WO2008038377A1

WO2008038377A1 - Display device

Info

Publication number: WO2008038377A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/319344
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenji Awamoto; Manabu Ishimoto; Hitoshi Hirakawa; Koji Shinohe; Yosuke Yamazaki
Original assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-09-28
Filing date: 2006-09-28
Publication date: 2008-04-03
Also published as: JPWO2008038377A1; JP4927855B2

Abstract

In a display device (10), each of two adjacent units (301, 302) out of a plurality of units has a side portion (36, 36') of a front side substrate (31) bent to the back side at a joint (48) between the two units. A display electrode (2) at the side portion of one of the two units is electrically connected with a corresponding display electrode (2) at the side portion of the other unit. The side portion of the front side substrate of each of the two units is thinner than the main portion (31') on the display surface side of the front side substrate.

Description

Specification

Display device

Technical field

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a large display device, and in particular, from between adjacent sides of a plasma tube array of a large display device including a plurality of plasma tube arrays each having a phosphor layer therein. The present invention relates to the connection of the terminal of the corresponding display electrode drawn out.

Background art

[0002] Plasma display panels (PDPs) emit light by exciting phosphors with ultraviolet light of 147nm, which generates plasma discharge in a closed discharge space of a large number of vertical and horizontal small cells, and discharges plasma power. Let The cell space is formed between two stacked glass sheets. On the other hand, in a plasma 'tube' array (PTA), a phosphor layer is formed in the elongated glass' tube by the CVD method, sedimentation method, boat method in which a support member on which the phosphor layer is formed is inserted, and the like. A large number of cell spaces are formed. By arranging a large number of such plasma tubes, a large display screen of 6 m × 3 m can be formed, for example. In a normal plasma 'tube' array, the sustain voltage pulse for the X electrode is applied from the X electrode driver device, and the scan driver circuit for the Y electrode driver device is transferred from the sustain voltage pulse circuit for the Y electrode of the Y electrode driver device. A sustain voltage pulse for the Y electrode is applied.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-132119 (Patent Document 1) describes a flat display device such as a PDP. In the flat display device, the first bent portion is formed by bending at least one region of the left and right portions of the first substrate, and the first electrode is drawn out to the first bent portion. A second bent portion is formed by bending at least one region of the upper and lower portions of the second substrate to form a second bent portion, and the second electrode is drawn out to the second bent portion. Arrange the lead terminals. This reduces unnecessary space in the display screen and increases the proportion of the effective display area. When a large screen is configured by combining multiple flat display devices, unnecessary space between the effective display areas of each PDP is reduced to improve display quality. Patent Document 1: JP 2000-132119 A

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] It is impractical to manufacture a large plasma tube array display device using one large size! /, Front and back support substrates, considering the transportation and installation of the display device. ,. One large display device can be advantageously formed by manufacturing multiple divided units or modules of a plasma tube array that are easy to assemble and transport the display device, and placing these units next to each other. it can. Folding the extra part (edge) on the side of the front support substrate with the required thickness to electrically connect the corresponding display electrodes between multiple units of the plasma 'tube' array to each other As a result, a gap twice as large as the thickness of the front support substrate is formed between two adjacent units, which causes unnaturalness in the displayed image and lowers the image quality.

Moreover, it is not easy to bend the extra portion of the side of the front support substrate along the plasma tube on the side along the straight line to the back side.

[0005] The inventors have used the remaining portion of the side for electrical connection that is bent to the back side of the front side support substrate of the required thickness of the unit of the plasma tube array, as the main part of the front side support substrate. The gap between the two adjacent units can be reduced by forming a step between the two parts and making it thinner, and the excess part of the side to be bent can be easily folded linearly to the back side. I realized that I could do it.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent display image quality from being deteriorated in a large display device including a plurality of units.

An object of the present invention is to reduce distortion of a display image at a joint between adjacent units in a large display device composed of a plurality of units.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily bend a surplus portion of the side of the front support substrate of each unit in a large display device composed of a plurality of units.

