Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Richard LaPeruta, Jr

Edward Richard Garrity, Jr

Brian Thomas Collins

Eugene Samuel Poliniak

Istvan Gorog

Stephen Thomas Opresko

Peter M Ritt

Harry R Stork

George M Ehemann, Jr

Richard E Roland

Pabitra Datta

Donald W Bartch

Richard William Nosker

Nitin V Desai

Wilber Clarence Stewart

James Francis Edwards

David Paul Ciampa

Samuel Paul Benigni

Samuel Pearlman

Gregory James Cohee

Steven Anthony Colbert

Danielle Helene Herford

Pabitra Datta, Deceased

Kevin Duane Close

George Milton Ehemann, Jr

A method and apparatus of maintaining spacing between tension mask strands in a tension mask. The method includes providing a tension mask with strands connecting therebetween and attaching a set of barrier ridge elements to a first side of the strands. Next, the tension mask is tensioned and affixed to a mask frame to form a mask frame assembly.

Method and apparatus for maintaining mask strand spatial uniformity

A method and apparatus of maintaining spacing between tension focus mask strands in a tension focus mask. The method includes providing a tension focus mask comprising busbars with crosswires connected therebetween. A permanent adhesive is applied to the screen-side of the mask strands. Next, novel non-permanent horizontal guide members are attached to the gun-side of the mask strands, where an adhesive is applied to the guide member before the guide members are applied to the mask. The guide members maintain the vertical mask strand spacing during: (1) the application of the horizontal crosswires to the screen-side of the mask and (2) the subsequent thermal processing. The thermal processing cures the adhesive on the screen-side of the mask, thereby: (1) permanently attaching the crosswires to the mask strands and (2) volatilizing the adhesive on the gun-side of the mask strands such that the non-permanent guide member detach from the mask strands.

Method and apparatus for maintaining spacing between tension focus mask strands in a tension focus mask

A color cathode-ray tube (CRT) having an evacuated envelope with an electron gun therein for generating at least one electron beam is disclosed. The envelope further includes a faceplate panel having a luminescent screen with phosphor lines on an interior surface thereof. A tension focus mask, having a plurality of spaced-apart first electrodes, is located adjacent to an effective picture area of the screen. The plurality of spaced-apart first electrodes has a screen-facing side having a predetermined width and a relatively wider electron-gun-facing side. Each side forming sharp corner edges extending along the length of each first electrodes. A substantially continuous insulating material is deposited on the screen-facing side and on the corners of the first electrodes to shield the sharp corner edges of the first electrodes. A plurality of second electrodes are oriented substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first electrodes and are bonded thereto by the insulating material layer.

Tension focus mask for a cathode-ray tube (CRT)

A method of operating a positive tolerance color cathode-ray tube (CRT) having an evacuated envelope with an electron gun and a focus mask therein for generating at least one electron beam. The envelope further includes a faceplate panel having a luminescent screen of color-emitting phosphor stripes on an interior surface thereof. The color-emitting phosphor stripes each have a width slightly smaller than one-third of the screen pitch, such that large clipping and leaving tolerances may be achieved therewith. The focus mask, having a plurality of spaced-apart first conductive electrodes, is located adjacent to an effective picture area of the screen. The spacing between the first conductive electrodes defines a plurality of slots substantially parallel to the color-emitting phosphor stripes on the screen. Each of the first conductive electrodes has a substantially continuous insulating material layer formed on a screen facing side thereof. A plurality of second conductive electrodes (wires) are oriented substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first conductive electrodes and are bonded thereto by the insulating material layer. The method includes directing electron beams toward the color-emitting phosphors on the screen and applying an appropriate differential voltage to the two sets of conductive electrodes to achieve desired clipping and leaving tolerances of the CRT tube.

Method of operating a positive tolerance CRT

A light-absorbing matrix 23, having openings therein, is formed on an interior surface of a faceplate panel 12 of a cathode-ray tube 10 by providing a photoreceptor thereon, electrostatically charging the photoreceptor 72 to a substantially uniform level of charge, and exposing the photoreceptor to light through openings 33 in a color selection electrode 24 to selectively discharge the more intensely illuminated areas of the photoreceptor, without substantially discharging the less intensely illuminated areas. The photoreceptor 72 comprises a plurality of layers including a photoresist layer 56, a conductive layer 62, and a photoconductive layer 66. The openings 33 in the color selection electrode 24 have a dimension substantially greater than the dimension of the openings in the resultant matrix 23. The photoreceptor 72 is contacted with a liquid toner having charged pigment particles which form toner lines 84 on the less intensely illuminated areas of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor 72 is exposed to UV radiation to selectively change the solubility of the photoresist portion 56 thereof into areas of greater and lesser solubility. The photoreceptor 72 is serially developed to expose portions of the interior surface of the panel 12, while leaving the areas of lesser solubility intact. Next, the interior surface of the panel and the areas of lesser solubility are coated with a matrix suspension which is dried to form the matrix 23. The areas of lesser solubility and the overlying light-absorbing matrix material thereon are removed, thereby forming in the matrix 23 a plurality of openings having a width less than the width of the openings 33 in the color selection electrode 24.

