Thermally-responsive controls

A thermally-responsive control for the heating element (7) of a liquid heating vessel has a thermally-deformable member (2) urging a leaf spring (3) into electrical contact with a power supply terminal (6) of the control and a power supply terminal (8) of the heating element for supplying electrical energy to the heating element. The thermally-deformable member (2) is in close thermal contact with the heating element (7) so that in response to a predetermined heating element overtemperature condition the thermally-deformable member (2) will collapse thereby breaking the connection made by the leaf spring (3) between the terminals (6), (8) of the control and the heating element. In a four point disconnection arrangement, collapse of the thermally-deformable member (2) breaks contacts at live and neutral terminals (6) of the control and at live and neutral terminals (8) of the heating element (7).