Means for solving the problem

[0007] According to a feature of the present invention, a display device includes a phosphor layer formed therein and a discharge. A plurality of gas discharge tubes each having a plurality of light emitting points in the longitudinal direction are juxtaposed, and a plurality of pairs of display electrodes are arranged on the display surface side of the plurality of gas discharge tubes. It consists of a plurality of units in which a plurality of signal electrodes are arranged on the back side of the tube, and each of the plurality of units includes a transparent front side substrate in which a plurality of pairs of display electrodes are formed on the inner surface, A back side substrate having a plurality of signal electrodes formed on an inner surface, the front side substrate and the back side substrate sandwiching a plurality of gas discharge tubes, and two adjacent ones in the plurality of units Each unit has a side portion of its front side board that is bent to the back side at the joint between the two units, and the display electrode of that side portion of one unit of the two units is The other of the two units The unit is electrically connected to the corresponding display electrode of the side portion of the unit, and the thickness of the side portion of the front side substrate of each of the two units is the display side of the front side substrate. Thinner than the main part.

The invention's effect

[0008] According to the present invention, in a large display device composed of a plurality of units, the distortion of the display image at the joint of the units is reduced, and the extra portion on the side of the front support substrate of each unit is easily bent linearly. be able to.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic partial structure of a unit 300 of an array of plasma tubes or gas discharge tubes 11R, 11G and 11B, typically for a color display. In FIG. 1, the unit 300 of the plasma 'tube' array (PTA) consists of an array of transparent elongated color 'plasma' tubes 11R, 11G and 11B arranged in parallel to each other, a transparent front support sheet. Front support substrate 31 with thin substrate force, transparent support substrate or thin with transparent or opaque back support substrate 32 with substrate force, multiple display electrode pairs or main electrode pair 2, and multiple signals Including the electrode or address electrode 3! / In FIG. 1, X represents a sustain electrode or X electrode of the display electrode 2, and Y represents a scan electrode or Y electrode of the display electrode 2. R, G and B are the emission colors of the phosphors. Red, green and blue. The support substrates 31 and 32 are made of, for example, flexible PET film or glass.

Elongated plasma 'tubes 11R, 11G and 11B tubules 20 are made of a transparent insulator, such as borosilicate glass, Pyrex®, soda glass, quartz glass or zerodur, typically The tube diameter is 2mm or less, for example, the cross-sectional width of the tube is about lmm and the height is a flat type slightly smaller than the width, the length is 300mm or more, and the tube wall thickness is about 0.1mm Have

Plasma 'tubes 11R, 11G, and 1 IB are formed with red, green, and blue (R, G, B) phosphor layers 4 on the back side of the inside, and discharge gas is introduced to seal both ends. It has been done. An electron emission film 5 made of MgO is formed on the inner surfaces of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B. The phosphor layers R, G, B typically have a thickness in the range of about 10 m to about 50 m.

The support member is made of an insulating material such as borosilicate glass, Neurex (registered trademark), quartz glass, soda glass, lead glass, and the like on the plasma 'tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B. The phosphor layer 4 is formed on the substrate. The support member is an outer portion of the glass tube. After the phosphor paste is applied on the support member and baked to form the phosphor layer 4 on the support member, the support member is inserted into the glass tube. Can be arranged. Various phosphor pastes known in the art can be used as such phosphor pastes.

The electron emission film 5 generates electrons by collision with the charged particles of the discharge gas. The phosphor layer 4 is excited by vacuum ultraviolet light generated by de-excitation of the discharge gas enclosed in the tube excited by applying a voltage to the display electrode pair 2, and generates visible light.

FIG. 2A shows a front-side support substrate 31 on which a plurality of transparent display electrode pairs 2 are formed. FIG. 2B shows a back side support substrate 32 on which a plurality of signal electrodes 3 are formed. The signal electrode 3 is formed on the front surface, that is, the inner surface of the back-side support substrate 32, and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 1IB. The pitch between adjacent signal electrodes 3 is almost the same as the width of each of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G and 1IB. For example, lmm. The plurality of display electrode pairs 2 are formed on the back surface, that is, the inner surface of the front side support substrate 31 in a well-known form, and are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the signal electrode 3. The width of the display electrode 2 is, for example, 0.75 mm, and the distance between the edges of each pair of display electrodes 2 is, for example, 0.4 mm. A distance serving as a non-discharge region or a non-discharge gap is secured between the display electrode pair 2 and the adjacent display electrode pair 2, and the distance is, for example, 1. lmm.

