Patents by Inventor Stephen T. Opresko

Stephen T. Opresko has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5568011
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank R. Ragland, Jr., Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 5541474
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a color CRT 10 having an evacuated envelope 11 includes a funnel 15 sealed at one end to a faceplate panel 12. A luminescent screen 22 is provided on an interior surface of the panel. A color selection electrode assembly 27 is disposed within the envelope in proximity to the screen. An internal magnetic shield 30, having an exterior surface 32, is secured to the color selection electrode assembly and is spaced from and extends along at least a portion of the funnel. A getter spring assembly 33 is disposed within the envelope to deposit a film of getter spring material onto the exterior surface 32 of the magnetic shield 30. The getter assembly 33 is improved by being detachably attached to the color selection electrode assembly 27 and prevented from rotating by an orientation plate 60 having a projection 70 with a flat contact surface that bears against the color selection electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard LaPeruta, Richard E. Roland, Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 5519283
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a CRT 10 having an evacuated envelope comprising a funnel 11 sealed at one end to a faceplate panel 12 with a luminescent screen 14 on an interior surface thereof. A color selection electrode 16, mounted on a frame 19, is disposed within the envelope in proximity to the screen. An internal magnetic shield 22, is secured to the frame of the color selection electrode, and is spaced from and extends along at least a portion of the funnel. The magnetic shield has a plurality of openings 32 therethrough. An evaporable getter 28 is disposed within the envelope adjacent to the exterior surface 26 of the magnetic shield 22. The magnetic shield is improved by having tabs or louvers 36, 38, 136, 138, associated with the openings, for restricting the deposition of a film of getter material 30 to the exterior surface 26 of the shield 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen T. Opresko, Richard LaPeruta, Jr., Richard E. Roland
  • Patent number: 4902023
    Abstract: A resilient, non-porous gasket for a substantially rectangular vacuum chamber includes an outer lip for positioning and holding the gasket on the support frame of the vacuum chamber. An improvement for enabling the gasket to creep during said gasket deformation and for enhancing the sealing of the sealing edge of an object being processed against a sealing surface of the gasket in the presence of curvature of the sealing edge wherein the corners of the outer lip of the gasket are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Stephen T. Opresko, Walter E. Root
  • Patent number: 4898746
    Abstract: A system for analyzing an aluminum deposition process to form a coating on a surface of a CRT faceplate panel disposed on an exhaust cart includes: an apparatus within the exhaust cart for controlling the distribution of the aluminum; a sensor disposed on the panel for determining whether aluminum was deposited thereon, and a plurality of thickness monitors disposed on the panel for generating a plurality of signals representative of the relative thickness of the aluminum coating at a plurality of locations on the surface thereof. The signals are converted into data values to indicate whether the aluminum coating achieves a predetermined thickness profile.A method of depositing the aluminum coating is also disclosed. The method provides an indication of the performance of each of the exhaust carts and permits the categorization of defects for the panels not meeting the predetermined thickness profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: RCA Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4894007
    Abstract: A ferrofluid seal assembly for providing gas to a rotatable member includes a chamber between the bore of the magnet within the seal and a shaft passing through the bore. Fluid inlet means provides fluid to the chamber. The shaft is hollow from the chamber to one end and communicates with the chamber for providing fluid to a rotable member affixed to the end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4870320
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved electron gun in a color picture tube. Such electron gun includes a beam-forming region comprising cathodes and at least two electrodes and a main focus lens formed by two electrodes. The cathodes and all of the electrodes are interconnected to a plurality of insulative support rods. The improvement comprises forming a first focus lens electrode, nearest the beam-forming region, of two separated portions that are electrically connected. The portion of the first focus lens electrode that is nearest the other focus lens electrode only is interconnected to the support rods near the main focus lens. The portion of the first focus lens electrode that is nearest the beam-forming region is connected to the support rods immediately adjacent to a beam-forming electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: RCA Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen T. Opresko, Bruce G. Marks, Loren L. Maninger
  • Patent number: 4834021
    Abstract: An evaporated material distribution controller includes specially configured portions having shaped edges to maintain the ratio of the thickest and thinnest portions of the layer of material deposited onto a surface within a ratio between 1.5:1.00 and 1.00:1.00.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: RCA Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen T. Opresko, Walter E. Root
  • Patent number: 4782263
