Multicolor display apparatus employing superposed planar discharge lamps
AssigneeSmiths Industries Public Limited Company
InventorNeil A. Fox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multicolor display has an LCD display unit with a matrix array of energizable regions. Below the unit are three planar discharge lamps mounted one above the other which emit respectively blue, red and green light. Each lamp has an array of transparent pillars which support opposite plates of the lamps and which are aligned with one another and with the energizable regions of the display unit.
Claims11
In display apparatus of the kind including a display unit having a plurality of display regions that vary in light transmission characteristic when electrically energized, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes a first planar discharge lamp mounted below the display unit, the first lamp being energizable to illuminate the display with light of a first spectral characteristic, and a second planar discharge lamp mounted below the first lamp, the second lamp being energizable to produce light of a second spectral characteristic different from the first spectral characteristic, the first lamp being substantially transparent to light from the second lamp so that the display unit can be illuminated by light from said second lamp passing through the first lamp.
Display apparatus comprising:
- a display unit with a matrix array of display regions that vary in light transmission characteristic when electrically energized;
- three planar discharge lamps;
- means mounting the three lamps above one another below the display unit;
- and means for energizing the three lamps so that they produce light predominantly of a red, green and blue color respectively, the upper two lamps each being substantially transparent to light from below so that the display unit is illuminated from below.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.