Sept. 2, 1958 c. W.

GEER 2,850,669
TELEVISION PICTURE TUBE OR THE LIKE
Filed April 26, 1955 2. Sheets-Sheet l

CHARLES WILLARD GEER

HIS AT TORNEY
 Sept. 2, 1958 c. W. GEER 2,850,669.
i TELEVISION PICTURE TUBE OR THE LIKE
Filed April 26, 1955 2. Sheets-Sheet 2

k1CHARLES WILLARD GEER

P%-446-64
HIS AT TORNEY
 United States Patent Office 2,850,669
Fatented Sept. 2, 1958
2
organization and manner of operation, together with fur
ther objects and advantages thereof, may best be under
2,850,669 stood by reference to the following description, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
TELEVISION PICTURETUBE OR THE LIKE Figure 1 is a frontal view of a first embodiment of a
Charles Willard Geer, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to flat television tube according to the present invention.
Hoffman Electronics Corporation, a corporation of Figure 2 is an enlarged frontal view of the vertical
California deflecting grid combination shown in Figure 1.
Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,884 Figure 3 is a plan view of the horizontal deflection grid
0. set shown in Figure 1.
14 Claims. (Cl. 315-25) Figure 4 is an alternate form of the horizontal deflec
tion grid sets shown in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a second embodiment of a flat picture tube
according to the present invention having a single deflec
This invention is related to television picture tubes and, 5 tion grid combination which in itself provides horizontal
more particularly, to an improved television picture tube and vertical deflection simultaneously, the magnitude of
of the "flat” variety. each deflection being dependent upon the electrical con
For some time manufacturers of television picture dition of the electron gun deflecting means.
tubes for commercial usage and manufacturers of radar Figure 6 is a frontal view of a third embodiment of a
display tubes for military uses have been interested in 20 flat television picture tube according to the present inven
devising a "flat” picture tube. By a "flat picture tube' is tion employing two permanent magnets for supplying a
meant a tube having a substantially flat face and a mini deflecting field to the electron stream capable of deflect
mum depth dimension. Flat picture tubes as have pres ing the stream both horizontally and vertically, the hori
ently been suggested to the industry have been rectangu Zontal and vertical deflection magnitude depending upon
lar in shape, possessing a depth of three or four inches, 25 the electrical character of the electron gun deflecting
the exact depth depending upon the design requirements CalS.
of a particular tube in question. The electron gun is In Figure 1, television picture tube 0 has viewing
conventionally mounted just inside and parallel to one area 11, scanning apparatus portion 12, electron gun por
of the picture tube sides. The employment of two sets tion 13, and deflection means portion 14. Electron gun
of grid elements has been considered, one set being dis 30 portion 13 comprises a conventional electron gun having
posed on the back of the picture tube and the remaining heater, cathode, and control and focusing electrodes.
set being disposed on the top side of the tube. The grids The deflection means included within portion 14 may be
themselves usually take the form of uniformly spaced, either horizontal and vertical deflection plates 15 and 16,
parallel wires or other conductive elements. The chief respectively, or any other type of deflection apparatus
difficulty in having a tube with such a scanning system is 35 Such as horizontal and vertical deflection yokes, etc. The
that, since a varying voltage must be applied sequentially scanning apparatus included within portion 12 of tele
to each element in succession of the two grid element vision picture tube 10 is provided for the purpose of en
sets, intricate switching techniques must be employed to abling the deflection means, such as horizontal and verti
accomplish the desired scanning. It would of course be cal
highly desirable for the scanning to be accomplished in 40 sireddeflection plates 5 and 16, to accomplish the de
horizontal and vertical scanning by the electron
the main by the 'conventional deflection plates or coils beam of picture area i. From Figure 1 it is seen that
and that such grids as are necessary to properly position plates 15 accomplish the horizontal positioning of the
the electron beam at any particular time be of such nature electron beam, whereas deflection plates 16 accomplish
as to be adaptable for coupling to sources of constant the vertical scanning of the beam. The scanning appara
voltage. tus included within portion 12 of picture tube 10 com
Therefore, it is an obpect of the present invention to prises two sets of grids, namely, grid sets 17 and 18. Set
provide a new and useful "flat" television picture tube. 17 aids deflection plates 16 in accomplishing the vertical
It is a further object of the present invention to pro scanning by the electron beam. Set 18 enables deflec
vide a new and useful "flat' television picture tube in tion plates 5 to provide for the horizontal scanning of
which conventional scanning apparatus together with po 50 the electron beam. Grid set 7 is shown in detail in
sitioning grids adapted for coupling to sources of con Figure 2 and is described in the discussion relating there
stant D. C. voltage perform the horizontal and vertical to. Figure 3 describes the configuration of grid set 18.