The signal electrode 3 and the display electrode pair 2 are brought into contact with the lower outer peripheral surface portion and the upper outer peripheral surface portion of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B when the PTA unit 300 is assembled. In order to improve the adhesion, an adhesive may be interposed between each electrode and the plasma tube surface to bond them.

When the PTA unit 300 is viewed from the front, the intersection between the signal electrode 3 and the display electrode pair 2 is a unit light emitting region. For display, one of the display electrode pairs 2 is used as the scan electrode Y, a selective discharge is generated at the intersection of the scan electrode Y and the signal electrode 3, and a light emitting region is selected. Using the wall charges formed on the inner surface of the tube, a display discharge is generated at the display electrode pair 2 and the phosphor layer emits light. The selective discharge is a counter discharge generated in the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 1IB between the scanning Y electrode and the signal electrode 3 facing each other in the vertical direction. The display discharge is a surface discharge generated in the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B between a pair of display electrodes arranged in parallel on a plane.

The display electrode pair 2 and the signal electrode 3 can generate a discharge in the discharge gas inside the tube by applying a voltage. In Fig. 1, the electrode structure of plasma 'tubes 11R, 11G and 11B is a structure in which three electrodes are arranged in one light emitting part, and the display discharge is generated by display electrode pair 2. However, the display electrode 2 and the signal electrode 3 may have a structure in which display discharge is generated. That is, the display electrode pair 2 may be one, and the display electrode 2 may be used as a scanning electrode to generate a selective discharge and a display discharge (opposite discharge) between the display electrode 2 and the signal electrode 3.ヽ.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma “tube” array 11 of the PTA unit 300. In PTA unit 300, plasma 'tube 11R, 11 G and 1 IB have phosphor layers 4R, 4G and 4B formed on their inner surfaces, with a cross-sectional width of 1. Omm, a cross-sectional height of 0.7 mm, a tube wall thickness of 0.1 mm, and a length of lm to It consists of a 3m tubule. As an example, the red phosphor 4R contains a yttria-based ((Y. Ga) BO: Eu) material.

Three

The green phosphor 4G contains a zinc silicate (Zn SiO: Mn) material and is a blue phosphor.

twenty four

4B includes BAM-based (BaMgAl 2 O: Eu) materials.

10 17

In FIG. 3, a back-side support substrate 32 is bonded to the bottom surfaces of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B via an adhesive layer. Signal electrodes 3R, 3G, and 3B are arranged on the bottom surfaces of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G, and 11B and on the top surface of the back support substrate 32. Further, the signal electrodes 3R, 3G and 3B may be directly formed on the bottom surfaces of the plasma tubes 11R, 11G and 1IB.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of the display device 10 consisting of a plurality of PTA units 301, 302 and 303 arranged adjacent to each other!

As shown in FIG. 4, the PTA units 301, 302, and 303ί are arranged on the respective back frames 40, and a slight gap is formed at the joint 48 between two adjacent units.接続 The connection line for X or Υ electrode driver device is taken out from the display electrode pairs 2 (XI, Yl) to (Xn, Υη) on the left side of the front support substrate 31 of the Α unit 301. Display electrode pair 2 (XI, Υ1) to (Χη, Υη) on the right side of 301 unit 301 and display electrode pair 2 (XI, Υ1) to (Χη, Υη) on the left side of ΡΤΑunit 302 Connecting lines to be taken out and connected to each other on the back side, and in some cases, X or negative electrode driver devices are connected to the connecting lines. Corresponding connection lines are drawn from the display electrode pair 2 (XI, Υ1) to (Χη, Υη) on the right side of the unit 302 and from the display electrode pair 2 on the left side of the unit 303. In some cases, an X or negative electrode driver device is connected to the connection line. The connection line for X or the electrode driver device is taken out from the display electrode pair 2 on the right side of the front support substrate 31 of the ΡΤΑ unit 303.

[0014] FIG. 5 shows the arrangement and electrical connection of the X electrode driver circuit board 500, the Υ electrode driver circuit 700, and the address electrode driver circuit (AD) 46 on the back of the ΡΤΑ units 301, 302, and 303 of the display device 10. Show me.

