Patent · US Expired

Night vision device and method

US6724131B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 28, 2002
Grant dateApr 20, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 28, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2231/50073
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A image intensifier tube (14) includes a housing (18) carrying a photocathode (22) and a microchannel plate (24). The housing also receives axially extending fine-dimension spacing structure (22a) interposed around an active area 22b of the photocathode and the microchannel plate to establish and maintain a selected fine-dimension, precise PC-to-MCP spacing between these structures. The housing includes yieldable deformable electrical contact structure (56′) for establishing and maintaining contact with the microchannel plate, and yieldable deformable sealing structure (58) allowing axial movement of the photocathode relative to the housing structure as the tube is assembled and the axial spacing structure controls PC-to-MCP spacing. The result is that the PC-to-MCP spacing dimension of the tube is largely isolated from dimensional variabilities of the housing and is established and maintained precisely during manufacturing of the tube despite stack up of tolerances for the housing and its components.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.