X-ray rotating anode

Abstract

The present invention relates to an X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") for generating X-ray radiation, comprising an annular substrate (11, 11', 11") made of a carbon-based material, an annular focal track coating (12, 12', 12") arranged on the focal track side of the substrate (11, 11', 11"), and a metallic connecting piece (13, 13', 13") arranged radially inward with respect to the substrate. The radially outer part of the connecting piece is formed by a tubular metal adapter (14, 14', 14"), the radially outer surface of which is at least partially connected in a planar and materially bonded manner to at least a part of the radially inner surface of the substrate, and a materially bonded connection zone between the substrate and the adapter extends along the radially inner surface of the substrate by at least 75 area percent.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to an X-ray rotating anode according to claim 1. [Background technology]

[0002] X-ray rotating anodes are used in X-ray tubes, which are used, for example, in imaging processes in medical diagnostics or for material testing in research and industry. During operation of an X-ray tube, electrons emitted by the cathode are accelerated towards the X-ray rotating anode, which rotates about an axis, and X-rays are produced as a result of the interaction of the high-energy electrons with the anode material. Most of the energy of the electron beam (about 99%) is converted into heat in the process and must be dissipated. In the case of X-ray rotating anodes, cooling is usually achieved by thermal radiation, mainly from the surface of the X-ray rotating anode.

[0003] Known X-ray rotating anodes usually consist of a composite with a disk- or dish-shaped base made of a high-temperature resistant material (usually a molybdenum alloy or a composite of a molybdenum alloy and graphite), on one side of which is arranged an annular focal track coating made of an X-ray generating material (usually tungsten or a tungsten alloy). The disk- or dish-shaped base is connected to a rotor via a shaft and is driven by this shaft. During operation of the X-ray rotating anode, the focal track coating is subjected to extremely high thermal loads at the point of impact of the electrons, i.e. the focal spot. As the focal spot moves periodically over the surface of the focal track coating due to the rotation of the X-ray rotating anode, the electrons continuously impact the focal track coating material, which is in the meantime cooled again, and the heat input can be distributed rapidly over the X-ray rotating anode. The X-ray rotating anode can therefore be operated with a significantly higher power output than a stationary anode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Publication No. 20100027754 [Patent Document 2] European Patent Application Publication No. 0016485

[0005] The focus of the present invention is on X-ray rotating anodes with low mass and suitable for higher rotational frequencies. Many applications require higher radiation intensity, which leads to higher power density and higher local heat input in the focal region. To address this, there is interest in higher focal speeds, which corresponds to an increase in the rotational frequency of the X-ray rotating anode for a given focal orbit diameter. In conventional X-ray rotating anode designs, the maximum possible rotational frequency is limited: in addition to periodic thermally induced stresses, centrifugal forces act on the material of the X-ray rotating anode, which in the case of disk- or dish-shaped X-ray rotating anodes result in circumferential stresses that are highest in the region of the inner circumference of the X-ray rotating anode. The result of these thermomechanical loads is plastic deformation in metallic or composite rotating anodes, which is often accompanied by crack formation, especially in the outer and inner diameter regions of the X-ray rotating anode, limiting the service life of the X-ray rotating anode. Furthermore, another drawback of conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes is that they are mounted on a thin-walled cup-shaped shaft in high-performance applications to control the heat flow to the bearings. This increases the overall height and reduces the mechanical stiffness. The resulting low-frequency natural frequency spectrum does not allow the high speeds required for modern high-performance rotating anodes. Conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes also have a relatively large mass, which loads the bearings and is an obstacle for use at high rotational frequencies. A further drawback is that in conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes, the components that act as heat accumulators have a low mass fraction.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to further develop the X-ray rotating anode and provide an X-ray rotating anode with the lowest possible mass, so that high rotation frequencies are possible without the bearings being overloaded during operation. Moreover, the X-ray rotating anode should have an improved thermomechanical load capacity. In particular, the plastic deformations and crack formations that can occur as described above in the case of molybdenum-based disk- or dish-shaped X-ray rotating anodes should occur significantly less frequently. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] This problem is solved by an X-ray rotating anode according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the invention, an X-ray rotating anode for generating X-rays is proposed, which has an annular substrate made of a carbon-based material. With respect to the axial direction (which is defined by the axis of the annular substrate and coincides with the rotation axis of the X-ray rotating anode), the annular substrate has two opposite end faces, on whose end face (focal track surface) an annular focal track coating is arranged during operation, which faces the electron beam. During operation of the X-ray rotating anode, high-energy electrons are accelerated onto the focal track coating, and X-rays are generated by the interaction of the electrons with the material of the focal track coating. With respect to the radial direction (which extends outward from the rotation axis and lies in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction), the annular substrate has a radially inner surface facing the rotation axis, i.e., the radially inner surface, and an opposite radially outer surface, i.e., the radially outer surface. The annular substrate serves to mechanically support the focal track coating and is important for heat absorption and storage.

