Abstract: A method is described for determining the charge condition of a battery (1), wherein the electromotive force (VEMF) is derived from measurements of the terminal voltage in a loaded condition, and the charge condition (Q) is determined with the aid of a pre-calculated relationship between (VEMF) and the charge condition (Q) on the basis of the (VEMF) thus calculated.

Abstract: A battery-powered electrical device comprising a switchable voltage drain (3,5) and a rechargeable battery (1), and further comprising means for measuring the voltage V across the terminals of the battery (1) as a function of cumulative discharge time t, and for determining the cumulative discharge time t.sub.p corresponding to the attainment of the local extremum of least magnitude in the derivative dV/dt. In a particular embodiment, the device contains means for interrupting the voltage drain (3,5) upon expiry of a cumulative discharge time t.sub.e =nt.sub.p, whereby n is a fixed, pre-selected real number. In addition, it is possible to calculate and display the remaining discharge time t.sub.rem =m.sub.o t.sub.o -t, where m.sub.o is a fixed, pre-selected real number. The values of n and m.sub.o will generally be chosen to lie in the range 1.2-6.

Abstract: The recharging time for reheating the soleplate of an iron can considerably be reduced by accumulating energy from an energy supply, e.g. the mains, in a stand for the iron and by transferring this energy to the iron when the iron is attached to the stand. The iron is reheated very quickly, e.g. by exchanging cooled down liquid from the iron with hot liquid accumulated in the stand every time the iron is put back in the stand.

Abstract: A rechargeable electrochemical cell having a negative electrode, whose electrochemically active material comprises an intermetallic compound having the CaCu.sub.5 -structure which forms a hydride with hydrogen, obtains a high loadability and a long life cycle by virtue of the fact that the intermetallic compound comprises a non-stoichiometric metastable phase. The intermetallic compound is, preferably, of the type having the composition AB.sub.m, where m exceeds 5.4.