KR101707219B1 - X-Ray Tube Having Anode Rod for Avoiding Interference and Apparatus for Detecting with the Same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an x-ray tube having an interference avoiding anode rod, and more particularly to an S-ray tube having an interference avoiding anode rod that can prevent interference with the x-ray tube of the inspection-related device. The x-ray tube comprises a beam generating body 11; A lower sealing unit 13 coupled to one end of the beam generating body 11; And an interference avoiding anode rod (14) extending from the lower sealing unit (13) at least to have a cross section smaller than the cross section of the lower face of the beam generating body (11).

Description

Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an X-ray tube having an interference avoidance anode rod,

The present invention relates to an x-ray tube having an interference avoiding anode rod and an inspection apparatus having the same, and more particularly to an S-ray tube having an interference avoiding anode rod capable of preventing interference with an x- ≪ / RTI >

Various forms of x-ray inspection devices for nondestructive inspection are known in the art and x-ray inspection devices can be installed in a variety of inspection equipment designed to be suitable for the inspection of the object being inspected. X-ray tubes are vacuum tubes that generate X-rays, which can be used in x-ray inspection systems and include rotating anode tubes and micro-focus X-ray tubes. The X-rays generated from the X-ray tube during the X-ray inspection process can be detected by a detector that detects the difference in intensity of the incident X-rays transmitted through the object to be inspected and can be processed as an image by a device such as a computer.

Prior art relating to x-ray tubes is Patent Publication No. 2013-0058162 entitled " Micro Focus X-ray Tube ". The prior art includes a negative electrode disposed inside the housing to control the amount of electrons emitted from the negative electrode and to prevent the spread of electrons, and to emit electrons by a voltage supplied from a first power source connected to the negative electrode; A cathode disposed in the housing and spaced apart from the cathode, the electrons emitted from the cathode collide with a voltage supplied from the first power source connected to the cathode; And a gate electrode disposed between the cathode and the anode to adjust the amount of electrons emitted from the cathode by a voltage supplied from a second power source connected to the cathode.

Prior art related to x-ray inspection apparatus to which x-ray tube is applied is patent registration No. 0983244 'Inline PCB x-ray inspection apparatus having complex function'. The prior art discloses an x-ray inspection apparatus comprising a detector movable in the XYZ-axis direction and rotatable at the same time, and an x-ray tube movable in the XYZ-axis direction. The prior art discloses an x-ray inspection apparatus in which an inspection control conveyor is installed on the lower side of the x-ray tube and a detector is provided on the lower side of the inspection conveyor again.

When an x-ray tube is installed in the x-ray inspection apparatus, it can be combined with, for example, a driving means, a shielding apparatus, or an inspection stage. In such a structure, other devices may interfere with the movement of the x-ray tube, and as a result, the installation and rotation of the x-ray tube may be restricted. On the other hand, due to the interference phenomenon, the design of the entire structure can be complicated. The prior art does not disclose means for avoiding this.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art and has the following purpose.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an x-ray tube having an interference avoiding anode rod which makes it possible to obtain an image with the required magnification for the object to be inspected while reducing the interference to the movement of the x-ray tube.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray inspection apparatus having an X-ray tube arranged in a rotatable or inclined form, and at the same time allowing a transmission window of an X-ray tube to approach an object to be inspected at an arbitrary distance .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an x-ray tube applied to an x-ray examination apparatus comprises a beam generating body; A lower sealing unit coupled to one end of the beam generating body; And an interference avoiding anode rod extending from the lower sealing unit at least to have a cross section smaller than the cross section of the lower face of the beam generating body.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electron beam derived from the beam generating body generates an x-ray at the interference avoiding anode rod, and the x-ray is emitted through one end of the interference avoiding anode rod.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a discharge surface is formed at one end of the interference avoiding anode rod, and the discharge surface is inclined with respect to the lower plane of the lower sealing unit.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interference avoiding anode rod is combined with the beam generating body so as to be vertically movable.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the target formed on the emitting surface or the emitting surface is formed so as to be rotatable or capable of changing the position of the target by a magnetic field.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the x-ray inspection system comprises an x-ray tube capable of generating x-rays; An inspection table on which a subject to be inspected is located; A detector which is emitted from the X-ray tube and detects an X-ray passing through the object to be inspected; And an anode rod formed in the x-ray tube, wherein the anode rod has a discharge surface that can be positioned so as to be parallel to an object to be inspected.

