Step switching mechanism for a program controlled device such as a dishwasher or washing machine has a thermal element that enables it to distinguish between manual and automatic movement forward by a single program step

摘要

Step switching mechanism has a multiplicity of switching contacts (2) that are activated by a cam path. A thermally controlled element (7) is provided so that at least one switching contact is held in a predetermined second position and after a fixed time duration releases the current supply to the switch contact so that it returns to a first position. The thermally controlled element can be a bimetallic strip or a memory metal element or an actuator with an element that expands with heat.