Heat coil support assembly and method

A method for assembling a helical wire coil heating element comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing a plurality of insulating standoffs with slotted opposite faces;
• (2) forming a support frame having an arm for each standoff, each arm having a bifurcated end formed by a pair of tines, the free end of said tines defining an open-ended space;
• (3) inserting each standoff in a linear direction into the open-ended space and causing the tines to be received in the slotted faces;
• and,
• (4) inserting each standoff wedge into the coil between adjacent coil convolutions causing said convolutions to be received and resiliently retained in said grooves.

A support assembly for a resilient helical wire heating coil comprising:

• a one-piece stamped sheet metal support frame having a plurality of pairs of tines, each tine pair defining an open space;
• a plurality of insulating standoffs, each having a body in opposite sides of which are formed one of a pair of parallel attachment slots, said slots dimensioned to receive said tines in response to direct linear insertion of said standoff into said open space;
• a wedge formed on an end of the standoff body, said wedge having ramp surfaces diverging from said end and dimensioned to spread apart adjacent coil convolutions in response to direct linear insertion of said wedge between said adjacent convolutions;
• and,
• a pair of coil retaining grooves in the body of the standoff, each groove located adjacent the most divergent edge of a ramp surface, said grooves dimensioned to resiliently receive and retain said adjacent convolutions in response to movement of portions of said convolutions past the most divergent edges of the ramp surfaces.

A one-piece stamped sheet metal support frame for supporting insulating standoffs that in turn support a helical wire heating coil to form a heating element, said support frame comprising:

• an elongated main center rail and a plurality of standoff support arms spaced along the rail and extending generally perpendicular thereto;
• each arm having a bifurcated end including a pair of tines initially formed to diverge slightly from base ends attached to the arm to a widened entry opening at the free ends of the tines, said entry opening dimensioned to receive an insulating standoff for positioning between the tines;
• and,
• said tines being deflectable in the plane of the arm to lock the insulator therebetween.