Patent ID: 7150480

Claim:
A lid lock for an appliance lid comprising: an appliance driver adapted to be activated when electrical power is introduced to the appliance driver and being adapted to be deactivated when electrical power is shut off from the appliance driver; a lock member movably mounted for sequential movement from an unlock position free from engagement with the lid, to a lock position retentively engaging the lid when the lid is in a closed position, and to a third position; an electrical sensing circuit associated with the lock member for creating first, second and third electrical signals corresponding to the unlock, lock and third positions, respectively; a controller connected to the sensing circuit for interpreting the first, second and third electrical signals from the sensing circuit, the controller being connected to the appliance driver for causing the appliance driver to be deactivated whenever the lock member is in the unlock and third positions and for causing the appliance driver to be activated whenever the lock member is in the lock position beyond a predetermined interval of time; and the electrical sensing circuit comprising a movable contact movable in response to the sequential movement of the lock member from the unlock to the lock to the third positions, and a fixed contact which engages the movable contact only when the lock member is in the lock position.