Aseptic battery assembly with removable cell cluster

A battery assembly for connection to a charger, the charger having a socket for receiving a sterilizable battery, and to a power consuming device, said assembly including:

• a battery pack, said battery pack including:
• at least one rechargeable cell;
• a head dimensioned to be received in the charger socket;
• and
• at least one contact connected to said at least one rechargeable cell and positioned so that, when said battery pack head is in the charger socket, said at least one contact connects to a complementary charger contact;
• and
• a sterilizable housing, said housing having:
• a head for connection to the power consuming device;
• a chamber for removably receiving said battery pack;
• at least one internal contact disposed in the housing chamber, said internal contact positioned so that, when said battery pack is disposed in the chamber, said internal contact is electrically connected to said at least one rechargeable cell;
• and
• at least one external contact that is connected to said at least one internal contact and is positioned for connection to a complementary contact integral with the power consuming device.

A battery assembly, said battery assembly including:

• a sterilzable housing, said housing including:
• a housing body that defines an open-ended chamber;
• a moveable cover positioned to selectively open/close the chamber;
• a head integral with said housing;
• at least one external electrical contact to said head so that, when said head is seated in a charger socket, said external contact abuts a contact integral with the charger and, when said head is coupled to an energy-consuming device, said external contact abuts a contact integral with the energy-consuming device;
• and an internal contact disposed in the chamber that is connected to said external contact;
• and
• a battery pack removably seated in the housing chamber, said battery pack including:
• at least one rechargeable cell;
• and at least one contact electrically connected to said cell, said at least one battery pack positioned so that:
• when said battery pack is seated in the charger socket in which said housing can be seated, said battery pack contact abuts the charger contact;
• and
• when said battery pack is seated in the housing chamber, said battery pack contact abuts said housing internal contact.