Battery contact and method of retention

A battery charging apparatus for charging a rechargeable battery pack, the battery charging apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a socket for releasably receiving the battery pack;
• a battery charging circuit retained adjacent to the housing;
• a spring contact of an electrically conductive material releasably retained by the housing without soldering the spring contact to the battery charging circuit, the spring contact having first and second spring portions, the first spring portion projecting into the socket for electrical contact with the battery pack when inserted into the socket for recharging, and a second spring portion being positioned between the housing and the battery charging circuit for electrical contact with the battery charging circuit;
• the socket being defined by a bottom wall and a sidewall of the housing, the sidewall having a first channel formed therein opening toward the socket and sized to receive the first spring portion therein, and the bottom wall having a second channel formed therein opening toward the battery charging circuit and sized to receive the second spring portion therein;
• the first channel terminating in a first pocket sized to receive a portion of the first spring portion, and wherein the second channel terminates in a second pocket sized to receive a midportion of the spring contact between the first and second spring portions, and the spring contact being retained within the first and second pockets when the battery charging circuit is removed from the housing;
• and
• the first and second spring portions being integrally formed by bends in the spring contact, the first spring portion having at least one bend in a first direction toward the socket and the second spring portion having a plurality of bends which flex and apply a contact force between the spring contact and the battery charging circuit when the battery charging apparatus is assembled to produce a contact force applied by the second spring portion against the battery charging circuit greater than the contact force applied by the first spring portion against the battery pack when inserted into the socket.