FLUORESCENT CHARACTER DISPLAY TUBE-TYPE TOUCH SENSOR DEVICE

PURPOSE:To obtain touch sensors by providing the first electrodes facing phosphor anodes inside the observation face glass of a fluorescent display tube, providing the scond electrodes on the outside facing the first electrodes, and detecting a change of the current flowing through the phosphor anodes. CONSTITUTION:Touch sensors 13a-13n are constituted with the first electrodes 14a-14n provided inside a front glass 6 and the second electrodes 15a-15n provided outside the glass 6. These electrodes are made of a transparent conductive film; the electrodes 14a-14n are arranged facing phosphor anodes 3a-3n, and the electrodes 15a-15n are arranged facing the electrodes 14a-14n. For example, when a human body 12 gets into contact with the electrode 15a, static electricity is charged on the electrode 14b, and discharged from a filament 5 and reaches the anode 3b through a grid 4, then electrons having been generating phosphor luminescence are absorbed into the electrode 14b, and the luminescence of the anode 3b is stopped. A voltage VB is fed to the anodes 3a-3n through a resistor (r), and a change of the current flowing through the anode 3b having stopped its luminescence can be detected by a voltage drop across the resistor (r).