Patents Examined by Michael Day
  • Patent number: 6002199
    Abstract: An electron-emitting device utilizes an emitter electrode (12) shaped like a ladder in which a line of emitter openings (18) extend through the electrode. In fabricating the device, the emitter openings can be utilized to self-align certain edges, such as edges (38C) of a focusing system (37), to other edges, such as edges (28C) of control electrodes (28), to obtain desired lateral spacings. The self-alignment is typically achieved with the assistance of a backside photolithographic exposure operation. The ladder shape of the emitter electrode also facilitates the removal of short-circuit defects involving the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Candescent Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Spindt, Stephanie J. Oberg, Duane A. Haven, Roger W. Barton, Arthur J. Learn, Victoria A. Bascom
  • Patent number: 5998924
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an electron source including one or more than one electron-emitting devices on a substrate, each electron-emitting device having a pair of oppositely disposed device electrodes, an electroconductive film connected to the pair of device electrodes and an electron-emitting region formed in part of the electroconductive film accompanied by a carbonaceous film which contains carbon or carbon compound as principal ingredient and is formed on and in a vicinity of the electron-emitting region, and an image-forming member for forming an image by emitting light when irradiated with electron beams emitted from the electron source. The electron source and the image-forming member are contained in a vacuum envelope, and an organic substance exists in the vacuum envelope to show a partial pressure of the organic substance greater than 1.times.10.sup.-6 Pa and a total pressure lower than 1.times.10.sup.-3 Pa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Yamamoto, Makoto Takagi
  • Patent number: 5998922
    Abstract: The design of a large area display made up of a plurality of field emission display modules is described. The modules have been modified in several ways relative to prior art designs. The cathode and gate lines near the module's edge have been substantially shortened. This feature, in combination with the use of a rabbet joint for attaching thinner than usual edge plates, allows the modules to be butted up against each other such that pixels in adjoining modules are no further apart than pixels in the same module. Because of the thinner edge plates and the general compatibilty of the process, the use of internal supports between the front and rear plates becomes mandatory. Vacuum piping for the modules is located near an edge in dark space or under a green pixel, with the gettering layer being formed inside the piping. The modules all plug into a printed circuit board which includes a custom chip for driving the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Lyuji Ozawa, Chao-Chi Peng, Wen-Chun Wang, Chun-hui Tsai, Jyh-Haur Tyan
  • Patent number: 5998913
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, an insulator provided outside the center electrode, a metallic shell provided outside the insulator, a ground electrode disposed opposingly to the center electrode, and a spark discharge portion fixed on at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode for defining a spark discharge gap. The spark discharge portion is formed from an alloy containing Ir as a main component, Rh in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 35 wt. %, and at least one of Ru and Re in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 17 wt. %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Matsutani
  • Patent number: 5998921
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a tubular glass bulb, an internal electrode provided substantially along the central axis of the tubular glass bulb, a fluorescent layer provided on the inner surface of the tubular glass bulb, and an external electrode provided on the outer surface of the tubular glass bulb, wherein the internal electrode, having a coiled shape, is laid in the tubular glass bulb with an appropriate tension. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a sag in the internal electrode from occurring due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the tubular glass bulb and a metallic member forming the internal electrode, and to prevent either the tubular glass bulb or the internal electrode from being broken because of an excessive stress, thereby overcoming the problem concerning such type of fluorescent lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomio Nakaya, Toshiyuki Terada, Mitsunari Yoshida, Tomonori Abe
  • Patent number: 5994831
    Abstract: A low-pressure mercury discharge lamp is provided with a discharge vessel (1) which encloses a discharge space (2) in a gastight manner and in which a filling including mercury is accommodated. The lamp is provided with means (3a, 3b) for maintaining an electric discharge in the discharge space. The discharge vessel is provided with a luminescent layer (5). The lamp generates light during operation with a spectrum which is substantially composed of radiation in a first wavelength region from 590 to 630 nm, a second wavelength region from 520 to 565 nm, and in a third wavelength region from 430 to 490 nm. The radiation in the wavelength interval from 590 to 600 nm accounts for at least 50% of the power of the radiation in the entire first wavelength region. A preferred embodiment of the lamp includes a luminescent material that complies with the formula M1.sub.x M2.sub.(1-x-y) BO.sub.3 :Eu.sup.3+.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Dick Van der Voort, Henricus C. G. Verhaar, Jan W. F. Dorleijn
  • Patent number: 5994834
    Abstract: An emitter structure for a field emission display includes: a substrate (100) having a top surface; an address line (142) embedded in the substrate (100) and having an upper surface substantially coplanar with the top surface of the substrate (100); and an emitter site (152) having an emitter (154) superjacent to the top surface of the substrate (100) apart from the address line (142) and having a contact (153) having a first portion coupled to the emitter (142) and a second portion coupled to the address line (142). The substrate (100) may further include a base layer (110), and a dielectric layer (120), and the contact (153) may further act as a resistor to limit the current to the emitter (154).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Alwan, Kevin Tjaden
