Variable-speed control assembly for an electric device

A variable-speed control assembly for use in controlling speed of an electric motor of an electric device, the variable-speed control assembly including:

• a housing;
• a speed signaling circuit module located within the housing including a pair of spaced-apart electrically-conductive stationary contact members and a movable electrically-conductive contact member configured for movement relative to the pair of stationary contact members between at least one of an OFF position in which the movable contact member does not electrically connect the pair of stationary contact members, and, a plurality of ON positions in which the movable contact member electrically connects the pair of stationary contact members such that an electric current supplied to the speed signaling circuit module from a power supply of the electric device is able to flow between the pair of stationary contact members via the movable contact member;
• wherein the movable contact member includes an elastically-deformable material configured for deforming in to a plurality of different deformed configurations when arranged in each of the plurality of ON positions such that a contact area between the movable contact member and the pair of stationary contact members will vary in each of the plurality of ON positions resulting in an amount of electrical resistance across the movable contact member varying when arranged in each of the plurality of ON positions relative to the pair of stationary contact members;
• and whereby said speed signaling circuit module is configured for producing different output electrical signals configured for use in controlling speed of operation of the electric motor by reference to the variable electrical resistance across the movable contact member when arranged in each of the ON positions,
• and wherein the elastically-deformable material of the movable contact member is configured to compress within a range of approximately 1 mm as the movable contact member is movably arranged amongst the plurality of ON positions relative to the pair of stationary contact members.