A DC gas-discharge display panel for automobiles

A simple color instrument panel has been developed for automobile use that has a self-scanning function realized through a dc gas discharge. The panel, 120 mm × 270 mm × 5 mm in size, includes four separate bar graphs for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge, as well as two digitmeters for the speedometer and odometer or trip distance display. Turn signals are also displayed. During fabrication of the panel all electrodes are screen printed simultaneously on a glass substrate using conductive ink. The anode and cathode electrodes are arranged reciprocally, and are connected to two busses and to two or four busses, respectively. Phosphors for the color display are deposited on nonglare front glass and are excited by UV radiation emitted by a negative glow discharge in a mixture of He + Xe.