In FIG. 5, the left side of the rear frame 40 of the ΡΤΑ unit 301 and the back of the ΡΤΑ unit 302 Bending portions 36 and 36 'that are extra portions of the sides of the front support substrate 31 are formed on the back side from the gap between the right sides of the face frame 40, and the display electrode pairs in the bending portions 36 and 36' are formed. The terminals of the two connection lines are connected to each other. Gap force between the left side of the back frame 40 of the PTA unit 302 and the right side of the back frame 40 of the PTA unit 303 The bent portions 36 of the respective front side support substrates 31 are formed on the back side, and the bent portions 36, 36, the terminals of the connection lines of display electrode pair 2 (XI, Y1) to (Xn, Yn) are connected to each other. The terminal electrode driver device 600 is connected to the terminal.

In the display device 10, the X electrode of the η pair of display electrodes 2 (XI, Υ1) to (Χη, Yn) of the 301 unit 301 is connected to the X electrode driver via a flexible cable 500FC from one side of the front support substrate 31. Connected to device 500. N pairs of display electrodes of PTA unit 303 X electrode of pair 2 (XI, Yl) to (Xn, Yn) is connected to X electrode driver device 500 via flexible cable 500FC from one side of front support substrate 31 Is done. The Y electrode driver device 600 is connected to the Y electrode terminal of the bent portion 36 of the front side support substrate 31 drawn out from the gap between the PTA units 302 and 303 via the flexible cable 600FC. The m signal electrodes 3 Al to Am of the PTA units 301, 302, and 303 are connected to the address driver device 46 from the bottom side of each back support substrate 32 through the flexible cable 46FC. The X electrode driver device 500 includes a sustain voltage pulse circuit and a reset circuit. Y electrode driver device 600 includes a sustain voltage pulse circuit, a scanning circuit, and a reset circuit. A control circuit and a power source (not shown) are further provided on the rear side of the PTA units 301, 302, and 303.

Next, an example of a driving method for a general plasma tube array type AC gas discharge display device will be described. One picture (video) is typically composed of one frame period. In interlaced scanning, one frame is composed of two fields, and in progressive scanning, one frame is composed of one field. . Also, in order to display moving images in the usual television system, it is necessary to display 30 or 60 frames per second. Therefore, in the display by this kind of gas discharge display device 10, in order to perform color reproduction with gradation by binary light emission control, typically such 1 field F is set to q subfields SF. Replace with Often these subfields SF The number of display discharges in each subfield SF is set with different weights such as 2 °, 2 ¹ , 2 ² ^,. Luminance can be set in N (= l + 2 ¹ + 2 ² + ^... + 2 ^q_1 ) levels for each color of R, G, and B by combining sub-field emission Z non-emission. The field period Tf, which is the field transfer period, is divided into q subfield periods Tsf according to such a field configuration, and one subfield period Tsf is assigned to each subfield SF. Further, the subfield period Tsf is divided into a reset period TR for initialization, an address period TA for addressing, and a display period TS for light emission by sustain discharge. Typically, the length of the reset period TR and the address period TA is constant regardless of the weight, while the number of pulses in the display period TS increases as the weight increases, and the length of the display period TS increases in weight. So long. In this case, the length of the subfield period T sf is longer as the weight of the corresponding subfield SF is larger.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic drive sequence of output drive voltage waveforms of the X electrode driver circuit board 500, the Y electrode driver circuit 700, and the address' driver circuit 42 in the normal display device 10. The waveform shown is an example, and the amplitude, polarity, and timing can be changed in various ways.

The order of the reset period TR, the address period TA, and the sustain period TS is the same in the q subfields SF, and the drive sequence is repeated for each subfield SF. In the reset period TR of each subfield SF, a negative polarity pulse Prxl and a positive polarity pulse Prx2 are sequentially applied to all the display electrodes X, and a positive polarity pulse Pry is applied to all the display electrodes Y. 1 and negative polarity pulse Pry2 are applied in order. Pulses Prxl, P ryl and Pry2 are ramp waveforms or blunt pulses whose amplitude gradually increases with the rate of change at which a microdischarge occurs. The first applied pulses Prxl and Pryl are applied once to generate moderate wall charges of the same polarity in all discharge cells regardless of light emission Z non-light emission in the previous subfield SF. Subsequently, by applying pulses Prx2 and Pry2 to the discharge cells where moderate wall charges are present, the wall charges are adjusted so as to be reduced to a level where they are not redischarged by the sustain pulses (erased state). The drive voltage applied to the cell is a composite voltage representing the difference in the amplitude of the pulses applied to the display electrodes X and Y.

