General Electric Company

Jean-Luc Josse

Harith Vadari

Thomas Saint-Martin

Xavier Armand Lacherade

Caroline Le-Pierrard

An X-ray tube equipped with a rotating anode cartridge comprising a reinforced sealing system. This sealing system is achieved in three complementary manners. Firstly, when the anode rotates, in order to confine the liquid alloy within the cartridge, the invention provides to equip the two surfaces of a leak-tight joint with grooves thereby obtaining a double sided joint with an improved efficiency. Secondly, the double sided joint makes it possible to obtain, for the vacuum tightness, when the anode shaft is not rotating, two spaces limited by the surface tension of the alloy of liquid metal. The more symmetrical these two spaces, the more the sealing is reinforced. Thirdly, the invention provides to separate the ring from the axis of rotation. This enables a joint centering the two spaces in an automatic and natural manner to be obtained.

X-ray tube

A rotating anode is mounted on a shaft of an X-ray tube by means of a ring. The ring allows expansion and reduces the hyperstatic state of the assembly. The ring has the shape of a diabolo, preferably that of a hyperboloid structure generated by revolution. The ring dampens vibration phenomena in a shaft bearing the rotating anode and reduces noise-creating phenomena.

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Neuilly Plaisance, France

Jean-Luc Josse