Shadow-mask color cathode ray tube with improved mask suspension system

For use in a color cathode ray tube having an envelope which includes an approximately rectangular, flangeless, curved faceplate supporting on a concave inner surface thereof in a central region a phosphor screen comprising a pattern of red-emissive, blue-emissive and green-emissive phosphor triads, said faceplate being subject, due to its flangeless rectangular configuration, to twist-wise deformations in its configuration which may occur with respect to its diagonals, the combination comprising:

• a rectangular, non-self-rigid shadow mask having a central portion of curvature related to that of the faceplate and containing a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures, said shadow mask also having a stiffening portion circumscribing said central portion causing said mask to be relatively stiff with respect to its major and minor axes, yet relatively torsionally flexible with respect to its diagonals;
• and
• a mask suspension system for detachably supporting said shadow mask at a predetermined spacing from said inner surface of said faceplate, comprising four suspension devices, one at each corner of the faceplate, for mechanically coupling said shadow mask to said faceplate such that said mask can flex about a diagonal, if necesary, to conform to the contour of said faceplate, at least three of said suspension devices including a faceplate-mounted component on a diagonal of said faceplate on an area of said concave inner surface of said faceplate which extends outwardly beyond said phosphor screen, and including a mask-mounted component on the outside of said stiffening portion of said mask, one of said mask-mounted and faceplate-mounted components including leaf spring means having provision for detachably engaging coupling means on the other of said mask-mounted and faceplate-mounted components substantially along a mask diagonal, said provision moving when said leaf spring means is deflected substantially in a plane which includes said diagonal and the mask axis in order to suppress the generation of tangential force components on the mask in the plane thereof which might tend to rotate, mislocate, twist or distort the mask.

For use in a color cathode ray tube having an envelope which includes a curved faceplate portion supporting on an inner surface thereof, in a central region, a phosphor screen comprising a pattern of red-emissive, blue-emissive and green-emissive phosphor element triads, the combination comprising:

• a rectangular, non-self-rigid shadow mask having a central portion of curvature related to that of the faceplate portion and containing a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures, said shadow mask also having a stiffening portion circumscribing said central portion causing said mask to be relatively stiff with respect to its major and minor axes, yet relatively torsionally flexible with respect to its diagonals;
• and
• a mask suspension system for detachably supporting said shadow mask at a predetermined spacing from said inner surface of said faceplate portion, comprising four suspension devices, one at each corner of the faceplate portion, for mechanically coupling said shadow mask to said envelope, each of said suspension devices including an envelope-mounted component affixed to said envelope on a diagonal of said faceplate portion and a mask-mounted component secured to the outside of said stiffening portion of said mask, said mask-mounted component including bracket means mounted on the outside of said stiffening portion of said mask and a leaf spring connected at one end to said bracket means, the distal end of said spring having provision for detachable engaging coupling means on said envelope-mounted component substantially along a mask diagonal, said leaf spring means deflecting, when stressed, substantially in a plane which includes said diagonal and the mask axis in order to suppress the generation of tangential force components on the mask in the plane thereof which might tend to rotate, mislocate, twist or distort the mask.

For use in a color cathode ray tube having an envelope which includes a curved faceplate portion supporting on an inner surface thereof, in a central region, a phosphor screen comprising a pattern of red-emissive, blue-emissive and green-emissive phosphor element triads, the combination comprising:

• a rectangular, non-self-rigid shadow mask having a central portion curvature related to that of the faceplate portion and containing a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures, said shadow mask also having a stiffening portion circumscribing said central portion causing said mask to be relatively stiff with respect to its major and minor axes, yet relatively torsionally flexible with respect to its diagonals;
• and
• a mask suspension system for detachably supporting said shadow mask at a predetermined spacing from said inner surface of said faceplate portion, comprising four suspension devices, one at each corner of the faceplate portion, for mechanically coupling said shadow mask to said envelope, each of said suspension devices including an envelope-mounted component affixed to said envelope on a diagonal of said faceplate portion and a mask-mounted component secured to the outside of said stiffening portion of said mask, said mask-mounted component including leaf spring means having provision for detachably engaging coupling means on said envelope-mounted component substantially along a mask diagonal, said provision moving when said leaf spring means is deflected substantially in a plane which includes said diagonal and the mask axis in order to suppress the generation of tangential force components on the mask in the plane thereof which might tend to rotate, mislocate, twist or distort the mask, three of said suspension devices fixing in the plane of the mask the spatial position of the mask relative to said inner surface of said faceplate portion and a redundant fourth suspension device having provision for permitting the fourth corner of the mask to seek an equilibrium position in said plane of the mask.