[0009] Furthermore, the X-ray rotating anode has a metallic connection piece arranged radially inwardly with respect to the annular base, which is used to connect the annular base to a drive shaft, which is not considered to be part of the X-ray rotating anode in the context of the present invention. Furthermore, the X-ray rotating anode according to the invention is characterized in that the radially outer part of the metallic connection part is formed by a tubular metallic adapter. The tubular adapter can be manufactured as an originally separate component, which is connected to one or more other components to form the metallic connection part. The tubular adapter can also be an integrated subpart of a monolithically manufactured connection part, in which case the tubular adapter is not a separately manufactured component. The radially outer surface of the adapter (which at the same time corresponds to the radially outer surface of the metallic connection part) is at least partially connected planarly and by material bonding to at least one section of the radially inner surface of the annular base body. The connection zone by material bonding between the annular base body and the metallic adapter extends along the radially inner surface of the annular base body to at least 75, in particular 90, particularly preferably 95 area percent. In other words, the annular base body and the metallic connection part abut against each other mainly in the radial direction. The metallic connection parts may protrude beyond the end faces of the annular base body and be materially connected to the base body along their end faces, but the base body and the connection parts are materially connected to each other primarily in the radial direction.

[0010] The radially inner part of the metallic connection piece is formed by a metallic shaft connection member which projects radially inwards relative to the adapter. The metallic shaft connection member, like the tubular adapter, can be manufactured as a separate component and connected to the tubular adapter by a material bond, but can alternatively be a partial part of a monolithically manufactured connection piece. The shaft connection member and / or the tubular adapter are preferably designed to have a thin wall.

[0011] Carbon-based materials are understood to mean, in particular, graphite or carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon (carbon-fiber-carbon composite, CFC). Graphite is characterized by an extremely low density and has a high specific heat capacity, which is important for allowing the X-ray rotating anode to absorb and store large amounts of heat during operation. CFC materials consist of carbon fibers embedded in a pure carbon matrix. These give the material high mechanical strength. The low density of these materials makes it possible to design the substrate of the X-ray rotating anode bulky, so that it has a very high heat capacity and at the same time the mass of the X-ray rotating anode can be kept relatively low.

[0012] Annular is understood to mean a hollow cylindrical shape of the body, the radial wall thickness of which is greater than its axial extension (height), and tubular is understood to mean a hollow cylindrical shape of the body, the radial wall thickness of which is less than its axial height (in case of varying wall thickness or height, refer to the maximum extent in the radial or axial direction, respectively).

[0013] The geometry of the annular base or tubular adapter is not limited to shapes having a geometrically exact hollow cylindrical shape, i.e. the generatrices of the sides do not necessarily have to be straight, but may in particular be curved. The shape is not limited to (continuous) rotational symmetry (symmetry with respect to rotation through any desired angle) but can for example only have n-fold rotational symmetry (symmetry with respect to rotation through an angle of 360° / n). In the following, rotational symmetry refers to symmetry with respect to rotation through any angle. The annular substrate may be chamfered radially outwardly on the focal track side, for example in the area where the focal track coating is arranged. Annular or tubular is understood to mean in particular when the shape of the radial cross section (plane through the axial direction), for example the thickness and / or the outer contour of the annular or tube wall, changes in the axial direction, for example in the case of a conical tube. Tubular also includes in particular tubes with cooling fins integrated in the wall. In particular, tubular is also understood to mean tubes with parts that protrude like flanges, for example to support the annular shaped body on the end face and to create additional connection possibilities on the end face.

