Abstract: A A battery charger (100) includes a base (102) which selectively receives first (104a) and second (104b) battery pods. The battery pods (104a, 104b), which are adapted to receive one or more batteries (212) for charging, have a form factor which facilitates the handling of the pods (104) and the batteries (212) received therein. Charging energy may be allocated between the pods (104) as a function of the temporal sequence in which the pods (104) are received by the base (102). Charging energy may also be allocated among the batteries (212) so that the batteries (212) are substantially charged at about the same time.

Abstract: A battery powered device comprising a housing having a battery compartment apparatus disposed therein, with the battery compartment apparatus being configured to accept at least one battery. The battery compartment apparatus comprises a battery carrier and a locking hold down mechanism. The carrier is slidably mounted in the housing. The locking hold down mechanism responds to insertion and withdrawal of the carrier into and out of the housing by locking the locking hold down mechanism against the battery, thereby preventing undesired displacement of the battery within the housing.

Abstract: A lock interface for a biometric lock is provided. The lock interface includes a body, a biometric sensor, and a biometric alignment feature. The biometric sensor is mounted to the body for reading a unique identifying characteristic of an individual. The alignment feature is associated with the sensor to assist a user in properly positioning the unique identifying characteristic with respect to the sensor. The present invention also includes a method for unlocking a safe using a biometric lock. The method comprises initiating the biometric lock by contacting the lock interface, recognizing a visual cue that indicates that a unique identifying characteristic is to be entered using the sensor, and entering the unique identifying characteristic feature using the sensor. The entered unique identifying characteristic is compared with a stored unique identifying characteristic, and the safe is unlocked if the unique identifying characteristic matches the stored unique identifying characteristic.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a flashlight are provided. In one representative embodiment a flashlight includes a light source, a housing and at least two battery locations inside the housing. Each battery location inside the housing can accommodate at least one of at least two batteries, each of which can be a different size. The flashlight also includes an electro-mechanical structure that prevents a closing of an electrical circuit that electrically couples the batteries to the light source, when one of the at least two batteries in the flashlight is a different size than another.