X-ray tube bearing and CT machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of medical equipment, and discloses an X-ray tube bearing and a CT (Computed Tomography) machine. The bearing unit is arranged on the mandrel in a sleeving manner; the shaft seat is arranged on the bearing unit in a sleeving mode, the mandrel can rotate relative to the shaft seat through the bearing unit, and the mandrel can drive a target disc to rotate when rotating; the bushing is arranged on the shaft seat in a sleeving manner and is fixedly connected with the shaft seat, a flow channel is arranged between the inner circumferential surface of the bushing and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft seat, the flow channel is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the flow channel is used for introducing cooling liquid, and the flow channel at least covers the bearing unit in the axis direction of the mandrel; the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located in the end, away from the target disc, of the lining. According to the scheme provided by the utility model, the working temperature of the X-ray tube bearing can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of medical equipment, in particular to an X-ray tube bearing and a CT machine. Background Art

[0002] CT (Computed Tomography) equipment is increasingly widely used in the medical field for its intuitive, clear and accurate diagnostic effects. The X-ray tube (also called "CT tube") in the CT machine is an X-ray generating device and the core component of the CT equipment. The X-ray tube bearing is a key component of the X-ray tube, which is used to support the rotation scanning of the CT machine, transmit and withstand the axial load, radial load and overturning moment generated by the X-ray tube, collimator, detector, slip ring and other devices.

[0003] When the X-ray tube is working, the bearing must not only rotate continuously, but also continuously receive a large amount of heat transferred from the target disk. If the rate at which the X-ray tube bearing receives heat transferred from the target disk exceeds the heat dissipation rate of the bearing, the heat accumulation will cause the bearing temperature to rise rapidly, causing bearing failures such as lubrication failure and shaft sticking, which will lead to failure of the X-ray tube.

[0004] In the prior art, the heat transfer between the target and the X-ray tube bearing is usually blocked to reduce the heat transfer rate from the target to the bearing. However, this method has limited effect on reducing the temperature of the X-ray tube bearing, especially when the CT machine is running for a long time and at high power, a large amount of heat is still transferred and accumulated to the X-ray tube bearing, causing it to be at a very high temperature. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide an X-ray tube bearing and a CT machine, which can effectively reduce the temperature of the X-ray tube bearing during operation.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides an X-ray tube bearing on one hand, comprising: a core shaft, one end of which is used to be connected to a target disk; a bearing unit, which is sleeved on the core shaft; a shaft seat, which is sleeved on the bearing unit, the core shaft can rotate relative to the shaft seat through the bearing unit, and the core shaft can drive the target disk to rotate when it rotates; a bushing, which is sleeved on the shaft seat and fixedly connected to the shaft seat, a flow channel is provided between the inner circumference of the bushing and the outer circumference of the shaft seat, the flow channel has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the flow channel is used to pass a coolant, the flow channel covers the bearing unit at least along the axial direction of the core shaft, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located at one end of the bushing away from the target disk.

[0007] In one embodiment, the flow channel is a groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft seat, and the shaft seat is sealingly connected to the bushing.

[0008] In one of the embodiments, the flow channel is a groove provided on the inner circumferential surface of the bushing, and the shaft seat is sealingly connected to the bushing.

[0009] In one embodiment, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located at an end of the bushing away from the target disk.

[0010] In one embodiment, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are respectively provided with joints.

[0011] In one embodiment, the X-ray tube bearing further comprises a sealing member, and the sealing member is respectively arranged between the joint and the liquid inlet, and between the joint and the liquid outlet.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bearing unit includes an outer ring and balls, the balls are arranged between the outer ring and the core shaft, and the shaft seat sleeve is arranged on the outer ring.

[0013] In one embodiment, there are two bearing units, one bearing unit is disposed at each end of the core shaft;

[0014] The X-ray tube bearing further comprises a spacer and a spring. The spacer is located between the two outer rings. The spring abuts between the spacer and one of the outer rings. One end of the spacer facing away from the spring abuts against the other outer ring.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, a flange is provided at one end of the core shaft connected to the target plate, a heat-resistant plate is provided at the end of the flange, and the heat-resistant plate is provided with a hollow groove.