[0014] The X-ray rotating anode according to the invention thus differs significantly in construction from the disk-shaped or dish-shaped X-ray rotating anodes described at the outset and also from patent concepts such as the rotating anode described in US Pat. No. 5,399,323 (Siemens), in which, in contrast to the present invention, a graphite annular base is axially attached to a disk-shaped metallic connecting piece. The X-ray rotating anode according to the invention also differs significantly from the X-ray rotating anode in US Pat. No. 5,399,323 (Philips), in which a graphite ring is arranged around a solid inner disk and no tubular adapter is present.

[0015] The X-ray rotating anode according to the invention has many advantages: Compared to conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes, the X-ray rotating anode according to the invention is characterized by a significantly lower mass: the lightweight construction is achieved by the use of carbon-based materials for the substrate and by the slim design of the metallic connecting parts. Furthermore, the components acting as heat accumulators advantageously have a high mass fraction. The annular design of the carbon-based substrate allows optimal utilization of its heat storage capacity, which allows relatively low compensation temperatures between electron beam shots and low average cycle temperatures. In contrast to conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes, there is no metallic connection between the focal track coating and the connecting parts, which is characterized by a low heat transfer resistance. As a result, significant temperature gradients along the connection zone due to the material bond between the substrate and the connecting parts are avoided, and thus the thermomechanical stresses experienced by this connection zone are as uniform as possible. The compact shape also ensures an increase in the lowest natural frequency. In addition to the low mass, this fulfills a second important requirement for the use of X-ray rotating anodes at high speeds. Despite the use of a carbon-based substrate, it can be ensured that even at high rotational speeds, the displacements on the circumference are small and the changes in the focal track angle are only small, comparable to conventional metallic or composite rotating anodes.

[0016] In the following, advantageous developments of the X-ray rotating anode are presented starting from the development of the metallic connection parts. Many of the presented measures contribute to keeping the mass of the rotating anode low while keeping the mechanical stresses manageable.

[0017] In a preferred variant, the circumference of the metal adapter decreases in the axial direction, in particular in the direction towards the focal path, and the shape of the annular base is adapted accordingly. This decrease in the direction towards the focal track leads to a more uniform, ideally almost isothermal, temperature distribution during operation of the X-ray rotating anode, in particular along the connection zone between the metal adapter and the base. If the circumference of the adapter decreases in the direction towards the focal track, the regions in the connection zone between the adapter and the base that are spatially closer to the focal track coating in the axial direction move further away from the focal track coating in the radial direction. In this way, the different distances between the focal track coating and the individual regions in the connection zone of the adapter / base are averaged out, which has a positive effect on the temperature distribution and the associated thermally induced stresses along the connection zone.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the metallic connection part is rotationally symmetrical, in particular the annular adapter is rotationally symmetrical.

[0019] Advantageously, the adapter has a truncated cone-like basic shape with a cone angle in the range of 155°-205°, in particular 155°-180°, particularly preferably 160°-175°. The angle range designation includes the respective limit values. The cone angle refers to the orientation of the tangent plane of the adapter side surface to the axial direction, the cone angle being measured from the focal track side. A truncated cone with a cone angle of 180° corresponds to a hollow cylinder, a truncated cone with an angle in the range of more than 90° and less than 180° tapers towards the focal track side, a truncated cone with an angle in the range of more than 180° and less than 270° tapers in the opposite direction, so that in this case the circumference of the metal adapter increases towards the focal track side. The advantage of a frusto-conical adapter is that, as explained in more detail above, an advantageous, nearly isothermal temperature profile can be set along the adapter / substrate connection zone, particularly for cone angles in the angular range of 160°-175°, yet the adapter can be manufactured relatively easily and cheaply.

