A temperature-dependent switching mechanism for a temperature-dependent switch, having: - a temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc; - a temperature-independent snap-action spring disc; - an electrically conductive contact member to which the bimetal snap-action disc and the snap-action spring disc are captively held, so that the bimetal snap-action disc, the snap-action spring disc, and the contact member form a switching mechanism unit captively held together; and - a switching mechanism housing in which the switching mechanism unit is arranged and which captively holds the switching mechanism unit; wherein the switching mechanism housing surrounds the switching mechanism unit from a first housing side, a second housing side opposite the first housing side, and a housing peripheral side extending between and transverse to the first and second housing sides (22, 24), and wherein the switching mechanism housing is configured as an at least partially open housing and comprises an opening on the first housing side through which the contact member is accessible from outside the switching mechanism housing, wherein the switching mechanism housing comprises a side wall forming the housing peripheral side, the free, upper portion of which is bent over and forms the first housing side, and wherein the bimetal snap-action disc is configured to snap from a geometrically stable low temperature configuration to a geometrically stable high temperature configuration upon exceeding a response temperature, characterized in that the bimetal snap-action disc in its low temperature configuration is spaced from an inner surface of the bent-over portion arranged inside the switching mechanism housing and in its high temperature configuration bears against the inner surface of the bent-over portion. - a temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc; - a temperature-independent snap-action spring disc; - an electrically conductive contact member to which the bimetal snap-action disc and the snap-action spring disc are captively held, so that the bimetal snap-action disc, the snap-action spring disc, and the contact member form a switching mechanism unit captively held together; and - a switching mechanism housing in which the switching mechanism unit is arranged and which captively holds the switching mechanism unit; wherein the switching mechanism housing surrounds the switching mechanism unit from a first housing side, a second housing side opposite the first housing side, and a housing peripheral side extending between and transverse to the first and second housing sides (22, 24), and wherein the switching mechanism housing is configured as an at least partially open housing and comprises an opening on the first housing side through which the contact member is accessible from outside the switching mechanism housing, wherein the switching mechanism housing comprises a side wall forming the housing peripheral side, the free, upper portion of which is bent over and forms the first housing side, and wherein the bimetal snap-action disc is configured to snap from a geometrically stable low temperature configuration to a geometrically stable high temperature configuration upon exceeding a response temperature, characterized in that the bimetal snap-action disc in its low temperature configuration is spaced from an inner surface of the bent-over portion arranged inside the switching mechanism housing and in its high temperature configuration bears against the inner surface of the bent-over portion.