Systems and methods for a liquid metal bearing assembly fill port and plug
AssigneeGE Precision Healthcare LLC
InventorsEric J Lubar, Andrew T Triscari, Andrew J Marconnet, Donald R Allen, Ryan Randall Dagen, Ian S Hunt
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Abstract
Various methods and systems are provided for a liquid metal bearing assembly. In one embodiment, a liquid metal bearing assembly includes a fill port fluidly coupled to a liquid metal reservoir of the liquid metal bearing assembly, the fill port comprising an inlet diameter and an outlet diameter, the outlet diameter smaller than the inlet diameter, and a pin formed to fit inside the fill port and prevent liquid metal from leaving the liquid metal reservoir via the fill port.
Claims20
A liquid metal bearing assembly, comprising:
- a fill port fluidly coupled to a liquid metal reservoir of a liquid metal bearing assembly, the fill port having an inlet diameter and an outlet diameter, the outlet diameter smaller than the inlet diameter;
- and
- a pin shaped to fit inside the fill port and prevent liquid metal from leaving the liquid metal reservoir via the fill port.
A method, comprising:
- filling a reservoir of a liquid metal bearing with a lubricant by injecting the lubricant into the reservoir via a fill port in a rotating member of the liquid metal bearing;
- and
- sealing the reservoir from an atmosphere by inserting a pin into the fill port.
An x-ray source, comprising:
- a cathode;
- an anode with a rotating feature where the rotating feature is rotated by a liquid metal bearing assembly having a rotating component circumferentially surrounding a stationary component, the rotating component including a fill port positioned a radial distance from a rotational axis of the liquid metal bearing assembly, and where a lubricant reservoir of the liquid metal bearing assembly is selectively isolated from atmosphere by inserting a pin into the fill port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.