The X-ray tube according to the present invention has an advantage that the related device installed in the inspection apparatus can reduce the interference with the movement, rotation or installation of the X-ray tube. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an image having a required magnification by making it possible to adjust the FOD (Focal spot to Object Distance) value for FID (Focal Spot to Iso-center Distance), for example. In addition, the X-ray tube according to the present invention has an advantage that the design of the entire inspection apparatus can be simplified by appropriately adjusting the size of the interference avoidance anode rod.

1A and 1B illustrate an embodiment of an X-ray tube in which an interference avoidance anode rod according to the present invention is formed.
2A and 2B illustrate an embodiment in which the image magnification according to the interference avoidance anode load according to the present invention is adjusted.
2C shows an embodiment of a target formed on an interference avoidance anode rod.
3A to 3C show an embodiment of an X-ray examination apparatus to which an X-ray tube according to the present invention is applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals in different drawings have similar functions, so that they will not be described repeatedly unless necessary for an understanding of the invention, and the known components will be briefly described or omitted. However, It should not be understood as being excluded from the embodiment of Fig.

1A and 1B show an embodiment of an X-ray tube 10 in which an interference avoiding anode rod 14 according to the present invention is formed.

1A and 1B, an X-ray tube 10 according to the present invention includes a beam generating body 11; A lower sealing unit 13 coupled to one end of the beam generating body 11; And an interference avoiding anode rod (14) extending from the lower sealing unit (13) at least to have a cross section smaller than the cross section of the lower face of the beam generating body (11).

The X-ray tube 10 according to the present invention can be a device capable of generating characteristic X-rays or generating continuous X-rays (braking radiation). X-ray tubes can also be applied to industrial non-destructive testing devices, but can also be applied to medical applications, for example. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the generation structure or application field of X-rays.

The beam generating body 11 may include an electron gun in which electrons are generated, a vacuum chamber in which a cathode is accommodated, and an apparatus for forming an electron beam, Lt; / RTI > The lower body 12 may be formed below the beam generating body 11. [ The electrons generated in the cathode are accelerated by the voltage difference to reach the lower body 12 while forming an electron beam. The beam generating body 11 and the lower body 12 may be integrally formed and entirely cylindrical.

A lower sealing unit 13 for coupling the interference preventing anode rod 14 to the lower body 12 may be formed below the lower body 12. [ The lower sealing unit 13 may be plate-shaped and may have a function of sealing the lower portion of the lower body 12. The central portion of the lower portion of the lower body 12 can be opened and closed by the lower sealing unit 13. [ The lower sealing unit 13 may include a transmission window having the function of channeling the cathode ray or the electron beam while coupling the interference preventing anode rod 14 to the lower body 12.

The interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be in a hollow cylinder shape and its sectional area may be smaller than the cross sectional area of the bottom surface of the lower sealing unit 13 or the lower body 12. [ For example, the cross-sectional area of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be 1/100 to 4/5 of the cross-sectional area of the bottom surface of the lower body 12, but is not limited thereto. On the other hand, the extension length of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be, for example, 1/50 to 5/6 of the bottom surface of the lower body 12, but is not limited thereto. The cross sectional area or extension length of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be determined by the characteristics of the electron beam in the lower body 12. [ For example, if the electron beam in the lower body 12 has a sufficiently small diameter, the cross-sectional area of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be small, while the extension length may be large.