scanning operations. Figure 2 is shown to be an enlargement of a representa
It is an additional object of the present invention to tive portion of grid set 17 in Figure 1. Grid set 7 of
provide a new and useful "flat" television picture tube in 55 Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2 to consist of positioning
which the picture reproducing area of the tube is free grid 200 and deflection grids 201 and 202. Positioning
from the inclusion of grid wires or elements.
According to the present invention, a thin, rectangul grid 200 is shown to consist of a plurality of equally
spaced parallel grid wires 203. Positioning grid 200 is
lar, flat-faced television picture tube provided with an adapted for coupling to a D. C. potential source of nega
electron gun having conventional deflection means is pro 60 tive polarity. By the resultant high negative charge upon
vided with uniquely disposed deflection grids or deflec the several grid wires 203, the electron paths between adja
tion magnets which supply a unique deflection field that cent grid wires 203 will tend to converge at points A in
will correctly position the electron beam on the face of substantially the same direction. It is interesting to note
the tube in accordance with the electrical condition of that despite the continuous change in voltage of the verti
the deflection means of the electron gun of the tube. The 65
tube additionally is kept free from the employment of cal tron
deflection plates which at one instant provides elec
path 264 and in another instant produces electron
electrical deflecting and/or scanning means in the region path 205, for example, that the vertical position of the
of the picture reproducing area of the tube, save for a resultant electron path 206 will be substantially constant.
direct current return for the electron stream. Hence, the horizontal trace will in fact be perfectly hori
The features of the present invention which are be 70 Zontal and will not have the feature of slight inclination
lieved to be novel are set forth with particularly in the as the horizontal trace progresses with which television
appended claims. The present invention, both as to its picture tubes are characterized at the present time. Grids
 2,850,669
3 4 .
201 and 202 may be co-planar or may comprise two sepa the simultaneous positioning, both vertically and hori
rate grid planes. Grid 202 is adapted for coupling to a Zontally, of the electron beam upon the tube face. As
Source of positive D. C. potential. The purpose for each is shown in Figure 6, face 60 of yoke 692 is a north
positively charged grid wire 207 is to bend the electron pole whereas face 600 is a south pole. The diverging
beam 206 at point A a nominal 90° angle so that upon lines of force are in the direction of from the north pole
passing through grid 202 the several electron paths 266 towards the south pole and, by applying the left hand
will be horizontal. Grid 201 is adapted for coupling to motor rule, the electron beam is found to curve about
a source of negative D. C. potential so as to enable grid face 661 in a direction toward the tube face plate. The
Wires 208 of grid 204 to combine with grid wires 207 in exact configuration of faces 600 and 601 will be such
providing a relatively uniform field of high field strength 0 as to provide a radius of curvature of face 601 at point
to accomplish the bending of electron beams 266. D of east magnitude, a radius of curvature of the surface
Rather than consisting merely of parallel grid wires, of face 601 of intermediate magnitude at point C, and
grid 200 may be of the woven variety or co-planar variety a radius of curvature at point E of greatest magnitude,
forming in Substance a screen mesh of small squares and face 600 shall be of appropriate design, so that the
or other geometric figures. 15 deflected electron beam will receive a resultant velocity
In Figure 3, the horizontal grid set 18 of Figure 1 component toward the face of the tube. This configura
is shown to consist of positioning grid 300 and defection tion will be for the purpose of concentrating the lines of
grids 301 and 302. These grids are parallel to each force of the divergent field at point D or nearby where
other and are closely spaced. Again, deflection grids 20
a large flux density is needed.
