LEVITATING AND FUSING DEVICE

摘要

A plurality of segments 12 respectively formed of an electrically insulated conductive material such as copper or the like are disposed inside an induction coil 1 in the peripheral direction of the induction coil 1 to thereby construct a crucible 3. There is formed a small cylindrical hole 4 in the center of the bottom portion of the crucible 3. A magnetic flux is allowed to enter the crucible 3 from slits 15 respectively formed between the hole 4 and segments 12 and is then interlinked with an object to be heated. The slits 15 respectively defined by mutually adjoining segments 12 are arranged such that the width of the bottom portion thereof is greater than that of the cylindrical portion thereof. When the width of the slit in the bottom portion is increased, then a leakage flux to the crucible is increased which in turn increases a levitation force F. If there are further formed bottom slits only in the bottom portions of the segments to thereby increase the number of the slits in the bottom portion to be greater than that of the slits in the cylindrical portion, then the leakage flux is increased to thereby increase the levitation force F, and also the fused metal is supported at multiple points, which increases the stability S thereof.