Apparatus and method for shaping high voltage potentials on an insulator
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorCharles Lynn Chidester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for reducing the incidence of electric field stress on portions of insulating structures within high voltage devices is disclosed. Each of the embodiments disclosed herein modifies the conductive properties of the insulating structure surface in a non-uniform manner such that the distribution of voltage potential along the surface thereof is more fully equalized during operation of the high voltage device. This, in turn, reduces the per unit stress on the insulating structure caused by the electric field of the high voltage device. Through embodiments of the present invention are preferably directed to utilization in x-ray tube devices, a variety of high voltage devices may benefit from application of the disclosed matter.
Claims14
An x-ray tube comprising:
- a vacuum enclosure having disposed therein a cathode for producing electrons, and an anode positioned to receive electrons emitted by the cathode;
- a cathode insulating structure affixed to the cathode for electrically isolating the cathode from other portions of the x-ray tube;
- an anode insulating structure affixed to the anode for electrically isolating the anode from other portions of the x-ray tube;
- and
- means for modifying the voltage potential along the surface of at least one of the insulating structures of the x-ray tube during operation thereof.
An x-ray tube comprising:
- a vacuum enclosure having disposed therein a cathode for producing electrons and an anode positioned to receive the electrons emitted by the cathode;
- a cathode insulator for electrically isolating a high voltage potential produced by the cathode from other portions of the x-ray tube;
- an anode insulator for electrically isolating a high voltage potential produced by the anode from other portions of the x-ray tube;
- and
- a layer of coating material applied in a non-uniform fashion to the surface of at least one of the cathode and anode insulators for modifying the voltage potential along the surface thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.