Flat-type display apparatus with front case to which grid frame with extended electrodes fixed thereto is attached

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6278235
  • Patent Number
    6,278,235
  • Date Filed
    Monday, August 9, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 21, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A back electrode (6), linear hot cathodes (7) as electron beam sources, and an electrode unit (8) are placed on and fixed to a rear case (4). On the other hand, wire electrodes (9) fixed to a grid frame (10) are positioned relative to stripes of a phosphor screen (2) and are then placed on and fixed to a supporting frame (11) placed in a front case (3) using stud pins (21). According to such a configuration, when the front case and the rear case are bonded and are thus fixed, the position shift between the phosphor screen (2) and the wire electrodes (9) can be suppressed within a tolerance. As a result, a flat-type display apparatus that can display excellent images can be provided.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention relates to a flat-type display apparatus used for a television receiver, a computer-terminal display unit, or the like.




BACKGROUND ART




A flat-type display apparatus in which images, characters, and the like are displayed with high precision in the following manner has been developed. The flat-type display apparatus comprises electron beam sources and a flat electrode unit in which a plurality of electron-beam control electrodes are layered. After being focused, modulated, and deflected by the electrode unit, electron beams are further focused by wire electrodes formed by extending a plurality of wires and then are irradiated onto a phosphor screen to cause light emission.




A conventional flat-type display apparatus will be explained with reference to

FIG. 2

as follows.




A conventional flat-type display apparatus


101


comprises a back electrode


106


, a plurality of linear hot cathodes


107


as electron beam sources, a flat electrode unit


108


, and a grid frame


110


to which wire electrodes


109


as extended electrodes have been fixed while being extended thereon orthogonally to the linear hot electrodes


107


, which are housed in a vacuum case


105


. The vacuum case


105


is formed of a front case


103


having a phosphor screen


102


formed on its inner face and a rear case


104


.




In this case, the electrode unit


108


comprises an extracting electrode


111


, a modulating electrode


112


, a horizontal deflection electrode


113


, and a vertical deflection electrode


114


. The respective electrodes are electrically insulated from and are fixed to one another while maintaining predetermined spaces.




In order to facilitate the following description, the coordinate axes are set as follows.




An X-axis is set in the direction in which the linear hot cathodes


107


are extended. A Y-axis is set in the direction orthogonal to the X-axis in a plane of the back electrode


106


. A Z-axis is set in the normal direction from the back electrode


106


toward the phosphor screen


102


.




The back electrode


106


is fixed by welding or the like to fixing stands


115


that have been fixed to the rear case


104


with low melting point solder glass or the like. Springs


116


for extending the linear hot cathodes


107


are fixed by welding or the like to bases


117


that have been fixed to the rear case


104


with low melting point solder glass or the like. The linear hot cathodes


107


are extended by the springs


116


on the phosphor screen


102


side of the back electrode


106


with a predetermined tension.




Electrode fixing metal fittings


118


have insulating films


118




a


formed on its phosphor screen


102


side and are placed on the back electrode


106


at the upper and lower ends in the Y-axis direction.




End metal fittings


119


are fastened to the electrode unit


108


at the left and right ends in the X-axis direction using screws or the like with insulating spacers


120


being sandwiched therebetween, which is then fixed to the electrode fixing metal fittings


118


.




In the extracting electrode


111


, through holes


111




a


are formed opposing respective linear hot cathodes


107


at predetermined spaces in the X-axis direction.




The modulating electrode


112


is formed in a bamboo-blind-like shape by placing long and narrow electrodes


112




b


in the Y-axis direction in the X-Y plane at suitable spaces from one another corresponding to the pitch of the through holes


11




a


in the X-axis direction in the extracting electrode


111


. The electrodes


112




b


have through holes


112




a


at the positions opposing the rows of through holes


111




a


along the Y-axis in the extracting electrode


111


.




The horizontal deflection electrode


113


is formed by combining comb-teeth-shaped electrodes


113




a


and


113




b


with each other at suitable spaces in the same plane (in the X-Y plane). The electrodes


113




a


are connected to each other at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction and the electrodes


113




b


also at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction. The horizontal deflection electrode


113


is placed so that the center positions of slits


113




c


formed between projecting parts


113




ab


and


113




bb


that are combined with each other correspond to respective positions of the through holes


111




a


in the extracting electrode


111


.




