Composite coating for improved wear resistance for x-ray tube bearings
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsKrishnamurhty Anand, Dennis Michael Gray, Pazhayannur R. Subramanian, Srinidhi Sampath, Carey Shawn Rogers, Steven Alfred Tysoe, Richard Arthur Nardi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing assembly mounted in an x-ray tube includes a bearing race and a bearing ball positioned adjacent to the bearing race. A coating is deposited on one of the bearing race and the bearing ball includes a lubricant and a hard material having a hardness greater than a base material of the bearing race and a base material of the bearing ball.
Claims12
A bearing assembly mounted in an x-ray tube, the bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing race;
- a bearing ball positioned adjacent to the bearing race;
- and
- a combination coating deposited on one of the bearing race and the bearing ball, the combination coating comprising:
- a lubricant;
- and
- a hard material having a hardness greater than a base material of the bearing race and a base material of the bearing ball and wherein the hard material is a hard coating comprising one of a monolithic nitride, a nano multilayered nitride, a nickel-diamond coating, a ceramic, and a carbon and oxide coating with lubricating phase.
A method of manufacturing an x-ray tube bearing assembly, the method including:
- depositing a combination coating on one of a bearing race and a bearing ball, the combination coating comprising:
- a lubricant;
- a hard material having a hardness greater than a base material of the one of a bearing race and a bearing ball;
- and depositing the hard material on the base material, the hard material comprising one of a monolithic nitride, a nano multilayered nitride, a nickel-diamond coating, a ceramic, and a carbon and oxide coating with lubricating phase.
An imaging system comprising:
- an x-ray detector;
- an x-ray tube having a rotatable shaft;
- and
- a bearing assembly supporting the rotatable shaft, the bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing race;
- a bearing ball positioned adjacent to the bearing race;
- and
- a combination coating deposited on one of the bearing race and the bearing ball, the combination coating comprising:
- a lubricant;
- a hard material having a hardness greater than a base material of the bearing race and a base material of the bearing ball;
- and
- wherein the hard material is a hard coating comprising one of a monolithic nitride, a nano multilayered nitride, a nickel-diamond coating, a ceramic, and a carbon and oxide coating with lubricating phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.