Electrical switching system

Claim 2

An electrical switching system comprising: an electrically activated pilot heater connectible with and responsive to a thermostat; and a plurality of heat-responsive electrical switches supported in spaced relation to said pilot heater each switch being electrically connected with separate circuits independent of the circuit including said pilot heater for controlling circuit connected with said switches in response to heat sensed by said switches from said pilot heater whereby said circuits connected with said switches are energized and deenergized responsive to the temperature sensed by said thermostat.

Claim 3

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said switches is responsive to a different temperature for sequentially energizing and de-energizing circuits connected through said switches.

Claim 4

A switching system in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said switches includes a non-electrically conducting bi-metallic disc adapted to distort responsive to heat sensed from said pilot heater.

Claim 5

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the deformable disc of each of said thermal switches is supported in substantially parallel relationship with said pilot heater.

Claim 6

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said pilot heater and said deformable discs of said thermal switches are encased within a housing and said deformable discs and said heater are aligned along a common axis substantially perpendicular to said heater and said discs.

Claim 7

An electrical switching system for controlling a plurality of separate electrical circuits responsive to a single electrical signal from a thermostat in a circuit separate from said controlled electrical circuits comprising: housing means; an electrical resistance pilot heater secured within said housing means and connectible with said circuit including said thermostat; contact means connected through said housing means with said heater for coupling said heater in said electrical circuit including said thermostat for sending said electrical signal to said switching system; a plurality of thermal switches secured in said housing in heat-sensing relationship with said heater and each connected in said separate controlled circuits, each of said switches having a mechanically distortable heat-sensitive non-electrically conducting member and electrical sWitch contacts coupled with said member for closing and opening said electrical circuits connected with each set of said contacts in said thermal switch; each of said thermal switches in said housing being responsive to different temperatures for opening and closing said switches sequentially responsive to heat generated by said heater; and electrical connecting means secured with each set of contacts in each of said thermal switches for electrically coupling each set of contacts of each of said switches in said separate electrical circuits whereby said circuits are each controlled by said pilot heater.

Claim 8

An electrical switching system for controlling a plurality of separate electrical circuits responsive to a single electrical signal from a thermostat in a circuit separate from said controlled electrical circuits comprising: housing means; an electrical resistance pilot heater secured within said housing means and connectible with said circuit including said thermostat; contact means connected through said housing means with said heater for coupling said heater in said electrical circuit including said thermostat for sending said electrical signal to said switching system; a plurality of thermal switches secured in said housing in heat-sensing relationship with said heater and each connected in said separate controlled circuits, each of said switches having a mechanically distortable heat-sensitive non-electrically conducting member and electrical sWitch contacts coupled with said member for closing and opening said electrical circuits connected with each set of said contacts in said thermal switch; each of said thermal switches in said housing being responsive to different temperatures for opening and closing said switches sequentially responsive to heat generated by said heater; and electrical connecting means secured with each set of contacts in each of said thermal switches for electrically coupling each set of contacts of each of said switches in said separate electrical circuits whereby said circuits are each controlled by said pilot heater.

Claim 9

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pilot heater comprises a substantially flat wound electrical resistance wire, and each of said thermal switches includes a heat-distortable plate for mechanically opening and closing the contacts of each of said switches, said plates being disposed along opposite planar surfaces of said substantially flat pilot heater.

Claim 10

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 7 including two of said thermal switches, one of said switches being on one side of said pilot heater with said plate of said switch being in close spaced relation with said pilot heater and the other of said thermal switches being on the other side of said pilot heater with said plate of said other thermal switch being disposed in close spaced relation with said other side of said heater.

Claim 11

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 8 wherein each of said thermal switches includes two sets of electrical contacts whereby each of said switches is connectible in and controls two separate electrical circuits.

Claim 12

An electrical switching system in accordance with claim 9 connected with thermostat means positioned in a space adapted to be air-conditioned by means connected with said separate controlled electrical circuits, said thermostat being electrically connected with said pilot heater of said switching system for energizing said pilot heater responsive to electrical current controlled by said thermostat.