Thermal switch

Claim 1

A THERMAL SWITCH COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND INPUT TERMINAL MEANS, A FIRST CONTACT MEMBER COMPRISING A CONTACT PORTION, A SECOND CONTACT MEMBER COMPRISING A CONTACT PORTION AND A SNAP SWITCH ELEMENT, A THIRD CONTACT MEMBER COMPRISING A CONTACT PORTION, A RESISTOR HEATING ELEMENT HAVING ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE VARIATIONS AS DETERMINED BY THE LEVEL OF VOLTAGE APPLIED THERETO, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT MEMBERS IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATIONSHIP TO SAID INPUT TERMINAL MEANS, A THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT COUPLED IN HEAT CONDUCTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND RESPONSIVE THERETO, SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BEING COUPLED TO SAID THIRD CONTACT MEMBER FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID SECOND AND THIRD CONTACT MEMBERS FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME AND SELECTIVELY SHORT CIRCUITING SAID HEATER ELEMENT FROM SAID SERIES CIRCUIT THEREBY ESTABLISHING A SUBSTANTIALLY RESISTANCELESS CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID INPUT TERMINAL MEANS, SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT COACTING WITH SAID SNAP SWITCH ELEMENT TO RAPIDLY INTERRUPT SAID SUBSTANTIALLY RESISTANCELESS CONNECTION AND ESTABLISH AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION ACROSS SAID INPUT TERMINALS FOR A SECOND PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME, AND MEANS OPERATIVE AFTER SAID SECOND PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME AND INCLUDING SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT FOR RESTORING TO SAID INPUT TERMINAL MEANS SAID SERIES CIRCUIT COMPRISING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT MEMBERS AND SAID HEATING ELEMENT.