  • Patent number: 5990612
    Abstract: A field emitter array comprises a plurality of cathode electrodes and an anode electrode disposed opposite to the plurality of cathode electrodes. And the anode electrode is provided with a plurality of protrusions having a cap material disposed on the tip of each protrusion. A voltage below a designated value is applied between a gate electrode and the cathode electrodes, and electrons are released only from a cathode electrode with a low emission start voltage. When the electrons are emitted to the cap material provided on the protrusions, the cap material is sputtering-evaporated and is affixed to the cathode electrode. Then a cap is disposed on the each of the cathode electrodes. Then, the emission properties between each cathode electrode are consequently rendered uniform, thereby increasing the emission start voltage and maximum applied voltage of the overall field emitter array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Nec Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Konuma
  • Patent number: 5990609
    Abstract: A display device includes a cathode for emitting electrons and a permanent magnet. A two dimensional array of channels extends between opposite poles of the magnet. The magnet generates, in each channel, a magnetic field for forming electrons from the cathode into an electron beam. A screen receives an electron beam from each channel. The screen has a phosphor coating facing the side of the magnet remote from the cathode. The phosphor coating comprises a plurality of pixels each corresponding to a different channel. A grid electrode is disposed between the cathode and the magnet for controlling flow of electrons from the cathode into each channel. A deflection sequentially addresses the electron beam from each channel to each pixel of the corresponding group. Rotational alignment APPARATUS aligns electron beams from the channels with corresponding pixels of the phosphor coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Ramsay Knox, John Beeteson
  • Patent number: 5990600
    Abstract: A plurality of a U-shaped heat radiation plates are provided on a heat radiating tube. These U-shaped plates have different sizes and elongated in the same direction so as to cross an axis of the tube. The emissive heat radiator may also includes at least one radiating plate 2 substantially perpendicular to each axis of the U-shaped plates. A concave surface of the U-shaped plate is subjected to a radiation surface processing, and a convex surface thereof is subjected to a reflection surface processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Takeshi Azami
  • Patent number: 5990620
    Abstract: A miniature high resolution plasma display suitable for integration on a semiconductor chip in combination with other circuitry is comprised of two crossed sets of conductors which are arranged on a first substrate to form an array of crosspoints. The two conductors at each crosspoint are a preselected distance apart and separated by a hollow cavity. An array of vertical tubes in a second substrate is spaced so as to correspond to the array of crosspoints. The second substrate is supported in alignment with the first so that the open end of the tubes oppose the cavity at each crosspoint. The tubes and cavities are filled with a pressurized gas and the assembly is sealed with a transparent, electrically conducting coverplate. When a voltage greater than or equal to the Paschen minimum firing voltage is applied across the cavity at a crosspoint, a plasma is created. Ions in the plasma spread from the cavity into the tube in response to a voltage that is applied to the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Inventor: Martin P. Lepselter
  • Patent number: 5990604
    Abstract: Improved field-emission devices are based on composing the back contact to the emitter material such that electron-injection efficiency into the emitter material is enhanced. Alteration of the emitter material structure near the contact or geometric field enhancement due to contact morphology gives rise to the improved injection efficiency. The devices are able to emit electrons at high current density and lower applied potential differences and temperatures than previously achieved. Wide-bandgap emitter materials without shallow donors benefit from this approach. The emission characteristics of diamond substitutionally doped with nitrogen, having a favorable emitter/vacuum band structure but being limited by the efficiency of electron injection into it, show especial improvement in the context of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Massacusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Michael W. Geis, Jonathan C. Twichell, Theodore M. Lyszczarz, Nickolay N. Efremow
  • Patent number: 5990603
    Abstract: A cathode structure of an electron gun for a cathode ray tube includes: a substrate (51); cathode electrode layers (52) formed on the substrate (51) and spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals; a plurality of metal tips (53); an insulating layer (54) formed on the cathode electrode layers (52) and the substrate (51) to isolate each of the metal tips (53) from each other; a gate electrode layer having a first gate electrode portion (56) having a gate through which the metal tips (53) are exposed and formed on top of the insulating layer (54), and a second gate electrode portion (57) extending horizontally from said first gate portion (56) and divided into several parts by a plurality of gaps (60) for reducing the capacitance between the cathode electrode layers (52) and the second gate electrode portion (57).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-seob Kim, Bong-uk Jeong
  • Patent number: 5986402