The interference avoiding anode rod 14 may comprise an elongated surface 141 and an emissive surface 142. An electron beam can be directed through the extension surface 141 and the x-ray can be emitted through the exit surface 142. A transmissive target may be formed inside the emitting surface 142 for the emission of the X-rays. The anode target can be any metal plate known in the art, such as chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum or tungsten. On the other hand, the transmission window described below can be formed on the emission surface 142. The discharge surface 142 may be formed to be inclined with respect to the extended surface 141 and the discharge surface 142 and the extended surface 141 may form an internal angle of 50 to 85 degrees. Such an inclined structure may have a structure in which the discharge surface 142 is located closer to the subject to be inspected. On the other hand, the inclination refers to the lower plane of the lower sealing unit 13 or the inspection table on which the subject to be inspected is located. The oblique direction can be determined based on the structure in which the x-ray tube 10 is installed in the x-ray inspection apparatus. Alternatively, the interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be installed so as to be movable up and down relative to the lower body 12 or the lower sealing unit 13. [ It can also be installed so that it can be attached and detached as needed. For example, a fine adjustment screw, for up and down movement. The vertically movable structure allows the approach distance of the discharge surface 142 to the subject to be inspected to be precisely controlled. On the other hand, the detachable structure allows the interference avoiding anode rods 14, which have different inclination, to be coupled to the beam generating body 11 or the lower sealing unit 13.

The interference avoiding anode rod 14 may be coupled to the lower sealing unit 13 or the lower body 12 in various structures and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 1B, the lower sealing unit 13 can be coupled to the lower portion of the lower body 12, and a metal plate for generating X-rays by collision of the electron beams can be formed inside. The lower sealing unit 13 may be, for example, in the form of a cylinder and may have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the lower body 12. The subject to be inspected (not shown) can be positioned above the inspection table T and below the center of the lower sealing unit 13. [ When the lower sealing unit 13 is disposed at an inclination with respect to the inspection table T, the lower sealing unit 13 and the inspection table 13 can be separated from each other due to the size of the lower sealing unit 13, The interference portion IP may be formed. The interference portion IP may be formed by the lower body 12 and the inspection table T according to the diameter or extension length of the lower sealing unit 13.

1B, the interference avoiding anode rod 14 can be coupled to the lower sealing unit 13 and the interference avoiding anode rod 14 can have a diameter sufficiently smaller than that of the lower sealing unit 13 Lt; / RTI > If the emitting surface 142 is formed to be inclined, the lower emitting surface 142 of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 can be accessed to reach the mechanically controllable distance to the inspection table 142. The controllable distance means the distance that can be mechanically adjusted. Specifically, if the FID (Focal Spot to Iso-center Distance) is 600 mm, the Focal Spot to Object Distance (FOD) can be 10.59 mm in FIG. 1B. On the other hand, in (B) of FIG. 1B, the FID (Focal Spot to Iso-center Distance) becomes 600 mm, but the FOD (Focal Spot to Object Distance) becomes 0.25 mm. In this case, the angle formed by the surface of the inspection table T and the sectional area of the lower sealing unit 13 may be about 15 degrees. In each case the magnification (FID / FOD) can be about 56 and about 2400. The inclination angle, FID, or FOD may vary depending on the arrangement structure of the x-ray tube, the cross-sectional area of the lower sealing unit 13, and the extension length.

As can be seen from the presented embodiment, by forming the interference avoidance anode rod 14, the accessible distance of the x-ray tube to the object to be inspected can be varied, and thus an image can be obtained at the required magnification.

The geometry of the x-ray tube having such advantages will be described below.

2A and 2B illustrate an embodiment in which the magnification of an image according to the interference avoidance anode load according to the present invention is adjusted.

Referring to FIG. 2A, electrons generated in the cathode 21 are induced to the interference avoiding anode rod by a voltage difference to form a cathode line EB. The cathode ray can pass through the adjustment unit 22a, 22b, for example, and the width of the beam can be adjusted or the acceleration can be adjusted. On the other hand, the number of electrons can be controlled. The adjustment units 22a, 22b may be, for example, but not limited to, a magnetic lens or a gate electrode. The cathode line EB must be able to be guided along the extension surface 241 of the interference avoidance anode rod. Therefore, the adjustment units 22a, 22b can be suitable devices capable of guiding the electron beam EB inside the interference avoidance anode rod, for example.

