Abstract: A piezoelectric porcelain step-up discharge tube includes a vacuum tube having an inner surface coated with fluorescent material and filled with a substance which can be easily activated to discharge, an input plug mounted on one end of the vacuum tube, a conducting terminal arranged on another end of the vacuum tube, a porcelain step-up device arranged within the vacuum tube and having an end electrically connected with the input plug and another end made of piezoelectric material for providing a discharging electrode for supplying a starting and working voltage, and a conductive material coated on an outer side of the vacuum tube and electrically connecting the input plug to the conducting terminal.

Abstract: A flashlight having a battery suspension system is provided and includes a flashlight body having a substantially hollow portion into which at least one battery may be loaded; an end cap removably mountable to one longitudinal end of the flashlight body; a head assembly removably mountable to another longitudinal end of the flashlight body opposite the one longitudinal end; a first spring disposed adjacent the end cap and extending in an axial direction of the flashlight body; a second spring disposed adjacent the head assembly and extending in the axial direction of the flashlight body; and a plate member disposed with one surface in contact with the second spring, and another surface facing toward the first spring.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using an electron source which has matrix-wired electron-emitting devices connected with wiring electrodes of conductive material, and a fluorescent member as an image forming member with an accelerating electrode on its inner surface side, opposite to the electron-emitting devices. The wiring electrodes includes a wiring electrode where a semiconductive support member (spacer) is provided via a conductive connection member and a wiring electrode where the semiconductive support member is not provided. The height of the upper surface of the conductive connection member on which the semiconductive support member is provided and that of the upper surface of the wiring electrode where the semiconductive support member is not provided are the same, to prevent shift of electron-beam trajectories around the semiconductive support member, due to disturbance of electric-field distribution.

Abstract: An organic polymer based display and method for making the same. The display is constructed on a flexible sheet having first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces being parallel to one another. The flexible sheet is transparent to light of a first wavelength. A first electrode, which includes a first electrode layer in contact with the first surface, is deposited on the flexible sheet. The first electrode layer is also transparent to light of the first wavelength. A light-emitting layer that includes an organic polymer is deposited on the electrode layer. A second electrode that includes a second electrode layer in contact with the light emitting layer is deposited on the light-emitting layer. The light emitting layer generates light of the first wavelength when a potential difference is applied across the first and second electrodes. A light conversion layer is deposited in contact with the second surface of the flexible sheet.

Abstract: A tipless discharge lamp of the short arc type in which on the outside surface of the arc tube there is no residual filling tube tip, and in which an exact distance between the electrodes is obtained is achieved in a metal halide lamp of the short arc type by a pair of electrodes being located in an arc tube, by the electrodes are parts of a one-piece electrode component that has been fracture-split so that, at least to some extent, fracture traces are present on the faces of these electrodes which have not undergone mechanical processing such as cutting, polishing, or the like, and elimination of the use of a filling tube, so that no residual filling tube tip projections remain on the outside surface of the arc tube. Furthermore, precise positioning of the pair of electrodes in the arc tube results from the hermetically sealed portion being drawn outwardly in the base area of at least one of the electrodes creating an area with a smaller diameter than the remainder of that hermetically sealed portion.

Abstract: Luminescent phosphor compositions comprising thulium doped lanthanum aluminates are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a luminescent phosphor composition comprises:(La.sub.1-x-z Tm.sub.x Al.sub.y R.sub.z O.sub.3/2(y+1)-m/2) Cl.sub.mwhere R is at least one of Tb.sup.3+, Ga.sup.3+, and Ce.sup.3+ ; 0.001.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.05; 0.5.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.3; 0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.05; and 0.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.0.05. In another aspect, a luminescent phosphor composition consists essentially of such material. Such materials are advantageously used in displays such as field emission displays, and particularly high electron density field emission and other displays.

Abstract: A method of affixing a precious metal to an electrode includes placing a length edge of a generally cylindrical, precious metal wire on an electrode surface and resistance welding the wire to the electrode surface. The precious metal may include platinum.

Abstract: A discharge electrode structure which is a substantially II-shaped sheet unit integrally made from one single blank sheet. The discharge electrode sheet unit includes two conductive sections connected with each other by two bridge sections at two ends. Two sides of each bridge section are formed with screw holes. Each conductive section is formed with a middle transverse bar formed with multiple perpendicular discharge needles at equal intervals. Each discharge needle has a tip. After the discharge electrode is connected with a DC high voltage power supply, free electrons are produced by discharging. The tips of the discharge needles are perpendicularly arranged at equal intervals so that ionic equilibrium can be easily achieved.

Abstract: A cover plate for ceiling or wall mounted electrical devices which follows the contour of the surface of the ceiling or wall about such devices. A mounting plate which can be mounted to a suitable box in the ceiling or wall has two sets of tongues to engage locking members on the cover plate. The locking members are flexible tabs which establish notches therebetween to receive the tongues of the cover plate and thus fix the cover plate to the mounting plate. The two detent posts with their associated tongues are independently applied so that the cover plate can more nearly match the contour of the ceiling or wall.

Abstract: Local irregularities in luminance are removed from a surface light source device of side light type 20 applied to a liquid crystal display or the like. In assembly, a reflection sheet 4 and a primary light source 23 are mounted on a light guide plate 2, and these components are housed at a predetermined position in a frame 21. The primary light source 23 has a fluorescent lamp 25 and a reflector 26, and supplied illumination light to an end surface (an incidence surface) 2A of the light guide plate 2. The reflector 26 presses the reflection sheet 4 against the light guide plate 2 and supports the reflection sheet. A support member 24 has a claw 24C engageable with a claw 21C of the frame 21. A light absorbable layer 27 is formed on an end portion of the reflection sheet 4.

