Philips Steam Iron Bimetal Thermostat With An eye on quality

This is a closeup of the thermostat used for ironing temperature setting. This is a mechanical thermostat that uses a bimetallic strip to sense the temperature of the soleplate. Turning the dial adjust the gap at which the electrical connection to the heating element will be opened.

Note the additional contact that seems to be prop up by a white ceramic post. This is a safety feature that cuts off the electrical supply if the thermostat becomes loose. This indicate the quality of the design in the Philips Mistral steam iron.