Patent ID: 7000285

Claim:
An appliance comprising: a base; a handle moveably depending from the base; an electric motor; a drive wheel operatively connected to the motor; a control circuit comprising an enable switch and a base switch for safely controlling the communication of power from a power supply to the motor relative to a gripping of the handle by a user of the appliance and selective positioning of the handle relative to the base, wherein the enable switch is disposed in a portion of the handle convenient for the gripping by the user and interrupts the power communication upon a release of the gripping, and the base switch is disposed to identify a relative position between the handle and the base indicative of a non-drive usage by the user and interrupts the power communication upon a disposition by the user of the handle in the relative position, whereby power to the motor is limited to circumstances including gripping and position adjustment of the handle by the user indicative of intended drive wheel operation.