Electrostatic-dissipation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826610-B2
Application number	US-201514920659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An electrostatic-dissipation device comprising an x-ray tube and an electrically-conductive shell that is electrically coupled to an anode of the x-ray tube can be used for electrostatic dissipation, especially at a bottom side of a flat-panel-display (FPD).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatic-dissipation device configured to dissipate static electricity between a flat-panel-display (FPD) and a table during manufacture of the FPD, the device comprising:
a. an x-ray tube, wherein:
i. the x-ray tube includes a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another;
ii. the cathode is configured to emit electrons towards the anode;
iii. the anode is configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode;

b. a shell, wherein the shell:
i. carries the x-ray tube;
ii. is electrically-conductive;
iii. is electrically coupled to the anode and electrically insulated from the cathode;
iv. has a proximal-end closer to the cathode and a distal-end closer to the anode;
v. has a connector, at the proximal-end, configured to be coupled to an actuator for lifting the FPD;
vi. includes a hollow-region between a distal-end of the anode and the distal-end of the shell, the hollow-region being vented to allow passage of ions and x-rays outward from the hollow-region; and

c. a maximum outside diameter of less than 20 millimeters.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically-insulative-material, wherein the electrically-insulative-material:
a. has a thermal conductivity of greater than 0.7

W

m
*
K

;

b. is located between the shell and the cathode; and
c. electrically insulates the shell from the cathode.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cap, wherein the cap:
a. is electrically-resistive;
b. is located on the distal-end of the shell; and
c. is configured to bear against a face of the FPD.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the cap is vented to allow passage of ions and x-rays outward from the hollow-region.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shell is made of a carbon fiber composite material.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shell has:
a. electrical resistivity of less than 0.05 ohm*m; and
b. x-ray transmissivity greater than 40% at x-ray energy of 10 keV.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein a maximum atomic number of any material of the shell is 8.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shell substantially circumscribes a length of the x-ray tube and the shell has a length longer than the length of the x-ray tube.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hollow-region extends beyond the distal end of the anode for a length of between 3 and 10 millimeters.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a sheath, wherein the sheath:
a. circumscribes at least a portion of the shell and the anode;
b. has an electrical resistivity of greater than 100 ohm*m; and
c. is configured to electrically insulate the shell from the table.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shell surrounding the hollow-region has x-ray transmissivity greater than 40% at x-ray energy of 10 keV.

12. An electrostatic-dissipation device comprising:
a. an x-ray tube, wherein:
i. the x-ray tube includes a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another;
ii. the cathode is configured to emit electrons towards the anode;
iii. the anode is configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode;

b. a shell, wherein the shell:
i. circumscribes at least a portion of the x-ray tube and carries the x-ray tube;
ii. is electrically-conductive;
iii. is electrically coupled to the anode and electrically insulated from the cathode;
iv. has a proximal-end closer to the cathode and a distal-end closer to the anode;
v. includes a hollow-region at the distal-end of the shell and extending beyond a distal-end of the anode away from the cathode;
vi. has electrical resistivity less than 0.05 ohm*m; and
vii. has a maximum atomic number of 8 for any material of the shell.

13. The x-ray source of claim 12 , wherein:
a. the shell further comprises an actuator-connector;
b. the actuator-connector is located at the proximal-end;
c. the actuator-connector is configured to be coupled to an actuator for lifting a flat-panel-display;
d. the actuator-connector is radially recessed;
e. a maximum-outer diameter of the actuator-connector is less than a maximum-outer diameter of the shell.

14. The device of claim 12 , further comprising an electrically-insulative-material, wherein the electrically-insulative-material:
a. is electrically-insulative;
b. has a thermal conductivity of greater than 0.7

W

m
*
K

;

c. is located between the shell and the cathode; and
d. electrically insulates the shell from the cathode.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the device forms part of an electrostatic dissipation system, the system comprising a power supply moveably coupled to the x-ray tube by a cable having a length of at least 2 meters.

16. An electrostatic-dissipation device configured to dissipate static electricity between a flat-panel-display (FPD) and a table during manufacture of the FPD, the device comprising:
a. an x-ray tube, wherein:
i. the x-ray tube includes a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another;
ii. the cathode is configured to emit electrons towards the anode;
iii. the anode is configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode;

b. a shell, wherein the shell:
i. carries the x-ray tube;
ii. is electrically-conductive;
iii. is electrically coupled to the anode and electrically insulated from the cathode;
iv. has a proximal-end closer to the cathode and a distal-end closer to the anode; and
v. has a connector, at the proximal-end, configured to be coupled to an actuator for lifting the FPD.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein:
a. the connector at the proximal-end of the shell is an actuator-connector;
b. the shell further comprises a cap-connector at the distal-end of the shell;
c. the cap-connector is configured to be coupled to a cap;
d. the actuator-connector and the cap-connector are both radially recessed;
e. a maximum-outer diameter of the cap-connector and a maximum-outer diameter of the actuator-connector are both less than a maximum-outer diameter of the shell.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising the cap, wherein the cap has:
a. an internal-connector capable of mating with the cap-connector;
b. an outer diameter that is not greater than an outer diameter of the shell plus two millimeters;
c. a bearing surface configured to bear against the FPD.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the shell is vented, the cap is vented, or both are vented.

Assignees

• Moxtek Inc

Inventors

• Miller Eric
• Wilson Steven West
• Kamtekar Sanjay
• Hansen Bill
• Harris Brad

Classifications

• H05F3/04 Primary

  by means of spark gaps or other discharge devices (devices providing for corona discharge per se H01T19/00) · CPC title

• H01J2235/086

  Target geometry · CPC title

• H01J35/08

  Anodes; Anti cathodes · CPC title

• H01J9/241 Primary

  the vessel being for a flat panel display (H01J9/261 takes precedence; flat discharge lamps H01J9/248) · CPC title

• H01J35/116

  Transmissive anodes (acting as a window H01J35/186) · CPC title