Vibration damping for apparatus comprising rotating gantry
AssigneeAnalogic Corporation
InventorGilbert W. McKenna
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more techniques and/or apparatuses described herein provide a roller truck comprising non-rotating dampening material that is configured to dampen vibrations and mitigate the transference of vibrations from a rotating gantry to a support frame and vice-versa during rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame. It will be appreciated that two different types of roller trucks, base roller trucks and z-axis roller trucks, are described herein, and the non-rotating dampening material may be inserted into one or both types of roller trucks. While the instant disclosure finds particular application in the context of computed tomography apparatus, the instant disclosure is not intended to be limited to such applications.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a support frame;
- a rotating gantry configured for rotation relative to the support frame;
- and
- a roller truck configured to at least partially support the rotating gantry and facilitate rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame, the roller truck comprising:
- a plate comprising:
- a first layer defining a first surface;
- a second layer comprising a non-rotating dampening material for dampening vibrations caused by the rotation of the rotating gantry;
- and
- a third layer defining a second surface, the second layer situated between the first layer and the third layer;
- at least one roller axle operably coupled to the first surface;
- an attachment member operably coupled to the second surface, the attachment member configured to operably couple the roller truck to at least one of the support frame or the rotating gantry;
- and
- one or more rollers rotatably mounted on the at least one roller axle and configured to at least partially support the rotating gantry and to facilitate rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame, wherein the at least one roller axle is not operably coupled to a layer to which the attachment member is operably coupled.
A method for constructing a roller truck for supporting a rotating gantry and for allowing for rotation of the rotating gantry relative to a support frame, comprising:
- attaching one or more rollers to one or more roller axles;
- coupling the one or more roller axles to a plate;
- coupling an attachment member to the plate, the attachment member configured to operably couple the roller truck to at least one of the rotating gantry or the support frame;
- and
- inserting a non-rotating dampening material into at least one of:
- the one or more roller axles, or
- the attachment member, the non-rotating dampening material configured to dampen vibrations caused by the rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame.
A computed tomography (CT) apparatus comprising:
- a support frame;
- a rotating gantry configured for rotation relative to the support frame, the rotating gantry comprising an x-ray source and a detector array;
- and
- a roller truck configured to support the rotating gantry and to allow the rotating gantry to rotate relative to the support frame, the roller truck comprising:
- a plate comprising:
- a first layer defining a first surface;
- a second layer comprising a dampening material configured to dampen vibrations caused by the rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame;
- and
- a third layer defining a second surface, the second layer situated between the first layer and the third layer;
- at least one roller axle operably coupled to the first surface;
- an attachment member operably coupled to the second surface, the attachment member configured to operably couple the roller truck to at least one of the support frame or the rotating gantry;
- and
- one or more rollers rotatably mounted on the at least one roller axle and configured to at least partially support the rotating gantry and to facilitate rotation of the rotating gantry relative to the support frame, wherein the at least one roller axle is not operably coupled to a layer to which the attachment member is operably coupled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.