Thermostatic switch construction

Abstract

In a snap disc thermostat, a stationary contact support, a moveable contact support, an actuator translated by the disc and a case housing those elements, interior side walls of the case have guide channels outboard of the stationary and moveable contact supports. The actuator has a part substantially circular in section, extending within the guide channels, and a spherical part abutting the moveable contact support. The case has a closed top through which two contact terminals extend, and an open bottom through which the housed elements can be mounted. The open bottom is closed by an imperforate disc. The case has projections integral with the case, extending beyond the rest of the open bottom to center and retain the disc. A disc closure has recessed seats deeper than the projections, receiving the projections without bottoming, a flat surface within the compass of the seats, engaging the disc, and surfaces defining a plane outboard of the seats against which the disc closure abuts. An elongated mounting stud has a shaft, non circular in transverse cross section, with interrupted threads along it, and a non-circular shank projecting into an opening in the disc seating plate, and staked. The stationary contact arm projects from a wall of the case at an acute angle in a direction toward the disc. L shaped terminals can be mounted to provide three predetermined spacings between tabs perpendicular to the feet.