Device for the thermal protection of heating elements

摘要

The invention relates to a device for the thermal protection of heating elements in washing machines, in order to prevent unacceptably high excess temperatures in the absence of the medium to be heated. The invention is intended to achieve the object of providing reliably effective disconnection of the heating element in the absence of the medium to be heated, with a low component cost. The object is achieved according to the invention in that a known bimetallic switch is mounted outside the container, immediately underneath the heating element which rests on the container wall in the form of a spot, and a heat-conducting metal sheet is arranged between the container wall and the bimetallic switch in order to create deliberate heat transfer. Possible fields of application are, primarily, washing machines and dishwashers as well as containers in which heating elements heat specific media and reliable protection of the heating elements and their surrounding parts against unacceptably high excess temperatures must be ensured. <IMAGE>