs. The first and second bimetal members provide longitudinal and rotational compensation, respectively, for maintaining the color selection electrode in register with the screen when the electrode and the spring assemblies are heated.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement in a method of screening a line screen slit mask color picture tube. Such method includes coating a faceplate panel of the tube with a photosensitive material, inserting a slit shadow mask into the panel and exposing the photosensitive material by passing light from a line light source through the slits of the mask. The improvement comprises positioning a generally cylindrical shaped lens between the line light source and the faceplate panel during exposure of the photosensitive material. The longitudinal axis of the lens is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the line light source. Because of the presence of the lens, the images of the line light source projected through the slits of the mask onto the photosensitive material at locations off the major and minor axes of the panel are rotated toward parallelism with the minor axis thereby resulting in exposure of straight smooth lines on the photosensitive material.

Abstract: An improved color picture tube according to the invention includes an evacuated envelope enclosing an apertured mask attached to a frame which are suspended in relation to a cathodoluminescent screen by novel support means. The tube also includes an electron gun for forming a plurality of electron beams and directing the beams through the mask to the screen. An axis passing through the center of the electron gun and the center of the screen is the longitudinal axis of the tube. The screen also includes a major axis and a minor axis which are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support means includes a plurality of studs embedded in the envelope and spaced around the frame and a plurality of springs. Each spring has an aperture at one end engaged with one of the studs and each spring is attached at the other end to the frame.