Patent ID: 7538301

Claim:
A tubular heating element for heating fluid media comprising: a jacket pipe, at least one heating coil disposed inside the jacket pipe, the coil made of an electrical resistance heating wire and embedded in an electrical insulation material, wherein the heating coil comprises a first and a second terminal portion by means of which said heating coil is connectable to a source of current via at least one connection element at each end, the heating coil further comprising at least one operating portion extending between the two terminal portions of the heating coil, wherein the jacket pipe has at least one bend in its longitudinal axis in one of the terminal portions having a bended terminal portion, at said bended terminal portion the diameter of said heating coil increases in the bend of the jacket pipe in the direction of the operating portion wherein, a portion of said heating coil with said increasing diameter being position within said bended terminal portion and also being bent, in operation, emission of heat is less in the terminal portion compared to the heat emitted in the operating portion, and such that locally overheated areas due to uneven transfer of heat caused by displacement of the heating coil in the bended terminal portion is avoided.