Multicolor picture element with merged colors

摘要

A plug-in lamp assembly for use as a picture element in large-screen information display systems. The lamp assembly includes red, green and blue discharge lamps for selectively generating different colors. Each discharge lamp has electrical leads extending from a first end and a light output region at a second end. The lamp assembly further includes a base having spaced-apart, plug-in electrical connectors, a cap covering the second ends of the lamps and a sleeve around the discharge lamps and interconnecting the cap and the base. The base provides mechanical support for the discharge lamps and permits easy replacement of the lamp assembly. The sleeve blocks light emitted from the sides of the discharge lamps. The cap includes a diffuser and a filter for altering the output spectrum of one or more of the discharge lamps. The diffuser can be mounted in a spaced relationship to the second ends of the discharge lamps at a distance therefrom selected such that the light from each different color lamp substantially fills the area of the diffuser. As a result, the light outputs from the discharge lamps are merged at the diffuser.