Abstract: A safety helmet for use during potentially dangerous activities, such as bicycling or rollerblading. The helmet is a two piece helmet having a hard outer shell and a high density polystyrene inner shell. An illuminating assembly is recessed within the exterior portion of the inner shell. The illuminating assembly has a power source connected to a multitude of light sources, which are preferably light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs are connected to a multitude of fiber optic cables via a cylindrical connector. Light from the LEDs shine into an end of the fiber optic cable. This light emits out of the cladding of the fiber optic cable if the cable is a side light fiber optic cable. The light emits out of the other end of the cable if the cable is a point-to-point fiber optic cable. The outer shell has a transparent portion corresponding to the pathway taken by the illuminating assembly so that light can emit past the outer shell.

Abstract: An aperture grill for a color cathode ray tube includes a mask having a plurality of slits, a frame for securing the mask in a taut state, and a vibration suppressing unit for suppressing the vibration of the mask. The vibration suppressing unit comprises a plurality of damping wires having ends fixed on opposing sides of the frame and stretched over the mask in a lengthwise direction, and a plurality of protrusions extending from the damping wires and spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance. The protrusions make contact with or are welded to slit formation elements of the mask, or are partly inserted into the slits and contact lateral sides of the neighboring slit formation elements to suppress vibration of the slit formation elements.

Abstract: A flat-panel display contains a pair of plate structures (40 and 42) coupled together to form a sealed enclosure. A spacer (44) is situated in the enclosure for resisting external forces exerted on the display. The spacer is formed with a main spacer portion (60), typically shaped like a wall, and a face electrode (66) situated over a face of the main spacer portion. The face electrode causes electrons moving from one of the plate structures to the other to be deflected in such a manner as to compensate for other electron deflection caused by the presence of the spacer. The face electrode is divided into multiple laterally separated segments (66.sub.1 -66.sub.N) to improve the accuracy of the compensation along the length of the spacer. In fabricating the display, a masking step is typically utilized in defining the widths of the segments of the face electrode.

Abstract: A brake light system for bicycles includes a light means fixedly mounted on a bicycle and a pair of brake assemblies each having a metallic bracket, a insulating rubber member mounted on the first metallic bracket, and a conductive rubber member mounted on the insulating rubber member, the metallic bracket being provided with a brake post extending outwardly to engage with one of the arms of a cantilever, the conductive rubber member being electrically connected with the light device via a electrical wire, whereby when the cantilever brake is activated, a braking signal will be transmitted to a controlling circuit through the conductive rubber member thereby turning on the light device.

Abstract: A mercury dispensing support strip capable of dispensing mercury and sorbing reactive gases. In one embodiment, the support strip of the invention includes at least one track of mercury releasing material deposited on one face of the support strip. At least one track of getter material is also deposited on the same face of the support strip. The tracks of mercury releasing and getter materials are deposited on the support strip such that the mechanical strains exerted by the materials on points of the support strip that are substantially symmetric with respect to a central axis of said first surface of said mercury dispensing support strip are substantially equivalent.

Abstract: A display cell has an upper substrate joined to an intermediate substrate with a specific gap put therebetween; an optoelectric material kept in the gap, and signal electrodes formed on the upper substrate in rows to which are applied image signals. A plasma cell has a lower substrate joined to the intermediate substrate with a specific gap put therebetween for forming an enclosed space, an ionizable gas which fills the enclosed space, and scanning electrodes formed on the lower substrate in columns to generate a plasma discharge. The scanning electrodes are scanned in sequence to write image signals applied to the signal electrodes in the optoelectric material. The gas for generating plasma discharge is composed of a mixture containing an inert component such as Kr or Xe as a main component and a hydrogen component.

Abstract: In a process for the fabrication of an organic EL display device having, on the surface of a substrate 1, a terminal electrode 3, a first electrode 2, an insulating layer 4 covering a portion of the first electrode 2, an organic functional layer 5 including a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode 6 including an interconnect layer 62, after forming the first electrode 2, the terminal electrode 3, and the insulating layer 4, a mask 8 for restricting the layer-forming region is placed on the substrate 1, then the organic functional layer 5 is formed, following which the interconnect layer 62 is formed by a process having a better step coverage than the process used to form the organic functional layer 5 such as to bring the interconnect layer 62 into contact with at least part of the terminal electrode 3. When the organic functional layer 5 and the second electrode 6 are formed in succession, the second electrode 6 and the terminal electrode 3 can be reliably connected without changing the mask 8.

Abstract: A field emission device includes a field emission cathode electrode having a cusp, a first insulating layer on the field emission cathode electrode excluding a portion over the cusp, a first electrode on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer on the second electrode, and a silicon substrate on the third insulating layer.

Abstract: An ion generating device according to the present invention has a substrate having at least one insulating surface. A pair of electrodes is separately formed on the substrate to generate a corona discharge therebetween for ionizing gas floating in the atmosphere around the device. A protective layer having a thickness between 0.5 .mu.m and 10 .mu.m is limitedly coated on an exposed surface of the electrode.

Abstract: The invention provides a light emitting device with a simple device structure capable of emitting light of various colors. The light emitting device can be produced by simple processing steps: A mold is pressed convex-and-concave against a glass substrate thereby forming a corresponding convex-and-concave structure on the glass substrate; a dielectric layer and a positive electrode layer are successively formed on the glass substrate, thereby forming a positive electrode substrate; a negative electrode substrate provided with a negative electrode layer formed thereon, is prepared; an active layer material is coated on the negative electrode substrate; and the positive and negative electrode substrates are bonded to each other via a spacer.