Patent ID: 7420142

Claim:
A power module to regulate delivery of power to one or more loads, the module comprising: a logic circuit configured to generate one or more control signals indicative of the power level to be applied from an external power supply coupled to the power module to the one or more loads; an electromechanical device configured to electrically connect the external power supply to the one or more loads based on the one or more control signals from the logic circuit; a user-controlled circuit configured to provide a signal indicative of a power level to deliver to the one or more loads, the signal is based on input received from a user-controlled actuator configured to be placed in one of a plurality of positions corresponding to user-provided input; at least one electrical contact communicating with the user controlled actuator to interrupt power to the one or more loads when the user-controlled actuator is in a power off position in which the signal from the user-controlled circuit also causes the logic circuit to produce a control signal causing the electromechanical device to disconnect external power supply from the one or more loads; a housing configured to receive the electromechanical device, the user-controlled circuit, and the at least one electrical contact.