A bearing structure for an X-ray tube is provided that includes a journal bearing shaft with a radially protruding thrust bearing flange encased within a bearing housing or sleeve. The sleeve includes a thrust seal that is engaged with the sleeve in a manner to maintain coaxiality for the rotating liquid metal seal formed in the sleeve about the shaft. The shaft includes a central bore containing a cooling tube that directs coolant within the bore to maximize the heat transfer from the shaft to the coolant, allowing materials with lower thermal conductivities, such as steel, to be used to form the bearing shaft. The thrust flange on the shaft is formed with channel(s) therein that enable the coolant and/or the liquid metal to effect greater heat transfer on the components of the sleeve through the thrust flange, thereby reducing thermal deformation of the bearing components.

A bearing structure for an X-ray tube is provided that includes a journal bearing shaft with a radially protruding thrust bearing flange encased within a bearing housing or sleeve. The sleeve includes a thrust seal that is engaged with the sleeve in a manner to maintain coaxiality for the rotating liquid metal seal formed in the sleeve about the shaft. The shaft includes a central bore containing a cooling tube that directs coolant within the bore to maximize the heat transfer from the shaft to the coolant, allowing materials with lower thermal conductivities, such as steel, to be used to form the bearing shaft. The thrust flange on the shaft is formed with channel(s) therein that enable the coolant and/or the liquid metal to effect greater heat transfer on the components of the sleeve through the thrust flange, thereby reducing thermal deformation of the bearing components.

An X-ray tube is provided. The X-ray tube includes a bearing configured to couple to an anode. The bearing includes a stationary member, a rotary member configured to rotate with respect to the stationary member during operation of the X-ray tube, and a support feature configured to minimize bending moment along a surface of the stationary member to reduce deflection of the stationary member relative to the rotary member due to radial loads during operation of the X-ray tube.

An X-ray tube is provided. The X-ray tube includes a bearing configured to couple to an anode. The bearing includes a stationary member, a rotary member configured to rotate with respect to the stationary member during operation of the X-ray tube, and a support feature configured to minimize bending moment along a surface of the stationary member to reduce deflection of the stationary member relative to the rotary member due to radial loads during operation of the X-ray tube.

Disclosed herein are a high-voltage generator for an x-ray source, an x-ray gun, an electron beam apparatus, a rotary vacuum seal, a target assembly for an x-ray source, a rotary x-ray emission target, and an x-ray source. These various aspects may separately and/or together enable the construction of an x-ray source which can operate at energies of up to 500 kV and beyond, which is suitable for use in commercial and research x-ray applications such as computerized tomography. In particular, the high-voltage generator includes a shield electrode electrically connected intermediate of a first voltage multiplier and a second voltage multiplier. The electron beam apparatus includes control photodetectors and photo emitters having a transparent conductive shield arranged therebetween. The rotary vacuum seal includes a pumpable chamber at a position intermediate between high-pressure and low-pressure ends of a bore for a rotating shaft. The rotary target assembly is configured such that when a torque between a bearing housing and a vacuum housing exceeds a predetermined torque, the bearing housing rotates relative to the vacuum housing. The rotary x-ray emission target has a plurality of target plates supported on a hub, the plates being arranged on the hub to provide an annular target region about an axis rotation of the hub. The x-ray gun is provided with a shield electrode maintained at a potential difference relative to the x-ray target different to the electron beam emission cathode.

Disclosed herein are a high-voltage generator (120) for an x-ray source, an x-ray gun, an electron beam apparatus, a rotary vacuum seal, a target assembly for an x-ray source, a rotary x-ray emission target (500), and an x-ray source. These various aspects may separately and/or together enable the construction of an x-ray source which can operate at energies of up to 500 kV and beyond, which is suitable for use in commercial and research x-ray applications such as computerized tomography. In particular, the high-voltage generator includes a shield electrode (123a, 123b) electrically connected intermediate of a first voltage multiplier (122a, 122b) and a second voltage multiplier (122b, 122c). The electron beam apparatus includes control photodetectors (202a, 202bnot shown) and photo emitters (201a, 202a) having a transparent conductive shield (203a and 203b, 203cnot shown) arranged therebetween. The rotary vacuum seal includes a pumpable chamber (302) at a position intermediate between high-pressure and low-pressure ends of a bore (301) for a rotating shaft (401). The rotary target assembly is configured such that when a torque between a bearing housing (403) and a vacuum housing exceeds a predetermined torque, the bearing housing rotates relative to the vacuum housing. The rotary x-ray emission target (500) has a plurality of target plates (560) supported on a hub, the plates being arranged on the hub to provide an annular target region about an axis rotation of the hub. The x-ray gun is provided with a shield electrode (123a) maintained at a potential difference relative to the x-ray target different to the electron beam emission cathode.

