Temperature switch having a magnetically soft amorphous metal member

Abstract

A temperature switch includes a housing, a fixed contact positioned in the housing, a movable contact member mounted in the housing carrying a movable contact and urged to first and second positions where the movable contact is in abutment with or displacement from the fixed contact, respectively, a permanent magnet mounted in the housing, a thermally sensitive member mounted in the housing so as to be exposed to a region the temperature of which is to be determined wherein the thermally sensitive member includes a magnetically soft, amorphous metal member and is magnetically coupled to the permanent magnet, and an operating member which includes magnetic material wherein a first end thereof engages the movable contact member and a second end thereof opposite the first end is attracted to the thermally sensitive member against the resilience of the movable contact member, thereby causing displacement of the movable contact to the second position and wherein the thermally sensitive member includes a paramagnetic body upon the temperature of the region exceeding the Curie point thereof so as to displace the movable contact to the first position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.