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp with a distance of less than 3.0 mm between the electrodes, in which in the hermetically sealed portion no cracks occur, which can be produced without difficulty, and which enables advantageous operation is achieved with a halide lamp in which an arc tube made of quartz glass contains a cathode and an anode spaced from each other at a distance of less than or equal to 2.9 mm together with mercury and metal halides, and which is operated with a nominal wattage range of from 100 to 400 W using direct current, by causing the ratio D/H to be greater than or equal to 1.9 when D is the maximum inside diameter in millimeters in a direction which orthogonally intersects the axial direction of the electrodes in the discharge space and H is the length of the cathode projecting within the discharge space, also in millimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuo Narita, Akihiko Sugitani, Yoshihiro Horikawa, Takashi Ito, Tatsushi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5986397
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a color cathode ray tube and a deflection yoke. In accordance with the present invention the color cathode ray tube has a color cathode ray tube main body. The main body has a glass panel portion and a glass funnel portion connected to a rear part of the glass panel portion. An electron gun is located at rear part of the color cathode ray tube main body. The color cathode ray tube also has a deflection yoke. The deflection yoke has a saddle shaped horizontal deflection coil located at a rear periphery of the color cathode ray tube main body, a saddle shaped vertical deflection coil located outside the saddle shaped horizontal deflection coil, and a core located outside the saddle shaped vertical deflection coil. The center portion of the screen side flange portion of either the horizontal deflection coil or the vertical deflection coil forms a dent toward the electron gun side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masanobu Honda, Koji Shimada
  • Patent number: 5982090
    Abstract: An integrated dual day night backlight includes a flat channel light source with an auxiliary night light source suitably filtered to remove infrared components from the illumination. In alternative embodiments, the night light can be a separate bulb or it can be separate light channels within the flat channel source. The night illumination is directed through the edge of the light transmissive face plate that covers the main or day channel. The light directing means can be an inner reflecting surface of the face plate or can be a separate reflective element that redirects the illumination from the night channel through the edge of the transmissive face plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics Coporation
    Inventor: Michael H. Kalmanash
  • Patent number: 5982084
    Abstract: A color cathode ray tube is provided which comprises a face panel having an inner surface on which phosphors are formed, a funnel connected to the rear portion of the face panel, an electron gun housed in the neck portion of the funnel, a frame attached to pins on the inside of the face panel through springs provided on two short sides of the frame and one long side thereof, and a shadow mask attached to the frame at a predetermined distance from the phosphor surface. The operation length of the spring on the short side is longer than that of the spring on the long side, so that the amount of upward displacement of landing points during the entire doming phenomenon is decreased. Thus, the deterioration in the uniformity of the luminance of white quality is reduced in the color cathode ray tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Etou
  • Patent number: 5982087
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a color cathode ray tube and a deflection yoke. In accordance with the present invention the color cathode ray tube has a color cathode ray tube main body. The main body has a glass panel portion and a glass funnel portion connected to a rear part of the glass panel portion. An electron gun is located at the rear part of the color cathode ray tube main body. The color cathode ray tube also has a deflection yoke. The deflection yoke has a saddle shaped horizontal deflection coil located at a rear periphery of the color cathode ray tube main body, a saddle shaped vertical deflection coil located outside the saddle shaped horizontal deflection coil, and a core located outside the saddle shaped vertical deflection coil. A screen side flange portion of the horizontal deflection coil or the vertical deflection coil form a projection toward the screen side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masanobu Honda, Koji Shimada
  • Patent number: 5982094
    Abstract: A photocathode includes a first layer of polycrystalline diamond or a material mainly composed of polycrystalline diamond. The first layer of polycrystalline diamond may be terminated with hydrogen, or oxygen, and a second layer of an alkali metal or compound of an alkali metal, may be provided on the first layer of polycrystalline diamond whose surface is terminated with hydrogen or oxygen. The photocathode can be use for both reflection and transmission electron tubes and can yield a quantum efficiency higher than that in a monocrystal diamond thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Minoru Niigaki, Toru Hirohata, Hirofumi Kan, Masami Yamada
  • Patent number: 5977692
    Abstract: An annulus fluorescent lamp comprises two annulus fluorescent tubes formed into shapes having different diameters and disposed substantially concentrically in substantially the same plane. Each of the annulus fluorescent tubes has a first end with an electrode seal portion and a second end without electrodes. The second ends of the annulus fluorescent tubes are communicated with each other via a bridge portion so that a single discharge path is formed inside the plurality of annulus fluorescent tubes. The annulus fluorescent lamp also comprises a mouthpiece covering the first and second ends of the annulus fluorescent tubes, and a thermal fuse disposed in the mouthpiece and close to the electrode seal portion of the annulus fluorescent tubes. The thermal fuse is connected electrically between one of outer lead wires of the electrodes and one of lead terminals fixed to the mouthpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Itaya, Takeshi Matsumura