X-ray tube noise and vibration reduction
AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorsRichard R. Sano, George Antonsen, Gregory C. Andrews
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An X-ray tube construction of the rotating anode type for reducing acoustic noise and vibration by using granules which are placed loosely within an anode cavity formed between the outer surface of an anode shank and a wall of an anode sleeve in proximity to a bearing journaled to a rotor shaft for rotation of an anode structure.
Claims16
An X-ray tube comprising:
- a housing;
- an X-ray insert disposed within said housing, said X-ray insert having a vacuum envelope with a neck portion and a bulb portion;
- an anode structure having a first end disposed within said bulb portion and a second end disposed within said neck portion, a target mounted on said first end, anode shaft rotatably attached to said target, said second end further comprising an anode sleeve and an anode shank coupling by a retaining means to define an anode cavity therebetween;
- granules, said granules distributed loosely within said anode cavity for absorbing the vibrational energy transmitted by said anode shaft.
An X-ray tube comprising:
- a housing;
- an X-ray insert disposed within said housing, said X-ray insert having a vacuum envelope with a neck portion and a bulb portion;
- a rotor shaft journaled in bearings for rotation within said envelope;
- a target placed in said bulb portion of said envelope, said target having a portion secured to and engaging said shaft for rotation therewith;
- an anode shank mounted to said rotor shaft, said shank having an outer cylindrical surface;
- an anode sleeve wall fixed to said neck portion of said vacuum envelope, said anode sleeve wall spaced apart in opposed relationship to said outer cylindrical surface of said anode shank;
- an anode seal, said anode seal connecting said outer wall of said anode shank to said anode sleeve wall;
- a washer, said washer spaced apart to said anode seal in opposed relationship to said anode seal and connecting said outer surface of said anode shank wall to said anode sleeve wall;
- said washer, anode sleeve, anode seal and outer surface of said anode shank defining an anode cavity;
- granules, said granules placed into said anode cavity for absorbing the vibrational energy transmitted by said rotor shaft.
An X-ray tube comprising;
- a housing;
- an X-ray insert disposed within said housing, said insert having:
- a vacuum envelope,
- a first and second electrode structure disposed within said envelope,
- said first electrode structure forming an anode, said anode comprising a target and a shaft rotatably attached to said target,
- said second electrode structure forming a cathode, said cathode spaced apart from and oppositely disposed from said anode;
- a vibration absorbing means disposed in energy exchanging relationship with at least one of said electrode structure, said vibration absorbing means having a containment means and granules, said granules distributed loosely within said containment means for dissipating the vibrational energy transmitted by said shaft of said anode.
A method of attenuating the vibrational energy of an X-ray tube generated by a rotor shaft within the X-ray tube having a rotating anode structure which is coupled to a vacuum envelope of said X-ray tube via bearings, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an anode shank at a neck portion of said X-ray tube, said shank having an outer cylindrical surface;
- mounting said anode shank to said rotor shaft;
- forming an anode cavity in proximity to said bearings between said outer cylindrical surface of said shank and an anode sleeve wall of said rotating anode structure;
- distributing granules loosely into said anode cavity;
- shielding said anode cavity with said granules by a cover, wherein, in operation, the vibrational energy excited by said rotor shaft is transmitted via bearings to said anode cavity and absorbed by said granules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.