Cathode-luminescent panel lamp, and method

摘要

PCT No. PCT/US90/02644 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 3, 1992 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 3, 1992 PCT Filed May 10, 1990 PCT Pub. No. WO91/17563 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 14, 1991.A cathode-luminescent panel lamp (20) includes an evacuated tube (21) having a phosphor coating (25) on the inside surface of a face plate (24). An electron gun (28) is arranged to discharge at least one conical beam of electrons toward the coating to form an electron cloud within the tube. Shaping electrodes (29,30) positioned within the tube distribute and normalize the electron density of the cloud as a function of the angle ( theta ). The electrons pass through a field-separating mesh (39) to impinge upon a secondary emission mesh (40), which amplifies the electron density. The amplified electrons excite the phosphor coating to produce light of substantially-constant intensities across the face plate. The improved lamp may be used to back-light an LCD or in a stadium display.