Portable power supply and recharging apparatus

An auxiliary power supply assembly for electric equipment adapted for receiving electricity from a 12-volt source from a male lighter plug, said assembly including

• a housing having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall being attached to and extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said peripheral wall having an upper edge defining an opening into said housing, a cover being selectively coupled to said peripheral wall such that said cover closes said opening, said bottom wall having a plurality of elongated battery receiving wells therein;
• a plurality of electrical contacts being mounted within said housing and positioned adjacent to said wells, said contacts being electrically coupled in series;
• a plurality of batteries each being removably positioned in one of said wells such that each of said wells has at least one battery positioned therein and each of said batteries are in electrical connection with said electrical contacts, said plurality of batteries comprising eight D cell batteries;
• a pair of female plugs each adapted for receiving a male lighter plug, each of said female plugs being mounted in said peripheral wall and having a male plug receiving opening extending outwardly of said peripheral wall, each of said female plugs being electrically coupled to said electrical contacts;
• a handle being attached to said peripheral wall;
• and
• wherein the male plug of the electrical equipment may be selectively coupled to one of said female plugs.

A method of providing a power supply to electric equipment having a male lighter plug adapted to receive electricity from a 12-volt source, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a housing having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall being attached to and extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said peripheral wall having an upper edge defining an opening into said housing, a cover being selectively coupled to said peripheral wall such that said cover closes said opening, said bottom wall having a plurality of elongated battery receiving wells therein;
• providing a plurality of electrical contacts being mounted within said housing and positioned adjacent to said wells, said contacts being electrically coupled in series;
• positioning each a plurality of batteries in one of said wells such that each of said wells has at least one battery positioned therein and each of said batteries are in electrical connection with said electrical contacts, said plurality of batteries comprising eight D cell batteries;
• providing a pair of female plugs each adapted for receiving a male lighter plug, each of said female plugs being mounted in said peripheral wall and having a male plug receiving opening extending outwardly of said peripheral wall, each of said female plugs being electrically coupled to said electrical contacts;
• providing a handle being attached to said peripheral wall;
• electrically coupling the electronic equipment to one of said female plugs.