Temperature-dependent switching mechanism and temperature-dependent switch

A temperature-dependent switch comprising:

• a temperature-dependent switching mechanism;
• and
• a switch housing surrounding the temperature-dependent switching mechanism and comprising a first contact and a second contact;
• wherein the temperature-dependent switching mechanism comprises:
• a temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc that is configured to snap from a low temperature configuration to a high temperature configuration upon exceeding a response temperature;
• a temperature-independent snap-action spring disc;
• an electrically conductive contact member to which the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc and the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc are captively held, so that the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc, the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc, and the electrically conductive contact member form a switching mechanism unit captively held together;
• and
• a switching mechanism housing in which the switching mechanism unit is arranged and which captively holds the switching mechanism unit,
• wherein the switching mechanism housing is formed in one piece from an electrically conductive material and surrounds the switching mechanism unit from a first housing side, a second housing side opposite the first housing side, and a housing peripheral side extending between and transverse to the first and second housing sides,
• wherein the switching mechanism housing comprises a side wall forming the housing peripheral side, wherein a free, upper portion of the side wall is bent over and forms the first housing side,
• wherein the switching mechanism housing is configured as an at least partially open housing and comprises an opening on the first housing side through which the electrically conductive contact member is accessible from outside the switching mechanism housing,
• wherein the temperature-dependent switching mechanism is configured to establish an electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact below a response temperature of the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc and to interrupt the electrical connection upon exceeding the response temperature, and
• wherein the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc in its low temperature configuration is spaced from an inner surface of the free, upper portion of the side wall arranged inside the switching mechanism housing and in its high temperature configuration bears against the inner surface.

A temperature-dependent switching mechanism for a temperature-dependent switch, comprising:

• a temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc;
• a temperature-independent snap-action spring disc;
• an electrically conductive contact member to which the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc and the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc are connected, so that the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc, the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc, and the electrically conductive contact member form a switching mechanism unit held together;
• and
• a switching mechanism housing in which the switching mechanism unit is arranged and which holds the switching mechanism unit,
• wherein the switching mechanism housing is formed in one piece from an electrically conductive material and surrounds the switching mechanism unit from a first housing side, a second housing side opposite the first housing side, and a housing peripheral side extending between and transverse to the first and second housing sides,
• wherein the switching mechanism housing is configured as an at least partially open housing and comprises an opening on the first housing side through which the electrically conductive contact member is accessible from outside the switching mechanism housing,
• wherein the electrically conductive contact member protrudes outwardly through the opening or is movable together with the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc and the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc within the switching mechanism housing such that the electrically conductive contact member protrudes outwardly through the opening upon a corresponding movement within the switching mechanism housing, and
• wherein a diameter of the opening is smaller than a diameter of the temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc measured parallel to the diameter of the opening and smaller than a diameter of the temperature-independent snap-action spring disc measured parallel to the diameter of the opening.