U.S. Philips Corporation

Walter A Hartl

Diethard A Peter

Horst Brettschneider

Harry Eggelsmann

Claus-Peter Hodum

Klaus H Reiber

The invention relates to a rotary anode X-ray tube having a sliding bearing and a further bearing system. The further bearing system, preferably a magnetic bearing, is constructed so that it can absorb substantially entirely the axial and radial bearing forces, while the sliding bearing, which is preferably constructed as a spiral groove bearing with liquid metal lubrication, is shaped so that it absorbs the bearing forces only for a small fraction. It therefore has only a low friction, but it permits the supply of the anode current and especially an effective cooling of the anode disk.

Rotary anode X-ray tube having a sliding bearing

In an X-ray tube comprising a metal housing portion and an electrode which can be connected to a positive high voltage with respect thereto and which is mounted on a ceramic insulator portion, a conical insulator portion is enclosed by a wall portion, at least the inner surface of which has an insulating effect. A screening sleeve which electrically screens the connection between the insulator portion and the electrode projects into a recess in the wall portion.

X-ray tube comprising an at least partly metal housing and an electrode

In high-voltage vacuum-tubes, specifically X-ray tubes, comprising an electrode (anode) which carries a positive high voltage and which is connected to a conductive part (for example the metal tube envelope) via an insulator, flashover may occur at very high temperatures. In order to preclude such flashover a shielding electrode is arranged at a small distance from the insulator and has such a shape that the electric field strength at the location where the insulator is connected to the conductive part is reduced.

X-Ray tube having flashover prevention means

The invention relates to an X-ray tube which comprises a metal housing in which a rotary anode which is mounted on a shaft is journalled to be rotatably by means of two bearings. At least one of the bearings is constructed as a sleeve bearing which comprises dish-shaped, mutually cooperating metal bearing faces which extend transversely of the shaft and which are separated from each other by a layer which serves as a lubricant and which consists of a liquid metal or a liquid metal alloy. The bearing is connected on the one side to the shaft and on the other side to the metal housing. In order to insulate the shaft from the housing, a flat, disc-shaped insulator which is connected to the bearing is provided between the bearing and the housing or between the shaft and the bearing. This concentration is flat and has a low thermal resistance in the direction of the shaft.

Flat rotary-anode X-ray tube

The invention relates to a rotating-anode X-ray tube with increased continuous loadability. The anode comprises a plurality of concentrically disposed hollow cylindrical bodies, which are connected to each other at their end faces in such a way that a meander-shaped cross-section is obtained. The thermal resistance is then very high, while the radiant cooling is very good because of the large surface area. The energy which is radiated towards the interior can be absorbed by hollow cylindrical cooling surfaces which are connected to the tube envelope.

Rotating anode X-ray tube

X-ray tubes with a magnetic bearing either have the disadvantage that the anode must be at earth potential, so that an asymmetric high-voltage supply is required or that -- in the case of a symmetric high voltage -- a relatively wide air gap is necessary which requires a high driving force and a bearing which has a certain amount of drawbacks. The invention provides an insulator between the anode which is at the high-voltage potential and the rotor which is at the earth potential, so that the air-gap between the rotor and stator can be relatively small and an effective magnetic bearing is possible.

X-ray rotating-anode tube with a magnetic bearing

A high-voltage, high vacuum electron discharge tube particularly an X-ray tube, having a metal envelope and an anode insulatingly mounted within the envelope. To avoid the deleterious effects of charge formed on the insulator surface, the insulator is formed with a recess of larger size than the anode diameter and the anode is secured to the insulator by mounting it at the region of the bottom of the recess.

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Hamburg, Germany

Walter A Hartl