Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Stanley J Clower

Nils Ian Thomas

Warren David Vrescak

Robert A Gallagher

Walter E Blouch

George A Hambro

James W Harris

Nelson C Devoe

Mark L Oyler

An improved image intensifier tube having electrically operative components that include a photocathode having a photoemissive layer, a microchannel plate having a conductive input surface and a conductive output surface, and a vacuum housing for retaining the photocathode, the microchannel plate and a fiber optic inverter in a predetermined arrangement within an evacuated environment, the fiber optic inverter having a phosphor screen for receiving the electrons emitted by the cathode and converting the electrons into a visual image, the improvement therewith comprising a ring assembly disposed in the housing comprising first and second rings, the first ring being a metallized snap ring conductively contacting the input surface of the microchannel plate for providing electrical contact to and retaining the plate within the housing, the second ring being a metallized ceramic ring having a first chamfered metallized surface in electrical contact with the metallized snap ring and a second metallized surface operable to provide an electrical contact external to the housing; and the fiber optic inverter having a unitarily formed and circumferentially extending flange portion extending toward the housing, wherein a sealing material sealingly engages an inner surface of an output flange with the inverter flange portion to form an air impervious vacuum seal, the output flange supported by the inverter flange portion.

Light weight/small image intensifier tube

Growing community of inventors

Roanoke, VA, United States of America

Stanley J Clower