[0020] Another advantageous embodiment of the adapter is a rotationally symmetric shape with symmetry with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axial direction (plane of rotation). The load on the bearings is also minimized. An example of such a shape is an adapter with a toroidal basic shape. In a radial cross section, the contact surface between the adapter and the base body has the shape of an outwardly curved open shell.

[0021] It has proven to be advantageous if the heights of the adapter and the annular base in the connection region are balanced with respect to one another, i.e. if the axial height of the adapter corresponds to the axial height of the annular base in the connection region.

[0022] The metallic shaft connection member is the radially inner part of the metallic connection piece and, as already explained, can be manufactured as a separate component, which is then connected radially inner to the adapter by a material bond. However, it can also be a partial part of a monolithically manufactured connection piece. Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion should include both variants. The metallic shaft connection member is connected at its radial outer periphery to the radial inner surface of the tubular adapter, the radially inner portion of the shaft connection member being used for direct or indirect connection to the drive shaft and may, for example, have an opening for a threaded connection for fixing the X-ray rotating anode onto the drive shaft.

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the shaft connecting member has a basic shape of an annular disk. The shaft connecting member preferably has the shape of a true annular disk. This disk is advantageously located in a plane of rotation. The disk does not have to be flat, but can also have steps. (In radial cross section, the shape can be non-linear, but have one or more steps). Instead of a disk, the shaft connecting element can also be designed in the shape of a truncated cone, the cone angle being preferably in the range of 90°-100° (measured from the axial direction) or in the range of 260°-270°. In this case, the shaft connecting element is slightly inclined in the radial section to the plane of rotation. A truncated cone of 90° or 270° corresponds to a disk in the plane of rotation. A truncated cone with an angle in the range of more than 90° and less than 180° tapers towards the focal track side, while a truncated cone with an angle in the range of less than 180° and more than 270° opens towards the focal track side.

[0024] The shaft connecting member and / or the adapter can preferably have structures such as relief slots or stiffeners that interrupt the rotational symmetry. The relief slots of the shaft connecting member serve, on the one hand, to reduce the mass and, on the other hand, to make it easier to control the thermomechanical stresses that arise during operation.

[0025] The center of gravity of the shaft connection member, and particularly preferably also the radially inner part of the shaft connection member to which the drive shaft is attached, is located in the axial direction within the axial extension of the adapter. In other words, the planar center of gravity or the radially inner part of the shaft connection member is not located in the axial direction outside the axial extension of the adapter. This compact design reduces the bearing load and increases the lowest natural frequency.

[0026] The shaft connecting member is preferably connected to the radial inner surface of the adapter approximately in the middle, in particular the shaft connecting member is connected to the radial inner surface of the adapter in the range of 40-60% of the axial height of the adapter. Advantageously, the transition area where the shaft connecting member and the adapter abut each other is rounded and does not have sharp transition edges.

[0027] If the shaft connection element and the adapter are manufactured separately, the material-bonded connection between the two components is preferably effected by a soldered connection, with zirconium coming into consideration in particular as a solder material.

[0028] The X-ray rotating anode of the invention is generally characterized by a thin structure of the metal connection parts, which has sufficient mechanical stability despite the thin-walled components. The adapter preferably has a thickness in the radial direction of less than 5 mm, but at least more than 1.5 mm. The thickness of the shaft connection member in the axial direction is preferably less than 10 mm, in particular less than 5 mm, but at least more than 1.5 mm. The maximum thickness of the shaft connection member in the axial direction is preferably less than 20%, in particular less than 15%, of the height of the adapter in the axial direction.

