Power disconnect assembly for electric heating elements

A power disconnect assembly comprising;

• a plug-in electric heating element adapted to support and heat a cooking vessel and its contents;
• a terminal block with terminals for receiving the plug-in heating element and supplying electric power thereto,
• a double pole switch with contacts connected to line voltage and to the terminal block,
• a bidirectional triode thyristor for controlling power to the plug-in electric heating element between the double pole switch contacts and line voltage,
• a solenoid to open and close the switch,
• means to detect the presence and absence of a cooking vessel on the heating element including a vertically movable means normally disposed in an upper position above the plane of the heating element when no cooking vessel is supported on the heating element but movable downwardly to a lower position at least within the plane by the weight of a cooking vessel placed on the heating element, and
• means cooperating with the cooking vessel detection means to de-energize the solenoid in the event of cooking vessel absence and open the switch and energize the solenoid in the event the cooking vessel is present and close the switch.