# US 12,002,648 B2 · Interruption-ring in an x-ray tube > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,002,648 B2 - Document ID: US12002648B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/311,683 - Filed: 2023-05-03 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-11 - Assignees: Moxtek, Inc. - Applicants: Moxtek, Inc. - Inventors: Todd S. Parker; Kasey Otho Greenland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002648B2 ## CPC - H01J 35/16: Vessels; Containers; Shields associated therewith - H01J 2235/02: Electrical arrangements - H01J 2235/16: Vessels - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract An x-ray tube 10 can have (a) an enclosure electrically-insulating a cathode 11 from an anode 12; (b) a coating-ring 18 on an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring 18 encircling a longitudinal-axis 16 of the enclosure; and (c) an interruption-ring 19 located at the inner-face of the enclosure at a different location than the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different location along the longitudinal-axis 16 with respect to the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different radius from the longitudinal-axis 16 than the coating-ring 18. The coating-ring 18 and the interruption-ring 19 can reduce uneven electrical charge build-up on the inner-face of the enclosure, and can protect the triple-point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An x-ray tube comprising: a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another, the cathode configured to emit electrons towards the anode, and the anode configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode; an enclosure attached to the cathode and the anode, the enclosure electrically-insulating the cathode from the anode; the enclosure, the cathode, and the anode form a housing that is hermetically sealed; a coating-ring on and adjoining an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring encircling a longitudinal-axis of the enclosure, the longitudinal-axis extending between the cathode and the anode; an interruption-ring located at the inner-face of the enclosure, the interruption-ring encircling the longitudinal-axis, the interruption-ring being distinct from the coating-ring; the coating-ring and the interruption-ring each have a circular shape; a series electric-current-path through the coating-ring and the interruption-ring between the anode and the cathode; RI>RC, where RI is electrical resistance per unit length through the interruption-ring and RC is electrical resistance per unit length through the coating-ring, both measured parallel to the longitudinal-axis; ρC<ρE, where ρC is a bulk electrical resistivity of the coating-ring and PE is a bulk electrical resistivity of the enclosure; the enclosure includes a cylinder with a hole extending through a core of the cylinder; the inner-face of the enclosure is an inner-face of the cylinder; the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis at a different location along the longitudinal-axis than the coating-ring; material of the coating-ring coats at least part of an exterior of the cylinder; the material of the coating-ring is continuous from the coating-ring to the exterior of the cylinder; a triple-point is formed at a junction of the cylinder, an internal vacuum inside of the cylinder, and the cathode; and the material of the coating-ring extends between the cathode and the cylinder, thus helping to protect the triple point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The x-ray tube of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes glass or ceramic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The x-ray tube of claim 1, wherein the interruption-ring interrupts the coating-ring, forming two separate coating-rings with each of the two separate coating-rings on each of two opposite sides of the interruption-ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The x-ray tube of claim 1, wherein the coating-ring interrupts the interruption-ring, forming two separate interruption-rings with each of the two separate interruption-rings on each of two opposite sides of the coating-ring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The x-ray tube of claim 1, wherein the coating-ring includes titanium oxide and chromium oxide, and the interruption-ring is free of titanium oxide and chromium oxide. ### Claim 6 An x-ray tube comprising: a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another, the cathode configured to emit electrons towards the anode, and the anode configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode; an enclosure attached to the cathode and the anode, the enclosure electrically-insulating the cathode from the anode; the enclosure, the cathode, and the anode form a housing that is hermetically sealed; a coating-ring on and adjoining an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring encircling a longitudinal-axis of the enclosure, the longitudinal-axis extending between the cathode and the anode; an interruption-ring located at the inner-face of the enclosure, the interruption-ring encircling the longitudinal-axis, the interruption-ring being distinct from the coating-ring; the coating-ring and the interruption-ring each have a circular shape; a series electric-current-path through the coating-ring and the interruption-ring between the anode and the cathode; RI>RC, where RI is electrical resistance per unit length through the interruption-ring and RC is electrical resistance per unit length through the coating-ring, both measured parallel to the longitudinal-axis; ρC<ρE, where ρC is a bulk electrical resistivity of the coating-ring and ρE is a bulk electrical resistivity of the enclosure; the enclosure includes a cylinder with a hole extending through a core of the cylinder; the inner-face of the enclosure is an inner-face of the cylinder; the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis at a different location along the longitudinal-axis than the coating-ring; material of the coating-ring coats at least part of an exterior of the cylinder; the material of the coating-ring is continuous from the coating-ring to the exterior of the cylinder; a triple-point is formed at a junction of the cylinder, an internal vacuum inside of the cylinder, and the anode; and the material of the coating-ring extends between the anode and the cylinder, thus helping to protect the triple point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The x-ray tube of claim 6, wherein the enclosure includes glass or ceramic. