Rechargeable battery pack for an electro-optical reader, and method of charging the battery pack and powering the reader with the charged battery pack

A method of electrically charging a battery pack and of electrically powering an electro-optical reader with the charged battery pack, the method comprising:

• mounting a rechargeable battery and a printed circuit board (PCB) in a battery housing of the battery pack;
• mounting the battery pack in the reader in a mounted position;
• supporting a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector by at least one of the same PCB and the battery housing;
• connecting the first and second electrical connectors to the battery;
• wherein mounting the battery pack in the reader in the mounted position comprises connecting a first plurality of electrical contacts of the first electrical connector to the reader in the mounted position;
• and
• wherein supporting the second electrical connector comprises configuring a second plurality of electrical contacts of the second electrical connector to be connected to an electrical power source for electrically charging the battery pack.