Patent ID: 7837344

Claim:
A control structure for controlling the power to be applied to an electrical system from an AC power source, said control structure comprising: a cover plate defining a rectangular opening therein, said rectangular opening having a length and a width; a first rectangular depressible control button coupleable to said electrical system to turn said system on and off, said first button disposed adjacent one side of the length of said rectangular opening in said cover plate, said first button filling said length of said rectangular opening and about one-half the width of said rectangular opening in said cover plate; a second rectangular depressible power-increase button coupleable to said electrical system to increase the power applied to said electrical system; a third depressible rectangular power-decrease button coupleable to said electrical system to decrease the power applied to said electrical system, said second and third buttons being arranged within the remaining half of the width of said rectangular opening in said cover plate and extending for said length of said rectangular opening, whereby said first, second, and third buttons fill the full area of said rectangular opening in said cover plate; and a support frame supporting said first, second, and third buttons and provided for mounting the control structure in a standard electrical wall box; an air-gap switch adapted to be coupled in series with said electrical system and comprising a flexible switch leaf contact movable into and out of engagement with a cooperating contact and biased toward engagement with said cooperating contact, an air-gap shaft located behind said cover plate and operable to contact said air-gap switch to open said air-gap switch; and an air-gap lever located behind said cover plate and coupled for pivotal motion between said first button and said air-gap shaft; wherein said first button comprises a push pull button slidably mounted with respect to said support frame and operable to be manually pressed in a first direction toward said cover plate to turn said electrical system on and off, and to be manually pulled in a second direction away from said cover plate, said air-gap shaft operable to open said air-gap switch when said first button is pulled away from said cover plate in said second direction, said first and second directions defining a first axis of travel, said air-gap shaft moving along a second axis of travel parallel to and offset from said first axis to operate said air-gap switch.