The electron beam EB induced by the interference avoidance anode rod can generate X-rays while colliding with a target formed on the emitting surface 242. The target may be the same as the metal described above and the generated x-rays may be emitted through the transmission window 242a. The transmission window 242a may be, for example, a thin film of beryllium, and all of the X-rays emitted to the rest except for the transmission window 242a may be shielded. The emission surface 242 herein includes a transmission window 242a and the tilt angle means the tilt angle of the transmission window 242a. The direction of the transmission window 242a is substantially the same as or similar to the direction of the emission surface 242 since the transmission window 242a is formed on the emission surface 242 at a very small size, for example, in units of microns.

The X-rays X that have passed through the emission surface 242 can be detected by a detector that passes through the inspection target T positioned above the inspection table T and is located below the inspection table T. [ The detector may be in various forms capable of detecting the X-ray X and may be displayed as an image on the display unit by the X-ray monitored by the detector.

As can be seen in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2A, the interference avoiding anode rod or inclined emission surface 242a can be approached to a desired distance to the target. Such a structure is shown in FIG. 2B.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the diameter D2 of the lower sealing unit 13, the diameter D3 of the lower body 12, the reference line TL of the inspection table T and the diameter of the lower sealing unit 13 or the lower body The lengths L1 and L2 of the extended surface 141 can be determined by the slanting lines AG formed by the slits 12 and 12. Specifically, as the diameter D2 or D3 increases, the lengths L1 and L2 increase, and when the inclination angle AG increases, the lengths L1 and L2 increase. Therefore, (D2 or D3) can be set so that (D2 or D3) / (D1 + L2) / D1 = Tan Refers to the diameter of the portion of the upper sealing unit 12 or the lower sealing unit 13 which is first brought into contact with the inspection table T. [

The angle formed by the x-ray tube and the inspection table T can be determined during the installation of the x-ray tube on the inspection apparatus, and thus the inclination angle AG of the discharge surface 142 can be determined. And then the diameter D1 of the interference avoiding rod 14 or the length L1 or L2 of the elongated surface 141 can be determined. And in such a configuration the exit surface 142 can be controlled to approach the inspection table T or the object S to be inspected at any desired level. The X-ray X transmitted through the object S to be inspected can be detected by a detector. And adjusting the distance DF between the inspection table T or the object to be inspected S to the distance between the detector and the emitting surface 142 to an appropriate level of the image magnification .

The geometric structure of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 for the lower sealing unit 13 or the lower body 12 can be variously formed and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. It is also shown in the embodiment that the sectional area of the lower sealing unit 13, the lower body 12, or the interference avoiding rod 14 is circular. However, the principle according to the present invention can be applied to the structure of the lower sealing unit 13, the lower body 12, or the interference avoiding rod 14 having various geometries. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the principles of the present invention may be applied to various geometries based on a prototype.

On the other hand, the interference avoiding rod 14 or the emitting surface 142 may be formed to be rotatable. As shown in (a) of FIG. 2C, when the electron beam continuously collides with the target T0 at a predetermined predetermined position to generate X-rays, the lifetime of the metal target can be shortened. On the other hand, as shown in (b) of FIG. 2C, when the interference avoiding rod 14 or the emitting surface 142 is rotated (R) after being used for a certain period of time, T1, T2, T3, T4) can be continuously changed. This makes it possible to use the interference avoiding rod 14 or the discharge surface 142 for a long period of time.

Alternatively, for example, a path changing unit M1 or M2 for changing the path of the cathode ray EB may be provided inside the interference avoiding rod 14. For example, the path changing unit M1, M2 may be a magnet or an electromagnet capable of generating a magnetic field. The cathode ray EB can pass through the path changing units M1 and M2 and collide with different positions of the target Tn by the magnetic field forming structure. The target T of the cathode line E B can be changed at different positions by changing the magnetic field forming structure at a constant cycle. And may result in substantially the same or similar result as the rotation of the discharge surface 142. The formation structure of the magnetic field includes, for example, the magnitude or direction of the magnetic field. The change of the position of the target (T1, T2, T3, T4) for a cathode ray collision can be made by various methods including rotation (R) or magnetic field change, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

An embodiment of an inspection apparatus to which an X-ray tube according to the present invention is applied will be described below.

