Patent ID: 7154197

Claim:
A control apparatus that is selectively placed in an allowed state in which the apparatus is allowed to be operated and an inhibited state in which the apparatus is inhibited from being operated, the control apparatus comprising: a first switch and second switch, each of which has a plurality of operated positions including a non-pressed position at which a press stroke over which the respective switch is pressed is smaller than a predetermined range, an optimum operated position at which the press stroke is within the predetermined range, and an over-pressed position at which the press stroke is larger than the predetermined range; a detector that determines whether the first switch is positioned in the non-pressed position, the optimum operated position, or the over-pressed position, and whether the second switch is positioned in the non-pressed position, the optimum operated position, or the over-pressed position; and a controller that establishes the inhibited state of the control apparatus, irrespective of the operated positions of the first and second switches, when the detector determines that neither the first switch nor the second switch is positioned to the non-pressed position.