Retention mechanism for heating coil of high temperature diffusion furnace
AssigneeMRL Industries, Inc.
InventorKevin B. Peck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating assembly for use in an electric furnace includes a helical heating element encircled by thermal insulation, and rows of spacers for keeping turns of the heating element spaced apart by predetermined distances. Each spacer includes circumferential side portions facing generally in a circumferential direction of the heating element and converging toward a center region of the spacer to form a radial undercut against which the insulation abuts. The spacers of each row have through holes extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the heating element. A guide rod extends through the through holes of each row of spacers.
Claims15
An electric furnace comprising:
- a helical heating element;
- rows of spacers for maintaining a spacing between adjacent turns of the heating element, each row of spacers extending from one end of the heating element to an opposite end of the heating element, the rows of spacers being circumferentially spaced apart with reference to a center axis of the heating element, each spacer including circumferentially facing side surfaces defining radial undercuts;
- and
- thermal insulation extending around the outside of the heating element, the insulation including circumferentially spaced portions each disposed within a respective space defined between two adjacent rows of spacers and engaging the radial undercuts of the spacers of the two rows.
An electric furnace having a helical heating element encircled by insulation, and rows of spacers for keeping turns of the heating element spaced apart by predetermined distances, each spacer including circumferential side portions facing generally in a circumferential direction of the heating element and converging toward a center region of the spacer to form a radial undercut against which the insulation abuts, the spacers of each row having through-holes extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the heating element, and a guide rod extending through the through-holes of each row of spacers.
A spacer for spacing-apart the turns of a helical heating element, the spacer comprising a pair of oppositely facing first side surfaces, and a pair of oppositely facing second side surfaces;
- one of the first side surfaces including a pair of projections spaced apart in a first direction, the other of the first side surfaces including a recess sized to receive the projections;
- portions of the second side surfaces converging in a second direction parallel to the first direction to form undercuts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.