Rotary anode X-ray tube having a sliding bearing
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorsWalter A. M. Hartl, Diethard A. Peter, Klaus H. Reiber
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Abstract
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.
Claims10
A rotary anode X-ray tube comprising:
- a stationary part;
- a rotary anode part rotatably arranged about the stationary part;
- a sliding bearing means located between the stationary part and the rotary anode part, having a layer of liquid metal or liquid metal alloy;
- a further bearing means axially and radially supporting and aligning the rotary anode part in a predetermined manner relative to the stationary part;
- the further bearing means substantially absorbing any axial and radial bearing forces produced by the rotary anode part, the sliding bearing means comparatively absorbing a small fraction of the axial and radial bearing forces, the sliding bearing means principally dissipating the heat produced by the rotary anode part and electrically contacting the rotary anode part to a high-voltage potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.