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a CT machine, comprising:

[0017] An X-ray tube bearing as described in any one of the above items;

[0018] A housing connected to the bushing and forming a sealed vacuum chamber together with the bushing;

[0019] a rotor, located in the vacuum chamber and connected to the mandrel;

[0020] a target plate, located in the vacuum chamber and connected to the rotor;

[0021] An electron emitter, located in the vacuum chamber and arranged relative to the target disk, capable of emitting electrons toward the target disk;

[0022] A stator, located outside the vacuum chamber and used to drive the rotor to rotate;

[0023] A cold liquid circulation device, connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet respectively;

[0024] Wherein, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located outside the vacuum chamber.

[0025] The X-ray tube bearing and CT machine provided by the above technical solution have the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: a flow channel is arranged between the inner circumferential surface of the bushing and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft seat, and the flow channel has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. When the X-ray tube bearing is working, the coolant enters the flow channel from the liquid inlet and flows out from the liquid outlet, so that the heat of the X-ray tube bearing can be taken out by the coolant, and the X-ray tube bearing is actively cooled, with good heat dissipation effect, so as to prevent the bearing unit from being overheated and causing lubrication failure, shaft jamming and other faults. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an X-ray tube bearing shown in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the axle seat shown in the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a CT machine shown in an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Among them, 1-core shaft, 2-bearing unit, 21-outer ring, 22-ball, 3-shaft seat, 4-bushing, 5-flow channel, 6-liquid inlet, 7-liquid outlet, 8-connector, 9-seal, 10-spacer, 11-spring, 12-flange, 13-heat-resistant disk, 14-housing, 15-vacuum chamber, 16-rotor, 17-target disk, 18-electron emitter, 19-cold liquid circulation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following is a further detailed description of the specific implementation of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like used in the present invention to indicate the orientation or position relationship is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides an X-ray tube bearing, including a core shaft 1, a bearing unit 2, a shaft seat 3 and a bushing 4.

[0034] One end of the mandrel 1 is used to connect with the target disk, which is used to withstand the bombardment of the electron beam emitted by the cathode and generate and emit X-rays. Only about 1% of the energy generated by the bombardment of the target disk is converted into X-rays, and the remaining 99% of the energy is converted into heat and deposited on the target disk. Part of the heat on the target disk is radiated to the outside of the X-ray tube through thermal radiation, and the other part is dispersed into the X-ray tube through heat conduction of the rotor and bearing structure.

[0035] The bearing unit 2 is sleeved on the core shaft 1, and the shaft seat 3 is sleeved on the bearing unit 2. The core shaft 1 can rotate relative to the shaft seat 3 through the bearing unit 2. When the X-ray tube is working, the shaft seat 3 is fixed, the core shaft 1 can rotate relative to the shaft seat 3, and the bearing unit 2 is placed between the core shaft 1 and the shaft seat 3. Specifically, the shaft seat 3 is provided with an installation cavity with one end open, such as Figure 1 As shown, the opening of the installation cavity is located at the left end of the shaft seat 3, the mandrel 1 is located in the installation cavity and is coaxially arranged with the shaft seat 3, the bearing unit 2 is located in the installation cavity and sleeved on the outer periphery of the mandrel 1, and the left end of the mandrel 1 extends out of the installation cavity and is used to connect with the target plate. When the mandrel 1 rotates, it can drive the target plate to rotate.

