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A rechargeable battery pack that is easily installed and removed without the use of tools and with assurance that the correct polarity of the batteries will be established. A plurality of rechargeable batteries (54) are contained by a top cover (50) and a bottom cover (52). The bottom cover includes

A rechargeable battery pack that is easily installed and removed without the use of tools and with assurance that the correct polarity of the batteries will be established. A plurality of rechargeable batteries (54) are contained by a top cover (50) and a bottom cover (52). The bottom cover includes a pair of locating holes (65, 67) and a pair of recessed female connectors (66, 68) that are connected to the batteries to provide terminals of opposite polarity. The female connectors (66, 68) and the locating holes (65, 67) are arranged for complementary mating engagement with a pair of male connectors (42) and a pair of locating pins (20, 22), included in an electrical coupling (12) of a device to be powered. The top cover (50) includes a locating hole (55) that is cooperatively aligned with one of the locating holes (65) in the bottom cover so that one of the locating pins (20) of the electrical coupling may be received thereby. To prevent improper insertion of the battery pack, the locating pins (20, 22) are configured differently from one another and the locating holes (55, 65, 67) are configured complementary thereto. To avoid inadvertent damage to the sides of the batteries during installation, the top and bottom covers include tubular skirts (57, 69, 70) that guide the locating pins. The longer of the two locating pins (20) has a threaded end (40) that receives a retaining nut assembly (14) to firmly secure the battery pack in place. To minimize mechanical stress on the electrical connections, the male connectors (42) are mounted on a circuit board (46) that floats relative to the locating pins (20, 22).

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1. A rechargeable battery pack constructed so as to be releasably connected to an electrical coupling of a device to be powered, said electrical coupling having a pair of male connectors and a pair of locating pins, said battery pack comprising: a plurality of rechargeable batteries positioned in

1. A rechargeable battery pack constructed so as to be releasably connected to an electrical coupling of a device to be powered, said electrical coupling having a pair of male connectors and a pair of locating pins, said battery pack comprising: a plurality of rechargeable batteries positioned in side-by-side relationship with the ends thereof arranged in two opposed groups; a top cover positioned on one of said groups of ends, said top cover having peripheral edges that fit over the sides of said batteries, said top cover having a locating hole; and a bottom cover positioned on the other one of said groups of ends, said bottom cover having peripheral edges that fit over the sides of said batteries, said bottom cover having a pair of female connectors and a pair of locating holes, said female connectors being connected to said batteries to provide terminals of opposite polarity, said female connectors and locating holes being arranged for complementary mating engagement with the male connectors and locating pins, respectively, of said electrical coupling, one of said locating holes being cooperatively aligned with the locating hole in the top cover to receive one of said locating pins. 2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein said female connectors are recessed within said bottom cover. 3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the locating pins of said electrical coupling are configured differently from one another and wherein the cooperatively aligned locating holes in the top cover and the bottom cover are each configured so as to receive one of said locating pins, and wherein the other one of the locating holes in the bottom cover is configured to receive only the other one of said locating pins. 4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein said locating pins and said male connectors are arranged in an alternating, linear pattern so that one of said locating pins is positioned between said male connectors and one of said male connectors is positioned between said locating pins. 5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein said top cover and said bottom cover each include tubular skirts positioned about the locating holes to form sleeves for said locating pins. 6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the respective skirts positioned about the cooperatively aligned locating holes in the top and bottom covers extend toward one another in a space defined between adjacent ones of said batteries. 7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein said locating pins are each circular in cross section, and wherein said other one of the locating pins has a smaller diameter than said one of the locating pins, and wherein said other one of the locating holes in the bottom cover is noncircular but configured to receive only said other one of the locating pins. 8. A rechargeable battery pack constructed so as to be releasably connected to an electrical coupling of a device to be powered, said electrical coupling having a pair of male connectors and a pair of locating pins, said battery pack comprising a top cover, a bottom cover, and a plurality of rechargeable batteries, said batteries being contained within said top and bottom covers, said bottom cover having a pair of female connectors and a pair of locating holes, said female connectors being connected to said batteries to provide terminals of opposite polarity, said female connectors and locating holes being arranged for complementary mating engagement with the male connectors and locating pins, respectively, of said electrical coupling, one of said locating holes being cooperatively aligned with the locating hole in the top cover to receive one of said locating pins. 9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein said female connectors are recessed within said bottom cover. 10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the locating pins of said electrical coupling are configured differently from one another and wherein the cooperatively aligned locating holes in the top cover and the bottom cover are each configured so as to receive one of said locating pins, and wherein the other one of the location holes in the bottom cover is configured to receive only the other one of said locating pins. 11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein said locating pins and said male connectors are arranged in an alternating, linear pattern so that one of said locating pins is positioned between said male connectors and one of said male connectors is positioned between said locating pins. 12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein said top cover and said bottom cover each include tubular skirts positioned about the locating holes to form sleeves for said locating pins, the respective skirts positioned about the cooperatively aligned locating holes in the top and bottom covers extending toward one another in a space defined between adjacent ones of said batteries. 13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein said locating pins are each circular in cross section, and wherein said other one of the locating pins has a smaller diameter than said one of the locating pins, and wherein said other one of the locating holes in the bottom cover is noncircular but configured to receive only said other one of the locating pins. 14. A rechargeable battery pack assembly for a device to be powered, said assembly comprising: an electrical coupling connected to said device, said coupling having a pair of male connectors and a pair of locating pins; a rechargeable battery pack, said battery pack having a top cover, a bottom cover, and a plurality of rechargeable batteries, said batteries being contained within said top and bottom covers, said bottom cover having a pair of female connectors and a pair of locating holes, said female connectors being connected to said batteries to provide terminals of opposite polarity, said female connectors and locating holes being in releasable, mating engagement with the male connectors and locating pins, respectively, of said electrical coupling, said top cover having a locating hole that is cooperatively aligned with one of the locating holes in said bottom cover, one of said locating pins being received by said cooperatively aligned locating holes; and fastening means engageable with the one of said locating pins that is received by said cooperatively aligned locating holes for releasably connecting said battery pack to said electrical coupling. 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said female connectors are recessed within said bottom cover. 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said one of the locating pins that is received by said cooperatively aligned locating holes is configured in length to extend through said battery pack, and wherein the other one of said locating pins is configured in length to extend only partially through said battery pack. 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein said locating pins and said male connectors are arranged in an alternating, linear pattern so that one of said locating pins is positioned between said male connectors and one of said male connectors is positioned between said locating pins. 18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein said locating pins are configured differently from one another in cross section, and wherein the other one of the locating holes in said bottom cover is configured to receive only the other one of said locating pins. 19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said locating pins include shoulders and are mounted on said device, and wherein said male connectors are mounted on a circuit board, said circuit board having a pair of apertures, one of said locating pins being positioned in each of said apertures, the shoulders on said locating pins holding said circuit board in a controlled floating relationship with said locating pins and with said device. 20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein said one of the locating pins that is received by said cooperatively aligned locating holes has a threaded end, and wherein said fastening means comprises a retaining nut assembly, said retaining nut assembly having a collar pivotally mounted on a winged fastener, said winged fastener having internal threads that are releasably engaged with the threaded end of said one of the locating pins.