Patent ID: 8816938

Claim:
A display device comprising: a plurality of plasma tube array units arranged in a matrix, each plasma tube array unit including: a plurality of plasma tubes extending in a first direction and arranged parallel in a second direction crossing the first direction, each plasma tube having a first sealed end which has a first non-display region and a second sealed end which has a second non-display region; a plurality of pairs of display electrodes formed on a front side flexible support plate and extending parallel to each other perpendicularly to the plasma tubes; and a plurality of address electrodes extending parallel to each other along the respective plasma tubes; wherein the plasma tube array units that are aligned in the second direction of the matrix adjoin outermost plasma tubes through a bent portion of the front side flexible support plate with the display electrodes therebetween; and the plasma tube array units that are aligned in the first direction of the matrix adjoin each other with a step therebetween such that each first non-display region of the first sealed end of the plasma tubes of one of the plasma tube array units overlaps with each second non-display region of the second sealed end of the plasma tubes of one of the adjacent plasma tube array units.