High reliability high voltage device housing system

• US 6,563,908 B1
• Filed: 11/11/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevex X-Ray Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kevex X-Ray Incorporated
• Inventors: Enck, Richard S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIKNADZE, IRAKLI
• Application Number:
  US09/438,169
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 378/123, 378/121, 378/125, 378/127, 378/119, 313/547, 361/220, 374/51
• US Class Current: 378/123
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/04 Mounting the X-ray tube within a closed housing

Abstract

A high voltage device housing assembly includes a housing and a high voltage assembly arranged in combination with an improved insulation system. The high voltage assembly is disposed within the enclosure defined by the housing, and the outer surface of the high voltage device, such as a vacuum tube, bears an insulator including a first portion generally continuously covering the side surface of the high voltage and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the side surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing. Air gaps are present between the respective projections, and the spacing of the ribs is established in a manner that inhibits ionic conduction from occurring between the housing and the high voltage device, which otherwise could lead to high voltage breakdowns.

Claims

1. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device, said device being a vacuum tube, having an outside surface bearing an insulator, wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber and the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing.

7. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 1, 3, 4 or 5 wherein air gaps are present between the plurality of projections.

8. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 1, 2, 4 or 5 wherein said housing comprises a rigid cylindrical shape.

9. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said outside surface of said vacuum tube comprises glass or ceramic.

10. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said vacuum tube and housing have a common longitudinal axis coinciding with respective geometric centers thereof, wherein the projections extend generally perpendicularly away from said longitudinal axis.

11. The high voltage device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 5 wherein said high voltage device is selected from the group consisting of a high voltage resistor and a high voltage capacitor.

12. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said high voltage device has means for providing a voltage potential (V) between a first point located at a first longitudinal end of said high voltage device and a second point located at a second longitudinal end of said high voltage device, where said insulator inhibits ionic conduction between the first and second points.

2. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device having an outside surface bearing an insulator, wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber and the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing wherein air gaps are present between the plurality of projections.

13. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said high voltage device comprises a vacuum tube.

14. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 13 wherein said outside surface of said vacuum tube comprises glass or ceramic.

15. The high voltage device housing assembly according to claim 13 wherein said vacuum tube and housing have a common longitudinal axis coinciding with respective geometric centers thereof, wherein the projections extend generally perpendicularly away from said longitudinal axis.

3. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having a rigid cylindrical shape and an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device having an outside surface bearing an insulator, wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber and the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing.

4. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device having an outside surface bearing an insulator, wherein said high voltage device is selected from the group consisting of a high voltage resistor and a high voltage capacitor and wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber and the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing.

5. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device having an outside surface bearing an insulator, wherein said high voltage device has means for providing a voltage potential (V) between a first point located at a first longitudinal end of said high voltage device and a second point located at a second longitudinal end of said high voltage device, wherein said insulator inhibits ionic conduction between the first and second points and wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber and the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing.

6. A high voltage device housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a high voltage device assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage device having an outside surface bearing an insulator, where the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the outside surface of the high voltage device and an integral second portion comprising n spaced apart projections extending around the outside surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing, where the number of projections n is chosen so that a voltage potential between any two adjacent projections (V_s) is below an ionic conduction breakdown potential for each projection given the voltage potential V between said first and said second points.

16. A vacuum tube housing assembly, comprising:

a housing having an inner wall defining an enclosure and

a vacuum tube assembly, disposed within the enclosure, including a high voltage vacuum tube device having means for providing a voltage potential (V) between a first point located at a first longitudinal end of said vacuum tube device and a second point located at a second longitudinal end of said vacuum tube device, and said vacuum tube device further comprising an outer side surface bearing an insulator, where the insulator includes a first portion generally continuously covering the side surface of the vacuum tube and an integral second portion comprising n spaced apart projections extending around the side surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing for providing insulation against ionic conduction between said first and second points, where the number of projections n are chosen so that a voltage potential between any two adjacent projections (V_s) is below an ionic conduction breakdown potential for each projection given the voltage potential V between said first and said second points, and air gaps are present between the plurality of projections.

17. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 or 6 wherein the voltage potential between any two adjacent projections (V_s) is approximately V/n.

18. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein said insulator comprises silicone rubber.

19. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein said housing comprises a rigid cylindrical shape.

20. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein said vacuum tube device comprises a vacuum x-ray tube.

21. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein said outer side surface of said vacuum tube device comprises glass or ceramic.

22. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein said vacuum tube device and housing have a common longitudinal axis coinciding with respective geometric centers thereof, wherein the projections extend generally perpendicularly away from said longitudinal axis.

23. The vacuum tube housing assembly according to claim 16 wherein the projections are annular ribs.