[0029] Materials suitable for metal connection parts in terms of thermal expansion are in particular molybdenum and molybdenum-based alloys (for example TZM, MHC), tungsten or tungsten-based alloys and copper-based alloys. Molybdenum-based, tungsten-based or copper-based alloys refer to alloys having at least 50% by weight of molybdenum, tungsten or copper, respectively. TZM is understood to be a molybdenum alloy having a titanium content of 0.5% by weight, a zirconium content of 0.08% by weight, a carbon content of 0.01-0.04% by weight and a molybdenum content of the balance (excluding impurities). In this context, MHC is understood to be a molybdenum alloy having a hafnium content of 1.0-1.3% by weight, a carbon content of 0.05-0.12% by weight, an oxygen content of less than 0.06% by weight and a molybdenum content of the balance (excluding impurities). The metallic connection parts may also include tungsten-copper composites, molybdenum-copper composites, copper composites, or dispersion-strengthened alloys, such as dispersion-strengthened copper alloys. What all these materials have in common is that they are resistant to high temperatures and have a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion. The metallic connection parts, in particular, can also be made of different materials, i.e. the shaft connection member and the adapter can be made of different materials.

[0030] The metal connection part preferably has an intermediate part or layer made of a material with low thermal conductivity, in particular a ceramic material, such as ZrO2. This intermediate part or layer acts as a thermal brake and is intended to suppress the heat flow in the direction of the rotary anode bearing as much as possible. The intermediate part acting as a thermal brake or intermediate layer is preferably arranged in the radially inner area of ​​the shaft connection part. The thermal brake can be realized, for example, by a coating applied to the radially inner side of the shaft connection part or by an annular disk arranged radially inside the shaft connection part. Thanks to the improved thermal insulation of the rotary anode bearing, a mounting on the shaft, as is required in the case of known high-performance rotary x-ray anodes, is no longer necessary. A compact rotary x-ray anode with a low overall height is thus achieved.

[0031] The metallic connection part is connected with the annular base body by a material bond at its radially outer surface via the tubular adapter. The material bond between the tubular adapter and the annular base body is preferably achieved by a soldered connection. Zirconium is preferably used as the brazing material. The tubular adapter is advantageously soldered directly to the annular base body. The material bond connection can be reinforced by form-fitting elements, such as tongue-and-groove connections, if necessary.

[0032] As already mentioned above, the annular substrate has a mechanical support function for the focal track coating and performs a thermal function (heat absorption and storage). The substrate is made of a carbon-based material, in particular graphite. The focal track coating is preferably made of at least one of the following materials: i. tungsten, ii. Tungsten-based alloys, and / or iii. A carbide, nitride or carbonitride of at least one of the transition metals hafnium, tantalum or tungsten. In particular, the focal track coating is formed from a tungsten-rhenium alloy with a rhenium content of up to 26% by weight, preferably in the range of 5-15% by weight. Furthermore, the material of the focal track coating may be a mixed carbide of two or more of these transition metals hafnium, tantalum or tungsten, or a mixed carbonitride of two or more of these transition metals. The thickness of the focal track coating is usually in the range of 0.05-2 mm. The focal track coating can be formed on the substrate using known techniques, such as, for example, soldering the focal track coating onto the substrate, or thermal spraying, plasma spraying, physical vapor deposition (PVD, physical vapor deposition) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD, chemical vapor deposition). Preferably, at least one intermediate layer, which may be metallic or ceramic, is arranged between the focal track coating and the substrate. This intermediate layer assists in bonding and adhesion of the focal track coating to the substrate and can also be designed as a barrier layer, for example to suppress undesired carbon diffusion in the focal track coating. Advantageously, at least one intermediate layer also helps to suppress the propagation of cracks in the direction of the substrate, which occur in the focal path coating due to interaction with high-energy electrons during operation of the X-ray rotating anode. In the case of one metal intermediate layer, this layer is preferably made of rhenium, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, titanium, or a compound or alloy of these metals or combinations of these metals. The ceramic intermediate layer is preferably made of a carbide, such as silicon carbide, or a nitride, such as boron nitride or titanium nitride. Instead of one intermediate layer, several intermediate layers can also be arranged one above the other to form an intermediate layer stack. In particular, metal intermediate layers and ceramic intermediate layers can be arranged alternately in the intermediate layer stack.