During the address period TA, only the discharge cells that emit light are required to maintain wall discharge. Form a load. With all display electrodes X and all display electrodes Y biased to a predetermined potential, the negative polarity scan 'pulse' is applied to the display electrode Y corresponding to the selected row for each row selection period (scanning time for one row). Apply Vy. Simultaneously with this row selection, the address pulse Va is applied only to the address electrode A corresponding to the selected cell that should generate the address discharge. That is, based on the subfield data Dsf for m columns of the selected row j, the address electrodes A to

1

Binary control of A potential for each scan line. As a result, the display electrodes Y and m are selected in the selected cell.

Address discharge is generated between the address electrode A and the discharge tube. The display data written by the address discharge is stored in the form of wall charges on the cell inner wall of the discharge tube, and the surface discharge between the display electrodes X and Y is generated by the subsequent application of the sustain pulse.

In the sustain period TS, a sustain pulse Ps having a polarity (positive polarity in the example shown in the figure) that is first added to the wall charge generated in the previous address discharge to generate a sustain discharge is applied. Thereafter, the sustain pulse Ps is alternately applied to the display electrode X and the display electrode Y. The amplitude of the sustain pulse Ps is the sustain voltage Vs. By applying the sustain pulse Ps, a surface discharge is generated in the discharge cell in which a predetermined wall charge remains. The number of times that the sustain pulse Ps is applied corresponds to the weight of the subfield SF as described above. In order to prevent unnecessary counter discharge throughout the sustain period TS, the address electrode A may be biased to a voltage Vas having the same polarity as the sustain pulse Ps.

FIG. 7A shows a configuration of a display electrode connecting portion between two adjacent PTA units 306 and 307 of a normal display device 102.

In FIG. 7A, the display electrode 2 of the front support substrate 30 and the corresponding display electrode 2 of the front support substrate 30 'are the bent portions 35, 35' of the front support substrates 30, 30 'bent to the back side. The terminals 23 of the display electrode 2 formed on the outer surface of the lower edge are electrically connected by mutual contact. The bent portions 35 and 35 ′ have the same thickness as the main portion on the display surface side of the front support substrates 30 and 30 ′. Therefore, a large gap G1 is formed between the two PTA units. Accordingly, the display image is distorted in the gap G1 between the PTA units 306 and 307.

FIG. 7B shows a fold line or edge 37 formed when the bent portion 35 of the front support substrate 30 of the normal PTA unit 306 is formed. Figure 7C shows normal PTA A non-linear fold line or edge 37 formed when the bent portion 35 of the front support substrate 30 of the unit 306 is formed is shown.

When manufacturing the PTA unit 306, a thin adhesive layer 24 is formed on the display electrode pair 2 formed on the back surface of the front support substrate 30 and a jig having a straight edge is used. The surplus part of the side edge of the surface-side support substrate 30 is bent to the back side, so that a bent portion 35 is formed. The gas discharge tube 11 is supported on the front side so that the gas discharge tube 11 ′ on the end side is aligned with the inner corner of the front support substrate 30 and the bent portion 35 along the crease line 37. Placed on the back of the board 30. However, the crease line 37 formed along the outer surface of the gas discharge tube 11 ′ is often somewhat irregularly bent in a non-linear manner. Therefore, the display image is unsightly and unnatural at the joint between the two PTA units 306 and 307, and distortion occurs.

[0018] FIG. 8A shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma tube 'arrays 11, 11' of the front support substrate 31 for the PTA unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B shows a rear view of the front side support substrate 31 of FIG. 8A.

In FIG. 8A, the front side support substrate 31 is processed to a relatively thick main portion 31 ′, for example, 120 m thick, and thinner along the crease line 38, for example, 50 m thick. And a bent portion 36. Between the main portion 31 ′ of the front-side support substrate 31 and the bent portion 36, there is a step 38 along the edge fold line 38. In the bent portion 36, the edge portion of the material of the front support substrate 31 can be thinned by hot pressing. The bent portion 36 can be easily and linearly bent along the crease line 37 by the step 38.

