Cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a cathode and an anode, said anode comprising a mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury within said discharge tube, said mercury discharge structure including a mercury alloy comprising:

• a metal sintered body formed by sintering a mixture of a first metal powder consisting of titanium powder and a second metal powder consisting of a non-volatile getter material powder selected from a group consisting of zirconium, tantalum, nickel and barium into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of use of said anode, which results in a determination of a shape of said anode;
• and
• mercury combined with said titanium powder of said metal sintered body which is sintered into said desired shape so as to provide said mercury alloy;
• said mercury discharge structure, including said mercury alloy obtained by combining said titanium powder with said mercury, being formed to have said desired shape of said metal sintered body and thereafter being sealed within said discharge tube and used as said anode.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a cathode and an anode, said anode comprising a mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury within said discharge tube, said mercury discharge structure including a mercury alloy comprising:

• a metal sintered body including a first portion formed by sintering a mixture consisting essentially of (i) a first metal powder of one kind or a plurality of kinds of metals combinable with mercury and (ii) a second portion formed by sintering a second metal powder of iron, said one kind or plurality of kinds of metals being selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium;
• said metal sintered body being sintered to have a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of use of said anode, which results in a determination of a shape of said anode, and said second portion forming a thin end portion of said desired shape;
• and
• mercury combined with said first portion which is sintered into said desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said mercury discharge structure, including said mercury alloy obtained by combining said first portion and said mercury, being formed to have said desired shape of said metal sintered body and thereafter sealed within said discharge tube and used as a part of said anode.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube comprising:

• a glass tube having on an inner surface a phosphor film;
• an anode and a cold cathode sealingly mounted to opposite ends of said glass tube, said anode having a metal powder sintered body obtained by sintering a metal powder, said metal powder consisting essentially of a metal combinable with mercury to form a mercury alloy, said metal combinable with mercury being selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium, said metal powder being shaped into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of use of said anode, which results in a determination of a shape of said anode;
• and
• mercury combined with said metal powder sintered body to form said mercury alloy so as to be contained in said metal powder sintered body and sealingly incorporated in an interior of said glass tube, said mercury alloy, obtained by combining said metal powder sintered body with said mercury, being formed to have said desired shape of said metal powder sintered body and thereafter being disposed within said discharge tube and used as a part of said anode to discharge said mercury within said discharge tube.

A mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury, said mercury discharge structure comprising:

• a metal sintered body having a first portion which is formed by sintering powder consisting essentially of one kind of metal or a plurality of kinds of metals selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said mercury discharge structure, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure;
• and
• mercury combined with said one kind of metal or said plurality of kind of metals contained in said first portion of said metal sintered body which is sintered into the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said mercury discharge structure including said mercury alloy, obtained by combining said at least one metal contained in said metal sintered body with said mercury, being formed to have said desired shape of said metal sintered body.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a mercury discharge structure built therein, comprising:

• an envelope having an end to which said mercury discharge structure and a metal cap or metal rod are sealingly attached;
• a metal sintered body formed by sintering metal powder consisting essentially of powder of a metal which can form a mercury alloy by combining with mercury, said metal which can form a mercury alloy being selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium, said metal sintered body being sintered into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said metal sintered body within said envelope, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure;
• and
• mercury combined with said powder of a metal which is contained in said metal sintered body which is sintered into the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said metal sintered body and said mercury being combined to form said mercury alloy to form said mercury discharge structure as a completed structure which has said desired shape of said metal sintered body, and said mercury discharge structure being provided to discharge said mercury within said envelope and maintained within said envelope by said metal cap or metal rod.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube comprising:

• an envelope having on an inner surface a phosphor film;
• a pair of discharge electrodes respectively having metal caps or metal rods sealingly connected to opposite ends of said envelope, at least one of said pair of discharge electrodes having a mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury within said envelope, said mercury discharge structure including:
• a metal sintered body formed by sintering metal powder consisting essentially of powder of a metal which can form a mercury alloy by combining with mercury, said metal which can form a mercury alloy being selected from a group consisting of tantalum and zirconium, said metal sintered body being sintered into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said metal sintered body within said envelope, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure, and being secured to the metal cap or metal rod;
• and
• mercury combined with said powder of a metal contained in said metal sintered body which is sintered into the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy, said mercury alloy, obtained by combining said powder of a metal with said mercury, forming said mercury discharge structure as a completed structure, said completed structure having said desired shape of said metal sintered body and being disposed within said envelope by one of said metal caps or metal rods.

