Guiding arrangement for a plug-in battery pack operating an electric appliance

An electric appliance unit comprising an appliance and a plug-in battery pack insertable into and removable from the appliance;

• said appliance including
• an appliance housing;
• an electric load disposed in said appliance housing;
• an electric switch disposed in said appliance housing for selectively supplying electric energy to said electric load from said battery pack;
• said electric switch including first electric contacts;
• and
• a switch housing disposed in said appliance housing and accommodating said electric switch and said first electric contacts;
• said battery pack including
• a battery pack housing;
• and
• second electric contacts for engaging said first electric contacts of said electric switch;
• said battery pack having consecutive first and second positions upon introduction thereof into said appliance housing;
• in said first position said first and second electric contacts initially touch one another and in said second position said first and second electric contacts are in a final operative engagement;
• first guiding means for guiding and preliminarily centering said battery pack relative to said switch housing upon introduction of said battery pack into said appliance housing along a first insertion path extending to said first position to effect an at least coarse alignment of said first and second electric contacts with one another upon reaching said first position;
• said first guiding means including
• a first guide component carried by said battery pack;
• and
• a second guide component carried by said appliance housing;
• said second guide component cooperating with said first guide component along said first insertion path during introduction of said battery pack into said appliance housing;
• and
• a second guiding means for guiding and fine centering said battery pack relative to said switch housing upon introduction of said battery pack into said appliance housing along a second insertion path extending from said first position to said second position to effect a precise alignment of said first and second electric contacts with one another during motion of said battery pack along said second insertion path;
• said second guiding means including
• a third guide component carried by said battery pack;
• and
• a fourth guide component carried by said switch housing adjacent said second electric contacts;
• said fourth guide component cooperating with said third guide component along said second insertion path during introduction of said battery pack into said appliance housing.