Electric lamp and discharge devices – Cathode ray tube – Screen
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-09
2001-06-26
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
Cathode ray tube
Screen
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a display panel having a luminous portion which emits light concentrated in the viewing direction, and particularly to a lens disposed on the front of the front panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are various display devices such as CRTs and plasma displays. For such display devices, there is a strong demand to increase brightness as much as possible. In the self-luminous-type display devices such as CRTs and plasma displays, the produced light is emitted with no directivity and relatively diverges in the viewing direction. This type of display device has the advantage of a wide angle of view. However, most of the emitted light diverges in other directions, not to a user which is on the front of the display panel, and the brightness efficiency is poor.
In order to improve the poor brightness efficiency, a display panel has been proposed wherein micro lens groups are disposed on the front surface to condense the diverged light towards the front. This structure enables the brightness of the display panel to be improved, even when the same amount of light is emitted.
A typical CRT or plasma display has a glass front panel. Lenses can theoretically be formed on the top surface of the front panel, but it is in practice very difficult to form lenses on the top surface of the CRT. Lenses can be formed on the glass display panel but may be deformed in the sealing and sintered process to seal the inner space of the display panel structure. In either case, one-piece molding lenses with the display panel makes the front panel quite expensive.
One practical method is made by the steps of fabricating a lens panel with a heat-resistant transparent material such as glass or polycarbonate and then bonding the lens panel to the front surface of the front panel with an adhesive agent. However, this method has a serious disadvantage in that the display panel becomes heavier because of the attached member and that a long distance between the lens and the luminous position decreases the light-condensing angle, thus narrowing the angle of view. A one-piece molding technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 2-267842(1990/11/01).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention is to provide a display panel in which a light, effective, resin lens layer is provided.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of fabricating a display panel in which a light, effective, resin lens layer can be provided in a simplified manner.
According to the present invention, a display panel which has a front surface through which light from a luminous portion is emitted, comprises a front panel covering the front surface of the luminous portion and a resin lens layer formed directly on the front panel. This resin lens layer includes a plurality of lenses, each of which condenses light from the luminous portion forwards. The brightness of the display cell can be improved by directing light from the luminous portion towards the front.
Moreover, according to the present invention, a method of fabricating a display panel having a front surface through which light from a luminous portion is emitted, comprises the steps of coating a resin material over a front panel covering the front surface of the luminous portion to form a resin layer; pressing a molding tool against the front surface of the resin layer; and
separating the molding tool from the front surface of the resin layer, thereby forming a plurality of lenses on the resin layer, each of the which condenses light from a display cell in the forward direction thereof. Thus, a lightweight lens can be easily fabricated near the luminous portion.
The luminous portion may preferably have a plurality of display cells disposed in a matrix form, each emitting light through discharge. The non-directional light produced by discharge is then condensed to the viewing direction, so that the brightness of the display cell is effectively improved.
Furthermore, the resin lens layer may preferably contain a pigment in a mixed state and act as a filter. A gray filter can cut external light and thus improving the contrast, while the use of Red(R), Green(G), and Blue(B) filters corresponding to respective R, G, and B luminous portions further improves contrast.
The display panel with the above structure has the following advantages.
Since a resin lens layer which including a plurality of lenses each condensing light from a luminous portion on the front side is formed on the front panel, the light from the luminous portion can be directed forwards so that the brightness of display cells can be improved.
According to the present invention, a resin material is coated over a front panel covering the front surface of the luminous portion to form a resin layer. A molding tool is pressed against the front surface of the resin layer and then removed so as to form a plurality of lenses on the resin layer, each condensing light from a display cell on the front side thereof. Hence, a lightweight lens can be easily formed near the luminous portion.
Since the luminous portion has a plurality of display cells disposed in a matrix form, and as each of the display cells emits light through a discharge, the non-directional light produced by a discharge is condensed forwards so that display cell brightness can be effectively improved.
Moreover, since the resin lens layer contains a pigment in a mixed state and acts as a filter, the contrast can be improved. For example, when a gray filter is used as the filter, the contrast can be increased by cutting the external light. By using R, G, and B filters respectively corresponding to R, G, and B luminous portions, the contrast can be further increased.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5126620 (1992-06-01), Hagara et al.
patent: 487145 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 4298945 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 6231706 (1994-08-01), None
Arimoto Hironobu
Ito Atsushi
Font Frank G.
Lee Andrew H.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
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