Abstract: A plasma tube array in which a number of arc each including a phosphor layer inside are arranged. The plasma tube array displays an image by causing discharge inside the arc tubes so that the phosphor layers inside the arc tubes are allowed to emit light. This plasma tube array has a structure with which phosphor layers can be easily aligned in a predetermined direction. The plasma tube array includes alignment members, each of which is disposed at one end of a corresponding one of the arc tubes, and which regulate the postures in a rotational direction of the respective arc tubes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma tube array including: plural light-emitting tubes; a front supporting member and a back supporting member which spread over the front and back of the light-emitting tubes; plural display electrode pairs provided on the surface of the front supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes; and plural signal electrodes provided on the surface of the back supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes. Each display electrode constituting the display electrode pair is a display electrode which is made of a metal thin wire, provided with plural openings formed in a distributed manner and includes a first metal thin wire facing a discharge slit and extending along the discharge slit, and the first metal thin wire is a metal thin wire thicker than a second metal thin wire which forms a region closer to a non-discharge slit side than the first metal thin wire.

Abstract: A gas-discharge tube has a glass tube as its main body and a trench is provided in the axial direction of the glass tube on one surface (the surface opposed to the discharge surface) among the external surfaces of the glass tube. An address electrode is placed in the trench. The inner surface of the region of the glass tube where sustain electrodes are placed is formed to have a microscopic unevenness. A secondary electron emission film is formed on this inner surface where the unevenness is formed. In addition, a phosphor support member, whose cross section across the axis is in approximately a C-shape and where a phosphor layer has been formed in advance on the inner surface, is placed inside of the glass tube. Stable discharge characteristics is obtained by eliminating dispersion of the position of an electrode, relative to the gas-discharge tube.

Abstract: In an AC-driven gas discharge display device and especially a plasma tube array type, a return path is provided for alternate discharge current flowing between X and Y driver circuits. The AC-driven gas discharge display device comprises a front-side, transparent substrate and a rear-side substrate sandwiching therebetween a plurality of thin discharge tubes arranged side by side; a plurality of pairs of display electrodes on an inner surface of the front-side substrate; and a plurality of address electrodes, in a direction transverse to the plurality of display electrodes, the rear-side substrate on an inner surface. Striped light-blocking, electrically conductive films are disposed on an outer surface of the front-side substrate at locations between respective ones of the pairs of display electrodes and coupled at their opposite ends to respective points of a common reference potential in the X- and Y-electrode driver circuits, respectively, to provide a return path for alternate discharge current.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method for forming a metal oxide film comprising, when a metal oxide film is formed by conducting a thermal treatment on a coating film containing an organic metal compound formed on an inner wall of a tube, performing an ultraviolet irradiation treatment or an ozone treatment on the coating film prior to or simultaneously with the thermal treatment.

Abstract: A light-emitting tube array display device includes a light-emitting tube array constituted of a plurality of light-emitting tubes arranged in parallel with discharge gas filled therein, a light-transmitting supporter abutting the display surface side of the light-emitting tube array for supporting the light-emitting tube array and having electrodes formed on its surface facing the light-emitting tube array for applying a voltage to the light-emitting tubes, and a light-transmitting adhesive layer formed between the supporter and the light-emitting tube array. The adhesive layer has a refractive index equal to or higher than that of a tube body of the light-emitting tube and the supporter has a refractive index equal to or higher than that of the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A plurality of arc tubes are arranged in parallel with the long side of a rectangular screen, a plurality of first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged on the display surface side of the arc tube array in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the arc tubes, and a plurality of third electrodes are arranged on the back side of the arc tube array along the longitudinal direction of the arc tubes. At the time of screen display, the third electrodes are used as scan electrodes and a scan voltage is applied sequentially to the plurality of third electrodes. In the meantime, a voltage is applied to a desired first electrode or second electrode so that discharge takes place in a desired light-emitting cell and a light-emitting cell is selected. Thereafter, display discharge takes place between the adjacent first electrode and second electrode thus performing display.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma tube array including: plural light-emitting tubes; a front supporting member and a back supporting member which spread over the front and back of the light-emitting tubes; plural display electrode pairs provided on the surface of the front supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes; and plural signal electrodes provided on the surface of the back supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes. Each display electrode constituting the display electrode pair is a display electrode which is made of a metal thin wire, provided with plural openings formed in a distributed manner and includes a first metal thin wire facing a discharge slit and extending along the discharge slit, and the first metal thin wire is a metal thin wire thicker than a second metal thin wire which forms a region closer to a non-discharge slit side than the first metal thin wire.

Abstract: A return path is efficiently and advantageously provided for alternate discharge current flowing between X and Y driver circuits arranged on right and left sides of an AC-driven gas discharge display device of especially a plasma tube array type. The AC-driven gas discharge display device comprises a front-side, transparent substrate and a rear-side substrate sandwiching a plurality of thin discharge tubes arranged side by side. The front-side substrate has, on an inner surface thereof, a plurality of pairs of display electrode. The rear-side substrate has, on an inner surface thereof, a plurality of address electrodes in a direction transverse to the plurality of display electrodes. In the display device, striped light-blocking, electrically conductive films are formed on an outer surface of the front-side substrate at locations corresponding to locations between respective ones of the pairs of display electrode.

Abstract: A plasma tube array according to the present invention includes plural light emitting tubes that have fluorescent material layers inside and are mutually lined up in parallel. The plasma tube array includes pairs of display electrodes that are formed along the respective fluorescent material layers. The fluorescent material layers are disposed in sequence in the longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes.