[0033] The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of the description of three exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the drawings are not drawn to scale. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1a] FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the X-ray rotating anode. [Figure 1b] Top view of the X-ray rotating anode in Fig. 1a. [Figure 1c] Radial cross-section of the X-ray rotating anode of Fig. 1a along section AA. [Figure 1d] Temperature profile of the X-ray rotating anode in Fig. 1a in a perspective cross-sectional view. [Figure 2a] FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the X-ray rotating anode. [Figure 2b] Top view of the X-ray rotating anode in Figure 2a. [Figure 2c] Radial cross-section of the X-ray rotating anode of Fig. 2a along section AA. [Figure 3a] FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the X-ray rotating anode. [Figure 3b] Top view of the X-ray rotating anode in Figure 3a. [Figure 3c] Radial cross-section of the X-ray rotating anode of Fig. 3a along section AA. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] FIG. 1a shows a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an X-ray rotating anode. The X-ray rotating anode 10 is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the axis of rotation R and consists of an annular substrate 11 made of graphite, on whose inclined end face an annular focal track coating 12 is arranged. Graphite has a relatively low density and is characterized by a relatively high specific heat capacity. In operation, high-energy electrons are accelerated towards the focal track coating 12 in order to generate X-rays. The focal track coating 12 consists of a tungsten-rhenium alloy with a rhenium content of about 10% by weight and is applied to the annular substrate 11 as a sprayed layer. If desired, one or more intermediate layers, in particular made of rhenium, can be arranged between the substrate 11 and the focal track coating 12 for better adhesion and as a diffusion barrier against carbon diffusion (not shown in FIG. 1a). The annular substrate 11 can be connected to a drive shaft (not shown) via a metallic connection part 13 located radially inside. An opening 16 serves to accommodate a screw connection for attachment to the drive shaft. The metal connection part 13, consisting of the tubular adapter 14 and the disk-shaped shaft connection member 15, fits completely within the contour expanded by the base body 11 both in the radial and axial directions. The tubular adapter 14 has a basic shape of a truncated cone with a cone angle 17 of about 160°, the outer diameter of which decreases in the direction of the focal track side. At its radially outer surface, the tubular adapter 14 is materially connected to the radially inner surface of the annular base body 11 by a soldered connection. The materially connected connection zone between the annular base body 11 and the tubular adapter 14 extends over the entire radially inner surface of the annular base body 11. Due to the tapering of the tubular adapter in the direction of the focal track side, a more uniform and almost isothermal temperature distribution is achieved along the connection zone between the tubular adapter 14 and the base body 11. The temperature curves can be seen in FIG. 1d, which shows the temperature profile determined by computer simulation. The lighter areas correspond to higher temperatures, while the darker the shade of grey, the lower the temperature. The temperature curve along the connection zone between the tubular adapter 14 and the base body 11 is approximately isothermal for typical operating parameters. The shaft connection member 15 contacts the radially inner surface of the tubular adapter 14 in the middle of the slightly rounded transition region.The metal connection parts 13 (both the tubular adapter 14 and the disk-shaped shaft connection member 15) are thin-walled and made from super heat-resistant metals such as molybdenum or tungsten or alloys based on these metals (e.g., TZM, MHC) in order to keep thermal expansion as low as possible.

[0036] The X-ray rotating anode 10' shown in Figures 2a-c has a somewhat wider focal track coating 12' and differs from the embodiment of Figures 1a-c with respect to the shape of the annular substrate 11' (the corners are more rounded). Compared to the first embodiment, the annular adapter 14' has a slightly larger cone angle 17' (about 170°) and the shaft connection member 15' is not engaged centrally with the adapter 14' but is arranged offset towards the focal track side.

[0037] The rotating X-ray anode 10" shown in Figures 3a to 3c has an adapter 14" having a toroidal basic shape, and the contact surface with the base body 11" is open concavely outward. The adapter 14" generally tapers in the direction toward the focal track side, similar to the two previous embodiments.

