Thermostatic switch
AssigneeFasco Industries, Inc.
InventorRobert A. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The switch includes a generally J-shaped, bimetallic switch arm having two, spaced, parallel legs, one of which is longer than the other. The shorter leg is welded at its outer end to a metal boss, which is formed on the face of a mounting bracket, and thus supports the longer leg above the face of the bracket so that a first contact on the outer end of the longer leg overlies, and is normally engaged with, a second contact, which is mounted on said bracket to be insulated therefrom. The high expansion side of the switch arm faces downwardly to confront the bracket, and since the shorter leg responds more rapidly to temperature changes than the longer leg, it tends to resist movement of the longer leg between open and closed positions and thereby prolongs the time the switch arm remains in either position.
Claims3
A thermostatic switch, comprising
- a metal support having thereon a plane surface,
- a generally J-shaped, bimetallic switch arm having a pair of spaced parallel, generally flat legs integral with each other at their inner ends, and movable relative to each other at their outer ends,
- means for securing the outer end of one of said legs in electrical contact with said support and with said one leg supporting the other leg of said switch arm in spaced, confronting relation to said plane surface on said support,
- a first metal contact mounted on said support beneath the outer end of said other leg of said switch arm,
- a second metal contact secured to said outer end of said other leg for movement thereby to a closed position in which it engages said first metal contact, and to an open position in which it is spaced from said first contact,
- means electrically insulating said first contact from said metal support, and means for connecting said metal support and said first contact in an electrical circuit to pass current from said circuit through said contacts and from one end to the other of said switch arm, when said contacts are engaged,
- said one leg of said switch arm being substantially shorter and narrower than said other leg,
- said switch arm having its high expansion side facing said plane surface of said support, and said shorter leg of said switch arm being operative to resist movement of said longer leg in a direction to move said second contact from its open to its closed position, and
- the two legs of said switch arm being disposed substantially in a common plane when said contacts are engaged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.