[0019] FIG. 9A shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma 'tube' arrays 11, 11 'of the front support substrate 31 of the PTA unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B shows a rear view of the front support substrate 31 of FIG. 8A.

In FIG. 9A, the front-side support substrate 31 acts as a force with a thin upper layer 312 having a thickness of 70 m, for example, and a thin lower layer 314 having a thickness of 50 m, for example, bonded to the lower surface thereof by hot pressing. The front-side support substrate 31 has a relative thickness of, for example, a thickness of 120 m composed of an upper layer 312 and a lower layer 314, a main portion 31 'and a bent portion 36 composed of a lower layer 314. And have. Between the main portion 31 ′ of the front support substrate 31 and the bent portion 36, there is a step 38 along the edge fold line 38. As will be described later, the bent portion 36 can be formed by cutting the upper layer 312 along a crease line 38 and peeling off the portion of the upper layer 312 of the bent portion 36. The folded portion 36 can be easily and linearly bent along the crease line 38 by the step 38.

8B and 9B, a display electrode pair 2 including a nose electrode 202 and a transparent electrode 204 is formed on the back surface of the front support substrate 31. In FIG. A somewhat wide and wide terminal 22 is formed near the edge of the bent portion 36.

[0020] FIG. 10A shows the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma 'tube' arrays 11, 11 of the front support substrate 31 of FIGS. 8A and 8B with the thin folded portion 36 folded back along the crease line 38. A cross section perpendicular to is shown. FIG. 10B is a right side view of the front support substrate 31 of FIG. 10A with the thin bent portion 36 bent to the back side as viewed from the thin bent portion 36.

A corresponding terminal 23 of the display electrode 2 electrically connected to the terminal 22 is formed on the outer surface of the lower edge portion of the thin bent portion 36 of the front side support substrate 31. The front-side support substrate 31 has a sharp edge along a crease line 38 between the main portion 31 ′ and the thin and bent portion 36.

FIGS. 11A to 11E show a procedure for arranging the gas discharge tube on the back surface of the front side support substrate 31 of FIGS. 9A and 9B to make it thin and folding the bent portion 36 to the back side.

In Figs. 11A and 11B, the front side support substrate 31 is supported by making a straight cut with a cutter along the crease line 38 between the main part 31 'and the bent part 36 of the front side support board 31. The upper layer portion 39 of the bent portion 36 is separated from the main portion 31 ′ of the upper layer 312 of the substrate 31. The terminal 23 of the display electrode 2 that is electrically connected to the terminal 22 is formed on the outer surface of the lower end edge portion of the bent portion 36 of the lower layer 314 of the front support substrate 31. In FIGS. 11B and 11C, the gas discharge tube 11 ′ on the side is aligned with the crease line 38 on the adhesive layer 24 on the back side of the lower layer 314 of the upper part 31 ′ of the upper layer 312 of the front support substrate 31. Paste the upper surfaces of the gas discharge tubes 11 and 11 '.

In FIG. 11D, the bent portion 36 of the front side support substrate 31 is bent to the back side at the position of the crease line 38, and the adhesive layer 24 on the back side of the lower layer 314 of the bent portion 36 is connected to the gas discharge tube 11 Paste on the right side of '. In FIG. 11E, the upper layer 312 of the bent portion 36 is peeled off. The terminal 23 of the display electrode 2 on the outer surface of the lower edge portion of the lower portion 314 of the lower layer 314 of the front support substrate 31 is exposed. In this way, a thin and bent portion 36 of the front support substrate 31 of the PTA unit is formed.

[0022] FIG. 12A shows the length of the tubes of the plasma 'tube array of two PTA units 301 and 302, assembled and placed adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 10A or FIG. 11E, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Shows a cross section perpendicular to the direction.

The display electrode 2 of the front support substrate 31 of the PTA unit 301 and the corresponding display electrode 2 of the front support substrate 31 of the PTA unit 301 are bent portions 36, 36 of the front support substrate 31 to the rear side. They are electrically connected by mutual contact of the terminals 23 of the display electrode 2 formed on the outer surface of the lower edge portion of '. Each of the bent portions 36 and 36 ′ of the front side support substrate 31 between the PTA units 301 and 302 to the back side has a thickness smaller than the main portion 31 ′ of the front side support substrate 31. Accordingly, only a slight gap Gs is formed at the joint 48 between the two PTA units 301 and 302. Accordingly, the distortion of the display image in the gap Gs between the PTA units 301 and 302 becomes inconspicuous, and the deterioration of the display image quality can be reduced.