[0038] All three X-ray rotating anodes 10, 10', 10" have a compact shape with low mass and are characterized by good thermo-mechanical properties. They advantageously have a high mass fraction of the substrate which serves as a heat reservoir. In addition, there is no metallic connection between the focal track coating and the region located radially inward of the X-ray rotating anode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10, 10', 10" X-ray rotating anode 11, 11', 11” base 12, 12', 12” Focal Track Coating 13, 13', 13" Connection parts 14, 14', 14” Adapters 15, 15', 15" shaft connector 16, 16', 16” opening 17, 17' cone angle

Claims

1. 1. An X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") for producing X-ray radiation, comprising: an annular substrate (11, 11', 11") made of a carbon-based material having a radially inner opening with a radial inner surface relative to a rotation axis (R) of an X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10"); an annular focal track coating (12, 12', 12") disposed on the focal track side of said substrate (11, 11', 11"); a metallic connection piece (13, 13', 13") arranged radially inwardly with respect to said base and serving to connect said base (11, 11', 11") to a drive shaft; having 1. An X-ray rotating anode for generating X-ray radiation, wherein a radially outer portion of the connecting piece (13, 13', 13") is formed by a tubular metal adapter (14, 14', 14"), a radially outer surface of the adapter (14, 14', 14") is at least partially, planarly and materially connected to at least a portion of the radially inner surface of the base body (11, 11', 11"), a connection zone by material bonding between the base body (11, 11', 11") and the adapter (14, 14', 14") extends along the radially inner surface of the base body (11, 11', 11") to at least 75 area percent, and a circumference of the adapter (14, 14', 14") decreases in the direction of the rotation axis.

2. 2. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (14, 14', 14") is rotationally symmetrical.

3. An X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adapter (14, 14', 14") has a basic truncated conical shape, the cone angle of which is greater than 90° and less than 180° or greater than 180° and less than 270°.

4. 4. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to claim 3, characterized in that the adapter (14, 14', 14") has a basic shape in the form of a truncated cone, the cone angle of which is between 160° and 175°.

5. 5. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the radially inner part of the connection part (13, 13', 13") is formed by a shaft connection member (15, 15', 15"), wherein the shaft connection member (15, 15', 15") is connected at its radial outer periphery to the radially inner surface of the adapter (14, 14', 14"), and the radially inner part of the shaft connection member (15, 15', 15") is used for connection with a drive shaft.

6. 6. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to claim 5, characterized in that the shaft connecting member (15, 15', 15") has a disk-like basic shape and is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis.

7. 6. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to claim 5, characterized in that the shaft connecting member (15, 15', 15") has a basic shape of a truncated cone, the cone angle of which is between 90° and 100° or between 260° and 270°.

8. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the shaft connecting member (15, 15', 15") is connected to a radially inner surface of the adapter (14, 14', 14") within a range of 40 to 60% of the height of the adapter in the direction of the rotation axis.

9. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the shaft connecting member (15, 15', 15") is formed as a thin wall having an axial thickness of less than 10 mm.

10. An X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") described in any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the maximum thickness of the shaft connecting member (15, 15', 15") in the direction of the rotation axis is less than 20% of the height of the adapter in the direction of the rotation axis.

11. 11. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter (14, 14', 14") is formed as a thin wall having a radial thickness of less than 5 mm.

12. 12. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the adapter (14, 14', 14") and the base (11, 11', 11") are soldered to each other.

13. 13. The rotating X-ray anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting part (13, 13', 13") has an intermediate part or layer made of a material with low thermal conductivity as a thermal brake.

14. 14. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the connecting part (13, 13', 13") comprises at least one metal from the group of tungsten, molybdenum and copper, a tungsten-based alloy, a molybdenum-based alloy or a copper-based alloy, or a tungsten-copper composite, a molybdenum-copper composite or a copper composite.

15. 15. The X-ray rotating anode (10, 10', 10") according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the substrate (11, 11', 11") is chamfered in its radially outer region on the side of the focal track where the focal track coating (12, 12', 12") is present.

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