Method of manufacturing a rotating anode X-ray tube
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsHiroyuki Sugiura, Katsuhiro Ono, Hidero Anno
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Abstract
In a rotating anode X-ray tube of this invention, a liquid metal lubricant supplied to bearing portions between a rotary member and a stationary member for instructing rotation of the rotary member is to be filled to a volume having a range of lower limit being an amount to fill bearing gaps, including helical grooves, and as an upper limit being 70% of the capacity of the interior in which the lubricant can flow, measured from the end portion of a helical groove slide bearing portion closest to the interior of a vacuum container. In the rotating anode X-ray tube, leakage of the liquid metal lubricant can be prevented, and a stable bearing operation can be maintained.
Claims4
A method of manufacturing a rotating anode X-ray tube, comprising the steps of:
- providing an anode structure having a rotary axis and an anode target;
- providing a rotary structure to which the anode target is fixed and a stationary structure for rotatably supporting the rotary structure, one of the rotary and stationary structures having an opening;
- injecting a liquid metal lubricant having a predetermined volume through the opening into one of the rotary and stationary structures;
- applying liquid metal lubricant to dynamic pressure type bearing sections having helical grooves and bearing gap and positioned between said rotary and stationary structures and to a reservoir communicated with said bearing sections and formed in one of said rotary and stationary structures, the predetermined volume of the liquid metal lubricant being within a range of 20% to 70% of the total volume of the bearing sections and reservoir;
- closing the opening in one of the rotary and stationary structures so as to have a small gap in a liquid tight state;
- locating the anode structure in an envelope and arranging a cathode so as to oppose the anode target in the envelope;
- evacuating the envelope;
- repeatedly changing the posture of the X-ray tube between a vertical position in which the rotary axis set to be vertical and an inclined position in which the rotary axis is set to be either horizontal or inclined during the evacuation of the X-ray tube;
- energizing said X-ray tube to rotate the rotary structure and cause the cathode to emit an electron beam to land on the anode target during the evacuation of the X-ray tube;
- and
- sealing the envelope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.