Thermally responsive switch

Abstract

A thermally responsive switch includes an elliptic dome-shaped receptacle, a support conductively secured at one of two ends to an inner surface of one of two ends of the receptacle in the direction of its length, a bimetallic thermally responsive element secured at one end to the other end of the support with the other end opposite to an inner surface of the other end of the receptacle in the direction of its length with a predetermined space interposed therebetween, the thermally responsive element carrying a movable contact on the other end, and a metallic lid secured to the open end of the receptacle so as to hermetically close the open end of the receptacle. The lid has a through-hole through which a terminal pin is disposed with an electrically insulative material charged in the through-hole. Alternatively, two terminal pins may be disposed through two through-holes respectively. A fixed contact is secured to a portion of the terminal pin positioned in the receptacle so that the movable contact is engaged with and disengaged from the fixed contact. The receptacle includes a deformable contact pressure adjusting portion provided in the vicinity of the portion of the receptacle to which the support is secured.