Thermal switch

Claim 1

A THERMAL SWITCH COMPRISING A PLATE OF THERMALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL HAVING AN INTEGRAL THERMAL CONTACT PROJECTING THEREFROM, A RING OF THERMALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID PLATE, SAID RING SECURED TO A THERMALLY CONDUCTING SURFACE AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION THERETO, A TUBULAR HOUSING OF THERMALLY INSULATING MATERIAL CONNECTING SAID PLATE AND RING, SAID HOUSING IN COAXIAL OUTWARDLY RADIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID CONTACT, A SECOND THERMAL CONTACT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING IN COAXIAL ALIGNMENT IWTH SAID FIRST CONTACT, A FIRST HEAT CONDUCTING MEANS SECURING SAID SECOND CONTACT TO SAID RING, SAID FIRST HEAT CONDUCTING MEANS CONSISTING OF A BI-METALLIC MEMBER OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID SECOND CONTACT INTO HEAT CONDUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CONTACT IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURES EQUAL TO AND IN EXCESS OF A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE BELOW WHICH SAID BIMETALLIC MEMBER HOLDS SAID SECOND CONTACT IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST CONTACT, A SECOND HEAT CONDUCTING MEANS CONSISTING OF A FLEXIBLE THERMAL CONDUCTOR CONNECTING SAID SECOND CONTACT AND SAID RING TO ESTABLISH A HIGHER CONDUCTIVITY HEAT TRANSFER PATH THEREBETWEEN OMPARED TO THE PATH PROVIDED BY SAID BI-METALLIC MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID CONTACTS ARE ENGAGED WHEN THE RING TEMPERATURE IS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO THEREBY EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN SAID RING AND PLATE, AND SAID CONTACTS ARE DIENGAGED WHEN THE RING TEMPERATURE IS LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO THEREBY MINIMIZE HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN SAID RING AND PLATE.