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The x-ray tube of claim 6, wherein the interruption-ring interrupts the coating-ring, forming two separate coating-rings with each of the two separate coating-rings on each of two opposite sides of the interruption-ring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The x-ray tube of claim 6, wherein the coating-ring interrupts the interruption-ring, forming two separate interruption-rings with each of the two separate interruption-rings on each of two opposite sides of the coating-ring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The x-ray tube of claim 6, wherein the coating-ring includes titanium oxide and chromium oxide, and the interruption-ring is free of titanium oxide and chromium oxide. ### Claim 11 An x-ray tube comprising: a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another, the cathode configured to emit electrons towards the anode, and the anode configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode; an enclosure attached to the cathode and the anode, the enclosure electrically-insulating the cathode from the anode; the enclosure includes glass or ceramic; an interruption-ring and two separate coating-rings, the interruption-ring interrupts the two separate coating-rings with each of the two separate coating-rings on each of two opposite sides of the interruption-ring; a series electric-current-path between the anode and the cathode at an inner-face of the enclosure, the series electric-current-path including one of the two separate coating-rings, the interruption-ring, then the other of the two separate coating-rings; RI>RC, where RI is electrical resistance per unit length through the interruption-ring and RC is electrical resistance per unit length through each of the two separate coating-rings, both measured along the electric-current path; ρC<ρE, where ρC is a bulk electrical resistivity of the two separate coating-rings and ρE is a bulk electrical resistivity of the enclosure; the coating-rings encircle longitudinal-axis of the enclosure, the two separate coating-rings are on the inner-face, the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis, and the interruption-ring is distinct from the two separate coating-rings; the enclosure includes a cylinder with a hole extending through a core of the cylinder; the inner-face of the enclosure is an inner-face of the cylinder; the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis at a different location along the longitudinal-axis than the coating-rings; material of the two separate coating-rings coats at least part of an exterior of the cylinder; the material of at least one of the two separate coating-rings is continuous from the at least one of the two separate coating-rings to the exterior of the cylinder; a triple-point is formed at a junction of the cylinder, an internal vacuum inside of the cylinder, and the cathode; and the material of the at least one of the two separate coating-rings extends between the cathode and the cylinder, thus helping to protect the triple point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The x-ray tube of claim 11, wherein the enclosure, the cathode, and the anode form a housing that is hermetically sealed and capable of maintaining a vacuum therein. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The x-ray tube of claim 11, wherein the two separate coating-rings and the interruption-ring each have a circular shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The x-ray tube of claim 11, wherein the two separate coating-rings include titanium oxide and chromium oxide, and the interruption-ring is free of titanium oxide and chromium oxide. ### Claim 15 An x-ray tube comprising: a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another, the cathode configured to emit electrons towards the anode, and the anode configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode; an enclosure attached to the cathode and the anode, the enclosure electrically-insulating the cathode from the anode; the enclosure includes glass or ceramic; an interruption-ring and two separate coating-rings, the interruption-ring interrupts the two separate coating-rings with each of the two separate coating-rings on each of two opposite sides of the interruption-ring; a series electric-current-path between the anode and the cathode at an inner-face of the enclosure, the series electric-current-path including one of the two separate coating-rings, the interruption-ring, then the other of the two separate coating-rings; RI>RC, where RI is electrical resistance per unit length through the interruption-ring and RC is electrical resistance per unit length through each of the two separate coating-rings, both measured along the electric-current path; ρC<ρE, where ρC is a bulk electrical resistivity of the two separate coating-rings and PE is a bulk electrical resistivity of the enclosure; the two separate coating-rings encircle a longitudinal-axis of the enclosure, the two separate coating-rings are on the inner-face, the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis, and the interruption-ring is distinct from the two separate coating-rings; the enclosure includes a cylinder with a hole extending through a core of the cylinder; the inner-face of the enclosure is an inner-face of the cylinder; the interruption-ring encircles the longitudinal-axis at a different location along the longitudinal-axis than the two separate coating-rings; material of the two separate coating-rings coats at least part of an exterior of the cylinder; the material of at least one of the two separate coating-rings is continuous from the at least one of the two separate coating-rings to the exterior of the cylinder; a triple-point is formed at a junction of the cylinder, an internal vacuum inside of the cylinder, and the anode; and the material of the at least one of the two separate coating-rings extends between the anode and the cylinder, thus helping to protect the triple point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The x-ray tube of claim 15, wherein the enclosure, the cathode, and the anode form a housing that is hermetically sealed and capable of maintaining a vacuum therein. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The x-ray tube of claim 15, wherein the two separate coating-rings and the interruption-ring each have a circular shape. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The x-ray tube of claim 15, wherein the two separate coating-rings include titanium oxide and chromium oxide, and the interruption-ring is free of titanium oxide and chromium oxide.