Patent ID: 7838142

Claim:
An enclosure for housing at least one battery rack, comprising: said battery rack having a plurality of removable batteries; a first upper shelf and a second lower shelf, said first shelf spaced apart from said second shelf forming a gap between said shelves in which said removable batteries reside; said removable batteries alternately inserted into and removed from said gap between said first upper shelf and said second lower shelf; each of said removable batteries includes a first electrical battery contact and a second electrical battery contact; said first upper shelf includes a plurality of first electrical battery connectors, each of said first battery connectors matingly engage one of said first electrical battery contacts of said removable batteries, said first upper shelf includes a plurality of second electrical battery connectors, each of said second battery connectors matingly engage one of said second electrical battery contacts of one of said removable batteries, said first upper shelf includes a plurality of apertures therein; said first upper shelf includes a plurality of interface circuits, each of said interface circuits electrically communicating with a battery bus and a charge bus, each of said interface circuits includes switching means, said switching means of said interface circuit interconnects said battery bus and said charge bus with said first electrical battery connectors; said second lower shelf supports said removable batteries; each of said removable batteries includes: a latch; a spring biasing said latch to a first locking position; and, said latch movable to a second depressed position; each of said latches interengages one of said apertures in said first upper shelf locking each of said removable batteries to said first shelf when each of said removable batteries is inserted in said rack in said gap between said first and second shelves; and, each of said removable batteries is removable from said gap between said first and second shelves when each of said latches is movable against said bias of said springs to said second depressed position wherein said latches disengage from said apertures and said removable batteries are released from said first shelf.