    Abstract: An inline electron gun for a cathode-ray tube has three cathode assemblies each including a cathode sleeve having a cathode cap closing one end of the sleeve and extending therealong. Each cap has an electron emissive coating thereon and a heater is disposed within each sleeve. The center cathode assembly has a laminated bimetal cathode cap comprising a first layer integral with the sleeve and an overlying second layer with a sidewall portion that is shorter than the sidewall portions of the two outer cathode caps of the outer cathode assemblies. The center cap thus has less thermal mass than the outer caps and the center cathode assembly therefore reaches electron emission temperature before the outer cathode assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: RCA Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Richard E. Schlack, Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4649317
    Abstract: An electron gun for a cathode-ray tube comprises a modular beam-forming region assembly and a main focusing lens which are affixed to at least two insulative support rods. The modular beam-forming region assembly includes a plurality of cathode assemblies, a control grid electrode and a screen grid electrode. The control grid electrode and the screen grid electrode are attached to a first major surface, of a common ceramic member and the cathode assemblies are attached to a second major surface thereof. A transition member is disposed between a metallized pattern on the first major surface of the ceramic member and the screen grid electrode. The transition member includes a substantially flat portion attached to the metallized pattern and two upright portions substantially perpendicular to the flat portion and substantially parallel to each other. The screen grid electrode is disposed between the upright portions and connected thereto by a plurality of step-like support members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4567400
    Abstract: A CRT comprising an evacuated envelope having an electrically-insulating neck and a beaded electron-gun mount assembly in the neck. Portions of the surfaces of the beads facing the inner surface of the neck carry electrically-conducting coatings for suppressing arcing during the operation of the tube. The coatings and the claws of the electrodes embedded in the beads are positioned to minimize erosion of the patches during electrical processing of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4558254
    Abstract: A cathode-ray tube having an electron gun includes a novel cathode sleeve, a heater filament having a heater body with a pair of heater legs disposed within the sleeve and a pair of heater straps attached to the heater legs. The novel cathode sleeve comprises a generally longitudinally extending first portion having a first diameter which conforms closely to the heater body portion of the heater filament for reducing the power requirement thereof, and a second generally longitudinally extending portion having a diameter greater than the first diameter. The second portion has a segment which coaxially encompasses a section of the first portion of the cathode sleeve. The segment of the second portion is connected to the section of the first portion by a reverse drawn transition region which effectively extends the thermal length of the cathode sleeve to minimize the conduction of heat therealong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4554479
    Abstract: A cathode-ray tube having an electron gun includes at least one cathode assembly comprising a novel cathode sleeve, a heater filament disposed within the sleeve and a cathode eyelet disposed around at least a portion of the cathode sleeve and attached thereto. The cathode sleeve has oppositely disposed ends, one end being open and the other end being closed by a cap having an electron emitting coating thereon. The novel cathode sleeve comprises a longitudinally extending first portion having a first diameter conforming closely to the heater body portion of the heater filament for reducing the power requirement thereof, and at least one other longitudinally extending portion having a diameter greater than the first diameter. The first portion and the other portion of the cathode sleeve being connected by a transition region inclined at an obtuse angle to the longitudinally extending first portion of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4514660
    Abstract: A cathode-ray tube having an electron gun includes at least one cathode assembly comprising a tubular cathode sleeve, a heater filament disposed within the sleeve and a novel cathode eyelet coaxially surrounding at least a portion of the cathode sleeve and attached thereto. The cathode sleeve has oppositely disposed ends, one end being open and the other end being closed by a cap having an electron emitting coating thereon. The novel eyelet comprises a laminated bimetal member including a support layer and an emissivity modifying layer. The support layer has a distal end, a proximal end and a central portion therebetween. The proximal end of the support layer is attached to the open end of the cathode sleeve. The emissivity modifying layer is disposed on at least a portion of the interior surface of the central portion of the support layer to reduce radiation loss from the cathode sleeve and cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko
  • Patent number: 4322277
    Abstract: A mask for protecting the edges of substrates being sputtered from the sputtering material includes grooves which loosely receive the substrates. The width of the grooves exceeds the width of the substrates by a first dimension and the depth of the grooves above the substrate exceeds the thickness of the substrates by a second dimension. The ratio of the first to the second dimension is at least 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1982
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen T. Opresko