Abstract: An umbrella cover if formed from a unitary piece of material, an octagonal piece of material having eight corners, which may be decorated, such as by printing, without image segmentation. The cover has eight generally triangular slits therein extending one from each corner of the octagon toward, but in spaced relation from, a center point, a point of each triangle at the inner end of the slit. An image is printed on the cover. The sides of each slit are sewn together to form a dart. The cover is tacked to an eight-rib frame, with each dart tacked adjacent a flexion point in a rib.

Abstract: An umbrella cover if formed from a unitary piece of material, an octagonal piece of material having eight corners, which may be decorated, such as by printing, without image segmentation. The cover has eight generally triangular slits therein extending one from each corner of the octagon toward, but in spaced relation from, a center point, a point of each triangle at the inner end of the slit. The sides of each slit are sewn together to form a dart. The cover is tacked to an eight-rib frame, with each dart tacked adjacent a flexion point in a rib.

Abstract: A battery pack with a housing and a plurality of cells disposed in the housing and electrically coupled to provide a storage capacity between about 2.17 and 2.67 ampere hours with an equivalent lithium content between about 6.5 and 8.0. The plurality of cells includes a first battery disposed in the housing and including a first plurality of cells connected in series and a second battery disposed in the housing and including a second plurality of cells connected in series, wherein the first battery and the second battery are operable in a storage mode and a use mode.

Abstract: A battery pack packaging system and method includes a kit box with a body, a first receptacle in the body operable to receive at least one of a cordless device and a charging device, a second receptacle in the body, and a battery container removably received by the second receptacle, the battery container configured to meet regulatory rules for shipping a battery pack with a cordless device or separately from a cordless device.

Abstract: A shipping method including shipping specialized pallets from a factory to a distribution center, shipping specialized pallets from a distribution center to a customer, returning specialized pallets from the customer to the factory, and reusing the specialized pallets, wherein the specialized pallets separate batteries of battery packs during the shipping.

Abstract: A battery pack with a first battery and a second battery, wherein each battery is a plurality of cells connected in series, and operable in a storage mode and a use mode, a storage mode defined by isolating the first battery from the second battery, and a use mode defined by electrically connecting the first battery to the second battery. The storage mode may include: electrically isolating said first plurality of cells from said second plurality of cells or physically isolating said first plurality of cells from said second plurality of cells.

Abstract: A system includes a computer having at least one power input connection and at least one I/O connection grouped into a first port. The system also includes a docking station that has at least one power output connection and at least one I/O connection grouped into a second port. The system further comprises a cable having a first end connectable with the first port and a second end connectable with the second port. The cable provides an interconnection between the at least one power output connection of the docking station and the at least one power input connection of the computer. The cable also provides interconnection between the at least one I/O connection of the computer and the at least one I/O connection of the docking station.