Embedded heater cathode

Claim 1

A POTTED HEATER CATHODE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A CUPSHAPED RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPEN END, AN ELECTRICAL HEATER ELEMENT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE AND HAVING A HIGHTEMPERATURE ELECTRICAL INSULATED COVERING, A POROUS SINTERED METALLIC MATRIX MOLDED WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE AND EMBEDDING SAID HEATER ELEMENT TO RIGIDLY SUPPORT SAID HEATER ELEMENT, SAID METALLIC MATRIX HAVING A GIVEN SHAPED SURFACE ACROSS THE OPEN END OF SAID RECEPTACLE, AND AN ELECTRON EMISSIVE MATERIAL DISPOSED ON AND PENETRATING WITHIN THE PORES OF THE SHAPED SURFACE OF SAID POROUS METALLIC MATRIX.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN EMBEDDED-HEATER CATHODE STRUCUTRE FOR AN ELECTRONDISCHARGE DEVICE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INSERTING INTO AN OPEN-ENDED CATHODE RECEPTACLE AN ELECTRICAL HEATER ELEMENT HAVING A HIGH-TEMPERATURE ELECTRICAL INSULATED COVERING THEREON, PROVIDING EXTERNAL ACCESS TO THE LEADS OF SAID ELECTRICAL HEATER, DEPOSITING WITHIN SAID CATHODE RECEPTACLE A MEASURED AMOUNT OF METALLIC POWDER TO EMBED SAID HEATER ELEMENT THEREIN, SAID METALLIC POWDER HAVING PARTICLE SIZED WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 10 TO 100 MICRONS AND BEING OF THE TYPE SUITABLE FOR USE IN A CATHODE OF AN EVACUATED ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE, COMPRESSING SAID POWDER WITH A SHAPING TOOL TO LOOSELY COMPACT SAID POWDER AND IMPART A SHAPED SURFACE THERETO, HEATING SAID CATHODE RECEPTACLE AND METALLIC POWDER IN A NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE TO A SUFFICIENT TEMPERATURE FOR A SUFFICIENT LENGTH OF TIME TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY SINTER SAID POWDER TO FORM A SINTERED LOOSELY-COMPACTED NICKEL MATRIX, AND APPLYING A COATING OF ELECTRON EMISSIVE MATERIAL TO SAID SHAPED SURFACE OF SAID MATRIX, WHEREBY SAID SINTERED METALLIC MATRIX RIGIDLY SUPPORTS SAID HEATER ELEMENT AND ADDITIONALLY PROVIDES A SHAPED POROUS SURFACE FOR THE DEPOSITION OF SAID ELECTRON EMISSIVE MATERIAL.