Insulator with conductive dissipative coating
AssigneeRichardson Electronics, Ltd.
InventorsMin He, Norman Wandke, Thomas Muchowicz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a conductive coating on an insulator of an x-ray tube and a method for applying the conductive coating. The method may use a first process, such as brazing, to join a support to the insulator and a second process, such as vapor deposition, to apply the conductive coating onto a substrate surface of the insulator. The second process may be carried out after the first process without any damage to x-ray tube insulator assembly.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing an x-ray tube, said x-ray tube comprising a frame, an anode, a cathode, and at least one insulator surrounding the cathode, the method comprising the steps of:
- securing the at least one insulator to at least one support by brazing using a filler material,
- then applying a layer of a conductive dissipative coating to a surface of the insulator using a vapor deposition process,
- wherein the vapor deposition process uses a temperature that is lower than the melting point temperature of the filler material,
- wherein the conductive dissipative coating is configured to reduce an electrical charge buildup on the at least one insulator.
A system for reducing electrical charge buildup of an x-ray tube, the system comprising:
- a frame;
- an anode;
- a cathode;
- an insulator joining the cathode to the frame, the insulator comprising:
- at least one surface having a conductive dissipative coating thereon, whereby said conductive dissipative coating is applied by a vapor deposition process,
- wherein the conductive dissipative coating is configured to reduce an electrical charge buildup on the insulator,
- wherein the insulator is joined to at least one support via a brazing process using a filler material before the conductive dissipative coating is applied, and
- wherein the vapor deposition process uses a temperature that is lower than the melting point temperature of the filler material.
A method for manufacturing a plurality of insulators of a respective plurality of x-ray tubes, the method comprising the steps of:
- securing the plurality of insulators to a respective plurality of supports by brazing using a filler material;
- then applying a conductive dissipative coating to a surface of each of the plurality of insulators simultaneously using a vapor deposition process,
- wherein the vapor deposition process uses a temperature that is lower than the melting point temperature of the filler material,
- wherein the conductive dissipative coating is configured to reduce an electrical charge buildup of each of the insulators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.