Thermal-responsive switch

Claim 2

A thermal-responsive switch assembly comprising: a housing; expandable thermal sensor means at one end of said housing; shiftable means extending from said expandable sensor means in said housing; electrical switch means in said housing including trigger means cooperatively arranged with respect to said shifting means to be shiftably actuated thereby; said switch means having terminal fingers extending therefrom; spring clip terminal means secured in said housing and in engagement with said terminal fingers by a slip fit; and biasing means in said housing arranged to bias said switch means toward said spring clip terminal means sufficiently to put said slip fit engagement under compression.

Claim 3

The assembly in claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprises spring means positioned to bias said switch means as defined, and also to apply a return bias on said shiftable means toward said thermal sensor means.

Claim 4

The assembly in claim 1 wherein said shiftable means is resiliently compressible between said trigger means and said sensor means to compress and absorb excess expansion of said sensor means toward said shiftable means after shiftable activation of said trigger means.

Claim 5

The assembly in claim 2 wherein said shiftable means is resiliently compressible between said trigger means and said sensor means to compress and absorb excess expansion of said sensor means toward said shiftable means after shiftable activation of said trigger means.

Claim 6

The assembly in claim 1 including end cap means secured to the opposite end of said housing from said sensor means, with said spring clip terminal means on the inside thereof, and having terminal posts on the outside thereof.

Claim 7

The assembly in claim 5 including electrical insulator fences between said spring clip terminal means and electrical insulator fences between said terminal posts.

Claim 8

The assembly in claim 1 wherein said switch means includes dual trigger means, and said shiftable means includes dual shifting portions aligned with said dual trigger means but spaced different amounts with respect thereto to activate said dual trigger means sequentially with expansion of said sensor means.

Claim 9

The assembly in claim 7 wherein each of said dual shifting portions is compressible between said trigger means and said sensor means to compress and absorb excess expansIon of said sensor means toward said shifting portions after shifting activation of said trigger means.

Claim 10

The assembly in claim 1 including a receptor supporting said switch means and mounted for limited movement in said housing by said biasing means.

Claim 11

The assembly in claim 1 wherein said trigger means extends from said switch means toward said shifting means, and said terminal fingers extend from said switch means in the opposite direction as said trigger means.

Claim 12

A thermal responsive switch assembly comprising; a housing; expandable thermal sensor means at one axial end of said housing; end cap means removably secured to the opposite axial end of said housing; switch means in said housing, having limited axial movability therein; said switch means including a trigger means protruding toward said sensor means, and a plurality of terminal elements protruding toward said end cap means; said end cap means having a plurality of terminal members slidably interfitting with said switch terminal elements; compression spring means in said housing positioned to be compressed by said switch means with attachment of said end cap means to said housing for forcibly retaining said terminal elements and terminal members in engagement; trigger-shifting pusher means between said sensor means and said trigger means; and said compression spring means operably engaging said pusher means to alternatively be compressed by said pusher means and then to extend to return said pusher means.

Claim 13

A thermal responsive switch assembly comprising; a housing; expandable thermal sensor means at one axial end of said housing; end cap means removably secured to the opposite axial end of said housing; switch means in said housing, having limited axial movability therein; said switch means including a trigger means protruding toward said sensor means, and a plurality of terminal elements protruding toward said end cap means; said end cap means having a plurality of terminal members slidably interfitting with said switch terminal elements; compression spring means in said housing positioned to be compressed by said switch means with attachment of said end cap means to said housing for forcibly retaining said terminal elements and terminal members in engagement; trigger-shifting pusher means between said sensor means and said trigger means; and said compression spring means operably engaging said pusher means to alternatively be compressed by said pusher means and then to extend to return said pusher means.