30i and 302 may be co-planar or comprise two grid It readily appears, then, that by the deflection means
planes as shown. Positioning grid 300 is adapted for of either Figure 5 or Figure 6 the simultaneous hori
coupling to a source of negative D. C. potentialso as to Zontal and vertical positioning of the electron beam on
enable parallel grid wires 383 to focus electron paths the face of the television picture tube is accomplished
304 and 365 at point B. Point B will fall somewhere in through response to the electrical condition of the hori
25 Zontal and vertical deflection plates or yokes normally
the vicinity of the deflection grids, and will exist on a line
normal to the positioning grid and equidistant from ad associated with a conventional electron gun. It is to
jacent wires of the positioning grid. Again, positioning be noted that in all the embodiments presented and in
grid 363 may simply consist of parallel grid wires or of the numerous structural equivalents thereof that hori
a wire mesh comprising small circles or other geometric Zontal and vertical positioning of the electron beam is
30 accomplished by the fixed electrical disposition of the
figures of open area outlined by the configuration of the
grid mesh. deflecting apparatus employed. Thus, by such deflection
Referring to Figure 1, it is seen that for proper impinge techniques as have been herein outline, varying deflect
ment of the electron beam upon the picture tube face in ing voltages are confined exclusively to the horizontal and
regions to the extreme right of the tube face that the vertical deflecting plates, or magnetic deflection yokes,
angle 01 in Figure 3 between the plane of grid 302 and whichever are employed. Elaborate switching mecha
electron beam 306 will have to be greater than succeeding nisms for applying varying voltages to grids housed with
angles of refraction (02 and 0) of succeeding electron in the picture portion of the tube are completely elimi
beams 307 and 303. Therefore, the respective positive nated.
and negative voltages applied to grid wire 309 and grid It should be mentioned that, while picture tube per
wire 310 will be of less magnitude than the voltages formance may be reduced, yet, if desired, either negative
applied to grid wires 3 and 312 and of still less magni grid 201 in Figure 2 or negative grid 302 in Figure 3,
tude than the voltages of grid wires 313 and 3:14. Hence, or both, may be eliminated if cost considerations so dic
a center-tapped or other type of voltage divider is sug tate. '
gested for employment with grids 301 and 302. A better It will be understood that the above described deflec
approach to the problem, however, is indicated in the tion techniques are equally applicable to both black-and
configuration of the deflection grids in Figure 4 in which white and color tubes. .
is shown a unique design for deflection grids 460 and While particular embodiments of the present invention
40i. As is seen in Figure 4, grid wires 492 and 403 have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those
entertain the largest separation of the three groups of grid skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be
wires shown. Grid wires 404 and 405 have the smallest made without departing from this invention in its broader
Separation. Hence, as the electron beam progresses, be aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is
fore passing through the horizontal positioning and deflec to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within
tion grids, to the face of the tube, the field of the deflec the true spirit and scope of this invention. s
tion grids will appear progressively stronger to the on I. claim: -
W.

s
coming beam. 1. A flat television picture tube including, in combina
In Figure 5, television picture tube 560 is equipped with tion, a thin, substantially rectangular tube enclosure com
deflection apparatus 501 which simply comprises the ver prising a picture reproducing enclosure portion having
tical deflection grid set 17 of Figure 1, shown in detail an associated face plate disposed on one of the major
in Figure 2, disposed as a curved surface. When sandwich rectangular faces of said tube, and a scanning means en
grid 59; assumes its unique curved configuration, as 60
shown, then for any impingement of the electron beam closure portion disposed laterally to one side of Said
upon sandwich grid 501 the beam will experience a single picture reproducing enclosure portion; an electron gun
deflection bend which of itself will accomplish the simul mounted on said tube enclosure immediately adjacent said
taneous horizontal and vertical positioning of the beam scanning means enclosure portion on an axis lying in a
in accordance with the electrical condition of the hori plane substantially paralleling the opposite major rec
Zontal and vertical deflection plates. In the case of the tangular faces of said tube and passing through only said
configuration of Figure 5, the positioning grid may be a scanning means enclosure portion, sweep deflection means
wire mesh of nominally horizontal and vertical wires in said electron gun, for forming a scan pattern beam,
which are intermeshed to form geometric figures such and electron beam refractive scanning means mounted
as circles, hexagons, or other figure. As an alternate 70 within said scanning means enclosure portion for redirect
approach to the manufacture of sandwich grid 501, the ing electrons forming said scan pattern from said gun
grid elements may be interspaced by a suitable electron first into directions parallel to said face plate and thence
permeable material. into directions impinging upon said face plate, the points
In Figure 6, faces 600 and 601 of magnetic yoke 602
replace the sandwich grid in Figure 5 for accomplishing. 75 of impingement of the beam upon said face plate being
 2,850,669
5 6
varied in accordance with the scanning condition of the combinations each includes a plurality of equally spaced,
deflection means of said electron gun. co-planar, parallel grid wires disposed across and perpen
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said scan dicular to said parallel grid wires of each of said position
ning means comprises a vertical scanning grid combina ing grid.