The vertical deflection electrode


114


is formed by combining comb-teeth-shaped electrodes


114




a


and


114




b


with each other at suitable spaces in the same plane (in the X-Y plane). The electrodes


114




a


are connected to each other at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction and the electrodes


114




b


also at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction. Slits


114




c


are formed between the electrodes


114




a


and


114




b


in the X-axis direction at the positions corresponding to the positions of the linear hot cathodes


107


.




The wire electrodes


109


are formed by extending and fixing wires


109




a


to the picture-frame-like grid frame


110


at the positions opposing the rows of the through holes


111




a


along the Y-axis in the extracting electrode


111


so as to correspond to the pitch of the through holes


111




a


in the X-axis direction in the extracting electrode


111


.




The grid frame


110


is fixed to the end metal fittings


119


using screws or the like with insulating spacers


121


being sandwiched therebetween. In this case, the grid frame


110


and the end metal fittings


119


are fixed using screws with insulating bushings


122


being sandwiched therebetween so as to be insulated electrically from each other.




Then, the front case


103


is placed over the structure comprising members from the back electrode


106


to the wire electrodes


109


that have been placed on the rear case


104


as described above. The front case


103


and the rear case


104


are fixed to each other by heating with outgoing terminals (not shown in the figure) being sandwiched therebetween using low melting point solder glass formed at the peripheries of the front case


103


and the rear case


104


, thus being sealed to obtain the vacuum case


105


. Then, the inside of the vacuum case


105


is evacuated through an exhaust pipe (not shown in the figure). The exhaust pipe is then closed, thus completing the flat-type display apparatus


101


.




In this case, the front case


103


is placed by positioning stripes formed in the Y-axis direction constructing the phosphor screen


102


formed on the inner face of the front case


103


relative to the wires


109




a


forming the wire electrodes


109


with respect to the X-axis direction.




The flat-type display apparatus


101


thus formed displays images, characters, and the like with high precision by: focusing, modulating, and deflecting electron beams


123


generated from the linear hot cathodes


107


by the extracting electrode


111


, the modulating electrode


112


, the horizontal deflection electrode


113


, and the vertical deflection electrode


114


that form the electrode unit


108


; further focusing the electron beams


123


by the wire electrodes


109


; and irradiating the electron beams


123


onto the phosphor screen


102


to cause light emission.




However, in order to display images, characters, and the like with high precision excellently without causing shifts in color in the conventional flat-type display apparatus, the wire electrodes


109


and the stripes forming the phosphor screen


102


must be positioned with a precision within ±15 μm.




In the conventional configuration, the stripes of the phosphor screen


102


formed on the inner face of the front case


103


are positioned relative to the wire electrodes


109


fixed to the rear case


104


with respect to the X-axis direction. In this stage, the wire electrodes and the stripes are positioned with a precision within ±10 μm in the X-axis direction.




However, in a later process, the rear case


104


and the front case


103


are fixed to each other by heating with low melting point solder glass with the outgoing terminals (not shown in the figure) being sandwiched therebetween.




In this process, the gap formed between the rear case


104


and the front case


103


due to the outgoing terminals and the low melting point solder glass that has not been melted yet is reduced by heating under loading in the Z direction. Thus, the rear case


104


and the front case


103


adhere and are thus fixed. The rear case


104


and the front case


103


are bonded by heating with their positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions to be regulated. However, when the gap is reduced, the regulated condition in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is impaired, thus frequently causing a position shift on the order of several tens of μm.




Therefore, in the completed flat-type display apparatus


101


, the electron beams


123


cannot be irradiated onto predetermined positions on the phosphor screen


102


, thus causing shifts in color. As a result, excellent images were not obtained.




DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION




It is an object of the present invention to provide a flat-type display apparatus in which the position shift between a phosphor screen


102


and wire electrodes


109


can be suppressed within a tolerance in a later process, thus obtaining excellent images.




In order to attain this object, the flat-type display apparatus of the present invention comprises, inside a vacuum case formed of a rear case and a front case having a phosphor screen formed on its inner face: a back electrode; electron beam sources; an electrode unit formed of a plurality of electrodes for controlling electron beams; and extended electrodes fixed to a grid frame. The flat-type display apparatus is characterized in that the grid frame to which the extended electrodes have been fixed is placed in and fixed to the front case.




