Patent ID: 8643220

Claim:
A device for controlling electrical power provided to at least one electrical load, the device being configured to be mountable in a wall box and covered by a wall plate having a wall plate opening disposed in a substantially central portion of the wall plate, the device comprising: a device housing including a front body member coupled to a back body member, the front body member comprising a front major surface including a front major surface opening disposed at a substantially central portion thereof in substantial alignment with the wall plate opening, the front major surface opening being characterized by at least one longitudinal side and at least one latitudinal side, the device housing including a plurality of control terminals; a modular switch actuation assembly including an actuator retainer housing coupled to the device housing, the actuator retainer housing including a toggle actuator disposed adjacent to a variable control actuator in a side-by-side arrangement within the actuator retainer housing with no framing or support structure disposed therebetween, the toggle actuator and the variable control actuator extending through the front major surface opening, the variable control actuator including a control surface disposed adjacent a substantial portion of the at least one longitudinal side, the toggle actuator including a rotatable axial toggle mounting structure coupled to the actuator retainer housing, the variable control actuator including a rotatable axial variable control mounting structure coupled to the actuator retainer housing, the axial toggle mounting structure and the axial variable control mounting structure being substantially parallel to a central latitudinal axis, the actuator retainer housing including a stopping portion configured to limit a rotational movement of the toggle actuator between a first predefined position and a second predefined position; and an electronic control circuit coupled to the plurality of control terminals and the modular switch actuation assembly, the electronic control circuit being configured to respond to actuations of the toggle actuator and/or the variable control actuator.