3A to 3C show an embodiment of an X-ray examination apparatus to which an X-ray tube according to the present invention is applied.

The inspection system according to the present invention includes an x-ray tube 10 capable of generating x-rays; An inspection table (T) on which a subject to be inspected is located; A detector 20 which is emitted from the X-ray tube 10 and detects an X-ray passing through the object to be inspected; And an anode rod formed in the x-ray tube 10, and the anode rod may have a discharge surface that can be positioned so as to be parallel to an object to be inspected.

3A to 3C, an X-ray inspection apparatus 30 includes an X-ray tube 10, an inspection table T, a detector 20, a rotation control unit 31, a Z-axis movement unit 32, Unit 33 as shown in FIG. Also as shown in FIG. The installation direction of the x-ray tube 10 can be adjusted by a direction setting unit 35 that allows the tilt angle to be adjusted with respect to the reference frame 36. The inclination level or the setting direction may be restricted when the x-ray tube 10 is installed to be inclined in each of the x-ray inspection apparatuses 30 or when the direction is to be adjusted. On the other hand, since the distance between the inspection table T and the transmission window becomes long after installation, it becomes difficult to obtain a high magnification image or a desired magnification image. In this case, as described above, if an interference avoidance anode rod is installed in each X-ray tube, the limitation of the installation direction can be reduced, and at the same time, the distance between the inspection table T and the transmission window can be adjusted to a desired level . So that an image having a required magnification can be obtained.

The x-ray tube according to the present invention can be applied to various x-ray inspection apparatuses and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

The X-ray tube according to the present invention has an advantage that the related device installed in the inspection apparatus can reduce the interference with the movement, rotation or installation of the X-ray tube. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an image having a required magnification by making it possible to adjust the FOD (Focal spot to Object Distance) value for FID (Focal Spot to Iso-center Distance), for example. In addition, the X-ray tube according to the present invention has an advantage that the design of the entire inspection apparatus can be simplified by appropriately adjusting the size of the interference avoidance anode rod.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . The invention is not limited by these variations and modifications, but is limited only by the claims appended hereto.

10: x-ray tube 11: beam generating body
12: Lower body 13: Lower sealing unit
14: interference avoiding anode rod 141: extended surface
142: Emissive surface 20: Detector
21: cathode 22a, 22b: regulating unit
242: emitting surface 242a: transmitting window
30: inspection device 31: rotation control unit
32: mobile unit 33: detector moving unit
35: direction setting unit 36: reference frame

Claims (3)

In an x-ray tube applied to an x-ray inspection apparatus,
A beam generating body (11);
A lower body 12 formed below the beam generating body 11;
A lower sealing unit 13 coupled to the lower body 12; And
And an interference avoiding anode rod (14) extending from the lower sealing unit (13) at least in a cylindrical shape with a cross section smaller than the cross section of the lower face of the beam generating body (11)
The interference avoiding anode rod 14 is composed of an extension surface 141 for guiding an electron beam and a discharge surface 142 having an anode target formed on the inside thereof, A path changing unit M1 or M2 in which a magnet or an electromagnet capable of generating a magnetic field for changing the path is disposed is provided so that the position of the target Tn of the emitting surface 142 can be changed; And
The sectional area of the interference avoiding anode rod 14 is 1/100 to 1/4 of the sectional area of the bottom surface of the lower body 12 and the discharge surface 142 is located on the lower plane of the lower sealing unit 13 (D2 or D3) / 2) / (D2 or D3) / 2), wherein (D2 or D3) is an inclination angle of the lower body L1 and L2 are the lengths of the long and short extended lengths of the interference avoiding anode rod 13, respectively, of the lower sealing unit 12 or the lower sealing unit 13, Ray tubes. The X-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein the interference avoiding anode rod (14) is coupled to the lower sealing unit (13) so as to be vertically movable.
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