Method of manufacturing a matrix for a cathode-ray tube

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a luminescent screen structure 22 with a light-absorbing matrix 23, having a plurality of substantially equally sized openings therein, on an inner surface of a CRT faceplate panel 12. A color selection electrode 24 is spaced a distance, Q, from the inner surface. The method includes providing a first photoresist layer 50, whose solubility is altered when it is exposed to light, on the inner surface of the faceplate panel 12. The first photoresist layer 50 is exposed to light from two symmetrically located source positions +G and -G, relative to a central source position, 0. Then the more soluble regions 54 of the photoresist layer 50 are removed, overcoated with a light-absorbing material 58 and developed to remove the retained, less soluble regions 52 of the first photoresist layer with the light-absorbing material thereon. First guardbands 60 of light-absorbing material remain on the interior surface of the faceplate panel 12. The process is repeated twice more, using second and third photoresist layers 70 and 90 and two asymmetrically located light source positions +B, -B and +R, -R, respectively to produce second and third guardbands 80 and 100.

Method of manufacturing a luminescent screen assembly for a cathode-ray

A spray module 40 for manufacturing a cathode-ray tube (CRT) 10 comprises an enclosure 42 having sidewalls 44, a base 46 attached to the sidewalls 44, for closing one end thereof, and a panel support 48 having an opening, 50 therethrough. The panel support 48 is attached to an opposite end of the sidewalls 44. The spray module 40 has at least one electrostatic spray gun 36 therein for spraying charged screen structure material through the opening 50 in the panel support 48 and onto an interior surface of a faceplate panel 12 of the CRT 10. The spray module 40 includes a primary shield assembly 55 disposed within the enclosure 42 and extending through the opening 50 in the panel support 48. A secondary shield assembly 56 also is disposed within the enclosure 42 The primary and secondary shield assemblies 55 and 56, respectively, direct the charged screen structure material toward the interior surface of the panel 12, thereby increasing the transfer efficiency of the spray gun 36. A collecting tray 54 also is utilized to catch the spent spray which falls to the bottom of the spray module 40. The tray 54 is inclined toward a drain 100 that directs the spent material out of the spray module 40.

Spray module having shielding means and collecting means

The invention relates to a method of determining the quality of an aluminized, luminescent screen 22 for a CRT 10. The luminescent screen 22 is disposed on an interior surface of a faceplate panel 12 with an aluminum layer 23 overlying the screen. The method includes the steps of: exposing the aluminum layer to ultraviolet radiation; and measuring the luminescence emitted by the screen through the aluminum layer.

Method of determining the quality of an aluminized, luminescent screen

In accordance with the present invention, a method of electro-photographically manufacturing a luminescent screen assembly on an interior surface of a faceplate panel 12 for a color CRT 10 includes the steps of coating the interior surface of the faceplate panel with a volatilizable, organic conductive solution to form an organic conductive (OC) layer 32, and overcoating the OC layer with a volatilizable, organic photoconductive solution to form an organic photoconductive (OPC) layer 34. The step of overcoating the OC layer to form the OPC layer is improved by the substeps of: grounding the OC layer; providing an organic photoconductive (OPC) solution comprising a resin, an electron donor material and electron acceptor material, and a suitable solvent; and spraying electrostatically-charged droplets of the OPC solution onto the OC layer, with at least one electrostatic spray gun 47, to provide an OPC layer, having uniform thickness, overlying the OC layer.

CRT electrophotographic screening method using an organic

The present invention relates to a color CRT 10 having an evacuated envelope 11 includes a funnel 15 sealed at one end to a faceplate panel 12. A luminescent screen 22 is provided on an interior surface of the panel. A color selection electrode assembly 27 is disposed within the envelope in proximity to the screen. An internal magnetic shield 30, having an exterior surface 32, is secured to the color selection electrode assembly and is spaced from and extends along at least a portion of the funnel. A getter spring assembly 33 is disposed within the envelope to deposit a film of getter spring material onto the exterior surface 32 of the magnetic shield 30. The getter assembly 33 is improved by being detachably attached to the color selection electrode assembly 27 and prevented from rotating by an orientation plate 60 having a projection 70 with a flat contact surface that bears against the color selection electrode assembly.

Getter spring assembly for a color cathode-ray tube

The present invention relates to a CRT 10 having an evacuated envelope comprising a funnel 11 sealed at one end to a faceplate panel 12 with a luminescent screen 14 on an interior surface thereof. A color selection electrode 16, mounted on a frame 19, is disposed within the envelope in proximity to the screen. An internal magnetic shield 22, is secured to the frame of the color selection electrode, and is spaced from and extends along at least a portion of the funnel. The magnetic shield has a plurality of openings 32 therethrough. An evaporable getter 28 is disposed within the envelope adjacent to the exterior surface 26 of the magnetic shield 22. The magnetic shield is improved by having tabs or louvers 36, 38, 136, 138, associated with the openings, for restricting the deposition of a film of getter material 30 to the exterior surface 26 of the shield 22. In a second embodiment, two magnetic shields 122, 222, with openings 132 and 232, respectively are attached to the frame 19 of the color selection electrode 16. The openings 132 and 232 are non-aligned, thereby restricting the getter film to the exterior surfaces to the two magnetic shields.

Growing community of inventors

Lititz, PA, United States of America

Richard LaPeruta, Jr