Rechargeable electric batteries

Claim 1

IN A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY UNIT FOR A FLASHLIGHT AND GENERALLY SIMILAR AND ANALOGOUS DEVICES, HAVING AN ELECTRIC LOAD CIRCUIT ENCLOSED IN A DEVICE CASING AND TWO SPACED ELECTRIC DEVICE TERMINALS CONNECTED TO ITS LOAD CIRCUIT, A SELF-SUPPORTING BATTERY UNIT REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE IN THE DEVICE CASING AND HOLDING THEREIN A CELL AGGREGATE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE RECHARGEABLE BATTERY CELL AND HAVING TWO SPACED TERMINAL WALLS EXPOSED ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BATTERY UNIT AND TWO OUTPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS OF OPPOSITE POLARITY AFFIXED TO AND EXPOSED ON SAID TWO TERMINAL WALLS, RESPECTIVELY, AND CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE CELL POLES OF SAID CELL AGGREGATE, SAID BATTERY UNIT BEING ARRANGED TO BE REMOVABLY HELD IN SAID DEVICE CASING UNDER BIASING PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT UNDER SAID TWO DEVICE TERMINALS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRIC OUTPUT FROM SAID CELL AGGREGATE OF SAID LOAD CIRCUIT, AN INPUT WALL PORTION OF SAID BATTERY UNIT CARRYING TWO SPACED POWER INPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS ARRANGED FOR DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH TWO POWER TERMINALS, RESPECTIVELY, OF AN ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY HAVING RELATIVELY HIGH POWER CAPACITY FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRIC RECHARGING CURRENT TO SAID CELL AGGREGATE, A CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS AND THE OPPOSITE CELL POLES OF SAID CELL AGGREGATE AND INCLUDING RECTIFYING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CHARGING CURRENT TO AND RECHARGING SAID CELL AGGREGATE WHEN SAID TWO INPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED TO SAID TWO POWER SUPPLY TERMINALS, A SOLID PORTION OF SAID BATTERY UNIT CONSTITUTING A MOVABLE SETTING MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OUTPUT POSITION SETTING IN WHICH SAID BATTERY UNIT IS SET TO SUPPLY CURRENT THROUGH ITS TWO OUTPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS TO SAID LOAD CIRCUIT, AND AN INPUT POSITION SETTING WHEREIN SAID BATTERY UNIT IS SET TO BE RECHARGED THROUGH ITS TWO INPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS, AND SWITCH MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO SAID SETTING MEMBER BEING HELD IN SAID OUTPUT SETTING TO DISCONNECT ALL EXTERNALLY EXPOSED CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS OF THE BATTERY UNIT WHICH ARE CONNECTED THROUGH ITS POWER INPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS TO THE ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY AND THEREBY INSULATE SUCH EXPOSED CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS OF SAID BATTERY UNIT FROM THE LIVE CIRCUIT PARTS OF SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS, WHEREBY EXPOSED CONDUCTIVE PORTIONS OF SAID BATTERY UNIT WHICH ARE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT ARE PROTECTED AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM THE HIGHER VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO SAID SETTING MEMBER BEING IN SAID OUTPUT SETTING TO CLOSE AND RESTORE THE CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS THROUGH WHICH SAID CELL AGGREGATE SUPPLIES CURRENT TO THE LOAD CIRCUIT THROUGH ITS TWO POWER OUTPUT TERMINAL MEMBERS.