Tube amplifier assembly having a power tube and a capacitor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181996-A1
Application number	US-201414575914-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Tube amplifier assembly including a power tube that is configured to be coupled to a grounding deck and positioned within an opening of the grounding deck. The tube amplifier assembly also includes a tube adapter that is configured to be coupled to the grounding deck. The tube adapter has a capacitive plate that extends parallel to the grounding deck and an adapter wall that is coupled to the capacitive plate. The tube adapter has an adapter opening that is aligned with the deck opening to form a tube passage. The tube adapter includes flexible conductive elements that are electrically coupled to the capacitive plate and surround the tube passage. The flexible conductive elements engage the power tube in the tube passage and electrically couple the power tube to the capacitive plate. The grounding deck and the capacitive plate form a capacitor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tube amplifier assembly comprising:
a grounding deck having a deck opening therethrough; a power tube coupled to the grounding deck and positioned within the deck opening; and a tube adapter coupled to the grounding deck, the tube adapter having a capacitive plate that extends parallel to the grounding deck and an adapter wall that is coupled to the capacitive plate, the tube adapter having an adapter opening that is aligned with the deck opening to form a tube passage, the tube adapter including flexible conductive elements that are electrically coupled to the capacitive plate and surround the tube passage, wherein the flexible conductive elements engage the power tube in the tube passage and electrically couple the power tube to the capacitive plate, the grounding deck and the capacitive plate forming a capacitor assembly of the tube amplifier assembly.

2 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an interposed plate that extends parallel to and is positioned between the grounding deck and the capacitive plate, the interposed plate being electrically separated from the grounding deck and the capacitive plate, wherein the capacitive plate, the interposed plate, and the grounding deck form the capacitor assembly of the tube amplifier assembly.

3 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a communication line coupled to the interposed plate, the communication line receiving signals from the interposed plate that may be used to calculate a load condition.

4 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inner conductor that is coupled to the tube adapter, the inner conductor having a conductor passage that aligns with the tube passage.

5 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 4 , wherein the power tube includes flexible leads that extend through the conductor passage.

6 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power tube includes a grid collar that engages the grounding deck.

7 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conductive elements are spring fingers that extend away from the inner surface of the adapter wall, the spring fingers being shaped to engage the power tube as the power tube is inserted into the tube passage.

8 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor assembly provides an external capacitance and the power tube includes an inherent capacitance that form a total capacitance, the capacitor assembly reducing a percent change in the total capacitance when the power tube is replaced.

9 . A tube amplifier assembly comprising:
a grounding deck having a deck opening therethrough; a capacitive plate extending parallel to the grounding deck; an interposed plate extending parallel to and positioned between the grounding deck and the capacitive plate, the interposed plate being electrically separated from the grounding deck and the capacitive plate, wherein the capacitive plate has a plate opening and the interposed plate has a plate opening that are aligned with the deck opening to form a tube passage; and a power tube positioned within the tube passage and electrically coupled to the capacitive plate, wherein the interposed plate, the capacitive plate, and the grounding deck form a capacitor assembly that is configured to provide capacitance of the tube amplifier assembly.

10 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a communication line coupled to the interposed plate, the communication line receiving signals from the interposed plate that may be used to calculate a load condition.

11 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a tube adapter that is coupled to the grounding deck, the tube adapter including the capacitive plate and an adapter wall that is coupled to the capacitive plate, the tube adapter having an adapter opening that is aligned with the deck opening to form the tube passage, the tube adapter including flexible conductive elements that surround the power tube, the flexible conductive elements engaging the power tube and electrically coupling the power tube to the capacitive plate.

12 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the power tube includes flexible leads.

13 . The tube amplifier assembly of claim 9 , wherein the capacitor assembly provides an external capacitance and the power tube includes an inherent capacitance, the capacitor assembly reducing a percent change in the total capacitance when the power tube is replaced.

14 . A capacitor assembly comprising:
a capacitive plate configured to extend parallel to and be coupled to a grounding deck of a tube amplifier assembly, the capacitive plate having a plate opening that extends transverse to a central axis; an adapter wall mechanically coupled to the capacitive plate, the adapter wall having an inner surface that surrounds the central axis and defines a tube opening, the plate opening and tube opening combining to form a tube passage that is sized and shaped to receive a power tube of the tube amplifier assembly; and flexible conductive elements distributed along the inner surface of the adapter wall, wherein the flexible conductive elements are configured to engage the power tube in the tube passage and electrically couple the power tube to the capacitive plate.

15 . The capacitor assembly of claim 14 , wherein the capacitive plate has an outer diameter and the adapter wall has an outer diameter, the outer diameter of the capacitive plate being greater than the outer diameter of the adapter wall.

16 . The capacitor assembly of claim 14 , wherein the capacitive plate has a plurality of openings that are symmetrically distributed about the central axis.

17 . The capacitor assembly of claim 14 , further comprising an interposed plate that is configured to be positioned between and electrically separated from the grounding deck and the capacitive plate, the interposed plate including a plate opening that forms a portion of the tube passage that receives the power tube.

18 . The capacitor assembly of claim 17 , wherein the capacitive plate includes holes and the interposed plate includes securing holes, the securing holes of the capacitive plate and the interposed plate configured to align and receive hardware for mechanically coupling the capacitive plate and the interposed plate to the grounding deck.

19 . The capacitor assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a communication line coupled to the interposed plate, the communication line configured to transmit signals detected by the interposed plate during operation of the tube amplifier assembly.

20 . The capacitor assembly of claim 17 , further comprising an insulative spacer that is configured to separate the capacitive plate and the interposed plate by a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Baecklund Andreas

Classifications

• H05H2007/025

  Radiofrequency systems · CPC title

• H01J23/12 Primary

  Vessels; Containers · CPC title

• H03F3/189

  High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers · CPC title

• H01G4/40

  Structural combinations of fixed capacitors with other electric elements, the structure mainly consisting of a capacitor, e.g. RC combinations · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title