OL5.MAR–Power Battery Holdings Corp.–SC– — –##
NiCd battery recharges itself
What's special about a battery with a pink flip top? In the case of the Power Flip Top battery from Power Battery Holdings Corp, a battery manufacturer headquartered in Bellevue, WA, the distinctive pink top hides a pair of blades that plugs into a 110-Vac outlet. Thus, the NiCd battery can recharge itself from line power.
The battery's design–made possible through a proprietary application-specific IC-based recharging circuit that resides inside the battery cell–makes for fast, easy recharging without the cost and space of dedicated external chargers and adapters. According to the company, a single pair of the batteries can replace over 200 pairs of disposable alkaline batteries. (Like other NiCd batteries, the Power Flip Top should be fully discharged before recharging.)
To recharge the battery, the user depresses buttons on the battery's base to release the flip top and expose the blades. The blades are then pushed to an upright position and the top is pushed into the battery. The battery can now plug into a 110-Vac outlet.
Cycle time to a full charge is about 12 hours. After charging, the user presses the battery's base to release the top, then pushes the blades back into the slots atop the battery. The flip top is then pushed down and locked.
The battery is good for about 500 charges. Right now, it is available only in a D-cell version rated 1.25 V at 1,600 mAh. The company expects to introduce a C cell by early next year. A two-pack of the D cells sells for $12.99. For more information, contact Ged King, of Power Battery Holdings Corp.'s Greensboro, NC, office at 910-275-7441, or .
–Spencer Chin
CAPTION:
The Power Flip Top battery has a built-in recharging circuit that allows it to recharge from any 110-Vac line.
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