EP0637047B1 - Kathode mit schnell schaltendem Heizelement und Gitter-Elektronenröhre ausgerüstet mit einer solchen Kathode - Google Patents

Kathode mit schnell schaltendem Heizelement und Gitter-Elektronenröhre ausgerüstet mit einer solchen Kathode Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0637047B1
EP0637047B1 EP94401695A EP94401695A EP0637047B1 EP 0637047 B1 EP0637047 B1 EP 0637047B1 EP 94401695 A EP94401695 A EP 94401695A EP 94401695 A EP94401695 A EP 94401695A EP 0637047 B1 EP0637047 B1 EP 0637047B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
spring
electron tube
cathode according
plate
tube cathode
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Expired - Lifetime
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EP94401695A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0637047A1 (de
Inventor
Michel Thomson-Csf Scpi Langlois
Robert Thomson-Csf Scpi Frossard
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Thales Electron Devices SA
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Thomson Tubes Electroniques
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J25/00—Transit-time tubes, e.g. klystrons, travelling-wave tubes, magnetrons
    • H01J25/02—Tubes with electron stream modulated in velocity or density in a modulator zone and thereafter giving up energy in an inducing zone, the zones being associated with one or more resonators
    • H01J25/04—Tubes having one or more resonators, without reflection of the electron stream, and in which the modulation produced in the modulator zone is mainly density modulation, e.g. Heaff tube
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J1/00—Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J1/02—Main electrodes
    • H01J1/13—Solid thermionic cathodes
    • H01J1/15—Cathodes heated directly by an electric current
    • H01J1/18—Supports; Vibration-damping arrangements