Abstract: A light-emitting discharge tube in which an outer wall surface of a glass tube is made less susceptible to flaws by forming a protective film on the outer wall surface of the glass tube, a method of fabricating the light-emitting discharge tube, and a protective film forming apparatus are provided. The light-emitting discharge tube defines light-emitting discharge regions by a plurality of external electrodes. The outer wall surface of the light-emitting discharge tube (the glass tube) is coated with the protective film (a metal film, a conductive metal oxide film, an insulating metal oxide film, or an organic film).

Abstract: A method for forming a coating film on an internal surface of an elongated tube, includes longitudinally holding the elongated tube, applying a coating solution to the internal surface of the elongated tube; and drying the coating solution while carrying out a heat process for sequentially heating the elongated tube by using a heat source. The heat process includes adjusting the descending rate of the heat source so that a through-hole in the elongated tube is clogged with the coating solution whose viscosity is reduced by heating of the heat source, and sucking the through-hole in the elongated tube from the lower side thereof so that a portion of the through-hole that is clogged with the coating solution moves downwards along the elongated tube.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gas discharge tube by closing an opening of a glass tube by forming a glass layer with outer peripheral shape identical to the outer peripheral shape of the glass tube on an end face of the glass tube. An open end face (opening) of the glass tube is pressure-welded to a dry film containing a low melting point glass powder and a binder resin, and then the glass tube is lifted up to transfer the dry film for closing the opening to the end face of the glass tube. A phosphor support member is inserted into the glass tube from a side opposite to the end face and then an end of the phosphor support member is caused to adhere to the dry film. The binder resin is burnt off, and the dry film is vitrified to produce a low melting point glass layer.

Abstract: A gas discharge tube has a phosphor layer formed and a discharge gas enclosed within an elongated tube which is to serve as the gas discharge tube. The gas discharge tube includes a light-emitting section and a cleaning section for cleaning the discharge gas. The cleaning section is connected to the light-emitting section.

Abstract: A gas discharge tube includes a thin tube having a discharge space therein and an electron emissive coating formed within the thin tube. The thin tube has a display surface on which a pair of display electrodes is adapted to be disposed, and has a rear surface on which a signal electrode is adapted to be disposed. A surface portion facing toward the display surface is formed within the thin tube at a location nearer to the display surface from the midway between the display and rear surfaces. An electron emissive coating is formed on the surface portion. Thus the gas discharge tube can reduce its firing voltage without lowering the light-emission efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable technology for manufacturing a substrate with protrusions. After filling an UV-curable transfer material into the grooves of an intaglio plate for transfer, the UV-curable transfer material is cured by irradiating UV rays under the conditions where it is exposed to an atmosphere that contains at least one of oxygen and ozone while a curing-inhibited portion is formed in an area of the UV-curable transfer material exposed to this atmosphere, and the UV-curable transfer material is transferred to the substrate to form the protrusions, while the curing-inhibited portion is made to adhere to the substrate.

Abstract: A display device capable of realizing a desired color temperature is provided. Phosphor layers 5a, 5b and 5c, which are excited by ultraviolet radiation produced by discharge and emit red, green and blue visible light, are formed inside a red, green and blue gas discharge tube 1a, 1b, and 1c, respectively. The height Yc of the phosphor layer 5c with respect to a rear support body 20 is higher than the heights Ya and Yb of the phosphor layers 5a and 5b with respect to the rear support member 20, and establishes the relationship Yc>Ya=Yb. Therefore, the distance from the phosphor layer 5c to the opposite discharge surface on a front support body is shorter than those from the phosphor layers 5a and 5b, the visible light emitted from the display device 10 is shifted toward blue, that is, the color temperature increases.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable technology for manufacturing a substrate with protrusions. After filling an UV-curable transfer material into the grooves of an intaglio plate for transfer, the UV-curable transfer material is cured by irradiating UV rays under the conditions where it is exposed to an atmosphere that contains at least one of oxygen and ozone while a curing-inhibited portion is formed in an area of the UV-curable transfer material exposed to this atmosphere, and the UV-curable transfer material is transferred to the substrate to form the protrusions, while the curing-inhibited portion is made to adhere to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new and highly reliable substrate manufacturing technology for manufacturing a substrate with a protrusion pattern, which can decrease structural defects caused by involving bubbles when the protrusion pattern is formed, can improve the reliability of the product and the yield of the product, does not require off-line steps such as vacuum deaeration, and therefore improves the production efficiency and simplifies the steps. According to the present invention, a molding material paste is filled into the concave portions of an intaglio plate for filling, an intaglio plate for transfer on which a specific groove pattern is formed is partially contacted with the intaglio plate for filling, the molding material is filled into the grooves of the intaglio plate for transfer, then the molding material is transferred from the intaglio plate for transfer to a substrate as a protrusion pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new technology for an electrode that can be used for a gas discharge panel, a substrate for a gas discharge panel, a gas discharge panel and a gas discharge panel display device. On the rib formation surface of a substrate for a gas discharge display panel, a self-assembled monolayer is formed, a part of the self-assembled monolayer is activated so that a substance to be a plating catalyst can adhere thereto, the substance to be the plating catalyst is caused to adhere to this activated part to form the plating catalyst, and address electrodes are formed by forming an electroless plating layer on the top of the part of the self-assembled monolayer by an electroless plating method using the plating catalyst.