A mercury discharge body for discharging mercury, said mercury discharge body comprising:

• a metal molded body formed by molding powder consisting essentially of one kind of metal or a plurality of kinds of metals into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said mercury discharge body, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge body, said one kind of metal or said plurality of kinds of metals being selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium;
• and
• mercury combined with said one kind of metal or said plurality of kinds of metals contained in said metal molded body which is formed in the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said mercury discharge body including said mercury alloy and having said desired shape of said metal molded body.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a mercury discharge structure built therein for use as a discharge electrode, said discharge tube comprising:

• an envelope having an end to which said mercury discharge structure and a metal cap or metal rod forming said discharge electrode are sealingly connected;
• a metal molded body having a first portion which is formed by molding a first metal powder consisting essentially of powder of a metal which can form a mercury alloy by combining with mercury, said metal which can form a mercury alloy being selected from a group consisting of titanium and zirconium, said metal molded body being molded into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said metal molded body within said envelope, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure;
• and
• mercury combined with said first metal powder contained in said metal molded body which is molded into the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said metal molded body and said mercury being combined to form said mercury alloy to form said mercury discharge structure as a completed structure which has said desired shape of said metal molded body, said mercury discharge structure being held within said envelope by said metal cap or metal rod and used to discharge said mercury within said envelope.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a cathode and an anode, said anode comprising a mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury within said discharge tube, said mercury discharge structure comprising a mercury alloy obtained by combining a metal sintered body with mercury;

• said metal sintered body being formed by sintering a mixture of a first powder consisting essentially of a first kind or a plurality of kinds of metals combinable with said mercury, and a second powder consisting essentially of a second kind or plurality of kinds of metals, into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of use of said anode, which results in a determination of a shape of said anode, said first one kind or plurality of kinds of metals being selected from the group consisting of titanium and zirconium, said second one kind or plurality of kinds of metals being selected from the group consisting of zirconium, tantalum and nickel;
• and
• said mercury being combined with said metal sintered body which is sintered into said desired shape so as to provide said mercury alloy;
• said mercury alloy being formed to have said desired shape of said metal sintered body when said metal sintered body and said mercury are combined with each other, and said mercury alloy thus formed being sealed within said discharge tube and used as said mercury discharge structure.

A mercury discharge structure for discharging mercury, said mercury discharge structure comprising:

• a metal sintered body having a portion which is formed by sintering powder into a desired shape which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said mercury discharge structure, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure;
• said sintering powder consisting essentially of a first metal powder consisting essentially of at least one metal, selected from the group consisting of titanium and zirconium, which can form a mercury alloy by combining with mercury, and, optionally, a second metal powder of a non-volatile getter material, consisting essentially of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of one or more of tantalum, nickel, and barium;
• and
• mercury combined with said metal contained in said portion of said metal sintered body which is sintered into the desired shape so as to form said mercury alloy;
• said mercury discharge structure including said mercury alloy being formed to have said desired shape of said metal sintered body.

A cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube having a mercury discharge structure built therein, comprising:

• an envelope having an end to which said mercury discharge structure and a metal cap or metal rod are sealingly attached;
• a metal sintered body formed by sintering metal powder which is obtained by mixing first metal powder of a metal which can form an alloy by combining with mercury with a second metal powder of a non-volatile getter material;
• said first metal powder consisting essentially of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium and zirconium, and said second metal powder consisting essentially of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of tantalum, nickel and barium;
• said metal sintered body being sintered into a desired shape, which is predetermined according to a state of final use of said metal sintered body within said envelope, which results in a determination of a shape of said mercury discharge structure;
• and
• mercury combined with said first metal powder of said at least one metal which is contained in said metal sintered body which is sintered into the desired shape to form said mercury alloy;
• said metal sintered body and said mercury being combined to form said mercury alloy to form said mercury discharge structure as a completed structure which has said desired shape of said metal sintered body, and said mercury discharge structure being provided to discharge said mercury within said envelope and maintained within said envelope by said metal cap or metal rod.