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a cathode for a grid electronic tube, supporting rapid switching on and off of the heating voltage.
  • the cathodes of the electronic grid tubes are for the most part with direct heating. They are often in the form of a cylindrical mesh formed by two layers of crossed wires welded together. The wires are often made of thoriated tungsten. The mesh is mounted between two supports used as the heating current supply. The supports consist of massive metal parts. They are rigidly fixed to the external connections of the tube, at the foot of the tube.
  • cathodes less used now, have substantially parallel wires fixed between the two supports, instead of having a mesh with crossed wires.
  • the ignition-extinction cycles eventually deteriorate the cathode and considerably reduce the life of the tube.
  • the heating voltage can be applied and cut, gradually or in stages.
  • This solution has the advantage of allowing the supports and the cathode wires to make up for the differences in expansion. On the other hand, this solution requires a considerable time to reach the operating temperature of the cathode. Switching on and off is not instantaneous. It is not acceptable in some applications.
  • the present invention seeks to remedy these problems of deformation of the cathode and proposes a cathode with rapid switching on and off of the heating.
  • the invention as defined in claim 1 consists in using a spring to prevent deformation of cathode wires, and in placing it near the cathode wires.
  • the present invention provides a cathode for an electronic tube having a hollow cylindrical structure comprising thermoemissive wires mounted between two conductive supports.
  • the supports are mechanically integral with each other.
  • At least one spring is integrated into one of the supports to neutralize tensile and compressive forces in the wires.
  • the spring is made of a material whose characteristics are set out in the characterizing part of claim 1.
  • the spring can be in simple graphite or pyrolitic.
  • the support integrating the spring may be formed of a plate on which the thermoemissive wires are fixed and of an elongated part, the spring being integral with one side of the elongated part and the other of the plate.
  • the spring can be in the form of a hollow cylinder, and comprise transversely to its axis, an alternating succession of spring and guide portions.
  • a guide portion may include a solid U-shaped part inside which slides a tongue with an axis parallel to the axis of the cylinder.
  • a spring portion may have two omega-shaped bands, placed symmetrically with respect to an axis parallel to the axis of the cylinder and opposite by the base of the omega.
  • the support incorporating the springs may comprise two plates one above the other, the first plate being connected to the thermoemissive wires and the second plate to an elongated part.
  • One of the springs can be supported on one side on the second plate and the other on the first plate and the other spring can be supported on one side on the first plate and the other on a stop secured to the second plate.
  • the stop is carried by a centering rod fixed to the second plate and which passes through the springs and the first plate.
  • a conductive element having a resistivity lower than that of the spring can short-circuit the spring.
  • the conductive element may be tantalum and have a sufficiently low stiffness so that the stiffness of the conductive-spring element assembly is close to that of the spring alone.
  • the cathode shown in Figure 1 is a cathode with substantially parallel thermoemissive wires. It has the shape of a hollow cylinder.
  • the wires are marked with the reference 1. They are fixed between two supports 2 and 3 used as a supply for the heating current.
  • the wires 1 define the hollow cylinder.
  • the upper support 2 comprises an upper plate 21 in the form of a ring and an inner elongated piece 22.
  • the wires are mounted on the outer flank of the ring.
  • the part 22 is a tube integral with one side of the inner flank of the ring.
  • the inner tube 22 passes inside the cylinder delimited by the cathode wires 1.
  • the inner tube 22 is extended, at its other end by a coil spring 23.
  • the spring 23 can be used to supply the heating current, but it can also be shunted by flexible metal strips.
  • the coil spring 23 ends on a first cathode connection piece 24 located at the base of the cathode.
  • the lower support 3 comprises a lower plate 31 in the form of a ring and an outer tube 32.
  • the wires 1 are fixed to the outer flank of the ring while one end of the outer tube 32 is integral with the inner flank of the ring.
  • the other end of the outer tube 32 is electrically and mechanically connected to a second cathode connection piece 34.
  • the two cathode connection pieces 24 and 34 are mechanically secured to each other by an insulating spacer 25.
  • the inner tube 22 and the outer tube 32 are mounted coaxially.
  • the ends of the spring 23 are respectively secured to an upper base 26 and a lower base 27 to facilitate assembly.
  • the upper base 26 is also integral with the inner tube 22 and the lower base 27 of the first part 24 of cathode connection.
  • the spring 23 is generally made of metal such as steel. It is intended to neutralize the tensile and compressive forces which the cathode wires undergo, both when switching on and when switching off the heating.
  • the spring 23 is placed near the connection pieces 24, 34 so as not to overheat when the cathode is operating. Indeed, the metal used has elastic properties which degrade the more the temperature increases. On the other hand, the further the spring 23 is away from the cathode wires 1, the more these are subject to variations in position and the less the action of the spring is effective.
  • the spring being a coil spring, it risks introducing torsional forces into the supports and into the wires, which risks aggravating the variations in positioning. In addition, it makes it difficult to center the cathode relative to the grid which surrounds it (the grid is not shown here).
  • FIG. 2 represents in longitudinal section a cathode according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • a mesh cathode is cylindrical. It is produced from a mesh 4 of thermoemissive wires shaped as a hollow cylinder.
