Heating element support clip

Patent · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:870027

Sawyer, William C ^[1]

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1. Salida, CA

An apparatus for supporting a heating element in a channel formed in a heater base is disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes a substantially U-shaped tantalum member. The U-shape is characterized by two substantially parallel portions of tantalum that each have an end connected to opposite ends of a base portion of tantalum. The parallel portions are each substantially perpendicular to the base portion and spaced apart a distance not larger than a width of the channel and not smaller than a width of a graphite heating element. The parallel portions each have a hole therein, and the centers of the holes define an axis that is substantially parallel to the base portion. An aluminum oxide ceramic retaining pin extends through the holes in the parallel portions and into a hole in a wall of the channel to retain the U-shaped member in the channel and to support the graphite heating element. The graphite heating element is confined by the parallel portions of tantalum, the base portion of tantalum, and the retaining pin. A tantalum tube surrounds the retaining pin between the parallel portions of tantalum.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5442158
• OSTI ID: 870027
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/219/373/
aluminum
aluminum oxide
apart
apparatus
axis
base
base portion
centers
ceramic
channel
channel formed
characterized
clip
confined
connected
define
disclosed
distance
element
embodiment
extends
formed
graphite
heater
heating
heating element
holes
larger
opposite
oxide
oxide ceramic
parallel
perpendicular
portion
portions
preferred
preferred embodiment
retain
retaining
spaced
spaced apart
substantially
substantially parallel
substantially perpendicular
support
supporting
surrounds
tantalum
therein
tube
u-shape
u-shaped
wall
width