Patent ID: 7345572

Claim:
A temperature sensor for a radiant heating element, comprising: a switch having a housing and at least one contact spring which carries a contact and is implemented as a snap spring; a first expansion element connected to the housing of the switch; a second expansion element having a thermal expansion coefficient which is different from a thermal expansion coefficient of the first expansion element and being permanently connected to the first expansion element in a region of a free end of the second expansion element; and a spring acting on the second expansion element in an axial direction thereof, wherein the second expansion element acts upon the contact spring from one side, and the spring acts upon the contact spring from another side through intervention of a spring-loaded support, wherein the contact spring is pre-tensioned between the second expansion element and the support, when the temperature sensor is in a cold state, and wherein the support and the second expansion element interact with the contact spring such that a mechanical strain on the contact spring decreases with an increase in temperature.