The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 30, 2024
Filed:
Apr. 26, 2023
GE Precision Healthcare Llc, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Ian Strider Hunt, Sussex, WI (US);
Jace Dowd, New Berlin, WI (US);
Kyle Russell Berndt, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Eric Lubar, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Andrew Triscari, Hubertus, WI (US);
Ryan Dagen, Sullivan, WI (US);
GE Precision Healthcare LLC, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
Abstract
A bearing structure for an X-ray tube is provided that includes a journal bearing shaft with a radially protruding thrust bearing encased within a sleeve. The structure of sleeve is formed with enlarged traps or voids in the sleeve that are disposed adjacent various rotating anti-wetting seals/seal surfaces formed between the sleeve and the shaft. The geometry of the traps is formed to retain liquid metal/lubricating fluid within the gap defined by the bearing assembly and to direct to liquid metal flowing outwardly from the gap defined between the sleeve and the shaft away from the rotating anti-wetting seals and back towards the gap. This geometry allows the centrifugal forces exerted on the liquid metal by the rotation of the bearing structure to move the outflowing liquid metal away from the rotating anti-wetting seals to significantly reduce contact of the liquid metal with the seals.