As described above, in the flat-type display apparatus of the present invention, electron beams generated from linear hot cathodes are focused, modulated, and deflected by an extracting electrode, a modulating electrode, a horizontal deflection electrode, and a vertical deflection electrode that form an electrode unit and are further focused by wire electrodes to be focused at predetermined positions on the phosphor screen, thus irradiating the phosphor screen to cause light emission. In the flat-type display apparatus, the grid frame to which the wire electrodes have been fixed while being extended thereon is positioned and attached on the front case side. In other words, the grid frame is fixed to the front case, preferably using a supporting frame provided for the front case, by positioning stripes of the phosphor screen formed on the inner face of the front case and the extended electrodes fixed to the grid frame. This enables the position shift between the wire electrodes and the phosphor screen, which occurs in the later process, to be suppressed within a tolerance. As a result, the flat-type display apparatus that can display images, characters, and the like with high precision can be provided.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic assembly configuration of an example of the flat-type display apparatus according to the present invention.





FIG. 2

is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic assembly configuration of an example of conventional flat-type display apparatuses.











BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION




An embodiment of the flat-type display apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to

FIG. 1

as follows.




A flat-type display apparatus


1


comprises: a back electrode


6


; a plurality of linear hot cathodes


7


as electron beam sources; a flat electrode unit


8


; a grid frame


10


to which wire electrodes


9


as extended electrodes have been fixed while being extended thereon in the direction orthogonal to the linear hot cathodes


7


; and a supporting frame


11


for fixing the grid frame


10


, which are housed in a vacuum case


5


formed of a rear case


4


and a front case


3


having a phosphor screen


2


formed on its inner face.




The electrode unit


8


comprises an extracting electrode


12


, a modulating electrode


13


, a horizontal deflection electrode


14


, and a vertical deflection electrode


15


. The respective electrodes are electrically insulated from and are fixed to one another while maintaining predetermined spaces.




In order to facilitate the following description, the coordinate axes are set as follows.




An X-axis is set in the direction in which the linear hot cathodes


7


are extended. A Y-axis is set in the direction orthogonal to the X-axis in a plane of the back electrode


6


. A Z-axis is set in the normal direction from the back electrode


6


toward the phosphor screen


2


.




The back electrode


6


is fixed by welding or the like to fixing stands


16


that have been fixed to the rear case


4


with low melting point solder glass or the like. Springs


17


for extending the linear hot cathodes


7


are fixed by welding or the like to bases


18


that have been fixed to the rear case


4


with low melting point solder glass or the like. The linear hot cathodes


7


are extended by the springs


17


on the phosphor screen


2


side of the back electrode


6


with a predetermined tension.




Electrode fixing metal fittings


19


have insulating films


19




a


formed on its phosphor screen


2


side and are placed on the back electrode


6


at the upper and lower ends in the Y-axis direction.




The electrode unit


8


is fixed to the electrode fixing metal fittings


19


using screws or the like with insulating spacers


20


being sandwiched therebetween.




In the extracting electrode


12


, through holes


12




a


are formed opposing respective linear hot cathodes


7


at predetermined spaces in the X-axis direction.




The modulating electrode


13


is formed in a bamboo-blind-like shape by placing long and narrow electrodes


13




b


in the Y-axis direction in the X-Y plane at suitable spaces from one another corresponding to the pitch of the through holes


12




a


in the X-axis direction in the extracting electrode


12


. The electrodes


13




b


have through holes


13




a


at the positions opposing the rows of through holes


12




a


along the Y-axis in the extracting electrode


12


.




The horizontal deflection electrode


14


is formed by combining comb-teeth-shaped electrodes


14




a


and


14




b


with each other at suitable spaces in the same plane (in the X-Y plane). The electrodes


14




a


are connected to each other at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction and the electrodes


14




b


also at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction. The horizontal deflection electrode


14


is placed so that center positions of slits


14




c


formed between projecting parts


14




ab


and


14




bb


that are combined with each other correspond to respective positions of the through holes


12




a


in the extracting electrode


12


.