tion and a horizontal scanning grid combination; said 8. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said
vertical scanning grid combination including a positioning vertical and horizontal deflection grids each comprise
grid adapted for coupling to a source of negative D. C. co-planar, parallel, equally spaced grid wires disposed in
potential, and at least one deflection grid following said parallel with said grid wires of said vertical and hori
positioning grid, said deflection grid being adapted for Zontal positioning grids, respectively.
coupling to a source of positive D. C. potential, said posi O 9. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said
tioning and deflection grids being disposed in parallel vertical and horizontal deflection grids each comprise
planes each being angularly inclined with respect to said co-planar, parallel grid wires disposed in parallel with
axis of said electron gun; said horizontal scanning grid said grid wires of said vertical and horizontal positioning
combination including a positioning grid adapted for grids, respectively.
coupling to a source of negative D. C. potential, and at 15 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which corre
least one deflection grid following said horizontal scanning sponding wires of Said horizontal deflection grids are
positioning grid, said deflection grid being adapted for each adapted for coupling to corresponding positive and
coupling to a source of positive D. C. potential, said posi negative potentials the magnitudes of which are related
tioning and deflection grids of said horizontal scanning to the positioning of said wires relative to said face plate
grid combination being disposed in parallel planes which 20 of said tube.
in turn are each parallel to said axis of said electron 11. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which corre
gun. sponding wires of said horizontal deflection grids are
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which a second uniquely separated in accordance with the positioning of
vertical scanning deflection grid is disposed parallel to said wires relative to said face plate of said tube.
and adjacent said deflection grid of said vertical scanning 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said
grid combination, and in which a second horizontal scanning means comprises a single scanning grid com
scanning deflection grid is disposed parallel to and adja bination, said grid combination including a positioning
cent said deflection grid of said horizontal scanning grid grid adapted for coupling to a source of negative D. C.
combination, said second deflection grids being adapted potential and at least one deflection grid following said
for coupling to a source of negative D. C. potential. 30 positioning grid, said deflection grid being adapted for
4. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said posi coupling to a source of positive D. C. potential, said
tioning grid of said vertical scanning grid combination positioning and deflection grids defining peripheral areas
comprises equally spaced, co-planar parallel grid wires of imaginary coaxial cylinders the mutual axis of which
disposed perpendicular to said axis of said electron gun, is angularly inclined with respect to said axis of said
and in which said positioning grid of said horizontal 35 electron gun.
scanning grid combination comprises equally spaced, 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which a second
co-planar, parallel grid wires each being parallel to said deflection grid is disposed adjacent said deflection grid
axis of said electron gun. and is adapted for coupling to a source of negative D. C.
5. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said posi potential.
tioning grid of said vertical scanning grid combination 40 14. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said
comprises equally spaced, co-planar, parallel grid wires scanning means comprises magnetic means having two
disposed perpendicular to said axis of said electron gun, faces disposed so as to produce a divergent magnetic field
and in which said positioning grid of said horizontal capable of simultaneously positioning both vertically and
scanning grid combination comprises equally spaced, horizontally the electron beam upon said face plate in
co-planar, parallel grid wires each being parallel to said 45 accordance with the electrical condition of said deflection
axis of said electron gun. means associated with said electron gun.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said posi
tioning grids of said vertical and horizontal scanning References Cited in the file of this patent
grid combinations each includes a plurality of equally UNITED STATES PATENTS
spaced, co-pianar, parallel grid wires disposed across and 50
2,449,558 Lanier et al. ---------- Sept. 21, 1948
perpendicular to said parallel grid wires of each of said 2,513,742 Pinciroli --------------- July 4, 1950
positioning grid. 2,728,025 Weimer -------------- Dec. 20, 1955
7. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said posi 2,739,244 Sheldon -------------- Mar. 20, 1956
tioning grids of said vertical and horizontal scanning grid