Electric lamp and discharge devices – With gas or vapor – Three or more electrode discharge device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-28
2004-01-06
Glick, Edward J. (Department: 2882)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With gas or vapor
Three or more electrode discharge device
C313S582000, C313S292000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06674238
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a panel structure of a surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel.
The present application claims priority from Japanese Applications No. 2001-213846, No. 2001-218297 and No. 2002-13320, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent times, a surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel has been received attention as a slim, large sized color screen display, and has become commonly used in ordinary households and the like.
FIG. 34
to
FIG. 36
are schematic views of a conventional structure of the surface discharge-scheme alternating current-type plasma display panel.
FIG. 34
is a front view of the conventional surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel.
FIG. 35
is a sectional view taken along the V—V line of FIG.
34
.
FIG. 36
is a sectional view taken along the W—W line of FIG.
34
.
In
FIGS. 34
to
36
, the plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as “PDP”) includes a front glass substrate
1
, serving as the display surface of the PDP, having on its back surface, in order, a plurality of row electrode pairs (X′, Y′), a dielectric layer
2
covering the row electrode pairs (X′, Y′), and a protective layer
3
made of MgO and covering the back surfaces of the dielectric layer
2
.
The row electrode X′ and the row electrode Y′ of each row electrode pair (X′, Y′) are respectively constructed of transparent electrodes Xa′, Ya′ each of which is formed of a transparent conductive film of a larger width made of ITO or the like, and bus electrodes Xb′, Yb′ each of which is formed of a metal film of a smaller width assisting the electrical conductivity of the corresponding transparent electrode.
The row electrodes X′ and Y′ are arranged in alternate positions in the column direction, and the electrodes X′ and Y′ of each pair (X′, Y′) face each other with a discharge gap g′ between. Each of the row electrode pairs (X′, Y′) forms a display line (row) L in the matrix display.
The front glass substrate
1
is situated opposite a back glass substrate
4
with a discharge space S′, filled with a discharge gas, interposed between the substrates
1
and
4
. The back glass substrate
4
is provided thereon with: a plurality of column electrodes D′ which are arranged parallel to each other and each extend in a direction at right angles to the row electrode pair (X, Y); band-shaped partition walls
5
each extending in parallel to and between the two column electrodes D′; and phosphor layers
6
formed of phosphor materials of a red color (R), green color (G), and blue color (B), each of which covers the side faces of adjacent partition walls
5
and the column electrode D′.
In each display line L, the partition walls
5
partition the discharge space S′ into areas each corresponding to an intersection of the column electrode D′ and the row electrode pair (X′, Y′), to define discharge cells C′ which are unit light-emitting areas.
Such surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type PDP generates images through the following procedure.
First, in an addressing period following a reset period for carrying out reset discharge, discharge is selectively caused between one of the row electrode pair (X′, Y′) (the row electrode Y′ in this example) and the column electrode D′ in each of the discharge cells C′ (an addressing discharge). As a result of the addressing discharge, lighted cells (the discharge cell in which a wall charge is formed on the dielectric layer
2
) and non-lighted cells (the discharge cell in which a wall charge is not formed on the dielectric layer
2
) are distributed over the panel surface in accordance with an image to be displayed.
After completion of the addressing period, a discharge sustaining pulse is simultaneously applied alternately to the row electrodes X′ and Y′ of each row electrode pair in each display line L. Every time the discharge sustaining pulse is applied, a sustaining discharge is caused between the row electrodes X′ and Y′ in each lighted cell by the wall charge formed on the dielectric layer
2
.
The sustaining discharge in each lighted cell causes ultraviolet rays to generate from a xenon gas included in the discharge gas. The generated ultraviolet rays excites the red (R), green (G) or blue (B) phosphor layer
6
in each lighted cell C′ to thereby form a display image.
In the conventional three-electrode surface discharge scheme alternating current type PDP as described above, the addressing discharge and the sustaining discharge are produced in the same discharge cell C′. Therefore, in each discharge cell C′ the addressing discharge is initiated between the electrodes with the interposition of the red (R), green (G) or blue (B) phosphor layer
6
which is provided for emitting color when the sustaining discharge is caused.
For this reason, the addressing discharge produced in the discharge cell C′ is subjected to influences ascribable to the phosphor layer
6
, such as discharge properties varying with the phosphor materials of various colors forming the phosphor layers
6
, variations in the thickness of layers produced when the phosphor layers
6
are formed in the manufacturing process, and the like. Hence, the conventional PDPs have a significant difficult problem for obtaining equal addressing discharge properties in each discharge cell C′.
In the aforementioned three-electrode surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type PDP, a large discharge space in each discharge cell C′ is needed for increasing the luminous efficiency. Therefore, the prior art employs the method of increasing the height of the partition wall
5
.
However, if the partition wall
5
is increased in height for increasing the luminous efficiency, the interval between the row electrode Y′ and the column electrode D′ between which the addressing discharge is produced is also increased. This increased interval produces a problem of an increase in a starting voltage for the addressing discharge.
Further, in the aforementioned three-electrode surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type PDP, the luminous efficiency of the PDP is enhanced by increasing the xenon-gas content in the discharge gas filling the discharge space S′ to 10 percent or more, for example. However, if the xenon-gas content in the discharge gas is increased, a driving voltage for the addressing discharge and the sustaining discharge is also increased, leading to a problem of an increase in the electrical power consumption of the PDP.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with the conventional surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel as described above.
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel capable of stabilizing addressing discharge properties in each of discharge cells, and of enhancing luminous efficiency.
In addition to the first object, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a surface-discharge-scheme alternating-current-type plasma display panel capable of reducing driving voltage for an addressing discharge and a sustaining discharge.
To attain the first object, according to a first feature of the present invention, a plasma display panel including: a front substrate; a plurality of row electrode pairs arranged in a column direction on a back surface of the front substrate, and each extending in a row direction and forming a display line; a dielectric layer covering the row electrode pairs on the back surface of the front substrate; a back substrate placed oppo
Koshio Chiharu
Otani Eishiro
Sato Yoichi
Taniguchi Hitoshi
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Gemmell Elizabeth
Glick Edward J.
Pioneer Corporation
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