Patent ID: 6112414
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B26B,Y10S

Abstract:
An appliance assembly comprising an appliance portion including an elongated appliance housing including a rear end portion including a rechargeable battery socket with a transverse base wall having therein a circular aperture, and an interior wall extending from said base wall in the direction of elongation of said appliance housing and having therein a keyway groove extending in the direction of elongation of said appliance housing, a frame fixedly supported within said appliance housing, an electrical motor fixedly supported on said frame within said appliance housing, a pair of electrical terminals fixedly supported on said frame and in spaced relation to each other, and an electrical switch supported by said appliance housing and operatively connected between said electrical terminals and said electrical motor, and a rechargeable battery portion including a sealed housing having an inner end portion removably insertable into said battery socket of said rear end portion of said appliance housing and including a pair of electrical terminals fixed in spaced relation to each other and in engagement with said pair of electrical terminals of said appliance portion when said inner end portion of said sealed housing of said rechargeable battery portion is located in said battery socket, an outer end portion including an end surface, an outer surface extending from said end surface in the direction of insertion of said rechargeable battery portion and having therein a keyway slot extending in the direction of insertion of said rechargeable battery portion, and a plurality of electrical contacts on said outer end portion and in a predetermined spaced relation to one another, and an intermediate portion located between said inner end portion and said outer end portion and having an outer surface including a key extending in the direction of insertion of said battery portion and removably receivable in said keyway groove in said interior wall of said battery socket of said rear end portion of said appliance housing, and a battery assembly located in said sealed housing and electrically connected between said pair of electrical terminals of said inner end portion of said rechargeable battery portion and to less than all of said plurality of electrical contacts of said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion, and a battery charger including a charger housing including a socket well removably receiving said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion and having a generally horizontally extending base wall, and a generally vertical wall extending from said base wall of said socket well, a vertically extending rib extending from said vertical wall and inwardly into said socket well and in engagement with said keyway slot of said outer surface of said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion when said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion is received in said socket well of said charger housing of said battery charger, a plurality of electrical contacts located on said vertically extending wall in said socket well in a predetermined relation to one another which is the same as said predetermined relation of said plurality of contacts of said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion and in respective engagement with said plurality of contacts of said outer end portion of said rechargeable battery portion when said rechargeable battery portion is located in said socket well, an electrical cord extending from said charger housing and being adapted to be connected to a source of electrical current, and a circuit board located within said charger housing and including a circuit electrically connected to said electrical cord and to less than all of said plurality of contacts located on said vertically extending wall of said socket well of said battery charger.