  • the mesh 4 is mounted between two massive 5.6 supports which also serve as a supply for the heating current.
  • the lower support 6 comprises a lower plate 41 in the form of a ring and an elongated outer part 42 in the form of a tube.
  • Mesh 4 is fixed on the side of the outer flank of the ring 41, while one end of the outer tube 42 is fixed on the side of the inner flank of the ring 41.
  • the other end of the outer tube 42 is electrically and mechanically integral with a first piece of connection 43 of the cathode.
  • the upper support 5 comprises an elongated part 52 in the form of a rod or tube extended by a cylindrical spring 53, the spring 53 being integral with an upper plate 51 in the form of a ring.
  • the elongated part is an inner tube 52.
  • the spring 53 is fixed to the inner flank of the ring 51 while the mesh 4 is fixed to the ring 51 on the side of its outer flank.
  • the inner tube 52 and the outer tube 42 are mounted coaxially.
  • the base of the inner tube 52 is electrically and mechanically secured to a second part 54 for cathode connection.
  • the first cathode connection part 43 and the second part 54 are mechanically integral thanks to an insulating spacer 55. Now the spring 53 is placed in an area where it heats up. It is close to the cathode wires.
  • the spring 53 is produced in a material whose elastic properties do not degrade when the temperature increases.
  • Graphite is a suitable material.
  • the elastic properties are the modulus of elasticity and the elastic limit.
  • the graphite used can be simple or pyrolitic.
  • Pyrolitic graphite is a crystallized graphite obtained by thermal decomposition of a gaseous hydrocarbon on the surface of a material brought to very high temperature. A layer of graphite is thus deposited.
  • the direction parallel to the deposition plane is called direction AB.
  • the elastic limit of pyrolitic graphite increases with temperature in the direction AB while its modulus of elasticity remains substantially constant.
  • Spring 53 is a hollow cylinder and has parts solid and recesses.
  • Figure 3 shows a developed spring 53.
  • the shapes of the recesses are only non-limiting exemplary embodiments and any other suitable form can be considered. In the figure, the hatched parts are full.
  • the spring consists of at least one guide portion and at least one spring portion.
  • the spring 53 transversely comprises a succession of portions: guide portions denoted g alternated with spring portions denoted r .
  • the cylinder has two opposite planar edges 70 and the recesses are in its middle part.
  • a guide portion g may consist of a recess defining a solid part 71 in U shape inside which a tongue 72 slides. The sliding takes place along an axis parallel to the axis of the cylinder. The bottom of the U is formed by one of the edges 70 and the tongue is connected to the other edge.
  • a spring portion r may consist of two narrow strips 73, in the shape of an omega, placed symmetrically with respect to an axis parallel to the axis of the cylinder. Each strip 73 has one end connected to one edge 70 and the other to the other edge 73. The two omegas are opposite by their base.
  • the spring portions r are capable of neutralizing the tensile and compressive forces which arise between the two plates 51, 41 when the heating is suddenly started or stopped.
  • the guide portions g prevent the spring from inducing torsional forces in the mesh 4.
  • the spring has a stiffness as low as possible to best compensate for the forces arising between the two plates 41,51.
  • the tubes 42.52 and the plates 41.51 were used to supply the heating current to the mesh 4. Since the graphite has a relatively high resistivity, it is preferable to short-circuit the spring 53 with a conductive element 56 to avoid a significant drop in the heating voltage in the mesh 4.
  • the conductive element 56 is represented by at least one thin conductive strip. It has one end fixed on the upper plate 51 and the other on the inner tube 52. It short-circuits the spring 53. It is traversed by the heating current. It is made of a material having a lower resistivity than that of the spring material. You can use tantalum for example. The strip is given a sufficiently small thickness so that it is flexible and the stiffness of the conductor-spring element assembly is close to that of the spring alone.
  • FIG. 4 represents a view in longitudinal section of a variant of a cathode according to the invention in which two springs are used.
  • it is a mesh cathode.
  • the two supports 6, 8 of the son There are no changes to the lower support 6.
  • the upper support 8 comprises two plates 81, 82 in the form of rings placed one above the other.
  • the mesh 4 is fixed to the first plate which is here the top plate 81 at its outer flank.
  • the second plate which is here the bottom plate 82 is connected at its external flank to one end of an elongated piece 52 in the form of a rod or a tube.
  • the other end of the elongated part 52 is mechanically and electrically secured to the second cathode connection part 54.
  • the two springs bear the reference 85. They are cup-shaped with a central opening and are opposed by their outer edges 86. They are placed on either side of the top plate 81 and their outer edges 86 are in support on one of the main faces of the top plate 81. They work in opposition.
  • a centering or centering rod 87 integral with the bottom plate 82 passes through the two springs 85 and the top plate 81.
  • the inner edge 88 of the lower spring 85 is supported on the bottom plate 82 and the inner edge 89 of the upper spring 85 is supported on a flange 90 carried by the centering device 87. In this configuration the springs are used to neutralize the compression and traction forces which arise in the wires but the guiding function is provided by the centering device 87.
  • the top plate 81 slides along the centralizer 87. Flexible conductive strips 91 electrically connect the top plate 81 to the bottom plate 82, they short-circuit the springs 85.
  • the invention also relates to a grid electron tube which includes such a cathode.
  • a grid electron tube which includes such a cathode.

