Abstract: A luminous display device is disclosed as including a transparent or translucent top body part having a rear surface; a bottom body part having a front side, a rear side, and a trough extending along at least part of the front side of the bottom body part to form a pre-defined pattern; in which the rear surface of the upper body part is in fused sealing relationship with the front side of the bottom body part to form a sealed discharge chamber between the trough and the upper body part; an ionizable gas filling the chamber; and two openings in the bottom body part each having a first end communicating with the chamber and a second end communicating with an electrode, the electrodes being energizable to ionize the gas in the chamber to produce light discharge of the pre-defined pattern.

Abstract: A luminous display device and method of making the same wherein a front member of transparent glass (16) is fused to the rim area (4) of a rear member (1) having a recess (8) therein and protuberances (12) projecting from the base of the recess toward the front member, the protuberances being closely spaced with respect to each other and the front member to provide passages (14) between the protuberances and a light discharge chamber (20) between the front member and the recess. An opening (22) extends through the rear member communicating with the chamber. A tubular member (26) mounted on the rear member communicates with the opening for evacuating the chamber and filling it with ionizable gas. An electrode device (28) is mounted in the tubular member and is operatively connected to a power source (36) for ionizing the gas in the chamber thereby producing light discharge fingers (38,40,42,44) or streaks through the passages providing the desired display of light.