[0036] The bushing 4 is sleeved on the shaft seat 3. A flow channel 5 is provided between the inner circumference of the bushing 4 and the outer circumference of the shaft seat 3. The flow channel 5 has a liquid inlet 6 and a liquid outlet 7. The flow channel 5 is used to introduce cooling liquid. The flow channel 5 covers the bearing unit 2 at least along the axial direction of the core shaft 1. The liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 are both located at the end of the bushing 4 away from the target disk. The bushing 4 is a sleeve structure. The bushing 4 is fixedly connected to the shaft seat 3. The flow channel 5 is provided between the inner circumference of the bushing 4 and the outer circumference of the shaft seat 3 to remove the heat from the shaft seat 3. The flow channel 5 covers the bearing unit 2 at least along the axial direction of the core shaft 1, that is, Figure 1 As shown, the bearing unit 2 is located within the length range of the flow channel 5 in the left and right directions in the figure. In this way, after the heat of the bearing unit 2 is transferred to the shaft seat 3, it can be directly taken out by the coolant in the flow channel 5, which is convenient for cooling the bearing unit 2 and preventing the bearing unit 2 from malfunctioning due to high temperature.

[0037] The coolant may be water, ethylene glycol coolant or metal coolant.

[0038] Based on the above scheme, a flow channel 5 is arranged between the inner circumferential surface of the bushing 4 and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft seat 3, and the flow channel 5 has a liquid inlet 6 and a liquid outlet 7. When the X-ray tube bearing is working, the coolant enters the flow channel 5 from the liquid inlet 6 and flows out from the liquid outlet 7. In this way, the heat of the X-ray tube bearing can be taken out through the coolant, and the X-ray tube bearing is actively cooled, with good heat dissipation effect, to prevent the bearing unit 2 from being overheated and causing lubrication failure, shaft jamming and other faults.

[0039] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel 5 is a groove arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft seat 3, and the shaft seat 3 is sealed and connected with the bushing 4.

[0040] Specifically, a groove can be machined on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft seat 3 by machining or laser cutting, and the depth of the groove is preferably no more than half of the thickness of the shaft seat 3 at the installation cavity to ensure the strength of the shaft seat 3. A step structure is provided at the right end of the shaft seat 3, and the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 of the flow channel 5 are arranged on the end surface of the step structure, that is, the direction in which the groove extends to the right penetrates the end surface of the step structure to form the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7, and the joint 8 is arranged on the end surface of the step structure. The flow channel 5 can be as follows Figure 2 The shown one is serpentine-shaped, but it can be in other forms. The cross section of the flow channel 5 can be rectangular, arc-shaped or V-shaped. Optionally, there can be multiple flow channels 5, each of which has a liquid inlet 6 and a liquid outlet 7, and the multiple flow channels 5 are circumferentially distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft seat 3.

[0041] The shaft seat 3 and the bushing 4 can be connected by interference fit, and then can be sealed by vacuum electron beam melting welding to form a seal between the two end faces of the shaft seat 3 and the bushing 4, thus ensuring that the X-ray tube forms a vacuum chamber.

[0042] In one embodiment, the flow channel 5 is a groove provided on the inner circumference of the bushing 4, and the shaft seat 3 is sealed and connected to the bushing 4. Specifically, the flow channel 5 can be provided on the inner circumference of the bushing 4 in a manner similar to that provided on the outer circumference of the shaft seat 3. The groove can be processed on the inner circumference of the bushing 4 by machining or laser cutting, and it is preferred that the depth of the groove does not exceed half of the thickness of the bushing 4 to ensure the strength of the bushing 4. The liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 of the flow channel 5 are provided on the right end face of the bushing 4, that is, the direction in which the groove extends to the right penetrates the right end face of the bushing 4 to form the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7, and the joint 8 is provided on the right end face of the bushing 4.

[0043] In one embodiment, if Figure 1As shown, the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 are both located at the end of the bushing 4 away from the target disk, so that the end of the core shaft 1 connected to the target disk, that is, the left end in the figure, and the left end of the bushing 4 are located in the vacuum chamber of the X-ray tube, while the right end of the bushing 4 and the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 are located outside the vacuum chamber, so that it is convenient to pass the cooling liquid into and out of the flow channel 5 through the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, a connector 8 is provided on the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7. The connector 8 is communicated with the liquid inlet 6 or the liquid outlet 7, and the connector 8 is also used to communicate with an external coolant delivery device.