In a color cathode ray tube, the combination comprising:

• a rectangular, rigid, flangeless, three-dimensionally curved glass faceplate having a concave inner surface supporting in a central region thereof a phosphor screen comprising a pattern of red-emissive, blue-emissive and green-emissive phosphor triads;
• a lightweight, rectangular, non-self-rigid shadow mask having a central portion of curvature related to that of the faceplate and containing a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures, said shadow mask also having a stiffening portion circumscribing said central portion causing said mask to be relatively stiff with respect to its major and minor axes, yet relatively torsionally flexible with respect to its diagonals;
• a mask suspension system for detachably supporting said shadow mask at a predetermined spacing from said inner surface of said faceplate and for coupling said mask and said faceplate such that said faceplate provides rigidity for said mask while permitting said mask to be repeatably removed from and precisely remounted in the tube, said suspension system comprising four suspension devices, one located at each corner of the mask on a diagonal thereof so as to permit the mask to flex about a diagonal, if necessary, to conform to the contour of the inner surface of the faceplate, and yet so as to accurately fix the spatial position thereof relative to the faceplate, each of said suspension devices including a faceplate-mounted component affixed to said faceplate on a diagonal thereof, and a mask-mounted component secured to the outside of said stiffening portion of said mask, said mask-mounted component including bracket means and leaf spring means on said bracket means having provision for detachably engaging coupling means on said faceplate-mounted component substantially along a mask diagonal, said provision moving when said leaf spring means is deflected, substantially in a plane which includes said diagonal and the mask axis in order to suppress the generation of tangential force components on the mask in the plane thereof which might tend to rotate, mislocate, twist or distort the mask.

For use in a color cathode ray tube, a mask suspension system for supporting a shadow mask on the envelope of the tube including a plurality of mask suspension devices spaced around the mask, each comprising:

• envelope-mounted means for supporting said mask secured in a precise location upon the inside of the envelope;
• and
• mask-mounted means for retentively but detachably engaging said envelope-mounted means to cause said mask to assume a fixed position in space relative to said envelope,
• said envelope-mounted means and said mask-mounted means mating with a snap-in, self-guiding and self-locating engagement such that said mask is quickly and precisely mountable in the tube by a push-click insertion operation.

In a color cathode ray tube, the combination comprising:

• an envelope including a funnel and a substantially rectangular, skirtless faceplate sealed therewith;
• a substantially rectangular shadow mask formed from a sheet of electrically conductive material and having therein a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures;
• and
• a mask suspension system for supporting said shadow mask on said faceplate including four mask suspension devices, one at each corner of the mask, at least three of said devices comprising:
• faceplate-mounted means for supporting said mask secured in a precise location upon the inside of the faceplate, and
• mask-mounted means for retentively but detachably engaging said faceplate-mounted means to cause said mask to assume a fixed position in space relative to said faceplate,
• said faceplate-mounted means and said mask-mounted means mating with a snap-in self-guiding and self-locating engagement such that said mask is quickly and precisely mountable in the tube by a push-click insertion operation.

In a color cathode ray tube, the combination comprising:

• an envelope including a funnel and a substantially rectangular, skirtless faceplate sealed therewith;
• a substantially rectangular shadow mask formed from a sheet of electrically conductive material and having therein a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures;
• and
• a mask suspension system for supporting said shadow mask on said faceplate of the tube including four mask suspension devices, one at each corner of the mask, at least three of said devices comprising:
• a stud for supporting the mask, secured in a precise location upon the inside of the faceplate, said stud defining a seat and a guide channel leading to said seat, and
• mask-mounted means including spring means supporting convergent lug means adapted to be received in said guide channel during a mask mounting operation and to follow said guide channel into a snap-in, self-locating engagement with said seat to thereby cause said mask to assume a predetermined fixed position in space relative to said stud and to said faceplate,
• said mask being quickly and precisely mountable in the tube by a push-click insertion operation.

In a color cathode ray tube, the combination comprising:

• an envelope including a funnel and a substantially rectangular, skirtless faceplate sealed therewith;
• a substantially rectangular shadow mask formed from a sheet of electrically conductive material and having therein a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures;
• and
• a mask suspension system for supporting said shadow mask on said faceplate of the tube including four mask suspension devices, one at each corner of the mask, at least three of said devices comprising:
• a stud for supporting the mask secured in a precise location upon the inside of the faceplate, said stud defining a seat facing outwardly from said mask, and
• mask-mounted means including spring means supporting convergent lug means facing inwardly toward said mask and adapted to be received in self-locating engagement with said seat to cause said mask to be placed in tension and to assume a predetermined fixed position in space relative to said stud and to said faceplate.

In a color cathode ray tube, the combination comprising:

• an envelope including a funnel and sealed therewith a substantially rectangular front panel having a faceplate portion and a rearwardly directed skirt portion;
• a substantially rectangular shadow mask formed from a sheet of electrically conductive material and having therein a pattern of electron-transmissive apertures;
• and
• a mask suspension system for supporting said shadow mask on said skirt portion of said front panel which includes four mask suspension devices, one at each corner of the mask, at least three of said devices comprising:
• panel-mounted means for supporting said mask secured in a precise location upon the inside of the skirt portion of said front panel, and
• mask-mounted means for retentively but detachably engaging said panel-mounted means to cause said mask to assume a fixed position in space relative to said faceplate portion of said front panel,
• said panel-mounted means and said mask-mounted means mating with a snap-in, self-guiding and self-locating engagement such that said mask is quickly and precisely mountable in the tube by a push-click insertion operation.