Why is the button to open a microwave door always hard to push? [closed]

Question

Every microwave I've encountered always has the same feature - an unusually resistant "open microwave door" button.

Why is the button to open a microwave door always more resistant than buttons on other household appliances?

By resistant I mean you have to use more force to push it open.

Any ideas?

Edit based on answers: As of yet, the answers (especially regarding safety) are unsatisfactory because I see the safety interlock mechanisms can be operated without a resistant button and still maintain the safe level of safety. See Miele Touch2Open feature. Why don't more microwaves employ this feature or at least a regular button? Price cannot surely be such a factor since a regular button would be just as cheap.

Answer 1

It is a safety issue. Microwave doors have to remain sealed in order to prevent microwave radiation from escaping. While annoying at times, it helps facilitate the wonderful user experience of not dying (or at least not receiving bad burns).

Typically they have at least one safety interlock switch (sometimes they have two of them), and one monitor switch.

The idea is to make the doors less prone to accidental opening, and if they do open -- the microwave should quickly and safely turn itself off.

In fact, if you don't keep your microwave properly clean (e.g. allow food to spill and harden around the gasket at the bottom of the door), you can run the risk of "leaking" microwave radiation.

(Side note: There is a reason most microwave doors open right to left -- the convention better facilitates right handed cooks.)

Answer 2

The following is possibly of some help, although I'm still unclear as to whether the following is relevant to human operating pressure (e.g. a levered operation via the door release button applying a multiplied indirect force to multiple actuators in sequence)

Microwave doors have at least two interlock switches which have to be actuated in a certain order. Interlock switches may be magnetically operated and require a certain force in order to operate.

According to the http://www.microtechfactoryservice.com/switch.html

Another replacement consideration is the operating and release force. This is the relative amount of pressure needed to actuate the switch. Various applications call for differing amounts of operating pressure.

And in an additional reference: US FDA Performance standards for microwave and radio frequency emitting products Part 1030, section c (2) on safety interlocks:

(2) Safety interlocks. (i) Microwave ovens shall have a minimum of two operative safety interlocks. At least one operative safety interlock on a fully assembled microwave oven shall not be operable by any part of the human body, or any object with a straight insertable length of 10 centimeters. Such interlock must also be concealed, unless its actuation is prevented when access to the interlock is possible. Any visible actuator or device to prevent actuation of this safety interlock must not be removable without disassembly of the oven or its door. A magnetically operated interlock is considered to be concealed, or its actuation is considered to be prevented, only if a test magnet held in place on the oven by gravity or its own attraction cannot operate the safety interlock. The test magnet shall be capable of lifting vertically at zero air gap at least 4.5 kilograms, and at 1 centimeter air gap at least 450 grams when the face of the magnet, which is toward the interlock when the magnet is in the test position, is pulling against one of the large faces of a mild steel armature having dimensions of 80 millimeters by 50 millimeters by 8 millimeters.