[0045] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the X-ray tube bearing further includes a seal 9, and a seal 9 is provided between the joint 8 and the liquid inlet 6, and between the joint 8 and the liquid outlet 7. Specifically, the seal 9 is used to seal the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7, and the joint 8 passes through the seal 9 to ensure that the coolant does not leak from the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7. The seal 9 can be made of rubber material.

[0046] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the bearing unit 2 includes an outer ring 21 and balls 22, the balls 22 are arranged between the outer ring 21 and the core shaft 1, and the shaft seat 3 is sleeved on the outer ring 21. Specifically, a raceway is provided on the circumference of the core shaft 1, and a plurality of balls 22 are arranged on the raceway, and the circumference of the core shaft 1 can be used as the inner ring of the bearing unit 2. The surface of the balls 22 is coated with a solid lubricant film layer, which is used to play a lubricating role when the balls 22 roll.

[0047] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, there are two bearing units 2, and a bearing unit 2 is respectively arranged at both ends of the core shaft 1, that is, a bearing unit 2 is respectively arranged at one end of the core shaft 1 close to the target disk and one end of the core shaft 1 away from the target disk to support the rotatable core shaft 1.

[0048] During operation, the core shaft 1 will increase in temperature due to receiving the heat of the target disk, thereby generating thermal deformation, which will change the clearance of the bearing unit 2 and increase the wear of the ball 22. The X-ray tube bearing of this embodiment also includes a spacer 10 and a spring 11. The spacer 10 is located between the two outer rings 21, and the spring 11 abuts between the spacer 10 and one of the outer rings 21. The end of the spacer 10 away from the spring 11 abuts against the other outer ring 21. In this way, the spring 11 and the spacer 10 will generate a preload between the two outer rings 21. When the core shaft 1 is thermally deformed to increase the clearance of the bearing unit 2, the clearance between the outer ring 21 and the ball 22 will be reduced under the force of the spring 11 and restored to the working clearance, thereby reducing wear and noise.

[0049] Specifically, the spring 11 is a compression spring, the right end of which abuts against the outer ring 21 on the right side, the left end of the spring 11 abuts against the spacer 10, and the left end of the spacer 10 abuts against the outer ring 21 on the left side.

[0050] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, a flange 12 is provided at one end of the mandrel 1 connected to the target plate, and a heat-resistant plate 13 is provided at the end of the flange 12, and the heat-resistant plate 13 is provided with a hollow groove. One end of the heat-resistant plate 13 is fixedly connected to the flange 12, and the end of the heat-resistant plate 13 away from the flange 12 is connected to the target plate. The hollow groove of the heat-resistant plate 13 reduces the contact surface of the heat-resistant plate 13 toward the end of the target plate, which can reduce the rate of heat transferred from the target plate to the heat-resistant plate 13. The heat-resistant plate 13 can be made of heat-resistant materials such as molybdenum, tungsten, and tungsten alloy. The heat-resistant plate 13 can play a certain role in heat insulation for the flange 12 of the mandrel 1 during heat transfer to prevent damage to the mandrel 1.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment of the utility model further provides a CT machine, including the X-ray tube bearing, housing 14, rotor 16, target plate 17, electron emitter 18, stator and cooling liquid circulation device 19 as described in the above embodiment.