FIG. 12B shows a high-precision linear fold line or edge 38 of the bent portion 36 of the front support substrate 31 of the PTA unit 301 of FIG. 12A.

[0023] The embodiments described above are merely given as typical examples, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art to combine the constituent elements of the embodiments, and variations and variations thereof. Obviously, various modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the principles and claims.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic partial structure of an array of plasma tubes or gas discharge tubes of a conventional color display device.

FIG. 2A shows a front-side support substrate on which a plurality of transparent display electrode pairs are formed. FIG. 2B shows a backside support substrate on which a plurality of signal electrodes or signal electrodes are formed. [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 shows the structure of a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma 'tube' array of the PTA unit.

[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of a display device composed of a plurality of PTA units arranged adjacent to each other.

[FIG. 5] FIG. 5 shows the arrangement and electrical connection of the X electrode driver circuit board, the Y electrode driver circuit, and the address electrode driver circuit on the back of the PTA unit of the display device.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a schematic drive sequence of output drive voltage waveforms of an X electrode driver circuit board, a Y electrode driver circuit, and an address' driver circuit in a normal display device.

FIG. 7A shows a configuration of a display electrode connection portion between two adjacent PTA units of a normal display device. FIG. 7B shows a crease line or an edge formed when a bent portion of a front support substrate of a normal PTA unit is formed. FIG. 7C shows a non-linear crease line or edge formed when the bent portion of the front support substrate of a normal PTA unit is formed.

FIG. 8A shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of a plasma 'tube' array of a front support substrate for a PTA unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B shows a rear view of the front support substrate of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma tube array of the front support substrate of the PTA unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B shows a rear view of the front support substrate of FIG. 8A.

[FIG. 10] FIG. 10A is a view in which a thin bent portion is folded back along the crease line.

Sections perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma tube array on the front support substrate of A and 8B are shown. FIG. 10B is a right side view of the front-side support substrate of FIG. 10A with the thin bent portion bent to the back side as viewed from the thin bent portion.

[FIG. 11] FIGS. 11A to 11E show a procedure in which a gas discharge tube is disposed on the back surface of the front support substrate in FIGS. 9A and 9B, and the bent portion is bent back.

FIG. 12A is as shown in FIG. 10A or FIG. 11E, respectively, according to the embodiment of the present invention. A cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubes of the plasma 'tube' array of two PTA units assembled and placed next to each other is shown. FIG. 12B shows a high-precision linear crease line or edge of the bent portion of the front support substrate of the PTA unit of FIG. 12A.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] Inside, a phosphor layer is formed and a discharge gas is enclosed, and a plurality of gas discharge tubes each having a plurality of light emitting points in the longitudinal direction are juxtaposed, and a display surface of the plurality of gas discharge tubes A display device comprising a plurality of units, each having a plurality of pairs of display electrodes disposed on a side, and a plurality of signal electrodes disposed on a back side of the plurality of gas discharge tubes;

Each of the plurality of units has a transparent front side substrate in which the plurality of pairs of display electrodes are formed on the inner surface, and a back side substrate in which the plurality of signal electrodes are formed on the inner surface.

The front substrate and the rear substrate sandwich a plurality of gas discharge tubes,

Each of the two adjacent units among the plurality of units has a side portion of the front-side substrate bent to the back side at a joint between the two units, and one of the two units Display electrodes of the side portions of the two units are electrically connected to corresponding display electrodes of the side portions of the other unit of the two units, and the display electrodes of each of the two units The display device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the side portion of the front substrate is thinner than a main portion of the front substrate on the display surface side.

[2] The joint is substantially parallel to the plurality of gas discharge tubes, and there is a step along the joint between the main portion and the side portion of the front substrate. The display device according to claim 1.

3. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the joint is substantially parallel to the plurality of gas discharge tubes, and the front substrate has an edge along the joint. Display device.

[4] The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the side portion of the front substrate is thinly pressed.

[5] The main portion of the front substrate of each of the two units is composed of two layers, and the side portion of the front substrate is composed of one of the two layers. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a display device.