Color cathode ray tube screening exposure method and apparatus

For use in fabricating a screen of a slot mask, stripe screen color cathode ray tube of the graded pitch type having a slot/stripe pitch which increases with increasing radial distance along a pitch axis perpendicular to the mask slots and screen stripes, a method for exposing a photosensitive coating on the concave inner surface of the faceplate of such a tube through a graded pitch slot mask serving as an exposure master to form latent screen stripe images whose width increases with increasing radial distance along a screen pitch axis, comprising:

• supporting a curved faceplate which has a photosensitive coating on its concave inner surface;
• supporting adjacent the faceplate inner surface a slot mask defining an array of columns of spaced slots;
• supporting a line source of radiation actinic to said coating on or near a central axis of the faceplate and spaced from said coating, with the source axis aligned parallel to said columns of spaced slots in said mask, said light source producing a linear light-emitting volume having a major cross-sectional axis which is parallel to the faceplate central axis and a major cross-sectional axis dimension which is about 1.5 to 3.0 times greater than the minor cross-sectional axis dimension of said light emitting volume;
• and
• exposing said coating to said light source, such that the latent screen stripe images formed on said coating through said slots, for uniform exposure time and slot width, increase in width in a radial direction away from said screen center along said screen pitch axis.

For use in fabricating a screen of a color cathode ray tube of the slot mask, stripe-screen type, apparatus for exposing a photosensitive coating on the concave inner surface of the faceplate of such a tube through a slot mask serving as an exposure master to form latent screen stripe images whose width increases with increasing radial distance along a screen pitch axis perpendicular to the screen stripe images, said apparatus comprising:

• means for supporting a curved faceplate which has a photosensitive coating on its concave inner surface;
• means for supporting adjacent the faceplate inner surface a slot mask defining an array of columns of spaced slots;
• a line source lamp producing radiation actinic to said coating and means for supporting said lamp on or near a central axis of the faceplate and spaced from said coating, with the source axis aligned parallel to said columns of spaced slots in said mask, said light source being structured and arranged to produce a linear light-emitting volume having a major cross-sectional axis which is parallel to the faceplate central axis and a major cross-sectional axis dimension which is substantially greater than the minor cross-sectional axis dimension of said light-emitting volume, whereby upon exposure of said coating to said light source, the latent screen stripe images formed on said coating through said slots, for uniform exposure time and slot width, increase in width in a radial direction away from said screen center along said screen pitch axis.

For use in fabricating a screen upon the inner surface of the faceplate of a slot mask, stripe screen color cathode ray tube of the "variable-pitch" type having a slot and stripe pitch which increases with increasing radial distance along a "pitch" axis perpendicular to the mask slot and screen stripes, apparatus for exposing a photosensitive coating on said concave inner surface of said faceplate of such a tube through a variable pitch slot mask serving as an exposure master to form latent screen stripe images whose width increases with increasingly radial distance along a screen "pitch" axis perpendicular to the screen stripe images, said apparatus comprising:

• means for supporting a curved faceplate which has a photosensitive coating on its concave inner surface;
• means for supporting adjacent the faceplate inner surface a slot mask defining an array of columns of spaced slots;
• a light source comprising a high pressure mercury capillary arc lamp for producing radiation actinic to said coating and means for supporting said lamp on or near a central axis of the faceplate and spaced from said coating, with the axis, of said source aligned parallel to said columns of spaced slots in said mask, said light source having a glass tube with a bore structured and arranged such that a linear gaseous discharge is produced therein having a major cross-sectional axis which is parallel to the faceplate central axis and a major cross-sectional axis dimension which is about 1.5 to 3.0 times greater than the minor cross-sectional axis dimension of said light-emitting volume, whereby upon exposure of said coating to said light source, the latent screen stripe images formed on said coating through said slots, for uniform exposure time and slot width, increase in width in a radial direction away from said screen center along said screen pitch axis.

Apparatus for use in fabricating a screen upon the inner concave surface of the faceplate of a color cathode ray tube of the type having a slot mask and a stripe-screen, said apparatus comprising:

• a light source for exposing a photosensitive coating on said concave inner surface of said faceplate of said tube through said slot mask serving as an exposure master to form latent screen stripe images whose width increases with increasing radial distance along a screen pitch axis perpendicular to the screen stripe images,
• said light source comprising a high pressure capillary arc lamp for producing radiation actinic to said coating,
• said lamp comprising a glass tube with a bore configured to produce therein a linear light-emitting volume with a major cross-sectional axis dimension which is substantially greater than the minor cross-sectional axis dimension of said light-emitting volume,
• means for supporting said lamp with the major cross-sectional axis of said lamp oriented parallel to the central axis, of said faceplate so as to expose said coating to said light source to form latent screen stripe images on said coating through said slots,
• which said images, for uniform exposure time and slot width, increase in width in a radial direction away from the center of said screen along said screen pitch axis.