Vacuum vessel, and electron emission display device using the same

Abstract

A vacuum vessel that includes a first and a second substrate facing each other and extending across both an active area and a non-active area surrounding the active area, a sealing member arranged at peripheries of the first and the second substrates and adapted to maintain a vacuum between the two substrates, a plurality of wall type spacers arranged between the first and the second substrates while extending across the active area and a plurality of spacer supports arranged in the non-active area between the first and the second substrates, the plurality of spacer supports including a plurality of grooves adapted to receive the ends of respective ones of the plurality of wall type spacers, each spacer support having a height identical to or greater than a height of the plurality of wall type spacers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electron emission display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structural components of the electron emission display device shown in FIG. 1 absent the second substrate.

FIG. 3A is a partial exploded perspective view of a portion of the electron emission display device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a partial plan view of a portion of the electron emission display device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an amplified perspective view of the spacers and the spacer supports shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the spacers and the spacer supports, illustrating a first variant of the spacer supports.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are partial sectional views of a vacuum vessel for an electron emission display device, illustrating the exhausting process thereof.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the spacers and the spacer supports, illustrating a second variant of the spacer supports.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the structural components of an electron emission display device absent the second substrate according to the second variant of the spacer supports.

Claims

1. A vacuum vessel, comprising: a first and a second substrate facing each other and extending across both an active area and a non-active area surrounding the active area;a sealing member arranged at peripheries of the first and the second substrates and adapted to maintain a vacuum between the two substrates;a plurality of wall type spacers arranged between the first and the second substrates while extending across the active area; anda plurality of spacer supports arranged in the non-active area between the first and the second substrates, the plurality of spacer supports including a plurality of grooves adapted to receive the ends of respective ones of the plurality of wall type spacers, each spacer support having a height greater than a height of the plurality of wall type spacers, wherein the plurality of spacer supports are separate and distinguished from the sealing member.

2. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, wherein each of the spacer supports includes one groove adapted to receive one end of the wall type spacers, and each of the wall type spacers corresponds to a pair of the spacer supports.

3. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, wherein the vacuum vessel comprises two spacer supports, each of said two spacer supports including a plurality of grooves adapted to accommodate ends of corresponding ones of said plurality of wall type spacers.

4. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, wherein a distance between a pair of the plurality of grooves that are arranged opposite to each other with one of said plurality of wall type spacers arranged between is larger than a length of said one of said plurality of wall type spacers to define a marginal space between said one of said plurality of wall type spacers and a pair of the plurality of spacer supports that are arranged opposite to each other with said one of said plurality of wall type spacers.

5. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, wherein a height difference between each of said plurality of wall type spacers and each of said plurality of spacer supports is no more than 10% of a height of each of said plurality of wall type spacers to define a marginal space between said one of said plurality of wall type spacers and a pair of the plurality of spacer supports that are arranged opposite to each other with said one of said plurality of wall type spacers.

6. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive adapted to attach the plurality of spacer supports to one of the first and the second substrates.

7. An electron emission display device, comprising: a first and a second substrate facing each other and extending across both an active area and a non-active area surrounding the active area;an electron emission unit arranged within the active area and on the first substrate;a light emission unit arranged within the active area and on the second substrate;a sealing member arranged at peripheries of the first and the second substrates and adapted to maintain a vacuum between the first and the second substrates;a plurality of wall type spacers arranged between the first and the second substrates while extending across the active area; anda plurality of spacer supports arranged in the non-active area between the first and the second substrates, the plurality of spacer supports including a plurality of grooves adapted to receive ends of the respective ones of the plurality of wall type spacers, each spacer support having a height greater than a height of the plurality of wall type spacers, wherein the plurality of spacer supports are separate and distinguished from the sealing member.

8. The electron emission display device of claim 7, wherein each of the spacer supports includes one groove adapted to receive one end of the wall type spacers, and each of the wall type spacers corresponds to a pair of the spacer supports.

9. The electron emission display device of claim 7, wherein the electron emission display device comprises two spacer supports, each of said two spacer supports having a plurality of grooves, each groove adapted to accommodate one end of corresponding one said plurality of wall type spacers.

10. The electron emission display device of claim 7, wherein a distance between a pair of the plurality of grooves that are arranged opposite to each other with one of said plurality of wall type spacers arranged between is larger than a length of said one of said plurality of wall type spacers to define a marginal space between said one of said plurality of wall type spacers and a pair of the plurality of spacer supports that are arranged opposite to each other with said one of said plurality of wall type spacers.

11. The electron emission display device of claim 7, wherein a height difference between each of said plurality of wall type spacers and each of said plurality of spacer supports is no more than 10% of a height of each of said plurality of wall type spacers.

12. The electron emission display device of claim 7, further comprising an adhesive adapted to attach each of the plurality of spacer supports to one of the first and the second substrates.

13. The electron emission display device of claim 7, wherein the electron emission unit comprises a plurality of electron emission regions adapted to emit electrons and a driving electrode adapted to control the emission of electrons from the plurality of electron emission regions, wherein the light emission unit comprises a plurality of phosphor layers and an anode electrode adapted to apply a high potential to the plurality of phosphor layers.

14. An electron emission display device, comprising: a first substrate spaced apart from and facing a second substrate and spanning an active area and a non-active area surrounding the active area;an electron emission unit arranged on the first substrate within the active area;a light emission unit arranged on the second substrate within the active area;a sealing member arranged at peripheries of the first and the second substrates and in the non-active area, the sealing member being adapted to maintain a vacuum between the first and the second substrates;a plurality of wall type spacers arranged between the first and the second substrates and extending across the active area, the plurality of wall type spacers being adapted to keep said first substrate spaced apart from the second substrate and to absorb and withstand a pressure in the active area acting on the first and the second substrates due to said vacuum between the first and the second substrates; anda plurality of spacer supports arranged within the non-active area between the first and the second substrates at opposite ends of ones of the plurality of wall type spacers, the plurality of spacer supports being adapted to keep said first substrate spaced apart from said second substrate and to absorb and withstand a pressure in the non active area acting on the first and the second substrates due to said vacuum between the first and the second substrates, each of the plurality of spacer supports being separate and distinguished from the sealing member and having a height greater than a height of each of the plurality of wall type spacers.

15. The electron emission display device of claim 14, each of the plurality of spacer supports being wider than each of the plurality of wall type spacers.

16. The electron emission display device of claim 14, each of the plurality of spacer supports being taller than each of the plurality of wall type spacers by no more than 10% of a height of each of the plurality of wall type spacers.

17. The electron emission display device of claim 14, the plurality of wall type spacers being of a stripe pattern.

18. The electron emission display device of claim 14, each of the plurality of spacer supports comprising one groove adapted to receive one end of one of said plurality of wall type spacers.

19. The electron emission display device of claim 14, each of the plurality of spacer supports comprising a plurality of grooves adapted to receive one end of a corresponding plurality of wall type spacers.

20. The vacuum vessel of claim 1, each of said plurality of spacer supports being a single integrated monolithic unit.