Patent ID: 7576306

Claim:
An electric heating element with radiant tube comprising a radiation pipe and an electric heating element contained in said pipe, wherein the heating element has legs that run to and fro in the pipe, and wherein the heating element is connected at one end of the pipe close to a furnace wall with electric power outlets through which electric current is fed to the element, wherein the element is supported in the pipe by ceramic discs that are provided with through-penetrating holes through which the legs of the elements extend, and wherein two elements are disposed sequentially in said radiation pipe along its long axis, wherein a central rod extends through the centre of the radiation pipe from its one end to its opposite other end and wherein the central rod runs through the centre of each ceramic disc; wherein the central rod forms an electric power outlet for at least one of said elements; wherein a connection region for said two elements in the radiation pipe is situated between the elements in a longitudinal direction of the pipe, wherein respective elements are connected to their respective power outlets in said connection region; wherein stop means are provided which function to generally retain ceramic discs present in the connection region in a direction along the long axis of the pipe; and wherein supportive ceramic discs for supporting respective elements are placed at a distance from said connection region, wherein at least some of said ceramic discs are able to move freely along the pipe to an extent allowed by element-related stop means as respective elements expand or contract in response to a change in temperature of said elements.