X-ray tube rotor and stator assembly
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorVivek Bhatt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An X-ray tube assembly having bearings rotatably connecting a rotor shaft and a stator. A pair of circumferential protrusions each radially extend from the shaft and are spaced apart a first radial distance from the stator. A substance, which includes metal (such as gallium) and which is liquid at the assembly's operating temperature, is located longitudinally between the circumferential protrusions. The substance radially extends a second radial distance between, and in conductive thermal contact with, the shaft and the stator. Preferably, the second radial distance is greater than fifty times the first radial distance, and the first radial distance is between twenty and sixty microns.
Claims19
An X-ray tube assembly having an operating temperature and comprising:
- a) an X-ray tube rotor having a rotatable shaft with a generally longitudinally extending axis;
- b) an X-ray tube stator generally coaxially aligned with said axis and radially spaced apart from said shaft;
- c) a pair of bearings disposed radially between said shaft and said stator, wherein said bearings are longitudinally spaced apart from each other by a first longitudinal distance;
- d) a pair of circumferential protrusions each radially extending from one of said shaft and said stator and radially spaced apart a first radial distance from the other of said shaft and said stator, wherein said circumferential protrusions are longitudinally spaced apart from each other by a second longitudinal distance and wherein said circumferential protrusions are disposed longitudinally between said bearings;
- and
- e) a substance which comprises metal and which is liquid at said operating temperature, wherein said substance is longitudinally disposed between said circumferential protrusions and wherein said substance radially extends a second radial distance between, and in conductive thermal contact with, said shaft and said stator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.