Landscapes

  • Electrodes For Cathode-Ray Tubes (AREA)
  • Solid Thermionic Cathode (AREA)

Claims (16)

  1. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre, wobei die Kathode schnell ein- und ausgeschaltet wird und eine hohle zylindrische Struktur aus unter Wärmeeinwirkung Elektronen emittierenden Drähten enthält, die zwischen zwei leitenden Stützen (5, 6) montiert sind, welche mechanisch miteinander verbunden sind, wobei mindestens eine Feder (53, 85) in eine der Stützen (5) integriert ist, um die Kompressions- und Zugkräfte in den Drähten zu kompensieren, und wobei die Feder (53) in der Nähe der unter Wärmeeinwirkung Elektronen emittierenden Drähte liegt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Feder aus einem nicht-metallischen Material besteht, das einen Elastizitätsmodul und eine Elastizitätsgrenze besitzt, die sich zwischen Umgebungstemperatur und der Betriebstemperatur nicht verschlechtern, so daß die Feder sowohl im kalten wie im heißen Zustand wirksam bleibt.
  2. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Feder aus Graphit ist.
  3. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Graphit pyrolytisches Graphit ist.
  4. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die die Feder integrierende Stütze (5) eine Platte (51), auf der die Drähte befestigt sind, sowie ein längliches Bauteil (52) enthält, wobei die Feder (53) auf einer Seite das längliche Bauteil (52) verlängert und auf der anderen Seite mit der Platte (51) fest verbunden ist.
  5. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Feder (53) ein Hohlzylinder ist, der in Querrichtung eine abwechselnde Folge von Bereichen besitzt, die mindestens einen Federbereich (r) und mindestens einen Führungsbereich (g) enthalten.
  6. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Führungsbereich (g) einen massiven Teil (71) in Form eines U besitzt, in dem eine Zunge (72) parallel zur Achse des Zylinders gleitet.
  7. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 5 oder 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Federbereich (r) zwei Ω-förmige Bänder (73) enthält, die symmetrisch bezüglich einer Achse parallel zur Zylinderachse und einander bezüglich der Basis des Ω gegenüberliegend angeordnet sind.
  8. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie zwei Federn (85) enthält, die einander entgegengesetzt wirksam sind.
  9. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Federn (85) tellerförmig sind und bezüglich ihres Randes (86) einander gegenüberliegen.
  10. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 8 oder 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die die Feder (85) integrierende Stütze (8) zwei Platten (81, 82) übereinanderliegend besitzt, von denen die erste (81) an die unter Wärmeeinwirkung Elektronen emittierenden Drähte und die zweite Platte (82) an ein längliches Bauteil (52) angeschlossen sind, wobei eine der Federn sich mit einer Seite auf der zweiten Platte (82) und mit der anderen auf der ersten Platte (81) abstützt, während die andere Feder (85) sich mit der einen Seite auf der ersten Platte (81) und mit der zweiten Seite auf einem Anschlag (90) abstützt, der mit der zweiten Platte (82) fest verbunden ist.
  11. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Anschlag (90) sich an einem Zentrierstift (87) befindet, der an der zweiten Platte (82) befestigt ist und die Federn und die erste Platte (81) durchdringt.
  12. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Stützen (5, 6) von einem Heizstrom durchflossen sind und daß ein leitendes Element (56), dessen spezifischer elektrischer Widerstand geringer als der der Feder (53, 85) ist, die Feder kurzschließt.
  13. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach Anspruch 12, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das leitende Element (56) aus mindestens einem Metallband besteht.
  14. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 12 oder 13, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das leitende Element (56) aus Tantal ist.
  15. Kathode für eine Elektronenröhre nach einem der Ansprüche 12 bis 14, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Steifheit des leitenden Elements (56) so gering wie möglich ist, damit die Steifheit der Einheit aus leitendem Element und Feder der der Feder alleine nahekommt.
  16. Elektronenröhre mit Gitter, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sie eine Kathode nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 15 enthält.
EP94401695A 1993-07-27 1994-07-22 Kathode mit schnell schaltendem Heizelement und Gitter-Elektronenröhre ausgerüstet mit einer solchen Kathode Expired - Lifetime EP0637047B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9309230 1993-07-27
FR9309230A FR2708379B1 (fr) 1993-07-27 1993-07-27 Cathode à enclenchement et coupure rapides du chauffage et tube électronique à grille comportant une telle cathode.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0637047A1 EP0637047A1 (de) 1995-02-01
EP0637047B1 true EP0637047B1 (de) 1997-03-26

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EP94401695A Expired - Lifetime EP0637047B1 (de) 1993-07-27 1994-07-22 Kathode mit schnell schaltendem Heizelement und Gitter-Elektronenröhre ausgerüstet mit einer solchen Kathode

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US (1) US5666018A (de)
EP (1) EP0637047B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69402271T2 (de)
FR (1) FR2708379B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2828007B1 (fr) * 2001-07-27 2004-02-13 Thales Sa Dispositif d'amplification d'un signal haute frequence

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2608667A (en) * 1950-12-16 1952-08-26 Westinghouse Electric Corp Lead-in filament support assembly
US2683237A (en) * 1951-12-29 1954-07-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp Radio frequency tube with low internal impedance
US3218502A (en) * 1961-03-16 1965-11-16 Westinghouse Electric Corp High power electron discharge device
FR1455956A (fr) * 1965-07-20 1966-05-20 Thomson Houston Comp Francaise Perfectionnements aux cathodes à chauffage direct
US3419743A (en) * 1965-12-15 1968-12-31 Rca Corp Electron tube having a tensioned cathode
US3407328A (en) * 1966-03-10 1968-10-22 Varian Associates Directly heated cathode supporting structure
GB1197200A (en) * 1966-12-29 1970-07-01 Nippon Electric Co Cage Filament for Electron Discharge Device
US3551724A (en) * 1967-06-16 1970-12-29 Machlett Lab Inc Cathode structure having thermal expansion compensating means
US3522467A (en) * 1967-10-26 1970-08-04 Varian Associates Electron tube filament support structure employing deformable loop portions of the filaments
NL7202069A (de) * 1972-02-17 1973-08-21
FR2532468A1 (fr) * 1982-08-31 1984-03-02 Thomson Csf Perfectionnement aux cathodes a chauffage direct

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69402271D1 (de) 1997-04-30
FR2708379A1 (fr) 1995-02-03
US5666018A (en) 1997-09-09
DE69402271T2 (de) 1997-07-10
FR2708379B1 (fr) 1995-09-01
EP0637047A1 (de) 1995-02-01

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