Hamamatsu Photonics has been granted a patent for an electron tube design. The tube includes a housing with an electromagnetic wave transmitting window, an electron emission plate that emits electrons in response to the wave, and a holding member that applies a voltage to the plate. The holding member is electrically connected to the plate and biases it elastically towards the base portion. GlobalData’s report on Hamamatsu Photonics gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Hamamatsu Photonics, Welding robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. Hamamatsu Photonics's grant share as of September 2023 was 40%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Electron tube with a holding member biasing the emission plate
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11776798B2) describes an electron tube with improved electron emission capabilities. The electron tube includes a housing with an electromagnetic wave transmitting window, an electron emission plate, and a holding member. The electron emission plate emits electrons when exposed to an electromagnetic wave, and the holding member applies a voltage to the electron emission plate.
The electron emission plate has two main surfaces, with the holding member in contact with the first main surface. The holding member also includes multiple electron emission plate biasing portions that are in contact with the edge of the second main surface. These biasing portions elastically bias the electron emission plate towards the base portion of the holding member. Additionally, the biasing portions are electrically connected to the second main surface.
In one embodiment, the electron emission plate biasing portions are positioned symmetrically when viewed from the normal direction of the second main surface. The biasing portions have a plate shape and are thinner than the electron emission plate itself. Each biasing portion can be divided into multiple parts, with each part elastically biasing the electron emission plate towards the base portion.
The holding member also includes a frame plate portion and a flat plate portion. The electron emission plate biasing portions are integrated into the frame plate portion and project from the flat plate portion. A spacer is placed between the base portion and the flat plate portion, surrounding the edge of the electron emission plate. The spacer has a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the electron emission plate.
The base portion of the holding member has an opening through which the electromagnetic wave enters after passing through the window. The opening can have a rectangular or circular shape, and the base portion is in contact with the first main surface at the edge defining the opening.
The electron tube can be used with a field assist type photocathode or an electron emission plate with a metasurface that emits electrons in response to an electromagnetic wave. The housing of the electron tube has a tubular shape, and the holding member includes multiple springs that position it within the housing by applying a biasing force to the inner side surface of the housing.
Overall, this patent presents an electron tube design that improves electron emission efficiency and provides a more reliable and stable electron emission process.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
