Connector for electric appliances

A rechargeable, hand-held electrical appliance, having an appliance housing to accommodate at least one rechargeable storage cell, the appliance housing having two opposing broad sides and two opposing narrow sides and a base, one of the broad sides defining an opening to a connector compartment in which a connector equipped with connector pins is pivotally mounted so as to define a pivotal axis that is substantially parallel to the broad sides, wherein the connector pins are movably carried in a connector housing surrounding the connector pins, said connector pins translating along an extension axis which is substantially perpendicular to said pivotal axis, wherein the connector housing is arranged for movement about the pivotal axis out of and into the connector compartment, the connector being oriented so that the connector pins remain substantially equidistant from the base while pivoting, and wherein, with the connector in a position in which it is pivoted out of one of the broad sides of the appliance housing the connector pins are movable out of and into the connector housing in response to the motion of an actuating element that is slidably connected to an inward-facing side of the connector housing, said connector pins translating out of said connector housing while said connector housing pivots out of said appliance housing.