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US-12621946-B2 - High voltage feedthrough apparatus

US12621946B2US 12621946 B2US12621946 B2US 12621946B2US-12621946-B2

Abstract

Some embodiments include an apparatus, comprising: a partition; a feedthrough penetrating the partition and hermetically sealed to the partition, the feedthrough having a major axis; a first wall extending from the partition in a first direction along the major axis; and a second wall extending from the partition in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the major axis, the second wall forming a connector interface with the feedthrough; wherein a ratio of a length of the first wall to a thickness of the first wall is greater than or equal to 3:1.

Inventors

  • Vance Scott Robinson
  • Jake Riggle
  • Dave Kirkham
  • Travis Harding

Assignees

  • VAREX IMAGING CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20221231

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An apparatus, comprising: a partition; a feedthrough penetrating the partition and hermetically sealed to the partition, the feedthrough having a first longitudinal axis; a first wall extending from the partition in a first direction parallel to the first longitudinal axis; a second wall extending from the partition in a second direction opposite to the first direction and parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the second wall forming a connector interface with the feedthrough; and a vacuum enclosure; wherein: a ratio of a length of the first wall to a thickness of the first wall is greater than or equal to 3:1; the partition and the first wall are formed from a single, continuous material; and the first wall is configured to thermally isolate a hermetic seal between the partition and the feedthrough from a weld between the first wall and the vacuum enclosure.
  2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: a thickness of the second wall is greater than the thickness of the first wall.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a protrusion disposed within the first wall and coupled to the first wall and the partition.
  4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein: a thickness of the protrusion is at least twice a thickness of the first wall.
  5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the vacuum enclosure has an opening; and the first wall is disposed in the opening.
  6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein: the first wall is welded to the vacuum enclosure at a distal end of the first wall.
  7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein: the first wall includes a first keyed structure; the opening includes a second keyed structure; and the first keyed structure and the second keyed structure are complementary such that the first wall may be inserted into the opening in only one orientation.
  8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein: the second wall includes a third keyed structure.
  9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: a thickness of the first wall is about 1 millimeter (mm) to about 3 mm.
  10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the feedthrough is one of a plurality of feedthroughs penetrating the partition and hermetically sealed to the partition.
  11. 11 . An apparatus, comprising: a partition; a feedthrough penetrating the partition and hermetically sealed to the partition, the feedthrough having a first longitudinal axis; a first wall extending from the partition in a first direction parallel to the first longitudinal axis; and a second wall extending from the partition in a second direction opposite to the first direction and parallel to the first longitudinal axis; wherein: a ratio of a length of the first wall to a thickness of the first wall is greater than or equal to 3:1; and a periphery of the first wall defines a first keyed structure.
  12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: the second wall forms a connector interface with the feedthrough.
  13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: a protrusion disposed within the first wall and coupled to the first wall and the partition.
  14. 14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: a thickness of the second wall is at least two times the thickness of the first wall.
  15. 15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: a vacuum enclosure having an opening; wherein the first wall is welded to the vacuum enclosure at the opening.
  16. 16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein: the opening includes a second keyed structure; and the first keyed structure and the second keyed structure are complementary such that the first wall may be inserted into the opening in only one orientation.
  17. 17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein: the second wall includes a third keyed structure.
  18. 18 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: the thickness of the first wall is about 1 millimeter (mm) to about 3 mm.
  19. 19 . An apparatus, comprising: a partition for supporting an electrical connection; a feedthrough for hermetically passing the electrical connection through the partition; a vacuum enclosure; and a first wall extending from the partition in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the partition and hermetically connecting the partition to the vacuum enclosure at a weld, wherein: a ratio of a length of the first wall to a thickness of the first wall is greater than or equal to 3:1; the feedthrough is brazed to the partition; the first wall is welded to the vacuum enclosure; and the first wall is configured to thermally isolate the partition from the weld between the first wall and the vacuum enclosure.
  20. 20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising: a protrusion for reinforcing a connection between the partition and the first wall.

Description

X-ray sources include vacuum enclosures. Electrical connections to components within the vacuum enclosure may include feedthroughs that penetrate the vacuum enclosure. To maintain the vacuum within the vacuum enclosure, the feedthrough must maintain a vacuum seal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus with a protrusion according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus with multiple feedthroughs according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus with walls having different thicknesses according to some embodiments. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus with walls having different thicknesses and a protrusion according to some embodiments. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus including a vacuum enclosure according to some embodiments. FIGS. 7-8 are block diagrams of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus including a vacuum enclosure and different attachment locations according to some embodiments. FIGS. 9-10 are block diagrams of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus including a vacuum enclosure and keyed structures according to some embodiments. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus including another keyed structure according to some embodiments. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus including multiple keyed structures according to some embodiments. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an x-ray imaging system according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments include feedthroughs and, in particular, high voltage feedthroughs for vacuum enclosures. Multi-beam x-ray sources include multiple emitters. The multiple emitters use multiple electrical connections that are electrically isolated from each other and from the vacuum enclosure. Each electrical connection penetrates the vacuum enclosure through a feedthrough. Multiple feedthroughs may be aggregated in a single structure that may be welded to the vacuum enclosure. However, welding may involve temperatures and/or the transfers of heat that may affect the integrity of a vacuum seal formed with the feedthroughs, leading to failures and decreasing a lifetime of the apparatus. As will be described in further detail below, structures may reduce the impact of welding, reducing failures, and increasing the lifetime of the apparatus. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a high voltage feedthrough apparatus according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, an apparatus 100a includes a membrane or partition 102, a feedthrough 104, a first wall 106, and a second wall 108. The partition 102 is a structure configured to receive the feedthrough 104. The partition 102 may include a vacuum compatible material such as stainless steel, nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), nickel-iron (Ni—Fe) alloys, nickel-cobalt-iron (Ni—Co—Fe) alloys, molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), or the like. The partition 102 may include an opening in which the feedthrough 104 is disposed. The feedthrough 104 penetrates the partition 102, extending through the partition 102. The feedthrough 104 is hermetically sealed to the partition 102. The feedthrough 104 includes an insulator 104a, a conductor 104b, and a braze ring 104c. The insulator 104a may include a vacuum compatible electrically insulating material such as ceramic, including machinable ceramic, alumina or aluminum oxide (Al2O3), steatite (including talc, or talcum, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate Mg3Si4O10(OH)2), aluminum nitride (AlN), or the like. The conductor 104b includes an electrically conductive material such as copper, steel, including stainless steel, aluminum, iron-nickel-cobalt alloy (e.g., KOVAR), nickel-iron alloy, or the like. The braze ring 104c is hermetically attached to the insulator 104a. The braze ring 104c may include any braze alloy suitable for joining the partition to the insulator, such as silver-copper (Ag—Cu) alloy (e.g., CuSil), copper, silver-copper-indium (Ag—Cu—In) alloy (e.g., InCuSil), or the like. The braze ring 104c is hermetically sealed to the partition 102 and the insulator 104a. For example, the braze ring 104c may be brazed to the partition 102. The feedthrough 104 has a major axis parallel to the conductor 104b. In this example, the major axis is parallel to the X axis. The conductor 104b may be hermetically sealed to the insulator 104a. The first wall 106 extends from the partition 102 in a first direction along the major axis or X axis. In this example, the first wall 106 extends from the partition 102 in the negative X direction. The second wall 108 extends from the partition 102 in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the major axis. In this example, the second wall 108 extends from the partition 102 in the