Disclosed herein are a high-voltage generator for an x-ray source, an x-ray gun, an electron beam apparatus, a rotary vacuum seal, a target assembly for an x-ray source, a rotary x-ray emission target, and an x-ray source. These various aspects may separately and/or together enable the construction of an x-ray source which can operate at energies of up to 500 kV and beyond, which is suitable for use in commercial and research x-ray applications such as computerized tomography. In particular, the high-voltage generator includes a shield electrode electrically connected intermediate of a first voltage multiplier and a second voltage multiplier. The electron beam apparatus includes control photodetectors and photo emitters having a transparent conductive shield arranged therebetween. The rotary vacuum seal includes a pumpable chamber at a position intermediate between high-pressure and low-pressure ends of a bore for a rotating shaft. The rotary target assembly is configured such that when a torque between a bearing housing and a vacuum housing exceeds a predetermined torque, the bearing housing rotates relative to the vacuum housing. The rotary x-ray emission target has a plurality of target plates supported on a hub, the plates being arranged on the hub to provide an annular target region about an axis rotation of the hub. The x-ray gun is provided with a shield electrode maintained at a potential difference relative to the x-ray target different to the electron beam emission cathode.

In order to provide a mount of an anode disk to a rotating shaft that is suitable for increased thermal loads on the anode disk, a rotating anode assembly (10) is provided that comprises an anode disk (12), a rotating shaft (14), and an anode disk support (16). The anode disk is concentrically mounted to a rotating axis (18) of the rotating shaft via the anode disk support, and the anode disk support comprises a first support (20) with a first circular axial support surface (22) that is provided at the rotating shaft in a concentric manner with the rotating axis. Further, the anode disk support comprises a second support (24) with a second axial support surface (26) that is at least temporarily attached to the rotating shaft for urging the anode disk against the first support surface in an axial clamping direction. Still further, the first support is provided as a radially flexible support (28). Upon heating up of the anode disk during X-ray generation, and a thermal expansion of the anode disk, the radially flexible support bends (32) radially such that the first axial support surface at least partly follows the thermal expansion in a radial direction.

Disclosed herein are a high-voltage generator for an x-ray source, an x-ray gun, an electron beam apparatus, a rotary vacuum seal, a target assembly for an x-ray source, a rotary x-ray emission target, and an x-ray source. These various aspects may separately and/or together enable the construction of an x-ray source which can operate at energies of up to 500 kV and beyond, which is suitable for use in commercial and research x-ray applications such as computerised tomography. In particular, the high-voltage generator includes a shield electrode electrically connected intermediate of a first voltage multiplier and a second voltage multiplier. The electron beam apparatus includes control photodetectors and photo emitters having a transparent conductive shield arranged therebetween. The rotary vacuum seal includes a pumpable chamber at a position intermediate between high-pressure and low-pressure ends of a bore for a rotating shaft. The rotary target assembly is configured such that when a torque between a bearing housing and a vacuum housing exceeds a predetermined torque, the bearing housing rotates relative to the vacuum housing. The rotary x-ray emission target has a plurality of target plates supported on a hub, the plates being arranged on the hub to provide an annular target region about an axis rotation of the hub. The x-ray gun is provided with a shield electrode maintained at a potential difference relative to the x-ray target different to the electron beam emission cathode.

An X-ray emitter has a rotating anode rotatably mounted inside an X-ray tube by way of a multi-sliding surface bearing. The multi-sliding surface bearing has an inner and an outer sliding surface which are mounted so they can rotate relative to each other about an axis of rotation such that a gap is formed between the inner and outer sliding surfaces. A contour of the inner sliding surface, in a plane running perpendicular to the axis of rotation, is formed at least in certain sections by arc-shaped segments which are each centered around center points that are offset from each other.