Contact breaker for preventing overheating in domestic appliances - operates by melting wire made of alloy whose surface tension, when molten, suffices to break wire

摘要

The device prevents overheating in clothes- or dish-washing machines. A metal alloy melting at the limit temperature interrupts a circuit. A wire (9) made of the alloy is placed in a heat resistant insulating jacket (8) whose inner dia. is at least 1.1 time the wire (9) outer dia. The liquid alloy has a surface tension high enough to break the melting wire, forming a gap. A metal protective tube is connected in thermal contact with the heating element. Inside the protective tube is a circuit loop formed from the wire and jacket.