[0052] The shell 14 is connected to the bushing 4 and forms a sealed vacuum chamber 15 together with the bushing 4. The shell 14 and the bushing 4 can be welded by vacuum electron beam melting welding or argon arc welding. The rotor 16 is located in the vacuum chamber 15 and connected to the core shaft 1. Specifically, the rotor 16 is fixedly connected to the heat-resistant disk 13. The target disk 17 is located in the vacuum chamber 15 and connected to the rotor 16. When the rotor 16 rotates, the core shaft 1 and the target disk 17 are driven to rotate. The electron emitter 18 is located in the vacuum chamber 15 and is arranged relative to the target disk 17. It can emit electrons to the target disk 17. The electron emitter 18 is installed on the shell 14. The electron emitter 18 emits an electron beam to the target disk 17 in the vacuum chamber 15. When the target disk 17 is bombarded by the electron beam, it is driven to rotate by the rotor 16 and generates X-rays. The stator is located outside the vacuum chamber 15 and is used to drive the rotor 16 to rotate. The stator surrounds the rotor 16 in space. The rotor 16 and the stator interact with each other in an electromagnetic manner, so that the rotor 16 can rotate through the electromagnetic field applied by the stator.

[0053] The cooling liquid circulation device 19 is connected to the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 respectively. The cooling liquid circulation device 19 is used to receive the high-temperature cooling liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet 7, cool the cooling liquid, and then transport the low-temperature cooling liquid from the liquid inlet 6 to the flow channel 5. The cooling liquid circulation device 19 is connected to the joints 8 on the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 through pipelines. Among them, the liquid inlet 6 and the liquid outlet 7 are both located outside the vacuum chamber 15, so that the normal transportation of the cooling liquid can be guaranteed without damaging the vacuum chamber 15.

[0054] When the X-ray tube bearing of the CT machine of this embodiment is working, the coolant enters the flow channel 5 from the liquid inlet 6 and flows out from the liquid outlet 7, so that the heat of the X-ray tube bearing can be taken out through the coolant, and the X-ray tube bearing is actively cooled, with good heat dissipation effect, to prevent the bearing unit 2 from overheating and causing lubrication failure, shaft jamming and other faults.

[0055] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principle of the present invention. These improvements and substitutions should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An X-ray tube bearing, characterized in that: include: A mandrel, one end of which is used to connect with the target plate; A bearing unit, sleeved on the core shaft; A shaft seat is sleeved on the bearing unit, the core shaft can rotate relative to the shaft seat through the bearing unit, and the core shaft can drive the target plate to rotate when rotating; A bushing is sleeved on the shaft seat and fixedly connected to the shaft seat, a flow channel is provided between the inner circumference of the bushing and the outer circumference of the shaft seat, the flow channel has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the flow channel is used to pass coolant, the flow channel covers the bearing unit at least along the axial direction of the core shaft, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located at the end of the bushing away from the target plate.

2. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow channel is a groove arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft seat, and the shaft seat is sealingly connected to the bushing.

3. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow channel is a groove arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the bushing, and the shaft seat is sealingly connected to the bushing.

4. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located at one end of the bushing away from the target disk.

5. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are respectively provided with joints.

6. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a sealing member, which is respectively arranged between the joint and the liquid inlet, and between the joint and the liquid outlet.

7. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing unit comprises an outer ring and balls, wherein the balls are arranged between the outer ring and the core shaft, and the shaft seat sleeve is arranged on the outer ring.

8. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 7, characterized in that: There are two bearing units, one bearing unit is disposed at each end of the core shaft; The X-ray tube bearing further comprises a spacer and a spring. The spacer is located between the two outer rings. The spring abuts between the spacer and one of the outer rings. One end of the spacer facing away from the spring abuts against the other outer ring.

9. The X-ray tube bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the core shaft connected to the target plate is provided with a flange, the end of the flange is provided with a heat-resistant plate, and the heat-resistant plate is provided with a hollow groove.

10. A CT machine, characterized in that: include: The X-ray tube bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A housing connected to the bushing and forming a sealed vacuum chamber together with the bushing; a rotor, located in the vacuum chamber and connected to the mandrel; a target plate, located in the vacuum chamber and connected to the rotor; An electron emitter, located in the vacuum chamber and arranged relative to the target disk, capable of emitting electrons toward the target disk; A stator, located outside the vacuum chamber and used to drive the rotor to rotate; A cold liquid circulation device, connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet respectively; Wherein, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both located outside the vacuum chamber.

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