Patent ID: 7951342

Claim:
A sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing articles, comprising: an outer housing; a sterilizer chamber enclosed within said housing; a water reservoir in fluid communication with said chamber and operable to supply water to said chamber; an opening formed in said housing and said chamber configured to permit articles to be placed inside said chamber; a door mounted on a front portion of said housing for movement toward and away from said opening; a door lock mechanism comprising housing mounted components positioned within said housing adjacent said opening and door mounted components configured to engage said housing mounted components; a motor having a rotatable shaft, a rotatable cam, and a rod mounted within said housing, said motor being operable to rotate said cam to thereby move said rod axially to produce engagement and disengagement of said housing mounted components with said door mounted components; a first stop member in said housing and positioned to be contacted by said cam to thereby limit rotation thereof; a switch spaced from said first stop member and positioned to be contacted by said cam when said cam contacts said first stop member; and a second stop member positioned to be contacted by said cam to thereby limit rotation thereof, said switch being the only switch contacted by said cam during rotation thereof between the contacting positions of said cam with said first and second stop members.