Similarly, the vertical deflection electrode


15


is formed by combining comb-teeth-shaped electrodes


15




a


and


15




b


with each other at suitable spaces in the same plane (in the X-Y plane). The electrodes


15




a


are connected to each other at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction and the electrodes


15




b


also at their left and/or right ends in the X-axis direction. Slits


15




c


are formed between the electrodes


15




a


and


15




b


in the X-axis direction at the positions corresponding to the positions of the linear hot cathodes


7


.




The wire electrodes


9


are formed by extending and fixing wires


9




a


to the picture-frame-like grid frame


10


at the positions opposing the rows of the through holes


12




a


along the Y-axis in the extracting electrode


12


corresponding to the pitch of every two trios of phosphor stripes (one trio includes three colors of red, green, and blue) in the X-axis direction on the phosphor screen


2


.




Stud pins


21


are formed at predetermined positions on three sides out of four sides at the inner periphery of the front case


3


. Plate springs


22


are fixed to predetermined positions at the outer peripheral portion of a picture frame-like supporting frame


11


. By inserting stud pins


21


into fitting holes


22




a


formed in the plate springs


22


, the supporting frame


11


is placed in the front case


3


with its position being regulated in the X, Y, and Z axes directions.




The wires


9




a


of the wire electrodes


9


are positioned relative to the stripes of the phosphor screen


2


with respect to the X-axis direction. Then, the grid frame


10


is fixed to the supporting frame


11


.




Thus, the front case


3


provided with the wire electrodes


9


that has been fixed therein using the supporting frame


11


is placed over the structure comprising members from the back electrode


6


to the electrode unit


8


that have been placed on the rear case


4


as described above. The front case


3


and the rear case


4


are fixed to each other by heating with outgoing terminals (not shown in the figure) being sandwiched therebetween using low melting point solder glass formed at the peripheries of the front case


3


and the rear case


4


, thus being sealed to obtain the vacuum case


5


. Then, the inside of the vacuum case


5


is evacuated through an exhaust pipe (not shown in the figure). The exhaust pipe is then closed, thus completing the flat-type display apparatus


1


.




In this case, the front case


3


is placed by positioning the wire electrodes


9


fixed thereto using the supporting frame


11


relative to the slits


14




c


in the horizontal deflection electrode


14


with respect to the X-axis direction.




According to the present embodiment, the stripes of the phosphor screen


2


formed on the inner face of the front case


3


and the wire electrodes


9


extended on and fixed to the grid frame


10


are positioned, which is then fixed to the supporting frame


11


provided for the front case


3


. Therefore, the position shift between the stripes of the phosphor screen


2


and the wire electrodes


9


can be suppressed within a tolerance in the later process. Consequently, the flat-type display apparatus


1


in which the electron beams


23


can be irradiated onto predetermined positions on the phosphor screen


2


can be obtained.




The grid frame


10


to which the wire electrodes


9


have been fixed while being extended thereon may be attached to the front case


3


directly without using the supporting frame


11


. Further, the grid frame


10


may be attached to the front case


3


using a jig having another configuration instead of the supporting frame


11


shown in FIG.


1


.




Any of the embodiments described above is directed merely to make the technical contents of the present invention clear. The present invention should not be considered to be limited to such concrete examples. The present invention can be carried out by making changes variously which come within the range of the spirit and the claims of the present invention and is to be considered broadly.




INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY




The flat-type display apparatus of the present invention can display images, characters, and the like with high precision. Therefore, by utilizing such characteristics, particularly it can be used suitably as a flat-type display apparatus in which especially high display quality is required such as a television receiver, a computer-terminal display unit, or the like.



Claims
  • 1. A flat-type display apparatus comprising, inside a vacuum case formed of a rear case and a front case having a phosphor screen formed on its inner face:a back electrode; electron beam sources; an electrode unit formed of a plurality of electrodes for controlling electron beams; and extended electrodes fixed to a grid frame, wherein the grid frame to which the extended electrodes have been fixed is placed in and fixed to the front case.
  • 2. The flat-type display apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the grid frame is placed in and fixed to the front case using a supporting frame provided for the front case.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
9-353742 Dec 1997 JP
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind 102e Date 371c Date
PCT/JP98/05732 WO 00 8/9/1999 8/9/1999
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO99/33083 7/1/1999 WO A
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4982134 Anono et al. Jan 1991
5256937 Bubeck et al. Oct 1993
5504387 Hamagishi Apr 1996
5652083 Kumar et al. Jul 1997
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